Hi to all,
On Amazon I have found a book The 1%: Conquer your consulting case interview by Dr. Florian Smeritsching.
Has anyone used it? Can it prepare well for the MBB interviews?
Hi,
Not to take away from the achievements and hard of other coaches: any book on case interviews can only be used as a supplement to your preparation.
Reading books is passive learning which is not the most efficient method to learn anything. To progress quickly, I suggest you take an active learning approach (in the following order):
1. Getting coaching when you are a complete beginner to learn the basics;
2. After you've learned the basics, practice cases with peers to polish your case solving process and acquire understanding of a wide range of industries and problem types;
3. Before the interview, ask a few acting consultants to give you cases in a mock-interview format to assess your readiness.
Good luck!
Nick
Hi there,
I just came across this thread a bit later - not sure how I missed this! ?
Thanks to the other coaches for their great feedback and kind words. As the author, let me add my perspective:
The concepts in The 1%: Conquer Your Consulting Case Interview are the same ones that have helped generate 600+ top-tier consulting offers through my direct coaching (you can check my PrepLounge profile and my own website’s reviews and testimonials for proof).
The book provides the core foundation for case interview success, covering:
For each part, the book goes deep into the approach, the thinking techniques, and the perfect case communication.
One of the main reasons I wrote this book – and why I started case coaching in the first place – is because there simply weren’t any good, up-to-date case books available. The two most commonly recommended books were either written by someone who left McKinsey more than 25 years ago or by someone who never even worked in consulting. I saw firsthand, through my own experience, my peers, and now my clients, that candidates were relying on outdated or incomplete advice – so I wanted to create a modern, field-tested approach that actually reflects how MBB interviews work today.
One key piece of feedback from other coaches—which I fully agree with—is that a great case book serves as a foundation. The real progress happens when you practice actively with peers and alone. That’s why the book includes 25+ pages of prep plans and strategies to help you turn insights and theory into practice, developing real case interview skills to win multiple offers.
But first, you need a strong theory background. A key reason candidates fail their case interviews and struggle to improve with practice is that they never learn the right approach and techniques from the start. They might go through 30-40 cases, just repeating the same mistakes over and over again.
Beyond case interviews, the book also covers fit interview strategies and answers, mindset, winning habits of top candidates, and more. Plus, it comes with links to free practice materials to support your preparation (again alone or with peers).
That’s why, two years after its launch, The 1% remains the highest-rated case book on Amazon, with many coaches incorporating its themes into their own approach.
In a nutshell, I don’t think you’ll find a higher-value foundation for your case interview preparation – built on battle-tested strategies and actual successes for $29 (or $9 for the e-book) – anywhere else.
If you or anyone else has specific questions, feel free to reach out – always happy to help!
Cheers,
Florian
Edit August 2025: For those interested, I recently published a follow-up book, The 1%: Case Interview Workbook. It features 25 modern, realistic practice cases (+3 online bonus cases) along with detailed interviewer notes, and is now available on Amazon.
Hi,
I want to emphasize that while books on case interviews can be helpful, they should be viewed as a supplementary resource in your preparation.
Reading books is a passive learning method, and it may not be the most effective way to acquire essential skills. To make significant progress, I recommend taking an active learning approach, following these steps:
If you're starting from scratch, consider seeking coaching to build a strong foundation and grasp the fundamentals.
Once you have a solid understanding of the basics, engage in practice sessions with peers. This will help refine your problem-solving process and expose you to a wide range of industry scenarios and problem types.
As you approach your interview, arrange mock-interview sessions with experienced consultants who can provide you with case scenarios in a format that simulates the real interview. This will help you gauge your readiness and improve your performance.
Cheers,
Hi there,
Florian is great! He really knows his stuff.
Definitely buy the book.
However, no one book will be enough. Rather, it's about the prep and work you do in ADDITION to the book. Books are great for the intro and going from beginner to intermediate.
However, to push further, you need real cases with other people…and, ideally, case coaching (though plenty do it alone)
Hi there,
Even the best book will only be complementary to putting in hours of hard work for developing individual skills and bringing them together in practice interviews with peers and/or coaches. If you're going to rely on books only, you're not going to get very far I'm afraid.
That being said, Florian seems to have written a great book and if you're going to complement your practice with one single book, this may well be the right one.
Best of luck!
Moritz
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Try to mix inputs from different sources to get a comprehensive understanding of the prep process.
Usually relying on only one can come with some blindspots.
If you're at the start of the recruitment process, sharing with you a few resources that you might find useful:
Best,
Cristian
There is no one silver bullet. definitely mix resources and don’t just rely on books. Real practice is what makes the difference. Warm regards, Frederic
Hi there,
Book are not often enough. The key to prepare MBB interviews is practice, practice and practice. Get an MBB consultant or hire a coach to help you prepare this process.
Happy to keep talking about this in private, just send me a message.
Best,
Alberto
—
Check out my latest case based on a real MBB interview: Sierra Springs
Florian has a good reputation in here. I haven't read his book but believe it should be of good quality.
However, a book is not enough. A book tells you how to prepare, but reading the book is not the preparation. You can read the instruction on how to play basketball, but you can only learn by playing.
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