Business Books - Page 6

Don'T Step In The Leadership:A Dilbert Book

Scott Adams

Amazon Price: $8.76 List Price: $10.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Andrews McMeel Publishing Amazon Marketplace: 74 new & used starting at $0.01

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

"For the armies of American office workers, Dilbert is a reminder that they are not alone."--Chicago Tribune

"Cruel and incompetent bosses, plus the pervasive stupidity of people Adams calls 'in-duh-viduals,' are favorite targets in the strip, which appears...on the Internet, in best-selling books, and on refrigerator magnets, coffee mugs, desk calendars, software, neckties, and even underwear."--Playboy magazine

Does Dilbert creator Scott Adams have a hidden camera in your office--or is he just completely in tune with the inept managers, wacky office politics, and nonsensical leadership practices that seem to run wild at your company?

Stop looking for the camera. Dilbert has become a hugely successful strip because Adams feels your pain. How? Because this former employee of a major telecommunications company has been there. He's seen the leadership firsthand. And he knows that to successfully navigate the ludicrous world of business, you can't expect common sense to prevail, you need to keep a sense of humor, and above all, you must always look before you leap.

The strip's enormous popularity stems from the fact that its millions of readers easily identify with the crazy plots and wacky characters found within the corporate environment of collections like this one, Don't Step on the Leadership. Sure, most companies don't have a bespectacled engineer with a tie permanently curled up, a cynical talking dog, and a manager with two pointy tufts of hair. But it's the outrageous things Dilbert characters do and say that leave readers knowingly nodding their heads and, of course, laughing uproariously. The antics of Dilbert's cast are based not only on Adams' own corporate experiences, but on the more than 300 e-mails he receives each day about the office dramas of his devoted fans.

The Levity Effect: Why it Pays to Lighten Up

Adrian Gostick, Scott Christopher

Amazon Price: $15.61 List Price: $22.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Wiley Amazon Marketplace: 59 new & used starting at $2.61

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Awesome book! For anyone, at any level, in any business. By just being the person you want to you be, you can achieve your goals 5 out of 5 stars.
16 of 16 people found this review helpful.

This books has reminded me how positive and enjoyable work could be...if I remember to enjoy it. I have struggled ENDLESSLY to find the most effective way to manage/relate to/motivate this new generation of colleagues/ employees/ clients. The workforce and workplace are changing. Stuffy, regimented management styles just don't work anymore--I think we all already know this, but are prohbited to break protocol by corporate policies or conservative corporate environments.
For anyone who sees the bigger, more innovative business picture, the truth is this: Maintaining the status quo will give you just that--status quo results. By just modifying my demeanor to be more accessible, more jovial, and more self-effacing, my team has responded by being more available, more eager, more honest. The change is amazing!
Want a department that is creative, encouraged, and on the leading edge of your industry? Want to increase your team's performance? Want to actually look forward to your work day? You don't need to implement new procedures. You don't need to do a reorg in your department. You don't need to fire your staff, or resign. You can increase creativity, productivity, profitablity, and just about anything you want, while enjoying what you do by changing you! You can look forward to your work day, and have people look forward to working with you. Buy this book!

Editorial Review:

The Levity Effect uses serious science to reveal the remarkable power of humor and fun in business. Science proves it?fun is good for business! Based on ten years of extensive research, the authors argue against business tradition to reveal the powerful bottom-line benefits of leading with levity. With interviews, exercises, and case studies, the book reveals how humor in the workplace will help you communicate messages, build camaraderie, and encourage creativity for a better workplace and bigger profits.

What You Don't Know About Retirement: A Funny Retirement Quiz

Bill Dodds

Amazon Price: $6.00 List Price: $6.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Meadowbrook Amazon Marketplace: 42 new & used starting at $0.63

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A Great Gift for Those about to Retire! 5 out of 5 stars.
46 of 47 people found this review helpful.

Many humorous books are funny because they make up things that cause us to laugh at others. The best humor is that which causes us to laugh at ourselves. This book falls into the latter category.

For a humor book, it has an unusual format: a series of about one hundred questions and answers concerning aspects of retirement. Each q and a is a page, and there are some humorous illustrations to go with some of the q and a's.

What I liked was that the better q and a's mirrored things that my retired friends have said to me.

"Q: What amazes most new retirees?

A: They're so busy now, they don't know how they ever had time for work."

This seems to be true because retirees find so many interesting things to do, and more time to do them.

Here is one to think about:

"Q: What are the greatest perks of retirement?

A: Running errands in the middle of the day and never standing in line."

You can organize your day to be much more efficient by picking the times to do things when everyone else is at work.

As you can imagine, there are the inevitable jokes about how many retirees it takes to change a light bulb, and other familiar gags.

I felt that the message of the book transcended the humor to actually make me think more realistically about retirement.

People who are retired might see this book as poking fun at them. People who are about to retire would see it as an object lesson. I recommend it for the latter.

