SKU: 3865902469

The Innovation Delusion: How Our Obsession with the New Has Disrupted the Work That Matters Most

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The Innovation Delusion: How Our Obsession with the New Has Disrupted the Work That Matters MostInnovation is the hottest buzzword in business. But what if our obsession with finding the next big thing has distracted us from the work that matters most? "The most important book I've read in a long time . . . It explains so much about what is wrong with our technology, our economy, and the world, and gives a simple recipe for how to fix it: Focus on understanding what it takes for your products and services to last." Tim O'Reilly, founder of

Innovation is the hottest buzzword in business. But what if our obsession with finding the next big thing has distracted us from the work that matters most?

"The most important book I've read in a long time . . . It explains so much about what is wrong with our technology, our economy, and the world, and gives a simple recipe for how to fix it: Focus on understanding what it takes for your products and services to last."--Tim O'Reilly, founder of O'Reilly Media

It's hard to avoid innovation these days. Nearly every product gets marketed as being disruptive, whether it's genuinely a new invention or just a new toothbrush. But in this manifesto on thestate of American work, historians of technology Lee Vinsel and Andrew L. Russell argue that our way of thinking about and pursuing innovation has made us poorer, less safe, and--ironically--less innovative.

Drawing on years of original research and reporting, The Innovation Delusion shows how the ideology of change for its own sake has proved a disaster. Corporations have spent millions hiring chief innovation officers while their core businesses tank. Computer science programs have drilled their students on programming and design, even though theoverwhelming majority of jobs are in IT and maintenance. In countless cities, suburban sprawl has left local governments with loads of deferred repairs that they can't afford to fix. And sometimes innovation even kills--like in 2018 when a Miami bridge hailed for its innovative design collapsed onto a highway and killed six people.

In this provocative, deeply researched book, Vinsel and Russell tell the story of how we devalued the work that underpins modern life--and, in doing so, wrecked our economy and public infrastructure while lining the pockets of consultants who combine the ego of Silicon Valley with the worst of Wall Street's greed. The authors offer a compelling plan for how we can shift our focus away from the pursuit of growth at all costs, and back toward neglected activities like maintenance, care, and upkeep.

For anyone concerned by the crumbling state of our roads and bridges or the direction our economy is headed, The Innovation Delusion is a deeply necessary reevaluation of a trend we can still disrupt.

Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Currency
Published: 09/08/2020
ISBN: 9780525575689
Pages: 272
Weight: 1.20lbs
Size: 9.30h x 6.30w x 1.10d
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SKU: 3865902469

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S. Larson
West Palm Beach, US
★★★★★ 5
Watch is nice but band is tricky to close properly
Color: Gold Black
I just received the watch and could not figure out how to lock the band correctly. I was at the watch repair store today and the lady there showed me how to close it properly so the band doesn’t come unhooked.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2025
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MrChiSox
Waukegan, US
★★★★★ 1
Mechanical watch
Color: Silver Black
All those watches very attractive looking and after I got it adjusted to my size damn thing stopped working soon as I got to set the time and she'll get to make it run he won't keep the time he keeps stopping every minute do not buy this
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Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2025
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Brandy
Houston, US
★★★★★ 5
great first impression
Color: Black Silver L
ok so I just got this and i'm not sure how accurate the timekeeping is yet - but it looks fantastic and the band was easy to adjust with the instructions provided. may have to update once I have had it for a while but first impression is A+!
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Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2026
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IKZ
Houston, US
★★★★★ 3
It's hand wind watch
Color: Silver Black, Color: Silver Black
Last time I had hand wound watch was thirty years ago, so I was very happy to find this watch. Very stylish, has scratch resistant glass and is stainless steel. Completely not waterproof. Got rained on one day for the very short distance and the watch got fog into in. It took whole day and desiccate packages to get the steam out of the dial. Thirty clockwise winds keep the watch ticking for about seventeen hours. It is also somewhat hard to wind. The quality inspection on the band is pretty low. When arrived, clasp was loose in closing. I needed to take pliers and move the closing latch hook more up to securely close clasp. Now its perfect. Video shows how to adjust length of the clasp. Very easy with provided screwdriver. Just stick screwdriver into the hole and move back to open clasp and forward to close. Don't try to close it with the fingers. It is really hard to do it that way. If I wind it before bed and in the morning, it never stops and keeps time good. The size of the dial is perfect; but the height is very thick. Takes some time to get used to. Over all it is a very pretty watch and decent for the price tag.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2026
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Wise reader
Chelsea, US
★★★★★ 5
Time me again Scotty!
Color: Black Rose Gold
The little woman LOVES this watch. Doesn't care for the band which we will change out but LOVES the watch!
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Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2026

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