Company

A Real-Life Dilbert!

As I started reading this book I kept feeling that it was a long string of Dilbert-like situations. My copy came with the donut on the cover and the donut is very prevelent throughout the story as a whole fiasco is created at the beginning of the book when Roger (one of the Sales people) complains about a missing donut. This leads to an employee firing and the dismissal of the food services department. The donut may also symbolize the company as a whole. The more I read the book I kept thinking of Terry Gilliam's movie Brazil, where Robert DeNiro is kind of running things in the background or the Wizard of Oz where the wizard is just a plain man who hides behind a curtain. The main protaginist is known mostly as Jones (his first name is Steven). Jones has a habit of asking a lot of questions even though all the employees tell him not to question anything. Little by little Jones gets to the bottom of what the company (Zepher) is really about. He has to decide if he wants to upset the balance or go along while being mesmerized by the mysterious 'Eve.' This was a fun book on corporate philosophy and the treatment of the workers as individuals.

Excellent book!

I couldn't put this book down. After completing Company I had to go out and by Jennifer Government which I am now reading. A great break from all the legal thrillers out there.

Not nearly as funny as he thinks he is

The premise of the book is far-fetched, but that's fine. It's clearly meant to be a satirical commentary on modern business practices. Even so, this isn't sharp-edged, intelligent satire. Instead, it's predictable and ultimately disappointing. Based on prior reviews, I had high hopes, but those hopes were dashed.

Time for my union-negotiated coffee break...

Humorous and meaningful, this book is for anyone with a job, whether in a cubicle or not, who feels like standing up and taking on the boss. Sit back, have another donut, and enjoy.

Send Up of Corporate Life

An insightful look into another drab, incompetent, soul-sucking corporate environment called 'Zephyr Holdings.' The premise is amusing with a real twist that makes this novel a shrewd corporate satire.

The Wav e of The Future?

This is a lark, but while it seems totally unreal that a situation of no one knowing what their company does is not possible, I am certain that some management styles use this as a model. This is a book of the company is first and change is the only sure thing. Keep things a secret and you have a control over your employees and their behavior that is second to none. Of course, there is a certain type of worker who would not exist in this environment, but remember Enron and WorldCom. They managed to keep their staff in the dark and settle their winnings with the privileged few. This has the same tone to it. It is funny and easy to read, but at the same time you think 'is this necessary?' Doesn't anyone who works know that this type of mentality is alive and well.

He's done it again!

I was in the middle of reading The Kite Runner when this one finally arrrived (I preordered it months ago), but I immediately dropped everything else to read it. It's got a great plot twist early on, so I can't say too much about the story. It's about a guy who gets a job at a company and realizes soon after he begins that he has no idea what the company does. He begins a quest to understand the enigmatic mission of Zephyr Holdings, and that's when things turn a little strange. As in his others novels, Max Barry uses over-the-top parody to satirize the corporate world. This one's mainly about general management and office politics, so most everyone will see elements that they recognize. When you're not frightened by how familiar these characters and situations are, you'll be laughing. For anyone looking to comparison to his other novels: I think it's better than Jennifer Governement, but probably not quite as good as Syrup. It shares their theme of corporate satire but with more focus on general management. It's a quick read and a lot of fun, and I have a feeling it'll be one that I think about for a long time in the future.

Worth the wait

I had read Syrup and Jennifer Government and had been waiting for Barry to come out with his third book. This was well worth the wait. The book has some great twists in it and I couldn't wait to finish it. The only problem is waiting for Max to come out with his next book.

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