Keywords
Citation
Sullivan, R. (2000), "The Entrepreneurial Spirit: Learning to Unlock Value", International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, Vol. 6 No. 2, pp. 91-94. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijebr.2000.6.2.91.2
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Any book that mentions such as Storey, Kolb, Gartner, Deakins, Alan Sugar and the Spice Girls must be worth a look. This is indeed an interesting book and one that is likely to find a home on the bookshelves of those in the enterprise development, TEC and LEC communities.
The book could be said to be in a market that is segmented into three (if not more) key groups – academics, advisers and entrepreneurs – and David Rae clearly positions the book in the introduction: “It is not a purely academic and theoretical book about entrepreneurship… Rather it develops and draws on relevant theories and concepts and asks the learner to apply them to their own situation” (p. xii).
To this end the book has many exercises and checklists for the budding entrepreneur to encourage reflection and to help measure such as their preferred way of learning and their entrepreneurial capability. For a book of this size to cover as many topics as it does means that not all are covered comprehensively and has meant that the author has been selective in those tools, techniques and theories he has mentioned.
In my view the book provides a useful workbook or manual on “How to get started” and as such will provide food for thought for those in the enterprise community. However my main concern is that the book may be “stuck in the middle” in that it does not provide the critical analysis and detail of an academic text but includes enough theory to put off the budding entrepreneur. Perhaps it gives them just enough theory to encourage “paralysis by analysis” but not enough to give an in‐depth insight into the many areas into which it delves.
In summary, David Rae has written an interesting and easy to read book that will provide “food for thought” for those interested in starting a new business and for their advisers.