Rating: 
Summary: Skip the Way, go for the Mind.
Review: Although I'd agree that for the most part, the two books are the same, the McKinsey Mind does address one important point- that of framing a process of Hypothesis Testing & Validation (actually taking you through some of the basic steps). The approach of breaking down an issue into subissues I found rather useful as it does help in sorting ideas and in creating a structured framework from which to attack a problem. Unfortunately, THAT is one of the only things about this book that I found somewhat useful. If you really want to see it for yourself, go to the bookstore and sift through the pages on hypothesis testing. Invest your money in actual consulting case studies books, as they will be of greater help.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent, readable survey of useful management techniques
Review: As with Mr Rasiel's earlier book, "The McKinsey Way", I found this book helpful and readable. The authors combine insights from interviews with ex-McKinseyites, along with their own experience, in a series of engaging anecdotes that are clearly applicable to a wide range of business situations.This is an easier read than any management textbook, is better written than many other popular business books, and contains some of the best qualities of both of those genres. I encourage you to read it.
Rating: 
Summary: Simple but easily forgettable concepts!
Review: At the very beginning, I chose Mckinsey's Mind to read through because the company - Mckinsey&Co, impressed me. I expected to see the Mckinsey's excellent and miracle techniques in solving clients' problems. However, I saw not much real case examples of Mckinsey. After I read through the book, I found that it is valuable for me. First, although the books did not mention much of the real problem solving case of Mckinsey, however, inside the book, many successful ex-Mckinsey staff now becoming top manager or even CEO share their experiences and appreciations from Mckinsey&Co. From their sharing in the book, I gained many learning insights from them even though some of them are simple logic but I think these may be easily forgotten or missed. Besides, the main tool that the authors want to share is the problem solving process emphasizing on analyzing, presenting and managing. I think it is a basic principle, however, with the support and illustration of the alumni of Mckinsey, it was more convincing and easy to follow. The learning insights I got from Mckinsey Mind is be structured and logical. Also, the MECE concept is an underlying principle which business people always missed. Moreover, the concept of the problem is not always the problem is really insightful to me; it can be also extended to client problem may not be a real problem. I recommend business students to have a look in the Mckinsey Mind. Because the concepts and contents inside are simple but is easily to be remembered. And it acts as a reminder to students in logical thinking process in dealing with variety of problems. Actually, my feeling towards the Mckinsey Mind is that the ideas inside are simple but essential. I look forward to seeing the next edition of this book with other Mckinsey alumni to share Mckinsey recently.
Rating: 
Summary: Great refresher for MBAs, good insight for Consultants
Review: Don't buy this book if you want to learn how to be a consultant or if you want to learn how to solve problems. BUY this book if you want to get a different perspective on problem solving and presentation techniques that can help you throughout your whole life! Most of what they teach is common sense but this is also to say that the most difficult problems usually have simple solutions. You don't know until you solve them! Or in this case, until you read the book. The most important parts of this book are the MECE technique and the chapter on presentations. If you're an MBA they give you great advice on how to prepare and present your cases, class presentations, etc. If you're a consultant, they can give you good insight on how to stand out during proposal presentations and in creating deliverables. A good book overall.
Rating:
Summary: Another success from Ethan M. Rasiel
Review: Even though I am not [wholly] of the 'McKinseyite' school of thought, I found this book to be well structured and insightful. The fact that some of the 'basics' have been purposefully used to illustrate and justify the context is refreshing, as many "similar" books on the market are too arrogant and over-indulging to feel this matters. Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Broad, easy to read -- but no implementation
Review: First the good stuff about this book:
1. It provides good advice on high-level strategic principles to keep in mind when operating in a business environment. You really can't argue with the advice they lay because it makes a lot of sense.
