Maybe someone was bored at work
920012
The last chapter of the book and the index are printed upside-down. It is the oddest thing.
2145947
It's almost as if the author got bored of the book herself, and abruptly decided to stop writing. Although, I can't say I blame her for that.
863653
Kind of a Snooze fest.  Lovely thought, but this poor man needed help, not a computerized voice.
4653560
King usually does a fairly decent job of writing. But in this case, he must have been tired. Lot and lots of pictures and very little text.
4418027
Thought it would be an insight into the near future of AI but it was just whining about his boss. Couldnt trudge through it. Like writing a story about your job. Yawn
1322268
We have all known the "employee from hell" in all of his or her guises: the complainer, the egomaniac, the troublemaker, the passive-aggressive type, the clever con artist, and many more.

In this plain-spoken book, management consultant Gini Graham Scott categorizes bad employees into some three dozen pigeonholes (like the "impossible intern," the "negative Nelly," and the out-and-out liar) and assigns each a brief chapter that opens with a succinct case study. In each setting, Scott asks the same question: Did the boss handle the situation well? Should she have fired the employee on the spot, put him on probation, called a staff meeting, had a one-on-one conversation with the troublesome employee, let the whole thing go, or done something else entirely?

Scott's advice springs largely from common sense. She acknowledges that there isn't just one way to handle a difficult worker. A good deal depends on the office atmosphere, the employee's and boss's personalities, and other intangibles. In discussing a saleswoman who gives so much attention to the first customer of the day that she neglects her duties to other customers, Scott suggests a variety of steps: giving the worker one more chance, explaining that she will be fired if she doesn't change, clarifying where she has gone wrong, asking another employee to monitor her behavior, and rewarding her with small bonuses if her performance improves.

Of course, some problematic behavior - drug use on the job, stealing from the employer, a pattern of lying -- can't be tolerated, and Scott urges that supervisors should fire people who do those things, even if the employee is a friend, or the friend of a friend. Still, there are a number of ways to dismiss someone, and Scott insists that even a fireable employee should be shown the door graciously.
3111658
Confirmed for me that when remote work doesn't pan out, it's not that it's not possible it's that the parties involved don't know how to communicate. That breakdown is happening when in the office, but it's gets dismissed as an issue because everyone is "at work".
3531234
Pretty interesting plot, I read it in about eight hours.

What was surprising/disappointing was that the author kept creating opportunities to take pot shots at smokers, as if that was part of his purpose for writing the book, or he just does it everytime he gets a chance. Using the general as a device for reinfocing his bias against smokers, making the bad guy the smoker, stubbing cigars out in park like settings or in dangerous situations like close to fueling jet airplanes. The author's hero a non-smoker, refusing offers of cigarettes in tense situations. Suggesting that the judge smokes because his office smells musty. Downgrading the cheap hotel, the chatter about the non-smoking rooms, the yellowed ceilings.  The author obviously has a grudge against people who choose to smoke. His desk probably has one of those little signs, "Thank you for not smoking."
1350254
This is a somewhat odd book. I'm not very familiar with field of self-improvement books, and had to read it as a part of a work assignment. I've read through about a third before giving up due to being very bored (thank goodness assignment was not really mandatory).
I suppose this is just one set of many recepies for people that are very unhappy with their life up to the point of being fully paralyzed and now knowing how to start changing things. While idea of "stakeholders" may seem new for some people, it's only logical to ask people that you are involved with about what exactly they expect from you, so you know what expectations you're supposed to live up to. And general advise is "try to change things and see where it leads you".
3155724
I didn't really get that interested in this book, felt the story really did not have any purpose. It seemed to be someone was killing just because the person annoyed them and you never found out who it was that was doing the killing. Found it too be a boring, slow moving story but the characters and their pets were likable.
3784356
Interesting to see where the American version came from.  Some of the exact same jokes are used. The odd thing about the possible lay-offs is that they bring in two temp workers.  Why would they do that? It makes no sense.  Perhaps that is the point.

Features a 'How I made the Office' doumentary which provides some insights and a little paper program to explain who everybody is which is helpful.

