Eat or Be Eaten!: Jungle Warfare for the Corporate Master Politician

by Phil Porter

Book Overview

It's a jungle out there. And in Eat or Be Eaten, 30-year corporate veteran Phil Porter reveals what he claims are the secrets to clawing your way up the workplace food chain: using stealth tactics... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0735201439
• ISBN13: 9780735201439
• Release Date: June 2000
• Publisher: Prentice Hall Press
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 1.21 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.0" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

Too true

Based on my experinces in 20 years as a manager, I can guarantee that this book is right on target. This book will open your eyes to the political strategies around you. It explains well the games that are played constantly in organizations. The listed techniques are used by those with political skills just as tennis strokes are used in a tennis match: the political game is a constant exchange that utilizes a wide variety of "strokes". If you are an honest and competent manager who does not use these techniques, this book may help you to defend yourself against political opportunists or failing co-workers who want to defeat you, control you, or blame you for their failures. It may also help you to protect yourself from subordinates who may want to subvert your performance as a manager. If you already politically savvy, this book may still provide interesting and entertaining reading.

Humor with deadly tactics

The author writes with a sense of humor but you get the feeling that he is dead and deadly serious. Master Corporate Politicians are survivors...he is one, he tells you how to become one and tells you how to deal with someone who is one. As my business partner said, "These are the sort of things you really want to do to people but are afraid of the retribution!" Everyone will recognize the people the author describes and the situations that go with them. It really is a great book to have if you are trying to work your way up in the corporate world. However, I did notice that he changed jobs a lot and am not quite sure where he is in his career right now. But he is a survivor on the managerial level.

Primer on Business Politics

Porter tells you about 100+ ways you can be killed off at work. Whether you act or get acted upon could determine when you eat (keep your job and get promoted) or get eaten (get stuck in a terminal job or lose your job). He shares the war strategies in the work environment comprised of surprises and dirty tricks fast-trackers use to get you out of the way to propel themselves to the top and hold their positions.Porter informs, shocks, and sometimes scares in his no-holds-barred, eye-opening, fast-paced, and sometimes chilling look at rising and falling in today's workplace. You may hate the realities of the true stories in Porter's book. Resist the temptation to judge. Learning what really goes on serves you whatever actions you choose to take. Ignorance just isn't smart.Here's one nugget: the likeable and loyal become more successful than the lucid and logical. Porter stresses getting in good with the right people as the first law of the workplace jungle. He also makes a good case for appearances and success attitudes, in some cases more important than real talent and hard work.Here's Porter on his concept of form, substance, and politics: "When you can look like a show horse, work like a workhorse, tap dance your way out of any situation, remember a milion jokes, play the got'cha game with the best of them, hire only winners, use foul language when you need to, and understand the meaning of a title, you're ready to move on to the more sophisticated applications of corporate politics."

Learn the Rules

I worked for a publicly traded company recently. This was my first experience of working for a firm this size. I was suprized that most other employees were relatives or friends of existing employees. I also butted heads with my boss, who arrived at 9am, went to breakfast until 10, went to lunch for 2 hours, had a 6 inch unorganized pile of paper on his desk, etc. This guy was a dud. Anyway, his boss put the spin on me that I had insubordination issues. I needed help and sought out a good book on office politics.This book is it! Phil Porter explains the nepotism and other incest of corprate politics. He decribes the techniques that the MCP(Master Corprate Politician) must be aware of and employ to survive in this environment.I was pleasantly suprised to discover that the author is an Accountant and a military vet. So am I, and I made the mistake of trying to rely on a good work ethic and honor code gained from the military in jobs. I also made the mistake of using logic and ethics in these positions.This book is harsh, funny, and unbelivable. The rule of jungle warfare(real) is that you must adapt to the environment and ever-changing conditions. This is also true in the guerilla war in the cubes and corner offices.If you need help with office politics-BUY THIS NOW!!!Thanks Phil!

Workin' for the Man

Looking back now, I can't believe I naively thought management really wanted feedback, input and insight to the day-to-day operations from a hard-working, independent thinking individual like myself and some of my co-workers. After being duly chastised for bringing up concerns about a new "direction" the department was headed, I almost quit. I remembered a co-worker talking about this book. I ordered it as soon as I left the office that day (along with Sun Tzu's "Art of War"). I got it last night and I can't put it down. This is the straight dope on the Man. It ain't pretty, but it fully explains many of the decisons and actions of management on all levels. The kid gloves and rose-colored glasses are off.