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davidr's review
4.0
I expected this book to be mostly fluff--but I was wrong. The book is an in-depth examination of our workplace psyches. Many of our behaviors in the workplace are shared by primates. These behaviors are probably not learned, but are inherited instincts. Our love of hierarchies, our ingrained sense of rankings and status, our fights, our building of coalitions, our understanding of risks, nepotism, the so-called "honeymoon phase" in relationships with new acquaintances, and the use of unprovoked hostility; these are all predilections in our workplace jungle that we have inherited from our shared primate ancestors. Evolution has also made us very skillful at detecting cheaters--as are monkeys!
Status is very important in the workplace--we pay more attention to status than to the substance of what people say. We respond to "key stimuli"--mainly appearances--more than we care to admit. We have deep prejudices against ugly people.
The humor in this book is subtle, but that makes it all the more entertaining. For example, a story is told of a bus company employee who had a receding chin. After getting a chin implant, he rose to become the company president. In general, people are skillful at discerning fakes--except in the bus industry.
Of course, many chimpanzee behaviors cannot be extrapolated to humans. And, some people do not take kindly to comparisons between human behavior and that of primates. But it is clearly argued in this book, that humans are social primates. The book ends with a set of useful recommendations for getting along with others in the workplace. Many of these recommendations boil down to being aware of our animal-like tendencies, and to moderate them.
Status is very important in the workplace--we pay more attention to status than to the substance of what people say. We respond to "key stimuli"--mainly appearances--more than we care to admit. We have deep prejudices against ugly people.
The humor in this book is subtle, but that makes it all the more entertaining. For example, a story is told of a bus company employee who had a receding chin. After getting a chin implant, he rose to become the company president. In general, people are skillful at discerning fakes--except in the bus industry.
Of course, many chimpanzee behaviors cannot be extrapolated to humans. And, some people do not take kindly to comparisons between human behavior and that of primates. But it is clearly argued in this book, that humans are social primates. The book ends with a set of useful recommendations for getting along with others in the workplace. Many of these recommendations boil down to being aware of our animal-like tendencies, and to moderate them.
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