THE APE IN THE CORNER
OFFICE
UNDERSTANDING THE WORKPLACE BEAST
IN
ALL OF US
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About the book Almost everyone is ambitious and wants to get ahead. But what's the best way to do it? Simple, naked Social Darwinism? Become the biggest, baddest predator? The proverbial 800-pund gorilla? Or does nature teach us to be more subtle and sophisticated? Richard Conniff, the acclaimed author of The Natural History of the Rich, has survived savage beasts in the workplace jungle, where he inhabited the corner office as a publishing executive. He's also spent time studying how animals operate in the real jungles of the Amazon and the African bush. What he shows in The Ape in the Corner Office is that nature built us to be nice. Doing favors, sharing food, grooming coworkers with kind words and hot gossip, building coalitions - these aren't just our best tools for getting ahead, they also come straight from the natural world. The stereotypical Darwinian hard-charger supposedly thinks only about accumulating resources. But highly effective apes know it's often smarter to give them away. That doesn't mean it's a peaceable kingdom out there. Conflict and ugly issues of hierarchy abound. But Conniff shows how we can become more effective in our own lives by understanding how other species negotiate the tricky balance between conflict and cooperation. The Ape in the Corner Office connects with readers because it helps them understand what they're really concerned about: How come he got the wing chair with the gold trim? Why didn't I hear that juicy gossip first? How can I survive as that big ape's subordinate without becoming a spineless yes-man? Why does being a lone wolf mean being a loser? And, yes, why is it that jerks seem to prosper? |
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Read more in our Press room and in the Publisher's press release. |
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© 2005 Richard Conniff. All rights reserved.
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