When: The Art and Science of Perfect Timing

”Timing matters... in every aspect of business: from the launch of a new product, to decisions about when to change strategic direction, spin off part of a company, accept a counteroffer or invest in new equipment.” A self-professed timing expert, Albert argues that there’s much more to avoiding timing errors than simply learning how to wait for the right moment. Too often, he says, we rely on “time-impoverished” information—i.e., data that fails to account for the “temporal structure of everything that happens.” Albert shows readers how to determine what kind of data is appropriate, and then demonstrates how to analyze it for useful patterns, which he calls the “temporal architecture.” This architecture comprises considerations like the sequence and duration of steps in a process, as well as its “shape,” which can reveal “bumps,” cycles, and bottlenecks. Illustrative examples range from flight schedules to the rocky launch of the Segway, NASCAR’s system for assigning penalties, and the musical concept of polyphony, which Albert uses to examine parallel processes. This detail-rich, case-study-based volume is a truly unique addition to the business literature, and Albert’s common-sense points will prove a boon to readers eager to make time count. Agent: Jacque Murphy, Inkwell Management. (Sept.)