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The Management Secrets of T. John Dick
In fact, the resemblance to Dilbert is confined to the setting (a dysfunctional company) and a general atmosphere of corporate absurdity that will be only too familiar to many of us. This is a novel which is closer in tone to British humor of the 1950s. For 268 pages we go inside the head of T. John Dick, a hopelessly incompetent but supremely self-confident marketing manager, transferred from Boston to a small company in the fictitious town of Falling Rock, North Carolina.
Dick immediately goes about licking the company into shape, with disastrous and frequently hilarious results.
The humor derives chiefly from the character of TJ himself and the stark contrast between his self-image and reality. In his mind, he is a dynamic leader in tune with the latest management techniques. He is fond of sharing with us some of his "greatest strengths," including his ability to see "the big picture." In reality, he is a bumbling nincompoop, obsessed with petty details like the tidiness of his employees' desks and his mind-numbingly complex Meeting Room Reservation Procedure, the constant flouting of which drives him to distraction. He is completely unaware of the source of amusement he provides for his colleagues, particularly his nemesis, the laconic VP of Finance, and Hans Kartoffel, the German acting President of the group.
TJ applies the same cutting edge management techniques to his marriage, with similar results. He is completely oblivious to his wife's frequent affairs. We would feel sorry for him, if he weren't such a jerk. In fact, we do occasionally find ourselves sympathizing with him, but we soon get over it.
TJ's unusual management style leads him into some unique (and very funny) situations. His arrangements for a celebration of two million accident-free work hours lead to a fire which burns down half the factory. He attempts to struggle through a violent attack of diarrhea during an important presentation. He accidentally locks the company's president in a restroom stall and endeavors to free him without being noticed. So accident-prone is he that we are hardly surprised when his golf pants catch fire. Of course, no matter what happens, TJ always has a perfectly rational explanation - and it's never his fault.
The character of TJ is an exaggerated but nonetheless very recognizable version of bosses we have known. I laughed, but I also squirmed at the thought that there is no shortage of TJs running around gumming up the gears of industry. The book will appeal to anyone, engineer, product manager, secretary or other corporate wage slave, who has ever had to deal with an incompetent boss or colleague.
The Management Secrets of T. John Dick concludes with a series of completely absurd topics for readers discussion groups. My favorite: "TJ's obsession with trivial details....might be described as a serious personality defect. Discuss some of your own personality defects. Bet you've got some real doozies! You might like to help your co-members by pointing out some of theirs."
The book's back cover reveals little about its author, Augustus Gump, so I turned to the publisher's web site www.mainlandpress.com. Gump has previously published a number of short stories and his humorous articles have appeared in the Charlotte Observer and other regional newspapers. This is his first novel. I will be looking out for his next one.
You (or your boss) can purchase The Management Secrets of T. John Dick from bn.com. Slashdot welcomes readers' book reviews -- to see your own review here, read the book review guidelines, then visit the submission page.
2000000/24 hours a day = 83333 days/365days a year = 228 years? I don't know of any companies that have been around that long. Unless, as a proper manager he counts each persons time separatly, so maybe they have 1000 employees and they've been accident free for 90 days. How bizarre.
However, the book does sound like it would be a fun read, so I might pick it up at some point.
Things you think are in the Constitution, but are not.
Why the lack of links to dilbert.com?
...check out "The Office" (I get it on BBC America)
little challenge at the end of the review to explain my own failings.
1. I usually don't bother to care what I seem like to others; Instead, I concentrate on my goals and not much else.
2. I should pay attention to detail with the rest of life too, not just the contents of my hard drives.
Conclusion: I'm gonna buy this one, because it seems to provoke thought as well as laughter.
C|N>K
His arrangements for a celebration of two million accident-free work hours lead to a fire which burns down half the factory. He attempts to struggle through a violent attack of diarrhea during an important presentation. He accidentally locks the company's president in a restroom stall and endeavors to free him without being noticed. So accident-prone is he that we are hardly surprised when his golf pants catch fire.
Sounds like the pointy-haired boss, portrayed by Rowan Atkinson.
author Augustus Gump
I see Forest's son is following in his footsteps
Just another day in Paradise
Then when the drawing of the boss changed from the taller, more jowly look to the shorter, fatter-but-thinner-face guy, that changed. After that the employees were 100% godlike and the bosses 100% clueless.
