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How to Work for an Idiot: Survive & Thrive-- Without Killing Your Boss
For more than two decades, Dr. John Hoover has written books on leadership, creativity, and organizational performance, extolling the virtues of flattened organizations, collaborative leadership, and shared responsibility. His clients welcomed him, praised him...yet (he felt) completely ignored his advice! This book contains the confession of a recovering "I-Boss" (Idiot Boss). After decades of writing and consulting, Dr. John finally realized that the vast majority of people he kept trying to "energize," "motivate," and "enlighten" were, well, idiots. Also he was an idiot for trying to change them. Instead, he has decided to enlighten you, who actually have to continue working for difficult and demanding bosses. You cannot change them. You cannot challenge them. Yet, you can survive them, even thrive under them, if you learn how to deal with them using this book. It offers hope for the spirit and strategy for the mind to help you deal with your work place situation.
256 pages, Paperback
First published October 31, 2003
69 people are currently reading
539 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
February 24, 2016
Part of me wants to give this book a 5 because of the humor and practical advice. There were just a few things that bothered me. I am not sure I'm ready to give up on my justice kick and give into the pressures to conform to society. I also have difficulty accepting that the only way for me to be happy at work is to put on a fake smile and kiss people's asses. It might be true, I just am not ready to release that stupidity and let that void fill with some other crap that feels like a cult to me... I will not drink the koolaid. But, as someone who has been OBLIVIOUS to politics her entire life, and messes something up every week... I needed this book right now in my life. I've had a lot of terrible bosses, and I guess it's now up to me to decide if I want to leave or make it work. Because even after 10 years and 5 jobs, I still haven't found a good one and this book indicates that the odds are not in my favor.
Currently reading
October 11, 2012Reading this to avoid becoming an "idiot boss"
June 8, 2008
Again, another completely over-written business book that takes three times more pages than needed to explain a concept.
The author interjects too much personal stuff, too. I always come to the conclusion with books this detailed that if you need a book this detailed, you're hopelessly in over your head.
Or maybe you're over sensitive. I'm over it.
The author interjects too much personal stuff, too. I always come to the conclusion with books this detailed that if you need a book this detailed, you're hopelessly in over your head.
Or maybe you're over sensitive. I'm over it.
August 2, 2020
Misses on what it promised. Was bored out of my mind after the first 100 pages and lost all hope that I can find something funny it it. Don't recommend reading it
January 28, 2018
3.5 stars!
I will admit: I don't read a lot of self help books. I certainly don't have anything against them, they have just never been my cup of tea. There have been a few I've been wanting to try but there are just so many other books out there and I don't want to waste my time struggling through a self help book when I could be reading a book I know I will understand and enjoy.
As part of my brand new segment, Mom Mondays, that is on my blog, my mom picked this book out for me. This was a purchase from our spring time thrift store shopping adventures. Mom was really into finding books about leadership. I pulled this one out and she bought it right away. When I told Mom about this idea, she immediately knew what book to give me.
Hence why my first Mom Mondays book is a self help book.
Okay, on to the actual review of this book. This book wasn't terrible but it had a really hard time keeping my attention. I often had to re-read paragraphs because my brain did not comprehend what I had just read. However, it actually brought up a lot of good points about what kind of boss your boss is and how you can work with them best.
But one of the major problems it suffered from was weird organization in the first chapter. The first chapter was just a mish mosh of ideas that get expanded on in later chapters. By the time I understood that was what was happening, I was already halfway through the book and it left a bad taste in my mouth and made it hard to focus on the rest of the book.
But this book brings up good points, like I mentioned above. The main theme of this book is attitude. Your attitude towards your boss will determine your boss' attitude towards you. Sure, you are going to have some horrible bosses. That is just life. I don't think I know anyone that has had nothing but good bosses. But when you figure out who you boss is (in terms of personality) and how they work, you can enjoy work (or at least get through the day long enough to get your check).
