In the press release (PDF format here and HTML format here) announcing my book "Spointra and the Secret of Business Success," I identify some major developments in the business book space.
"We are an increasingly busy global society, and finding time to read a book can be difficult. Book reviews and executive summaries have become the norm. However, the lack of time is not the only culprit. This trend is also encouraged by a few negative developments in the business book space. First, the most obvious problem is that many business books simply repackage old ideas without bringing anything new. Second, not only can many books be distilled to a few pages, but they are built upon an initial article or paper without providing significant improvements. Third, many books use cherry-picked business cases or examples in order to hide flaws or limitations in the presented concepts. Finally, the most important problem is the generalized neglect of what I call 'executive serendipity,' which refers to seemingly-ingenious business decisions that actually occurred accidentally. Although this phenomenon plays a major role in business, many books tend to ignore it because most theories are rational, which means that they are based on the assumption that every result has intent behind it."
Obviously, I see these developments as problems and, therefore, opportunities. The choice of format for my book was a direct response to them. So, what is to become of the business book? Here are some of my thoughts, which I expressed in the same press release:
"Our book requires slightly more time to read than a review or an executive summary, however it provides ten times more fun... assuming that the fun associated with the review or summary is greater than zero," continues Mitreanu. "Its layout allows the reader to make her or his own judgment with regard to the validity and practicality of the theoretical concepts. And speaking of fun, another reason for using the graphic novel format is the fact that books as the sole vehicles for disseminating ideas are increasingly irrelevant in our highly networked world. A successful business book must do more than just deliver an idea... which, if valuable, will spread over the Internet anyway. 'Spointra and the Secret of Business Success' is a high-quality hardcover that can also serve as a coffee table book, allowing for easy access and brief, thought-stimulating immersions in its storyline."