The Book Is in Print! And Yes, There Is a Wisconsin Touch

Just got my first copies of Conquering Innovation Fatigue. Very happy with the printing by John Wiley & Sons. Many thanks to artists Nichole Marshall and Mark Benyo for assistance in cover design and graphics. Both are from the Fox Cities of Wisconsin (Menasha and Appleton, respectively).

While the book is written with a global perspective and features information and case studies from all over, there is a Wisconsin element included in the book. I must say that I’m impressed with how much innovation occurs among the inventors, entrepreneurs, universities, and corporations of this state.

Wisconsin-related elements include:

  • a case study (entire chapter) on Sunrise Farms of Neenah, the innovative broccoli sprout farmer that was nearly shut down by a bad patent;
  • a case study (entire chapter) on Orion Energy Systems of Manitowoc, the innovative energy-saving company that Pres. Obama publicly highlighted in a recent speech;
  • a review of the decline and potential hope for the paper industry, with an introspective discussion of Appleton’s former Institute of Paper Chemistry (now IPST at Georgia Tech) and its role as a microcosm to understand some of the “fatigue factors” in the industry;
  • several discussions of Kimberly-Clark Corporation and best practices and unusual approaches to innovation;
  • a lesson from the director of The Lion King during a backstage tour at Appleton’s Performing Arts Center; and
  • several lessons from our work at Innovationedge in Neenah.

This book focuses on the personal side of innovation and reveals the often unseen “innovation fatigue factors” that can shut down innovation. It’s written for entrepreneurs, business leaders, inventors, and even government officials, showing these unseen and often unintended barriers and revealing how they can be overcome. To order at Amazon, go to http://tinyurl.com/nofatigue.

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