Michael E. Porter unravels the rules that govern competition and turns them into powerful analytical tools to help management interpret market sign...
read full description
reviews
Apr 16, 2011
Zahwil
rated it: 
Michael Porter's book, Competitive Strategy, forms the basis for much of what is taught in a modern Business Strategy course in an MBA program. Porter lays a foundation for understanding an industry at a macro level. How is the industry structured? With few or many competitors, similarly sized or varied? Understanding the 'lay of the land' for an industry using Porter's framework provides a good schematic of the 'spaces' occupied by different firms. Clusters of firms that target the same cus
More...
Oct 16, 2009
Doug
rated it:
I liked this book a lot relative to something most people would find dry and uninteresting. For anyone curious about how industries are structured and how that relates to the strategy they should adopt I would highly recommend this book.
The book is slightly dated by its mention of "microcomputers" along with other now extinct technologies and companies. However, the basic principal's still apply. If Michael Porter's work was not still relevant to managers and industry executi More...
The book is slightly dated by its mention of "microcomputers" along with other now extinct technologies and companies. However, the basic principal's still apply. If Michael Porter's work was not still relevant to managers and industry executi More...
Jun 10, 2011
Greg
rated it:
This is probably the best business book I have read. Although it was written over 30 years ago, nearly all of Porter’s points about analyzing industries are still relevant today. Because he establishes a foundational structure at a high enough level, in many cases it seems timeless.
Many of the points Porter makes seem obvious at first, but he backs up each assertion with specific examples and he outlines topics in such a structural manner that everything makes sense and fits toget More...
Many of the points Porter makes seem obvious at first, but he backs up each assertion with specific examples and he outlines topics in such a structural manner that everything makes sense and fits toget More...
Jul 22, 2009
Dewey
rated it: 
Read this book to develop my skills in how to think strategically about any industry. I always refer to my extensive notes on this as I examine any new market.
Nov 19, 2009
Bill
rated it:
One of the best business books of all time, IMHO. Learned more reading this book than I did in all of my MBA marketing courses combined.
May 19, 2009
Umar
rated it:
I learnt a lot from this book. Its a little bit dry but still very comprehensive.
May 07, 2009
Fernando
rated it:
I am out of words to describe how good this book is. It's Porter! It's 100% AWESOME.
Oct 14, 2011
Dr. Pete
rated it: 
While the core concepts are important and I can understand why Porter's 5 Forces are such an integral part of business education, the actual book turned out the be excruciating. It doesn't help that the industries and examples are now decades old, but this is one of the first books in a long time I willfully and guiltlessly stopped reading.
Aug 17, 2008
David
rated it:
Porter's seminal piece on how to size up an industry is superb, especially chapters 1-5. His subsequent book, Competitive Advantage, is also excellent, albeit a bit reaching on realistic application.
Jan 21, 2008
Rebecca
rated it: 
Sad to say, I put this one down. While the graphics and charts were useful to understanding industry and competitor analysis, the text itself was dense and difficult to move through.
Aug 27, 2008
Smita
rated it:
I wish there were more interesting examples to make the book easier to read but nonetheless I learned a lot.
Jan 21, 2008
Robin
rated it:
This book may be seminal, but it is extremely dry and a bit tedious to read. 4 stars because I learned a lot.
Aug 16, 2009
Joseph
rated it:
This is simply a classic. While drily academic fairly frequently, the insights provided and paradigms created are absolutely essential for understanding strategic thinking, from the perspective of the organization to entire economies. Nothing on your business bookshelf makes sense without Porter.
Feb 12, 2012
Feb 12, 2012
Feb 12, 2012
Feb 12, 2012
