25 Need-To-Know Strategy Tools

Amid all the dross of managerial writing, Vaughan Evans has once again done an outstanding job in sifting for gold. Carefully selected and succinctly described, with a view to both explanatory power and their applicability in practice, these tools are indispensable for anyone considering the future of their business.

Dominic Houlder, Adjunct Professor in Strategy and Entrepreneurship, London Business School

This is a highly practical, punchy and brilliantly written guide to strategy development. It is perfect for managers of large and small businesses who need to make big decisions, but have limited time for long tomes on business theory. An excellent read.

Charles Ind, Managing Partner, Bowmark Capital LLP

I wish I had written this book: extremely practical and clear, but full of rich content. It is a terrific compendium of all the major strategy tools, brought to life with great examples. Definitely the best strategy book around for people who think they can't read strategy books.

Marcus Alexander, Strategy Professor, London Business School

This book does a superb job demystifying strategy and bringing it within the reach of anyone who takes the time to read it and apply the tools. Strategy made simple.

Jeff van der Eems, Chief Executive Officer, United Biscuits International

An excellent guide to setting strategy for businesses large and small. I particularly liked the focus on really understanding the sources of sustainable competitive advantage in the key areas of a business. The techniques described for achieving this, combined with the recommended emphasis on detailed quantitative analysis, will be of great benefit to any enterprise.

Adrian Beecroft, Chairman, Dawn Capital and former Chief Investment Officer, Apax Partners

A compulsory read for every leader, wherever they sit in a firm. These are 25 need-to-know tools to help them devise robust plans to get the business from A to B and help win the commitment of their teams.

Ian Armitage, former Managing Partner, HgCapital

Of all the books on business strategy, this is the most concise, lucid and elegantly structured statement of the current state of knowledge. Brilliant, and beautifully written.

Jules Goddard, Fellow, London Business School

Here are the main strategy tools, elegantly and vividly described, with the bonus of an often intriguing real life example placed alongside each one, from Samuel Adams to Zara, Marvel to Madonna. Perfect reading for the long distance journey.

Stephen Lawrence, Chief Executive, Protocol Education Ltd and former Managing Director, Arthur D. Little

A concise distillation of the writer's deep knowledge of strategic thinking, distilled into a highly readable format. Even the busiest executive should find time to read these excellent 25 pointers.

Vince O'Brien, Director, Montagu Private Equity LLP

Like economists, no two business strategists will come up with the same list of 25 most important strategy tools. But Evans makes his case well and sets out his selection lucidly. And the ratio of one case study per tool adds both relevance and zip to the book. A terrific read.

Christine Harvey, former Director of Business Analysis and Planning, GlaxoSmithKline R&D

This book offers a refreshing insight into the core strategy tools. Compelling reading for all.

Mike Garland, Head of Portfolio Group, Permira Advisers LLP

An excellent book. I like the simple approach of just a short description plus a terrific case study per tool. This is the sort of book you can use in a number of ways depending on your familiarity with strategy and your time available. It can either be a great read when flying to that business meeting or you can pick it up, read a section and put it down again without losing the thread. The author acknowledges that strategy is 90% common sense, but you need a framework and a set of tools to corral those ideas into a credible business strategy. This book does that, and more. It is a 'must have' for any manager making the leap from a series of great ideas to structuring a strategy, and an easy to use reference volume for the more experienced individual. The book doesn't have everything, it isn't meant to, but what it contains is excellent, and very readable - ideal for a busy manager in a time poor modern business world.

Grahame Hughes, Founding Director, Haven Power Ltd

Evans' earlier book on key strategy tools was a most useful reference, but there were an awful lot of them. The 25 here are easier to handle - and this time there's a stimulating example to illustrate each one. This book is as readable as you'll find in the genre.

Jonathan Derry-Evans, Partner, Manfield Partners

Vaughan Evans is an independent strategy consultant (www.managingstrategicrisk.com) with a background in industry economics. He worked at management and technology consultants Arthur D. Little and at investment bank Bankers Trust. Vaughan graduated from Cambridge and has a Sloan Fellowship with distinction from London Business School. He is the author of four previous books, including the best-selling Financial Times Essential Guide to Writing a Business Plan.