Claw Your Way to the Top

Rating:
Summary: Sadly, this is a documentary on corporate life
Review: Before Dilbert, there was Dave Barry's "Claw Your Way to the Top". I bought this book in 1986, two years after I graduated from college before there was Amazon. I laughed so hard and it was all so true. This book will prepare any naieve university senior for "real life".

I think the best part of the book is the section on firing people. Of course the alternative is to let the two big Brunos poke out your eyes with hot knitting needles.

This book is wonderful and I recommend it as a graduation present for any graduating senior.

Rating:
Summary: If you like career/business/motivation books, you'll like it
Review: Dave Barry satorizes career, business, motivation, and self-help books. If you've read them, you will laugh hysterically at his pointed remarks that reveal some of the most absurdly stupid things written in many of those books.

Rating:
Summary: If you like career/business/motivation books, you'll like it
Review: I have never laughed so hard at any book. I've bought over 25 copies of it for friends over the years and often quote from it. In 1987 my friend Regina and I were interviewing a young man named Brian; we told him, "If you find this book funny, you'll enjoy working with us. If not, you'll enjoy working with everyone else here!" He came in the next day and told us his favorite part, and we hired him. This book is a classic illustration of the principle that really great humor is based on truth.

Rating:
Summary: Not As Good As His Later Books
Review: This book was written in 1986. Although it is decent, it is probably the only Dave Barry book in my collection that I don't re-read occasionally. The jokes just seemed a bit staged as compared to his later writing, because the book doesn't reference any true life stories. If that's what you prefer, then this book will suit you fine, but I prefer the "I'm-Not-Making-This-Up" stories of actual events that are his trademark.

If you are looking for a humor book on the topic of corporate America, then this is a good choice. However, if you just want to read some funny Dave Barry, then try one of his later books, such as one of his compilations of short articles.

Rating:
Summary: Early Barry. . .
Review: Though not as good as his later works, definitely worth buying, though 'Dave Barry's Guide To Life' is also availiable on Amazon.com and contains this and three other works of similiar quality and length by the same author, while being slightly cheaper than this edition alone.
Recommended.