House of Lies

How Management Consultants Steal Your Watch and Then Tell You the Time

By: Martin Kihn

Narrated by: Johnny Heller

The basis for the Don Cheadle series currently available on Netflix, an accurate and darkly hilarious behind-the-scenes look at the twisted world of management consulting.

“[A] highly intelligent and deeply funny debut memoir skewers a segment of the economy that nearly every white-collar worker has learned to fear and loathe: consultancies.” —Publishers Weekly

Once upon a time in Corporate America paid certain people huge fees to tell organizations what they were doing wrong. These men and women really knew next to nothing. They trashed business, destroyed careers, and wasted time and money. They called themselves Management Consultants. . . .

When Martin Kihn joined a powerhouse New York consulting firm, he thought his job was to help organizations. In reality, the consultants spent precious work hours prowling for new clients, and offered little or no useful information. From power breakfasts with mind games to the screaming indignity of “Feedback Camp” in New Jersey, House of Lies reveals the truth about a “profession” that could threaten your job, your career, and your life . . . and even throws you some lifelines should the suits start circling your company.

“With sharp wit, consultant Kihn tears down myths surrounding the highly profitable and revered management-consulting industry. . . . No activity avoids Kihn’s scathing pen, including his highly critical analysis of business books.” —Booklist

“Exceedingly smart and funny . . . Kihn’s breezy, Jay McInerney-inspired writing renders the damnable daily life of the management consultant precisely, often hilariously.” —Salon.com

“Funny, lucid, and lacerating.” —Graydon Carter, editor-in-chief, Vanity Fair

great read!

I actually bought this book because I saw the show. The book certainly has stronger ties to reality, of course, which I found refreshing. I think this book May give some insight to someone considering a career in consulting, but I wouldn't consider it to be a "how-to" guide.

Great performance, I think the narrator did justice to the characters within, and presented things like footnotes, definitions and even the appendix in a way that was easy to follow on audio, which many seem to struggle doing.

overall definitely recommend for its irreverent take on a fabled career path!

Hilarious

The book is a remarkable and hilarious summary of a consulting lifestyle. Absolutely brilliant performance and a very insightful story. The best thing about this audiobook is how it is able to convey the atmosphere of a consulting! Loved the book.

Funny and thoughtful listen

Would you consider the audio edition of House of Lies to be better than the print version?

I think the narrator did an excellent job, specially by making the main character Martin Kihn slightly dead-pan and a little depressed.

Would you recommend House of Lies to your friends? Why or why not?

It's funny and thoughtful. I am sure it dramatizes up Management Consultancy. It is absolutely worth a listen. I finished it in just a few days.

What does Johnny Heller bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Did an amazing job on this one.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me chuckle and nod my head in agreement many times

Sexist

Exceedingly sexist and insulting to women. I expected more from the "so called" Harvard graduate.

Funny and really accurate of his perception of the consulting industry

As a governmental consultant with over 25 years of experience consulting with businesses, I laughed hysterically at some of the similarities between the author’s consulting industry and the governmental procurement consulting industry.