Rayleen said that Several People Are Typing by Calvin Kasulke was one of her favorite books of last year on the podcast Books Unbound. I trust Rayleen because she is full of good recs. (The other host, Ariel, just spent an entire episode waxing poetic about how great she found The Hobbit, so while I respect her as a business person with some hustle, her reader credibility is very low with me.)
This book is told entirely through Slack messages at a New York-based public relations firm.
Gerald has been uploaded into the firm's Slack channel. His body is just sitting in his apartment, but Gerald's consciousness is in Slack. Gerald asks his co-worker Pradeep to help him figure out a way to return to his body.
Meanwhile, the rest of the company thinks this is a bit Gerald is doing to be allowed to work from home more. Also, there's a crisis with a dog food company that has to do a recall because Pomeranians are dying. (Not Pomeranians!) Two employees are knockin' boots and destroying office furniture and another employee is hearing howling all the time. What is happening at this company?
There's a running joke about a dusty stick emoji that is exactly like the potato emoji in my office chat. My boss went to Nova Scotia on vacation and came back with fudge made with potatoes. From that moment on, whenever someone brings treats back from vacation, we all use potato emojis. It's HILARIOUS to me, but even as I'm writing this, I realize it's not funny. ANYWAY.
Will this whole Slack thing be dated someday? Probably? Will it still get to the heart of office culture and politics? I sure hope so.
I thought this was snort funny, clever, and unique. I loved every word. 5/5 stars
Lines of note:
what is a workplace but a cult where everyone gets paid, really? (page 67)
LOLOLOL. This is the second time in a month I've read a book that suggested my workplace is a cult.
cacophony of noise and drudgery but like
something worth returning to (page 216)
This sounds really funny!
ReplyDeleteIt was! I snorted!
DeleteOh, definitely getting this from the library!
ReplyDeleteI once had a running joke about bacon with several coworkers, and in hindsight I doubt others around us were anywhere near as entertained as we were, but we thought it was HILARIOUS. Someone even bought us a page-a-day calendar for bacon (yes, that really existed).
Yeah, the potato thing is not that funny, I guess. But it is to us, so isn't that all that matters?
DeleteI've heard of this book before, but I can't remember where. It does sound really funny, AND I'm going to check out that podcast!
ReplyDeleteOh, I love Books Unbound. They're real friends and I love listening to friends talk about things they love.
DeleteThis sounds like just the ‘Office Space’ vibe I need in my life. Also, I clicked over and both of those dogs are clearly ADORABLE. At first I thought the Pom was the one who played fetch and I thought…huh, I’ve never heard of a Pom that plays fetch before, but then I did the actual thing where you read, and discovered no, that was the other sweetie. Did you know that Pomeranians are the closest genetic cousins to Keeshonden? My cousin and I saw SO MANY when we were in the south of France a few years ago, it’s like they were the official dog or something. I’m not sure we saw any other kind of dog, actually.
ReplyDeleteRed the Pom was THE BEST DOG EVER. Suck it, Hannah. Learn from Red. I had no idea they were so prominent in France! They are adorable little creatures.
DeleteWhen I was teaching, each department was its own cult, and it was so incredibly obvious, especially the Art Department. Others were genuinely afraid of the English Department; take that for what it's worth.
ReplyDeleteHa! I bet you were intimidating to everyone else. The math department cannot compete!
DeleteMy industry has some "cult-like" vibes in terms of how people dress and the typical profile. That was especially the case in a couple of previous jobs where the men seemed to put in a group order from Brooks Brothers. But we are all spread out in different offices so there isn't a lot of camaraderie which I feel is necessary for a cult? So I'd say it's more like survivor with alliances and not knowing who you can trust/who is going to stab you in the back. I'm really selling you on my industry, aren't I? Ha.
ReplyDeleteLOL. It's more like Survivor!! I can't tell if that's hysterical or terrifying. I'm rooting for you to make it through without anyone stabbing you in the back, Lisa.
DeleteOh, I'm so glad you liked it - I thought it was a blast. I am at three schools which means I get emails from three different confrences and whoa. My workplace doesn't give cult, but I feel like some definitely do.
ReplyDeleteI feel like my workplace definitely gives cult, especially when the folks from the education college dress alike on orientation days. Our college does NOT dress alike. My boss would lose her mind.
DeleteThis book has been on my TBR for a while, but just never rose to the priority read. Maybe I'll bump it up.
ReplyDeleteI do think there are aspects of working in theatre/opera that are cult like - I mean.... why else do we work for so little pay in a genre that Timothee Chalamet declared dead?
Ha ha, SNAP!
DeleteOh, Timmy. Do we care what he thinks? (Also, would he be offended that I don't think I know who he is?)
DeleteMy work sometimes feels like a cult where folks poop themselves, require multiple naps a day, and repeat phrases at nauseum, but they also really like books - so they're not all bad. (Ok, for anyone unfamiliar with me, I feel compelled to end the confusion here and admit: DAYCARE! I babysit in my house for teacher offspring). Ha ha. Couldn't resist.
ReplyDeleteMy family, who is like the background workers at my workplace, and I have a few running jokes, namely when a dad dropped off his kid 11 years ago -the first year I was babysitting, I told him WE MIGHT GO TO THE ZOO OR THE LIBRARY (dependent on the weather).
The dad turns to his 2 year old: HEY HENRY, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAVE CHOICES. (choices is said in a high pitched, exaggerated way)
Um, no. Your two year old has no choices in this. I'm the adult. I'm not asking for his input. I'm running this circus and we'll go wherever I decide. My kids and Coach and I say that exact phrase ALL.THE.TIME. When someone is trying to decide between places to go, or what to order at a restaurant, or whatever. There are several other examples like this, but this one is our fav.
The book sounds like a hoot - snort laugh? Awesome.
CHOOOOICES! I like not being a toddler. I do have choices and no one gets to tell me what to do. I mean, I guess not.
DeleteSounds like an intriguing read. I'm all about quirky plots.
ReplyDeleteNo running joke at CheeseGov, but in a former position, I was the guy who was expected to share a dad joke or bad pun every day. The cornier, the better. I took to the challenge like a fish to water.
Aren't you the guy who put the pets in the newsletter or something? Are you the pet guy?
DeleteYes, I am the pet guy! I guess that counts. :)
Delete