If it is tough at the top, then it is hardly surprising that the top jobs are invariably filled by determined, dominating people - the alpha males who are the subject of this new book. Its authors, Kate Ludeman and Eddie Erlandson, are a husband-and-wife executive coaching team, who have worked with more than1,500 chief executives and senior executives, including Michael Dell and Kevin Rollins at Dell, and Ebay's Meg Whitman.

As good coaches, the authors avoid being unfairly judgmental about their subject. They recognise the alpha male's strengths as well as his weaknesses, and argue that the world needs its alpha leaders right now.