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Dilbert #28
Try Rebooting Yourself
It's an embarrassment of riches. I feel like an undertaker who just heard about a bus accident. It's tragic, but good for business."
Maybe, just maybe, the reason Scott Adams is able to so completely and utterly skewer the absurdities of the modern workplace is that deep down he really enjoyed his many years as a cubicle dweller. Perhaps his comic strip Dilbert is nothing more than a cleverly disguised 17-year-long love letter to corporate America.
And maybe, just maybe, monkeys will fly out of Donald Trump's butt.
In Try Rebooting Yourself, AMP's 28th Dilbert collection, the world's most dysfunctional office family is back and doing what it does best. Wally adroitly steers clear of new assignments-and perfects his "work grimace." The Pointy-Haired Boss (PHB) thinks of new ways to demoralize and disenfranchise his employees. (As part of a new strategy to make the pension plan solvent, he reminds employees "Smoking is cool.") Dogbert continues his lucrative consulting business. And Dilbert, alas, he soldiers and smolders on, searching for intelligent life in the corporate universe-and maybe, just maybe, a little action. (Fat chance.)
This time out, the gang is joined by a host of odd (but strangely familiar) guest characters including the clueless Hammerhead Bob, and Petricia, the PHB's fawning but ferocious sycophant. All office workers may now nod knowingly.
Maybe, just maybe, the reason Scott Adams is able to so completely and utterly skewer the absurdities of the modern workplace is that deep down he really enjoyed his many years as a cubicle dweller. Perhaps his comic strip Dilbert is nothing more than a cleverly disguised 17-year-long love letter to corporate America.
And maybe, just maybe, monkeys will fly out of Donald Trump's butt.
In Try Rebooting Yourself, AMP's 28th Dilbert collection, the world's most dysfunctional office family is back and doing what it does best. Wally adroitly steers clear of new assignments-and perfects his "work grimace." The Pointy-Haired Boss (PHB) thinks of new ways to demoralize and disenfranchise his employees. (As part of a new strategy to make the pension plan solvent, he reminds employees "Smoking is cool.") Dogbert continues his lucrative consulting business. And Dilbert, alas, he soldiers and smolders on, searching for intelligent life in the corporate universe-and maybe, just maybe, a little action. (Fat chance.)
This time out, the gang is joined by a host of odd (but strangely familiar) guest characters including the clueless Hammerhead Bob, and Petricia, the PHB's fawning but ferocious sycophant. All office workers may now nod knowingly.
128 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2006
14 people are currently reading
109 people want to read
About the author
Scott Adams
281 books1,305 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Adams was born in Windham, New York in 1957 and received his Bachelor's degree in Economics from Hartwick College in 1979.
He also studied economics and management for his 1986 MBA from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.
In recent years, Adams has been hurt with a series of debilitating health problems. Since late 2004, he has suffered from a reemergence of his focal dystonia which has affected his drawing. He can fool his brain by drawing using a graphics tablet. On December 12, 2005, Adams announced on his blog that he also suffers from spasmodic dysphonia, a condition that causes the vocal cords to behave in an abnormal manner. However, on October 24, 2006, he again blogged stating that he had recovered from this condition, although he is unsure if the recovery is permanent. He claims to have developed a method to work around the disorder and has been able to speak normally since. Also, on January 21, 2007, he posted a blog entry detailing his experiences with treatment by Dr. Morton Cooper.
Adams is also a trained hypnotist, as well as a vegetarian. (Mentioned in, "Dilbert: A Treasury of Sunday Strips 00).
He married Shelly Miles on July 22, 2006.
Adams was born in Windham, New York in 1957 and received his Bachelor's degree in Economics from Hartwick College in 1979.
He also studied economics and management for his 1986 MBA from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.
In recent years, Adams has been hurt with a series of debilitating health problems. Since late 2004, he has suffered from a reemergence of his focal dystonia which has affected his drawing. He can fool his brain by drawing using a graphics tablet. On December 12, 2005, Adams announced on his blog that he also suffers from spasmodic dysphonia, a condition that causes the vocal cords to behave in an abnormal manner. However, on October 24, 2006, he again blogged stating that he had recovered from this condition, although he is unsure if the recovery is permanent. He claims to have developed a method to work around the disorder and has been able to speak normally since. Also, on January 21, 2007, he posted a blog entry detailing his experiences with treatment by Dr. Morton Cooper.
Adams is also a trained hypnotist, as well as a vegetarian. (Mentioned in, "Dilbert: A Treasury of Sunday Strips 00).
He married Shelly Miles on July 22, 2006.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
April 3, 2023
It’s not cool anymore to like Scott Adams, but in evaluating his Try Rebooting Yourself the reader should note that
(1) all the cartoons in this collection were drawn more than a decade ago, before Adams revealed his True Colors*
(2) despite being yucky persons, many artists/performers write or dance or hit baseballs really, really well.
