Loonshots How to nurture the crazy ideas that win wars, cure diseases, and transform industries

Physicist and biotechnology entrepreneur Bahcall examines how companies, and even countries, can encourage loonshots, which he defines as crazy ideas that are panned by critics but can become wild successes if nurtured. He divides loonshots into two categories, S-types (innovations in systems) and P-types (new products), and then suggests a plan for nurturing both types. First, he says to separate the phases; that is, separate the departments responsible for day-to-day operations the soldiers from the creative, experimental artists. Next, create dynamic equilibrium (find a balance between the two departments and encourage both), spread a system mindset (analyze both successes and failures), and finally, examine management principles, including size of teams and project-skill fit. He illustrates these methods with interesting examples, such as how radar was developed during WWII, Pan Am's rise and fall, American Airlines' development of an online reservation system, Polaroid cameras, James Bond and other originally indie movies, and many more. This thorough, fascinating study will appeal to a broader audience than just business wonks.--Caren Nichter Copyright 2010 Booklist

Innovation comes about when people bank on a "loonshot," a "widely dismissed idea whose champions are often written off as crazy," says Bahcall, cofounder of the biotech company Synta Pharmaceuticals, in this spirited but less than game-changing business guide. How can leaders take these crazy ideas and translate them into technologies that produce transformative products or services? Basing his work on science policy adviser Vannevar Bush's WWII-era theories on how to usher in radical breakthroughs, Bahcall discusses Bush's use of the physics concept of phase transitions as a framework for thinking about human behavior-for instance, how small changes in organizational structure, instead of culture, can change group behavior, much as "a small change in temperature can transform rigid ice to flowing water." With boundless energy and enthusiasm, Bahcall outlines his own ideas, such as distinguishing between product and strategy type loonshots. While the presentation is persuasive, it's hard to say that the world needed yet another book singing the praises of long shots. His work will likely prove too familiar to achieve the transformative effect he so admires. Agent: Jim Levine, Levine Greenberg Literary Agency. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.