Resource Revolution: How to Capture the Biggest Business Opportunity in a Century

by Stefan Heck, Matt Rogers, Paul B. Carroll

What do shale gas, Elon Musk’s Tesla, and the global apparel chain Zara share in common? In Resource Revolution, management experts Stefan Heck and Matt Rogers describe how each in its own way exemplifies a resource revolution—a use of natural resources so effective it defies conventional wisdom and enables breakthrough performance where others see only limits and shortcomings. Resource Revolution shows how to take what is being seen as a worldwide crisis and turn it into the biggest business opportunity of the past one hundred years. The rapid urbanization of a new 2.5-billion-person middle class in Asia will create an unprecedented demand for oil, steel, land, food, water, cement, and other commodities over the next two decades. Heck and Rogers explore the ways in which innovators, including startups and global leaders from Cree to GE, have answered the challenge with practical steps to guide managers everywhere.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Economics, Technology, Science, Sustainability, Audiobook

256 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2014

About the author

Stefan Heck teaches innovation and resource economics at Stanford University. He founded and led McKinsey’s Global CleanTech practice and the Sustainable Transformation practice. Previously, he led McKinsey’s semiconductor practice and founded a web design start-up. Stefan received his PhD in cognitive science from UCSD and a BS with honors in symbolic systems from Stanford University.

Reviews

[Rahmad · Rating 2 out of 5]

I see this book as a prediction of future innovations that will come to physical goods and how companies should prepare for it by innovating in a particular way. The innovation approach, I see it, as replicating what the software industry has been doing all this time. In another word the book is preaching the innovation approaches that has been adopted in the software/virtual goods to physical goods. For example the book suggestions for modularity, open interface, virtualization, etc. are widely accepted innovation approaches in the software industry. So, if one comes from a software industry background, the book doesn't posit any new ideas just adoption of old ideas to new sectors.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A treatise for how technology and disruptive ideas will make for a more sustainable, convenient world. Recently reporting about e-waste management in Taiwan, this book caught my attention. It opened my eyes to what corporations and governments around the world are doing, to possibly, change the game.

Interesting read for anyone interested in renewable energy, corporate innovation, climate change, urban design.... among many others.

[Ami Iida · Rating 3 out of 5]

science & technology has been developed.
But is it popular with people? is it cheaper than current price? is it ecology?
they are very important.

The book is written about success of IT Corporate analysis.
It seems like "Visionary company".
they analyze the common success companies but it cannot be lead the successful law.

[Jose Papo · Rating 4 out of 5]

We have many pessimists and malthusians in the world. But this book shows the other side. It details how mankind is innovating and revolutionizing industries and resources production through entrepreneurship and innovation.

[Alva · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book with a broad and optimistic scope about our capability (we being defined in a variety of ways) to create and benefit from an economy in which the efficient use of resources and energy are the sources of new value and new "growth" (growth being redefined away from exclusively being about the production of stuff), and which by the way might alter our trajectory toward climatological disaster.

[Turki Fahad]

My book highlights:
https://share.turkifahad.com/resource...

[Claudio Arato · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book clearly has its moments, both in the setup for the hopeful position that Mckinsey espouses that technology trumps all. And I am inclined to agree this as a primer. If you are knew to the space of sustainability without holding hands and singing Kumbaya and believe in cradle to cradle and want to get some sense of it (without actually reading Cradle to Cradle) this book is worth it. The end chapter, talking about the Internet of things leading to hypothetical companies in the future is a good thought experiment over cocktails but the book is too light to be substantial but I applaud and encourage the hope, grit and desire the book aspires to inspire.

[Justin Piehowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly optimistic view of our planet's future. The book clearly outlines how everything we use, consume, and touch will get smaller, more efficient, and more effective over the next 50 years. These titanic shifts in thinking about how we use resources will serve the rapidly growing global population and create trillions in wealth. The industrial revolution is in fact, reversing itself, with immensely positive benefits. Must read if you ever spent one second wondering about what the world will look like for our children and grandchildren.

[Dewayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty quick read that has some good nuggets on several emerging business opportunities. This book is a couple years old so its a timely read given the maturity of some of these markets including autonomous vehicles, drones, and natural resouces such as oil. If your seeking the next big trend whether for entrepreneurial reasons, employment, or investment I would say its worth a read.

[Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book for those who want to know what's coming in the next 20 years in science, technology, construction, & automotive. Well written, fast moving, I enjoyed this as an audiobook. Highly recommended!!!

[Anandh Sundar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book by McKinsey consultants outlines their view on how resources utilization will and have changed-and how to capitalize from this. Long term forecasts can be wrong but the underling logic is sound and usable. a must read

[Sheila Chandler · Rating 2 out of 5]

Won on a goodreads giveaway. I couldn't get into the book. I let a friend take the book and she is going to tell me about it once she reads it and I will update my review.

[Madhavan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the good book to read.

[Hamza · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the biggest challenges ahead, how to do more with less.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A zoomed-out, new spin on how to think about sustainability in a commercial context and a worthwhile rubric for identifying resource efficiency opportunities.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, thoughtful fast read about how future changes in all fields may have radical impacts on businesses and citizens.

[Smh624 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the thesis of this book but the writing is very inconsistent. In the end, like of business books, the book could have been 50% shorter.

[Darren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Substitution
Waste Reduction
Circularity
Optimization
Virtualization

[Yu Kuo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the right material for me, not deep enough.