This book “grew out of a puzzle: why is competition failing in health care?” This first sentence of the book is followed by a rationale, namely that “throughout the economy competition among private sector rivals is the most powerful force yet discovered for driving improvements in the quality and cost of products and services”—except in health care in the United States. The authors, who have studied competition in many industries, set out their hypothesis in this readable book. The book is an example of excellent value: at the time of writing the hardback, with its 506 pages of high quality paper, could be bought on http://www.amazon.com/ for only $23.10 (about £12).

Michael E Porter, Elizabeth Olmsted Teisberg

Harvard Business School Press, $35, pp 528 ISBN 1 59139 7782 …