Introduction My love for Scott Adam''''s books and Dilbert needs no introduction. I think I should already get the Dilbert-Mania award at epinions for reviewing maximum Dilbert books.
Build a better life by stealing office supplies is the latest Dilbert book to hit my library.
Critic''''s Viewpoint I generally go to this section after giving an overview of the book, but this book so single dimensional as the name itself suggests that I think I can directly cut to this section.
This book is a collection of Dilbert strips that represent all the elements of a modern office and the life of an office goer. This is more like an encyclopedia containing the description of the office life. The book starts by describing such basic elements like Business Clothes, Dressing for success, other business etiquettes like handshakes etc. and then moves onto more powerful concepts like Technology and Innovation and Dogmas.
Written in usual dry humor of Scott Adams each of the strip in this book seemed to have an extra dose of sarcasm for today''''s so called cubicle dwelling mammals or in other words the honest hardworking employee!!
Some of the nuggets that I could pull out of this book are:
1) Your career depends on how many people work under you. It is in your best interest to involve as many people as possible in any task. That way you can justify increasing your staff.
2) It is better for your career to do nothing, than to do something and attract criticism.
3) Nobody would try anything new if they understood the consequences. Therefore, all progress is based on faulty assumptions.
4) Your boss is a busy person who cannot waste time clarifying simple instructions. You have to use your own best judgment.
5) Any change to the salary plan will result in less money for you. If they wanted to give you more money, they wouldn''''t have to go through all the trouble of changing the plan!!
This
110 page book can be considered a bible for those who have fell foul to the ways of the business life. You can read this book and through it re-live the horrors of the 21st century work life in a humorous way. The selection of strips in this book is excellent. Also as they have been strung together under a common topic the relativity between the strips keeps you going through the pages fast.
Summary I would recommend this book to anyone who is really interested in salvaging some life in this dog-eat-dog world of business.
I rate this book a high 5 rating for the humorous relief it gives in this tense work life!!