Table of Contents Foreword Preface to the fourth edition INTRODUCTION 1. The use and abuse of strategy 2. A brief history of strategy 3. Swings in strategic thinking: seven phases 4. Towards a synthesis 5. From quick and dirty strategy to nearly perfect strategy PART ONE: BUSINESS UNIT STRATEGY A do-it-yourself guide 1. Overview 2. What businesses are you in? 3. Where do you make the money? 4. How good are your competitive positions? 5. What skills and capabilities underpin your success? 6. Is this a good industry to be in? 7. What do the customers think? 8. What about the competitors? 9. How do you raise profits quickly? 10. How do you build long term value? 11. Conclusion 12. Addition note on the theory of Business Unit Strategy PART TWO: CORPORATE STRATEGY 1.The joy of Corporate Strategy 2. An ecological view of Corporate Strategy 3. Five dimensions of Corporate Strategy 4. The strange power of the 35 word strategy 4. Conclusion PART THREE: STRATEGIC THINKERS PART FOUR: STRATEGIC CONCEPTS, TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES

‘It is difficult to imagine how you could be a good strategist without this book: essential and stimulating reading.’ Chris Outram, Chairman Emeritus and Founder, OC&C Strategy Consultants   ‘If you want a world-class strategy for next to no cost, this book is for you. Tim Bunting, former Chairman, Betfair   ‘Highly readable and amazingly useful.  Itdistils the work of strategy experts and makes it all so easy to use.  Koch has a unique and insightful perspective on almost all aspects of strategy.’ Geoff Cullinan, Partner, Bain & Company   YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE TO STRATEGY. PLAIN AND SIMPLE. The Financial Times Guide to Strategy cuts through the nonsense to offer you a straightforward, authoritative guide to strategy at both the corporate and business unit levels. The fourth edition of this bestselling book is a no-holds barred, jargon-free guide to the strategic models, tools and thinkers you really need to know about. Easy-to-read and logically structured, it leads you through each step in understanding, creating, and pursuing  successful strategy. It shows you which questions to ask, how to go about answering them, and then what action to take.   Based on long experience and on conversations with  leading strategists around the world, Richard Koch helps you discover:   §          Just what you need to know about strategy §          Which models and tools will be the most useful for you §          The leading thinkers who have made the greatest contribution to the science and practice of strategy, from Bruce Henderson and Michael Porter to Philip Rosenzweig and Chris Zook §          The essential details of over 200 strategic concepts, tools and techniques, from core competency to disruptive technology, from globalisation to the innovator’s dilemma  

In the fourth edition of this easy-to-read and logically structured guide, Richard Koch leads you through each critical step in creating, delivering and understanding successful strategy. Suitable for both business unit strategy and corporate strategy, this book shows readers which questions to ask, how to go about answering them and what action to take as a result. With two separate A-Z sections on key strategic thinkers and on key strategic tools, techniques and models, this unbeatable handy reference gives the reader a thorough, straightforward grounding in strategy. New to this edition: Revised Foreword New Part 5 which will bring the book up-to-date in the context of the current economic situation New jacket to fit in newly-branded FT Guides livery Market The Strategy and Competition market was worth almost £2.5 million in 2009, Pearson Education is the fourth biggest publisher in this market, climbing five places since 2008. Benchmark FT Guide to Strategy (9780273708773), Published June 2006, Life sales: 2,694 copies sold (TCM Nielsen Bookscan).