'Persuasive, rigorous, creative and wise. Brilliant' TIM HARFORD

'Kay is both a first-class economist and an excellent writer' FINANCIAL TIMES

It may feel paradoxical, but in business and in life, our goals are often best achieved when approaching them indirectly. In a traffic jam, the quickest route to your destination might involve going the long way round. Those who deliberately seek love rarely find it; the endless pursuit of happiness leads to misery. For a corporation, focus on cutting-edge engineering, new technology or a unique product is what generates profit; making profit the sole purpose of a business usually leads to its collapse.

From the celebrated economist John Kay, Obliquity is a manifesto for aiming slightly off-target. In this provocative thesis, Kay deals with everything from football to forest fires to show how problems are best solved when thought of obliquely, and shows us how to achieve our objectives through a gradual process of risk-taking and discovery.

'Persuasive, rigorous, creative and wise. Brilliant' TIM HARFORD

'Kay is both a first-class economist and an excellent writer' FINANCIAL TIMES

It may feel paradoxical, but in business and in life, our goals are often best achieved when approaching them indirectly. In a traffic jam, the quickest route to your destination might involve going the long way round. Those who deliberately seek love rarely find it; the endless pursuit of happiness leads to misery. For a corporation, focus on cutting-edge engineering, new technology or a unique product is what generates profit; making profit the sole purpose of a business usually leads to its collapse.

From the celebrated economist John Kay, Obliquity is a manifesto for aiming slightly off-target. In this provocative thesis, Kay deals with everything from football to forest fires to show how problems are best solved when thought of obliquely, and shows us how to achieve our objectives through a gradual process of risk-taking and discovery.

'Persuasive, rigorous, creative and wise. Brilliant' TIM HARFORD

'Kay is both a first-class economist and an excellent writer' FINANCIAL TIMES

It may feel paradoxical, but in business and in life, our goals are often best achieved when approaching them indirectly. In a traffic jam, the quickest route to your destination might involve going the long way round. Those who deliberately seek love rarely find it; the endless pursuit of happiness often leads to misery. For a corporation, focus on cutting-edge engineering, new technology or a unique product is what generates profit; making profit the sole purpose of a business usually leads to its collapse.

From the celebrated economist John Kay, Obliquity is a manifesto for aiming slightly off-target. In this provocative thesis, Kay deals with everything from football to forest fires to show how problems are best solved when thought of obliquely, and shows us how to achieve our objectives through a gradual process of risk-taking and discovery.

If you want to go in one direction, the best route may involve going in another. This is the concept of 'obliquity': paradoxical as it sounds, many goals are more likely to be achieved when pursued indirectly. The richest men and women are not the most materialistic; the happiest people are not necessarily those who focus on happiness, and the most profitable companies are not always the most profit-oriented as the recent financial crisis showed us.

Whether overcoming geographical obstacles, winning decisive battles or meeting sales targets, history shows that oblique approaches are the most successful, especially in difficult terrain. John Kay applies his provocative, universal theory to everything from international business to town planning and from football to managing forest fire.

If you want to go in one direction, the best route may involve going in another. This is the concept of 'obliquity': paradoxical as it sounds, many goals are more likely to be achieved when pursued indirectly. The richest men and women are not the most materialistic; the happiest people are not necessarily those who focus on happiness, and the most profitable companies are not always the most profit-oriented as the recent financial crisis showed us.

Whether overcoming geographical obstacles, winning decisive battles or meeting sales targets, history shows that oblique approaches are the most successful, especially in difficult terrain. John Kay applies his provocative, universal theory to everything from international business to town planning and from football to managing forest fire.