Review by Booklist Review
We all know them or know of them--the jerks and bullies at work who demean, criticize, and sap the energy of others, usually their underlings. It could be the notorious bad boss or the jealous coworker, but everyone agrees that they make life miserable for their victims and create a hostile and emotionally stifling environment. Fed up with how these creeps treat others and poison the workplace, Sutton declares war and comes out calling them exactly what they are--certified assholes. Caricatured in sitcoms such as The Office, these brutes are too often tolerated until irreparable damage is done to individuals and the organization as a whole. Sutton's no asshole rule puts a stop to the abuse in no uncertain terms. Similar rules have transformed such companies as JetBlue, the Men's Wearhouse, and Google into shining examples of workplaces where positive self-esteem creates a more productive, motivated, and satisfied workforce. If you have ever been a victim, just reading Sutton's analysis brings calm relief, empowerment, and reassurance that you're not alone. --David Siegfried Copyright 2007 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
This meticulously researched book, which grew from a much buzzed-about article in the Harvard Business Review, puts into plain language an undeniable fact: the modern workplace is beset with assholes. Sutton (Weird Ideas that Work), a professor of management science at Stanford University, argues that assholes-those who deliberately make co-workers feel bad about themselves and who focus their aggression on the less powerful-poison the work environment, decrease productivity, induce qualified employees to quit and therefore are detrimental to businesses, regardless of their individual effectiveness. He also makes the solution plain: they have to go. Direct and punchy, Sutton uses accessible language and a bevy of examples to make his case, providing tests to determine if you are an asshole (and if so, advice for how to self-correct), a how-to guide to surviving environments where assholes freely roam and a carefully calibrated measure, the "Total Cost of Assholes," by which corporations can assess the damage. Although occasionally campy and glib, Sutton's work is sure to generate discussions at watercoolers around the country and deserves influence in corporate hiring and firing strategies. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Professor Sutton (organizational psychology, Univ. of Michigan; Weird Ideas That Work) provides a unique, in-your-face business guide to increasing productivity by weeding out problem employees and avoiding hiring them in the first place. Using numerous examples of behavior by jerks-they are demeaning, insulting, or abusive of others-Sutton explains the total cost of these "assholes" in today's corporations, and he shows how to spot one of them by their frequent use of rude interruptions, subtle putdowns, public humiliations and insults, sarcasm, and teasing. The author also wisely draws on research data to show how managers can eliminate this type of mean-spirited and unproductive behavior in order to generate a productive workplace. Case studies include the embarrassing, negative behavior of former business executives and government officials that became public, a description of how an analysis of Google's "don't be evil" maxim helped launch the company to unprecedented early growth, and the approach used by JetBlue and Southwest Airlines to evict passengers who demean their employees. This refreshingly new material is soundly narrated by the author and nicely supplements the business literature that predominantly focuses on leadership styles. Relevant for all organizations, this program is recommended for university libraries supporting a business curriculum and larger public libraries.-Dale Farris, Groves, TX (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
