In an effort to better educate myself on the Consulting Industry/Cases, I compiled a list of recommended books. The four books on my reading list are (1) McKinsey Way, (2) McKinsey Mind, (3) BCG on Strategy and (4) Case in Point. The list comes right off Management Consulted. I'm about 70 Pages into McKinsey Way, but am seriously considering scratching off McKinsey Way and Mind off my list. This book is the most elitist non-sense I've ever read. You can't go two paragraphs without reading frustrating McKinsey Propaganda. Here are some sample quotes:
On Team-Building:
"To succeed as a business problem solver, you must choose your team carefully...McKinsey benefits from a global pool of talented, intelligent individuals whose strengths and weaknesses the Firm track closely." Then in the next paragraph: "Intelligence is a given within the Firm - every McKinsey consultant is smart or he wouldn't be there"
On Winning Engagements:
"The selling process at McKinsey differs from that or most organizations because, as any McKinsey-ite will tell you, the Firm doesn't sell." According to the author, negotiating and schmoozing with Corporate Executives isn't considered selling, but instead, "marketing the firm." Oh brother...
Quotes like these are acceptable on Page 5 or 10, but not 70 Pages into the book. By that point, the reader understands that McKinsey is a good firm. I would absolutely kill for a job at McKinsey, but this book is ridiculous. Anyone else agree? Anyone have better books to add to the list?
McKinsey Way/Mind are both horrible reads for me (I think I gave up at page 35 or something for both books). I'd rather read the corporate brochure.
"BCG on Strategy" is excellent! The book is, however, a little bit dense so you should read it in multiple sittings. It helps tremendously if you can be active while reading it (do some calculation, drawing graphs). Try to make the reading process as interactive as you can!
Try the WSO's casebook too. The layout is extremely clear, easy to follow and self-practice-friendly! I didn't think CIP suits my style so I didn't use it!
+1 for making consulting reads interactive. I suffered through Mind while I was unsure of what I wanted to do in my future.
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Corporatese drivel for the win. Reading list is a waste of time. Take an accounting course and keep up with business news
Not sure how redninja's arrogance comment is in any way relevant to this conversation; it is also wrong.
The two McKinsey books were written by an ex-McK consultant, who essentially spends a combined 400 or so pages preying on the insecurities of people trying looking for an edge in the consulting interview process (it does not give one - from my experience most of the people at McKinsey in the interview process had never even heard of the book let alone endorsed it). Don't bother with those two books.
I echo Quarterlife's comments on the BCG book: I've read it twice; the first - in one weekend - when going through the interview process to simply try to get an edge; the second - gradually over a few months - after securing a job. Two weeks after the first time I read it I don't think I could tell you more than three or four "big concepts" from the book, but taking the time to actually think about what I was reading the second time allowed me to internalize the knowledge much more effectively. I suggest doing the latter if you've got the time to digest the book.
In the same vein as the BCG strategy book, I would look up some of the McKinsey Quarterly top ten article lists - they distill a lot of information down into a more accessible set of articles. Other than that, I'd suggest regularly reading the Economist, Harvard Business Review, and the editorial sections of the WSJ and Financial Times.
Just my opinion, for what it's worth.
What other books would be good to read to land MC after MBA?
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