The Big Con
The Big Con is a vital and timely investigation into the opaque and powerful consulting industry—and what to do about it. In this book, Mazzucato and Collington show that our economies' reliance on big consulting companies stunts innovation, obfuscates corporate and political accountability, and impedes our collective mission of halting climate breakdown. The Big Con argues brilliantly for investment and collective intelligence within all organizations and communities, and for a new system in which public and private sectors work innovatively for the common good.
PRAISE FOR THE BOOK
“A powerful indictment of a dubious industry. This book should be read around the globe, and kickstart a debate that's long overdue: Do we really need all those consultants?”
—Rutger Bregman, author of Utopia for Realists and Humankind
”But only if it retains capacity. Mazzucato and Collington have written a brilliant book that exposes the dangerous consequences of outsourcing state capacity to the consulting industry—and how to build it back. A fascinating look at the biggest players in the game and why this matters for all of us.”
—Stephanie Kelton, author of The Deficit Myth
“The Big Con documents, in precise detail and with panoramic vision, all the ways that the consulting industry has insinuated itself into the systems that govern and control our lives. Private companies, public charities and trusts, states, and even the international order have all handed mission-critical functions over to management consultants.“
—Daniel Markovits, author of The Meritocracy Trap
“‘A management consultant,’ the quip runs, ‘is someone who borrows your watch to tell you the time—and then keeps the watch.’ This is the very least of the confidence tricks perpetrated by the global consulting industry it turns out. Another common saying is that ‘nobody ever got fired for hiring McKinsey.’ With the publication of The Big Con, they just might.”
—Brett Christophers, author of Rentier Capitalism
“Immersive and exhaustive . . . Doggedly researched and elegantly written, this is a fascinating entry point into a critical yet underreported issue.”
—Publishers Weekly(starred review)
"A forceful demolition job on the industry.”
—Adrian Wooldridge, Bloomberg
"A thoughtful analysis of the effects of exponential growth in the consulting industry . . . Written in a sophisticated but accessible voice, this would be an excellent addition to any business collection.”
—Booklist
"Two respected researchers draw back the curtain to probe the consulting industry, and what they find is worrying . . . A detailed and disturbing look at the consulting industry and its negative impacts on companies and governments.”
—Kirkus