by Scott Adams
Part of Dilbert, book 13
First published 1999
Scott Adams draws from his telecommunications company background and hundreds of daily fan emails to skewer corporate dysfunction in this Dilbert collection. The Chicago Tribune notes that Dilbert reminds millions of American office workers they are not alone. Adams targets cruel and incompetent bosses along with what he calls "in-duh-viduals" who spread workplace stupidity. The strip succeeds because Adams understands corporate pain firsthand. He worked inside major companies and witnessed their leadership failures directly. Readers connect with Dilbert's bespectacled engineer, his cynical talking dog companion, and their pointy-haired manager because these characters mirror real office experiences. While most workplaces lack talking animals and permanently curled ties, the outrageous situations feel familiar enough to make readers nod and laugh. Adams proves that surviving business requires abandoning expectations of common sense, maintaining humor, and staying alert to workplace hazards.
Genres: satire, business, contemporary, comedy
Vibes: cynical, humorous, thought-provoking
Tropes: satire, workplace-comedy
128 pages · Paperback · Andrews McMeel Publishing