This book is an outgrowth of my efforts to develop an MBA level course at Harvard Business School entitled " New Product Development : An Analystical Aproach". The philosophy of that course, reflected in this book, was that a deep understanding of consumer decision making is key to success at the various stages in the development process and that there is a set of tools which provides managers with the necessary insights. the book's objective is to provide the knowledge necessary for a manager to use and employ these tools effectively in new product decision making.