Advance Praise for the Book

“Strategy and the Fat Smoker is a masterpiece—a rare blend of wisdom, experience, and humility. Every manager, and anyone who works in a professional services firm, ought to read this lovely book.”

“Knowing what your company needs to do is relatively obvious: the test for us all is actually making it happen. David Maister reminds us remorselessly of this painful truth—and then, through anecdote, metaphor and case history, more than compensates by showing us how to turn empty aspiration into hard reality.”

“David Maister has built a career on giving unerringly wise advice to those of us in the business of advising and leading. He offers the reader the motivation, tools and wisdom to achieve more than we might ever have thought possible. This is essential reading for anyone determined to succeed.”

“There is advice, there are authors, there are consultants… and then there is David Maister!!! Trust me, this book is valuable for anyone in a position of leadership.”

“David Maister is both smart and wise in this book. He employs common-sense but rarely-encountered lessons from the personal lives of humans to inform the strategy and management of professional services firms.”

“David tackles the core challenges facing professional services firms and provides practical yet insightful suggestions for success… very thought-provoking.”

“With liberal doses of insight and humor, Maister demonstrates that strategy cannot and should not be reduced to a formula. This book shows us that what are critical are the human elements of leadership, motivation and personal fulfillment.”