To truly comprehend how the global economy functions, one must first understand how individual businesses operate. In this fascinating read, Finn Jackson demonstrates how a modern business works — and what can be done to make it run even better. Like Escher’s stairway, the economy’s "terrain" is not two-dimensional: it goes up and up in a continuous Escher Cycle of innovation and improvement as adjoining sectors seek advantage over each other. This realization is critical for corporate success. It means there is an opportunity for companies that understand this cycle to mimic it and create new strategies for competitive advantage — strategies based not on a single capability but on a combination of resources that are far harder for competitors to copy. The Escher Cycle shows readers step by step how to create competitive advantage through simple actions. It integrates business strategy with business operations, ultimately linking the long-term view to the practical day-to-day realities of running a business.