The WarRoom Guide to Competitive Intelligence [Hardcover]

Steven M. Shaker (Author), Mark P. Gembicki (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 31, 1998

This is the first definitive, in-the-trenches guide to bring proven government intelligence tactics onto the corporate battlefiled. Helping companies turn information into intelligence, and then use this knowledge trategically, Shaker and Gembicki offer crucial advice for every business person on how to collect, analyze, and disseminate vital information to key decision-makers. And in a proactive strike, The Warroom Guide to competitive Intelligence tells organizations how to set up their own "WarRoom," in order to gather and protect vital information to give them that competitive edge.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (December 31, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 007058057X
• ISBN-13: 978-0070580572
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,633,442 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Save your money, April 28, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The WarRoom Guide to Competitive Intelligence (Hardcover)

When I read the reviews, I saw that there was such a diverse set of reviews, I thought that the book would be a source of controversy. I thought that this meant that there would be thought provoking material. Instead I found that the 1 Star reviews were absolutely correct in their description of this book as an ego trip or advertisement for the authors' services.

I reread the good reviews and found them to follow bad reviews. To me the consistency of the content of the good reviews implies that they were put together by the same people trying to counter the bad reviews. Just a thought. At least this would indicate that the authors do know some basics of disinformation and competitive protection. Maybe they should write a book about that. This book on the otherhand is nothing more than an advertisement for their services.

Let's see what type of review is posted after this one. Let me predict techno-thriller that revolutionizes the field. ;)

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Consultant Blatantly Advertises His Wares!, March 18, 1999

By 

Jeff Schlueter ([e-mail]) (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The WarRoom Guide to Competitive Intelligence (Hardcover)

Based on the reviews of this book here at Amazon, I bought it and eagerly awaited learning how to improve one aspect of my job...competitive intelligence. However, I was sorely disappointed by what this book contains.

I hate it when a consultant book serves mainly to advertise the services of its writer(s) and their firm. This one openly talks about the firm and vaguely describes the clients they have served, but it is so light in content that I found it a waste of time. I skimmed through the first five chapters saying "where's the beef?" Finally got to what I got would be an interesting one on the "Quarterbacking" technique only to be treated to a high level and nearly useless discussion of this technique that requires the WarRoom consultants to really make function.

I finally gave up after the chapter describing how to use Web-based search engines. If I didn't know how to do that, I never would have found the book in the first place!

To be truly useful to me, this book needed to provide more practical guidance on how to set up and manage a systematic intelligence gathering process, how to present the data to senior management in a way that influences decisions, and how much I should expect to budget for a decent program. In the end, I felt all they were trying to do was sell me time from their own firm.

Caveat Emptor with this one!

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars War Room Good, CIA "Tricks" Bad Business, April 8, 2000

By 

Robert D. Steele (Oakton, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The WarRoom Guide to Competitive Intelligence (Hardcover)

I have mixed feeling about these guys, and their book, but the bottom line is that it makes a contribution and must be read. They address, in a manner understandable by the complete layman, the intersection of competitive intelligence, corporate security, and WarRoom operations. They have a number of very useful and thoughtful figures. The book is unquestionably at the head of the class with respect to WarRoom operations and exploiting information technology and basic planning and execution and visualization concepts. Where I have a real problem with this book is in its advocacy of elicitation and other deceptive techniques, no doubt a hang-over from Steven's days as a CIA case officer. There is absolutely no place in U.S. competitive intelligence for such methods, and any discussion in that direction must be forcefully opposed if we are to succeed in creating a legal, ethical, overt network of intelligence professionals able to reinforce each other in providing open source intelligence to businesses as well as non-governmental organizations.