Editorial Review

In nearly two decades as chairman of the board, Alan "Ace" Greenberg has successfully guided Bear Stearns & Co. through the financial marketplace's dizzying highs and sickening lows. His management philosophy, often credited to "advisor and mentor" Haimchinkel Malintz Anaynikal, was articulated over the years in a series of witty and revealing memoranda. Grouped by era and prefaced briefly by the author in Read more

Reviews (11)

Another former employee review
I see that a few of us formers have reviewed this book or the soft cover version. It was just last week that I was told of the book, and as one of the many who received some of the memos I found myself reminded of the important things in business ;) A real person should answer the phone - and before the 2nd ring! Don't waste electricity, paperclips or rubber bands. Don't go nuts purchasing things you don't really need in up times. Two head can purchase equipment at better prices than 1 head. The importance of catching mistakes, owning up to them, and not hiding things in the drawers. You don't have to do something just because others are doing it. You'll find great employees in downtimes. And... how determination is so much more important then some letters after your name (unless you're a DR of course). Great reminders... for all. Thanks for the memories and lessons.

Ahhhh...Corporate America!
As I was sifting through dust-ridden literature in my library, I came across this legendary book.I too am a former employee of Bear Stearns and remember meeting Mr. Greenberg during my frequent visits to the trading floor.
You may actually get the point of this book
Yes, this book is repetitive, but that is what makes it so great.Ace Greenberg repeats the same message over and over again.He emphasizes, cut costs, hire people during the downtimes, forget about strategy development and he does so with humor.The employees at Bear were fortunate to have such clear communication from the top.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business Life - Inspirational    4. Business letters    5. Business writing    6. Business/Economics    7. General    8. Humor    9. Leadership    10. Memorandums    11. Written Communication In Business    12. Business & Economics / Leadership    13. Management & management techniques    14. USA   

Reviews (8)

Well worth the money
I especially like the section on Assertiveness which teaches assertiveness without fear and the section on Working with Difficult peers in the workplace. Very appropriate and hard hitting.

Humorous Training Games
These games are helpful but not as "quality" as most trainers seek.Good for a springboard but not enough meat.

The Big Book of Humorous Training Games
This is a good book in where the humor combined with the training technics help the consultant work many curriculums more easy and with more effectiveness. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Employee Training And Development    5. Employees    6. Human Resources & Personnel Management    7. Humor in business    8. Skills    9. Training    10. Training of    11. Business & Economics / Training    12. Personnel & human resources management   

Reviews (8)

The History of Wally
In the introduction Scott Adams talks about his time at Pacific Bell and the management decisions that resulted in the real-life Wally, an employee that worked hard to be in the bottom 10% so that he could be laid off with a substantial severance package.From there we move to the strips which cover most of the range of the Dilbert Years right from the early, unpolished days of Wally.Reading the collection we can see hoe the coffee mug carrying character has developed over the years.
Another wonderful collection
Fans of the cartoon strip Dilbert have another wonderful collection packed with black and white and color cartoons alike. This is the author's 26th Dilbert book, but it doesn't lesson the impact of describing office politics, ironies, and inconsistencies. Cubicle cartoons are hilarious and continue to remark on work life with its favorite characters joined by a few new faces.
More Great Dilbert
What makes it funny is that everyone knows a Wally where they work? It is funny because there is so much truth in it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Comics & Cartoons    2. Form - Cartoons & Comics    3. Graphic Satire And Humor    4. Humor    5. Non-Classifiable    6. Nonfiction    7. Topic - Business and Professional    8. Comics & Graphic Novels / Comics & Cartoons   

Reviews (15)

A classic and a must read
With humor and "paradox" Professor Jerry Harvey does a great job in stimulating personal reflections about management. Among the several tales, see Management and the myth of Abraham ("every time a boss makes a stupid mistake, he sends his administrative assistant to try to rectify it"), my favorite Captain Ashok and the Concept of Grace ("Asoh told the truth, and we are starved for it") and Group Tyranny and the Gunsmoke Phenomenon (our behaviour is related to our fear of separation but we have a choice "when confronted with the possibility of group tyranny"). Enjoy your reading and start thinking.

