The people who will pull us out of the economic hole we're in are those in small businesses. On the basis of Vermeulen's analysis here of the flawed behaviour, failed thinking and sharp practices of the leaders of many of the world's largest companies, this is probably a good thing.

Vermeulen uses interviews, personal material and general research to generate his attack on management thinking. He questions everything from whether most chief executives are any good at making decisions to whether they understand strategy.

His idea appears to be not to offer guidance to all lost chief executives, but merely to make them aware that they are lost. In an early example, he highlights a survey into key strategic management topics. None of the top three (attracting and keeping talent, finding new growth markets and aligning staff to a common goal) has to do with numbers. Yet all chief executives focus on measurable numbers, using them to inform their decisions. It's one small example of why this will be uncomfortable reading for many senior bosses.