With Immediate Effect...

About the Book

What could happen to 55-year-old Henry Perkins, office worker, to change his humdrum life? Bored and frustrated in his marriage and in his job, his one ambition is to survive long enough to secure a good pension. Suddenly, unexpected promotion opens up a new world of business and pleasure. How will the inexperienced but honest Henry react, especially to the opportunity to compensate for his lost youth? We watch his response to unaccustomed challenges and to being thrust into the public eye. However, the new life could end almost before it began as factors that he cannot influence can make or break his future and that of the company.

Besides following the engaging Henry Perkins, the story takes a wry look at the absurdities of life in the business world and beyond. Office workers, past and present, will recognise individuals and their idiosyncrasies and all readers will enjoy the barbed comments on, for example, weather forecasters, politicians, taxi drivers, travel, official statistics, acronyms, job advertisements, management gobbledegook, supermarkets, some bizarre newspaper stories and much more.

About the Author

Philip Algar, an economist and writer, believes that he was born at the age of 25, thus avoiding the necessity of developing an early sense of humour to be deployed against school bullies. This encouraged his brothers to claim that later he had entered his second childhood without leaving his first. He regards this as a compliment.

He has actually worked in an office. For some years, Philip Algar was employed by several multinational companies, although, sadly, not simultaneously, before writing extensively about business, economics, politics and energy. Additionally, he has trained many international companies on aspects of crisis management. As there is no known medical cure for the cumulative impact of all this, he has adopted a less than serious view of life which has been reflected in many articles in recent years. He has received awards for his professional activities but has no intention of returning them as a gesture of protest against the way that business is now conducted, largely because he has forgotten where he put them.

Praise for WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT…

Hugely enjoyable and hilarious. Insights abound. Every business person over 45 should read this. Worth several weeks of management training and development courses. (A former senior business executive)

The text romps along, cutting swathes through the ridiculous, often in a manner deliciously short on political correctness. While there is a narrative line, arguably the book is less of a novel and more of a management guide. It is none the less valuable for that…It’s all good fun…A good read, offering a wry look at the absurdities of he business world and those who work in it. (A senior company executive)

Philip Algar writes with gentle humour…The descriptions of the management meetings and strategy awaydays are disconcertingly accurate…I thoroughly recommend this book-it’s highly readable, very enjoyable and recognisable. (A senior company executive)

Perceptive observations of the ups and downs of office life…a quick turn of phrase accompanies a rollicking good read…(Lloyds List Energy Focus)

A witty satirical novel. (Energy Economist)

An amusing read in itself, this book also acts as a highly instructive management guide to handling communications in high profile situations. Highly recommended. (Petroleum Review)

Fiction, but not so far from the truth…A fun read…(Upstream)