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Dilbert #40
Your New Job Title is "Accomplice"
Dubbed "the cartoon hero of the workplace" by the San Francisco Examiner, Dilbert is the cubicle-bound star of the most photocopied, pinned-up, downloaded, faxed, and e-mailed comic strip in the world.
As fresh a look at the inanity of office life as it brought to the comics pages when it first appeared in 1989, this 40th AMP Dilbert collection comically confirms to the working public that we all really know what's going on. Our devices might be more sophisticated, our software and apps might be more plentiful, but when it gets down to interactions between the worker bees and the clueless in-controls, discontent and sarcasm rule, as only Dilbert can proclaim.
As fresh a look at the inanity of office life as it brought to the comics pages when it first appeared in 1989, this 40th AMP Dilbert collection comically confirms to the working public that we all really know what's going on. Our devices might be more sophisticated, our software and apps might be more plentiful, but when it gets down to interactions between the worker bees and the clueless in-controls, discontent and sarcasm rule, as only Dilbert can proclaim.
128 pages, Paperback
First published May 21, 2013
About the author
Scott Adams
192 books1,314 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Scott Adams was a defining voice of the American white-collar experience who transitioned from a prominent cartoonist into a polarizing political commentator. After earning an MBA from UC Berkeley and spending years in management at Pacific Bell, Adams launched the comic strip Dilbert in 1989. The strip’s sharp satire of corporate bureaucracy and the "Dilbert Principle"—the idea that incompetent employees are promoted to management to minimize their damage—resonated globally, eventually appearing in 2,000 newspapers and winning the prestigious Reuben Award. Beyond the funny pages, Adams explored philosophy and persuasion in works like God's Debris and Win Bigly, the latter of which analyzed Donald Trump’s rhetorical strategies during the 2016 election. His career took a dramatic turn during the mid-2010s as he shifted focus to his daily "Real Coffee" livestream, where he combined his background in hypnosis and corporate strategy to comment on the "culture wars." This period of independent commentary culminated in 2023 when he reacted to a poll regarding racial tensions with a series of inflammatory remarks. Labeling Black Americans a "hate group" and advocating for racial segregation, Adams faced immediate and widespread repercussions; hundreds of newspapers dropped his strip, and his publisher canceled his upcoming projects. Undeterred, he moved his work to the subscription-based platform Locals, rebranding his comic as Dilbert Reborn. In his final years, he faced severe health challenges, including stage IV prostate cancer and vocal cord issues, yet he remained a prolific presence on social media. He eventually announced the end of his hand-drawn work due to focal dystonia but continued to direct the strip's vision. Adams’s legacy remains a complex study in the power of branding, the evolution of digital influence, and the volatile intersection of creative genius and political provocation in the modern era.
Scott Adams was a defining voice of the American white-collar experience who transitioned from a prominent cartoonist into a polarizing political commentator. After earning an MBA from UC Berkeley and spending years in management at Pacific Bell, Adams launched the comic strip Dilbert in 1989. The strip’s sharp satire of corporate bureaucracy and the "Dilbert Principle"—the idea that incompetent employees are promoted to management to minimize their damage—resonated globally, eventually appearing in 2,000 newspapers and winning the prestigious Reuben Award. Beyond the funny pages, Adams explored philosophy and persuasion in works like God's Debris and Win Bigly, the latter of which analyzed Donald Trump’s rhetorical strategies during the 2016 election. His career took a dramatic turn during the mid-2010s as he shifted focus to his daily "Real Coffee" livestream, where he combined his background in hypnosis and corporate strategy to comment on the "culture wars." This period of independent commentary culminated in 2023 when he reacted to a poll regarding racial tensions with a series of inflammatory remarks. Labeling Black Americans a "hate group" and advocating for racial segregation, Adams faced immediate and widespread repercussions; hundreds of newspapers dropped his strip, and his publisher canceled his upcoming projects. Undeterred, he moved his work to the subscription-based platform Locals, rebranding his comic as Dilbert Reborn. In his final years, he faced severe health challenges, including stage IV prostate cancer and vocal cord issues, yet he remained a prolific presence on social media. He eventually announced the end of his hand-drawn work due to focal dystonia but continued to direct the strip's vision. Adams’s legacy remains a complex study in the power of branding, the evolution of digital influence, and the volatile intersection of creative genius and political provocation in the modern era.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
January 17, 2018
Hard to believe than a book of comics published in 2013 that includes technology stuff would still feel on-point and relevant in 2018, but Dilbert manages.
