Dilbert and the Way of the Weasel [Hardcover]

Scott Adams (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 22, 2002

In the Weasel Zone, where most people reside, everything is misleading but not exactly a lie. Building on his popular comic strip, the author looks into his work, home, and everyday life and exposes the way of the weasel for everyone to see.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Adams, creator of the Dilbert comic strip and author of The Dilbert Principle and other huge sellers, now shares his sentiments on the office colleague everyone loves to hate: the weasel. This crafty character is the co-worker who stabs colleagues in the back and manages to get ahead without lifting a finger. As one cartoon illustrates, the weasel is the guy who tells poor Dilbert, "I'm Bucky, the project manager. Your assignment is painfully difficult and probably unnecessary. If you need me, I'll be complaining about you to your boss." Being a weasel isn't all bad, though; Adams observes that weasels often have successful careers without ever doing much work. There are several ways to accomplish this, one being, "For every task you plan to do, it's a good idea to have sixty tasks that you've promised to do later if you ever find the time. This gives everyone the impression that you are valiantly battling an avalanche of work and fighting against long odds to make the company successful. Or they might think you're a worthless, inefficient weasel. Either way, the pay is exactly the same and it cuts down on your workload." In short chapters, Adams discusses a variety of weasel behaviors, including leaving incorrect phone numbers to confuse callers, mastering the art of whining, and communicating effectively (which is "to say as much as possible without saying anything"). Sprinkled with Dilbert cartoons throughout, the book will strike a chord among the countless cubicle-dwellers to whom the weasel is all too familiar. 50 cartoons.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Adams, creator of the popular comic strip Dilbert, continues the satirical look at office life that he began with The Dilbert Principle (1996). Being a weasel encompasses everything that we hate about our coworkers as well as all the sneaky, time-wasting activities that we ourselves engage in just to avoid doing actual work. Here's his take on getting ahead by sucking up to the boss: "The great thing about being a sycophant is there's no deception going on. You know you're a weasel, your boss knows you're a weasel, and your coworkers know you're a weasel. Yet the method still works like a charm." The book is filled with lots of to-the-point Dilbert strips with appearances from all the regular characters, and (supposed) actual e-mails from readers about the absurd things that go on in the workplace. This book is best left on your desk to read in snippets for comic relief from the inane culture of office life. For more Dilbert hilarity, and to correspond with Adams, visit Dilbert.com. David Siegfried
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: HarperBusiness; 1 edition (October 22, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060518057
• ISBN-13: 978-0060518059
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #525,422 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

What started as a doodle has turned Scott Adams into a superstar of the cartoon world. Dilbert debuted on the comics page in 1989 while Adams was in the tech department at Pacific Bell. Adams continued to work at Pacific Bell until he was voluntarily downsized in 1995. He has lived in the San Francisco Bay area since 1979.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Adams does it again!, October 22, 2002

By 

R. McAdams (CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dilbert and the Way of the Weasel (Hardcover)

All I can say is that if you enjoy the Dilbert comic strips, and the content matter of those strips -- then you will love Adams' books. What Adams could not do in his comic strip he *DOES* do in his books.

In his two previous books, The Dilbert Principle and The Dilbert Future -- Adams expounded on the ideas and examples of his comic strip into full blown discussions on the subjects. Such as his often quoted and highly public view point that, "all people are idiots."

He frequently relates stories from the workers on the front lines of the war between the smart witty peons of the world versus the dumb slow witted morons that are "managing" us all. Then to top it all off he includes relevant examples from his strip to illustrate his point whenever possible. So you get the best of both worlds -- entertaining insights, thoughts and essays on typical frustrating or absurd working situations, and equally entertaining but also very funny comics about those same situations.

Read it, you will like it.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You Should DEFINITELY Buy This Book Unless..., October 26, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Dilbert and the Way of the Weasel (Hardcover)

This is the best book I've read in a long while. I laughed out loud enough times to scare my fellow transit riders. I'd say if you're sprouting a few weasel whiskers of your own you will find this to be an uncomfortable read. Otherwise, you will thoroughly enjoy IDing people you know and feeling smug about it.

The book itself is well-written and hard to put down once you get started. Mr. Adams has written another best-seller.

I'd recommend buying this book for your family, friends and co-workers just to see how they liked it. Then you'll know who to trust in the future.

In my opinion, this is a MUST READ and a great gift for the holidays. No one needs to know you'll have an ulterior motive in giving it to them, and who knows, you might find out a few surprising things about yourself in the process.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Laughed So Hard I Cried: IT'S ALL TRUE!!!!, January 1, 2005

By 

G. H. Giroux "Eccentric Writer" (Phoenix, AZ United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dilbert and the Way of the Weasel: A Guide to Outwitting Your Boss, Your Coworkers, and the Other Pants-Wearing Ferrets in Your Life (Paperback)

I couldn't even get past the first 2 or 3 pages without sobbing in utter hilarity, not only because the writing and wit are exceptional, but the insight is DEAD ON. I've worked for a major financial services technologies division for 14+ years, and in data processing for nearly 30, and Mr. Adams' skewering of what goes on in any company is so on the mark it's uncanny - I SWEAR he has a webcam in my office building and is rehashing what goes on on a daily basis. The flip side of this is that he IS dead on, and it's a sad, sad commentary on the state of the business world as we know it in 2005. I began my career as an eager to learn & produce programmer, and progressed to frustration, disbelief, cynicism, apathy and, now, I guess in all honesty: weaselhood. Wish it weren't the case, but the odds are so stacked against being a responsible, committed, caring professional in this psychotically mismanaged world of ridiculous rules and obstacles - to say nothing of increased outsourcing (decisions made by executives who never have to worry about THEIR jobs being sent overseas...). It is to a point where you can't survive to retirement without weaseling. And what ==is== the point of holding on to shredded values of yesteryear that would result in a precarious suite of 'golden years' when nothing and no one around you cares or supports your sense of integrity and honor? Sad, but true.