A disappointment, 25 Sep 2008
I read in the news about the recent Bookseller magazine's Oddest Book Title prize and its entries and found them hilarious, but failed to get the list of past nominations and winners on their website, in spite of it being the 30 years anniversary of the prize (getting pages for recent nominations only and sometimes being redirected to nothing actually relevant). But there was a reference to this book, so I thought: "OK, if you want to see the prize historical entries you have to pay for it." I didn't mind, so I got it.
It's a tiny little book. There are JUST 50 ENTRIES, with no proper rhyme or reason why they were selected. Some are actually not that funny and some of the funniest ARE MISSING. There is no information on when a particular entry was nominated, whether it won or was a runner-up. The entry's description is just a few words (often just TWO WORDS) in a single sentence, even though on the website I saw nominations accompanied by proper summaries, which are usually found on the back of any book.
This total lack of information on the entries is compensated by a long and tedious foreword by the Deputy Editor of the Bookseller with some questionable statements ("What makes a book title truly odd? ... Scientists have toiled for years researching that question."), which again fails to mention why only a fraction of the titles was selected.
The book is printed in China. Clearly, whether the paper comes from sustainably sourced wood or through destruction of forests in Russia or Indonesia is not an issue for the Bookseller.
On the only positive side: colour book cover reproductions are nice, but can't compensate for the lack of information (just the title, author, publisher and single sentence "summary" on the opposite page with huge blank spaces as there is so little of it).
I had a few laughs, but generally: thumbs down.

A disappointment, 25 Sep 2008
I read in the news about the recent Bookseller magazine's Oddest Book Title prize and its entries and found them hilarious, but failed to get the list of past nominations and winners on their website, in spite of it being the 30 years anniversary of the prize (getting pages for recent nominations only and sometimes being redirected to nothing actually relevant). But there was a reference to this book, so I thought: "OK, if you want to see the prize historical entries you have to pay for it." I didn't mind, so I got it.
It's a tiny little book. There are JUST 50 ENTRIES, with no proper rhyme or reason why they were selected. Some are actually not that funny and some of the funniest ARE MISSING. There is no information on when a particular entry was nominated, whether it won or was a runner-up. The entry's description is just a few words (often just TWO WORDS) in a single sentence, even though on the website I saw nominations accompanied by proper summaries, which are usually found on the back of any book.
This total lack of information on the entries is compensated by a long and tedious foreword by the Deputy Editor of the Bookseller with some questionable statements ("What makes a book title truly odd? ... Scientists have toiled for years researching that question."), which again fails to mention why only a fraction of the titles was selected.
The book is printed in China. Clearly, whether the paper comes from sustainably sourced wood or through destruction of forests in Russia or Indonesia is not an issue for the Bookseller.
On the only positive side: colour book cover reproductions are nice, but can't compensate for the lack of information (just the title, author, publisher and single sentence "summary" on the opposite page with huge blank spaces as there is so little of it).
I had a few laughs, but generally: thumbs down.

Working definition of schadenfreude, 21 Sep 2008
I pity poor old "Leveraged Sellout", which would be the most wounding thing one could do to him ("one" being a person not blessed enough to work in front office advisory M&A at a bulge bracket investment bank), but only for his timing. After the events of September 2008 it's going to be a while before anyone preens about working in a Bulge Bracket investment bank on Wall Street. At this point (still in September 2008) there are only two left, one (Morgan Stanley) looking likely to go the way of all flesh in coming days (horror of all horrors courtesy of *Wachovia*!), and the last man standing, Messrs. Goldman, Sachs & Co, facing a very uncertain road ahead as an independent investment bank no matter how excellent its risk management, deal execution and intellectual capital may be.

So I pity the anonymous "Leveraged Sellout" simply because, as a result of his timing, this excellent and brutally funny little book will either disappear into the same gaping void that claimed Bear Stears, Merrill Lynch, AIG and Lehman Brothers or, worse, be held up by moronic lefties as a poster child for everything that was wrong with Wall Street.

It is no such thing. It's actually a riot - imagine a young Hunter Thompson or Tom Wolfe writing with verve about modern day Wall Street but not as an outsider or an ingenue, but fully steeped in the technical and cultural world of a 24 year-old master of the universe.

I have no doubt that whoever wrote this was a genuine insider - the observations and devastatingly funny sending up of the minutiae (such as the distinction between IBD and FICC and importance of never using your mouse when manipulating a spreadsheet) would never be apparent to an outsider who hadn't done a significant stretch. I spent 7 years at a bulge bracket bank myself (as a lowly inhouse lawyer, resolutely in unglamorous back office), and but for the inevitable comic hyperbole, Damn It Feels Good To Be A Banker rings very true. I loved every moment.

So it's kind of a historical document, even though it is pure satire. It captures the zeitgeist, circa August 2008, and if you've had any interaction with the IB fraternity in their prime - that is, before the Sub-Prime got them, you'll find this hysterically funny.

Olly Buxton

A disappointment, 25 Sep 2008
I read in the news about the recent Bookseller magazine's Oddest Book Title prize and its entries and found them hilarious, but failed to get the list of past nominations and winners on their website, in spite of it being the 30 years anniversary of the prize (getting pages for recent nominations only and sometimes being redirected to nothing actually relevant). But there was a reference to this book, so I thought: "OK, if you want to see the prize historical entries you have to pay for it." I didn't mind, so I got it.
It's a tiny little book. There are JUST 50 ENTRIES, with no proper rhyme or reason why they were selected. Some are actually not that funny and some of the funniest ARE MISSING. There is no information on when a particular entry was nominated, whether it won or was a runner-up. The entry's description is just a few words (often just TWO WORDS) in a single sentence, even though on the website I saw nominations accompanied by proper summaries, which are usually found on the back of any book.
This total lack of information on the entries is compensated by a long and tedious foreword by the Deputy Editor of the Bookseller with some questionable statements ("What makes a book title truly odd? ... Scientists have toiled for years researching that question."), which again fails to mention why only a fraction of the titles was selected.
The book is printed in China. Clearly, whether the paper comes from sustainably sourced wood or through destruction of forests in Russia or Indonesia is not an issue for the Bookseller.
On the only positive side: colour book cover reproductions are nice, but can't compensate for the lack of information (just the title, author, publisher and single sentence "summary" on the opposite page with huge blank spaces as there is so little of it).
I had a few laughs, but generally: thumbs down.

Working definition of schadenfreude, 21 Sep 2008
I pity poor old "Leveraged Sellout", which would be the most wounding thing one could do to him ("one" being a person not blessed enough to work in front office advisory M&A at a bulge bracket investment bank), but only for his timing. After the events of September 2008 it's going to be a while before anyone preens about working in a Bulge Bracket investment bank on Wall Street. At this point (still in September 2008) there are only two left, one (Morgan Stanley) looking likely to go the way of all flesh in coming days (horror of all horrors courtesy of *Wachovia*!), and the last man standing, Messrs. Goldman, Sachs & Co, facing a very uncertain road ahead as an independent investment bank no matter how excellent its risk management, deal execution and intellectual capital may be.

So I pity the anonymous "Leveraged Sellout" simply because, as a result of his timing, this excellent and brutally funny little book will either disappear into the same gaping void that claimed Bear Stears, Merrill Lynch, AIG and Lehman Brothers or, worse, be held up by moronic lefties as a poster child for everything that was wrong with Wall Street.

It is no such thing. It's actually a riot - imagine a young Hunter Thompson or Tom Wolfe writing with verve about modern day Wall Street but not as an outsider or an ingenue, but fully steeped in the technical and cultural world of a 24 year-old master of the universe.

I have no doubt that whoever wrote this was a genuine insider - the observations and devastatingly funny sending up of the minutiae (such as the distinction between IBD and FICC and importance of never using your mouse when manipulating a spreadsheet) would never be apparent to an outsider who hadn't done a significant stretch. I spent 7 years at a bulge bracket bank myself (as a lowly inhouse lawyer, resolutely in unglamorous back office), and but for the inevitable comic hyperbole, Damn It Feels Good To Be A Banker rings very true. I loved every moment.

So it's kind of a historical document, even though it is pure satire. It captures the zeitgeist, circa August 2008, and if you've had any interaction with the IB fraternity in their prime - that is, before the Sub-Prime got them, you'll find this hysterically funny.

Olly Buxton

Brilliant, 26 Jul 2008
Scott Adams is a genius as is his Dilbert creation. This collection is as fresh and to the point as the previous ones.
Anyone who works in an office will recognise so many characters and will have seen the cartoons pinned upon the walls gently pointing out the flaws in the latest stupidity from management.
If you know and love Dilbert, you will obviously love this too. If you don't work in an office it is possible you may not 'get' some of the humour so it is worth checking out first, but make no mistake - Scot Adams is a deserved hero to the abused office worker!

