Rating: 
Summary: There Is No Try, Only Flawless Consulting
Review: A respected colleague recommended the first version of this book to me many years ago. It is still on a top ten list for all books needed for anyone performing HR work (as a classic "internal consultant"). HR professionals who want to be successful and, almost as importantly, want to be happy in their work and its outcomes need to read this book and get prepared for new dimensions in understanding and service.
I'm so glad Block decided to update this classic work, since so much has changed. However, after reading the new version, it really does seem that his genius in the earlier work was so durable that its core wisdom aged amazingly well.
Rating:
Summary: NOW I find this book...
Review: About a year ago, I decided to leave a full-time internal consulting position (health care) to start my own consulting firm. Several months after having done so, I've just discovered Peter Block's "Flawless Consulting." There is no doubt in my mind that had I read this (or the 1st edition) sooner, the years I spent as an internal consultant would have been much easier and much more fruitful. (Shame on me!)Anyone in the consulting biz owes it to himself/herself to purchase and read this book. If you work in a business and don't consider yourself a consultant, get the book anyway - you might be surprised to learn just how much consulting you actually do. There are some VERY powerful lessons about negotiation between the covers. The checklists alone in this book are worth the price, but it is a fantastic piece of work.
Rating:
Summary: NOW I find this book...
Review: About a year ago, I decided to leave a full-time internal consulting position (health care) to start my own consulting firm. Several months after having done so, I've just discovered Peter Block's "Flawless Consulting." There is no doubt in my mind that had I read this (or the 1st edition) sooner, the years I spent as an internal consultant would have been much easier and much more fruitful. (Shame on me!) Anyone in the consulting biz owes it to himself/herself to purchase and read this book. If you work in a business and don't consider yourself a consultant, get the book anyway - you might be surprised to learn just how much consulting you actually do. There are some VERY powerful lessons about negotiation between the covers. The checklists alone in this book are worth the price, but it is a fantastic piece of work.
Rating:
Summary: Flawless Advice
Review: After 25+ years in the consulting business, it is wonderful to find this compilation of knowledge and techniques. Experienced comsultants will find that Block has taken lots of things they know viscerally and set it all down on paper. New consultants will find this a worthwhile addendum to the technical skills you've learned along the way. This book won't teach you the mechanics or technical aspects (content) of consulting, but it will go a long way toward helping establish a better working relationship with your client from the outset.
Rating:
Summary: Invaluable
Review: An essential book for the one-person consultant, either just beginning or a veteran. No matter how well you think you know your clients or your expertise, this book will keep you focused on the consulting essentials, leading to successful and implemented projects - and clients who will want you again. If you can only afford one book on consulting, this is the one - no bull!
Rating:
Summary: Still incredibly relevant!
Review: Even though this book was written in 1981, it is as relevant today as it ever was, perhaps more so. Block emphasizes authenticity as the key to effective consulting. Block offers the reader sound advice, techniques, and checklists for making each consultation as effective and efficient as possible, i.e., "flawless." The book is easy to read and practical. One of the best features is the attention it gives to the special needs of "internal" consultants
Rating: 
Summary: Not a good choice
Review: I could never understand the hype about this book. I bought it, read it - and got nothing from it. It is generally poorly written, and offers little to nothing of any practical use. Save your money.
Rating: 
Summary: What to choose from P. Block
Review: I have just received Flawless Consulting-Fieldbook and Companion, with a cousin coming from the States, instead of Flawless Consulting A Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used (Second Edition). My first reaction was to have it returned in order to get what I had ordered but then, curiosity won over and I start looking at the contents and reading a few excerpts. I would like to ask all those who have read both books how they differ and what the Flawless Consulting A Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used (Second Edition)offers more. Why one should prefer to buy it over the Fieldbook and Companion.
Rating:
Summary: Consultant: Don't Leave Home Without It!
Review: I have learned from the first and second editions of this book and from Peter Block in person in such profound ways that I can't overstate it...he is my hero. Organization Development is richer because this man teaches and writes for all of us. Thank you, Peter...write some more! I learn from everything you tell me!
Rating:
Summary: Effective, Ethical Consulting That Is Good for Everyone!
Review: I liked this book very much, because it focuses on the style of consulting I like to do -- increasing the capacity of the client to find and implement her/his own solutions. What especially impressed me was the great care placed on how to establish the relationship with the client, as well as defining the assignment. Consultants love to define assignments, but often don't give much thought to the relationship. The emphasis should be just the opposite. The book is nicely balanced between the needs of those who supply internal consulting (whether formally, or as staff resources) and external consultants and experts. I have played both roles, and each one teaches you something you need to know in order to be a better consultant. This is the only book on consulting that I have read that captures both perspectives and roles well. A great strength of the book is that there are extensive examples of the same issue so that you can get a good perspective, even if you don't yet have much experience as a consultant. So it is a terrific book for those who are new to consulting. For those of us who have a few decades of consulting experience, there is still a lot to learn. I was especially helped by the extensive list of ways to diagnose what may be going wrong when the client asks questions or is inactive. I was helped even more by many ingenious responses to those situations that had never occurred to me. This is a principled book, one that considers the needs of the client and the consultant in a fair and even-handed way. It also gives you the perspective you need to apply those principles. I heartily agree with the emphasis on getting as much relevant client involvement as possible, to improve commitment, understanding, relationships, and the ability to implement later on. The next time I run into a potential snag in a consulting relationship, I intend to check my thinking with this wonderful guide. I suggest you do the same. You'll need to have a copy around, so plan to buy one on Amazon.com. For those fans of The McKinsey Way, you should read this book, too. It will facilitate your career in much more valuable and signficant ways.
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