John Kay - Obliquity (2nd Hand Paperback)
Synopsis
Obliquity: Why our goals are best achieved indirectly is a book by economist John Kay.
It was inspired by an observation of the successful pharmaceutical researcher, Sir James Black: I used to tell my colleagues that if they wanted to make money, there were many easier ways to do it than drug research.
If you want to go in one direction, the best route may involve going in another. This is the concept of 'obliquity': paradoxical as it sounds, many goals are more likely to be achieved when pursued indirectly.
The richest men and women are not the most materialistic; the happiest people are not necessarily those who focus on happiness, and the most profitable companies are not always the most profit-oriented as the recent financial crisis showed us.
Whether overcoming geographical obstacles, winning decisive battles or meeting sales targets, history shows that oblique approaches are the most successful, especially in difficult terrain.
John Kay applies his provocative, universal theory to everything from international business to town planning and from football to managing forest fire.
Details
- Format : Standard 2nd Hand Paperback
- Condition : Good (Previous owners name on inside front cover, otherwise Very Good)
- Category : Non-Fiction - Economics, Business & Money
- Published : 2010 (This Edition 2011 - Profile)
- ISBN : 9781846682896
- SKU : B002711
- PPC : LL300gm
- RRP : £9.99
- Quantity Available : 1 only.
* The front cover on this item may vary slightly from picture shown *
External Reviews
"This is an elegant, simple book and, rarely for a business book, is written by a man who actually understands the academics and philosophers he quotes. The best nine quid you'll spend this year." - Jeremy Hazlehurst - City AM.
"A smart, witty book." - William Leith, Evening Standard.
"John Kay is an admirable debunker of myths and false beliefs - he can see substantial things others don't. Read this book." - Nassim N Taleb, The Black Swan.
"Economics with style as well as substance." - Stephen Bayley, architecture and design correspondent, The Observer.
The Author
Sir John Anderson Kay, CBE, FRSE, FBA, FAcSS is a British economist. He was the first dean of Oxford’s Said Business School and has held chairs at the London School of Economics, the University of Oxford, and London Business School. He has been a fellow of St John's College, Oxford, since 1970.
Internal Reviews
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