Much of the contextual material in this volume is out-of-date, given the fact that the articles originally appeared in the Harvard Business Review years ago (2000-2001). However, I think the core concepts remain sound and provide a valuable frame-of-reference for understanding the advances in strategy which have occurred during the last five years. It is also worth noting that several of these articles were later developed into an especially important business book. For example, Robert Kaplan and David Norton's article, "Having Trouble with Your Strategy? Map It" which led to the writing of their book, Strategy Maps.



No brief commentary such as this can do full justice to the rigor and substance of the eight articles. It remains for each reader to examine the list to identify which subjects are of greatest interest to her or him. My own opinion is that all of the articles are first-rate. One of this volume's greatest benefits is derived from the fact that a variety of perspectives are provided by a number of different authorities on the same general subject. In this instance, "advances [to date] in strategy"



Readers will especially appreciate the provision of an executive summary which precedes each article. They facilitate, indeed expedite frequent review of key points which - presumably - careful readers either underline or highlight. Also of interest is the "About the Contributors" section which includes suggestions of other sources to consult. Here are questions which suggest key issues to which the authors of these articles respond:



Which Internet strategies can create robust competitive advantages based on traditional strengths such as unique products, proprietary content, and distinctive physical activities? (Michael Porter)



How and why did 3M rewrite its business planning with "strategic stories"? (Gordon Shaw, Robert Brown, and Philip Bromiley)



How to "map" a strategy? (Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton)



Which "simple rules" can help achieve competitive advantage in high-velocity markets? (Kathleen M. Eisenhardt and Donald N. Sull)



How can financial engineering help to advance corporate strategy? (Peter Tufano)



How to (and why) transform "corner-officer strategy" into front-line action? (Orit Gadiesh and James L. Gilbert)



Which patterns in network intelligence are reshaping industries and organizations? How? (Mohanbir Sawhney and Deval Parikh)



Which activities and goals used in streamlining cross-company processes can help to create "the super-efficient company"? (Michael Hammer)



Those who share my high regard for this volume are urged to check out other "Harvard Business Review on..." volumes such as those on Becoming a High-Performance Manager, Change, Corporate Strategy, Decision Making, Effective Communication, the Innovative Enterprise, Leadership, and Measuring Corporate Performance.



Also Robert Kaplan and David Norton's The Strategy-Focused Organization, and Strategy Safari: A Guided Tour Through The Wilds of Strategic Management co-authored by Henry Mintzberg, Joseph Lampel, and Bruce Ahlstrand as well as Michael Porter's On Competition, Lawrence Hrebiniak's Making Strategy Work, and the recently published Success Built to Last co-authored by Jerry Porras, Stewart Emery, and Mark Thompson.