Book Review: Start-up Nation by Dan Senor and Saul Singer

It is good that I just read the Title 'Start-up Nation' and did not read the subtitle about 'Miracle'. Otherwise I would not have read the book.
This book covers Israel's incredible growth in different areas across the 70 odd years since its existence. Today Israel boasts of a large number of Patents, largest number of Nasdaq listed startups from a single country and a country with many universities in the global top rankings. The book can be roughly divided into the following parts. 

One, what is the character of Israel as a country that produces so many startups and innovation?
What are some of the characteristics of the people that encourages them to take risks?
What are the actions taken by government to facilitate this progress?
What is the future for the nation?
First, the characteristics of the country. This is a country of immigrants. Israel has a 'One Day Citizenship' process for any Jew from anywhere in the world and their immediate families. Most of the immigrants, like those from Soviet Union are highly educated and brings with them the entrepreneurial spirit. In addition, Israel is always fighting scarcity - of resources, of markets, of resources and that brings with it innovations, what we in India call 'Jugaad'. Also the country has zero corruption and hence is able to more efficiently utilize its scarce resources. The culture is quite informal and flat and people have no qualms of criticizing the works of others including their seniors without fear of repercussion.
Finally, the entire market of Israel is very far from home, so the focus is on exports and miniaturization.
The people of Israel share some common traits. Since Israel has Mandatory Conscription for both men and women, almost all the citizens have been through the grind. Most of them reach leadership positions as young as 23 years. As the army is an innovation machine, with a deep focus on using science to improve its efficiency, those who come out of conscription are on a 'get go' mode. They are risk takers and good at execution. Add to that the open culture and the Israeli trait of Chutzpah and you have an idea factory and an execution machine.
While Israel was a very tight bureaucracy in the early stages, where every resources was rationed and government controlled everything including the interest rates and resource allocation, things have changed dramatically from the late 90s. The country has become more liberal, government has come out of many areas and is encouraging privatization and has many policies to bring in the much needed capital to prime the entrepreneurship.
Today Israel has many world leading universities, leads the world by miles in new patents registration, almost all the leading companies in the world have presence in the country and the tech sector is booming.
The country is also focusing on Liberal Arts. There is a new focus on the movie industry.
I was fascinated by the close parallel between India and Israel. Both came into existence at almost the same time, both had to face multiple wars, both had leaders who laid the infrastructure foundation, both had 'lost decades' when there was zero progress, both had great finance ministers who introduced policies that made a decisive break from the past, introducing a new paradigm of economic liberalization.
And both the countries have been growing exponentially from the beginning of the new millennium.
This is a very inspiring book. It gives a direction for every leader to make their country great. It motivates the readers to focus on the future and displays the tremendous opportunities available out there.