During my 35-year career at The Chase Manhattan Bank, I was often exposed to ways by which the bank’s performance could be improved and its profitability increased.

Bankers, by the very nature of their work, come across a vast array of business practices, both good and bad, and are in a unique position to assess how competitors in the same economic sector run their operations. The rigorous analysis of balance sheets, profit and loss statements, cash flow and other economic data, was, and is, the basis upon which credit is assessed and loans extended.

But, underneath the hard financial data are the practices -- some call it the “corporate culture” -- that separate the truly excellent companies from those that are simply good. These practices, which run the gamut from flexible work hours to corporate art programs to on-site day care centers, are an invisible and intangible part of the bottom line, but they are there nevertheless. The really successful companies – GE, Microsoft, Intel – are well known for such innovative methods.

What I did not do as often as I should have as a bank CEO was to take the innovative ideas that I had observed around the world and introduce them at Chase. It would have made an immense difference. But, then, I did not have IdeaWise for a guide.

You, fortunately, don’t have the same excuse.

Steve Rivkin and Fraser Seitel have provided an invaluable resource for business executives and entrepreneurs, as well as leaders in government and the not-for-profit sector.

Humorous, insightful and provocative are only a few of the words that come to mind to describe this superb book. It should be essential reading for anyone concerned about keeping his or her business or organization productive, expanding and dynamic.