Also some deleted scenes that were mostly just unwatchable. Pointless.  I wondered if they were just made-up to appear like they were deleted.
793584
The author has seen and heard of people who have been treated badly at work or just feel unfulfilled in the work or careers they have chosen. I was expecting some solid advice and at least to be inspired by reading this book but it didn't provide either.
4946934
I  received this free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley.
. The plot centers around Mort Angel, who gives up a good paying job as an IRS agent because a) It is boring and b) he didn't like "grim silences at parties" when he said he was an IRS agent. The idea that someone would give up a job paying $60,000 a year because strangers disapproved is ludicrous.
So now Mort is working as a private eye, making $80 per day(about a third of previous job) and trying to find a serial killer. His first employer is murdered and he is now working for a woman private eye, a strong, determined woman and one of the best parts of the book.
I find Mort's character not very realistic. I give this book 2 stars out of 5.
3263044
Betsy, who is obviously new to the small town in Minnesota, owns a needlework shop and quickly finds a new boyfriend who just happens to be the most sensitive, intelligent, handsome man who ever lived.  She needs a new roof on her shop and hires a contractor, Foster Johns, to get it done.  Unknown to her, he is the town's outcast because most folks think he committed a double murder five years before.  He has heard that Betsy is good at proving innocence, so he tries to hire her to find out who really committed the murders to restore him to the town's good graces.  She refuses the money because she doesn't have a license, but she agrees to take on the case for free.  After much needlework and dining, she recalls a true crime story which sets her on the path of solving the crime.  Most of the book is dialogue with little narrative writing, except for brief descriptions of characters and places, which becomes a little tedious.  It seems that all the characters have the same voice (exception:  the gay clerk), as though the same narrator is speaking through all of them.  There are a few instances of profanity which I abhor. The book is actually 263 pages, and has a dozen or so blank pages and large print, so it really isn't so long.  It moves quickly and I was curious to learn the solution.  It was okay but didn't really entice me to read more from this author.  I avoid books that contain profanity.
2772748
I do not usually read a book like this. I found it at a church tag sale, and I thought it would be a nice change of pace to read a book that focused on an internal moral struggle.

This is a modern day version of the story of Job, with a twist. By the middle of the book, I was very interested in the plot, especially how the main character, Kent Anthony, planned a financial heist within the banking world. By the end, however, the plot takes some very unrealistic turns.

None of the females in the book hold any high professional positions. They are secretaries, receptionists, stewardesses, and bank tellers. Nothing wrong with those jobs, of course, but I wonder why the author limited them to these jobs. The character of Kent Anthony regards these women with contempt.

"Betty Smythe became just another office fixture again" (Page 148)

"Then again, judging by the amount of acrylic hanging off the end of her fingers, lifting them would be no easy task." (Page 149)

"He had always wondered if women who carried on with wide eyes about flowers really did find them as stimulating as they let on. He could see a cow slobbering over vegetation, but women were hardly cows. Well, most women weren't. Betty came pretty close, which probably explained why she had just rolled her eyes back as if she were dying and going to heaven over the red blossoms on this particular arrangement of vegetation." (Page 149)

"Maybe the bimbos in the lobby would believe him." (Page 197)

Of course, there are some "good" women: his wife, a character called Lacy, and, above all, Helen, his mother-in-law.

Helen has some glimpses into heaven that the average person does not have. (There is a lot of laughing going on up there apparently.) Helen, along with the religious message of this book, left me cold.

Helen has frequent discussions with a pastor. She lectures the pastor in the most condescending fashion.

"Okay, look, Mister. You're the man of God here! Your job is to lead me to him, not away from him. Now, forgive me if I'm wrong, but you're starting to sound as though you're not sure anymore." (p.
156)

Here's another exchange between Helen and the pastor:
"I shouldn't walk and pray with you?"
"Has God told you to walk and pray with me?"
"No."
"Then go be a pastor."

Part of Helen's message concerns the more frightening stories in the Bible, such as when God drowns people in the flood. Hey, if God was doing that stuff back then, He has not changed. We can't seem to handle that type of God in this day and age.

I am a Christian who has a hard time accepting a literal interpretation of the Bible. I will admit to that. I mean, should we return to the practice of stoning our neighbors again if we catch them in adultery?

Helen tries to tell her son-in-law what he should believe. Sorry, but people like Helen have done more to turn me off to religion than anything else. By page 358, I felt like Kent when he yelled at Helen: I swear, I'm sick of all your crazy heaven and God talk!
691634
The book came across as if the author has no concept whatsoever as to the workings of a high profile law firm and its employees. The protagonist came across as a fickle and helpless character who, in real life, would have been sacked for being so useless. The story itself was sufficiently light hearted and easy to read for me to skim read through it. I thought from the cover, the blurb, and the 5 star reviews that it would be a more thoughtful read.
2783982
Hard Disk is used and not new.  Even came with other people's files on.  On the other hand, some people might want to have fun going through other people's personal data.