Remarks on The No Asshole Rule

If you work in a company and are concerned, depressed, appalled, or bewildered by the mean spiritedness you see in your workplace, then this book, The No Asshole Rule, is for you. Robert Sutton, professor of management science and engineering at Stanford University, has written a remarkably readable little book about corporate culture and the morale-busting lack of civility in the workplace. More than simply making the workplace an unattractive place to conduct one's business, Sutton tries to show how the behavior of "assholes" - and he's pretty clear about what defines one as an asshole - actually hurts productivity and detracts from a company's bottom line. Hence, a few enlightened companies have adopted some form of a "no asshole rule." No one, no matter how productive or otherwise valued, is allowed to behave cruelly towards others.

I could go on and on about the things I like about this book, but it would be better for you to read the book yourself. Highly recommended. Read it now: Robert Sutton, The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One that Isn't. Warner Business Books, 2007.