Overall, as far as self help books go, this wasn't too bad. The author, John Hoover, was from Iowa and talked a lot about Iowa (where I am from!). He injected stories (often true but there were a few fabricated just so he could get his point across.) with what he was trying to teach. That added bonus points in my eyes and made it more personal and the material a little more easier to understand. So, in conclusion, if you are struggling with getting along with a boss or just want to improve your job quality, check this book out today!
Not every boss is an idiot and not every idiot is a boss.
I will admit: I don't read a lot of self help books. I certainly don't have anything against them, they have just never been my cup of tea. There have been a few I've been wanting to try but there are just so many other books out there and I don't want to waste my time struggling through a self help book when I could be reading a book I know I will understand and enjoy.
As part of my brand new segment, Mom Mondays, that is on my blog, my mom picked this book out for me. This was a purchase from our spring time thrift store shopping adventures. Mom was really into finding books about leadership. I pulled this one out and she bought it right away. When I told Mom about this idea, she immediately knew what book to give me.
Hence why my first Mom Mondays book is a self help book.
Okay, on to the actual review of this book. This book wasn't terrible but it had a really hard time keeping my attention. I often had to re-read paragraphs because my brain did not comprehend what I had just read. However, it actually brought up a lot of good points about what kind of boss your boss is and how you can work with them best.
But one of the major problems it suffered from was weird organization in the first chapter. The first chapter was just a mish mosh of ideas that get expanded on in later chapters. By the time I understood that was what was happening, I was already halfway through the book and it left a bad taste in my mouth and made it hard to focus on the rest of the book.
But this book brings up good points, like I mentioned above. The main theme of this book is attitude. Your attitude towards your boss will determine your boss' attitude towards you. Sure, you are going to have some horrible bosses. That is just life. I don't think I know anyone that has had nothing but good bosses. But when you figure out who you boss is (in terms of personality) and how they work, you can enjoy work (or at least get through the day long enough to get your check).
Overall, as far as self help books go, this wasn't too bad. The author, John Hoover, was from Iowa and talked a lot about Iowa (where I am from!). He injected stories (often true but there were a few fabricated just so he could get his point across.) with what he was trying to teach. That added bonus points in my eyes and made it more personal and the material a little more easier to understand. So, in conclusion, if you are struggling with getting along with a boss or just want to improve your job quality, check this book out today!
July 18, 2025
It's one of the worst books I've read.
Bloated with unfunny jokes and basic advice.
All I got from it is that you need to suck up to your boss and always be agreeable no matter what.
Wow, I never thought of that before!
Bloated with unfunny jokes and basic advice.
All I got from it is that you need to suck up to your boss and always be agreeable no matter what.
Wow, I never thought of that before!
November 26, 2008
A twist. It's really about to adjust your own perception of others so their behavior doesn't drive you crazy.
September 12, 2019
Ok I'll be honest, I picked up this audiobook 100% based on the title. I expected this book to tell me that there is one type of idiot boss, guide me through their characteristics, and coach me on how to manipulate them to meet my needs.
Using satire and formatted like a 12-step program, this book uses comedy to outline the many different types of personalities that you can see in a boss. By labeling personalities Machiavellian, submissive, unwilling, or sadomasochist, you learn about the characteristics of that personality type and how you can deal with that particular personality type on a daily and annual basis.
Through my own exploration and reflection I have come to the conclusion that these personality types are limited to bosses. I believe you can find them in co-workers and in subordinates. That means as a subordinate you could be demonstrating the very same characteristics and a book could be written How to Manage Idiot Employees.
The author gives some good advice on what makes a good boss. Here I feel he's trying to coach bosses to see their weaknesses and strive to be the good boss. I reflected on this when I was done with the book and I came to the conclusion that in my past I have been more than one type of boss. Most recently I managed a department with over 40 hourly associates. In this role I acted as reluctant or possibly a masochistic boss. I can point to different times in my career where I have been different types of boss. In the a union environment where I had 25 direct Union reports, I acted as a Machiavellian or perhaps a god boss. As a director-level Supply Chain Manager with only a few direct reports, I acted as a buddy boss. This is not something I'm bragging about, it's simply something I never thought about until this book.
