Books by John Kay

Whether overcoming geographical obstacles, winning decisive battles or meeting sales targets, history shows that oblique approaches are the most successful, especially in difficult terrain. This title applies the author's universal theory to topics ranging from international business to town planning and from football to managing forest fires.

Capitalism faltered at the end of the 1990s as corporations were rocked by fraud, the stock-market bubble burst and the American business model unfettered self-interest, privatization and low tax faced a storm of protest. But what are the alternatives to the mantras of market fundamentalism?Leading economist John Kay unravels the truth about markets, from Wall Street to Switzerland, from Russia to Mumbai, examining why some nations are rich and some poor, why one-size-fits-all globalization hurts developing countries and why markets can work but only in a humane social and cultural context. His answers offer a radical new blueprint for the future.

In this book Kay explores a number of topical business issues in his distinctive accessible, rigorous, and challenging style. His purpose is to show the proper application of economics to business analysis and throw light on the challenges facing the corporate world.

A leading business school economist lays bare the complexities of `strategic thinking' in business and offers a lucid and innovative analysis of the source of `competitive advantage'. Kay engages with and develops the work of Michael Porter, who is regarded by many as the pre-eminent authority on business strategy.