FC NOW: The Fast Company Weblog
December 22, 2005
The last self-help book you'll ever need
Dear Readers,
We've had a good year. You trashed me when I said NBC's version of The Office was superior to the original, an assertion of mine that's proven to be true. You rallied with me when "Jack" radio took off. So it's my turn to give back.
Do yourself a favor and buy Mr. Irresponsible's Bad Advice: How to Rip the Lid Off Your Id and Live Happily Ever After. It will be the last self-help book you'll ever buy. Mr. Irresponsible, for the unitiated, is the pen name of the world's most widely read personal advice columnist. His column was once in more than 1,100 newspapers until his syndicate mysteriously suspended him. Thankfully, he's back in book form.
Now, I do admit that if you're not familiar with Mr. Irresponsible, his brand of advice can be considered unorthodox, but if you're willing to open your mind to it, your life will never be the same.
For example, consider his advice to this reader who wrote, "I've been at my job for 11 years and have seen three new people hired under me, all of whom have since been promoted over me. I'm starting to think I may never get the respect I deserve at this job. Can you help?" Mr. I's advice? "Be a racehorse." What he means is that you should be "Be flighty, demanding, unpredictable." He asks, rhetorically, "Do you think a racehorse loses the esteem of its colleagues, or its chances for professional advancement, when its trainer declines to race it on a muddy track? No, it simply heads back to the stall and grabs some more feed." When you have to work, do it with flair and speed, because ultimately, "advancement depends on looking good."
What's wonderful about Mr. I, as I call him, is that he's got advice for every situation, whether it's in the office or in affairs of the heart. So be smart for a change: Return that lame book your brother-in-law gave you and get yourself Mr. Irresponsible. And please remember to thank me. Mr. I is in the vanguard of a campaign to restore manners to our hopeless species.
Posted by David Lidsky at December 22, 2005 4:42 PM | Category: book discussions |
11 Comments
ADVERTISEMENT
FC NOW MENU
NEWSLETTERS
FC NOW CATEGORIES
FC READS
So you're logrolling for some other flack... exactly why?
Foob
I was intrigued by the headline but then I read your comment about The Office. I can't take seriously the opinions of one with such plainly awful judgement.
The British Version hands down is a much better show. The two laughs a minute minimum reduces the appeal (which is the general realism of the british show) to a Seinfeld like farce.
The litmus test....You can watch the British version over and over again...and crack up. You can't say the same for Seinfeld.
My thoughts completely
Proven to be true? On what planet?
lost credibility with your opinion re The Office, compounded by reading the lame/boring advice....disappointed
English version of the office better? Haha!
Only reason that show hasn't been canceled yet is because NBC has such a terrible lineup, they don't have much better.
The original Office is very funny if you know UK "culture." I lived there. The American version isn't funny much, and I'm an American. Rick Gervais is the sensitive, post-Seinfeld boss to beat in any culture. What's your culture??
I love how the majority of the comments on this feed center around the largely tangential opening remarks about the British and American versions of The Office. Well, here is the verdict: I've seen every episode of both of them and I agree with the findings of Scientific Proof Magazine: The **first season** of the British version is the best of any, then comes the American version (both seasons). The second season of the Brit version was not so great though.
All versions of The Office suck and so does JACK-FM! British food is bad and so is their TV. American fast food is very bad and so is most of our TV. HBO is the only light at the end of the cathode ray tunnel and, now, even they're getting bad (Can you say ROME?) My advice: Subscribe to Poetry Magazine!
To avoid opening with a comment about "The Office" I'm going to post in reverse.
Second, I'm going to go out and buy the book for my wife (and probably sneak read it when she's not looking). I've never seen Mr. I's columns, but from this review sounds like it might be worth a read.
First, the UK version of the Office is "spot on". If you've ever worked in the UK in some horrible town like Reading or Bracknell or the like, you'd laugh your a** off at the British show because it really captures the essence of the atmosphere of a boring, pointless UK office. The US adaptation is significantly weaker and doesn't do a good job of capturing the feel of a US office and therefore is a bit more forced and less funny.
Let me defend you....I love The Office (the US version). Guess you have to love that kind of humor. My sister and I roar over Dwight (the nerdy guy).
I've watched the UK version, but I cannot for the life of me understand their accents.