Thought Provoking Essays
These "Meditations" provide great thinking into how to be a more effective manager.As "Meditiations", this is not a how to cookbook on management, or checklist.There are no promises of improved customer service, or increased efficiency.Rather, by reading them, your thinking about management will improve.
Keys to the organizational kingdom
The book provides a thoughtful and engaging perspective on organizational life.Its easy to read and painless to learn.This book provides important practical lessons. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Entrepreneurship    5. Humor    6. Management    7. Management - General    8. Moral and ethical aspects    9. Moral and religious aspects    10. Organizational Behavior In Business    11. Organizational behavior    12. Business & Economics / Organizational Behavior    13. Organizational theory & behaviour   

Reviews (89)

Inspiring and delightful
A creative, inspiring book that brings a smile to my face and motivation to reach my true potential.I would recommend this book to anyone who ponders late at night if they are compromising great for good.

What a great balance, especially for a creative guy!
A friend had recommended "Hairball" to me, and it was one of those books that I absolutely devoured. MacKenzie's delicate tightrope of allowing just enough of the corporate bureaucracy to balance your freedom-loving creativity to keep you in orbit (hence the metaphor) is good reading for both bureaucrats and creatives. MacKenzie understands that both sides need each other to truly accomplish something in business or in life.

Very true
True, funny, inspiring.We can all learn to orbit the corporate hairball. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business Life - General    4. Business/Economics    5. Corporations    6. Creativity    7. Executive Management    8. Humor    9. MacKenzie, Gordon    10. Management - General    11. Notebooks, sketchbooks, etc    12. Advice on careers & achieving success    13. Business & Economics / Management    14. Business & Management   

Subjects:  1. Comics & Cartoons    2. Form - Cartoons & Comics    3. Graphic Satire And Humor    4. Humor    5. Topic - Business and Professional    6. Comics & Graphic Novels / Comics & Cartoons   

Reviews (7)

like taking a $@#! on heroin
(That's a quote from somewhere in the book) I haven't stopped laughing since I picked up this book and now I also can't stop finding Do's and Don'ts all over the streets of Chicago. I'll be giving this book out to unsuspecting friends for Xmas this year.

laughs!!!!!
i don't have the words to tell you how funny this book is. read it... twice

Sits well next to a toilet...
So most of the photo write-ups come from insular, genre-arguing, punk ex-junkies... That's a fact. Though on the whole, the photos are interesting, and the fashion reviews are humorous, especially when a visual faux pas is employed.
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Subjects:  1. Clothing and dress    2. Fashion    3. Humor    4. Popular Culture - General    5. Social Science    6. Sociology    7. Subculture    8. Topic - Business and Professional    9. Humor / General   

Reviews (5)

FANTASTIC
This book provided the information I needed to run an efficient food establishment. It also gave me the secrets on what to look out for in the latest restaurant and bar scams. Great authors. A must read.

Short book could have been shorter
It seems that the editor wanted to have as many pages in this booklet, so he could call it a book, that he could muster.Large type, small pages, and liberal use of white space still couldn't get it even to 100 pages.The editor even started counting at the title page, so by the time you get to chapter 1, you're already on page 21.I guess the editor took some of the lessons from the authors, about how to rip-off the customers, to heart.I don't read very fast, and spent less than two hours to completely study this novelette.
So much more than a Scam Bible
Wow! Having worked as a waiter and bartender all over the country, through college and even supplementing my income as a struggling entrepreneur, I am so happy to find a book, at last, that truly does this rich environment and unique subculture justice.
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Subjects:  1. Humor    2. Topic - Business and Professional   

Reviews (10)

Great for the Coffee Table
If you like Get Fuzzy you are going to love this book.I laugh everytime I read it.

