The Cubicle Survival Guide: Keeping Your Cool in the Least Hospitable Environment on Earth (Paperback)

~ James F. Thompson (Author)
Key Phrases: cubicle community, cubicle inhabitants, cubicle communities, The Cubicle Survival Guide, Cubers International, Betty Markey (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Veteran cubicle laborer Thompson has gotten into every nook and cranny of his subject, the ubiquitous workplace environment known, unofficially, as the "cubicle farm," in this humorous but uneven workplace guide. Chapters cover basics like handling the phone (including how to surreptitiously screen calls) and inter-office communication (never whisper), as well as advanced topics like "Anti-Spy Methods" (equipping one's computer monitor with rear-view mirrors) and maintaining proper posture and blood circulation (through exercises like the "Red-Carpet Chest Thrust" and the "Booger Flick"). Though there are sound tips here, funny stuff dominates-Thompson includes a handy "Stink Pyramid" to measure the relative offensiveness of lunchtime smells like fast food, microwave meals and fish. In other places, advice reads more like filler: when confronted with a coworker's family photos, Thompson suggests that readers "...be sincere, but cautiously so. ... most of us are indeed ugly, warped and possess faces that age like fallen apples on a driveway." True enough, but mere common sense will probably preclude the idea to insult coworkers' loved ones. More an excuse for frivolity and catharsis than a practical resource, this hit-and-miss guide will give cube dwellers plenty to chuckle over in the break room.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Description

Help. . . . Cubicle Life Is Killing Me!

Leaving no stone unturned, no ergonomic chair unadjusted, and no leftovers in the communal fridge uneaten, this hilarious guide to cubicle life will be the salvation for the more than forty million Americans stuck in cubicles. By turns uproariously funny and enormously useful, each chapter tackles a different area of cubicle life and includes a “cube tip,” a quiz, illustrations, and examples that will have you laughing out loud. Discover

• how not to disturb colleagues with unwanted sounds and smells, such as the crunch-crunch of your sour-cream-and-onion chips and the unmistakable odor of your spicy Thai shrimp
• how to knock when visiting other cubicles and how to devise politically correct ways of saying “Do not disturb”
• the do’s and definite don’ts of cubicle decoration
• how to set up a security system that will rebuff potential thieves

The Cubicle Survival Guide could very well change your life and set you climbing the corporate ladder to success!*

* Results not guaranteed. Pay raises and promotions are up to your boss, but using this book
couldn’t hurt.

Praise for The Cubicle Survival Guide:

“A spiritual air conditioner for the cubicled soul.”
— Turk Regan, author of Pimp My Cubicle: Take Your Workspace from Boring to Bling!

"James Thompson’s The Cubicle Survival Guide offers the rare, and definitely appreciated, combination of laugh-out-loud humor and sound advice for surviving the jungle that is Corporate America. On some days, there’s nothing more motivating to fresh air-starved cube dwellers than a book that will simply crack them up. This is that book.”
— Alexandra Levit, Author, They Don’t Teach Corporate in College

"If you must work (and I don't recommend it), The Cubicle Survival Guide provides a wonderful way to slack off and stay entertained. You can easily kill two weeks with this book."
— Josh Aiello, Author, 60 People to Avoid at the Water Cooler

“Thompson provides a humorous yet thought-provoking look at what employees in today's large organizations must deal with besides their jobs.”
— Malcolm O. Munro, Author, From Cave to Cubicle

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Villard (February 27, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812976762
• ISBN-13: 978-0812976762
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #702,683 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars An amusing idea that couldn't sustain an entire book, June 21, 2007

By	E. Centric - See all my reviews

This book is like a good SNL skit idea turned into a bad movie. It makes long-winded, ironically intended observations about cubicle life that often left me yawning. If you have never worked before, it might be slightly useful to you. Otherwise, I'd say its practical advice is obvious. And its humor is luke-warm.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun book about an unfun place, March 30, 2007

By	TinyCube (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

What a fun read! I really enjoyed Thompson's take on life in an office. It's a hoot, but the humor couches some actual-factual advice that readers can truly use. If you've ever worked in an office, there will be more than one passage you wish your current or former co-workers would read and take to heart.

4.0 out of 5 stars good humor, April 24, 2007

By	Baskin I. Tapkan (Oakdale, MN) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Fun book to read, although I was lost towards the last chapters especially when locking things done in your cube, using "Caution - Yellow Police Tape". It would attrack more looks to your area, which counterpoints his claims. Anyway, if someone at your office is out to get you, they will get you. So be aware of your surroundings, and be a good corporate citizend. That is all. And yes, I definitely recommend a Rear View mirror. I have one from a co-worker which was his car's sideview mirror, and it does say "Objects in mirror are closer than they appear". Good book, Mr. Thompson!