Who’s Writing About the Book

“We know what to do, we know why we should do it and we know how to do it. Yet most businesses and individuals don’t do what’s good for them.” That conundrum is what David Maister calls the “fat smoker syndrome” and is the driving theme he explores his newest book (the aptly titled) Strategy and the Fat Smoker.

Catchy title aside, Strategy and the Fat Smoker has genuine insight. A potpourri of essays by David Maister, a former Harvard Business School professor and longtime consultant, it is provocative and insightful enough to dip into for a burst of contrarian advice, if not to read at one sitting…

David Maister has a new book out—Strategy and the Fat Smoker. The title is personal—David once was heavy and smoked. And used both facts to explain something to his clients. It was that people don’t change by being told why they should.

David Maister’s upcoming book, Strategy and the Fat Smoker, will be well worth the read. If you are a leader or manager trying to develop and execute strategy, I’d plan on picking this book up as soon as its January 2008 release. Maister is a trusted adviser to professional services firms, author of five previous books, and a prolific blogger (466 posts to date).

I’ve been involved in a lot of strategy work at my company lately, and have been doing some research on how to develop, influence, and lead others through this process. One fascinating (and very good) book I encountered was David Maister’s “Strategy and the Fat Smoker: Doing What’s Obvious But Not Easy.”

As the line between work and personal life blurs, so does the boundary between the business and self-help book categories.

In the traditional view of business competition, I should hate David Maister. He targets the same types of clients that I do — professional service firms — and his work is designed to help them achieve the same goals — marketplace gains. But I just can’t do it. Here’s a guy who smashes many of our traditional notions…

I’m reading David Maister’s forthcoming book, Strategy and the Fat Smoker. Like much of David’s written material it’s accessible and easy to digest. I’m only part way through but something he says early on struck a chord…