In the spirit of the mega-selling On Bullshit, philosopher Aaron
James presents a theory of the asshole that is both intellectually
provocative and existentially necessary.
What does it mean for someone to be an asshole? The answer is not
obvious, despite the fact that we are often personally stuck dealing
with people for whom there is no better name. Try as we might to avoid
them, assholes are found everywhere--at work, at home, on the road, and
in the public sphere. Encountering one causes great difficulty and
personal strain, especially because we often cannot understand why
exactly someone should be acting like that.**
**
Asshole management begins with asshole understanding. Much as
Machiavelli illuminated political strategy for princes, this book
finally gives us the concepts to think or say why assholes disturb us
so, and explains why such people seem part of the human social
condition, especially in an age of raging narcissism and unbridled
capitalism. These concepts are also practically useful, as understanding
the asshole we are stuck with helps us think constructively about how to
handle problems he (and they are mostly all men) presents. We get a
better sense of when the asshole is best resisted, and when he is best
ignored--a better sense of what is, and what is not, worth fighting for.
