THE CURRICULUM

More than a full semester's worth of advice on being successful in business.

When the first chapter on a course in business addresses the issue of "Not Appearing Stupid," readers might question the veracity of the contents. However, Fortune columnist Bing (Bingsop's Fables: Little Morals for Big Business, 2011, etc.) successfully combines tongue-in-cheek commentary with helpful advice on common business practices, giving readers a lighthearted yet incisive analysis of the professional world of commerce. Starting with core ideas, such as building a persona in which "craziness" is allowed (but "just a touch. Nothing more. You are simply too small, Grasshopper”), Bing also examines how to sell, market, negotiate, and manage individuals and groups. The author’s delight in his subject is apparent, though the blurred line between spoof and useful advice occasionally grates. Once readers have mastered Bing’s basic principles, they are encouraged to continue on to the advanced curriculum, where topics include crisis management, how to sell yourself as a brand and develop a campaign to sell that brand, how to control the flood of electronic communications and how to interact with the seven kinds of crazy people you might encounter in the workplace. Illustrated with numerous photographs, charts, tables, graphs and formulas, where the math doesn't always add up, Bing provides tutorials and "elective" subjects that, while not mandatory, will "prepare the student for the moment when their mortarboard comes down and the rubber soles hit the road." These include the pros and cons of sex at the office, the care and feeding of senior officers, and a basic analysis of whiskey and cigars. A diploma from the “National Association for Serious Studies” concludes the book.

Humorous, mostly informative guidance to the world of the “business arts.”