Bookshop shelves are starting to groan under the weight of  entrepreneurial autobiographies, and yet, as interesting and inspirational as they can be, what exactly do these Dragons have to teach the average CEO?

This stimulating new book by Heidrick & Struggles's managing partner Steve Tappin and financial journalist Andrew Cave attempts a compromise.

Taking a "more is more" mantra to heart, the book is based on interviews and research among over 150 global CEOs. If it occasionally bites off more than it can chew—the only real answer to the question of what it's like to be a CEO is "it depends"—there is plenty of substance here to inform and inspire future bosses.

The trends are well picked and coming as they do from the mouths of existing CEOs, these insights are more worthwhile than some peddled by so-called "trend-watchers". Some ideas, such as "hard globalisation", offer fresher insights than others ("the First World War for talent"), but overall the concepts are well argued. Punchy case studies and pithy conclusions make this a good addition to those creaking bookshelves.

Nicholas Brealey Publishing