The Innovation Illusion

"Fredrik Erixon and Björn Weigel make a thought-provoking and refreshingly non-ideological argument that a bleak future lies ahead unless capitalism undergoes a shake-up."—Matthew Rees, Wall Street Journal

"Erixon and Weigel know how to make their case seductive and entertaining. They describe the four horsemen of capitalist decline riding down innovation before it has any chance of reaching the wider world . . . liberally sprinkled with colourful examples . . . nourished with statistics. . . . The book is eloquent in laying out its thesis."—Peggy Hollinger, Financial Times

"Faceless owners, risk-averse managers, globalisers and regulators are the villains of this book that challenges the idea that we are in an age of endless innovation. On the contrary, the authors point out, many innovations are more fun than fundamental."—Andrew Hill, "Best Books of 2016: Business," Financial Times

"For a serious book of its kind on economics, one that attempts to bridge the divide between think-tank land and the general reader, The Innovation Illusion is unusually clear and leavened with popular culture references. The Smiths and James Joyce are both quoted. . . . This is an important book that diagnoses the extent of the economic problem and prescribes a strong dose of disruption."—Iain Martin, Times

Economic stagnation afflicts the developed world, and the puzzle of slow productivity growth is the leading economic question of our age.  Erixon and Weigel have developed a profoundly original and multi-faceted explanation rooted in the dead weight of corporate bureaucracy, with its striving for short-term profits and avoidance of risk, as well as government-created regulatory complexity and policy uncertainty.  The book is concise, lively, full of examples, and deeply researched from sources that span economics and management science.


"Economic stagnation afflicts the developed world, and the puzzle of slow productivity growth is the leading economic question of our age. Erixon and Weigel have developed a profoundly original and multi-faceted explanation rooted in the dead weight of corporate bureaucracy, with its striving for short-term profits and avoidance of risk, as well as government-created regulatory complexity and policy uncertainty. The book is concise, lively, full of examples, and deeply researched from sources that span economics and management science."—Robert J. Gordon, Stanley G. Harris Professor in the Social Sciences, Northwestern University, and author of The Rise and Fall of American Growth

 
Innovation is the life blood of the modern economy and our economies seem to be a litre or two short. This highly accessible book argues convincingly that the problems we are having with R&D is not the ‘R’ part, it is the ‘D’ part. We are not lacking invention, we are lacking the policy and competitive environment needed to turn new science into new, economically useful product and processes. This is an important and insightful read for all those concerned by big-picture economic problems.


"A very well written account of how corporate bureaucracy, rent-seeking and regulation are slowing the pace of innovation."—John Kay, Financial Times and author of Other People’s Money

"Today's hidebound capitalism is throttling not just the west’s economic growth, but even the aspirations of its people. If dynamism is to be regained, argues this thought-provoking book, we must reject the rentier capitalism that masquerades as the real thing. This argument for a more dynamic market economy is not just challenging; it is also of huge importance."—Martin Wolf, Financial Times