I found this book in the discount rack at a used bookstore in Fremont. Having found much of what people call management quite ridiculous I laughed at the title and flipped it open. Inside I found validation for many of the pet theories and uncorrelated observations I’ve had over the years, written in clear, short, insightful chapters. It’s a gem. You’ll have many deep sighs when you read it and will feel relieved about the insanity at work that, until reading the book, you though only you felt.

The book does offer advice but is not a a how to guide. I found it more of a catalog of the inherent paradoxes of managing teams of people, things that impact everyone but are rarely mentioned.

The management of the absurd, Richard Farson. 172 pages.