Fair or Foul

The Lady Macbeth Guide to Ambition

‘A welcome blast of clear thinking about ambition and how we choose to lead our lives’ Alastair Campbell

When is enough enough? And is Lady Macbeth right to suggest that only those with the ‘illness’ of ambition achieve the highest goals? Stefan Stern draws on the major themes of Macbeth and discusses how they can be applied to ambition in modern life.

From the success of the first US woman vice-president, Kamala Harris, the obstacles she faced and the possibilities that still lie ahead, to Boris Johnson’s young aspirations to be ‘world king’ and the pathological intensity of his ambition, Stern considers the careers and personal lives of politicians, sports stars and business people, among others, to illuminate this strange and powerful driver.

Incisive, contemporary and accessible, Fair or Foul is for anyone who is looking for a change of direction or emphasis on how to move forward. It will also provide consolation, amusement and plenty of insightful meditations on the complex nature of ambition.

‘Is this a bestseller which I see before me? It deserves to be. Fascinating exploration of the beast of ambition and whether we can tame it or be devoured by it’ Richard Herring

‘A brilliantly readable and inspiring study of our love–hate relationship with ambition’ Viv Groskop

‘Wise, compelling . . . and dare I say it, ambitious in its ultimate aim, it encourages readers to ask profound questions about meaning and purpose’ Sathnam Sanghera

‘This is a book which is rich, witty and deeply thoughtful (not unlike a Shakespeare play). Stefan Stern has created a timely book about the meaning of life and work out of a timeless work of art. It’s brilliant’ Julia Hobsbawm

‘A fascinating, witty and clear-headed investigation of the importance and the dangers of striving for more’ Oliver Burkeman

Paperback: 224pp

Published: Wilton Square (November 2025)

ISBN: 9781800183186