Adams Hitting New Rich Vein of Form!, 16 Jun 2008
This latest (31st) collection of Dilbert cartoons contains all the syndicated cartoon strips (including the longer Sunday strip) from March 2007 - early January 2008. As a bonus, they are now ALL in colour, not just the Sunday ones. I have really enjoyed this collection - Adams has hit a new bit of sharp form in this latest collection. Wally, PHB, Alice....they are all here. An excellent, humourous read. Highly recommended.

A disappointment, 25 Sep 2008
I read in the news about the recent Bookseller magazine's Oddest Book Title prize and its entries and found them hilarious, but failed to get the list of past nominations and winners on their website, in spite of it being the 30 years anniversary of the prize (getting pages for recent nominations only and sometimes being redirected to nothing actually relevant). But there was a reference to this book, so I thought: "OK, if you want to see the prize historical entries you have to pay for it." I didn't mind, so I got it.
It's a tiny little book. There are JUST 50 ENTRIES, with no proper rhyme or reason why they were selected. Some are actually not that funny and some of the funniest ARE MISSING. There is no information on when a particular entry was nominated, whether it won or was a runner-up. The entry's description is just a few words (often just TWO WORDS) in a single sentence, even though on the website I saw nominations accompanied by proper summaries, which are usually found on the back of any book.
This total lack of information on the entries is compensated by a long and tedious foreword by the Deputy Editor of the Bookseller with some questionable statements ("What makes a book title truly odd? ... Scientists have toiled for years researching that question."), which again fails to mention why only a fraction of the titles was selected.
The book is printed in China. Clearly, whether the paper comes from sustainably sourced wood or through destruction of forests in Russia or Indonesia is not an issue for the Bookseller.
On the only positive side: colour book cover reproductions are nice, but can't compensate for the lack of information (just the title, author, publisher and single sentence "summary" on the opposite page with huge blank spaces as there is so little of it).
I had a few laughs, but generally: thumbs down.

Working definition of schadenfreude, 21 Sep 2008
I pity poor old "Leveraged Sellout", which would be the most wounding thing one could do to him ("one" being a person not blessed enough to work in front office advisory M&A at a bulge bracket investment bank), but only for his timing. After the events of September 2008 it's going to be a while before anyone preens about working in a Bulge Bracket investment bank on Wall Street. At this point (still in September 2008) there are only two left, one (Morgan Stanley) looking likely to go the way of all flesh in coming days (horror of all horrors courtesy of *Wachovia*!), and the last man standing, Messrs. Goldman, Sachs & Co, facing a very uncertain road ahead as an independent investment bank no matter how excellent its risk management, deal execution and intellectual capital may be.

So I pity the anonymous "Leveraged Sellout" simply because, as a result of his timing, this excellent and brutally funny little book will either disappear into the same gaping void that claimed Bear Stears, Merrill Lynch, AIG and Lehman Brothers or, worse, be held up by moronic lefties as a poster child for everything that was wrong with Wall Street.

It is no such thing. It's actually a riot - imagine a young Hunter Thompson or Tom Wolfe writing with verve about modern day Wall Street but not as an outsider or an ingenue, but fully steeped in the technical and cultural world of a 24 year-old master of the universe.

I have no doubt that whoever wrote this was a genuine insider - the observations and devastatingly funny sending up of the minutiae (such as the distinction between IBD and FICC and importance of never using your mouse when manipulating a spreadsheet) would never be apparent to an outsider who hadn't done a significant stretch. I spent 7 years at a bulge bracket bank myself (as a lowly inhouse lawyer, resolutely in unglamorous back office), and but for the inevitable comic hyperbole, Damn It Feels Good To Be A Banker rings very true. I loved every moment.

So it's kind of a historical document, even though it is pure satire. It captures the zeitgeist, circa August 2008, and if you've had any interaction with the IB fraternity in their prime - that is, before the Sub-Prime got them, you'll find this hysterically funny.

Olly Buxton

Brilliant, 26 Jul 2008
Scott Adams is a genius as is his Dilbert creation. This collection is as fresh and to the point as the previous ones.
Anyone who works in an office will recognise so many characters and will have seen the cartoons pinned upon the walls gently pointing out the flaws in the latest stupidity from management.
If you know and love Dilbert, you will obviously love this too. If you don't work in an office it is possible you may not 'get' some of the humour so it is worth checking out first, but make no mistake - Scot Adams is a deserved hero to the abused office worker!

Adams Hitting New Rich Vein of Form!, 16 Jun 2008
This latest (31st) collection of Dilbert cartoons contains all the syndicated cartoon strips (including the longer Sunday strip) from March 2007 - early January 2008. As a bonus, they are now ALL in colour, not just the Sunday ones. I have really enjoyed this collection - Adams has hit a new bit of sharp form in this latest collection. Wally, PHB, Alice....they are all here. An excellent, humourous read. Highly recommended.

Hilarious and revealing, 17 Apr 2007
I've been interested in Britain for a very long time. I've read lots of books on the culture, but this is the best one by far.

Every Brit who has an American friend or vice versa, should read this book to help you understand why the other seems like an alien at times.



Hilarious, very perceptive, 13 Mar 2003
Having lived for 2 years in New York and 7 years in London, I loved this book and felt it really rang true. It highlights some core values and differences in perceptions between US and UK culture that endure, despite speaking (almost) the same language and sharing many sitcoms and retail chains. It's a very quick read, and very funny - it had me giggling out loud on several tube journeys, as well as giggles from the strangers around me reading over my shoulder! There were occasional points which seemed overly stereotypical or slightly out of date, but this didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book. Highly recommended

Better than Bill Bryson, 11 Feb 2003
I am "British" (born in UK, grew up in SA) and my wife is American. We've lived in the US, Netherlands, France and the UK for last 3 years. This book is the best explanation I've ever read to help me understand my mother (British through and through), my new neighbours and my in-laws. On a recent visit by my in-laws I read the part on the US view of death (your fault if you die, you haven't eaten well enough/exercised enough/etc.) expecting "yes, but ... " commments. All I got was "damned right! Of course it is." And at the same time you get a really good chuckle.

I read it originally in NL. Reread it again since living in the UK and a whole slew of new observations about Brits suddenly made sense!

If you like Bill Bryson, you'll love Brit-Think Ameri-Think.

A must before crossing the Atlantic!, 12 Mar 2000
An essential, light-hearted look at the differences between our apparently similar cultures. With wit and fact it unravels the not so subtle differences and leaves it up to the reader to decide who is the weirdest!

A must for the plane - what ever direction you are crossing the Atlantic.

yes we are like this and they are like that, 12 Aug 1999
This book gets British and US Culture down to a tee. My wife and I lived in Russia for 4 years with a group of Yanks and Brits. Everyone agreed this book positioned us correctly, have bought several copies for Brits and americans crossing the pond.

A disappointment, 25 Sep 2008
I read in the news about the recent Bookseller magazine's Oddest Book Title prize and its entries and found them hilarious, but failed to get the list of past nominations and winners on their website, in spite of it being the 30 years anniversary of the prize (getting pages for recent nominations only and sometimes being redirected to nothing actually relevant). But there was a reference to this book, so I thought: "OK, if you want to see the prize historical entries you have to pay for it." I didn't mind, so I got it.
It's a tiny little book. There are JUST 50 ENTRIES, with no proper rhyme or reason why they were selected. Some are actually not that funny and some of the funniest ARE MISSING. There is no information on when a particular entry was nominated, whether it won or was a runner-up. The entry's description is just a few words (often just TWO WORDS) in a single sentence, even though on the website I saw nominations accompanied by proper summaries, which are usually found on the back of any book.
This total lack of information on the entries is compensated by a long and tedious foreword by the Deputy Editor of the Bookseller with some questionable statements ("What makes a book title truly odd? ... Scientists have toiled for years researching that question."), which again fails to mention why only a fraction of the titles was selected.
The book is printed in China. Clearly, whether the paper comes from sustainably sourced wood or through destruction of forests in Russia or Indonesia is not an issue for the Bookseller.
On the only positive side: colour book cover reproductions are nice, but can't compensate for the lack of information (just the title, author, publisher and single sentence "summary" on the opposite page with huge blank spaces as there is so little of it).
I had a few laughs, but generally: thumbs down.

