The Comeback: How Innovation Will Restore the American Dream [Hardcover]

Gary Shapiro (Author), Mark Cuban (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 10, 2011

America seems to be on a downward slide. Our government spends too much; our economy creates too little; and we aren't preparing our children to compete in a global marketplace. Yet our politicians - Republican and Democrat alike - just don't get it. While once-great cities fall into decay, Washington thrives, living off the hard work and tax dollars of the private sector. It's time for an American comeback -- and it starts with innovation.

Throughout its history, America's great innovators have been the drivers of our unsurpassed economic success. American innovation transformed a country of ragtag farmers into the epicenter of the world's technological progress. Innovation creates jobs, markets, and new industries where none existed before. Most importantly, innovation moves us forward as a nation, pushing us to succeed and strive for a better tomorrow. In short, innovation is the American Dream.

In The Comeback, Gary Shapiro shows us how to return innovation to its rightful place at the center of America's economic policy. The Comeback is a new blueprint for America's success.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

As head of the Consumer Electronics Association, first time author Shapiro might be described as a high-tech lobbyist, but readers hoping to learn about the latest innovations in the tech world are in for a disappointment. This is a book about policy, not technology, from an unabashed proponent of the conservative agenda. Shapiro begins with a fascinating personal anecdote from July 2008. He was in Qingdao, China when his Chinese counterpart, circumventing the tedious translation process, used a thumbs up-thumbs down gesture and said, in English, "China going up...U.S. going down." After initial outrage, Shapiro has come to agree. His prescription for success includes tried-and-true Republican remedies like curtailing the power of government and lowering corporate taxes. He opposes unemployment payments extension, subsidies of state liabilities, and "every increase in public pensions, Medicare, Social Security, and prescription drug and health-care coverage." Not only does he advocate raising the age of Social Security eligibility, but also instituting a means test. While his reflections on the introduction of digital technology are interesting, for the rest: caveat emptor. (Feb.)
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Review

Like a losing coach on "Friday Night Lights," [Gary Shapiro] sets out to create a playbook for restoring the U.S. to economic pre-eminence. Mr. Shapiro focuses on innovation, which he argues is the nation's great competitive advantage, the source of American exceptionalism. It is easy to think of innovation as something that just happens, but it is in fact embedded in a social and political matrix. In "The Comeback" he details the policies that, he believes, will allow innovation to flourish. His recipe is a familiar one but not yet familiar enough to engage the preoccupied minds of warring political parties in Washington. Why is it that less government is the right answer in the U.S. while government is a critical driver of China's economic success? Perhaps he should make that the subject of his next book.

- Alan Murray, The Wall Street Journal

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Beaufort Books; First Edition edition (January 10, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0825305624
• ISBN-13: 978-0825305627
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #425,590 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, eye opening read January 11, 2011

By BeachyKeen

Format:Hardcover

I loved the personal stories and seeing Gary Shapiro's rise to head up one of America's biggest Associations. His knowledge, experience and stories are very eye opening. This is a quick read in the sense that I didn't want to put down.

Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand how American can benefit from technology innovation. He not only explains this with great clarity, but he gives examples of how we as people, can do it. I'd give it 5 stars, but my one complaint is that at time Shapiro is a bit too general in his solutions (in a few parts). But given the book's length, I guess this isn't so much about specifics as it is about action.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars first rate analysis & prescription January 11, 2011

By homer nods

Format:Hardcover

The major value of this book is that it collects in one modestly sized book all of the latest research into the causes of, and practical solutions to, our economic problems. Moreover, it is written in a very reader-friendly style, with minimal economic jargon and interesting anecdotes from the author's professional experience as head of the fascinating consumer electronic trade association.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars The Comeback by Gary Shapiro Kindle Edition June 17, 2011

By Chris Kenst

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

The defining moment came after a visit to China in July of 2008 while attending SINOCES, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) of China. When the speeches ended and the entertainment hadn't yet begun, the top Chinese official at the event turned to Gary, pointed his thumb in the air and said in English "China going up." Then he turned his thumb down and said "U.S. going down."

It took some time for Gary to get over the comments but he later came to realize the United States is falling further and further behind other countries and it's starting to have an impact on a national level. This book sets out to frame those problems by describing what America does best: create entrepreneurs and innovate and what it needs to work on: immigration, education, free trade, government spending, health care and a national energy plan. Gary provides data and examples of the problems and then outlines some solutions for the problems in practical and political terms.

I purchased The Comeback after I went to CES in Las Vegas. Gary Shapiro is president of the Consumer Electronic Association which runs CES. During one of the first days I saw him moderate a forum with a number of high profile executives about the problems they see operating in the world and within the U.S. It was an interesting global perspective and I figured this book would elaborate on that perspective.

Gary sites some interesting statistics to backup his positions on fixing America. For example he believes foreign students, who come here to get the best college education in the world, should be given citizenship. He references a study that says people who immigrate to the U.S. are 60% more likely to start their own companies than people born here. That's a pretty incredible figure. He also proposes that most of the students in America's top medical schools are foreign born and that we are dumb for forcing these bright minds to leave. We educate them and we should keep their talent.

However most of the issues brought up aren't new. The majority of solutions he provides are middle of the road in political terms. He takes a typical business point of view to politics: small government, lower taxes (we have the 2nd highest corporate tax rate in the world), free trade, not enough talented / skilled people, let any company fail no matter what, etc. In my opinion he greatly overuses the newest buzz word "Innovation". Overall this book is a quick and interesting read but not earth shattering.