Most potential retirees would probably not buy this book for themselves, so you should give it to them as a gift. Then, a nice thing to do would be to have a friendly conversation about retirement plans with the person you gave the book to. That would allow for a greater chance that the book's message will sink in: Retirement can be the best time of your life, but you have to get organized to take advantage of that.

Editorial Review:

A Funny Retirement Quiz

Q: What's the best way for a retiree to make sure his memoirs are read?
A: Include lots of clues about hidden money.

Q: Why do new retirees suddenly look ten years younger?
A: They suddenly feel ten years younger.

Here is an outrageous quiz that helps celebrate the joy of retirement and provides entertainment for any retirement party.

Brit-Think, Ameri-Think: A Transatlantic Survival Guide, Revised Edition

Jane Walmsley

Amazon Price: $11.20 List Price: $14.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Penguin (Non-Classics) Amazon Marketplace: 58 new & used starting at $1.78

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 28 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Truly Brilliant!!! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I am both and English and American citizen, and I finally understand how I have become so screwed up : )
This explains it all, and is laugh out loud funny.
A gem!!!

Hilarious 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Those who frequently travelled to the UK like I do will laugh at the author's spot on musings on Brit-think and Ameri-think. I read this book after coming back from the UK and completely related to the tales of how miserably cold Americans feel as soon as they land in the UK. While everyone else walked around in flimsy t-shirts, pretending it was 100 degrees in the shade, I was covered in layers of sweaters and yet felt chilly 24/7! This is a must read for those who've been to the UK and even for those who haven't (at least you' ll be prepared).

Editorial Review:

hen it comes to understanding the great cultural ocean that divides Brits and Yanks, it's not just our vocabulary but also our attitudes that differ. This irreverent guide surveys a whole gamut of British-American divergences, from sex to food, from pets to religion, from sports to money, and from war to-most divergent of all-humor. Entertaining and invaluable, Brit-Think, Ameri-Think has been updated to reflect changes in political, cultural, and social trends, and includes new chapters on cultural icons Oprah Winfrey and Bridget Jones, and on Brit-cool vs. Ameri-cool.

All My Patients Have Tales

Jeff Wells

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A Must Read for Animal Lovers 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Dr. Wells has brought the world and challenges of being a Veterinarian into your home in this wonderful and well written book about his experiences. I bought the book for my niece, but had to read it before she ever got it. She is in Vet school and bought more for her friends. My brother, a M.D., enjoyed it immensely. We ordered more for other members of the family and friends. It is not only stories about dogs (as the cover indicates) but animals - large and small - that Dr. Wells has helped. It is touching, warm, educational, interesting, intriguing and a most enjoyable read! Any Vet wannabes or just people loving animals will enjoy this book. I highly recommend it.

Editorial Review:

All My Patients have Tales is Dr. Wells second book recalling his life as a veterinarian. His chapters recount the life altering and sometimes life threatening experiences of daily practice. For those who ever thought about or are now interested in becoming a veterinarian, he recalls the humbling life of a veterinary student. However, most uplifting and amusing are his descriptions of helping people help their pets. Let Dr. Wells take you on this journey.

The Dictionary of Corporate Bullshit: An A to Z Lexicon of Empty, Enraging, and Just Plain Stupid Office Talk

Lois Beckwith

Amazon Price: $9.95 List Price: $9.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Broadway Amazon Marketplace: 57 new & used starting at $1.62

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

This caustically funny Webster’s of the workplace cuts to the true meaning of the inane argot spouted in cubicles and conference rooms across the land.

At a price even an intern can afford and in a handy paperback format that won’t weigh down your messenger bag or briefcase, The Dictionary of Corporate Bullshit is a hilarious guide to the smoke-screen terms and passive-aggressive phrases we traffic in every day. Each entry begins with a straight definition followed by a series of alternative meanings that are, of course, what is really meant.

Take, for example, the widely used, seemingly innocuous term brainstorming:

1. to generate ideas as a group in an accepting environment and in a free-form manner
2. a supposedly relaxed forum in which no idea is a bad idea – that is, until you generate a bad idea and are met with uncomfortable silence/looks that suggest you are retarded or really uncool/the feeling that you are about to be fired

Beyond deciphering corporate commonplaces, you’ll learn the PC term for secret Santa (Holiday Harry); why the Blackberry is “most commonly referred to as a ‘Crackberry’ due to its highly addictive nature”; and that when a co-worker says “Have a good night”, they really mean: “this meaningless, seemingly interminable exchange of small talk is now over. I am no longer speaking to you, and will now flee this awkward social situation. Don’t even think of asking which way I’m walking.”

Just remember to read this only at COB (close of business) to avoid being busted (caught idling by your boss).

The Joys of Engrish

Steve Caires

Amazon Price: $9.56 List Price: $11.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Tarcher Amazon Marketplace: 33 new & used starting at $1.50

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 19 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

This is a good one-time read.... 3 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This very small sized book (smaller than I had thought), was a funny read once but that's about it. Maybe I'll pick it up again in 2 years and find it amusing again. Great tiny coffee-table-type book to amuse guests that come by, but I wish I hadn't spent the money on it.

