Fifty Ways to Work Less, Play More, and Earn More
March 1, 1999
If people bring a playful attitude to their jobs and think of work as a game, the authors believe, they'll achieve more and find the same work more enjoyable. In 50 brief chapters, Weinstein (Managing to Have Fun), the founder of the Playfair management consulting firm, and Barber, a professor of philosophy at Richland College in Dallas, outline ways to make work fun and offer an offbeat guide to career development. Recommendations for lightening up the workday include wearing Tweety Bird slippers into the office ("Don't Be Afraid to Be a Fool") or cracking an egg on one's head ("Turning Fights Into Frolics"). In the title chapter, the authors--who employ the first-person singular throughout--extol the way dogs approach their canine vocations, exhibiting the renowned virtues of dedication, loyalty, discipline and sensitivity. The more thoughtful strategies on display here highlight interpersonal skills such as looking for the good in others, turning problems into opportunities and avoiding stress--and are exemplified by high-profile corporate Playfair clients. This book is certainly more fun to read than conventional business manuals, but readers will have to avoid the temptation to jump up onto unsuspecting officemates. Author tour.