Success Secrets of Sherlock Holmes
Feb. 1st, 2013 12:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ivyficIn my last publishing job, I worked for an editor who did mostly business books. The business of business books is a weird one. Cause let's face it, most motivational, be a better manager, run a better business books have no actual content. And none of them are really different from each other. What you want for these books is for them to be picked up by corporations as presents to their employees. That's how business books make money--bulk sales. So every business book is trying to be Who Moved My Cheese. Only you can't actually make a book into a bulk selling success. Which means you have loads of books that sell nothing, nothing, nothing, in the hopes that one book will be GM's pick to give to everyone who works for them.
As a result, there are a billion books that are [insert historical figure or fictional character]'s lessons on business. None of these are written by authors who actually think this person has something to say about business. Someone in the publishing house is just hoping that the CEO of GM is a huge fan of Dracula or whoever and will see a book titled Dracula's Rules of Business and go brilliant! And buy several hundred thousand copies.
Which brings me to Success Secrets of Sherlock holmes: Life Lessons from the Master Detective, an actual book actually available for sale.
Point the first--Sherlock Holmes is the WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD to take advice from. Especially managerial or organizational advice. For god's sake. Why would you try to model his obsessive, drug using, manipulative, information withholding behavior? Can imagine having Sherlock Holmes as a boss?
So what success secrets does this book contain?
Secret 14: Death to Modesty
I'm going to set aside the fact that I don't think Holmes was ever thinking about promoting his consulting detective business when he was immodest and point out that it is only the narrative architecture of the stories that lets us know that Holmes is truthful when he brags. I don't think his general attitude is really one to be imitated in an office setting. That would go poorly.
Secret 17: How to Be a Good Watson
My first reaction to this is--why would you want to be. Holmes manipulates and lies to Watson all the time. (*points at Baskervilles*) I don't know that being devoted to a boss that does that to you is a good thing? And here are some of the tips on how to be good at Watsoning: "Don't want what your partner has" and "Have other interests outside of work" (like womanizing).
Secret 27: Don't Take Yourself Too Seriously
If you look at that and think, that doesn't sound like Holmes, you'd be write. The author doesn't even try to argue that Holmes didn't take himself seriously. His point is instead about Conan Doyle, which says to me that he ran out of points some time ago and was trying to make page count.
Secret 29: Admire Your Enemies
Like killing people. Remember, folks, in the business world it's always advantageous to admire murderers.
In conclusion, the way to succeed at business is to be a misanthropic, manipulative braggart who insults other people's intelligence and ignores everyone else's needs when in pursuit of his passion. Sounds brilliant.
As a result, there are a billion books that are [insert historical figure or fictional character]'s lessons on business. None of these are written by authors who actually think this person has something to say about business. Someone in the publishing house is just hoping that the CEO of GM is a huge fan of Dracula or whoever and will see a book titled Dracula's Rules of Business and go brilliant! And buy several hundred thousand copies.
Which brings me to Success Secrets of Sherlock holmes: Life Lessons from the Master Detective, an actual book actually available for sale.
Point the first--Sherlock Holmes is the WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD to take advice from. Especially managerial or organizational advice. For god's sake. Why would you try to model his obsessive, drug using, manipulative, information withholding behavior? Can imagine having Sherlock Holmes as a boss?
So what success secrets does this book contain?
Secret 14: Death to Modesty
No one ever accused Sherlock Holmes of being modest, much less someone who lacked confidence. At times his attitude was interpreted as rude, cocky, and even arrogant. But in reality, Holmes was simply being honest...He wasn't going to let a false sense of humility stand in the way and block his success.
I'm going to set aside the fact that I don't think Holmes was ever thinking about promoting his consulting detective business when he was immodest and point out that it is only the narrative architecture of the stories that lets us know that Holmes is truthful when he brags. I don't think his general attitude is really one to be imitated in an office setting. That would go poorly.
Secret 17: How to Be a Good Watson
My first reaction to this is--why would you want to be. Holmes manipulates and lies to Watson all the time. (*points at Baskervilles*) I don't know that being devoted to a boss that does that to you is a good thing? And here are some of the tips on how to be good at Watsoning: "Don't want what your partner has" and "Have other interests outside of work" (like womanizing).
Secret 27: Don't Take Yourself Too Seriously
If you look at that and think, that doesn't sound like Holmes, you'd be write. The author doesn't even try to argue that Holmes didn't take himself seriously. His point is instead about Conan Doyle, which says to me that he ran out of points some time ago and was trying to make page count.
Secret 29: Admire Your Enemies
[Holmes's] description [of Moriarty] is also 100 percent accurate and honest. Rather than try to find ways to denigrate Moriarty and boost his own ego, Holmes is clear-eyed about his opponent's talents; he doesn't try to make himself feel better by denigrating the other man's accomplishments.
Like killing people. Remember, folks, in the business world it's always advantageous to admire murderers.
In conclusion, the way to succeed at business is to be a misanthropic, manipulative braggart who insults other people's intelligence and ignores everyone else's needs when in pursuit of his passion. Sounds brilliant.
no subject
Date: 2013-02-01 08:56 pm (UTC)That kind of says it all right there.
In conclusion, the way to succeed at business is to be a misanthropic, manipulative braggart who insults other people's intelligence and ignores everyone else's needs when in pursuit of his passion.
Especially if you work in the financial sector.