Get Fuzzy
This would have to be one of the funniest books.I love cats, I have two of them but they are not the right animal for a lot of people and this little book explains why.I loved it.

Perfect for pet owners with a sense of humor!
All of the bad reviews for this book complain that it's not a normal comic book.Well, no - as it says in the description, it's a palm-sized gift book.It's not meant to be a gigantic comic strip book highlighting the best Get Fuzzy strips.What it is, though, is an excellent gift for a cat or dog lover that appreciates sarcasm.Darby Conley is a genius, and this book is perfect as what it's meant to be. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American wit and humor, Pictor    2. American wit and humor, Pictorial    3. Caricatures and cartoons    4. Cats    5. Comics & Cartoons    6. Humor    7. Topic - Business and Professional    8. Humor / General   

Reviews (9)

Yummy Gossip!!!
I love Laurie Jacobson's books and this one is the best yet!!!I love her "juicy little tidbits" about the stars of yesteryear.The stories are very entertaining and I love the fact that she also included recipes to match the stories.A very clever thing to do!!! It's almost like 2 books in one, a gossipy book and a cookbook! I hope she continues to research Hollywood and to write wonderful books about the stars!!!!My only complaint---it's not long enough!!! I am ready for a "Dishing Hollywood II".

A Must-Have Book For Classic Movie Fans!
I had so much fun reading this book! The stories are great and Miss Jacobson clears up a lot of false Hollywood rumors. The best part about this book is that it includes chapters about some forgotten stars like Carole Landis, Dorothy Kilgallen, and Lupe Velez. Anyone who is a fan of classic Hollywood and loves juicy gossip will want this book.

Dishing Hollywood:Recipe for Success
I highly recommend Dishing Hollywood The Real Scoop on Tinseltown's Most Notorious Scandals.Laurie Jacobson really knows her stuff and serves up heaping portions of scandal and intrigue of Hollywood's most notorious stars.I have read all of the author's books and Dishing Hollywood is Jacobson at her best.Jacobson brilliantly spins tale after sordid tale, "sprinkles" famous film quotes throughout each chapter and "tops" off with a recipe of the star's favorite dish (or, in some cases, their last meal!). Dishing Hollywood is a tasty treat, and I can't wait for Jacobson's next book! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Acting & Auditioning    2. Biography    3. Comedy    4. Cookery    5. Cookery, American    6. General    7. Humor    8. Individual Movie Actors And Actresses    9. Motion picture actors and actr    10. Motion picture actors and actresses    11. Performing Arts    12. Performing Arts/Dance    13. Popular Culture - General    14. Topic - Business and Professional    15. United States   

Subjects:  1. Humor    2. Television - General    3. Topic - Business and Professional   

Reviews (37)

Hillarious
This comic strip is hillarious.If you liked Dilbert, you'll like this one too.

Sigh, the life of a grad student
You think you have unique problems in grad school.Then I read PhD comics and realized that ALL grad students have the same problems.Even though you can go for DAYS not talking to another human (professors don't count!), Cham describes our lives accurately!:)It's a perfect gift!

PhD Life, sad but true!
You may wonder what a PhD student does in his/her life... well, as Cham says so evidently, he/she procrastinates. Often. Life in PhD is not that different from the real doctoral life (with some precautions), if you ever want to spend some time in a funny reading (or just procrastinate some real work) that's a good way of doing this. During the reading you will notice how the characters will be more and more refined as time goes on. The second book is a must-have!
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Subjects:  1. Comic books, strips, etc    2. Form - Cartoons & Comics    3. Graphic Satire And Humor    4. Humor    5. Humor / Cartoons    6. Humor / Topic / Business & Professional    7. Students & Student Life    8. Education, Higher    9. Graduate students    10. Graduate work    11. Topic - Business & Professional    12. Universities and colleges   

Reviews (27)

