Business Models Illustrated The new <em>Business Model Generation</em> book uses creative visuals to break down business models into nine building blocks.

Don't let the title fool you. Business Model Generation is worthy of a place on your coffee table. The 288-page "handbook for visionaries, game changers and challengers" is filled with photography, artwork and trendy design.

Authors Alexander Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur use the creative visuals to explain how to break down business models into nine building blocks--elements such as partnerships, revenue streams and key resources--and how to re-imagine them to reflect the changing times.

"The lines between industries are blurring, and a lot of new models are emerging," says Osterwalder, an expert on business model design and innovation. "It's time for a better unit of analysis and a joint language to describe a process that every company goes through."