Synopsis The purrfect path to innovation by the coauthor of Fish! Everybody’s heard the expression: Curiosity killed the cat. But every successful businessperson will tell you that curiosity is the key to innovation. This book pounces on the subject of innovation like a cat on a mouse (who’s still trying to figure out who moved its cheese). In Cats, Lundin explains the four challenges to innovation that are found in every business and organization. Then he reveals the nine “lives” of innovation, offering practical ways to unleash it in our everyday lives. Unlike other books, which talk about innovation in the abstract, Cats! is down-to-earth and playful, designed to spark creativity companywide. Once employees discover the joys of innovation, the fur will fly! Publishers Weekly In his first solo effort, management consultant Lundin (co-author of the bestselling Fish! series of business titles) presents a collection of self-awareness and thought exercises to help both managers and underlings become more innovative and involved in their personal and business lives. Lundin delineates four obstacles that limit creativity in all kinds of environments: negative feedback, habit, fear and failure of leadership. He then describes nine techniques for overcoming those obstacles, which include organizing, understanding creativity ("Know that innovation isn't normal") and the power of provocation. Though none of these concepts are new (essentially lifted from the creative arts), much may be unfamiliar to a business audience. The CATS concept itself is rather weak-a CAT (not an acronym) is "anyone working to develop his or her capacity to innovate"-and serves less as a metaphor than a set up for puns in section titles and asides: "CAT Nip," "CAT Pause," "We have let the CAT out of the bag!" Though people with workplace problems like heavy-handed management, narrow-minded thinking or oppressive corporate culture can certainly benefit from Lundin's advice, his repetitive and overly enthusiastic text is more interested in following self-help formula than efficiently helping busy, uninspired execs.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Biography Stephen C. Lundin is a writer and filmmaker with a background in business, management, and education. His bestselling book FISH! has appeared continuously on the Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek bestseller lists, and has been published in 34 languages. | 
