MarketBusters: 40 Strategic Moves That Drive Exceptional Business Growth Rita Gunther McGrath and Ian C. MacMillan $26.95; Harvard Business School Press

"There will always be things about your offering that some customer segments dislike. Further, a lot of what you take time and effort to deliver is either not visible to the customer or not a factor that differentiates your product or service from the competition. Finally, the whole process of creating value for customers is dynamic: Yesterday’s major differentiators become tomorrow’s taken-for-granted attributes. Not fair. Not nice." And it sounds like the authors are describing the auto industry, although they aren't. At least not specifically. Still, their recommendations can help companies determine where they’ll get the biggest benefit from their resources—as in creating competitive advantages (an advantage is not enough).—GSV