Working definition of schadenfreude, 21 Sep 2008
I pity poor old "Leveraged Sellout", which would be the most wounding thing one could do to him ("one" being a person not blessed enough to work in front office advisory M&A at a bulge bracket investment bank), but only for his timing. After the events of September 2008 it's going to be a while before anyone preens about working in a Bulge Bracket investment bank on Wall Street. At this point (still in September 2008) there are only two left, one (Morgan Stanley) looking likely to go the way of all flesh in coming days (horror of all horrors courtesy of *Wachovia*!), and the last man standing, Messrs. Goldman, Sachs & Co, facing a very uncertain road ahead as an independent investment bank no matter how excellent its risk management, deal execution and intellectual capital may be.

So I pity the anonymous "Leveraged Sellout" simply because, as a result of his timing, this excellent and brutally funny little book will either disappear into the same gaping void that claimed Bear Stears, Merrill Lynch, AIG and Lehman Brothers or, worse, be held up by moronic lefties as a poster child for everything that was wrong with Wall Street.

It is no such thing. It's actually a riot - imagine a young Hunter Thompson or Tom Wolfe writing with verve about modern day Wall Street but not as an outsider or an ingenue, but fully steeped in the technical and cultural world of a 24 year-old master of the universe.

I have no doubt that whoever wrote this was a genuine insider - the observations and devastatingly funny sending up of the minutiae (such as the distinction between IBD and FICC and importance of never using your mouse when manipulating a spreadsheet) would never be apparent to an outsider who hadn't done a significant stretch. I spent 7 years at a bulge bracket bank myself (as a lowly inhouse lawyer, resolutely in unglamorous back office), and but for the inevitable comic hyperbole, Damn It Feels Good To Be A Banker rings very true. I loved every moment.

So it's kind of a historical document, even though it is pure satire. It captures the zeitgeist, circa August 2008, and if you've had any interaction with the IB fraternity in their prime - that is, before the Sub-Prime got them, you'll find this hysterically funny.

Olly Buxton

Brilliant, 26 Jul 2008
Scott Adams is a genius as is his Dilbert creation. This collection is as fresh and to the point as the previous ones.
Anyone who works in an office will recognise so many characters and will have seen the cartoons pinned upon the walls gently pointing out the flaws in the latest stupidity from management.
If you know and love Dilbert, you will obviously love this too. If you don't work in an office it is possible you may not 'get' some of the humour so it is worth checking out first, but make no mistake - Scot Adams is a deserved hero to the abused office worker!

Adams Hitting New Rich Vein of Form!, 16 Jun 2008
This latest (31st) collection of Dilbert cartoons contains all the syndicated cartoon strips (including the longer Sunday strip) from March 2007 - early January 2008. As a bonus, they are now ALL in colour, not just the Sunday ones. I have really enjoyed this collection - Adams has hit a new bit of sharp form in this latest collection. Wally, PHB, Alice....they are all here. An excellent, humourous read. Highly recommended.

Hilarious and revealing, 17 Apr 2007
I've been interested in Britain for a very long time. I've read lots of books on the culture, but this is the best one by far.

Every Brit who has an American friend or vice versa, should read this book to help you understand why the other seems like an alien at times.



Hilarious, very perceptive, 13 Mar 2003
Having lived for 2 years in New York and 7 years in London, I loved this book and felt it really rang true. It highlights some core values and differences in perceptions between US and UK culture that endure, despite speaking (almost) the same language and sharing many sitcoms and retail chains. It's a very quick read, and very funny - it had me giggling out loud on several tube journeys, as well as giggles from the strangers around me reading over my shoulder! There were occasional points which seemed overly stereotypical or slightly out of date, but this didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book. Highly recommended

Better than Bill Bryson, 11 Feb 2003
I am "British" (born in UK, grew up in SA) and my wife is American. We've lived in the US, Netherlands, France and the UK for last 3 years. This book is the best explanation I've ever read to help me understand my mother (British through and through), my new neighbours and my in-laws. On a recent visit by my in-laws I read the part on the US view of death (your fault if you die, you haven't eaten well enough/exercised enough/etc.) expecting "yes, but ... " commments. All I got was "damned right! Of course it is." And at the same time you get a really good chuckle.

I read it originally in NL. Reread it again since living in the UK and a whole slew of new observations about Brits suddenly made sense!

If you like Bill Bryson, you'll love Brit-Think Ameri-Think.

A must before crossing the Atlantic!, 12 Mar 2000
An essential, light-hearted look at the differences between our apparently similar cultures. With wit and fact it unravels the not so subtle differences and leaves it up to the reader to decide who is the weirdest!

A must for the plane - what ever direction you are crossing the Atlantic.

yes we are like this and they are like that, 12 Aug 1999
This book gets British and US Culture down to a tee. My wife and I lived in Russia for 4 years with a group of Yanks and Brits. Everyone agreed this book positioned us correctly, have bought several copies for Brits and americans crossing the pond.

Should replace the induction manual, 13 Oct 2007
As a practical guide to how modern business works, this is pretty much essential. Yes, it's funny (so funny that in places I hurt with laughter) but it's deadly serious too.

As well as reading some of the wittiest cartoon strips ever, you'll absorb some deep wisdom and get plenty of practical ideas for making the corporate life more bearable.

You must buy this is you work in an office (or ever have done), 06 Feb 2007
I read this book in 2001, and every so often even now in 2007 I burst out laughing as I remember one of his comments. If you have ever worked in an office, particularly for a large company, you will find this hilarious. The other thing about it is that although it is supposedly a joke, there is a lot of truth in it, and it can actually help your career!

Good, but "The Dilbert Future" is better., 30 Nov 2006
This book is quite simply a comic way of looking at management stupidity.
I think the phrase "it's funny because it's true" might as well have been invented for this book. Scott Adams you prompt you with pearls of common sense so you can see just how silly middle management can be.
Although this is often regarded as the definitive Dilbert book, I found it slightly less fun to read than the Dilbert Future. That book took a more global view of stupidity, rather than concentrating solely on the workplace.

So real it is scary, 07 Jul 2005
This book is so real that it is scary. You can tell that Scott Adams has spent time. His description of cube life is still relevant today.

I have been trying to justify the Peter Principle and could not make it fit but after reading this book all things became clear. It is impossible to keep a straight face in meetings with out seeing the different types of personalities doing their thing. I can even anticipate what they are going to say and the reactions.

Usually as most books and movies you recognize everyone but yourself. The most obnoxious person will laugh at his stereotype or just not get the point when it comes to movies and books. However this book is scary in the fact that I could see myself when Scott was describing engineers. And it took a little while to realize what he was talking about the ringing device that knows when to break your concentration.

I am going to leave a copy on QA's desk.

MY next must read is "Dogbert's Top Secret Management Handbook"

So good they should ban it, 30 Nov 2004
Books like this really shouldn't be allowed. They impart dangerous information to receptive minds and reveal things about management that a whole industry has been labouring for years to keep hidden.

The chapter on writing your own appraisal, for example, is very, very dangerous. I have never allowed any of my staff to see it, although I did make use of it when preparing my own appraisal for my boss's signature.

Simple tricks like the 'big picture manouvre' are just too good and useful to be dished out in paperback format.

Scott Adams takes 'the Peter Principle' into an entirely new space. Instead of writing about managers who have been promoted to their level of incompetence, he takes on whole corporate cultures which have grown to their level of incompetence. Everybody who has ever recommended 'concentrating our assets across the board' or, indeed, 'zooming in on the big picture', ought to read this book. Everybody who has ever considered punishing staff for having poor morale should read it. And every pointy haired manager who believes that anything he doesn't understand can't be very difficult should read it.

But workers? They should not be allowed to read it. It should be removed from their bookshelves and libraries. People buying this book online should have to prove that they are management grades before they complete their purchases.

Books like this are just too dangerous.

A disappointment, 25 Sep 2008
I read in the news about the recent Bookseller magazine's Oddest Book Title prize and its entries and found them hilarious, but failed to get the list of past nominations and winners on their website, in spite of it being the 30 years anniversary of the prize (getting pages for recent nominations only and sometimes being redirected to nothing actually relevant). But there was a reference to this book, so I thought: "OK, if you want to see the prize historical entries you have to pay for it." I didn't mind, so I got it.
It's a tiny little book. There are JUST 50 ENTRIES, with no proper rhyme or reason why they were selected. Some are actually not that funny and some of the funniest ARE MISSING. There is no information on when a particular entry was nominated, whether it won or was a runner-up. The entry's description is just a few words (often just TWO WORDS) in a single sentence, even though on the website I saw nominations accompanied by proper summaries, which are usually found on the back of any book.
This total lack of information on the entries is compensated by a long and tedious foreword by the Deputy Editor of the Bookseller with some questionable statements ("What makes a book title truly odd? ... Scientists have toiled for years researching that question."), which again fails to mention why only a fraction of the titles was selected.
The book is printed in China. Clearly, whether the paper comes from sustainably sourced wood or through destruction of forests in Russia or Indonesia is not an issue for the Bookseller.
On the only positive side: colour book cover reproductions are nice, but can't compensate for the lack of information (just the title, author, publisher and single sentence "summary" on the opposite page with huge blank spaces as there is so little of it).
I had a few laughs, but generally: thumbs down.

