And, as you can already tell, this is going to be a difficult review to write, because this book defies definition. It was presented to me as a parody, although it’s often difficult to tell what is being parodied. One thing is certain; it’s a character sketch in the first person. The problem is that every once in a while, you get caught up in what this person is saying, and you have to stop yourself and say, “wait a minute. This is fiction, right?”

The book starts out — until you get sidetracked by the main character – as a parody of self-help books. In that sense, it works very well. The tone of the main character is consistent and sounds very positive. A lot of the advice sounds pretty reasonable. And then you’re hooked…

Because all the while you’re reading the book from the POV of this business executive, there’s the author, who sets himself up as the executive’s victim, reminding us that there’s a whole different level to the conversation. Namely that this guy is based on real-life axxhole business owners. But he’s such a blithe, cheerful axxhole that we say, “Yes, right,” and go on reading, and the bastard sucks us in again. We are so conditioned to first-person fiction where the main character is the good guy that we can’t resist.

Some of the things he says are completely true. The fun part of the book is that the main character pretty well touches on everything that is wrong with the business world, and earns our sympathy by saying most of them are bogus (my word. His words are considerably rougher)

The result is an enjoyable reading experience and a rather slanted lesson in how the business world works.

The only weakness in the format comes because it is a fictional piece with a lot of narrative, so we expect a certain amount of conflict, with suspense leading to a climax. However, because it is a parody of a how-to book, there is none.

A fascinating character study with a lot of questionable business practices thrown in for a bonus.

(4 / 5)