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Inside the Cover Book Review Review by Amy Brozio-Andrews
Working for the Man Inspiring and Subversive Projects for Residents of Cubicle Land By Jeffrey Yamaguchi; illustrations by Danny Jock Penguin, 2007 Nonfiction/humor
If spending forty hours each week locked in "Cubicle Land" isn't your idea of a good time, Jeffrey Yamaguchi can help you with that. His new book, Working for the Man: Inspiring and Subversive Projects for Residents of Cubicle Land, is full of crafty and clever activities that are sure to help you pass the time (and er, to be truthful, maybe get you fired).
Whether it's a covert "one bottle, one bag of ice" collaboration with a chosen few colleagues at the end of a long day, a little meeting buzz-word Bingo, an analysis of the best (and worst) places for a little workplace "love in the afternoon," or just how to get crackin' on that novel you've been meaning to write while still on the company dime, Yamaguchi's ideas are easy to implement, with little or no prep work.
Divided into chapters dedicated to dealing with the boss, your coworkers (both as co-conspirators and adversaries), endless meetings, daily life in a cube farm, getting fired, and getting a new job, the book is inspiring. Even if you never follow through on any of the high-risk challenges, some of those quietly subversive ones are mighty tempting; c'mon, how funny would it be to leave a note taped to the vending machine that says, "Please stock those little bottles of Jack Daniel's." (Okay, I think it would be funny….)
Always mindful of the fact that as much as you might not like working for the man, you still might like eating three squares a day or a roof over your head, Yamaguchi's projects are accompanied by the potential pitfalls, from getting caught to getting fired. So don't say he didn't warn you…. His tone is friendly and conspiratorial. The projects included in the book are conveyed clearly and really involve a minimal amount of time, effort, and money; all you really need is motive and opportunity. While your use of the book may be slightly limited if you don't work in the traditional office environment, there's still plenty of ideas that are transferable to just about any workplace.
In his introduction, Yamaguchi writes, "The overall emphasis here is to encourage you to tap your creativity, gregariousness, and competitive nature, and reclaim what might seem like wasted hours in the workplace…" And that's the beauty of his book. Like his previous book, 52 Projects, Working for the Man is sure to spark ideas. Whether you use your powers for good (weaving them into your work-in-progress) or evil (elevator races, wrap-a-cube, using interoffice mail for sending work friends utter nonsense), it's pretty likely that you'll find inspiration in Working for the Man.
Amy Brozio-Andrews is the managing editor of Absolute Write. She is a freelance writer and book reviewer. Visit http://www.amyba.com.
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