"Drawing from extensive Bain & Company research on more than 1,700 companies and illustrated through stories of real merger successes and failures, Mastering the Merger shows how the top deal makers: target deals according to a sound investment thesis; determine which deals to close and which to walk away from; prioritize which aspects of the businesses to integrate and which to leave independent; and develop contingency plans for when deals inevitably go off track." "A must-read for every corporate executive, Mastering the Merger illuminates the core decision strategies that will help companies win in the essential but risky world of M&A."--BOOK JACKET.