• Business Week, Thursday, July 9, 2009 10:38 AM

Stories about Apple and Steve Jobs abound in industrial designer Hartmut Esslinger's new book, but there are also anecdotes about his firm's work for other leading brands, including Disney, Louis Vuitton, and SAP. In brief case study after brief case study, writes reviewer Reena Jana, the author convincingly builds his argument that "creative strategy offers clear benefits over the traditional supply-chain dominated approach to business."

Esslinger, who co-designed Apple's original "Snow White" line of PCs among other familiar products, relocated his firm, frog, from his native Germany to California at Jobs' behest in the 1980s. His loyalty to Jobs illustrates another of his themes: "True teamwork, respect, and loyalty ... are necessary to help people foster radically fresh ideas -- and then make them happen."

Jana concludes that the skinny, 160-page A Fine Line is "a compelling compilation of tips for companies interested in building a creative culture," although it zigzags from topic to topic and seems to lack focus at times. Still, it "manages to be elegant and utilitarian while engaging the reader's emotions."

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