Dare I say it...?
Breathtaking!I laughed so hard, it took my breath away. (All apologies to Berlin and Top Gun fans)Sometimes the small chuckle and facial smirk.Sometimes a belly laugh that comes from deep inside.It was a journey of frivolity mixed with hilarity all around a gooey heartfelt center.
Generation X Pharma Rep Tells All
I have very little in common with Jamie Reidy, the author of the book "Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman," which is a tell-a-lot-but-not-all about pharmaceutical sales (see my review of this book in the February, 2006 issue of Pharma Marketing News: www.pharma-mkting.com/news/pmnews-hp.html). For one thing, Reidy is a Generation X'er (the cohort born between 1965 and 1980) and I am a boomer (the cohort born between 1946 and 1964).
What a Jerk!
The book provides insight into the hiring of drug detailer's and their subsequent sales and product training, as well the how they are managed in the field. Reidy also provides information on the positive aspects of a drug rep's role in keeping very busy physicians informed. However, the book fails to reference how this information is often biased and distorted to favor a particular drug.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Drugs    5. Industries - Manufacturing Industries    6. Popular works    7. Sales & Selling - General    8. Selling    9. Sildenafil    10. Humor / Topic / Business & Professional   

Reviews (2)

The Real Corporate Story
Although this book is a parody, it provides more insight into the corporate world than Who Moved My Cheese.It presents the reality of the work environment from the low level workers' point of view.It seems especially relevant with Enron and Arthur Anderson and Martha Stewart and everything else that is going on.Take an hour.Read it.Have a good laugh.

Laughing all the way to the bank.....
I cherished "Who Moved by Cheese?" -- the cheesy story about change, business and life-in-general.Even more than Johnson's book, I love Hochberg's parody, "Who Stole My Cheese?" Read more

Subjects:  1. Form - Parodies    2. Humor    3. Topic - Business and Professional   

Reviews (6)

Good view of the how Ben and Jerry's developed
A good recount of how the company got going, but the last few chapters dragged. Not for serious business interest
I read this book at the suggestion of a business school professor.It was supposedly a great illustration of the trials and tribulations of entrepreneurs. The Inside Scoop is just that !
It's a chronicle of the intriguing journey of junior high friends who split the $5 cost of a home study course in making homemade ice cream and turn it into a $237 million company (1999 sales).Ben & Jerry's antics of giving away ice cream so they can 'get the ice cream into people's mouths so they will buy it,' take on some unusual situations.Free cones are offered to folks who register to vote, donate books to Head Start, or send postcards to elected officials for a variety of causes, and to celebrate at Fall Down Festivals with block long stilt walking races, music and other amusements.Solar-powered mobiles are used to transport the ice cream and a show on the road. They still sponsor customer appreciation day once a year when free cones are dipped all day.Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Businesspeople    5. Corporate & Business History - General    6. Entrepreneurship    7. Ice cream industry    8. Social responsibility of business    9. Vermont    10. Business & Economics / Entrepreneurship    11. Desserts   

Reviews (14)

My favorate dilbert book
I own 8 Dilbert books I would say that this is my favorite. This book represents the best of Dilbert and has some of the most hilarious cartoons I have read. I would definitely recommend getting this.

The Way Dilbert Should Be
I've grown up with Dilbert and belive me when I say this stuff is great. My favorite character is definetly Wally because he's so lazy. The Dlibert books are great and they always make me laugh. I have 11 Dilbert books and I really can't say I dislike any of them. A great deal for you money and one of the best Dilbert books.

real good
this is about the 4 or 5 best dilbert book i own. i own about 13 books, but all get 5 stars! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Comics & Cartoons    2. Comics & Graphic Novels    3. Humor    4. Topic - Business and Professional    5. Humor / General   

Reviews (6)

