Monday, March 3, 2008

The No Asshole Rule

This book is so important, so relevant, that I am even going to show you the back cover in this post. Written by a Stanford University professor, this book serves multiple purposes: asshole detection (in oneself and others), how to deal with assholes (we all must deal with them regularly), and how to not be an asshole (dare I say we've all had our moments, I have for sure).

The title, clearly controversial, really puts the content into perspective but I suspect there will be those who stray away thinking that this is just some kind of a joke or tongue-in-cheek (that sounds gross related to this title) quip containing nothing of serious value. The reality is a wonderful guide and should be offered free to all if not all as they climb the management ladder as a reminder that the people you are an asshole to while climbing are the same people who just may treat you like the asshole you are on your way back down.

While entertaining, the grim realities this book observes cover situations we all find ourselves in and offers real methods of coping. For even more assistance with the chronic asshole or to determine whether or not you are one, the author's blog offers an Asshole Rating Self-Exam (ARSE); I scored a 5 (not an asshole). This book is an enjoyable (though frightening considering the truths it makes reference to) read, I also listened to the unabridged audio version which was a special treat hearing a professional sounding guy say asshole a bunch and once again, dare I say, a must read?

8 comments:

Raj said...

Thanks for the nice review. It sounds very interesting and a must read! And it would be really nice to find some ways of dealing with these people.

Chris said...

Raj - Enjoy!

Trish Ryan said...

This is fabulous...I'm off to take the test :)
Thanks for the recommendation.

Pam said...

Totally checking out this blog. Sounds like an interesting book. lol!

Anonymous said...

Bob Sutton's blog is terrific, too. I think he's at Harvard Business School, though...

I blogged about his book today, too, suggesting he invest in a thesaurus. :)

Anonymous said...

I'd like to thank everyone for thoughtful comments and kind words. Also, I am writing a new chapter that will appear in the paperback version. So if you have any suggestions about things I might emphasize or think differently about, I would appreciate it.

Bob Sutton
Author of The No Asshole Rule

Chris said...

Bob - it's an honour that you took the time to leave a comment. I very much enjoyed your book, it was so very well written; a difficult task considering the topic. All the best to you.
--Chris

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