Funny enough that I was giggling like a little kid through most of the book. There were multiple comic strips that I marked to save and show other people.
Funny enough that I was giggling like a little kid through most of the book. There were multiple comic strips that I marked to save and show other people.
December 29, 2019
Any book that can combine Topper and Loud Howard is a keeper in my book.
https://dilbert.com/strip/2012-05-24
And I'm still very alarmed my avatar in this comic strip is Wally.
https://dilbert.com/strip/2012-05-24
And I'm still very alarmed my avatar in this comic strip is Wally.
December 29, 2022
I have been reading the Dilbert comic strip for many years, and it is one of the few that have improved and not gone stale at all as age goes by! Scott Adams is a genius for keeping current and witty, and this compilation will keep all fans of the comic smiling and laughing. The strip continues to be currnt, well-written, well-drawn and funny without being too cynical. Highly recommended!
June 3, 2013
See more of my reviews at Bettering Me Up.
I'm a huge Dilbert fan, so I was thrilled when I was approved to read this galley. I've worked in IT for more than a dozen years, so I've always felt like Dilbert was a kindred spirit.
But this book? Sadly, it wasn't nearly as funny as any of Adams' other works. There were a handful of panels wherein the Pointy-Haired Boss gets his comeuppance, but they were few and far between. Mostly, it just seemed like a bunch of ideas thrown together without a central theme.
I keep wavering between giving this book two or three stars. Two seems too low; three is too generous. Since it took me more than three months to finish--due to lack of interest on my part--I'm settling for the lower rating. (Hey Goodreads! It would be really nice to have half-star ratings!)
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
I'm a huge Dilbert fan, so I was thrilled when I was approved to read this galley. I've worked in IT for more than a dozen years, so I've always felt like Dilbert was a kindred spirit.
But this book? Sadly, it wasn't nearly as funny as any of Adams' other works. There were a handful of panels wherein the Pointy-Haired Boss gets his comeuppance, but they were few and far between. Mostly, it just seemed like a bunch of ideas thrown together without a central theme.
I keep wavering between giving this book two or three stars. Two seems too low; three is too generous. Since it took me more than three months to finish--due to lack of interest on my part--I'm settling for the lower rating. (Hey Goodreads! It would be really nice to have half-star ratings!)
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
October 4, 2016
I usually like Delbert and find him funny, but this one fell very flat for me. It seemed like there was something missing and the flow was off. There were a few funny bits, but not enough to make me Crack a smile or laugh out loud. A lot of it seemed jumbled and several different ideas jumbled together.
July 25, 2023
I read all of the Dilbert collections I can get my hands on, so my reviews always sound the same: I love Dilbert, and I think Scott Adams bugged the offices I worked in sometimes in the past & I can relate to it, and there were quite a few times that I literally LOL’ed.
May 15, 2021
This is my first Dilbert book. I find it painfully long to complete unlike other comics, even though the panels are pretty on point on work lifestyle. Maybe it’s not entirely to my humour point.
March 14, 2013
I never thought that I'd get to read another Dilbert cartoon so soon! I normally get my fix from the libraries back home, so I thought I'd have to wait until summer break to read another volume. Thankfully, a new volume is coming up, and it was on NetGalley.