At that point I found it to be a lot less funny. Because let's face it: a lot of the stupidies of the workplace are caused by the worker bees themselves, not just the evil bosses. And when Dilbert lost the balance that recognized that fact it started to slide (a slide which got worse when Scott Adams was fired from his real technical job).
sPh
It might be relevant because a lot of the bitching and moaning seen on slashdot are basically managerial issues IMHO. That would include the political (DMCA) and financial (Lexmark, et al.) topics. Just for example.
The question it really raises is that of inflated levels of self esteem, or perhaps self worth. I prefer to think it is the later. In any case, it certainly illustrates the notion that an ability to initially present yourself as competent may be more important than in fact being competent. Unfortunately being able to fool people for a little while is often all that is needed to succeed.
Off topic, is there any official news on the Red Dwarf movie? Is a vapour or something that might happen?
"She's a scientist and a lesbian. She's not going to let it slide." Orphan Black
here's a shot of the cover
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/offeri ng/list/-/0970874693/all/ref=dp_bb_a/002-0957609-1 774466
Thank you for speaking for all nerds. You, epotimizing nerds everywhere, are the authority on nerd tates and can speak, without prior authorization, on behalf of nerds everywhere. Thank you, Mr. Nerd Chairperson.
Honk if you're horny.
Uh... business in general and management fubarary appeals to this nerd.
Speak for yourself Mr. Spokesman.
I needed a book to read, I now have one, and if I didn't want another book to read, well gosh darnit I think I would've skipped this article over!
And this book review is of interest to nerds WHY EXACTLY? The reviewer makes a comparison to the lead character of this novel and a supporting character in a technology-based cartoon and that's enough to get this accepted on slashdot? WTF? This book has nothing to do with technology or nerds or anything that nerds care about! This has about as much relevance on slashdot as Martha Stewart's latest "Cooking Simplistic Crap For the Masses" book.
Engineers deal with business too. Do you think that every geek/nerd sits in a cube all day, working on crap, and never has to manage? Please, don't feed me that.
This is probably just PR for the book. All the suspects are in NC.
Since many of us work for T. John Dick I would disagree.
Start your own website, "Slasherdot: Strictly News for Nerds. Stuff that matters to one particular Anonymous Coward."
- For the complete works of Shakespeare: cat
FYI, "Kartoffel" is German for potato.
And the men who hold high places must be the ones who start
To mold a new reality... closer to the heart
It has a LOT to do with nerds. Some day your parents will demand that you work for a living, and then you'll see.
This is almost exactly like the office, in tone, if not setting.
"The Office" is a UK series that's won loads of the biggest awards, and is, I guess, something yet to make it over to the US on masse.
When it does, I think it'll be the next "Fawlty Towers"....
and "anecdotes illustrating his theory that the business world is inhabited almost exclusively by knuckleheads."
For the "The most disastrous business decision you ever witnessed" I would have to say IBM's decision to license DOS from Microsoft. Either that, or the current deathwish that SCO has against IBM and the computing industry in general.
"The most ridiculous presentation you ever heard": Hasn't Mr. Gump seen, or even heard, of the conference where Balmer comes onstage, jumps around, and screams "DEVELOPERS!" repeatedly at the top of his lungs? I found that hilarious.
Those should definitely make it into the next book.
sounds just like it
Dick immediately goes about licking the company into shape, with disastrous and frequently hilarious results.
I can't believe the Slashdot editors would allow a sentance like this to slip by.
you are so a manager and you know it. really sad that dilbert picking on you bozos got you down. I guess it was all too real for you.
... you are in management?
Are you kidding me? Haven't you ever seen Throw Momma From the Train? That's what the parents of Slashdot regulars are like.
IBM didn't have a lot of choice .. they were being closely watched by the federal government; this was during or just after the anti-trust suit against IBM launched by LBJ on his last day in office. Strategically it was way safer to license rather than buy.
In hindsight, a decision with huge ramifications. At the time, a fairly minor detail in a fairly routine deal.
but I haven't yet seen this title in the non-fiction aisles. Strange.
Welcome to the Panopticon. Used to be a prison, now it's your home.
Must be that new fangled RIAA math...
Maybe that wouldn't sell because there are a lot more cubicle victims in the population than bosses.
Ever dream you could fly? Get up from the Flight Sim. I Fly
STORA's history
:)
There is this really funny story from about 10 years ago or so (I think), when this.... well, very american (the stereotype type) American was negotiating some contracts with them, and asked them a bit condescendingly if they could handle such an order, and were they sure the company wouldn't go belly up. They just told him when the company was founded, and how long that was before the US was founded.
