Best books on consulting

Hello all, I would like to get some suggestions on some books to read on CO. As a prospective student, I'd like to indulge myself in the most amount of information I can receive before I have to begin the application process for jobs in the future.
Suggestions on books that are
-Short/ introductory
-medium/ more knwowledge
-hard/ technical and lots of information

Any of these categories would be great, as I do not know much about the subject.

Thank you!

 

Hello! There's quite a few books out there. If you're looking for something strictly about consulting interview preparation, Victor Cheng and Jenny Rae Le Roux's books come to mind.

Personally I don't think books are the best way to prep (I'd go more for videos, interactive content online, and of course practice with peers) but I understand everyone learns differently.

There's also books that aren't "prep" books, but that are good to read because they give you insight into the consulting world and possibly interesting topics of conversation during your interviews, for instance The Lord of Strategy which covers the history of MBB. Hope that helps!

 

Hey Inexperiencedbateman, I'm the WSO Monkey Bot and I am sad to say, but this thread is lonely, so thought I'd post in here to try and help out. Some potential topics that might help:

More suggestions...

I hope those threads give you a bit more insight.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.
 

I think everyone needs to start with the 3 McKinsey books as the basis to get a glimpse of what management consulting looks like. The wording and structure are also very easy to follow for beginners. "Case in Point" by Cosentino and "Case Interview Secrets" by Victor Cheng are great to jump on next, when you have interest and basic knowledge in management consulting

 
Best Response

Books: The McKinsey Way by Ethan Rasiel - Written by a former McKinsey consultant detailing different methods used by McKinsey consultants

McKinsey's Marvin Bower: Vision, Leadership, and the Creation of Management Consulting by Elizabeth Haas Edersheim - A look back at the "father" of modern management consulting and McKinsey, Marvin Bower. Good book to learn why values are one of the most critical aspects of successful companies.

Online: Victor Cheng's caseinterview homepage (I can't post the link, too few post. Just google Victor Cheng and you'll find it) - Former McKinsey consultant who offers free and paid for resources about preparing for cases and how to succeed as a management consultant

Heh, all McKinsey stuff and I don't even work there

 

If you're headed to McKinsey, I'd recommend The Firm. It's not a training manual, but you'll get all of the training you need when you get there. The Firm gives a nice historical perspective on McKinsey and was not as critical of the firm as media surrounding it's initial publish suggested.

For a broader view of the industry, I'd recommend the Lords of Strategy, still MBB-focused, but gives a great history of the beginnings of strategy consulting as a profession.

I'd also suggest this article from The Economist, which gives a nice update on recent trends in the industry - http://www.economist.com/news/business/21577376-world-grows-more-confus…

"Just go to the prom and get your promotion. That's the way the business world works. Come on, Keith!" - The Boss
 

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