Book Review: Nice Guys Can Get The Corner Office by Russ Edelman and Timothy Hiltabiddle

Nice Guys Can Get the Corner Office: Eight Strategies for Winning in Business Without Being a Jerk

ISBN-10: 1591842093
ISBN-13: 978-1591842095

PROS:

  • Surprisingly insightful look into nice guys, winning strategies, and personality issues.
  • Has helpful examples.
  • Has organized tips that are focused on actions.
  • Covers both personal and corporate “nice guy” issues.

CONS:

  •  A limited in its look at “nice guys” makes it hard to approach at first.

SUMMARY: A must-read book for people who want to succeed without being a complete ass, even if you’re not always a “nice guy.”

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Tribalism Trumps Cash In Politics?

The campaign is done, over, Nate Silver can go get drunk, and the formerly confident members of the Republican Party are asking “what happened?”  Also they’re asking “What the hell did all that money go for?”

Now I could go deep into some of my own theories about political groups, which are roughly that a lot of lobbying and political organizations are just lucrative fronts to part donors from cash.  But still there was a LOT of money sloshing around this election, and many is the time I hears someone predict it would break in the Republican’s favor.  Doesn’t look that way.

I think there is an issue that money can only buy so much, and it’s worse in a time of highly “tribal” political divisions, as explored by Salon.

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Adeptus Mechanicus Panicus

You know, when you worry life will imitate a deliberately over-the top dark science fiction game, you get a little bit philosophical.

In my case, the game is the Warhammer 40K game world, a delightfully dark setting of a grim future where humans, aliens, and psychic creations war endlessly and sell miniatures.  The setting mixes dismal, horrific, heroic, and in some cases parodic elements mocking all of its own content.  It winks and nods at you about just how crazy it can be.

In this setting, humanity is largely ignorant, part of a far-flung feudal empire.  Technology is mostly controlled by a separate organization, really almost an “internal” or allied empire, the Adeptus Mechanicus.  The Adeptus Mechanicus have their own culture, their own religion, and humanity both depends on them, yet treats them as separate – which the Mechanicus seem fine with.  They’re busy seeking knowledge and worshipping the Machine God . . .  and at that point I could go on for pages of insane detail.  Just hit up the Lexicanium.

Now the idea of humans ever letting technology out of their hands, of a separate culture controlling technology, sounds all grim and dark and b-movieish.  Except I see a less, grim, less over-the top, less miniature driven parallel being a real possibility, which concerns me.

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