Customer Reviews

Green Weenies and Due Diligence: Insider Business Jargon-Raw, Serious and Sometimes Funny

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For years, I've been seeing Gahan Wilson's warped drawings in science fiction magazines and the New Yorker. He's branching out. His trademark twisted sketches generously decorate this book. Possibly an inspired choice of illustrator by the author. It syncs with the irreverent tone of many of his explanations of business terms.

Put it this way. If you ken to the spirit of Dilbert, then you may well enjoy this book as a companion text. Dilbert concentrates on technical issues. Sturgeon broadens the scope to most any type of company. Chances are, you might already be familiar with most of the terms. But perhaps not with the spin given in the book.

Ron Sturgeon has accomplished far more than he set out to do in writing this creative, imaginative, and thoroughly entertaining book: not only has he unraveled the secret terminology of the powerful Inner America of Big Business, he has served it up in an astute and often hilarious parody of how the Big Guys talks.

Using a format that is incisive yet instructional, Sturgeon's GREEN WEENIES AND DUE DILIGENCE unearths the phrases and terms that make the corporate world sting and defines them then uses them in examples that not only are suitable but also poignant. From 'Alpha Dog' to 'Pencil Whip' to 'Nibbled by ducks' and 'Three finger booger' Sturgeon whips out the phrases like a pro. His lists are alphabetically arranged - a fact that allows the neophyte at the boardroom table to utilize this knowledgeable manual sub rosa while appearing to pay attention to the gobbledygook topside.

Though some of the terms (no, many of them!) are hilarious out of context, they can be vitriolic in context and most assuredly enhance the readers' view of how the corporate mind works. To add to the success of the book, Sturgeon has enlisted the brilliant artist Gahan Wilson to make the whole book visually exciting. This is a treasure map to the jargon of the tall steel palaces that mastermind the workings of us all. Welcome to it and Bravo to Sturgeon for an ingenious concept well done! Highly recommended. Grady Harp, June 05

No one wants to seem ignorant or take a chance on looking foolish - especially in front of men and women who have a hand in keeping your monthly paycheck coming in as well as advancing your career. The problem is that business has a language of its own, full of colloquialisms, acronyms, and expressions that were probably never even mentioned in business school. The new employee looking to get ahead needs to absorb as much information as possible - but without looking like a newbie. You can't just interrupt a business meeting to ask the speaker what in the world he meant by some odd phrase. Maybe, if you have a co-worker you feel comfortable talking to, you can find answers there. If not, where can you turn?

Those entering the business world no longer have to negotiate the lingo ropes the hard way, as Ron Sturgeon has taken it upon himself to compile a whole book's worth of business jargon that will demystify some of the strange expressions you are likely to hear as you begin your journey up the ladder to success. Green Weenies and Due Diligence defines over 1200 terms, any number of which you are likely to hear at some point in the corporate environment. The book is broken up into two main sections: Green Weenies contains the more humorous sayings, while Due Diligence features much more serious content. Many of the humorous expressions really are quite funny; I know I plan on including some of them in my personal repertoire so as to amuse (or mystify) family and friends.

Who knew that businessmen were so witty? They've really come up with some really good material that hits the mark surprisingly well. You'll be familiar with some of these terms already: e.g., herding cats, whistling past the graveyard, the light's on but nobody's home; others are just plain common sense when you hear them. Chances are, though, that a lot of these terms and expressions will be unfamiliar to you. Several are a little on the raw side, but Sturgeon points out that he's just reporting what he has heard in his own business dealings.

You may well recognize some of your co-workers and/or managers in the jargon related to employee types and operations. Among the other general topics addressed in the humorous section are strategic issues, sales and marketing, contracts and technology, and acquisitions and divestitures (a really ripe field for business jargon).

Obviously, the first section is a more entertaining read, but the Due Diligence section contains short and effective definitions of some pretty complicated, technical concepts related to important fields such as investments, accounting, taxation, banking, real estate, insurance, and business planning. Normally, this would be very dry material, but Sturgeon makes it interesting - as well as informative. Unlike your basic business dictionary, this section of the book won't put you to sleep - and I daresay you'll find much clearer definitions here than you will in any stuffy old business dictionary. Sturgeon's not your corporate suit-type; he's a self-made man who knows how to communicate on a level that even laymen can grasp.

Alongside the text itself, this book is also blessed with numerous illustrations by Gahan Wilson. These distinctive illustrations really add a great deal to the reading experience. The bottom line is that Green Weenies and Due Diligence is as entertaining as it is informative. Anyone in the business world, from the rookie just out of college to the CEO wanting to brush up on the slang of a younger generation of business leaders, can truly benefit from the knowledge compiled in these pages. It is important to note that the utility of this book also extends to those outside the business community, as well. A significant number of the humorous expressions make their way into all walks of life - in my opinion, this book has information anyone can benefit from.

