-The publication of this book coincides with a increasing recognition that the challenges facing society and organisations are not amenable to 'quick fixes'. The approaches to consultancy which underpin the cases presented here are particularly relevant in this new context. The contributors are graduates of AOC and their associates; and the work they describe here is a testament to the quality of that programme and the learning that participants get from it.

One thread which runs through the book is consultancy as learning: learning for both the client and the consultant. The...