The Disruption Dilemma

This important and thought-provoking book has been a source of fresh, new insights for me. Even when Gans disagrees with my work, it has given me a chance to improve what the theory needs to say.

Clayton M. Christensen, author of The Innovator's Dilemma

Joshua Gans is not only one of the world's leading academics but also someone who is deeply engaged in the reality of disruptive change. In this beautifully written book he pulls the concept of disruption apart and then puts it back together again in ways that change our understanding of what drives successful innovation in profoundly important ways. This is a book rooted in the very latest research that has critically important implications for the way in which every manager should think about—and respond to—disruption.

Rebecca Henderson, John and Natty McArthur University Professor, Harvard Business School

Disruption is a concept that is widely cited but poorly understood. At last, Gans provides the clarity that innovators, incumbents, and academics have long been seeking.

Erik Brynjolfsson, Director of the MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy, and coauthor of the New York Times Best Seller The Second Machine Age

Joshua Gans builds on decades of experience in strategy and technology to provide a novel and insightful approach to understanding the sources of disruption and strategies to defend against it.

Susan Athey, The Economics of Technology Professor, Stanford University, and winner of the John Bates Clark Medal

Joshua Gans has a rare combination of skills—he's a highly rated economic theorist, he's a careful student of business strategy, and he's an extraordinary expositor. The result is a book that draws upon the deepest insights of economics, applies them to some of the most pressing strategy issues of the day, and delivers usable insights with his customary charm and grace.

Justin Wolfers, Professor of Economics and Public Policy, University of Michigan

What is disruption? Why does it matter? What can and should companies do about it? With compelling case studies and clear logic, The Disruption Dilemma cuts through the confused debate on this overused term and the weak thinking that has dominated the field of innovation and offers business and analysts the tools to think ahead.

Luis Garicano, Professor of Economics and Strategy, London School of Economics

A very good introduction to the game theory and institutions of 'disruptive innovation,' the book also dispels many myths about that concept.

Marginal Revolution

If you think you understand when large firms are in danger, and what they should do, as well as when there are opportunities for start-ups, this is a must-read book.

Washington Post

What makes this book compulsive is the way models of disruption are mapped onto various case studies – the introduction of the iPhone, Microsoft and the 'browser wars', the aforementioned Blockbuster – in a way that brings the theory alive and arms the reader to face future disruptions.

Communication Director