Every human endeavor develops its own way of speaking. We call these specialized terms jargon, lingo, patois, idiom, argot, vernacular, or, boringly, its terminology. If we are outsiders to that field we call it gibberish, slang, babble, blather, nonsense, or twaddle. The point being that if you want to or have to function within a given field you have to find the meaning of these strange phrases and words.

Business is a very rich field for harvesting new words and phrases. It is such a large area of human activity that its practitioners and victims find especially apt ways of describing what it is that just happened to them. Ron Sturgeon has provided us a handy and entertaining way to get clear definitions and examples of how this lingo is used by those already in the know.

While you may know some or even many of the more than 1,200 terms included here, there are some very useful phrases you probably don't know. One of my favorite terms that I had never heard of before I read this book is "Seagull Management". Sturgeon credits this to Ken Blanchard and defines it as, "A style in which managers behave like seagulls: They swoop down, pick up a scrap of data, an error or something different, squawk loudly, crap all over the people in the vicinity and then fly off." Perfect! You may even wonder what a "green weenie" is. No, it isn't an enviro-nut. It is something in a deal or a project that is unexpected, but found like a hot dog found in fridge that has been stored unplugged in a garage over the summer. Nice visual, huh?

Another treat offered are the drawings by the wonderful Gahan Wilson. Yes, they have his humorously macabre style, but they also illustrate the definitions and add to your understanding of what they actually mean. I have found his illustrations and drawings a treat since I first saw them back in 1973.

Mr. Sturgeon has also provided a way for you to submit your own terms for future editions of this book. I look forward to those editions and enjoying the creativity of my fellows in the business salt mines.

One of the things that distinguishes most industries is some form of jargon used by the insiders. Here to rescue the newbie is a compendium of terms and definitions from the world of business. Besides general jargon that is common among most businesses like alpha dog and peanut gallery it includes terms specific to particular industries such as Investments, Accounting and Tax, Debt and Banking, Legal, Real Estate, Insurance, Contracts, Business Planning, Acquisitions, and Divestitures. This is fascinating reading with lots of terms I've heard before and even more that are entirely new to me. Done in an interesting style that leaves you unable to put the book down as you read entry after entry it is a fun and informative read. Green Weenies and Due Diligence is highly recommended for anyone in the business world who wants to understand the slang used in their industry.

This book is to inspire us poor business people who want to be catapulted to the inner circle of the rich business people. It's full of terms for the business person who can't spend 30 years learning them. Dan Hanlon, Chairman, CEO of Union Hill Ventures, gives a testimony: "A way to laugh and learn the nuances of the business world..."

But then you find:
"Dirt in the Oyster" -- A gem that is just waiting to grow and be discovered.
"Dog's Breakfast" --An outcome that is far from the desired result.
"Playing football without a helmet" -- Someone who takes too much risk.
"Leg your way into it" --Going in slowly and working your way through the obstacles.

Throughout the book nothing seems all that funny. Obviously the title is meant to grab your attention and that's all it grabs. With "all hands on deck" and "back in the saddle" the book might have saved itself with new twists on old clichés but it missed out on a chance to be clever

This book absolutely helped me to learn the terminology some of the corporate execs use on a daily basis. Most of my career had been in private business. Upon entering the corporate world, I needed a primer for a little assistance with some of the terminology. Add the humor factor and this is a definite winner.

There's some interesting material in this book, but let us define our terms: is it a book? There are two versions of this: the full version, at 336 pages, and a "gift" version, at 208 pages. I got the gift, but it wasn't. How would I know that there was more than one edition? How would you?
It has numerous pages missing, with filler pages saying that the full content can be bought from the publisher, and with the ominous words "Premium Gift Edition: Put Your Company Name Here" on the cover, and numerous panels throughout the text urging you to get the real thing.
We learn in the preface, and indeed, throughout the book, that the author has been an entrepreneurial genius, with thoughtful cross-references to his websites. Perhaps in his next edition he can include the term "oversell," but it might not need explanation.
I can see the virtue of a branded product (G-Rated) that can be handed out like logo'd mouse pads, engraved pens and the like, but I expected a book, not a marketing tool or a pre-book. It's a bit like buying a DVD of a favourite film, only to find key scenes cut out (with a slide saying Key Scene Cut Out- Get the 2-disc set now!), and also full of commercials.
I'm sure that the full version is really great, but I am so annoyed that I won't be buying it. Perhaps Amazon needs to flag this information on the site, but this might be difficult.
Perhaps the publisher should withdraw the gift edition from Amazon, and simply market it through other channels, starting with an insert in the full version.