The New Yorker Book of Business Cartoons

Rating:
Summary: Great Lampoons of Stalled Thinking in Business!
Review: I first discovered The New Yorker when I was a teenager. When I saw how many people subscribed to the magazine, I started asking people why they did. Inevitably, the answer was, "For the cartoons." Since then, I have come to realize that The New Yorker is like the hall of fame for cartoonists.

I became interested in this book after reading the excellent The New Yorker Book of Money Cartoons. I like this one even better.

The introduction by David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker, is worth of the price of the book alone. He describes a ritual whereby the cartoonists arrive to share their work, and how the editors all feel envious and intimidated by the cartoonists. The reasons for the envy? The editors know that the readers usually turn to the cartoons first, the cartoon humor is often more effortless than the essays and poetry in The New Yorker, and the cartoonists first realized that business was a great subject for the magazine.

The cartoons themselves were all selected by Robert Mankoff, cartoon editor of The New Yorker.

Perhaps business is inherently funnier than most other subjects, but these cartoons were unusually rewarding to review.

Here are some of my favorites:

"It's up to you now, Miller. The only thing that can save us is an accounting breakthrough."

"Pendleton, as of noon today your services will no longer be required. Meanwhile, keep up the good work."

There is a wordless cartoon of a natty older fellow in a suit sitting at the top of a tall step ladder looking glum. (I guess this is, it's lonely at the top.)

"No, thursday's out. How about never -- is never good for you?"

Four men are fishing in a stream, while one holds a cell phone and is speaking, "Fenwick, Benton & Perkins. How may I direct your call?"

Another wordless cartoon -- The Bill Gates Wealth Clock which provides up-to-the minute numbers on a billboard.

"Sir, the following paradigm shifts occurred while you were out."

"You drive yourself too hard. You really must learn to take time to stop and smell the profits."

One walrus says to the other eyeing a group of penguins, "Here come the suits."

As you can see the common thread is taking our fascination with getting what we want in business and poking some fun at it with an absurd situation.

This book would make a great gift for anyone who is or has been in business, and certainly for any reader of The New Yorker!

Be sure to think about the cartoons and discuss them with others when they reveal some important examples of stalled thinking (like the one about downsizing) that need to be changed.

Keep your laughs up above your profits in the meantime!

Rating:
Summary: Great Lampoons of Stalled Thinking in Business!
Review: I first discovered The New Yorker when I was a teenager. When I saw how many people subscribed to the magazine, I started asking people why they did. Inevitably, the answer was, "For the cartoons." Since then, I have come to realize that The New Yorker is like the hall of fame for cartoonists.

I became interested in this book after reading the excellent The New Yorker Book of Money Cartoons. I like this one even better.

The introduction by David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker, is worth of the price of the book alone. He describes a ritual whereby the cartoonists arrive to share their work, and how the editors all feel envious and intimidated by the cartoonists. The reasons for the envy? The editors know that the readers usually turn to the cartoons first, the cartoon humor is often more effortless than the essays and poetry in The New Yorker, and the cartoonists first realized that business was a great subject for the magazine.

The cartoons themselves were all selected by Robert Mankoff, cartoon editor of The New Yorker.

Perhaps business is inherently funnier than most other subjects, but these cartoons were unusually rewarding to review.

Here are some of my favorites:

"It's up to you now, Miller. The only thing that can save us is an accounting breakthrough."

"Pendleton, as of noon today your services will no longer be required. Meanwhile, keep up the good work."

There is a wordless cartoon of a natty older fellow in a suit sitting at the top of a tall step ladder looking glum. (I guess this is, it's lonely at the top.)

"No, thursday's out. How about never -- is never good for you?"

Four men are fishing in a stream, while one holds a cell phone and is speaking, "Fenwick, Benton & Perkins. How may I direct your call?"

Another wordless cartoon -- The Bill Gates Wealth Clock which provides up-to-the minute numbers on a billboard.

"Sir, the following paradigm shifts occurred while you were out."

"You drive yourself too hard. You really must learn to take time to stop and smell the profits."

One walrus says to the other eyeing a group of penguins, "Here come the suits."

As you can see the common thread is taking our fascination with getting what we want in business and poking some fun at it with an absurd situation.

This book would make a great gift for anyone who is or has been in business, and certainly for any reader of The New Yorker!

Be sure to think about the cartoons and discuss them with others when they reveal some important examples of stalled thinking (like the one about downsizing) that need to be changed.

Keep your laughs up above your profits in the meantime!

