Researching content for my second book, I came across Billion-Dollar Lessons last week and can’t recommend it strongly enough. I have just about finished it and find the authors’ research to be simply fascinating. Rather than just cite dry statistics about how companies squander ridiculous sums of money, Chunka Mui and Paul Carrol provide a wide range of examples from many different industries. Some of my favorites include the Ford Pinto (“the barbeque that seats four”), Helig-Myers, and Motorola’s Iridium.

I also really enjoyed the authors’ references to many interesting books and studies that show the limitations of human thinking, even from alleged experts with very impressive pedigrees. Like most of my favorite books, Billion Dollar Lessons makes me want to many of the books that it references. I hope that my second book can do the same.

On a totally different note, this may be taking technology a bit too far.