How to survive from nine to five

by Jilly Cooper

Jilly Cooper's witty thumbnail sketch of office life - part valentine, part poison pen letter - offers a vivid evocation of the world in which many of us spend a large part of our lives. There will be few office workers, whether they are bosses, sekketries or office crones, who do not recognize the Machiavellian politics and the lunacies she describes. The topics covered by this survival guide range from 'The Hierarchy' and 'Office Happenings' to 'Extra-mural Activities' and 'The Firing Squad'. Early in her career the author worked in an office and she has many friends, including a husband, who still but it will come as no surprise to readers of this classic volume to learn that since its publication she has been self-employed.

85 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Dame Jilly Cooper, OBE (born February 21, 1937) was an English author. She started her career as a journalist and wrote numerous works of non-fiction before writing several romance novels, the first of which appeared in 1975. She was most famous for writing the six blockbuster novels the Rutshire Chronicles.

Reviews

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved Jilly Cooper's earlier books - but that was 50 years ago; you should never go back. What I once found uproariously funny now barely raises a smile; content which then seemed fairly unexceptionable is now pretty cringeworthy. A lot of the comments about women in the workplace I found hard to read in the age of #metoo. I have given the book two stars because it was a nostalgia read and probably shouldn't judge the past by present standards and it DID raise the odd smile

Reread in October 2025 - upped my rating to three stars, possibly because the nostalgis factor was increased after the death of Dame Jilly earlier this year.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite a fun tongue-in-cheek look at office life. A definite historical artefact with much sexism and political incorrectness.

[Eleanor Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Horrendously dated, but still a joy: “Meetings, however, are rather like cocktail parties. You don’t want to go, but you’re cross not to be asked.”