Cubicles That Make You Envy the Dead

Dilbert #46

by Scott Adams

"The cartoon hero of the workplace"
--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 new 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.

Genres: Comics, Humor, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Adult, Comic Strips

144 pages, Paperback

Published November 6, 2018

About the author

Librarian 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.

Reviews

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is Dilbert getting a little more mean-spirited and too angry at times? Maybe. But I still laughed out loud several times while reading through this strip collection.

[Marsha Altman · Rating 2 out of 5]

I used to read Dilbert all the time. I have most of early books - maybe the first 20 volumes - when he was more willing to explore the world outside of the office and try new things. Man, his writing has gotten stale and repetitive. And people complaining about being in an office reads very weirdly in a pandemic.

[Douglas · Rating 4 out of 5]

We all need a little fun read now and then. I might even be in a cubicle right now.

[Ross Vincent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Today (1/13/2025) they announced the Scott Adams was going into hospice - that his cancer has spread and he didnt have long to live.
And then, a few minutes later, they announced that he had died.

I have mixed feelings about this. I have been a fan of the Dilbert comics for almost 30 years - I use to have to file them on the shelves at work, when I was at the library. Then, one day, I decided I would give it a go - and read "Casual Day Has Gone To Far".
I was hooked - I couldnt always relate to things, but I like it.

Then, a few years later, I was in an office setting - and things really made sense after that!! I got the jokes and the overall "wtf" that went with working in an office setting. Then, one day, I saw a CNN article - about the Ultimate Dilbert Cubicle designed by Scott Adams.
It had a fish tank and a hammock!!! A Hammock.
I knew then and there that I wanted THAT cubicle.

Anyway, along the way, I also got hooked on the Dilbert Animated Series - so much so, I wore out one of the DVD disks, from watching it on repeat during a weekend when I was sick. (60 hrs of Dilbert on repeat).

And then, Scott started to change - his politics and beliefs were the opposite of mine. So, it made reading the Dilbert books that more difficult. The one good thing that kept me going was that all of my Dilbert books, DVDS, and self help "business" books were 2nd hand. (In some cases, clearance!). Which meant none of my money was going into his pocket.

And then they announced he was sick - and now, he has passed.

So, in his honor, I read this book (ironic, given how it talks about envying the dead) - but I will not RIP the man.

[Barry · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been a long while since I read a Dilbert collection, so it's tough for me to figure out if the differences I note in the strip are because I've changed (dare I say matured?) or if the strip has changed (dare I say immatured?)

Differences noted:
- The humor is more obvious; the slams less subtle.
- Dilbert seems to be castigated more; is the hero less. It's almost as if Mr. Adams loathes Dilbert and wishes to be rid of him.
- Dilbert isn't even featured in many of the strips.
- The jabs are more pointed, darker, and more sarcastic.

Again, I'm not sure if the strip has changed or if my enjoyment of those features has lessened over the years.

Still, there are some really funny strips, and the skewering of trends thankfully is still present. This book was enjoyable, but I'm not sure it's enough to make me want to read more Dilbert books at the moment.

[Jmay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now that I’ve been in the same office job for 6 years, I get the dilbert cartoons, and especially familiar to me is Wally. I probably identify as the dilbert character but not as angry and I don’t care about dopamine as he randomly does. I was on the lookout for weird right wing politics but didn’t spot anything controversial.

[Popzara Press · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Dilbert’s collection 46 is packed with more robot AI, annoying coworkers and office shenanigans than you might expect."

Read full review at Popzara Press.

[Writemoves · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have all the Dilbert books ever published. I read the strips religiously every day. I have contended that the Dilbert comics are the best business resource in understanding people, management, technology and corporate culture, Plus it's damn funny and spot on!

[Rachel Redhead · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's an an ok collection, though a bit repetitive, maybe because I read it all in one sitting, but there are three separate versions of the same storyline where Dilbert is accused of things he hasn't done because of rumour spreading, all ending in the same exact non-punchline by Dilbert.

[Valerie Watson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't read Dilbert in a number of years and I think it may have lost some of its appeal for me. :-/

[Darius Ostrowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as his early stuff, but still brings a chuckle or two. How Mr. Adams manages to continue to do this is really quite amazing.

[Scott Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A more recent Dilbert cartoon collection (as it involves Dilbert wearing collared shirts, but not the classic short sleeve/flipped up tie). Applies to just about any and all office environments.

[Thomas A. Amrhein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Belly Laughs

As usual, every cartoon is a winner. But no matter your situation, several will double you over with deep, refreshing belly laughs. Good for your health.

[Jeff J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great collection of cartoons.

[SKP · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read and reviewed a couple of dozen Dilbert books, and I always say the same things, basically:
Lots of LOL moments
Does Scott Adams have my former workplaces bugged?
Hilarious!!

[Horia Calborean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it a lot. I was following Dilbert for years and probably read these before, but, collected like this, the experience is better.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I laughed a lot; it a surprise to notice how some situations resembled a lot like reality.

[Jessi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hadn't read a Dilbert book in quite some time and had a chance to borrow this for free so I thought, "Why not?"
Not much has changed. All of the characters are fairly one-dimensional. Nobody likes their job. Management is incompetent. Not much, other than the technology has changed.

[Hannah Belyea · Rating 4 out of 5]

No matter how far Dilbert and his coworkers may get in their menial tasks, the Pointy-Haired Boss and C.E.O will always have their best idiotic schemes to make things deplorably worse - for the sake of the customer, of course. Adams has yet to disappoint with these enjoyable collections of his classic workplace conundrums, perfect for fans veteran and new alike. Best to plan ahead for possible upper level "management"...