When Did Ignorance Become a Point of View?

Dilbert #18

by Scott Adams

Scott Adams still has the corporate world guffawing about the adventures of nerdy Dilbert and his power-hungry companion, Dogbert, plus Ratbert and the pointy-haired boss, as they make their way through the travails of modern work life. Only a cartoonist with been-there-endured-that experience could make us laugh so hard. When Did Ignorance Become a Point of View? captures it all, even those Sunday strips that make it into the office each Monday morning.

Genres: Humor, Comics, Comic Strips, Cartoon, Comedy, Business, Fiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2000

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Scott Adams was a defining voice of the American white-collar experience who transitioned from a prominent cartoonist into a polarizing political commentator. After earning an MBA from UC Berkeley and spending years in management at Pacific Bell, Adams launched the comic strip Dilbert in 1989. The strip’s sharp satire of corporate bureaucracy and the "Dilbert Principle"—the idea that incompetent employees are promoted to management to minimize their damage—resonated globally, eventually appearing in 2,000 newspapers and winning the prestigious Reuben Award. Beyond the funny pages, Adams explored philosophy and persuasion in works like God's Debris and Win Bigly, the latter of which analyzed Donald Trump’s rhetorical strategies during the 2016 election. His career took a dramatic turn during the mid-2010s as he shifted focus to his daily "Real Coffee" livestream, where he combined his background in hypnosis and corporate strategy to comment on the "culture wars." This period of independent commentary culminated in 2023 when he reacted to a poll regarding racial tensions with a series of inflammatory remarks. Labeling Black Americans a "hate group" and advocating for racial segregation, Adams faced immediate and widespread repercussions; hundreds of newspapers dropped his strip, and his publisher canceled his upcoming projects. Undeterred, he moved his work to the subscription-based platform Locals, rebranding his comic as Dilbert Reborn. In his final years, he faced severe health challenges, including stage IV prostate cancer and vocal cord issues, yet he remained a prolific presence on social media. He eventually announced the end of his hand-drawn work due to focal dystonia but continued to direct the strip's vision. Adams’s legacy remains a complex study in the power of branding, the evolution of digital influence, and the volatile intersection of creative genius and political provocation in the modern era.

Reviews

[trini · Rating 4 out of 5]

yeah that was pretty brilliant. idk how he managed to make so many relatable jokes at once, and good ones at that

[Vaishali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best.Title.Ever.

[Brentman99 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say that I generally enjoy Scott Adams's books. They are funny and seem to capture work in a cubicle/corporate environment very well.

The only negative comment is that while the comics capture what was going on in the work world at the time, some of them won't go over very well today. However, as a guy who is in his late 50s, I generally enjoyed most of the comics.

I nice bathroom read.

[SKP · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have worked in an office, there is a good chance you can relate well to any Dilbert book. I have worked in office settings, and even though there weren’t any engineers involved, whenever I read Dilbert, I have to wonder if Scott Adams had my office bugged. Always good for laughs.

[Muhammad Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of his best work, witty as ever :)

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5!!

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My happy place!

[Jeff J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a little disturbing Adams has so much to satirize.

[STU · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad.
Will keep reading these.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I thought "how can I review a book of humor? It's to your taste or it's not." But then I thought what the heck. It didn't take me long to realize I needed to take breaks from this book. The sarcasm and cynicism is strong with this one, but man it's funny and brilliant. I printed out two of the strips to put on my fridge. One had me laughing throughout the day for 3 days in a row--just the thought of it.
I once read that Goethe had so much respect for Shakespeare he recommended one take a six month break before reading another of his plays. This Adams book is classic, but I don't need to wait quite that long, and can't wait that long, though I need to let the cynical level in my bloodstream lower before reading another.

[MisterFweem · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only thing that worries me about reading Dilbert books is how much I have in common with Wally.

The one that really speaks to me is when Dilbert asks for nap time at work in order to increase his alertness, and he devolves into hallucinating that French people are touching him with cigarettes. I've had that hallucination myself many times when dozing off at work.

[Little Timmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Duane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great Dilbert book!

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think anyone in the workforce will appreciate this, but mostly engineers.

[Marsha Altman · Rating 4 out of 5]

And oldie but a goodie.

[S.M. Boyce]

I read DILBERT when I have trouble sleeping. It's a compliment, I swear.

[Shaun McAlister · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has the best line of any Dilbert strip:
"Lately, the only thing keeping me from being a serial killer is my distaste for manual labour"

[Jinal Shah (If I Were Marketing) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scott Adams, the king of sarcasm. This book needs no review, no intro. It is classic Dilbert. Love it.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the way the manager "escalated" things, the manager playing Star Wars with flashlights, and the woman who had no sense of proportion. Silliness.

[Tom M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fine Dilbert collection

[DOUGLAS J BERRY · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, ignorance isn't a point of view?

Black and white artwork in the form of comic strips. Alice is my favorite because I am afraid to pick anyone else

[Katie]

pp. 55-60 - B&W

Summary:
Are you frequently annoyed at work? Is your boss an idiot? Does your manager ask too much of you on a daily basis? Dilbert and Dogbert can relate. Their comic strip uses a dry humor to highlight the ins-and-outs of office life.

Visual Keywords:
- multi-panel
- sequential

Text Style:

Potential Readers:
- adults
- office workers
- managers
- working-age people

Awards:
- none noted

Other:
-