Neanderthals at Work: How People and Politics Can Drive You Crazy...And What You Can Do About Them [Hardcover]

Albert J. Bernstein (Author), Sydney Craft Rozen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 17, 1992

Filled with psychological insights and practical advice, it examines the more subtle traps that make an office seem like a battlefield. Shows how to understand and accept that many of the crazy-making things which happen at work come from the misunderstandings between three warring personality types: rebels (corporate mavericks), believers (corporate innocents) and competitors (corporate warriors). Demonstrates the importance of cooperation and understanding.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

By the same authors of Dinosaur Brains ( LJ 4/1/89), this work uses the stories of several characters at a fictional company, Neander-Tek, to illustrate the personality types every company has--Rebels, Believers, and Competitors. The authors identify the characteristics of each type and the problems each has getting along with the other. The work is not about how to change who you are, but rather how to understand and work cooperatively with those who are different from you. The obvious humor does not get in the way of a clear insight into the nature of people and organizations. Anyone who works in an organization of even moderate size will have trouble putting this down. Recommended for all business collections.
- Michael D. Kathman, St. John's Univ. Lib., Collegeville, Minn.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

Bernstein and Rozen advance from their popular self-helper, Dinosaur Brains (1989), and the result is an avuncular, honest guide through the workplace. For some, corporate life is an involving challenge; for many others, it's a series of enervating insults. The authors have figured out why and, for those among the offended, what might be done to improve things. They divide all the gall producers into three models. There are the ``Rebels,'' cool and above the rules- -and never progressing. There are the ``Believers,'' highly motivated and devoted to all the rules--and never progressing. Then there are the ``Competitors,'' the warrior caste who can never be less than number one: ``It's against their religion,'' we are told. They are always progressing. (The authors never hint that there may be a fourth type. But, then, simple, incompetent Dorks don't want to be called that when they buy books, do they?) Each of the three archetypes is driven crazy by the others. And each is competent, of course, but just doesn't understand what makes the others go. With the accustomed paraphernalia of such manuals--pep talks, quizzes, and little morality plays--anxious readers will learn to identify themselves, those who work for them, and, most importantly, those who hold them in their power. Suggestions for coping are set forth. The repertory troupe of fictional characters (including one tyrant called ``Bronson'') may be onstage a bit too long, but they may also strike a familiar chord or two. Business myths are dismantled. The Bottom Line, no myth, is where it's at--where all the Competitors meet. And anyone can join them there. Just forget the need for praise and the fear of failure. Learn the unspoken rules and the corporate rituals. Here's the way the business world works, described in a superior self-helper that actually gets down to business. -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (March 17, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471527270
• ISBN-13: 978-0471527275
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,071,380 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I work with a bunch of Neanderthals!, November 28, 2007

By 

Wendy St Clair Pearson (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Neanderthals at Work (Paperback)

Well, so everyone thinks. I unearthed this book from my shelves - a rare one I'd had for years but not read -- one Saturday when looking for an excuse to sit in a hammock for a few hours. "Neanderthals at Work" - written in 1992. It turns out it has some great insights for anyone living the corporate grind. The basic premise is that there are three types of people in an office environment and the sooner you both figure this out and adjust your behavior to better get ahead, the better off you will be. Written by Albert Bernstein and Sydney Craft Rozen, Steven Covey gives it a two thumbs up. Every office has a mix of three types of people. Only one of them is really positioned to move up in the world but all of them are equally important to the ongoing health of an organization. Written for those who may be feeling frustrated by the "system" it allows you to self-diagnose your style and then gives some sound advise on how to adjust your behavior to better get what you want. The three types of people and their antics are as follows:

Competitors - the warriors of the office, to them business is a game. They battle to get noticed, accumulate power and move up the food chain. They excel at politics and are typically the ones running the show or poised to do so. They understand the rules of the game and know how to take advantage of office politics to get what they want. If you aren't a competitor, you may be completely blind to the fact that this sort of environment exists until now.

Believers - yes I'm sorry to say these hard-working saps never get ahead but work hard because they believe in the cause and think naively that their efforts will magically lead to their inevitable promotion. Sorry believers! The competitors need you to stay just where you are so they can continue to get the lion's share of the glory and keep you burning the midnight oil. If you suffer from burnout and can't figure out why you never get any respect... watch out, you could just be a believer!

Rebels - these mavericks hate "the system" and consider themselves above politicing and people problems. They hide their insecurities with bravado and disdain but what is it really buying them? Sure they are often the most creative of the bunch and when they have passion behind their purpose they will excel beyond belief.

A quick read, you'll come away with a greater understanding of the office politics, yourself and those around you. Beyond that, you'll gain some key clues on how to make the most of your strengths and how to better compete in any environment. Understanding the Competitors' "Ten Commandments Plus One" will allow you to let go of the need for praise from supervisors, learn to live by your own decisions and how to read the writing "not on the wall."

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Eye-Opener, at least for me, July 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Neanderthals at Work (Paperback)

I read this book a few years ago, and I guess I owe the author a positive review, because it opened my eyes to the source of my own frustrations at work. Like many pop management/psychology books, NaW divides people into three categories: Believers, Rebels, and Competitors. Each has different attitudes toward The Rules, both Written and Unwritten. The first two groups have approaches that are...maladaptive, and I was rather shocked to recognize myself as being squarely in one of them. If the model fits your situation, you will find the book extremely useful. If it does not, you may at least find it interesting.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Straight-forward speak for the politics of the office, September 11, 2007

By 

Stephanie Dunne "Steph" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Neanderthals at Work (Paperback)

I'm a Believer (with a good helping of Rebel). This book is amazing and enlightening. I've recommended it to several people already (even though I just finished reading it today). I'm about to buy several copies and give them to others I know who could benefit from this knowledge. Absolutely recommended for anyone who can't figure out why the other people in their office "just don't get it."