10 best books about innovation

The truth is, innovation is a driving force, when it comes to creating things and continuous learning. And although there are countless books that specialise in this topic alone, we’re here to show you 10 of the very best books on innovation – so, there’s no need to waste time researching for the best read.

Reinventing Organizations – Frederic Laloux & Ken Wilber (2014)

“After reading Reinventing Organizations, your perspective on innovation, when it comes to management, will change entirely,” says Isaac Sheppard, a L&D Manager at Essayroo and OXEssays. “This book will show you how innovation can be applied to different kinds of organisations, which makes it a must-read for C-level personnel, consultants, professionals, and those behind organisational changes.”

Innovation and Entrepreneurship – Peter Drucker (2006)

One of the best management thinkers of his time, Peter Drucker introduces Innovation and Entrepreneurship. This book covers how innovation has impacted management procedures and evaluations in today’s world, along with Drucker’s insightful commentary on where entrepreneurship fits into the equation.

The Innovator’s Dilemma – Clayton Christensen (1997)

Written by Harvard professor Clayton Christensen, this book not only sings the praises of innovation, but also offers criticism in regards to how disruptive and breakthrough innovations can be detrimental for large organisations. Seeing both sides of the coin, Christensen does not disappoint in describing each.

Traction: How Any Startup Can Achieve Explosive Customer Growth – Gabriel Weinberg & Justin Mares (2015)

Want to build a customer base? Weinberg and Mares have you covered!

This book offers 19 innovative channels that can help you build a customer base, along with a three-step framework (a.k.a. the Bullseye) that helps you determine which ones will work best for your business. From interviews with more than forty successful founders, to personal lessons from the authors, this book will be a Godsend for your business.

The Innovator’s Solution – Clayton Christensen & Michael Raynor (2013)

Clayton Christensen is back, as he and co-author Michael Raynor give us The Innovator’s Solution, a follow-up for The Innovator’s Dilemma.

Where its predecessor only focused on explaining the theory of disruptive innovation, The Innovator’s Solution seeks to be a more practical guide that explains how organisations can become disruptors themselves. With proposals and thoughts well-presented from beginning to end, this book is a must-have for innovators and entrepreneurs alike.

Running Lean – Ash Maurya (2010)

Running Lean is a game-changer, because it provides a fresh strategy on achieving product/market fit based on Maurya’s “lean startup” concept and “the business model generation.” Many entrepreneurs credit this book to having them quit their jobs to run businesses of their own, due to the book’s effective ideas and concepts.

Crossing The Chasm – Geoffrey Moore (1991)

Standing the test of time since its publication in 1991, Crossing the Chasm is a great book that stresses that in order for innovation to work for you, then you must adopt concepts that tap into not just the mainstream market, but also those which are being neglected by your competitors.

Ten Types Of Innovation – Larry Keeley (2013)

This book by Larry Keeley aims to explain how innovation is the driving force in companies competing with each other within their industries. He explains this by introducing the 10 different ways that innovation can be used to create a competitive advantage against rival organisations, with tons of illustrations and models to back his claims.

Blue Ocean Strategy – W. Chan Kim & Renée Mauborgne (2005)

“Blue Ocean Strategy is a unique read on innovation, because it possesses a background in academia,” says Joshua McBride, an HR manager at Law Essay Help and Paper Fellows. “INSEAD professors W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne utilise their works as one of many examples of how innovation is always a driving force in creating things. In fact, the ‘blue ocean’ concept stems from the idea that innovation allows you to be creative, rather than have to fight and survive in a competitive ‘red sea’ of other people who want to create and come on top.”

Good Strategy/Bad Strategy – Richard Rumelt (2011)

Like with any other topic, there are good ways and bad ways to do things with innovation, and Richard Rumelt is here you tell you that in his book. First, he shows criticism of the bad strategies; then, as the book progresses, he suggests the good ones which reinforce the idea of “playing to win.”

As you can see, while there are so many books on the market about innovation, these 10 books are essential for every innovator and entrepreneurs – and even those with a sense of curiosity.

Katherine Rundell has written for Write My Essay and Assignment Help services for 4 years. She also blogs at Academized Reviews. As a professional writer, she specializes in team management and innovation.