That said, almost all the strips in Rebooting are workplace-related, and some are extremely funny. I particularly enjoyed “The Sales Call,” 55% of the way through the book. Recommended.
*I can’t help it if I’m too smart for the room
(1) all the cartoons in this collection were drawn more than a decade ago, before Adams revealed his True Colors*
(2) despite being yucky persons, many artists/performers write or dance or hit baseballs really, really well.
That said, almost all the strips in Rebooting are workplace-related, and some are extremely funny. I particularly enjoyed “The Sales Call,” 55% of the way through the book. Recommended.
*I can’t help it if I’m too smart for the room
December 14, 2024
More office fun
It's a good thing and a bad thing that the days of cubicle life are dying or dead depending on when you read this review. Cubicle life taught many lessons you won’t learn anywhere else which could be good or bad. All of us learned to identify people who would waste our time or suck the life from us. You see, these lessons helped us outside of work as well. These skills help us identify energy vampires and people who could help us. They were life skills and we’ll have to learn them elsewhere for our betterment. Fortunately we have the Dilbert comics to help us learn. Enjoy the humor and the life lessons.
It's a good thing and a bad thing that the days of cubicle life are dying or dead depending on when you read this review. Cubicle life taught many lessons you won’t learn anywhere else which could be good or bad. All of us learned to identify people who would waste our time or suck the life from us. You see, these lessons helped us outside of work as well. These skills help us identify energy vampires and people who could help us. They were life skills and we’ll have to learn them elsewhere for our betterment. Fortunately we have the Dilbert comics to help us learn. Enjoy the humor and the life lessons.
October 29, 2020
I read this after my husband.
I'd rate this somewhere between a 4 and a 5. I thoroughly enjoyed it (4), would recommend it (4), and I don't know if I'd read it again (5) or not. I don't re-read very much.
I loved the Oz references, especially, the "yellow sticky-note road," as well as who was the wizard at the end of their journey. I loved that there were Narnia references, but the Oz ones surpassed them. The coffee jokes were good. Alice was always funny, and I loved the King Salmon joke.
I'd rate this somewhere between a 4 and a 5. I thoroughly enjoyed it (4), would recommend it (4), and I don't know if I'd read it again (5) or not. I don't re-read very much.
I loved the Oz references, especially, the "yellow sticky-note road," as well as who was the wizard at the end of their journey. I loved that there were Narnia references, but the Oz ones surpassed them. The coffee jokes were good. Alice was always funny, and I loved the King Salmon joke.
February 8, 2023
I am on a quest to read all the Dilbert collections and moving right along with it. I enjoyed this book; always love Dilbert, Dogbert, Wally, Alice, Catbert and company. My favorite was the sequence where Scott Adams appeared in an Oz like storyline…hilarious!
June 23, 2020
Very good as always
If you have ever worked on projects in big companies so much of this will resonate with you. So accurate.
If you have ever worked on projects in big companies so much of this will resonate with you. So accurate.
December 10, 2022
Cubicle follies
Good black and white artwork in sequential form. Contains self portrait of Scott Adams. Anybody who hates college not wits is ok in my book.
Good black and white artwork in sequential form. Contains self portrait of Scott Adams. Anybody who hates college not wits is ok in my book.
July 12, 2025
Satirical comic strips about white collar work life. Some were very clever, others just flew over my head.
October 14, 2025
Dilbert is too goofy and odd at this point. Spoiler alert: Scott Adams incorporates himself in a short line of comics. He draws himself quite funny, honestly.
July 19, 2007
this is a collection of Scott Adams' comic strip from 13 Sepember 05 to 18 June 06 in Try Rebooting Yourself, the world's most dysfunctional office family is back and doing what it does best. Wally adroitly steers clear of new assignments-and perfects his "work grimace." The Pointy-Haired Boss (PHB) thinks of new ways to demoralize and disenfranchise his employees. (as part of anew strategy to make the pension plan solvent, he reminds employees "Smoing is cool.") Dogbert continues his lucrative consulting business and writes a FAQ for the company's web site. and Dilbert, alas, soldiers and smolders on, suffering the office weasels and searching for intelligent life in the corporate univers-and maybe, just maybe, a little action.
all office workers may now nod knowingly.
all office workers may now nod knowingly.
January 23, 2016
We all might have started out like Calvin with a great view of life. But after hitting the workforce we all somewhat become Dilbert. Everyone knows someone like one of the characters in the strips. Highly recommended
September 6, 2007
9/5/07
May 25, 2009
This book contains one of my favourite Dilbert strips: the one where Dogbert is selling insurance. Being a former insurance company employee, I found it hilarious.
August 24, 2009
Dilbert
March 13, 2013
Typical Dilbert. Crappy office job. Hilarity ensues.
January 17, 2016
Scott Adams sure knows how to dig fun at the corporate world. :)
October 25, 2013
Everyone should periodically read a Scott Adams book.
September 11, 2016
I always enjoy Dilbert.
April 10, 2015
So applicable to the office...
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews