Dumbemployed: Hilariously Dumb and Sadly True Stories About Jobs Like Yours

by Phil Edwards, Matt Kraft

Launched in 2009, Dumbemployed.com has been committed to letting people know they’re not the only ones facing dumbemployment. In 300 characters or less, each entry details the stupid, bizarre, and ridiculous things that happen in the workplace. It’s F My Life for the working person. From the boss whose letter of recommendation merely said “Joe works hard,” to the manager whose “special task” for his employee was leveling up his World of Warcraft character, the laugh-out-loud workplace humor in Dumbemployed includes 800 hilarious occupational outtakes, complete with tips, charts, and illustrations throughout.

Genres: Humor, Nonfiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2011

Reviews

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

How can anyone manage to write an unfunny book about workplace FMLs? Apparently it can be done.
While there were a few funny work-related FMLs included as well, many were just sad. Sad, sad places that the people, whose submissions to dumbemployed website were chosen to be included in this book, had chosen to spend many many hour themselves. Yes, you are dumb and employed if you choose to eat your lunch always in your car when it's 110F outside only so you don't have to interact with your coworkers. Or if you buy yourself flights to California with your own money to go listen to your seagull manager's speech.
What I liked most about this book included the cover (it's pretty, unfortunately the impression of graphical pleasantness is ruined as soon as you open the book and see the horrible font choices used for the submitters's stories), and the table for figuring out if your boss can read.
What I kind of liked were the horrors that were left by the submitters, such as one who was "deathly allergic" to something, and was exposed to the allergen at work (gee, isn't she glad she isn't deadly allergic? Just "deathly" which apparently has no symptoms), or an aging bartender who his customers called old - customers, as in he called them coeds. (And there I was, thinking coed was one of those politically incorrect words that should have been removed from usage while all the other PC corrections occurred in 1970).
I expected way more funny stories in this book.

[Amber Hatch · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this book was an easy read and interesting with a short post about dumb things employers, employees, and customers did. However, at least 20% of it was posted from people who just sounded whiny, and 10% posted from people who sounded like a bully (making fun of what someone wore for example.) All the tips were just pointless and stupid like the author was trying to be funny but not succeeding.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first, I didn't like this book at all. I was thinking that too much of a good thing was NOT a good thing. I could only read a few pages at a time before getting bored and putting the book down in favor of another.

But, once I got past the first section about bosses, I really loved the book. It's weird, because I've had some TERRIBLE bosses.

Anyway, this book was pretty funny in the end and I'm glad I read it. Several of the quips made me laugh out loud. It's worth a look, but it's not the greatest or funniest book ever.

[Alyssa (The Shady Glade)]

Cute. But once I put it down I couldn't pick it back up again.