OK – so everyone should know that I am “the old one”. I have a couple recommendations for books now out of print that were business oriented, but that I frequently hear blog advice that reminds me of things that I learned 20+ years ago in these books.
Today Seth Goding posted Expanding the Circle of Missed which reminded me of a sales oriented book that has basic work wisdom going way beyond the domain of sales called “Winning Through Intimidation” by Robert J Ringer.
WTI is a book about making yourself appear essential to whatever business endeavor the people who pay you are conducting, thereby securing yourself a paycheck, pay raise, promotion, or closing.
The other ancient text is called “How to Work for a Jerk” by Robert Hockheiser – which is a great text on management antipatterns, and how individuals can work successfully in light of office politics and poor management.
Both of these books were written before the current political correctness fetish – when things and business culture were much different. However human nature has not changed much in 4000 years, and so while we all wear the mask of sensitivity and diversity, the thought processes going on behind the masks are little different than they were 20 years ago.
Both are now out of print, but can be found in libraries and used bookstores and are worth the read. Both are written in a humorous, tounge-in-cheek style using lots of stories and allegories that make them easy to assimilate.
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