A serious look by a dozen well qualified academics and business consultants at the mysterious yet ubiquitous phenomenon of the commercial brand, which often seems to conjure value out of thin air. A brand can be the most valuable part of a company, even when the profitability of a company is questionable. Yet brand value can also be hugely volatile, as prone to the vagaries of public opinion as political reputations. And our emotional attachment as customers to brands provides conclusive proof that Economic Man is a far from rational animal. Detailed, thorough, definitive. One of the most authoritative studies to date, and certainly the one with the best brand for a business book, The Economist.