The speed and volume of Far-Eastern – especially Chinese – innovation in business and technology have left Western economies reeling. Western scholars of innovation have also been struggling to keep up. An outstanding exception amongst these is the author of this book, John A. Mathews, of
Macquarie University in Australia. The book has already been recognized, first as the source of two articles in Nature, and more recently by the award of the prize offered by the international Joseph Schumpeter society for the best book on economic innovation. Schumpeter, as most readers of Prometheus will not need to be reminded, is the founder of economic innovation studies. Many of his insights on this topic remain uncontested – the most devoted members of the society that exists to promote his teaching would even claim some to be incontestable.