Billion Dollar Lessons, by Paul B. Carroll and Chunka Mui (Portfolio).

Success is inspirational; disaster is educational. Billion Dollar Lessons offers an exhaustive curriculum on how not to run a company. The conclusions seem obvious: don't fall behind the technology curve, don't fall so deeply in love with innovation that you never consider practicality, don't lose sight of what business you are in. But consultants Carroll and Mui deftly place you in the moment of various corporate dramas, so it's easy to understand, for example, why Motorola's leadership swooned over Iridium. This is a great book for decision-makers anxious to eliminate their own vulnerabilities.