The Big Bing: Black Holes of Time Management, Gaseous Executive Bodies, Exploding Careers, and Other Theories on the Origins of the Business Universe – Decades of Humorous Corporate Columns

by Stanley Bing

The definitive collection of thoughts, assaults, and hilarious observations from America’s premier business humorist and bestselling author of Throwing the Elephant and What Would Machiavelli Do ? The Big Bing will be a mandatory addition to the library of everyone who works for a living, or would like to. For nearly 20 years, Stanley Bing’s funny, wise, pleasantly mean-spirited, and at times even useful columns have delighted readers in the pages of Esquire , Fortune and a variety of other national publications. Bing has lived the last two decades inside the belly of the corporate beast, clawing his way to the top of one of the great multinational companies in the cosmos. And he has seen it the high body count after many a gruesome deal, the machine that grinds up the bones of those who stood in its way, the birth and death of executive dinosaurs (and he’s had quite a few lunches with some of them, too). The result is storytelling at its best—sophisticated, amusing, and driven by the kind of insight that only a true insider can possess. The Big Bing provides a mole’s-eye-view of the society in which we all live and work, creating one of the most entertaining, thought-provoking, and just plain funny bodies of work in contemporary letters.

Genres: Business

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Gil Schwartz, known by his pen name Stanley Bing, was an American business humorist and novelist. He wrote a column for Fortune magazine for more than twenty years after a decade at Esquire magazine. He was the author of thirteen books, including What Would Machiavelli Do? and The Curriculum, a satirical textbook for a business school that also offers lessons on the web. Schwartz was senior executive vice president of corporate communications and Chief Communications Officer for CBS.

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I must not get this book. The copyright is 2003, but he writes about 'squawk boxes,''rolodexes,' and paper memos as if we're in the 80's. You have to get more than half way through the book to hear about a PDA...and Squawk Box now makes me think of the Financial News show, not a phone.

He rants about screaming bosses. I think it is dry, possibly self-deprecating humor about sleazy corporate bosses.

I guess I'm lucky. I have never had a screaming, jerk boss. Even in the 90's I do not remember the corporate cultures he is referencing.

I can't imagine how you would spend an entire career with miserable people and not look for a new environment. It comes across like a memoir of his executive path as he traveled from evil company to evil company.

When he finally talks about Palm Pilots, he moans on and on about how he refuses to use the technology.

I didn't relate at all.

[Marathon County Public Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book about office politics and uses humor and self-help recommendations. The author uses information from his own experiences and, although this is an older book, it still has information that can be used today.

The author writes about climbing the corporate ladder and how you should observe your surroundings. Listen to your colleague’s advice while you need to make your own decisions and decide how you are going to handle them. One of the stories that he talks about is that a colleague started to pour himself a cup of coffee, and seems to go into a trance (day dream) and thus over-filled his cup. The coffee ran onto the floor, when one of the other employees said something, he then realized what was happening. Instead of being upset, he makes a comment that was unexpected and made the entire room laugh.

He takes you from the first day of his first job all the way to becoming an experienced professional. What's also nice is the fact that you can read this book a little at time, as it is written as a collection of columns.

Deb G. / Marathon County Public Library

[Stephen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Long book title with very little in terms of theories or even the typical Bing sarcasm that actually worked. The content also did not age well. Disappointing stuff.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have never before read a "Stanley Bing" book before. I thought I was getting a business book, a book with ideas that could potentially help me. Is this book the far from that. "The big bing" is... business satire. Like a "Dilbert" comic strip is. So if you want some good ideas to help you, you won't find any hear. If you want a sarcastic laugh, then read this book. I would recommend a few pages at a time.

[John Bell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I like Stanley Bing in little tiny bits at a time. I suppose it didn't help that I read this right after reading Dilbert. Dilbert was much funnier. Bing doesn't seem to know whether he is trying to be funny or serious. Of course, this particular book is nearly two decades old. Also, I really think Bing should have resisted his desire to write poetry--not interesting or funny, just corny. Still, it was an okay book to read.

[EAL · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hey, another book that I was led to through a finance magazine. Bing's earlier writing isn't as funny as his later stuff. Some things are readily applicable to my life, some are not.

[valpal · Rating 2 out of 5]

mildly entertaining and few nuggets of info, seems to be a collection of columns. Probably won't finish it.

[SC]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/10359789

[Lori Grant · Rating 3 out of 5]

An optional-read book in finding humor in the workplace.

[Shannon Zirkle-prabhakar]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/12768131

[Brad Hayes · Rating 3 out of 5]

No one does sarcasm like Bing.