What sets them apart is their ability to think outside of Japanese industry's tried and not-so-true practices, and embrace such ideas such as shareholder value and being customer-driven - the management buzzwords in thriving companies worldwide.

CNN: THE NEW JAPAN INC.

"Not only are they preaching the true Islam, but they are also challenging these ideas with the prisoners, " she said.

BBC: NEWS | UK | Do prisons radicalise inmates?

In Japan's high-tech future, flashy software engineers may not be as important as those anonymous Ota craftsmen who quietly make good ideas come true.

CNN: ASIANOW - TIME Asia | GizmoLand! | Handmade Tales

There is a common misconception that great ideas come from a blank sheet of paper, but this is simply not true - good developers will come up with better, smarter product designs if they know what they are trying to achieve and where they can look for existing know-how.

BBC: Business

In 1961 he divorced Mathilde, after she had imbued him with her ideas of equality for women, apparently because Tunisians considered that a true patriot would not have a French spouse.

ECONOMIST: Habib Bourguiba

True engineering contribution does not arise solely from writing papers and making presentations, but requires a simultaneous effort to realize ideas in practice.

FORBES: Engineers: Ignore Critics, Follow Your Dreams, Change The World