When I started reading Dilbert, I started from a long time ago. It had business concepts that I knew about, but quite a lot of the humour was dated. Here, the humour is dated too (or it will be in a few years). It's dated 201X. There are lots of references to the Cloud, start-ups, and even a reference to the popularity of Apple products. What doesn't change would be the characters - inept boss, inept workers, inept company (Dilbert is not a comic that inspires confidence in any sort of corporation).
Personally, I would have loved to read more about Dogbert. And that evil HR cat. Both animals are hilarious, and I love reading about the stuff they scheme about. Also, the dinosaur (I think his name is... Bob?), anyway, he's gone. Well.... I really liked the animals.
On the bright side, if you like seeing Dilbert at work, you have a lot more to read. The Elbonians are also a staple feature now (let's attack the Elbonian missile factory!), which is really funny. HR and stuff, on the other hand, don't appear so often.
There are a lot of pokes at the huge paychecks of top management (which is understandable, given the recent economic climate). In fact, I would say that you need to be fairly well-versed with business terms and the workplace to understand these jokes (which may explain why I'm the only one my age that actually reads and enjoys Dilbert).
For me, I love this! I'm so glad Dilbert is still coming out! Now, if only Foxtrot was making a new anthology and had it up on NetGalley.....
Disclaimer: I got a free review copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.
This review was first posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile
When I started reading Dilbert, I started from a long time ago. It had business concepts that I knew about, but quite a lot of the humour was dated. Here, the humour is dated too (or it will be in a few years). It's dated 201X. There are lots of references to the Cloud, start-ups, and even a reference to the popularity of Apple products. What doesn't change would be the characters - inept boss, inept workers, inept company (Dilbert is not a comic that inspires confidence in any sort of corporation).
Personally, I would have loved to read more about Dogbert. And that evil HR cat. Both animals are hilarious, and I love reading about the stuff they scheme about. Also, the dinosaur (I think his name is... Bob?), anyway, he's gone. Well.... I really liked the animals.
On the bright side, if you like seeing Dilbert at work, you have a lot more to read. The Elbonians are also a staple feature now (let's attack the Elbonian missile factory!), which is really funny. HR and stuff, on the other hand, don't appear so often.
There are a lot of pokes at the huge paychecks of top management (which is understandable, given the recent economic climate). In fact, I would say that you need to be fairly well-versed with business terms and the workplace to understand these jokes (which may explain why I'm the only one my age that actually reads and enjoys Dilbert).
For me, I love this! I'm so glad Dilbert is still coming out! Now, if only Foxtrot was making a new anthology and had it up on NetGalley.....
Disclaimer: I got a free review copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.
This review was first posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile
May 17, 2013
You can find this one and my other reviews posted at Slave to Books
Okay, so in order to understand why this book spoke to me in the way that it did, you will need to know some background information about me. Outside of the fact that I am finishing up my BA in English literature, I also work at a substance abuse facility. I was the Director of Inpatient Admissions before I went back to school. Now that I am back in school, I am the department head of collections and their onsite IT person. So, for me this book celebrated the dysfunction I see in the workplace everyday.
I have always loved Dilbert. Growing up, I loved flipping through and thought that the occasional dry humor aspect was amazing. However, as I got older and began working in offices and such, I connected to Dilbert on an entirely new level. My connection to him now is that that Scott Adams has beautifully crafted issues I deal with on a daily basis. I have installed the program in order to read the digital copy provided to me by NetGalley on my work computer. I did this so I can screen cap several of the comics, print them out, and parade them all around my desk. Normally, I'd have the book and be hogging the photocopier. But, alas, this is what will happen until I purchase this copy as a gift for my coworker. I know she will enjoy it as much as I do.
If you go to Amazon.com you can search inside this book -- page 11 last two comics are the two that best describe my life at work. Also, page 25. -
I am a huge fan of Dilbert. I get the day calender every year. So, my review is totally bias, but that's okay. I don't think I've met a person who didn't enjoy Dilbert. My coworker, oddly enough, hadn't heard of him. But, I soon corrected her grievous insult and showed her the ones I printed out. Let's just say: there is another convert. My job here is done.
