Rome Inc [Paperback]

Stanley Bing (Author)

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Product Details

Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: WW Norton; 1 edition (Jan 30 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0393329453
ISBN-13: 978-0393329452
Product Dimensions: 20.3 x 13.7 x 1.4 cm
Shipping Weight: 181 g
Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #477,843 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Fortune columnist Bing (Sun-Tzu Was a Sissy) condenses the 1,200-year history of Rome into a slim, wildly entertaining satire for businessmen, particularly those who happen to be fans of HBO's Rome. Irreverent without ever slipping into Dave Barry–style logical anarchy, the volume renders epic history in corporate-speak, providing enough substance and insight along the way to keep readers' attention. As Bing notes, much of Roman history consists of "wars, wars and more wars," and he skips over big chunks of it. "I give up," he shrugs, focusing instead on the decisions and personalities of the colorful leaders, from Romulus to Caligula. Most interesting are the author's discourses on why Rome's "corporate strategy" worked so well for so long ("corporations willing to kill people do better than those which are not") and why its "corporate culture" was sufficiently strong to rally its citizens/soldiers/employees for an endless series of battles. And while wryly acknowledging that the Romans' use of "murder as a business tool" may be excessive in today's environment, Bing endorses many of their strategies as sound: "In any corporate transformation, a good housecleaning is absolutely called for." Word to the wise: if the guy in the next cubicle is reading Rome, Inc., watch your back—especially if it's the Ides of March. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"It has taken 2,000 years for a writer to put the Roman world into such zany perspective. Inevitably, the man who's done it in Rome, Inc. works in New York City, Ancient Rome's nearest modern equivalent." Tony Barber, Financial Times"

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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com ^(beta)

Amazon.com: 4.1 out of 5 stars (10 customer reviews)

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Smart and Hilarious (was that the name of a Roman emperor?)--like a historical "Daily Show", Mar 27 2006

By Jake Loves Books - Published on Amazon.com

This review is from: Rome Inc (Hardcover)

This book is a laugh-out-loud funny take on the rise and fall of the Roman empire--or as Bing has it, the world's first multinational corporation. Sure, pundits and historians compare Rome and the United States all the time. But Bing makes it work, because his angle is a fresh one. Organizations, hierarchies, crazed leadership practices--these don't change much over time, and Rome, it turns out, really is a perfect template for the ravenous corporations and pyschopathic CEOs of our era. Bing does all of this with such a perfect voice and a lightness of touch that you don't realize you're actually learning a great deal along the way.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Very witty analysis of the Roman Empire, May 7 2006

By JYK - Published on Amazon.com

This review is from: Rome Inc (Hardcover)

Like another reviewer, I usually do not find Stanley Bing's writing interesting. I find his writing more of inside jokes and tending toward rambling proses.

Having said that, I really enjoyed his latest endeavor, this time about the Roman Empire. Instead of the usual historical perspective, he draws analogy from the empire's rise and fall to today's businesses, casting new light on the history. A funny and insightful book.

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Der Bingle Strikes Again, Mar 27 2006

By M. Valdemar - Published on Amazon.com

This review is from: Rome Inc (Hardcover)

I have been reading this guy's stuff since the old Esquire column which was frequently tear-inducing. With ROME, INC. Herr Bing delivers the goods once again, with a clever, hilarious and (gasp!) instructive walk through Roman history, crisply analogized with the crushing corporate culture of modern-day America. The quintessential bi-coastal airplane book: take with two fingers of glenfidditch over ice for maximum absorption.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 10 reviews 4.1 out of 5 stars