The Entrepreneurial Imperative: How America's Economic Miracle Will Reshape the World

by Carl J. Schramm

In 2004, Carl Schramm, president of the Kauffman Foundation, the world's leading foundation for entrepreneurship, published a groundbreaking essay with a radical that Americans literally have no conception of the secret that truly underlies our economic success, and that for the United States to survive and continue to lead the world's economy, it is imperative we learn to understand and employ that secret. The secret that has led the American economy to become the world's strongest? Our unparalleled skill as entrepreneurs. As Schramm compellingly shows in this sweeping manifesto, entrepreneurship alone—not anything else—can give America the necessary leverage to remain an economic superpower. Not technology, since everyone now has the same technology, or access to it. Not education—we are years behind other nations in this area. Not basic manufacturing, long since moved overseas from the United States. And not capital markets, now truly global entities. Drawing on detailed research conducted by the Kauffman Foundation and on his decades of experience as an entrepreneur himself and as a leader and mentor to other entrepreneurs, Schramm persuasively demonstrates in detail what this entrepreneurial imperative means for the way we run universities and foundations, lead companies, make personal job decisions, and even conduct our foreign affairs. The Entrepreneurial Imperative will change not only the way our government, corporations, and nonprofits operate, but also our day-to-day lives as working Americans.

Genres: Business, Entrepreneurship, Economics, Nonfiction, Lifestyle

208 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2006

Reviews

[Cameron Copper · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a book on how to start a business. This is not a book praising the merits of being an entrepreneur. This book is the result of a foundation working to promote the concept of entrepreneurism within the United States. If you are looking for a book on how to start a lawn care business, you will likely find value in other books directly targeted at you.

If, however, you are enraptured by the idea of starting a business, growing it to a large company, partnering with universities for research and see the private sector as holding the keys for economic prosperity - this book will be music to your ears.

This is a quick read with many excellent questions raised and observations. Each chapter has nuggets of philosophical thought that can get you through any car ride. It was an absolute pleasure to read and will no doubt serve as a pillar of guiding principle for those positioned to hear the core message.

[Rex · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book convincingly argues that entrepreneurship is the lifeblood of the American economy and that economic security and progress is dependent upon entrepreneurship. I was particulary interested in his recommendations for ways that government and academia can foster entrepreneurship.

[Eric Pramono · Rating 3 out of 5]

1. Entrepreneurship is America's comparative advantage.
2. Universities must make learning about entrepreneurship part of the educational experience of every student.
3. Entrepreneurship is a mindset. Our goal should be to make starting a business as common as getting married or parenting.

[aqsa 🍉 · Rating 3 out of 5]

good concept but would’ve been much better executed in a short ted talk.
also it took me more than a year to read because it was so tedious.