Another fine volume fresh off the assembly line...
"Thriving on Vague Objectives" is about like every other compilation that Scott Adams has published, nothing better or worse, a funny read if you like cubicle workplace humor.
Another year in the life of Dilbert
Poor guy... Dilbert again is in front of the pack while being left at the gate... and if you to know what it is like to be in the rear of the pack and looking for the gate, ask Wally.There is a quixotic combination of subtle and blatant humor here and in Scott Adam's previous Dilbert books.
Quality
Not as good as Dilbert shows you the business but still a fun read, the dilbert comics are great. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Comic books, strips, etc    2. Comics & Cartoons    3. Comics & Graphic Novels    4. Humor    5. Topic - Business and Professional    6. Comics & Graphic Novels / Comics & Cartoons   

Reviews (13)

Kill us with how terribly clever you as, Oscar.
I am obviously out of step with the opinions of the other readers.I am in the medical field, and this may affect how I view this book ( although I ADORED House of God).I felt like the author wrote this book so he could admire how very clever he was, like a vain person who is always checking him/herself out in the store windows when walking by.Just to smug.

World's Best Doctor
A very quick read, filled with short, humorous essays on how to become the world's best doctor (after the author, Oscar London, dies, because he currently considers himself the world's best doctor.)
Rule 57:Rehearse Your Final Words
I became positive my father had written this book during Dr. Arlan Cohn's (aka Oscar London, M.D., W.B.D.) discussion of office music:"If [a doctor] wants to destroy his practice, he might consider bringing in an accordion player.(One night at a restaurant, I reached out and plunged my dinner knife into the bellows of an approaching accordion; the stricken look on the player's face when the wind was knocked out of his "Lady of Spain" was well worth the price of damages.)"
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Subjects:  1. Anecdotes    2. Essays    3. Health Care Delivery    4. Humor    5. London, Oscar    6. Medical / Nursing    7. Medicine    8. Physicians    9. Topic - Business and Professional    10. American English    11. Humour   

Reviews (7)

Short but worth it
Ok, so as you could guess, this is a small book compared to the other Dilbert collections, but you'll get your money's worth. Blah blah blah, reality of offices, ineffective management, unmanageable coworkers, evil contractors, malicious subdivisions, all here, as a Dilbert fan would expect, and holds what I consider the best dilbert strip: Dogbert explains corporate investing. You'll find some of these comics elsewhere, but for a dilbert collection fanatic, a worthy buy.

As Dilbert books go..........
Another great collection of Dilbert from the master of business humor!!!!!I still laugh out loud when I read it.

Can't get enough Dilbert!!!
I don't work in an office, but Dilbert applies just as well to those of us in the education field (change pointy-haired boss to pointy-haired principal and you get the picture)I have read Dilbert from the beginning, and I love it all.Dogbert will always be my favorite, and there is plenty of him in this book, along with Dilbert, Wally, Alice, Asok, Catbert...the whole gang.Great book! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Comic books, strips, etc    2. Comics & Cartoons    3. Comics & Graphic Novels    4. Humor    5. Topic - Business and Professional    6. Comics & Graphic Novels / Comics & Cartoons   

Reviews (10)

A Must for every office!
I am thoroughly enjoying these hilarious, yet so true, definitions. It ismust for anyone who is planning to work, is working, or is retired wants to reflect on all the BS they had to put up . An excellent gift.. I am sending copies to my two sons who are both involved in the corporate world . enjoy, enjoy

hilarious
This book is hilarious.Each entry gets funnier and funnier.It's not simply amusing because you recognize all of the office politics and indignities that lois describes.It's brilliant because she describes the office and corporate b.s. better than you can.In the spirit of 9 to 5, I envision Dolly, Jane and Lilly sitting around, getting high, and reading a copy of the Dictionary of Corporate BS, as they plot the downfall of Mr. Hart.

Corporate Bullshit
As the name implies, it was "just plain stupid."Better luck next time Lois! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business    2. Business & Economics    3. Business/Economics    4. Dictionaries    5. General    6. Humor    7. Management - General    8. Office Automation And Management    9. Office practice    10. Reference - General    11. Terminology    12. Topic - Business and Professional    13. Humor / General