I received Gordon MacKenzie's book, "Orbiting the Giant Hairball," from Amazon today. I highly recommend it. The word/message is good, and the artwork throughout the book is amazing. I got the recommendation for the book from Renae Peters, who works for the company that represents me currently, Robert Half. Renae and I had lunch the other day, and we had one of those conversations where you travel across many topics and feel like you're skipping for the good time that you're having. She once worked for an advertising firm in Chicago where the manager there had everyone read a book together once in a while, and this was one of those books. The gist of the book: it's okay to adhere to the direction of the corporation, but don't let it keep you from having a personality. If the hairball is the company bureaucracy, the orbit is the ability to launch off on a tangent that's good for the company. It's okay to color outside the lines. Don't be cookie-cutter. Gordon worked for Hallmark. He found his way into a wacky subdivision of the company, loathed by the CEO for its lack of propriety but respected because it made money. The manager of the department knew how to hire talent, and knew how to stay just close enough to manage but not inhibit. Obviously, the zanies loved working for him. But he talks of getting sucked in and resisting. Smart guy. Good stuff. Read it. | 
