The Management Secrets of T. John Dick (Paperback)

by Augustus Gump (Author) "In my opinion, there can be few sterner tests of a Senior Executive's caliber than a lengthy meeting with the President of the company with..." (more)
Key Phrases: Herr Dick, John Dick, Mission Statement (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"...a sprightly, amusing novel about every manager who has blundered his way up a corporate ladder." -- Lawrence Toppman, Charlotte Observer

Any book that begins with a guarantee to teach readers nothing of value or give insight into anything is destined to be a classic. The Management Secrets of T. John Dick is no exception. ...The book is laugh out loud funny… Gump takes us deep inside T.J's head where the other characters are outlined through his eyes. These characters are well drawn, even though they are not always as T.J. sees them. They reveal their true selves in dialogue exchanges with T.J. and his character is deepened in how he interprets these remarks. --Hickory Daily Record

Destined to be a classic. The book is laugh-out-loud funny. -- Diana Abbot, Hickory Daily Record

Imagine if the pointy haired Boss from Dilbert wrote his own version of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and you have an idea of the type of facetious advice offered in The Management Secrets of T. John Dick... ...If you work in an office, pick up a copy of this book. You'll definitely laugh. And you may cry too, because T. John Dick is too close to the truth. --Greensboro News & Record

You’ll definitely laugh. And you may cry too, because T. John Dick is too close to the truth. -- Greensboro News & Record

Product Description
He's never wrong-- never makes a mistake. And don't bother him with petty details like what his company actually makes. He's a man of vision, preoccupied with the big picture. And he's a man of supreme confidence in his own abilities, invisible to all but himself. Transferred from corporate HQ in Boston to a newly acquired company in a sleepy North Carolina town, bumbling marketing executive T. John Dick wastes no time in applying his unique management style to his hapless colleagues. But it's not easy being the only true professional in a company full of incompetents. Why will nobody observe his elaborate new Meeting Room Reservation Procedure? Why does the company's biggest customer threaten to set his dogs on him if he ever comes near him again? And why does his arch-rival seem to be winning the race for the company's top job despite T.J.'s obviously superior qualifications? T.J.'s unique management style leads him into a series of hilarious and occasionally fatal mishaps. Who else could inadvertently dispatch the company chairman during a celebration of two million accident free work hours - or lock his successor in the bathroom for hours in a misguided attempt to impress him? Should he have had that plate of shrimps before an important presentation? Why is he discovered naked with a maintenance man during the company's annual sales meeting? And what is that smoke coming from his golf pants? The book culminates in a very eventful company sales meeting at a luxury resort, where TJ's single-minded pursuit of the company's top job result in his usual brand of mayhem. When he's not exasperating his colleagues, or applying his management techniques to his marriage, T. J. lets us in on some of his management secrets -- how to achieve the streamlined desk of an executive with vision, stress management through performance reviews and the important psychological impact of having doughnuts at your meetings. No wonder the book carries a guarantee that it will teach you nothing of any value!

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 268 pages
• Publisher: The Mainland Press (April 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0970874693
• ISBN-13: 978-0970874696
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,432,906 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dilbert in prose, January 14, 2002

By A Customer

This book is the prose equivalent of the cartoon strip Dilbert. All the characters are there - the clueless boss, the lazy and dishonest employee and the hardworking employee who never seems to get any support. We're only missing Dogbert. Anyone who has ever worked in Manufacturing will find many of the situations truly hilarious.

This was a very funny and witty book. I found myself laughing out loud at some of the situations when I read them, and laughing even harder hours later when I had a chance to digest them. I look forward to the next book from this author.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't hesitate - it is very funny!, April 24, 2002

By	Graeme Ingham (MA, United States) - See all my reviews

There are some parts of this book which are laugh-out-loud funny. The rest of it will have you rolling. It is definitely recommended for those with a sardonic sense of humour. I, for one, can recognize some of my fellow co-workers (past and present) in the character of T. John Dick. Worst of all, I think we share some traits.
I gave it as a gift to some of my colleagues and they all loved it.
Don't hesitate - you won't regret it.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very humorous book..., March 9, 2002

By A Customer

This book properly skewers the daily functions of a typical
corporate executive...several laughs in every page. Told through the inner thoughts of an overpaid, self-important Marketing Manager, it should be required reading for every executive in Corporate America.
If you like Mark Twain and Monty Python, you'll like this book! Truly deserving of much wider recognition!