Rating: A+ -- but did you expect anything else from Dilbert?
Okay, so in order to understand why this book spoke to me in the way that it did, you will need to know some background information about me. Outside of the fact that I am finishing up my BA in English literature, I also work at a substance abuse facility. I was the Director of Inpatient Admissions before I went back to school. Now that I am back in school, I am the department head of collections and their onsite IT person. So, for me this book celebrated the dysfunction I see in the workplace everyday.
I have always loved Dilbert. Growing up, I loved flipping through and thought that the occasional dry humor aspect was amazing. However, as I got older and began working in offices and such, I connected to Dilbert on an entirely new level. My connection to him now is that that Scott Adams has beautifully crafted issues I deal with on a daily basis. I have installed the program in order to read the digital copy provided to me by NetGalley on my work computer. I did this so I can screen cap several of the comics, print them out, and parade them all around my desk. Normally, I'd have the book and be hogging the photocopier. But, alas, this is what will happen until I purchase this copy as a gift for my coworker. I know she will enjoy it as much as I do.
If you go to Amazon.com you can search inside this book -- page 11 last two comics are the two that best describe my life at work. Also, page 25. -
I am a huge fan of Dilbert. I get the day calender every year. So, my review is totally bias, but that's okay. I don't think I've met a person who didn't enjoy Dilbert. My coworker, oddly enough, hadn't heard of him. But, I soon corrected her grievous insult and showed her the ones I printed out. Let's just say: there is another convert. My job here is done.
Rating: A+ -- but did you expect anything else from Dilbert?
May 21, 2013
I always enjoy reading Dilbert comics and when I noticed a whole book of it on Netgalley I grabbed the chance to read it. Some of the comics are really great and made me laugh, while other are simple okay. I like the dry humor of Dilbert and the absurdly situations. While the drawing may be a bit bland the humor usually makes it up for.
I do think it's more fun to read a few comics now and then, then to read it all in one go. So after reading a lot of pages after each other the comics do become less funny.
Overall I did enjoy this comic and still think Dilbert is a great comic with it's bland humor. Although some of the jokes aren't my taste, overal it is worth the read.
I do think it's more fun to read a few comics now and then, then to read it all in one go. So after reading a lot of pages after each other the comics do become less funny.
Overall I did enjoy this comic and still think Dilbert is a great comic with it's bland humor. Although some of the jokes aren't my taste, overal it is worth the read.
June 29, 2013
Your New Job Title Is "Accomplice" may be the 40th book in Scott Adam’s never-ending Dilbert saga but it’s one that shows no real signs of slowing down anytime soon. Fans can easily pick this one up in just about every format available, and those who prefer their Dilbert strips back in their black & white brilliance can easily do this on their e-reader of choice. Then again, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with adding yet another familiar paper square to your ever-growing collection -- you know who you are.
Your New Job Title Is Accomplice: A Dilbert Book Review on Popzara
Your New Job Title Is Accomplice: A Dilbert Book Review on Popzara
May 3, 2013
There is nothing to do, Dilbert and his HR cat are a sure laugh, as well as the Elbonians, the dinosaur Bob and the whole company.
Thanks to netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read a preview!
Non c'è niente da fare, Dilbert e il suo gattaccio cattivo sono una sicurezza, come anche gli elboniani, il dinosauro Bob e tutto l'entourage dell'azienda.
Grazie a netgalley per avermi dato la possibilitá di leggerlo in anteprima.
Thanks to netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read a preview!
Non c'è niente da fare, Dilbert e il suo gattaccio cattivo sono una sicurezza, come anche gli elboniani, il dinosauro Bob e tutto l'entourage dell'azienda.
Grazie a netgalley per avermi dato la possibilitá di leggerlo in anteprima.
