Competitive advantage. The value chain. Five forces. Industry structure. Differentiation. Relative cost. If you want to understand how companies achieve and sustain competitive success, Michael Porter’s frameworks are the foundation. But while everyone in business may know Porter’s name, many managers misunderstand and misuse his concepts.The Essential Michael Porter sets the record straight, providing the first concise, accessible summary of Porter’s revolutionary thinking. Written with Porter’s full cooperation by Joan Magretta, his former editor at Harvard Business Review, this new book delivers fresh, clear examples to illustrate and update Porter’s ideas.Magretta uses her wide business experience to translate Porter’s powerful insights into practice and to correct the most common misconceptions about them—for instance, that competition is about being unique, not being the best; that it is a contest over profits, not a battle between rivals; that strategy is about choosing to make some customers unhappy, not being all things to all customers.An added feature is an original Q&A with Porter himself, which includes answers to managers’ FAQs.Eminently readable, this book will enable every manager in your organization to grasp Porter’s ideas—and swiftly deploy them to drive your company’s success.

Acknowledgments ix Introduction 1 Part 1 What Is Competition? 1 Competition: The Right Mind-Set 19 2 The Five Forces: Competing for Profits 35 3 Competitive Advantage: The Value Chain and YourP&L 63 Part 2 What Is Strategy? 4 Creating Value: The Core 95 5 Trade-offs: The Linchpin 121 6 Fit: The Amplifier 141 7 Continuity: The Enabler 159 Epilogue: A Short List of Implications 183 FAQs: An Interview with Michael Porter 187 A Porter Glossary: Key Concepts 211 Chapter Notes and Sources 223 Index 229 About the Author 237