Working definition of schadenfreude, 21 Sep 2008
I pity poor old "Leveraged Sellout", which would be the most wounding thing one could do to him ("one" being a person not blessed enough to work in front office advisory M&A at a bulge bracket investment bank), but only for his timing. After the events of September 2008 it's going to be a while before anyone preens about working in a Bulge Bracket investment bank on Wall Street. At this point (still in September 2008) there are only two left, one (Morgan Stanley) looking likely to go the way of all flesh in coming days (horror of all horrors courtesy of *Wachovia*!), and the last man standing, Messrs. Goldman, Sachs & Co, facing a very uncertain road ahead as an independent investment bank no matter how excellent its risk management, deal execution and intellectual capital may be.

So I pity the anonymous "Leveraged Sellout" simply because, as a result of his timing, this excellent and brutally funny little book will either disappear into the same gaping void that claimed Bear Stears, Merrill Lynch, AIG and Lehman Brothers or, worse, be held up by moronic lefties as a poster child for everything that was wrong with Wall Street.

It is no such thing. It's actually a riot - imagine a young Hunter Thompson or Tom Wolfe writing with verve about modern day Wall Street but not as an outsider or an ingenue, but fully steeped in the technical and cultural world of a 24 year-old master of the universe.

I have no doubt that whoever wrote this was a genuine insider - the observations and devastatingly funny sending up of the minutiae (such as the distinction between IBD and FICC and importance of never using your mouse when manipulating a spreadsheet) would never be apparent to an outsider who hadn't done a significant stretch. I spent 7 years at a bulge bracket bank myself (as a lowly inhouse lawyer, resolutely in unglamorous back office), and but for the inevitable comic hyperbole, Damn It Feels Good To Be A Banker rings very true. I loved every moment.

So it's kind of a historical document, even though it is pure satire. It captures the zeitgeist, circa August 2008, and if you've had any interaction with the IB fraternity in their prime - that is, before the Sub-Prime got them, you'll find this hysterically funny.

Olly Buxton

Brilliant, 26 Jul 2008
Scott Adams is a genius as is his Dilbert creation. This collection is as fresh and to the point as the previous ones.
Anyone who works in an office will recognise so many characters and will have seen the cartoons pinned upon the walls gently pointing out the flaws in the latest stupidity from management.
If you know and love Dilbert, you will obviously love this too. If you don't work in an office it is possible you may not 'get' some of the humour so it is worth checking out first, but make no mistake - Scot Adams is a deserved hero to the abused office worker!

Adams Hitting New Rich Vein of Form!, 16 Jun 2008
This latest (31st) collection of Dilbert cartoons contains all the syndicated cartoon strips (including the longer Sunday strip) from March 2007 - early January 2008. As a bonus, they are now ALL in colour, not just the Sunday ones. I have really enjoyed this collection - Adams has hit a new bit of sharp form in this latest collection. Wally, PHB, Alice....they are all here. An excellent, humourous read. Highly recommended.

Hilarious and revealing, 17 Apr 2007
I've been interested in Britain for a very long time. I've read lots of books on the culture, but this is the best one by far.

Every Brit who has an American friend or vice versa, should read this book to help you understand why the other seems like an alien at times.



Hilarious, very perceptive, 13 Mar 2003
Having lived for 2 years in New York and 7 years in London, I loved this book and felt it really rang true. It highlights some core values and differences in perceptions between US and UK culture that endure, despite speaking (almost) the same language and sharing many sitcoms and retail chains. It's a very quick read, and very funny - it had me giggling out loud on several tube journeys, as well as giggles from the strangers around me reading over my shoulder! There were occasional points which seemed overly stereotypical or slightly out of date, but this didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book. Highly recommended

Better than Bill Bryson, 11 Feb 2003
I am "British" (born in UK, grew up in SA) and my wife is American. We've lived in the US, Netherlands, France and the UK for last 3 years. This book is the best explanation I've ever read to help me understand my mother (British through and through), my new neighbours and my in-laws. On a recent visit by my in-laws I read the part on the US view of death (your fault if you die, you haven't eaten well enough/exercised enough/etc.) expecting "yes, but ... " commments. All I got was "damned right! Of course it is." And at the same time you get a really good chuckle.

I read it originally in NL. Reread it again since living in the UK and a whole slew of new observations about Brits suddenly made sense!

If you like Bill Bryson, you'll love Brit-Think Ameri-Think.

A must before crossing the Atlantic!, 12 Mar 2000
An essential, light-hearted look at the differences between our apparently similar cultures. With wit and fact it unravels the not so subtle differences and leaves it up to the reader to decide who is the weirdest!

A must for the plane - what ever direction you are crossing the Atlantic.

yes we are like this and they are like that, 12 Aug 1999
This book gets British and US Culture down to a tee. My wife and I lived in Russia for 4 years with a group of Yanks and Brits. Everyone agreed this book positioned us correctly, have bought several copies for Brits and americans crossing the pond.

Should replace the induction manual, 13 Oct 2007
As a practical guide to how modern business works, this is pretty much essential. Yes, it's funny (so funny that in places I hurt with laughter) but it's deadly serious too.

As well as reading some of the wittiest cartoon strips ever, you'll absorb some deep wisdom and get plenty of practical ideas for making the corporate life more bearable.

You must buy this is you work in an office (or ever have done), 06 Feb 2007
I read this book in 2001, and every so often even now in 2007 I burst out laughing as I remember one of his comments. If you have ever worked in an office, particularly for a large company, you will find this hilarious. The other thing about it is that although it is supposedly a joke, there is a lot of truth in it, and it can actually help your career!

Good, but "The Dilbert Future" is better., 30 Nov 2006
This book is quite simply a comic way of looking at management stupidity.
I think the phrase "it's funny because it's true" might as well have been invented for this book. Scott Adams you prompt you with pearls of common sense so you can see just how silly middle management can be.
Although this is often regarded as the definitive Dilbert book, I found it slightly less fun to read than the Dilbert Future. That book took a more global view of stupidity, rather than concentrating solely on the workplace.

So real it is scary, 07 Jul 2005
This book is so real that it is scary. You can tell that Scott Adams has spent time. His description of cube life is still relevant today.

I have been trying to justify the Peter Principle and could not make it fit but after reading this book all things became clear. It is impossible to keep a straight face in meetings with out seeing the different types of personalities doing their thing. I can even anticipate what they are going to say and the reactions.

Usually as most books and movies you recognize everyone but yourself. The most obnoxious person will laugh at his stereotype or just not get the point when it comes to movies and books. However this book is scary in the fact that I could see myself when Scott was describing engineers. And it took a little while to realize what he was talking about the ringing device that knows when to break your concentration.

I am going to leave a copy on QA's desk.

MY next must read is "Dogbert's Top Secret Management Handbook"

So good they should ban it, 30 Nov 2004
Books like this really shouldn't be allowed. They impart dangerous information to receptive minds and reveal things about management that a whole industry has been labouring for years to keep hidden.

The chapter on writing your own appraisal, for example, is very, very dangerous. I have never allowed any of my staff to see it, although I did make use of it when preparing my own appraisal for my boss's signature.

Simple tricks like the 'big picture manouvre' are just too good and useful to be dished out in paperback format.

Scott Adams takes 'the Peter Principle' into an entirely new space. Instead of writing about managers who have been promoted to their level of incompetence, he takes on whole corporate cultures which have grown to their level of incompetence. Everybody who has ever recommended 'concentrating our assets across the board' or, indeed, 'zooming in on the big picture', ought to read this book. Everybody who has ever considered punishing staff for having poor morale should read it. And every pointy haired manager who believes that anything he doesn't understand can't be very difficult should read it.

But workers? They should not be allowed to read it. It should be removed from their bookshelves and libraries. People buying this book online should have to prove that they are management grades before they complete their purchases.

Books like this are just too dangerous.

