Cost-cutting may be dubbed "the Errol Flynn of business topics" by the author and might have been at the top of most business agendas for the last couple of years, but it is nevertheless a dry topic. Wileman draws on a wealth of experience as a cost-cutting consultant and chief financial officer to make it seem like the most interesting part of a manager's remit. He is clear that this is not a subject limited to the boardroom, but one that belongs in the job descriptions of all junior managers, too.

This is a reissue of a book first published in 2008 and is timely for those who missed it. The obsession with how to reduce public sector costs means that there is a new chapter dedicated to that subject. It should be required reading for all politicians before they make any promises about efficiency programmes.

The key to managing costs over the long term, Wileman stresses, is to think before you allow them into your organisation in the first place. This is most noticeable in the chapter on people (worth the cover price alone) but is a good principle for all costs.