March 7, 2013
A cartoon that pokes fun at the worker drone life is always a welcome giggle. However, there wasn't a whole lot (maybe 1... or possibly 2 since the company I work for was part of the punchline) of strips in this collection that I thought were worthy for me to copy and place on the fridge/lead my PPT slide/pass around the office.
I'm not giving up on the comic as my daily read, however, I don't believe this selection captured some of his better efforts.
I'm not giving up on the comic as my daily read, however, I don't believe this selection captured some of his better efforts.
May 8, 2013
Dilbert has really grown on me. When I was younger, it was one of those comics I'd always skip in the paper. Since I've started working for real, though, it just gets funnier and funnier. Adams is great at exposing the stupidity behind much of corporate administration, the idiotic way that incompetence seems to be rewarded so good workers have no motivation to do their best. My favorite moment: showing how every worker has to have a workplace nemesis. Yup.
December 21, 2023
Even the Pointy-Haired Boss takes tips from his own leader, which leaves Dilbert and his fellow overworked employees desperately trying to keep their company afloat as the big heads try and make as much dough as possible with as little work as humanly capable. Adams delivers another witty and snarky collection of favourite strips with this entertaining book. If the head of the head of the top of the chain is confused, pandemonium is the only viable option.
May 29, 2013
What I liked: I’ve never really read comics but I’m on a journey to lighten up so I thought I’d start with this. It was light hearted and fun.
What I didn’t like: Is this really how bad it’s gotten? I think that’s the entire reason I didn’t enjoy this more — I was trying to determine how much of this is really how things work.
What I didn’t like: Is this really how bad it’s gotten? I think that’s the entire reason I didn’t enjoy this more — I was trying to determine how much of this is really how things work.
Read
September 9, 2013"With a new offsite e-mail server, now located in Transylbonia, Dilbert and his cubicle cohorts continue churning out the laughs, keeping office humor relevant and relatable, demonstrating the funny side of the 9-to-5 life. Their latest shenanigans are sure to brighten a dreary workday."
Read more here.
Read more here.
October 23, 2013
Another good Dilbert book. Done in a similar manner of his other books and well worth the read. Scott Adams must have an advance case of sarcasm and it shines nice through out this and his other books. Definitely recommend to any fans of his other books or the Dilbert comics in general.
ARC from NetGalley
ARC from NetGalley
October 3, 2013
Not as drop-dead funny as many of the earlier Dilbert books, this one has a good bunch of laughs and is a fun read. The strips have all the corporate irony that everyone has come to expect from Dilbert.
And it was a Kindle Deal of the Day, so for $1.99, I got all the strips in color.
And it was a Kindle Deal of the Day, so for $1.99, I got all the strips in color.
February 23, 2013
Some great gems about the current corporate climate in the new release by Scott Adams.
March 16, 2013
The full review of this book will be published on my blog at http://paschott.wordpress.com on April 21, 2013.
May 18, 2013
Liked it at first but never picked it back up again. So, I'm gonna mark it as DNF.
Funny in parts. But I just...didn't really want to pick it up again after I'd put it down.
Funny in parts. But I just...didn't really want to pick it up again after I'd put it down.
May 15, 2013
I was excited to hear that another Dilbert book was coming out. However, I found this book to be a disappoint and could not motivate myself to finish it
September 3, 2013
updated for latest trends
October 9, 2013
The sad thing with the funny is that people really act that way.
October 20, 2013
Dilbert never goes out of style! It's a great way to make sense of the corporate culture while LOLing.
Great $2 Amazon deal.
Great $2 Amazon deal.
August 28, 2016
These comics at so true
October 17, 2014
I am an accomplice...
Scott Adams is awesome and right on the mark, as always! This is one of my favorite collections of Dilbert comics!
Scott Adams is awesome and right on the mark, as always! This is one of my favorite collections of Dilbert comics!
August 26, 2015
The title caught my eye, it reminded me of my former employer.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews