COMPETITIVE STRATEGY : TECHNIQUES FOR ANALYZING INDUSTRIES AND COMPETITORS

Rating:
Summary: Seminal, But Academic
Review: When this book was published for the first time over twenty years ago, it changed the way that people thought about strategy in business, and it gave us what has become a common language for discussing strategic situations. That's why you should consider buying the book. Without an understanding of the terminology that Michael Porter developed originally in Competitive Strategy, you won't be able to follow many of the arguments that other people use when they're talking about the subject.

When you get past that, you need to ask yourself your primary reason for reading any book on strategy. If you're looking for a "how-to" book, one with ideas that you can implement reasonably quickly, this is not the book for you. This is written by a professor and the presentation is academic. That doesn't make the insights any less valuable, but often it makes them harder to unearth.

Here's my recommendation. You should be familiar enough with Porter's basic methods and terminology to recognize and understand them in other books, articles, and discussions. If you don't have that knowledge now, buy this book and develop that understanding.

If you already have a basic knowledge of some of Porter's terminology and concepts, then this book will give you an excellent structural underpinning to take to the other books about strategy. But, if you're looking for something that you can dip into quickly to work on your company's strategic plan, find something a little less dense and academic.

Rating:
Summary: A Classic
Review: Without a doubt, this book is a "must-have" for anyone involved in Strategic Planning or Analysis. Porter's work has aged nicely, many of his concepts can easily be applied to the current economic environment. It is not surprising that this book, along with his other work's is often quoted.
Porter allows us to view industries and companies through an insightful lens. The framework Porter lays out is a great starting point for any analysis of industries or compeitors.