Books in Brief

In-laws and Outlaws, by C. Northcote Parkinson (Houghton, $4.00). Professor Parkinson already knows everything there is to know about bureaucracy, and loathes it, thus qualifying himself nicely to put aside his desk work from time to time in order to record another Law. His latest is set in a How-To Succeed format, not insignificantly directed to the “stupid, idle, careless, uncooperative, ill-tempered and disloyal.” Our loutish hero will, under the action of the law of levity (an extended observation that hot air rises, organization wise), surmount easily the dangers of wiving, punctuosity, chairmanity, comitology (also subcomitology), secundity — until, the last shred of competence safely arear, he gains the presidency of Stupendic Gigantsome Corp.: there no short cuts to learn Parkinson’s Third Law. Probably the definitive dizzy ascent.

T. J. WHEELER

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In-laws and Outlaws, by C. Northcote Parkinson (Houghton, $4.00). Professor Parkinson already knows everything there is to know about bureaucracy, and loathes it, thus qualifying himself nicely to put aside his desk work from time to time in order to record another Law. His latest is set in a How-To Succeed format, not insignificantly directed to the “stupid, idle, careless, uncooperative, ill-tempered and disloyal.” Our loutish hero will, under the action of the law of levity (an extended observation that hot air rises, organization wise), surmount easily the dangers of wiving, punctuosity, chairmanity, comitology (also subcomitology), secundity — until, the last shred of competence safely arear, he gains the presidency of Stupendic Gigantsome Corp.: there no short cuts to learn Parkinson’s Third Law. Probably the definitive dizzy ascent.

T. J. WHEELER