Its a Job Not a Jail: How to Break Your Shackles When You Cant Afford to Quit [Paperback]

Robert M. Hochheiser (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 24, 1998

More and more, in cubicles across the nation, loyalty and hard work seem to be a waste of time, and many people stay at jobs they hate only because they see no other option. Now, from the authors of "How to Work for a Jerk", comes a collection of timely and time-proven techniques for surviving in an office from hell without losing your cool, your sanity, or your job National print ads & publicity. 25-city radio satellite tour. .

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Hochheiser (How To Work for a Jerk, Vintage, 1987) offers readers the benefit of his hindsight in this guide to workplace strategy. A veteran of the perils of dictatorial bosses, unhelpful co-workers, firings, and other debilitating work situations, Hochheiser has reassessed the meaning of the workplace and proposed a simple formula for success: Forget the idea that hard work alone leads to success and instead focus on building good relationships. The author asserts that the best way to win at work is to understand what is needed to support the egos of bosses, peers, and subordinates. Accurate assessment of those needs can then be indirectly associated with one's own personal goals and exploited to make substantive workplace gains. Methods of determining needs are given for a variety of situations, and strategies are offered to help make some of the worst work situations at least marginally better through networking and personal development. Raw, straightforward, and entertaining, this fast-paced self-help guide is for anyone disappointed with his or her job. Recommended for public libraries and career resource centers.?Robert L. Balliot Jr., East Greenwich Free Lib., R.I.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Hochheiser explains why understanding people can be the key to success on the job. He offers six elements of job satisfaction: meet your needs while meeting the needs of others, stay focused, learn from your mistakes, take charge of your career, cultivate alternative sources of satisfaction, and never sacrifice or jeopardize your integrity. He believes that self-interest rules every job and every boss, even the good ones. In putting themselves first, bosses are responding to their survival instincts. He provides action plans for making personal changes in stressful and uncertain job situations, which include cutting personal expenses and exploring other professions, but cautions against moaning and groaning, which is almost instinctive. Such response is self-defeating. Concluding with the chapter "Don't Let the Bastards Grind You Down," Hochheiser offers colorful advice on how to handle conflicts with peers and bosses. Almost everyone who is employed will find familiar scenarios presented in this book, along with explanations and solutions that may or may not be convincing. Mary Whaley

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone; Original edition (February 24, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684804581
• ISBN-13: 978-0684804583
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,045,218 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I wish I had read this 10 years ago, May 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Its a Job Not a Jail: How to Break Your Shackles When You Cant Afford to Quit (Paperback)

A valuable lesson in the workplace dynamic. If you ever observed a co-worker and realized it's not what you do but how you do it - this book is for you. The author instructs you how to learn and become that bullet proof co-worker while keeping your self respect.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Read this if you're feeling trapped, August 16, 2008

By 

Big Dan (Los Alamitos, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Its a Job Not a Jail: How to Break Your Shackles When You Cant Afford to Quit (Paperback)

I read this book after a few months on my new job, working for a guy who was obviously promoted a few levels too hign. The best thing I came away with after reading this book was a sense of the bigger picture -- you are not this job, you have (or you should have) a life outside. They buy your time but not your being. There are a lot of tips on playing better office politics, which might come across as smarmy. But that's the game that's played by the people who will make your work life miserable, so you might as well learn the rules and a few tactics. I still work for the knucklehead, and he hasn't gotten any smarter, but until (and unless) a better opportunity comes my way, I have to deal with it. This book helps with that.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Its a Job , not a jail., April 6, 2003

By 

Bill Kaminski (Bloomington, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Its a Job Not a Jail: How to Break Your Shackles When You Cant Afford to Quit (Paperback)

This book offers a refreshing view of dealing with a workplace bully. You are not alone. This book provides valuable tips on how to make it until you are able to leave. Going to work should not be considered the same thing as spending the weekend in jail. Help is here. Check this book out.