The Peter Prescription: How to Make Things Go Right [Paperback]

Laurence J. Peter (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Bantam Books (March 1984)
• ISBN-10: 0553242814
• ISBN-13: 978-0553242812
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,472,256 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Humorous psychological management, November 26, 2004

By	Neal J. Pollock (VA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Peter Prescription: How to Make Things Go Right (Paperback)

This book is a sequel to the "Peter Principle" and could be viewed as a book on management, applied psychology, or quotations. I gave it extra credit for breadth. It has some lovely quotes in addition to Dr. Peter's arguments. While I think he's noticed some things others have not, I think his argument is still linear. For example, a supervisor requires a different skill set. Thus the best worker does not necessarily make a decent supervisor and vice versa. He even alludes to this in the book:
History shows that most men who become great leaders had been incompetent followers. p. 106

However, this book is a fun read and has lots of fine quotes. Some are quite well known:
There is always an easy solution to every human problem-neat, plausible, and wrong. H. L. Mencken, p. 13; and
My way of joking is to tell the truth. It's the funniest joke in the world. George Bernard Shaw, p. 8

Some are humorous as well as wise:
Sattinger's Law: It works better if you plug it in. p. 115; and
The real purpose of books is to trap the mind into doing its own thinking. C. Morley, p. 13

Some address management and progress:
It is more important to do the right thing than to do things right. Peter Drucker, p. 155; and
What we call progress is the exchange of one nuisance for another nuisance. (Havelock Ellis, p. 11
And
I will go anywhere provided it is forward. D. Livingstone, p. 14

Some are psychological:
The obscure we see eventually, the completely apparent takes longer. (Edward R. Murrow, p. 167
And
To err is human, but when the eraser wears out ahead of the pencil, you're overdoing it. J. Jenkins, p. 9