Few would argue the crucial role that entrepreneurs play in our increasinglyglobal economy--but exactly what is this vital, yet loosely defined businessforce we call the entrepreneurial spirit? This landmark study is the first toexamine analytically the nature of the opportunities that entrepreneurs pursue,the problems they face, the traits they require, and the social and economiccontributions they make.Until recently, entrepreneurs have been largely ignored in modern economictheory. But at the dawn of a networked age, marked by the advent of e-businessand the home office, there's no question that entrepreneurs have recaptured thepopular imagination. Studies now show that most men and women dream of startingtheir own businesses rather than rising through the corporate ranks. Yet inspite of increased attention by many of today's leading business schools,entrepreneurship has remained largely a mystery, an apparantly intuitive senseof values possessed by certain individuals. This book targets the issues centralto successful start-up ventures, such as endowments and opportunities, planningversus adaptation, securing resources, corporate initiatives, venture capital,revolutionary ventures and the evolution of fledgling businesses. Focusing onhard data and evaluations of numerous start-up businesses, including many oftoday's major industry leaders, this book presents a new economic model--a keyto understanding the guts, determination, luck and skills that constitute theunderpinnings of corporate success.Written in clear, concise prose, The Origin and Evolution of New Businessesgoes behind the charts and graphs of business theory to the true heart ofsuccess. It is essential reading for business students, would-be entrepreneurs,or executives wanting to incorporate the vitality of the entrepreneul spiritinto their organization.

Amar Bhide, an associate professor on leave from Harvard Business School, is teaching at the University of Chicago. A former consultant at McKinsey & Company and proprietary trader at E.F. Hutton, Bhide received a doctorate and an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School, where he was a Baker Scholar, and a B.Tech. from the Indian Institute of Technology. He has written eight Harvard Business Review articles, papers on corporate governance in the Journal of Financial Economics and the Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, and the book Of Politics and Economic Reality.