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informative
reflective
slow-paced
Interesting book about a topic where never really read about. Long enough to be "serious" but not overly detailed nor academic.
challenging
informative
slow-paced
More polemic of an argumentative style than it is evidence based and exploratory, this book left me unsatisfied. The criticisms are easily made but at the heart there is little actual investigation of the problems in the consulting industry - and there are many - or the reasons why governments and businesses make use of them. There is a real critique to be made, but instead you get a set of blunt, predictable broadsides. I found myself struggling to find the evidence behind it all convincing, and in some areas where I am familiar with the issue I found the authors' interpretation narrow and, frankly, somewhat naive. Perhaps the problem with The Big Con is that it is primarily a desk study with its thesis set out to drive the evidence, rather than a truly anthropological or sector-familiar study.
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
informative
medium-paced
4,5 stars, concise and convincing case for why consultancy is not only hugely overrated, but actually harmful to society.
Many illustrative examples on why market-oriented governmental policies fail the democracy. Of many cases involving Big-3 and Big-4 companies I have read for the first time (though admittedly I wasn't that involved in the late years). Good policy advice. I feel it lacked in-depth overall analysis on overspendings, harm done, price per value or a comparison with governments who don't rely heavily on international consultants (Germany?).
informative
medium-paced