There where are a few reasons why I gave this book only three stars, the first being that is that the audio was a bit challenging. There ware some long chapters that sounded like a table being read. Next the narrator was a bit dry, I had to speed up the audiobook by 25% to make the audio sound less robotic. I believe that this book is a little longer than needed. Coming in at a 12-hours, I feel that there was enough filler material that could have been edited out of this audiobook to bring it down to the 9-hour range. Finally the humor seemed very dark and degrading, and was not my brand of humor. Unfortunately I tend to lean towards Middle School Potty humor not satire.
In general a very good book that can provide considerable insight into the art of being a boss.
Using satire and formatted like a 12-step program, this book uses comedy to outline the many different types of personalities that you can see in a boss. By labeling personalities Machiavellian, submissive, unwilling, or sadomasochist, you learn about the characteristics of that personality type and how you can deal with that particular personality type on a daily and annual basis.
Through my own exploration and reflection I have come to the conclusion that these personality types are limited to bosses. I believe you can find them in co-workers and in subordinates. That means as a subordinate you could be demonstrating the very same characteristics and a book could be written How to Manage Idiot Employees.
The author gives some good advice on what makes a good boss. Here I feel he's trying to coach bosses to see their weaknesses and strive to be the good boss. I reflected on this when I was done with the book and I came to the conclusion that in my past I have been more than one type of boss. Most recently I managed a department with over 40 hourly associates. In this role I acted as reluctant or possibly a masochistic boss. I can point to different times in my career where I have been different types of boss. In the a union environment where I had 25 direct Union reports, I acted as a Machiavellian or perhaps a god boss. As a director-level Supply Chain Manager with only a few direct reports, I acted as a buddy boss. This is not something I'm bragging about, it's simply something I never thought about until this book.
There where are a few reasons why I gave this book only three stars, the first being that is that the audio was a bit challenging. There ware some long chapters that sounded like a table being read. Next the narrator was a bit dry, I had to speed up the audiobook by 25% to make the audio sound less robotic. I believe that this book is a little longer than needed. Coming in at a 12-hours, I feel that there was enough filler material that could have been edited out of this audiobook to bring it down to the 9-hour range. Finally the humor seemed very dark and degrading, and was not my brand of humor. Unfortunately I tend to lean towards Middle School Potty humor not satire.
In general a very good book that can provide considerable insight into the art of being a boss.
March 3, 2019
Книгата не е това, за което авторът и ревютата на корицата я представят. Вместо да е задълбочено изследване на личностните черти на различните мениджъри, основаващо се на наистина богатия опит на Джон Хувър като ръководител и консултант на други ръководители, това е по-скоро писание от свободното му време, без ясна структура, логика и цел на изложението, от една страна, и концепция и методи за анализ, от друга. Аналогията с 12-те стъпки за преодоляване на зависимостите, използвана от групите за анонимни алкохолици, безспорно е забавна, но това като че ли е единственото по-свежо нещо в цялата книга. Най-силно ме подразни посланието, че служителите, работещи за некачествени мениджъри, трябва да се съобразят с това, опитвайки се по-нататък (след като се примирят, че няма друг изход) да превърнат шефовете си от "шефове - идиоти" в добри ръководители. Това означава да се стремят да запазят статуквото и механизмите за подбор на слаби ръководители. За мен е откровена глупост... Разочарован съм от българското издание, което изобилства с правописни и технически грешки. Явно редакторът не си е свършил добре работата и това засилва усещането, че и в оригинал книгата е по-скоро претупано начинание, "облечено" в помпозни фрази. Като цяло си заслужава, но не хранете особени очаквания.