Investing Superbly Revealed!, 17 Mar 2006
This book gave me a marvelous look into the stock market from an insider's viewpoint. Through humor and cartoon drawings it makes one laugh wryly so that one can better understand why only a few reap the huge benefits of stock market investing. For all those who worry about investing in high-tech firms these days, I also recommend the insightful book, "Management By Vice". In short episodes with sharp, satiric humor and some fab cartoon drawings, it points out the "behind-the-scenes" reality in high-tech firms, deftly revealing how R&D staff struggle to produce new profit-making products, who in a company ends up with the "yachts" and why...or rather, who gets the "Doughnut Deal"! Armed with such unique, truthful books, an investor becomes more market savvy and definitely forewarned!

An Investment Classic All Stock Investors Should Read!, 30 Jul 2004
This book clearly deserves more than five stars for exposing the folly of Wall Street in the most humorous possible terms.

This book's fame far exceeds the number of people who have read it. Almost every experienced stock investor will cite examples from the book, without even knowing their source.

The title refers to an ancient story (which the author finds is probably at least 100 years old by now) about a visitor to New York who admired the yachts that the bankers and brokers had in the harbor. Naively, he then asked where the customers' yachts were. Naturally, there were no customers' yachts.

Let me set the stage. The author spent two years on Wall Street in the 20s, but knew it better than that and continued to invest in stocks. He wrote the book in 1940 after the horrible bear years of 1929-1940. The memories of the 1920s were still fresh. Then he updated the book in 1955 in the midst of the 50s bull market with a new introduction in which he explained that the book did not need updating.

Although commissions are no longer fixed, and few spend the day sitting in a broker's office, many of the other observations in the book remain as timely as those in The Madness of Crowds. Human nature doesn't change.

Behind all of the hype about getting rich with stock investments is a sad reality. Over a lifetime, the vast majority of people get poor results from their stock investing. Around 90 percent of professionals will also underperform the market averages over their careers.

But the desire to outsmart everyone else is almost universal. Raging bull markets, like the one we had until March 2000 on the NASDAQ, only tend to reinforce these ultimately expensive urges.

I have been around professional investors for over thirty years and all the big scores I remember involving stocks came after someone who was a founder or worked for a company that went public cashed in their stock and stock options after many years of service. These are not stock-investing events, they are entrepreneurial compensation. In the Money Game, Adam Smith pointed that out, and it remains as true today as it was then.

One of the classic stories in this book is about what would happen if 4000 people started flipping coins against each other. You are eliminated from the competition after one loss. Although by definition, half would win and half with lose with each flip, those who had won ten times in a row (as must happen for some in this format) would soon start to give lessons in coin flipping techniques. That story nicely captures the folly of Wall Street. Even though some may win, it usually doesn't mean anything.

The book contains other investment classic stories that you must have in your repertoire. The book is brilliantly illustrated by the classy cartoons of Peter Arno. It is worth acquiring the book just for those.

The subjects covered include Wall Street's passion for prophecy, financiers and seers, customers (or the sheep to be shorn), mutual funds, short sellers, options, speculators and the bull market of the 20s, and the excuses handed out to those who are relieved of their money.

The writing style is urbane and witty. For example, there is the usual disclaimer on not following the advice in the book in the beginning. Except, it is illustrated by two hands with fingers crossed. And, the warnings are a just little different. The information in this book "while not guaranteed by us, has been obtained from sources which have not in the past proved particularly reliable."

The author had discovered that titles cannot be copyrighted, and he had thought about using a strong title like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

The author's favorite review of the book contained a reference to not being J.P. Morgan and was signed by the author of the review, Mr. Frank Sullivan. The subsequent witty correspondence between them is included in the introduction.

If you are a fan of Louis Rukeyser, you will find the humor here comparable with the badinage on Wall $treet Week during the opening comments.

Seriously, the humor in this book will help you to better understand the risks associated with stock investing. There is a wonderful quiz you can take that will tell whether or not you should be a stock investor. Most will not pass that quiz.

If you still want to own stocks, I suggest that you advance to John Bogle's book, Common Sense About Mutual Funds. It can make you some real money.

If you do not want to own stocks, go instead to Rich Dad, Poor Dad. Follow on to Cash Flow Quadrant.

I also suggest you think about where else folly is taken seriously. This will also put things in perspective for you. My favorite location is the Congress of the United States.

Keep looking for those yachts when you make your investments! To whom do they belong?

Where Are All the Customerýs Yachts? - Indeed!, 25 Apr 2003
...long long ago, an out-of-town visitor to New York was admiring the elegant vessels harboured off the Financial District; "Those are the bankers' and brokers' yachts!" exclaimed the guide. "But where are the customers' yachts?" questioned the naïve visitor in response...

Where are the Customers' Yachts indeed, questioned Fred Schwed Jr, deciding to take a good hard look at the Wall Street and its activities and occupations to try and find an answer. Schwed is well placed to make observations of this industry, as he has been well placed for many years behind a trading table witnessing the exchanges over the wires of quotations, bids, and calls. And along with them, the fibs, bluffs, nonsense and downright lies - the latter two seeming to be a large part of what is traded in the Street, and the market in general.

Schwed offers an overview and appraisal of the different players and product that dominate Wall Street and the Financial Industry at large. This book was written over sixty years ago, and was reprinted fifteen years later. The author noted that little had changed in that period - indeed little has changed in the following forty-five years making this humorous and tongue-in-cheek analysis appropriate in today's digitally charged financial markets, as it was in the days of runners and tram cars.

Schwed offers some colourful judgement of various characters, a flavour of which I have outlined:

Brokerage houses amongst other services, offer market commentary. Commentary that befits Joycean scholars and theologians, much more so than the average man on the street turning to a brokerage house for guidance: "but after a one-day decline, volume dwindled, and the market presently appears to be engaged in a somewhat hazy consolidation movement, searching for dynamic forces..." (sic). The average man on the street might never benefit from this prose (nor might he understand it!).

Customers are loosely defined as anyone willing to part with money. Good customers are ones willing to part with lots of money, and these often have to be acquired through marriages or by being born into wealthy families. Customers however once acquired, can be a harsh bunch, and often carry old grudges. Many a customer will hold brokers responsible for the crash of 1929 (and all subsequent crashes no doubt!) - believing beyond persuasion that the brokers pocketed their customers' loses for themselves.

In conclusion the merits of the financial industry, its mechanisms, and capitalism itself, are called into question, but the recommendation is to leave well enough alone. The financial markets have applied economic law satisfactorily to itself and found its point of market equilibrium where buyers and sellers have found complementary markets, and of course brokers have found their calling. The advice to the general public is that if they are looking for a comprehensive investment programme that will protect them from inflation and deflation alike, and could contribute to long-term financial security, they should fear not, and take a visit to Wall Street - or better still to the offices of the author - where they will be directed to the appropriate department, called something other than what it really is... the Crystal-Gazing Department.

If you want to get into the financial markets, or just understand how they work without being blinded with boredom, this book is a good and enjoyable read!

A disappointment, 25 Sep 2008
I read in the news about the recent Bookseller magazine's Oddest Book Title prize and its entries and found them hilarious, but failed to get the list of past nominations and winners on their website, in spite of it being the 30 years anniversary of the prize (getting pages for recent nominations only and sometimes being redirected to nothing actually relevant). But there was a reference to this book, so I thought: "OK, if you want to see the prize historical entries you have to pay for it." I didn't mind, so I got it.
It's a tiny little book. There are JUST 50 ENTRIES, with no proper rhyme or reason why they were selected. Some are actually not that funny and some of the funniest ARE MISSING. There is no information on when a particular entry was nominated, whether it won or was a runner-up. The entry's description is just a few words (often just TWO WORDS) in a single sentence, even though on the website I saw nominations accompanied by proper summaries, which are usually found on the back of any book.
This total lack of information on the entries is compensated by a long and tedious foreword by the Deputy Editor of the Bookseller with some questionable statements ("What makes a book title truly odd? ... Scientists have toiled for years researching that question."), which again fails to mention why only a fraction of the titles was selected.
The book is printed in China. Clearly, whether the paper comes from sustainably sourced wood or through destruction of forests in Russia or Indonesia is not an issue for the Bookseller.
On the only positive side: colour book cover reproductions are nice, but can't compensate for the lack of information (just the title, author, publisher and single sentence "summary" on the opposite page with huge blank spaces as there is so little of it).
I had a few laughs, but generally: thumbs down.

