What I Learned from Frogs in Texas: Saving Your Skin with Forward-Thinking Innovation [Paperback]

Jim Carroll (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 18, 2005

We live in an era of unprecedented and relentless change. The emergence of China as a super-power; hyper-innovation and business market turmoil; constant career change and rapid scientific advances. Competition is changing overnight, and product lifecycles often last for just a few months. Permanence has been torn asunder. We are in a time that demands a new agility and flexibility: leaders must have the skill and insight to prepare for a future that is rushing at them faster than ever before. Jim Carroll provides concrete guidance on how to turn challenges into opportunity Anticipate future trends that will impact you Move from a culture of indecision to one that is forward-thinking and decisive Instill an innovative culture in your company Develop key leadership skills for the future View change as an opportunity to pursue not as a threat to be feared

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jim Carroll is leading internation futurist, trends and innovation expert. He is recognized worldwide for presentations that involve his signature humor, high-level energy, deep insight and challenging observations, and which are based on extensive research and customization. He has presented to tens of thousands of people in audiences in London, Dallas, Stockholm, New York, Los Angeles, Montreal, Budapest, Costa Rica, Nassau and Vancouver -- to name but a few locations! His client list includes some of the world's largest organizations and associations, such as the US Army Corps of Engineers, Nestle, Motorola, DaimlerChrysler, the BBC, the U.S. Department of Defense, the American Federation of Teachers, Microsoft, American Express, the American Payroll Association, VISA, the Health Care Industry Distributors Association, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, KPMG, Monsanto, Deloitte, the North American Newsprint Producers Association, Nortel Networks, the American Academy of Ophthalmologists, the World Congress of Association Executives, Towers Perrin and many more.

Product Details

• Paperback: 132 pages
• Publisher: Oblio Press (February 18, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0973655402
• ISBN-13: 978-0973655407
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #438,997 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Its an OK book, November 14, 2009

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ss3growntrunks - See all my reviews

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This review is from: What I Learned from Frogs in Texas: Saving Your Skin with Forward-Thinking Innovation (Paperback)

The whole purpose of the book is to teach you to be proactive, basically. You might like it more than me though...

5.0 out of 5 stars If you love Tom Peters' work just like I do, this author will not disappoint you for a change!, November 5, 2008

By 

Lee Say Keng "KNOWLEDGE ADVENTURER/TECHNOLOGY... (Ho Chi Minh City/Singapore) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: What I Learned from Frogs in Texas: Saving Your Skin with Forward-Thinking Innovation (Paperback)

'What I Learned from Frogs in Texas: Saving Your Skin with Forward-Thinking Innovation', by Jim Carroll;

'Change' & 'innovation' are seemingly two most commonly used (or abused?) buzz words in the corporate world, which, from my perspective, readily capture the essence of the challenges faced by all of us today.

The subject of 'change' - agility & flexibility in dealing with a world turned upside down - & 'innovation' - doing things differently to survive & thrive - have continued to fascinate me for many years.

I have read a lot about the subject, & I am also always on the constant lookout for more new perspectives. Hence, to my pleasant delight, I have stumbled upon the work of futurist, trends & innovation expert Jim Carroll on the net.

Through Amazon, I have managed to acquire - & then read in earnest about a couple of months ago - his two books, namely, 'What I Learned from Frogs in Texas: Saving Your Skin with Forward-Thinking Innovation' (2004) & 'Ready, Set, Done: How to Innovate When Faster is the New Fast' (2007).

I am reviewing the first book here, to be followed by the second book in a separate review on Amazon.

Backed by reportedly impeccable credentials from the big boys, e.g. American Express, Disney, IBM, Microsoft, & acknowledged by 'BusinessWeek' as a thought leader, the author writes almost like corporate skunk Tom Peters - "screwing people's mind . . . taking them to the brink & then pulling them back", to paraphrase Tom Peters.

As a matter of fact, I reckon, at least from my perspective, his writings more or less emulate my other favourite authors on 'Change' & 'Innovation', Robert Kriegel, Louis Patler, Price Pritchett, all rolled into one - short, staccato bursts of energetic prescriptions, occasionally outrageous & yet written succinctly, with enchanting anecdotes & provocative examples from real-world events, in contrast to the staid academic texts of the time.

Having said that, let me get down to the specifics of my overall response of the two books.

In a nut shell, I must say that there are a lot of interesting stuff in the two books, but they are not necessarily unfamiliar or essentially new to most well-read businesspeople:

e.g. "65% of pre-school children today will be employed in careers & jobs that don't yet exist"; "most people will find themselves not only in 4 or 5 different jobs in their lifetime, but in 4 or 5 different careers; "the 1/2 life of an engineer 's knowledge is about 5 years";

although from page to page as one reads, one can easily get that little jolt, & then seriously reflect on what the author is talking about.

In fact, I must also bring reader's immediate attention to the fact that much of what he has to say in the two books is made somewhat more compelling, when his astute observations of the marketspace are viewed critically as called by the author.

What I like about the two books after perusal is that one can readily open up any page, anywhere in the two books, read for a few minutes, & actually gain some new perspectives from the reading experience.

In fact, that's how I have enjoyed reading the two books, one bite at a time, over a few weeks, some time ago, because I always have this ingrained habit of reading several books by different authors in one go.

The title of the first book is an apt metaphor from all the little green frogs, during one of the author's personal encounters on one hot, humid, sticky day at a conference in Houston, Texas, where "they were out on the road (from the culvert) cavorting in the puddles of water (from the hotel's sprinklers) & dodging the gulls, they didn't notice the sudden increase in (vehicular) traffic coming from either direction." Squish, what an ugly scene!

Interestingly, the frog story exemplifies people's reality. So, transposed to the real-world, we may be extremely focused, but we are looking at the wrong threat, in the wrong direction, at the wrong time.

The author's point: we need to change our frame of mind with respect to changes occurring in the world around us, & the trends that will present challenge & opportunity.

Coupling with this mind frame change, one must also learn to deal with what the author calls 'aggressive indecision' or better described as "stuck in the rut, spinning the wheels, losing sense of direction & momentum, & doing nothing" - all ill-equipped to deal with the rapid changes.

According to the author, that's the critical capability we must have, & it's the focus of the first book.

Rather than dwelling on what's all in the book, I will share with readers about what I have taken away from the book:

For me, my favourite chapters are:

- Chapter 6: 'Leading the Future' - the author shares his strategies of how to become a forward-oriented leader;

- Chapter 9: 'Changing to a Certainty Culture: Dealing with Aggressive Indecision' - the author highlights the warning signs to think about, & a number of things we can do about them;

- Chapter 10: 'An Action Plan for Change' - the author pinpoints the vital elements in a strategy for change;

- Chapter 11: 'Smart Frogs Go Forward' - author shares his insights about the criticality & acquisition of the requisite skills, especially soft skills, for the future;

I also like the author's simple ideas about innovation, which I choose to interpret from my personal perspective:

- run yourself faster;
- grow yourself quicker;
- transform yourself smarter;

His quirky prognosis of 8 big trends to think about, as outlined in the book, is worth considering since they are still applicable in today's context.

If you love Tom Peters' work just like I do, I am confident that Jim Carroll will not disappoint you for a change. The latter is equally provocative & vibrant in his writing.

Reviewed by Lee Say Keng, Knowledge Adventurer & Technology Explorer, November 2008

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars So What's New?, August 24, 2005

By 

J. Murphy "Jeff M" (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: What I Learned from Frogs in Texas: Saving Your Skin with Forward-Thinking Innovation (Paperback)

Not much in here that hasn't already been stated in many other places. Very basic coverage of the issue of change.