Rating:
Summary: A good collection, even for those who don't practice law!
Review: I have this, both of the Cat, the Dog, the Doctor (and Psychiatrist), Business, and True Love cartoon books in this "New Yorker" series. I hopefully will soon acquire the Money one. Anyway, this particular title is humerous indeed. It's full of the trials and tribulations (pun intended) of the attorney's profession, quite appropriately showcased here. I recommend it highly, as well as the aforementioned books too!

Rating:
Summary: selected for grumpy businessmen
Review: IRECKON IT IS ONE OF THE MOST THOUGHT AFTER CARTOON SCRIPT BOOKS FOR A LAYMAN AS WELL AS FOR THE NEW ENCUMBMENT. AMUST READ BOOK FOR ALL SO CALLED CONSULTANTS, TRADERS, AND ONLINE SHOPPERS. DEFINETELY A BUY AND TO BE READ OVER AND OVER.

Rating:
Summary: selected for grumpy businessmen
Review: IRECKON IT IS ONE OF THE MOST THOUGHT AFTER CARTOON SCRIPT BOOKS FOR A LAYMAN AS WELL AS FOR THE NEW ENCUMBMENT. AMUST READ BOOK FOR ALL SO CALLED CONSULTANTS, TRADERS, AND ONLINE SHOPPERS. DEFINETELY A BUY AND TO BE READ OVER AND OVER.

Rating:
Summary: The best cartoonists from The New Yorker on business!
Review: It's easy to think of business as anything but funny. The cartoonists of The New Yorker would beg to differ. Here are 110 cartoons, from the last sixty years, on the foibles and fancies of the business world.

As Christopher Buckley, best selling author and editor of Forbes FYI described it, this is "A book to make you laugh out loud in the middle of a recession."

From A (Charles Addams) to Z (Jack Ziegler) - with stops for George Booth, Roz Chast, Leo Cullum, Robert Mankoff, Edward Sorel, Gahan Wilson, and other artists from The New Yorker - this book will leaving you laughing.

David Remnick, the editor of The New Yorker, has contributed a wonderful introductory essay on how, "the cartoonists at The New Yorker have 'covered' an entire world, the business world, far better, far more profoundly and more consistently than have the writers over the magazine's long history."

Rating:
Summary: Great Fun - Laugh Out Loud Funny
Review: It's hard to make me laugh at a joke or cartoon. But I love the sophisticated wit of The New Yorker and very much appreciate their cartoons. They give me a lift.

Before I start work on a project for a client, I like to open one of the New Yorker cartoon books to get myself in a good mood and set the stage. Other cartoons just don't do the job for me. They don't have the edge and basic feel of sharp truth to them.

This book is just fun and nice to have around when you want to laugh at yourself and your job and those people you run into every day of your working life.

It's very nicely presented and a great pleasure.

Susanna K. Hutcheson
Owner and Creative Director
Powerwriting.com LLC

Rating:
Summary: Hilarious! Wish it had more text as in "Management by Vice"!
Review: The New Yorker Book of Business Cartoons is a marvelous compilation of classic business "cartoons" and sharp punch-lines that take a much needed cynical, yet comedic look inside the business world, which is, "...always one small step from bloody disdain...", as the New Yorker editor, Mr. David Remnick, states in his superbly written introduction. A very enjoyable book indeed!

Having said this, I must admit that as an avid reader, I wished for a "story" to lend more substance to the issues addressed by the "cartoons". In this respect, the recently published American satire, "Management by Vice" by C.B. Don is the book for lovers of both media. It artfully blends great "cartoon" illustrations (of the same calibre as in The New Yorker) with short, witty verses, all combined within hilarious, easy-to-read episodes that lampoon life in high-tech R&D. If you crave The New Yorker's apropos, biting humor, I think you'll love the wickedly satirical, "Management by Vice" as well!!

Rating:
Summary: Hilarious! Wish it had more text as in "Management by Vice"!
Review: The New Yorker Book of Business Cartoons is a marvelous compilation of classic business "cartoons" and sharp punch-lines that take a much needed cynical, yet comedic look inside the business world, which is, "...always one small step from bloody disdain...", as the New Yorker editor, Mr. David Remnick, states in his superbly written introduction. A very enjoyable book indeed!

Having said this, I must admit that as an avid reader, I wished for a "story" to lend more substance to the issues addressed by the "cartoons". In this respect, the recently published American satire, "Management by Vice" by C.B. Don is the book for lovers of both media. It artfully blends great "cartoon" illustrations (of the same calibre as in The New Yorker) with short, witty verses, all combined within hilarious, easy-to-read episodes that lampoon life in high-tech R&D. If you crave The New Yorker's apropos, biting humor, I think you'll love the wickedly satirical, "Management by Vice" as well!!