Fortune
columnist Stanley Bing offers listeners a two-for-one audio package that combines the newly updated edition of Crazy Bosses
with his recent title Sun Tzu Was a Sissy
. In Crazy Bosses
, Bing sketches five prototypes of dysfunctional leadership: the bully, the paranoid, the narcissist, the wimp and the disaster hunter (a self-destructive amalgamation of multiple misbehaviors and misjudgments). Bing draws from both his own climb up the corporate ladder and current headlines to provide vivid examples of each category, and he offers concrete strategies for riding out the workplace storm with aplomb. In Sun Tzu Was a Sissy
, Bing displays his characteristic tongue-in-cheek wit in examining why lessons from the ancient Chinese philosopher’s Art of War
may not apply to contemporary business struggles. Bing delivers his works smoothly, projecting tones of deadpan sarcasm and animated mockery befitting the often irreverent content. His references presuppose considerable familiarity with the business media, and his point-of-view assumes a decidedly managerial or professional stance. Those who work to live rather than live to work do not represent the core audience for whom Bing serves up his red meat. Simultaneous release with the Collins hardcover (
Crazy) and Collins paperback (
Sun Tzu). (May)