Working definition of schadenfreude, 21 Sep 2008
I pity poor old "Leveraged Sellout", which would be the most wounding thing one could do to him ("one" being a person not blessed enough to work in front office advisory M&A at a bulge bracket investment bank), but only for his timing. After the events of September 2008 it's going to be a while before anyone preens about working in a Bulge Bracket investment bank on Wall Street. At this point (still in September 2008) there are only two left, one (Morgan Stanley) looking likely to go the way of all flesh in coming days (horror of all horrors courtesy of *Wachovia*!), and the last man standing, Messrs. Goldman, Sachs & Co, facing a very uncertain road ahead as an independent investment bank no matter how excellent its risk management, deal execution and intellectual capital may be.

So I pity the anonymous "Leveraged Sellout" simply because, as a result of his timing, this excellent and brutally funny little book will either disappear into the same gaping void that claimed Bear Stears, Merrill Lynch, AIG and Lehman Brothers or, worse, be held up by moronic lefties as a poster child for everything that was wrong with Wall Street.

It is no such thing. It's actually a riot - imagine a young Hunter Thompson or Tom Wolfe writing with verve about modern day Wall Street but not as an outsider or an ingenue, but fully steeped in the technical and cultural world of a 24 year-old master of the universe.

I have no doubt that whoever wrote this was a genuine insider - the observations and devastatingly funny sending up of the minutiae (such as the distinction between IBD and FICC and importance of never using your mouse when manipulating a spreadsheet) would never be apparent to an outsider who hadn't done a significant stretch. I spent 7 years at a bulge bracket bank myself (as a lowly inhouse lawyer, resolutely in unglamorous back office), and but for the inevitable comic hyperbole, Damn It Feels Good To Be A Banker rings very true. I loved every moment.

So it's kind of a historical document, even though it is pure satire. It captures the zeitgeist, circa August 2008, and if you've had any interaction with the IB fraternity in their prime - that is, before the Sub-Prime got them, you'll find this hysterically funny.

Olly Buxton

Brilliant, 26 Jul 2008
Scott Adams is a genius as is his Dilbert creation. This collection is as fresh and to the point as the previous ones.
Anyone who works in an office will recognise so many characters and will have seen the cartoons pinned upon the walls gently pointing out the flaws in the latest stupidity from management.
If you know and love Dilbert, you will obviously love this too. If you don't work in an office it is possible you may not 'get' some of the humour so it is worth checking out first, but make no mistake - Scot Adams is a deserved hero to the abused office worker!

Adams Hitting New Rich Vein of Form!, 16 Jun 2008
This latest (31st) collection of Dilbert cartoons contains all the syndicated cartoon strips (including the longer Sunday strip) from March 2007 - early January 2008. As a bonus, they are now ALL in colour, not just the Sunday ones. I have really enjoyed this collection - Adams has hit a new bit of sharp form in this latest collection. Wally, PHB, Alice....they are all here. An excellent, humourous read. Highly recommended.

Hilarious and revealing, 17 Apr 2007
I've been interested in Britain for a very long time. I've read lots of books on the culture, but this is the best one by far.

Every Brit who has an American friend or vice versa, should read this book to help you understand why the other seems like an alien at times.



Hilarious, very perceptive, 13 Mar 2003
Having lived for 2 years in New York and 7 years in London, I loved this book and felt it really rang true. It highlights some core values and differences in perceptions between US and UK culture that endure, despite speaking (almost) the same language and sharing many sitcoms and retail chains. It's a very quick read, and very funny - it had me giggling out loud on several tube journeys, as well as giggles from the strangers around me reading over my shoulder! There were occasional points which seemed overly stereotypical or slightly out of date, but this didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book. Highly recommended

Better than Bill Bryson, 11 Feb 2003
I am "British" (born in UK, grew up in SA) and my wife is American. We've lived in the US, Netherlands, France and the UK for last 3 years. This book is the best explanation I've ever read to help me understand my mother (British through and through), my new neighbours and my in-laws. On a recent visit by my in-laws I read the part on the US view of death (your fault if you die, you haven't eaten well enough/exercised enough/etc.) expecting "yes, but ... " commments. All I got was "damned right! Of course it is." And at the same time you get a really good chuckle.

I read it originally in NL. Reread it again since living in the UK and a whole slew of new observations about Brits suddenly made sense!

If you like Bill Bryson, you'll love Brit-Think Ameri-Think.

A must before crossing the Atlantic!, 12 Mar 2000
An essential, light-hearted look at the differences between our apparently similar cultures. With wit and fact it unravels the not so subtle differences and leaves it up to the reader to decide who is the weirdest!

A must for the plane - what ever direction you are crossing the Atlantic.

yes we are like this and they are like that, 12 Aug 1999
This book gets British and US Culture down to a tee. My wife and I lived in Russia for 4 years with a group of Yanks and Brits. Everyone agreed this book positioned us correctly, have bought several copies for Brits and americans crossing the pond.

Should replace the induction manual, 13 Oct 2007
As a practical guide to how modern business works, this is pretty much essential. Yes, it's funny (so funny that in places I hurt with laughter) but it's deadly serious too.

As well as reading some of the wittiest cartoon strips ever, you'll absorb some deep wisdom and get plenty of practical ideas for making the corporate life more bearable.

You must buy this is you work in an office (or ever have done), 06 Feb 2007
I read this book in 2001, and every so often even now in 2007 I burst out laughing as I remember one of his comments. If you have ever worked in an office, particularly for a large company, you will find this hilarious. The other thing about it is that although it is supposedly a joke, there is a lot of truth in it, and it can actually help your career!

Good, but "The Dilbert Future" is better., 30 Nov 2006
This book is quite simply a comic way of looking at management stupidity.
I think the phrase "it's funny because it's true" might as well have been invented for this book. Scott Adams you prompt you with pearls of common sense so you can see just how silly middle management can be.
Although this is often regarded as the definitive Dilbert book, I found it slightly less fun to read than the Dilbert Future. That book took a more global view of stupidity, rather than concentrating solely on the workplace.

So real it is scary, 07 Jul 2005
This book is so real that it is scary. You can tell that Scott Adams has spent time. His description of cube life is still relevant today.

I have been trying to justify the Peter Principle and could not make it fit but after reading this book all things became clear. It is impossible to keep a straight face in meetings with out seeing the different types of personalities doing their thing. I can even anticipate what they are going to say and the reactions.

Usually as most books and movies you recognize everyone but yourself. The most obnoxious person will laugh at his stereotype or just not get the point when it comes to movies and books. However this book is scary in the fact that I could see myself when Scott was describing engineers. And it took a little while to realize what he was talking about the ringing device that knows when to break your concentration.

I am going to leave a copy on QA's desk.

MY next must read is "Dogbert's Top Secret Management Handbook"

So good they should ban it, 30 Nov 2004
Books like this really shouldn't be allowed. They impart dangerous information to receptive minds and reveal things about management that a whole industry has been labouring for years to keep hidden.

The chapter on writing your own appraisal, for example, is very, very dangerous. I have never allowed any of my staff to see it, although I did make use of it when preparing my own appraisal for my boss's signature.

Simple tricks like the 'big picture manouvre' are just too good and useful to be dished out in paperback format.

Scott Adams takes 'the Peter Principle' into an entirely new space. Instead of writing about managers who have been promoted to their level of incompetence, he takes on whole corporate cultures which have grown to their level of incompetence. Everybody who has ever recommended 'concentrating our assets across the board' or, indeed, 'zooming in on the big picture', ought to read this book. Everybody who has ever considered punishing staff for having poor morale should read it. And every pointy haired manager who believes that anything he doesn't understand can't be very difficult should read it.

But workers? They should not be allowed to read it. It should be removed from their bookshelves and libraries. People buying this book online should have to prove that they are management grades before they complete their purchases.

Books like this are just too dangerous.

Investing Superbly Revealed!, 17 Mar 2006
This book gave me a marvelous look into the stock market from an insider's viewpoint. Through humor and cartoon drawings it makes one laugh wryly so that one can better understand why only a few reap the huge benefits of stock market investing. For all those who worry about investing in high-tech firms these days, I also recommend the insightful book, "Management By Vice". In short episodes with sharp, satiric humor and some fab cartoon drawings, it points out the "behind-the-scenes" reality in high-tech firms, deftly revealing how R&D staff struggle to produce new profit-making products, who in a company ends up with the "yachts" and why...or rather, who gets the "Doughnut Deal"! Armed with such unique, truthful books, an investor becomes more market savvy and definitely forewarned!

An Investment Classic All Stock Investors Should Read!, 30 Jul 2004
This book clearly deserves more than five stars for exposing the folly of Wall Street in the most humorous possible terms.

This book's fame far exceeds the number of people who have read it. Almost every experienced stock investor will cite examples from the book, without even knowing their source.

