A Devil's Dictionary of Business

Nicholas von Hoffman
July 2005     ISBN: 1560257121

Arranged alphabetically, from "Abacus" to "Zukor, Adolph," The Devil's Dictionary of Business is a sardonic and dizzying tour of the business world. It elucidates business from top to bottom, from the ancient world to the present.

This book is an incisive and entertaining overview of the business world, worthy of its antecedent, Ambrose Bierce's The Devil's Dictionary. Told from the perspective of the legendary Nicholas von Hoffman, it is catty, sharp, funny, mean and informative.

The Devil's Dictionary of Business charts the diabolical terrain of the business world from alpha to omega, with stops along the way to explain the meaning of "dead cat bounce" in stock market parlance, the ins and outs of double-entry bookkeeping and the nuances of Hello Kitty merchandising. An encyclopedic joyride, it is an ideal gift for your stockbroker, bank manager, loan shark or that anti-capitalist, Starbucks-bashing cousin of yours.

Nicholas von Hoffman wrote a syndicated column for the Washington Post for four years. He is the best-selling author of Citizen Cohn and a columnist for the New York Observer.