3.5 out of 5 stars
The author provided a copy of this, free of charge, in return for an honest review.
No one really knows just how many psychopaths there are out there. You may not know one, but you have almost certainly met some, or probably worked with a number. Most of them are the axe-wielding type (thankfully). But they could be. And that is what makes them terrifying!
What are the traits that make it obvious that there is a psychopath in amongst your friends, colleagues or other associates? Anderson tries to answer that question by listing and detailing the ‘twelve treats’ that he feels all psychopaths have to possess. To be brutally honest, the twelve traits that he lists are what I would consider significant character flaws, and the people that he uses for examples are a fairly unsavoury bunch.
He poses the question: are corporations psychopathic? Whilst some companies are good, and have clauses in their constitutions, most have a sole aim, and that is to make as much money as possible for their shareholders and owners. They are legal entities too, which give them certain benefits and privileges; however, they have none of the human characteristics of remorse, empathy or guilt. This company philosophy permeates the entire organisation, changing the staff to narcissists and psychopaths as they emulate the behaviour.
To become a leading psychopath involves planning. And chutzpah, a lot of chutzpah. Anderson proposes a five-year plan that is heavy on strategy and light on detail and how to focus on the end prize. Anderson has prepared a raft of tips and tricks and the things that you need to do and need to avoid, in your relentless drive to the top.
Anderson advocates staying sober at work parties, as this gives you a massive advantage over those who are just opening their third bottle of champagne. They are probably going to make themselves look stupid, or do something completely inappropriate as rationality and common sense have left the room at this point. If they are not unemployable after the party, then they will at least scupper their chances of climbing the corporate ladder.
His second tip is not boasting. No one likes a show-off. Instead, drop snippets of information into conversations. That way, people slowly build a fragmented picture of you. None of these snippets of information need be true though…
For the British, subtlety works. Other nationalities, Americans for example, brashness is their middle name. And they probably have Jr after it too. He advocates gym work to keep trim and suggests avoiding masturbation to boost testosterone and always getting a good night’s sleep. Those psychopaths without a conscience will generally not have any anxiety.
Moving from ‘the swamp of despair’ to the ‘foothills of power’ is Anderson’s next chapter. Here he expands on ways to begin to dominate the office that you are working in, both overtly and covertly. There are various techniques and shenanigans that you could use, including put-downs and virtue signalling and why you shouldn’t beat your new boss at golf.
He suggests numerous tactics and schemes to move up the greasy corporate pole, including befriending someone in HR to get the dirt on your colleagues and aligning yourself with those that can carry you to the top. He does warn that you will need to tread on and puncture some egos in the relentless pursuit of this goal.
The thing with being at work is that for some reason, people are expecting you to work. Anderson has evidence and tips on how to do less than a sloth each day and to still be seen by your boss as the most valuable member of the team.
As you, the acolyte, reach the pinnacle of your achievements, making sure that you, and only you, reach the top means that extreme measures are called for. Anderson provides a list and some robust excuses to ensure that it isn’t you getting your marching orders unexpectedly one day.
And so, you’ve finally made it! Or have you? There is always someone higher up the tree and every time you look up, all you can see is ass holes. And those below? Well, they are after your job…
You may have guessed from the book and this review that this is not your regular self-help book. Rather, Anderson has used a heavy blend of satire, sarcasm and humour to demonstrate to the people that want to read this just how the world is turning out. There are a lot of bona fide psychopaths who have reached positions of power, wealth and influence in the world today. And the places that they are intending on taking us are terrifying. Do yourself a favour and read this to get a measure of what they will be like.
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