The title refers to an ancient story (which the author finds is probably at least 100 years old by now) about a visitor to New York who admired the yachts that the bankers and brokers had in the harbor. Naively, he then asked where the customers' yachts were. Naturally, there were no customers' yachts.

Let me set the stage. The author spent two years on Wall Street in the 20s, but knew it better than that and continued to invest in stocks. He wrote the book in 1940 after the horrible bear years of 1929-1940. The memories of the 1920s were still fresh. Then he updated the book in 1955 in the midst of the 50s bull market with a new introduction in which he explained that the book did not need updating.

Although commissions are no longer fixed, and few spend the day sitting in a broker's office, many of the other observations in the book remain as timely as those in The Madness of Crowds. Human nature doesn't change.

Behind all of the hype about getting rich with stock investments is a sad reality. Over a lifetime, the vast majority of people get poor results from their stock investing. Around 90 percent of professionals will also underperform the market averages over their careers.

But the desire to outsmart everyone else is almost universal. Raging bull markets, like the one we had until March 2000 on the NASDAQ, only tend to reinforce these ultimately expensive urges.

I have been around professional investors for over thirty years and all the big scores I remember involving stocks came after someone who was a founder or worked for a company that went public cashed in their stock and stock options after many years of service. These are not stock-investing events, they are entrepreneurial compensation. In the Money Game, Adam Smith pointed that out, and it remains as true today as it was then.

One of the classic stories in this book is about what would happen if 4000 people started flipping coins against each other. You are eliminated from the competition after one loss. Although by definition, half would win and half with lose with each flip, those who had won ten times in a row (as must happen for some in this format) would soon start to give lessons in coin flipping techniques. That story nicely captures the folly of Wall Street. Even though some may win, it usually doesn't mean anything.

The book contains other investment classic stories that you must have in your repertoire. The book is brilliantly illustrated by the classy cartoons of Peter Arno. It is worth acquiring the book just for those.

The subjects covered include Wall Street's passion for prophecy, financiers and seers, customers (or the sheep to be shorn), mutual funds, short sellers, options, speculators and the bull market of the 20s, and the excuses handed out to those who are relieved of their money.

The writing style is urbane and witty. For example, there is the usual disclaimer on not following the advice in the book in the beginning. Except, it is illustrated by two hands with fingers crossed. And, the warnings are a just little different. The information in this book "while not guaranteed by us, has been obtained from sources which have not in the past proved particularly reliable."

The author had discovered that titles cannot be copyrighted, and he had thought about using a strong title like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

The author's favorite review of the book contained a reference to not being J.P. Morgan and was signed by the author of the review, Mr. Frank Sullivan. The subsequent witty correspondence between them is included in the introduction.

If you are a fan of Louis Rukeyser, you will find the humor here comparable with the badinage on Wall $treet Week during the opening comments.

Seriously, the humor in this book will help you to better understand the risks associated with stock investing. There is a wonderful quiz you can take that will tell whether or not you should be a stock investor. Most will not pass that quiz.

If you still want to own stocks, I suggest that you advance to John Bogle's book, Common Sense About Mutual Funds. It can make you some real money.

If you do not want to own stocks, go instead to Rich Dad, Poor Dad. Follow on to Cash Flow Quadrant.

I also suggest you think about where else folly is taken seriously. This will also put things in perspective for you. My favorite location is the Congress of the United States.

Keep looking for those yachts when you make your investments! To whom do they belong?

Where Are All the Customerýs Yachts? - Indeed!, 25 Apr 2003
...long long ago, an out-of-town visitor to New York was admiring the elegant vessels harboured off the Financial District; "Those are the bankers' and brokers' yachts!" exclaimed the guide. "But where are the customers' yachts?" questioned the naïve visitor in response...

Where are the Customers' Yachts indeed, questioned Fred Schwed Jr, deciding to take a good hard look at the Wall Street and its activities and occupations to try and find an answer. Schwed is well placed to make observations of this industry, as he has been well placed for many years behind a trading table witnessing the exchanges over the wires of quotations, bids, and calls. And along with them, the fibs, bluffs, nonsense and downright lies - the latter two seeming to be a large part of what is traded in the Street, and the market in general.

Schwed offers an overview and appraisal of the different players and product that dominate Wall Street and the Financial Industry at large. This book was written over sixty years ago, and was reprinted fifteen years later. The author noted that little had changed in that period - indeed little has changed in the following forty-five years making this humorous and tongue-in-cheek analysis appropriate in today's digitally charged financial markets, as it was in the days of runners and tram cars.

Schwed offers some colourful judgement of various characters, a flavour of which I have outlined:

Brokerage houses amongst other services, offer market commentary. Commentary that befits Joycean scholars and theologians, much more so than the average man on the street turning to a brokerage house for guidance: "but after a one-day decline, volume dwindled, and the market presently appears to be engaged in a somewhat hazy consolidation movement, searching for dynamic forces..." (sic). The average man on the street might never benefit from this prose (nor might he understand it!).

Customers are loosely defined as anyone willing to part with money. Good customers are ones willing to part with lots of money, and these often have to be acquired through marriages or by being born into wealthy families. Customers however once acquired, can be a harsh bunch, and often carry old grudges. Many a customer will hold brokers responsible for the crash of 1929 (and all subsequent crashes no doubt!) - believing beyond persuasion that the brokers pocketed their customers' loses for themselves.

In conclusion the merits of the financial industry, its mechanisms, and capitalism itself, are called into question, but the recommendation is to leave well enough alone. The financial markets have applied economic law satisfactorily to itself and found its point of market equilibrium where buyers and sellers have found complementary markets, and of course brokers have found their calling. The advice to the general public is that if they are looking for a comprehensive investment programme that will protect them from inflation and deflation alike, and could contribute to long-term financial security, they should fear not, and take a visit to Wall Street - or better still to the offices of the author - where they will be directed to the appropriate department, called something other than what it really is... the Crystal-Gazing Department.

If you want to get into the financial markets, or just understand how they work without being blinded with boredom, this book is a good and enjoyable read!

Wally's World, 26 Aug 2006
Although this volume (number 27 in the series) is a rehash of old cartoon strips, it has been cleverly done, focussing on our little friend Wally, in all his lazy, work-avoiding glory! Not much of the really early Dilbert strips here (you can tell by the drawing style). Notwithstanding the fact it is a re-run of old material, it works extremely well, focussing on the one character - you definitely develop a love for the little man in spectacles as you work through the book! Overall, very good, and highly recommended.

Fun but a lot of old material here, 22 Aug 2006
Good to see a collection of Dilbert strips where Wally is featured in every one. However, I should have realised when ordering it - Duh - that this would include a large number of older strips, many or even most of which I'd seen before. I'd recommend it if you only have a small Dilbert collection, but if, like me, you already have a shelf full then you'll probably find little new stuff to entertain here.

A disappointment, 25 Sep 2008
I read in the news about the recent Bookseller magazine's Oddest Book Title prize and its entries and found them hilarious, but failed to get the list of past nominations and winners on their website, in spite of it being the 30 years anniversary of the prize (getting pages for recent nominations only and sometimes being redirected to nothing actually relevant). But there was a reference to this book, so I thought: "OK, if you want to see the prize historical entries you have to pay for it." I didn't mind, so I got it.
It's a tiny little book. There are JUST 50 ENTRIES, with no proper rhyme or reason why they were selected. Some are actually not that funny and some of the funniest ARE MISSING. There is no information on when a particular entry was nominated, whether it won or was a runner-up. The entry's description is just a few words (often just TWO WORDS) in a single sentence, even though on the website I saw nominations accompanied by proper summaries, which are usually found on the back of any book.
This total lack of information on the entries is compensated by a long and tedious foreword by the Deputy Editor of the Bookseller with some questionable statements ("What makes a book title truly odd? ... Scientists have toiled for years researching that question."), which again fails to mention why only a fraction of the titles was selected.
The book is printed in China. Clearly, whether the paper comes from sustainably sourced wood or through destruction of forests in Russia or Indonesia is not an issue for the Bookseller.
On the only positive side: colour book cover reproductions are nice, but can't compensate for the lack of information (just the title, author, publisher and single sentence "summary" on the opposite page with huge blank spaces as there is so little of it).
I had a few laughs, but generally: thumbs down.