December 24, 2017
Some points I liked:
Keep your boss informed and involved often put control in your corner.
What do you gain by convincing the idiot boss he is wrong?
Don't waste time arguing about the obvious.
Are you being punished for your talent and competency, or are you poisoning the atmosphere around you?
Chinese proverb: if you understand things are the way they are. If you don't understand things are the way they are.
You might be a target for those who want to foist their responsibilities into the first person who will accept them. Becoming a target can also mean serving as a scapegoat for someone's else poor performance. So, if you want to become more active and visible player at work, be aware of and prepare for potential downside of visibility.
October 25, 2007
This book is not only a great conversational piece to have on your shelf at the workplace, it truly is very informative and insightful. It is also a hilarious account of the many situations one may find oneself in while toiling away in a corporate setting. It is a must-read for anyone who does not aspire to be an iBoss.
June 18, 2020
Read it to laugh, and maybe pick up some advice. Too wordy and says much but tells little. Most of the advice is "well, just kiss some ass and you'll be fine" which i personally have a problem with, so if ur reading only for the laughs then it's all right..
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 2, 2009
I think I took away one lesson from this 249-page book: if you can't beat 'em, appear to join 'em. Machiavellian advice for the modern business world, watered down.
February 15, 2021
Honestly, the nuggets of wisdom in this were so hard to find in-between the rambling stories and fluff. The tone was also strange. I have no better word to describe it than strange.
April 2, 2023
2.5 stars. Didn't age well. Long winded.
August 30, 2023
An interesting book about working in the modern office setting, though arguably it could be the office setting at any time in history. The larger the organization the more likely it will be prone to idiot infestation (my insight, not the author's).
the long and short of it is this book is not about changing your idiot boss, but about changing yourself. Idiots are endemic and there is really nothing you can do to change that fact, let alone change the idiots. what is under your control is how you react to idiots. Learning to co-exist with idiots will, in the long run, make your life more peaceful and enjoyable.
the long and short of it is this book is not about changing your idiot boss, but about changing yourself. Idiots are endemic and there is really nothing you can do to change that fact, let alone change the idiots. what is under your control is how you react to idiots. Learning to co-exist with idiots will, in the long run, make your life more peaceful and enjoyable.
November 14, 2024
Это самая полезная книга для любого сотрудника компании, потому что она в деталях объясняет, как вести себя с идиотами "начальниками" и с идиотом внутри себя. При чтении много раз ловил себя на мысли, что у автора действительно огромный и разнообразный практический опыт работы в коллективах. Детально разжевываются нюансы поведения с разными типами "начальников" и самым главным "начальником" - самим собой. Написано с юмором, легко читается, много примеров из жизни. Наверное, это лучшая книга из прочитанных мною о бизнесе.
December 28, 2024
I don't agree with everything the author said (and if he's a recovering idiot as he said, he'd agree I think), but this book did help me in this difficult time: when I transitioned into a totally different working environment (old place: zero politics; new place: even if I'm still not interested in politics, I have to admit with a chagrin: politics seems to be very interested in me! ), I really need new perspectives and practical skills.
The humor, of course, makes some hard-to-swallow practical advice much more easy-to-digest.
We'll see how this plays out.
The humor, of course, makes some hard-to-swallow practical advice much more easy-to-digest.
We'll see how this plays out.
August 3, 2022
A very clever and thought out premise as well as intriguing title. The title hooked me in. Some parts were a bit snarky for my taste yet the ending surprised me as it brought the whole thing together and put a huge bow on it. I am just surprised this didn’t they integrated in to the television show The Office.
February 28, 2024
Доста безполезна книга! Авторът е класифицирал шефовете на няколко типа и си разсъждава по тях. Проблемите са, че първо има евентуално някакво приложение за големи корпорации, в които има мениджъри на средно ниво и второ, използвани категоризации на “шефовете” са силно преувеличени. Същото важи и за примерите в книгата - доста хиперболизирани и 90% фикция, т.е. нищо реално.
