Animals Inc.: A Business Parable for the 21st Century

by Kenneth A. Tucker and Vandana Allman

Book Overview

With its previous bestsellers - First, Break All the Rules and Now, Discover Your Strengths - The Gallup Organization rewrote the book on great management. Now Gallup finally makes its classic, hilarious parable, Animals, Inc., available to the general public. A story that has proven effective and popular with Gallup clients for over thirty years, this tale introduces you to a group of unforgettable barnyard animals trying to run a successful...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0446530492
• ISBN13: 9780446530491
• Release Date: February 2004
• Publisher: Business Plus
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.7" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

Fun, but lacking profundity. . .

I found this book a lot of fun--reminded me of say Charlott's web. (Except with a weird business twist) It contains quite a bit of VERY basic information--explains a lot of buzzwords in a humorous way and by doing so is more honest about management by fad than most of the books I've read. For someone just learning about business this wouldn't be a bad book just to pick up some of the vocab and develop a healthy cynicism of business fads. I personally didn't learn anything new. MBAs can feel free to skip this title unless you just want something entertaining. I personally found it very entertaining--read the whole thing in one day. 4 stars for entertainment!

It is a good and strange book.

When I read this book ,Animals, Inc., firstly I though it was very funny. The authors used the same words that have differrent meanings. It is a good idea. It made me laugh loudly. Some jokes are very nonsense but I like it. ^J^ Later, I was serious about management, business, operation, etc. I didn't have knowledge about these. I though I studied about the process of running Goode Farm with other animals. I can apply to use it for managing in my life. I will say about the plot of this story. I think it was a very good plot. The authors brought many kinds of animals, which have their own styles and different charateristics, to present and run this story very well. They can write the talking scene between animal and human smoothly, but some scenes didn't tell any ideas that wasn't important to know. Finally, I will say the book is very interesting concept. It can draw me to follow. I 'd like to know the next thing that will be happen. It is for people who want to learn about the basic of business with smile.

Learn and Laugh - what a concept

I read this book over two months ago. There are still times when I am driving and recall a character and scene and start to laugh. This is a fun and insightful view of the absurdity that has crept into how we manage people. Setting people up for success - WOW now there is a concept. We hire employees because of who they ARE, and then we manage and "develop" them around who they are NOT! Ken and Vandana not only demonstrate their critical insights around the basics of excellence in human performance, but they offer a practical way to look at something differently. Face it, we have not changed how we manage people in over 100 years!

Very funny and informative

I love this book and will recommend it to others. Not only is it hilarious, but it is totally on target about everything that is wrong with management today. But it doesn't just show what's wrong --- it points people in the right direction: The "animals" do their best work when they are using their natural talents. I was very inspired reading this book, and I am still laughing out loud as I remember some of the scenes and characters. Anyone who works in a company or any kind of organization should read this book.

Finally! A book that talks about common sense!

Tucker and Allman do a masterful job in highlighting what is wrong with corporate America today. We have all watched countless companies jump from fad to fad in search of the next great competitive advantage, only to get lost in a sea of buzzwords which eventually causes them to lose their identity. Animals, Inc. presents this scenario in a humorous way that kept me laughing and, ultimately, will keep me from blindly accepting the next "revolutionary" business idea that consultants try to sell to my business. It was a great book, and a very quick, easy read.