As French author and 1947 Nobel Prize in Literature winner André Gide once remarked, “Everything has been said before, but since nobody listens we have to keep going back and beginning all over again.” So, we have another book on innovation management. A quick Google search of the term returns more than 850 million results. An Amazon search returns over 20000 books on the topic. However, The innovation navigator is the book innovation managers have been waiting for.

The book is a critical examination of why innovation management in organizations needs innovation and explores a structured systems approach to do so. Like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, this book starts with a foreword and an introduction and ends with “Conclusions and Thoughts on the Future.” Appropriately, the foreword is written by Ric Fulop, founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Desktop Metal, Inc. He’s “been there, done that” in regards to managing innovation. The middle eight chapters begin with a historical perspective of organizational innovation management (OIM) in the 20th century, and then reveal and detail the innovation process model and innovation mode framework for OIM for infinity and beyond--what the authors call “the digital era.”

The authors contend that digital design technologies and the emerging collaborative culture and sharing economy are the driving forces for changing the way innovation happens within and among organizations. They are correct in that change is needed. Chapter 3 describes their innovation mode framework. Chapters 4 through 7 describe the specialist, venture, community, and network modes, respectively. Chapter 8 explains multimode organization--how innovation managers can pursue different types of opportunities using a multimode innovation process. Each chapter contains numerous figures and examples and ends with “Summary,” “Key Points,” “Assessments,” and “For More Information” sections.

Marion and Fixson have impeccable credentials, and this book is impeccably written. The innovation navigator should be the first book on OIM that you read in 2019, and likely the only one you will need to read.

Innovation managers interested in accelerating innovation management in their organizations will also find the emerging International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards on innovation management helpful [1].

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