February 13, 2019
Buen libro, estratégico para detectarlos.
September 29, 2019
It was cute but not great
August 9, 2025
Sometimes amusing. Some interesting ideas. A lot of redundant information. This could have been a blog post.
November 21, 2022
No lo recomendaría, ha sido una decepción. Resulta una lectura nada atrayente, poco claro, bastante farragoso, cuesta centrarte en él y entender lo que está diciendo, no me ha despertado ningún interés. Le sobran muchas páginas, aunque no es largo y lo leí entero. Craso error, cuatro días perdidos. Únicamente salvaría el capítulo que trata la evaluación del desempeño con los distintos tipos de jefes, alguna anécdota y algunas notas sueltas.
June 20, 2023
BOOK NEVER FULFILLS THE PROMISE OF THE TITLE. This book seemed to be aimed at trying to convince idiot bosses not to be. I picked this book up solely on the title. Therapists say I have justice issues and I do. This book was such a disappointment as the general rule seems to be to change your own attitude and accept the idiot as they are, grin and bear it. NO! And thank god I don't. Every single time I have quit on an idiot boss, it was one of the best decisions of my long life! Life is too short to suffer lame companies and or bosses. I will not put on a fake smile and live a life of quiet desperation (acceptance?) The main theme of this book is attitude. Your attitude towards your boss will determine your boss' attitude towards you. Using satire and formatted like a 12-step program, this book uses (tries to) comedy to outline the many different types of personalities that you can see in a boss. Machiavellian, submissive, unwilling, or sadomasochist. But the book does a piss poor job of fulfilling the promise of the title.
February 21, 2012
I got this because we got a new boss and I thought it was either him or me. The book is great, but it doesn't cover dealing with, well, what I had to deal with. I can't put it in print unfortunately, I'd be risking life and limb, but if you are dealing with the ordinary moron, egotist, psycho, crybaby, paranoid, insecure, narcisist then this book is a laugh riot filled with great advice! It is hysterically funny, it will make you laugh out loud and say "OMG that's MY boss! " for me it was just a great read. Oh btw I now have a new jod! Thank God!
September 2, 2012
As the USA review notes, we have met the idiot and he/she is us. Very funny AND on-target advice on how to survive whoever your boss may be, whether he/she is well-intentioned and tries hard OR they are mean-spirited and suck the joy out of a room by entering it OR they are all about furthering their own career by using you to do so. Also provides excellent advice on how not to be an I-boss yourself OR to work on ceasing to be an I-boss. Did I mention funny? :-)
December 12, 2014
Great book. Half of the book examines different kinds of "idiots" - typical behavior, strong and weak points, how to please or make your boss angry. The other half is about us - and this part I've found the most valuable. Very few books go so straight to the point - every relation has (at least) two sides, so if your boss seems to be an idiot, you'll better start examining your own part. Moreover you cannot change him/her directly, only by changing self first.
February 26, 2015
Not as groundbreaking as it would like to be but has some valuable insights on how people become bosses and how different types act as bosses. The "advice" mostly consists of "get a good boss" or how to please the egomaniacal, credit stealing, unprepared or sadistic person who happens to be your boss. Definitely worth getting if you happen to working for one of those people. I got quite a few laughs out of it.
November 25, 2008
It was excellent. It explained the multitude of bosses out there, and what it takes to work for them.
It's unfortunate, but true of how people behave -- particularly in positions of power. It explains how to keep your chin up and continue to work for incredibly difficult people, without getting all twisted up inside.
I highly recommend it to anyone. Absolutely anyone.
It's unfortunate, but true of how people behave -- particularly in positions of power. It explains how to keep your chin up and continue to work for incredibly difficult people, without getting all twisted up inside.
I highly recommend it to anyone. Absolutely anyone.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews