Sign-In
Cart
AI Without Illusions: A Manager's Field Guide to Implementing AI in the Organization
Paperback
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: Jul 23 2026
Pages: 168
Weight: 0.67
Height: 0.36 Width: 7.00 Depth: 10.00
Language: English
About 95% of enterprise AI pilots deliver no measurable impact on the bottom line, despite tens of billions spent. The cause is almost never the technology. It is a series of comfortable management illusions that sound like good judgment right up until the budget arrives.
AI Without Illusions is the field guide for the manager who has to make these decisions and answer for them - not the technologist, and not the futurist. It refuses both the hype (AI changes everything) and the cynicism (AI is a bubble), and does something more useful: it gives you the arithmetic, the criteria, and the working tools to implement AI without setting money on fire.
What's inside- The Loaded-Cost Test - what AI actually costs once you price the human reviewer, the rework, and a vendor price increase. Most business cases compare tokens to salaries and stop there.
- A ten-criteria scoring matrix for project feasibility, and a four-point organizational readiness check - so you know before you build, not after.
- A gated decision path - cloud APIs, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), fine-tuning, self-hosting - and the volume and sensitivity thresholds that justify each step.
- Local AI on every desk - the sanctioned answer to shadow AI, with three hardware tiers and what each realistically runs.
- Governance and risk - a working risk register, EU AI Act obligations, and the change management that decides whether a pilot survives contact with an organization.
- A 90-day roadmap, plus copy-ready worksheets and budget models.
Worked examples run a composite mid-size insurer through the entire decision chain - candidate selection, readiness scoring, infrastructure, and the people affected - because the decisions compound, and what you choose in step one constrains step four.
No illusions. Just the disciplines that survive contact with a budget.
For managers, directors, and executives who have been told to do something with AI and intend to do it without the wishful thinking. No prior technical depth assumed.
This paperback edition is printed in black and white. A full-colour hardcover edition is also available.
Also in
Business General
Crucial Conversations Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, Second Edition
Grenny, Joseph
Patterson, Kerry
Switzler, Al
Paperback
The Pig and I: The Tale of Our Relationship with a Beast We Eat
Endresen, Kristoffer Hattleland
Hardcover
Inspired: Understanding Creativity: A Journey Through Art, Science, and the Soul
Richtel, Matt
Hardcover
Quiet Girls Can Run the World: Owning Your Power When You're Not the Alpha in the Room
Holman, Rebecca
Paperback
Inclusive Conversations: Fostering Equity, Empathy, and Belonging Across Differences
Winters, Mary-Frances
Paperback
Climb: Taking Every Step with Conviction, Courage, and Calculated Risk to Achieve a Thriving Career and a Successful Life
Brown, Carolyn M.
Gadsden-Williams, Michelle
Paperback
The Token: Common Sense Ideas for Increasing Diversity in Your Organization
Farmer, Crystal Byrd
Paperback
Paris Chic & Trendy: Designers' Studios, Hip Boutiques, Vintage Shops
Ribes-Tiphaine, Adrienne
Paperback
The Let Them Theory: A Life-Changing Tool That Millions of People Can't Stop Talking about
Robbins, Mel
Robbins, Sawyer
Hardcover
The Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AI: How to Think about Artificial Intelligence--Before It's Too Late
Doctorow, Cory
Paperback
The Risk Worth Taking: A Story of Breaking Free and Trading for a Life You Love
Ijeoma, Teri
Hardcover
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Managing Yourself, Updated and Expanded (Featuring How Will You Measure Your Life? by Clayton M. Christensen)
Drucker, Peter F.
Gallo, Amy
Review, Harvard Business
Paperback
Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect
Guidara, Will
Hardcover
The Retire Sooner Method: The 5 Secrets Behind America's Happiest (and Unhappiest) Retirees
Moss, Wes
Hardcover
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Mental Toughness, Updated and Expanded (Featuring How to Stop Worrying about What Other People Think of You by Michael Gervais)
Gervais, Michael
Duckworth, Angela L.
Review, Harvard Business
Paperback
1873: The Rothschilds, the First Great Depression, and the Making of the Modern World
Ahamed, Liaquat
Hardcover
The Goal: 40th Anniversary Edition: A Process of Ongoing Improvement
Cox, Jeff
Goldratt, Eliyahu M.
Paperback
How to Be a Rich Old Lady: Your Guide to Easy Investing, Building Wealth, and Creating the Wild, Beautiful Life You Want
Holden, Amanda
Hardcover
Take Breaks, Work Better: Measure Impact, Not Hours, and Transform Your Profitability
Briggs, John
Paperback
Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High
Grenny, Joseph
McMillan, Ron
Patterson, Kerry
Paperback
How We Could: The Framework to Lead Without Drama, Build Alignment, and Call Teams to Greatness
Dorr, Alex
Hardcover
Money Unlocked: How to Make It, Keep It and Multiply It: The New York Times Bestseller
Lee, John
Paperback
Surrender to Lead: The Counterintuitive Approach to Driving Extraordinary Results
Terry, Joe
Kriegel, Jessica
Hardcover
The Everywhere Millionaire: Who Is Really Rich in America and How They Got There
Zidar, Owen
Zwick, Eric
Hardcover
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Leadership, Updated and Expanded (Featuring Begin with Trust by Frances X. Frei and Anne Morriss)
Edmondson, Amy C.
Ibarra, Herminia
Review, Harvard Business
Paperback
The Freedom-Based Business Method: Reset, Systemize, and Realign Your Business to Live a Life of Harmony
Ellis, Natalie
Hardcover
The Courage to Commit: Embrace the Radical Power of Sticking with Something
Johnson, Shawn
East, Andrew
Hardcover
The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living
Hanselman, Stephen
Holiday, Ryan
Hardcover
Who Moved My Cheese?: An A-Mazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life
Johnson, Spencer
Hardcover
The Infinity Machine: Demis Hassabis, Deepmind, and the Quest for Superintelligence
Mallaby, Sebastian
Hardcover
A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (Pmbok(r) Guide) -- Eighth Edition and the Standard for Project Management
Project Management Institute
Paperback
The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy
Stanley, Thomas J., PH. D.
Danko, William D., PH. D.
Paperback
Dummies Guide to Starting Your Own Business: Essential Steps to Launching and Scaling a Successful Small Business Venture
Press, Essywrites
Paperback
The Mom Test: How to talk to customers & learn if your business is a good idea when everyone is lying to you
Fitzpatrick, Rob
Paperback
7-Figure Educator: Turn Your Experience as an Educator Into Income, Impact, and Freedom
Jordan-Thomas, Erica
Paperback
What the Heck Is Eos?: A Complete Guide for Employees in Companies Running on EOS
Bouwer, Tom
Wickman, Gino
Hardcover
The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More, and Change the Way You Lead Forever
Stanier, Michael Bungay
Paperback
Get Scalable: The Operating System Your Business Needs To Run and Scale Without You
Deiss, Ryan
Paperback
Conversation: How to Connect with Anyone & Make Every Interaction Count
Van Edwards, Vanessa
Hardcover
I Will Teach You to Be Rich: No Guilt. No Excuses. Just a 6-Week Program That Works (Second Edition)
Sethi, Ramit
Paperback
Confidence (HBR Emotional Intelligence Series)
Kanter, Rosabeth Moss
Chamorro-Premuzic, Tomas
Review, Harvard Business
Paperback
Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as If Your Life Depended on It
Raz, Tahl
Voss, Chris
Hardcover
The Overthinker's Guide to Making Decisions: How to Make Decisions Without Losing Your Mind
Nguyen, Joseph
Hardcover
Stop Asking for Referrals: Build a Magnetic Business Through Intentional Care & Real Relationships
McNally, Flor de Maria
Paperback
Twenty Minutes Is the New Hour: The Ambitious Woman's Guide to Doing Less and Achieving More
Hauser, Fran
Hardcover
Hábitos Atómicos: Cambios Pequeños, Resultados Extraordinarios / Atomic Habits
Clear, James
Paperback
The Eureka Machine: Why AI Is the Key to Unlocking a New Era of Scientific Discoveries
Socher, Richard
Hardcover
Influence and Persuasion (HBR Emotional Intelligence Series)
Morgan, Nick
Cialdini, Robert B.
Review, Harvard Business
Paperback
Expecting Better: Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom Is Wrong--and What You Really Need to Know
Oster, Emily
Paperback
Mindful Listening (HBR Emotional Intelligence Series)
Zenger, Jack
Review, Harvard Business
Hougaard, Rasmus
Paperback
Building Great Businesses: Create Momentum, Overcome Setbacks, and Scale with Confidence
Becker, Scott
Hardcover
A Little More Social: How Small Choices Create Unexpected Happiness, Health, and Connection
Epley, Nicholas
Hardcover
Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience
Brown, Brené
Hardcover
Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving in
Ury, William
Patton, Bruce
Fisher, Roger
Paperback
Crucial Accountability: Proven Skills to Build Trust, Address Disappointment, and Get Results, Third Edition
Grenny, Joseph
Hale, Justin
Patterson, Kerry
Hardcover
Money to Burn: The Unvarnished Truth about Leon Black, Apollo, and the Rise of a New Wall Street
Cohan, William D.
Hardcover
No Experience Necessary: Why Betting on Yourself in Your Twenties Is the Best Decision You'll Ever Make
Harary, Ronnen
Hardcover
The Algorithm: The Hypergrowth Formula That Transformed Tesla, Lululemon, General Motors, and Spacex
McNeill, Jon
Hardcover
Power and Impact (HBR Emotional Intelligence Series)
Cable, Dan
Bregman, Peter
Review, Harvard Business
Paperback
Take It Personal: How to Succeed by Building Relationships and Playing the Long Game
Grutman, David
Hardcover
The Way of Excellence: A Guide to True Greatness and Deep Satisfaction in a Chaotic World
Stulberg, Brad
Hardcover
Mindfulness (HBR Emotional Intelligence Series)
Goleman, Daniel
Review, Harvard Business
Langer, Ellen
Paperback
Happiness (HBR Emotional Intelligence Series)
Review, Harvard Business
McKee, Annie
Gilbert, Daniel
Paperback
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Strategy, Updated and Expanded (Featuring the Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy by Michael E. Porter)
Porter, Michael E.
Kim, W. Chan
Review, Harvard Business
Paperback
From Operator to Owner: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Running a Business That Doesn't Run You
Landry, Liz
Hardcover
Feedback That Works: How to Build and Deliver Your Message, Second Edition
Center for Creative Leadership
Paperback
The Phoenix Project: A Novel about It, Devops, and Helping Your Business Win
Spafford, George
Kim, Gene
Behr, Kevin
Paperback
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on High Performance, Updated and Expanded (Featuring Nine Things Successful People Do Differently by Heidi Grant)
Grant, Heidi
Goleman, Daniel
Review, Harvard Business
Paperback
The AI Con: How to Fight Big Tech's Hype and Create the Future We Want
Hanna, Alex
Bender, Emily M.
Hardcover
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Managing People, Updated and Expanded (Featuring Are You a Good Boss--Or a Great One? by Linda A. Hill and Kent Lineback)
Goleman, Daniel
Hill, Linda A.
Review, Harvard Business
Paperback