Dilbert and the Way of the Weasel - Scott Adams

...probably be familiar with the Dilbert cartoons, a cynical yet true and humorous insight into office (or cubicle) life, starring the engineer with the turned-up tie. The cartoonist, Scott Adams, has written a range of successful spin-off books too, that expound much the same observational comedy through a largely text-based medium, with a sprinkling of cartoon strips.

Having enjoyed 'The Dilbert Principle' and 'The Dilbert Future', ...
...the introduction neatly summarises the Dilbert Principle "A retarded chimpanzee can drink a case of beer and still perform most management functions". Given those who work in offices, or just generally encounter many 'in-duh-viduals' regularly, will recognise the truth of much Adams says, the fields of social science and rational choice could be revolutionised by the recognition that all people are basically stupid, selfish and horny.
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Most people will probably be familiar with the Dilbert cartoons, a cynical yet true and humorous insight into office (or cubicle) life, starring the engineer with the turned-up tie. The cartoonist, Scott Adams, has written a range of successful spin-off books too, that expound much the same observational comedy through a largely text-based medium, with a sprinkling of cartoon strips.

Having enjoyed 'The Dilbert Principle' and 'The Dilbert Future', enough even to dip in and re-read bits, I was happy to add another to my collection when I saw 'The Way of the Weasel' for just £2.99 in The Works.

For those that haven't read the previous books, the introduction neatly summarises the Dilbert Principle "A retarded chimpanzee can drink a case of beer and still perform most management functions". Given those who work in offices, or just generally encounter many 'in-duh-viduals' regularly, will recognise the truth of much Adams says, the fields of social science and rational choice could be revolutionised by the recognition that all people are basically stupid, selfish and horny.

'The Way of the Weasel' refines this behavioural theory slightly: people are also weasels. "To err is human. To cover it up is weasel". Consequently, this book goes on to explain the devious mechanisms by which real people operate - such as the Tony Blair style weasel apology, which isn't actually an apology at all ('If I offended you, then I'm sorry you feel that way'), and the weasel lies (half-truths or omissions) that cause 'weasonable doubt' getting you off the hook.

Unfortunately this doesn't really seem to change much about the theory or observations, it merely means repeating much the same ground as previous books, only gratuitously inserting weasels. Thus the first half of this book deals with, for example, weasel managers, weasel salespeople, weasel marketing strategies and the likes.

That's not to say it isn't amusing - even at times laugh out loud funny - but it's nothing new. I suppose it sounds strange, given I've admitted to re-reading the earlier books anyway, you'd think some form of new twist on a familiar theme would be more appreciated. It's like a film sequel I guess, finding the right balance between what made the original success and making the new one different. Here, I don't think that's quite right, and this doesn't compare so well to 'The Dilbert Principle'. Mind you, I couldn't help thinking of the ironic appropriateness of this. After all, if you were a lazy, selfish and above all weasel-ish author, what would you do? Write a whole new book, or double your royalties by regurgitating the same old stuff again…?

(Towards the end he tries something even more devious - "The sequel is already in bookstores. It looks exactly like this book but the words are pronounced differently")

I don't want to be too harsh, however. As I said, there were still some funny moments. In particular, the latter half of the book broached relatively new topics, such as dating and fairness. The reader emails are still some of the best bits, however, providing true stories about companies that, for example, decided to reward employees with plastic rocks or motivational cards, or told a group of employees they'd be laid off after completing their current high-priority project (guess how long that one took?)

For a couple of hours' amusement, I certainly don't begrudge the three quid I spent on this book. If I'd paid anything near full price, however, I'd probably be rather disappointed, even though I did enjoy it. (The response below is based on what I paid).

If you're not already a Dilbert fan, I definitely recommend starting with 'The Dilbert Principle'. Then, if you want more, either look out for this book cheap (as I got it) or perhaps try a library - the weasel way!
 

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