Whether Philip Rosenzweig can shift long-held prejudices with his new book,The Halo Effect, is uncertain. But he deserves acclaim for this brave, provocative piece of work.

Prof Rosenzweig teaches strategy and international management at the IMD business school in Lausanne, Switzerland, but he spent seven years at Hewlett-Packard, the technology company, before entering academia. Perhaps it is his real-world experience that makes him sceptical about the neat theories (or delusions, as he calls them) that characterise so many business books and articles. Maybe he simply distrusts simple solutions. Either way, he has thrown down a serious challenge to his business school peers and the business media as well.