Dilbert and the Way of the Weasel
Encyclopedia
Dilbert and the Way of the Weasel is a satirical
Dilbert
book written by Scott Adams
. It was originally published in 2002.
are neither consistently honest
nor criminal, but rather weasel
. He dissects the aspects of weasel behavior and explores its benefits and ramifications, sometimes referring to his own life experiences. The book is divided up into many sections and chapters which show different types of weasels, how to be a weasel, weasel words, and methods for countering the weasels you may encounter in everyday life.
. Sales were further hampered by the backfiring of Adams' announcement that he would dedicate a strip to Dilbert having sex if the book became the number one seller on Amazon.com
, a marketing
promotion that Adams himself characterized as "what will someday be hailed as the worst idea of the century." The book is inspired by many large companies' work environments (with reference to the Corporate Culture and Mission Statements)
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
Dilbert
Dilbert
Dilbert is an American comic strip written and drawn by Scott Adams. First published on April 16, 1989, Dilbert is known for its satirical office humor about a white-collar, micromanaged office featuring the engineer Dilbert as the title character...
book written by Scott Adams
Scott Adams
Scott Raymond Adams is the American creator of the Dilbert comic strip and the author of several nonfiction works of satire, commentary, business, and general speculation....
. It was originally published in 2002.
Premise
The chief premise of the book is that everyday actions of humanityHuman nature
Human nature refers to the distinguishing characteristics, including ways of thinking, feeling and acting, that humans tend to have naturally....
are neither consistently honest
Integrity
Integrity is a concept of consistency of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations, and outcomes. In ethics, integrity is regarded as the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy of one's actions...
nor criminal, but rather weasel
Weasel
Weasels are mammals forming the genus Mustela of the Mustelidae family. They are small, active predators, long and slender with short legs....
. He dissects the aspects of weasel behavior and explores its benefits and ramifications, sometimes referring to his own life experiences. The book is divided up into many sections and chapters which show different types of weasels, how to be a weasel, weasel words, and methods for countering the weasels you may encounter in everyday life.
Reception
The book was largely considered to be a rehash of Adams' other books, most notably The Dilbert PrincipleThe Dilbert Principle
The Dilbert principle refers to a 1990s satirical observation by Dilbert cartoonist Scott Adams stating that companies tend to systematically promote their least-competent employees to management , in order to limit the amount of damage they are capable of doing...
. Sales were further hampered by the backfiring of Adams' announcement that he would dedicate a strip to Dilbert having sex if the book became the number one seller on Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
, a marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
promotion that Adams himself characterized as "what will someday be hailed as the worst idea of the century." The book is inspired by many large companies' work environments (with reference to the Corporate Culture and Mission Statements)