Editorial Review:

Welcome to the world of Engrish-an alternate- reality version of the English language, which finds its greatest expression in Japanese advertising and product design. Based on the popular website Engrish.com, The Joys of Engrish is a full-color parade of images that highlight the most outrageous and riotous-yet oddly insightful-misuses of English.

Compiler Steve Caires created Engrish.com, which showcases the finest examples of the art, and has now become one of the most popular entertainment sites on the Web. What started out with a cult following is now a worldwide phenomenon generating Web traffic of five to six million visitors a year (and rising), plus a hugely successful line of merchandise.

As an Engrishman himself might say of the book, "Please make sure to enjoy your pleasant with vigor!"

On The Wealth of Nations: Books That Changed the World

P. J. O'Rourke

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Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

In On The Wealth of Nations, America’s most provocative satirist, P. J. O’Rourke, reads Adam Smith’s revolutionary The Wealth of Nations so you don’t have to. Recognized almost instantly on its publication in 1776 as the fundamental work of economics, The Wealth of Nations was also recognized as really long:  the original edition totaled over nine hundred pages in two volumes—including the blockbuster sixty-seven-page “digression concerning the variations in the value of silver during the course of the last four centuries,” which, “to those uninterested in the historiography of currency supply, is like reading Modern Maturity in Urdu.” Although daunting, Smith’s tome is still essential to understanding such current hot-topics as outsourcing, trade imbalances, and Angelina Jolie. In this hilarious, approachable, and insightful examination of Smith and his groundbreaking work, P. J. puts his trademark wit to good use, and shows us why Smith is still relevant, why what seems obvious now was once revolutionary, and why the pursuit of self-interest is so important.

Swim against the Current: Even a Dead Fish Can Go with the Flow

Jim Hightower, Susan DeMarco

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 80 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Don’t look around, but the corporate and political powers that be want you to put this book down, right now. It definitely is NOT on their approved list.

Swim against the Current is one of those books that the power elites don’t like seeing in stores, much less in your hands - not merely because it challenges their established order, but especially because our book reveals paths that folks like you can use to escape their rigid, hierarchical structures and discover a bit more satisfaction in life.

They prefer that you pick up one of those escapist novels over there across the store, rather than finding out that the greatest escape of all can be from stultifying conventional wisdom. We Americans are constantly harassed into thinking that we can’t break the mold that those in charge have made for us. But as a friend of ours puts it: “Those who say it can’t be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.”

It’s the uplifting stories of mavericks that we tell here. They’ve broken free of the corporate tentacles, free of business-as-usual politics, free of top-down elites. They’re figuring out new ways to do commerce, ways to create political channels that empower grassroots Americans, and ways to live their lives.

As these folks show, resistance is not futile . . it’s fertile. Join the fun! Happy listening!

Dilbert's Guide To The Rest Of Your Life: Dispatches from Cubicleland

Scott Adams

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Very underwhelming... 2 out of 5 stars.
35 of 36 people found this review helpful.

I like Scott Adams a lot. His Dilbert strip is one of the funniest currently in circulation. His blog is a likewise interesting read. I particularly enjoyed two of his prior "non-comic" books - "The Dilbert Principle" and "The Joy of Work". So I had high expectations when I purchased this book. I'm sad to say that this particular piece is a major disappointment.

If you are expecting another treatise like the two I mentioned above, or any of his other non-comic books, you will be disappointed. For one, it's a mixture of his cartoons and some witty missives about corporate America. The problem is that the reader doesn't get the best of either. His cartoons are simply enlarged to cover two pages (each), with only a sentence or two to accompany them. The book is short, and I was finished in about 15 minutes even being distracted a couple times along the way. Entertainment value is modest at best.

I'm one of those Dilbert-loving fools who will purchase pretty much anything Scott Adams publishes, even though I've been burned a couple times before. This is, sadly, another one of those times where my wallet feels a bit scorched. Happily, Scott Adams produces enough quality product that the occasional clunker can be forgiven. And I forgive you, Scott. Just don't make a habit of it, 'k? :-)

Editorial Review:

This hilarious new book from cartoonist Scott Adams--the acknowledged master at skewering corporate culture--is as perfect for the office neophyte as the hardened survivor. Laugh as Dilbert, a thirty-something electrical engineer and poster boy for the "corporately disenfranchised", battles his blockhead boss, pinhead coworkers, and his cynical, cunning pet, Dogbert.

You'll also meet the Boss, every employee's worst nightmare; coworker Wally, who is forever trying to avoid work; Alice, the solo female engineer in Dilbert's department who has been known to rip people's hearts out; and Catbert, the Human Resources Director who likes to tease employees before downsizing them. Dilbert's Guide to the Rest of Your Life contains the best of seven years worth of Dilbert comics, organized around familiar workday themes. It's a great gift for graduates who are new to corporate culture, as well as diehard fans who read Dilbert to survive.