Mariana Mazzucato : Mariana Mazzucato

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.

Daniel Markovits, author of THE MERITOCRACY TRAP

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

Collington and Mazzucato have provided a meticulously researched anatomy of an industry not widely understood by those outside it. They have explained complex ideas and processes in clear terms, and brought them to life with a rich and engaging narrative style. They have eschewed a simple narrow moral attack on a few parasitic firms in favor of a clear-eyed view of the industry’s origins and drivers, and they have outlined the stakes for the future in no uncertain terms.

Nathan Akehurst, Jacobin

The Big Con of the book’s title is not a crime; it’s a confidence trick. Consultancies and outsourcers, Mazzucato argues, know less than they claim, cost more than they seem to, and — over the long term — prevent the public sector developing in-house capabilities

Henry Mance, Financial Times

The power of government is crucial for driving the economy forward. 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

Management consultants are frequently used by corporate executives or governments to provide a veneer of authority – and a convenient scapegoat – for controversial “reforms”.

Hetty O'Brien, The Guardian

Cut-price deals help firms secure access to the very heart of government — in the corridors of power in London, Rome or Washington. They buy influence, prestige, ubiquity and, most importantly, a foot in the door.

Ed Conway, The Times

The consultants may have different names …and might perform different economic functions…but the effect they have on their client organisations is the same: to entrench short-term thinking, to deplete them of knowledge and skills, and, ultimately, to enfeeble them.

Will Lloyd, The New Statesman

We are effectively devolving decision-making to people who are doubly unelected in many cases and whose own interests may diverge fairly dramatically from the collective interest or the interest that government is supposed to be pursuing.

Rory Sutherland, The Spectator

The Big Con is a shocking indictment of how, for decades, the consulting industry has made billions from public and private sources without providing much value for money. But it’s an equally damning verdict on those institutions that have handed over these fortunes

Darragh McManus, The Irish Independent

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 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

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.

Daniel Markovits, author of THE MERITOCRACY TRAP

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

Collington and Mazzucato have provided a meticulously researched anatomy of an industry not widely understood by those outside it. They have explained complex ideas and processes in clear terms, and brought them to life with a rich and engaging narrative style. They have eschewed a simple narrow moral attack on a few parasitic firms in favor of a clear-eyed view of the industry’s origins and drivers, and they have outlined the stakes for the future in no uncertain terms.

Nathan Akehurst, Jacobin

The Big Con of the book’s title is not a crime; it’s a confidence trick. Consultancies and outsourcers, Mazzucato argues, know less than they claim, cost more than they seem to, and — over the long term — prevent the public sector developing in-house capabilities

Henry Mance, Financial Times

The power of government is crucial for driving the economy forward. 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

Management consultants are frequently used by corporate executives or governments to provide a veneer of authority – and a convenient scapegoat – for controversial “reforms”.

Hetty O'Brien, The Guardian

Cut-price deals help firms secure access to the very heart of government — in the corridors of power in London, Rome or Washington. They buy influence, prestige, ubiquity and, most importantly, a foot in the door.

Ed Conway, The Times

The consultants may have different names …and might perform different economic functions…but the effect they have on their client organisations is the same: to entrench short-term thinking, to deplete them of knowledge and skills, and, ultimately, to enfeeble them.

Will Lloyd, The New Statesman

We are effectively devolving decision-making to people who are doubly unelected in many cases and whose own interests may diverge fairly dramatically from the collective interest or the interest that government is supposed to be pursuing.

Rory Sutherland, The Spectator

The Big Con is a shocking indictment of how, for decades, the consulting industry has made billions from public and private sources without providing much value for money. But it’s an equally damning verdict on those institutions that have handed over these fortunes

Darragh McManus, The Irish Independent

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 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

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.

Daniel Markovits, author of THE MERITOCRACY TRAP

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

The Big Con

How the Consulting Industry Weakens our Businesses, Infantilizes our Governments and Warps our Economies

Synopsis

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