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The Management Myth: Why the “Experts” Keep Getting It Wrong Audiobook
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(3.04) - 144 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Fresh from Oxford with a degree in philosophy and no particular interest in business, Matthew Stewart might not have seemed a likely candidate to become a consultant. Striking fear into the hearts of clients with his sharp analytical tools, Stewart lived in hotel rooms and got fat on expense account cuisine—until, finally, he decided to turn his merciless, penetrating eye on the management industry itself.
Providing a bitingly funny account of his own hands-on experience in a management consulting firm along with a devastating critique of management “philosophy” and the theoretical underpinnings of contemporary fads in efficiency improvement, empowerment, and strategy, Stewart lays bare how little consultants have really done for the business of others—while making a killing for themselves.
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"A well written book about the management consulting field. Easy to read and digest and does not belabour the points which the author neatly placed in the references section. He spaces his own history between the history of the field in chapters avoiding the pitfalls of some authors to jump even within the same page."
— Neil (5 out of 5 stars)
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“Stewart’s wit and fluent prose make this book a fascinating read.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
“Gleefully revealing the magician’s tricks, Stewart takes readers on a whirlwind tour of how this industry came to be a powerhouse. Filled with fascinating insider anecdotes and featuring a who’s who in the consulting world, including Peter Drucker, Michael Porter and Bruce Henderson, this wry, absorbing book will enlighten executives about the value consultants actually bring to their clients.”
— Publishers Weekly
The Management Myth Listener Reviews
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" Made some good points about consulting and how they just use generalizations because they aren't the experts in the businesses they consult. But that could be explained in a 30 page book. Not surprising that as a former consultant he was able to stretch it to 300 with filler. "
— Jim, 12/27/2013 -
" Sad but true...a good liberal education is all you need. "
— Chris, 12/15/2013 -
" Funny and light read, reminded me of past employment and schooling. First 80% of the book has good reflections. Last section on "Management Gurus" went overboard for my taste. Recommended to anyone with a consulting background and/or MBA. "
— Eduardo, 9/19/2013 -
" An easy read about the origins of business consulting interspersed with the author's own history in the consulting business. "
— Neil, 8/14/2013 -
" Brilliant debunking of "management science". Gives voice to everything you instinctively know is wrong about management and corporate strategy. Should be required reading for every 30-something fast-track company man. "
— Trey, 5/31/2013 -
" Finally a book that puts those management gurus in perspective! "
— Johan, 3/16/2013 -
" I truly enjoyed reading the book. Matthew provides a great insight into the profession of management consulting and along the way debunk many of the management theories that the consulting world build its fame on. "
— Riyadhonline, 10/23/2012 -
" This book probably wasn't worth the read. I expected some revelatory information, but I found instead a bitter, snide philosophy student. "
— Edward, 11/21/2010
About Matthew Stewart
Matthew Stewart is a former management consultant and the author of the acclaimed The Courtier and the Heretic: Leibniz, Spinoza, and the Fate of God in the Modern World. He lives with his family in Santa Barbara, California.
About William Hughes
William Hughes is an AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator. A professor of political science at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon, he received his doctorate in American politics from the University of California at Davis. He has done voice-over work for radio and film and is also an accomplished jazz guitarist.