Start-Up Nation: The Story Of Israel's Economic Miracle.

• Author: Karnovitz, Rebecca
• Position: Further Reading - Book review

START-UP NATION: THE STORY OF ISRAEL'S ECONOMIC MIRACLE

Dan Senor and Saul Singer (New York: Twelve, Hachette Book Group, 2009), 304 pages.

Enjoy the processing speed of your new computer? Chances are that its microchip was developed in Israel, a nation that has become a vital center of research and development for the world's largest high-tech companies. Barely over half a century old and in constant conflict with its neighbors, Israel has nonetheless managed to increase its GDP fiftyfold since its inception. It now boasts the highest density of start-ups in the world and attracts 2.5 times more venture capital per capita than the United States. In Start-Up Nation: The Story of Israel's Economic Miracle, Dan Senor, a senior advisor to the second Bush administration, and Saul Singer, a former editor at the Jerusalem Post, attempt to uncover the root of this success story.

They argue that Israel's mandatory military service generates a highly skilled, well-connected workforce. Regularly confronted with life-or-death situations, young Israelis develop problem-solving and leadership skills akin to those with years of professional experience. The ties they form as soldiers also become invaluable professional...