Dilbert and the Way of the Weasel (Hardcover)

The beginning deals with the usual Dilbert fare - being a weasel, i.e. financially, emotionally and chronologically shortchanging your boss, co-workers and family members. Far too much space seems to be devoted to this material. A lot of his points are obvious, rehashes of things he's said too many times before, and it's not that funny. Near the end, though, Adams is like a drunk losing his inhibitions; his stories become more personal and his humor more robust, and some of the passages near the end still have the power to make you keel over with laughter. The story of the beginning of his career is particularly hilarious. The price is a bit high for a book which is only half-good, it still seems to me; read this one in the bookstore, on one or the comfy chairs they provide for you.

The book is divided into 27 chapters, the longest of which are the first few. Some of the main chapters include Avoiding Work the Weasel Way, Getting Your Way at Work, and Manager Weasels. Many of the later chapters are short, miscellaneous observations on everything from airline service to televangelists to anti-itch creams that don't work. It seems sometimes as though Adams steers his subject in ways that help him include certain comic strips.

Although many of Adams' ideas are tongue-in-cheek and over-the-top, lots of his witty comments hit very close to home, especially if you work in the business field. My favorite topics include weaselmath (pg. 48), meetings ("the person who is the least competent usually does the most talking," pg. 80), being creative with price quotes, and, because I work in retail, retail weasels ("There are two types of retail weasels: unscrupulous (i.e. paid on commission); lazy (i.e. paid by the hour)," pg. 204-so true). I also enjoyed the chapter Weasels are from Venus ("There are two types of women: the ones who are currently in discomfort, and the ones who are actively seeking it," pg. 248). Plus, emails from people who either are weasels or who work with weasels are included throughout the book. The book, while funny and witty, does drag on. After page 200, one is sure to get the point. The last chapters are disorganized and seem to be "filler" material. Adams' arrogant tone is also annoying at times. Still, it is a fun book for fans of the comic strip or those who like light humor on a variety of topics, particularly business.