Scheißekopf ist für Deutsch...
Wow, makes me feel lucky I'm not a nerd. Wait, how'd I get here? I was looking for this place.
I found the meaning of life the other day, but I had write-only access.
Definitely worth watching. You can find it on BBCA Channel 264. The DirectTV website has an online programming guide that will help you find your favorite shows.
"Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech."--Benjamin Franklin
Thank you for clarifying things. Yes I get called on to run things by default on occasion, in addition to my regular work. No, its not easy, but the "to-do" list done. And no, I don't necessarily agree with my superiors.
C|N>K
Two words:
Battle Royale by Koushun Takami
****--- A fortune cookie once told me the meaning of life...so I ate it. ---****
Wasn't he the character from Charlie and the Choclate Factory by Roald Dahl?
"The Dilbert Hole". Now *that's* a Dilbert parody!
Original site was shut down, but it's still findable out there...somewhere...
Hans Kartoffel - Hans is as common in German speaking countries as John, and is often translated as such. Kartoffel (plural Kartoffeln) is German for "potatoe".
I am MORDAC, The Preventer of Information Services!
...at least, everyone in my office thinks so...
Everyone will start to cheer when you put on your sailin' shoes.
Sounds like David from The Office (one of my favorite shows of all-time!). The most awful boss in the world, who thinks he's the greatest, everyone loves him and his 'artistic' soul. It's a show that makes you cringe while wanting more ;) I can't wait to read this book.
Just follow the day, and reach fo
The review interested me. I'm glad it appeared.
He is completely unaware of the source of amusement he provides for his colleagues, particularly his nemesis, the laconic VP of Finance, and Hans Kartoffel, the German acting President of the group.
TJ applies the same cutting edge management techniques to his marriage, with similar results. He is completely oblivious to his wife's frequent affairs.
Now the amazon review:
Although they are always seen through the filter of T. J.'s unique view of the universe of which he forms the center, other characters too are interesting and fun, especially Ronnie, T. J.'s laconic nemesis, Hans, the ebullient German acting President of the company, and Grace, T.J.'s less than devoted wife, who puts up a spirited and entirely successful resistance to all his attempts to apply his management techniques to his marriage.
Also, one reviewer on Jan 14 2002 titled his review "Dilbert in prose" which is more-or-less the summary provided by the reviewer
methinks something is fisshy...if you're going to re-hash you should at least site the source of inspiration...
If you browse at 0, you won't see the whole chain - just the latest post by whichever AC posted last. Therefore moderators browsing at 0 don't have to dig down through all the crap; they just see this one offtopic post at/near the end of the comments and mod it down. In fact, you can try it right now with this post if it hasn't been modded down yet.
If you changed his job to Leisure Center Manager, that could be a perfect description of Gordon Brittas from the Brittas Empire. It was a British comedy that ran a few years back.
-- Remember, we're not happy until you're not happy. -- Local FAA Inspector --
This book has nothing to do with technology or nerds or anything that nerds care about!
Exactly. Why would engineers care abou humor in the corporate atmosphere.
You should include a link to your resume, since you obviously aren't yet working in the field.
Im sure you got the memo, but we are now putting cover sheets on all of our TPS reports. So, from now on if you could just put a cover sheet on your TPS reports, that would be great.
"Heavens, it appears that my weewee has been stricken with rigor mortis!" -- Stewie Griffin
mind-numbingly complex Meeting Room Reservation Procedure
something tells me that Outlook© is somehow involved with this.
try { do() || do_not(); } catch (JediException err) { yoda(err); }
no diggity
Hmm... bumbling, pompous, convinced of their own greatness; sounds exactly like the classic of English humour Augustus Carp, Esq: by Himself (which is out of copyright in the US, and available for free download on Eric Eldred's site).
Your statements just describe things that suck, not things that are ironic. Please, base your definitions of words on actual reading, not music, because apparently musicians are just as illiterate as the rest of America. It's crappy when it rains on your wedding day
While I definitely agree with the above sentiments, it's worthwhile to note that Alanis Morissette is Canadian, eh?, not American.
Unless you were referring to North Americans in general...
I remember getting into a heated debate with friends in college after this song had been out for a while. I tried to explain what irony was, and why nothing in the song was ironic.
