This is an abridged version of Business: The Ultimate Resource, which must be comprehensive indeed judging by this shorter version. This volume should really be subtitled the Ultimate Bluffer's Guide to Management and is essential reading for anyone thinking of adding a fake MBA to their CV.

There are sections that summarise the key points made by the most important management books of all time, as well as reviews of the main ideas of top management gurus. These are useful, but better still is the series of best-practice essays, with contributions from the likes of Sir Adrian Cadbury on boardroom roles and Wally Olins on the power of identity.

There's also a series of well-written action lists, covering all sorts of specific situations such as selecting a Web hosting partner, getting the best from a loyalty programme on the Web, as well as general areas such as communicating customer service. The book is rounded off with a dictionary of business terms. There's nothing new or revolutionary here, yet I find myself referring to it constantly.

It shows that a well-designed reference book still beats the Net when it comes to searching for a quick and reliable answer to a straightforward question.