2. It's easy to read. Great for airpots, easy to pick up again months later and get a fast tip.
3. The (little) advice it provides to help implement the suggestions is helpful: use logic trees, use issue trees, drill down logically by branching out, and make the analysis cover everything without duplicating. Now the bad stuff:
1. It's got good high-level advice because the advice is so high level as to be almost without value. If this were a book on picking stocks, the equivalent would be "buy low. sell high. And the key to buying low is finding a stock thats priced lower than it's worth. Good luck!" 2. They provide very little advice on how to actually implement any of their ideas. A typical chapter has about 6 pages in big type: pages 1-2 say what the principles are and explain a very little about them (ie. 'structure your analysis before you start' and, 'use lots of facts' because your audience likes this).
Pages 3,4,5,6 are support for why these principles are a good idea. They have quotes from ex-employees saying, 'McKinsey really helped me learn how to do this. People i meet outside of McK can't do this. But I can! When i just did this, people thought i was so cool'.
Then the last sentence gives a tiny bit of explaining how to implement this. Literally no more than, 'Use a logic tree to structure your analyses by brainstorming everything important and make sure you get it all, but don't double count anything'.
3. It's easy to read because they don't give a lot of new, unique information. The repeat themselves alot in this book, and draw heavily on the information from their first book. In fact, you dont' need to buy their first book if you buy this one. Actually, you don't need to buy this book after you read the table of contents. 4. My impression of consultants (our company hired some) was that they're very smart, analytical people who are arrogant, often insecure, and unconcerned with how the advice will be implemented. This book fits that very well. It's ironic that in the book the author says 'McKinsey has long been criticized for doing a poor job with implementating their good advice.' Apparently, he learned some bad habits at McKinsey too.
Rating: 
Summary: Skip McK Mind, Go for McK Way
Review: For MBAs or others interested in getting a peek inside McKinsey & Company, just read Rasiels previous book, the McKinsey Way. With some experience working as an Associate (consultant) in New York office, he is eloquent in pointing out the basic consulting skills and some nice-to-have insights into how McKinseyites work. Actually I would recommend Pyramid Principles by Barbara Minto for any MBA student trying to understand how McKinsey consultants think and reason (it will help you in job interviews too), though it is not very reader-friendly and may take you quite some work to understand it. I agree with a previous reviewer that there are no additional insights on how McKinsey works. I would say Rasiel tried but failed miserably. Like a two-year GE manager trying to describe how Welsh ran GE, Rasiel bit off more than he could chew by trying fathom how McKinsey partners or senior people work and run the firm. 60% of his comments are totally wrong and the worst thing is it would be difficult for outsiders to tell which is right from wrong. Rasiel also tried to stay very high-level and common sensical which basically made most of the book useless. Skip this one. Dont waste your time and money.
Rating:
Summary: Nothing New, Nothing Useful
Review: Frankly speaking, you will learn nothing from this book. First of all, everything the authors know/will tell you is already in their previous book, "The McKinsey Way". Indeed, both books are shallow and superficial. Those two books can be presented in a 5-page summary (more or less the content pages). Examples given are too simple. If that were the real life case, we would never need consultants to solve problems or devise strategies. Furthermore, do we need the authors to write so many pages about how to apply the 80/20 rule? The appendices of this book are useless. Some of the sources listed and their descriptions appear several times identically on different pages. Where are the authors from? McKinsey?!? $... is not a lot of money, but there are million ways to use it in a better way. Most of all, reading this book is a waste of time.
Rating:
Summary: Insightful and enlightening read
Review: Given the tight economic conditions we're seeing today, this book's approach of fact-based analysis is a refreshing change from "irrational exuberance." I have my MBA and have been in business for several years. I have found numerous opportunities to apply the book's principles to both everyday professional (new product launches) and personal (wedding planning) occassions.
Rating:
Summary: Get's you thinking
Review: Having read and enjoyed Rasiel's McKinsey Way, I was eager to get my hands on the follow up. He didn't disappoint me. Every bit as thoughtful as the first book - how nice it is to find a business book writer who thinks about what his reader needs from the book: well structured, balanced style, easy to read, but really get's you thinking. I say: get a mind. Get a McKinsey Mind.
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