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 management consultant. But soon he was telling experienced managers how to run their companies. Striking fear into the hearts of clients with his sharp analytical tools, Stewart lived in hotel rooms and got fat on his expense account-until he decided to turn the consultant's merciless, penetrating eye on the management industry itself. Alongside his devastating critique of management "philosophy", Stewart provides a bitingly funny account of his days in a consulting firm. Combining hands-on experience with the theoretical underpinnings of contemporary fads in efficiency improvement, empowerment and strategy, Stewart knows his stuff and lays bare how little consultants have done for the business of others-while making a killing for themselves.