Working definition of schadenfreude, 21 Sep 2008
I pity poor old "Leveraged Sellout", which would be the most wounding thing one could do to him ("one" being a person not blessed enough to work in front office advisory M&A at a bulge bracket investment bank), but only for his timing. After the events of September 2008 it's going to be a while before anyone preens about working in a Bulge Bracket investment bank on Wall Street. At this point (still in September 2008) there are only two left, one (Morgan Stanley) looking likely to go the way of all flesh in coming days (horror of all horrors courtesy of *Wachovia*!), and the last man standing, Messrs. Goldman, Sachs & Co, facing a very uncertain road ahead as an independent investment bank no matter how excellent its risk management, deal execution and intellectual capital may be.

So I pity the anonymous "Leveraged Sellout" simply because, as a result of his timing, this excellent and brutally funny little book will either disappear into the same gaping void that claimed Bear Stears, Merrill Lynch, AIG and Lehman Brothers or, worse, be held up by moronic lefties as a poster child for everything that was wrong with Wall Street.

It is no such thing. It's actually a riot - imagine a young Hunter Thompson or Tom Wolfe writing with verve about modern day Wall Street but not as an outsider or an ingenue, but fully steeped in the technical and cultural world of a 24 year-old master of the universe.

I have no doubt that whoever wrote this was a genuine insider - the observations and devastatingly funny sending up of the minutiae (such as the distinction between IBD and FICC and importance of never using your mouse when manipulating a spreadsheet) would never be apparent to an outsider who hadn't done a significant stretch. I spent 7 years at a bulge bracket bank myself (as a lowly inhouse lawyer, resolutely in unglamorous back office), and but for the inevitable comic hyperbole, Damn It Feels Good To Be A Banker rings very true. I loved every moment.

So it's kind of a historical document, even though it is pure satire. It captures the zeitgeist, circa August 2008, and if you've had any interaction with the IB fraternity in their prime - that is, before the Sub-Prime got them, you'll find this hysterically funny.

Olly Buxton

Brilliant, 26 Jul 2008
Scott Adams is a genius as is his Dilbert creation. This collection is as fresh and to the point as the previous ones.
Anyone who works in an office will recognise so many characters and will have seen the cartoons pinned upon the walls gently pointing out the flaws in the latest stupidity from management.
If you know and love Dilbert, you will obviously love this too. If you don't work in an office it is possible you may not 'get' some of the humour so it is worth checking out first, but make no mistake - Scot Adams is a deserved hero to the abused office worker!

Adams Hitting New Rich Vein of Form!, 16 Jun 2008
This latest (31st) collection of Dilbert cartoons contains all the syndicated cartoon strips (including the longer Sunday strip) from March 2007 - early January 2008. As a bonus, they are now ALL in colour, not just the Sunday ones. I have really enjoyed this collection - Adams has hit a new bit of sharp form in this latest collection. Wally, PHB, Alice....they are all here. An excellent, humourous read. Highly recommended.

Hilarious and revealing, 17 Apr 2007
I've been interested in Britain for a very long time. I've read lots of books on the culture, but this is the best one by far.

Every Brit who has an American friend or vice versa, should read this book to help you understand why the other seems like an alien at times.



Hilarious, very perceptive, 13 Mar 2003
Having lived for 2 years in New York and 7 years in London, I loved this book and felt it really rang true. It highlights some core values and differences in perceptions between US and UK culture that endure, despite speaking (almost) the same language and sharing many sitcoms and retail chains. It's a very quick read, and very funny - it had me giggling out loud on several tube journeys, as well as giggles from the strangers around me reading over my shoulder! There were occasional points which seemed overly stereotypical or slightly out of date, but this didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book. Highly recommended

Better than Bill Bryson, 11 Feb 2003
I am "British" (born in UK, grew up in SA) and my wife is American. We've lived in the US, Netherlands, France and the UK for last 3 years. This book is the best explanation I've ever read to help me understand my mother (British through and through), my new neighbours and my in-laws. On a recent visit by my in-laws I read the part on the US view of death (your fault if you die, you haven't eaten well enough/exercised enough/etc.) expecting "yes, but ... " commments. All I got was "damned right! Of course it is." And at the same time you get a really good chuckle.

I read it originally in NL. Reread it again since living in the UK and a whole slew of new observations about Brits suddenly made sense!

If you like Bill Bryson, you'll love Brit-Think Ameri-Think.

A must before crossing the Atlantic!, 12 Mar 2000
An essential, light-hearted look at the differences between our apparently similar cultures. With wit and fact it unravels the not so subtle differences and leaves it up to the reader to decide who is the weirdest!

A must for the plane - what ever direction you are crossing the Atlantic.

yes we are like this and they are like that, 12 Aug 1999
This book gets British and US Culture down to a tee. My wife and I lived in Russia for 4 years with a group of Yanks and Brits. Everyone agreed this book positioned us correctly, have bought several copies for Brits and americans crossing the pond.

Should replace the induction manual, 13 Oct 2007
As a practical guide to how modern business works, this is pretty much essential. Yes, it's funny (so funny that in places I hurt with laughter) but it's deadly serious too.

As well as reading some of the wittiest cartoon strips ever, you'll absorb some deep wisdom and get plenty of practical ideas for making the corporate life more bearable.

You must buy this is you work in an office (or ever have done), 06 Feb 2007
I read this book in 2001, and every so often even now in 2007 I burst out laughing as I remember one of his comments. If you have ever worked in an office, particularly for a large company, you will find this hilarious. The other thing about it is that although it is supposedly a joke, there is a lot of truth in it, and it can actually help your career!

Good, but "The Dilbert Future" is better., 30 Nov 2006
This book is quite simply a comic way of looking at management stupidity.
I think the phrase "it's funny because it's true" might as well have been invented for this book. Scott Adams you prompt you with pearls of common sense so you can see just how silly middle management can be.
Although this is often regarded as the definitive Dilbert book, I found it slightly less fun to read than the Dilbert Future. That book took a more global view of stupidity, rather than concentrating solely on the workplace.

So real it is scary, 07 Jul 2005
This book is so real that it is scary. You can tell that Scott Adams has spent time. His description of cube life is still relevant today.

I have been trying to justify the Peter Principle and could not make it fit but after reading this book all things became clear. It is impossible to keep a straight face in meetings with out seeing the different types of personalities doing their thing. I can even anticipate what they are going to say and the reactions.

Usually as most books and movies you recognize everyone but yourself. The most obnoxious person will laugh at his stereotype or just not get the point when it comes to movies and books. However this book is scary in the fact that I could see myself when Scott was describing engineers. And it took a little while to realize what he was talking about the ringing device that knows when to break your concentration.

I am going to leave a copy on QA's desk.

MY next must read is "Dogbert's Top Secret Management Handbook"

So good they should ban it, 30 Nov 2004
Books like this really shouldn't be allowed. They impart dangerous information to receptive minds and reveal things about management that a whole industry has been labouring for years to keep hidden.

The chapter on writing your own appraisal, for example, is very, very dangerous. I have never allowed any of my staff to see it, although I did make use of it when preparing my own appraisal for my boss's signature.

Simple tricks like the 'big picture manouvre' are just too good and useful to be dished out in paperback format.

Scott Adams takes 'the Peter Principle' into an entirely new space. Instead of writing about managers who have been promoted to their level of incompetence, he takes on whole corporate cultures which have grown to their level of incompetence. Everybody who has ever recommended 'concentrating our assets across the board' or, indeed, 'zooming in on the big picture', ought to read this book. Everybody who has ever considered punishing staff for having poor morale should read it. And every pointy haired manager who believes that anything he doesn't understand can't be very difficult should read it.

But workers? They should not be allowed to read it. It should be removed from their bookshelves and libraries. People buying this book online should have to prove that they are management grades before they complete their purchases.

Books like this are just too dangerous.

Investing Superbly Revealed!, 17 Mar 2006
This book gave me a marvelous look into the stock market from an insider's viewpoint. Through humor and cartoon drawings it makes one laugh wryly so that one can better understand why only a few reap the huge benefits of stock market investing. For all those who worry about investing in high-tech firms these days, I also recommend the insightful book, "Management By Vice". In short episodes with sharp, satiric humor and some fab cartoon drawings, it points out the "behind-the-scenes" reality in high-tech firms, deftly revealing how R&D staff struggle to produce new profit-making products, who in a company ends up with the "yachts" and why...or rather, who gets the "Doughnut Deal"! Armed with such unique, truthful books, an investor becomes more market savvy and definitely forewarned!

An Investment Classic All Stock Investors Should Read!, 30 Jul 2004
This book clearly deserves more than five stars for exposing the folly of Wall Street in the most humorous possible terms.

This book's fame far exceeds the number of people who have read it. Almost every experienced stock investor will cite examples from the book, without even knowing their source.

The title refers to an ancient story (which