The Idea Entrepreneurs Goes International

IPI's John Butman and Anna Weiss traveled around the world to China and India to conduct research for The Idea Entrepreneurs, which examines how people with personal fascinations create long-lasting social change. While in Beijing and Delhi, John and Anna met with and interviewed idea entrepreneurs who are tackling issues ranging from sanitation, tiger preservation, and corruption in India to environmentalism, education, and free speech in China. Over a period of two weeks, they visited countless bookstores, investigated issues of infrastructure, and spoke to as many people as possible — often while traveling in rickshaws, taxis, and buses. They also found time to hike the Great Wall and explore the winding streets of Old Delhi.

John Butman is the author of The Idea Entrepreneurs, although in the spirit of collaborative writing, the book has been collectively developed by the Idea Platforms team. It will be published by Harvard Business Review Press in 2012.