Book Report: I Hate People

How many times have you heard me utter that very sentence? I HATE PEOPLE.

Well, with special thanks to my friend, Scott Gordon (The Anti Pimp), who sent me a copy of one of the greatest career-oriented books that has ever been published, I fell in love with the thought that my best work comes from hating people [especially since I do it so well]. Though, I am a little miffed that I didn’t get to use it for my book. But that’s another story.

Once I got the book in my hands, I immediately looked through the critiques and saw Dana Carvey’s opinion: “Ironically, I hate the people who wrote this book.” I was hooked.

So I toted this little jewel around with me everywhere just in case I got stuck somewhere and needed something to read. The best part? The looks I got when people saw the cover. In fact, on a recent trip to Orlando, the gentleman next to me waited until the very end of the flight to ask me what exactly that book was all about. I gave him the rundown and he said, “Oh, good. I actually hesitated to even say anything since, clearly, you hate people.”

I Hate People forced me to go back through the personalities of all the people I least enjoyed working with. Sorry, no naming names today. But, remember that one job I had in college? Yeah. That one. That’s the one I relived when reading this, and several nightmares ensued.

After describing the 10 different types of people you will come across in the office, the authors give advice on how to become the Soloist– the person who can work best when ignoring the nuances of these idiots. And I know I (and probably most of you) have come across each of these personalities at least 27 times in my life, and I know that my work has suffered because I’ve succumbed to their “I’m-going-to-suck-the-life-out-of-you” personalities.

Without giving too much away, I have to say that the authors hit the nail on the head when they said this:

“In real life, however, talented people often become shackled by under-performing teams, slacker teammates, and out-of-the-loop bosses. Small wonder that Soloists hate people.”

Granted, that job in college didn’t require me to tap into my creative side, I still think this is a crucial thought for companies to remember. Because while my “team” was anything but under-performing , I was stuck with the “slacker teammate” and “out-of-the-loop boss.” Which is why, when they asked me to come back, I kindly declined.

I Hate People has a lot to teach you about office life, so if you hate your job, need help producing better work in a crappy environment or just genuinely hate people, then this book is for you. In fact, I’m going to read it again. Why? Because I hate people that much.