Includes bibliographical references (p. 199-223) and index.

A practical handbook for a new--and slightly cynical--generation. You've landed the job; now you want to make a good impression, express yourself, excel. Unsure of how to proceed? Aspire to a class greater than the one you were born to? Time to put aside your objections to blatant cries for help. Here, author Hustad dismantles the myths of getting ahead and helps you navigate the choppy waters of office life. Drawing on the experiences of twenty- and thirtysomethings (herself included) as well as fictional strivers from novels, motion pictures and television, she shows us where things tend to go wrong in our pursuit of the great American dream. Then she culls the best advice from a century's worth of "success literature" (the books you'd be too embarrassed to read yourself ) to show how work--and even the idea of professional climbing--can be artfully reimagined.--From publisher description.