Damn those Canucks for corrupting the impressionable youth of the world!
what the heck is it with slashdot and people who
don't understand the definition of the word ironic,
then start to mock others who also don't know?
just stop. please?
It reminds me a bit on The Fall And Rise Of Reginald Perrin
Now theres the original dysfunctional show - check it out if you can.
For those who have never seen it, it's somewhere between Dilbert with a touch of BOFH and "The Office"
Holy shit! That would be another great idea in the series of Mr. Bean movies. I can't wait to go see the new secret agent movie (whatever it's called) - I loved the first movie he was in, and think that he would be perfect in this type of movie.
One must read it in the orignal Ferengi. What is lost in the translation is that the boss is always right. :)
putting the 'B' in LGBTQ+
Jolly good.
That leads me to this.
The basic problem is that we live in a superficial society were most of us are involved in trival, non-essential work, so self-inflated egos are not a problem, since the work is not important. If this was a cold war, or even a real war, things would be different.
You're not bitter, then?
He wrote a humorous wee screed here...
But Amazon does....
If youre concerned about psychopaths in management read this article and google for the author of Bully in Sight, Tim Field.
Of those to whom much is given, much is required.
It's called self-insurance and re-insurance. Re-insurance is when insurance companies have complicated contracts amongst each other to re-insure in case of unexpectedly large liabilities. It's pretty common because sometimes it's entire neighborhoods that burn, floods can be huge or other problems.
And sometimes it just happens that a very large number of your drivers simultaneously lose control and drive into school playgrounds at recess simultaneously. It's not very likely, so insurance is a bit cheap for it.
The rule of thumb is a 40% payout for every dollar taken in. Your risk exposure is assesed in terms of: it is X% likely that you are going to wreck your car, burn your house, have CD's stolen from your car, or whatever causing $Y in damage claims to be paid.
Let's say it's 1% likely that someone in your age + gender + car model group is going to total your car, resulting in an average claim of $10,000 paid. Your insurance company will say that, on the average, you, and all other customers like you, are going to cost them 1% x $10,000 or $1,000 this year. Assuming a 40% payout target, your premiums will add up to $1000/.4 or $2500 per year.
In this case, you're actually paying $2500 for what is really worth $1000 worth of coverage. Most people consider this a good deal, because you are actually using your insurance every time you drive. You are able to drive knowing that if some motorcyclist drops his bike on gravel in front of you (or you don't see him turning left in front of you) that you won't spend the remainder of your life supporting his wife and children. You also know that if somebody knocks you and your bike into next week, that your million dollars of medical bills will be covered, and if you don't survive, that guy's insurance company (or yours, if he doesn't have any insurance) is going to pay for all of it. This safety net sounds so good that in most places it's legally mandated.
If you're an insurance company, re-insurance works the same way. Your company (A) takes out a policy with other insurance companies (B,C,D, and E) that says "I am very unlikely to be required to pay claims in excess of X million dollars, but if I am, B, C, D and E will pay all my claims over X million dollars in return for this premium paid annually"
The trick is that B has similar policies with A, C, D and E. Likewise for C, D and E. and none of the companies really pay much in the way of re-insurance premiums, because you're all just trading checks for the premium payments until a rash of tornadoes hit (like tornadoes have been doing since air was invented). Then, of course, you call your congress people that you also took out re-insurance policies with, and remind them that Federal Aid is required to deal with the horrible losses, because if you have to pay out these huge claims, you might not have any left over for the next campaign donation.
One can only imagine what T. John Dick would do managing an insurance company. It would be a nice fantasy, but any insurance company stupid enough to leave Mr. Dick in charge would probably go bankrupt in a hurry.
********* sig: If you don't like the law, get filthy stinking rich, and buy a better one.
topic
--
I saw this story when it was originally posted and there were less then 5 comments. I went to Amazon.com and looked up the title. The sales rank for it was in the 400ks, like 450,000 +/- 10%.
An hour later, I checked and its sales rank had gone up to 800 something.
Tonight, I check and it is now the 40th most popular book being sold on Amazon.
Behold the power of slashdot!
(not to mention that not every slashdotter avoids amazon like they claim)
Then again, watching your President in action, we don't need any comedy of our own, so...
Overrated? It was scored 1, the default score, with no moderations yet either way.
Come on, people--if you're going to moderate, use it to express an opinion. "Overrated" is meaningless.
I found the meaning of life the other day, but I had write-only access.
Very interesting read.