Let me start this by providing some background. A good friend and co-worker gave me this book for my birthday. Now allow me a bit of a digression in this already digressive background. Among the many other accoutrements around her desk, my co-worker has an extensive collection of Potato Heads and Coca-Cola paraphernalia. I, being of much more discriminating taste, have collections related to Disneyland, Dilbert, and The Tick. This does not include the various other company tchotchkes, conference swag, and professional giveaways we have collected over the years. You may have quickly realized why this book was the perfect gift.

Every human being should have this book as reference on how to make their work area better. Within is a collection of toys and gadgets and geegaws and windups and trinkets that mix just the right amount of time-wasting with that certain panache we all want to exude. These are not accessories, they are necessities. Check out the Dancing Hamsters. Yes, there are now over 40 different variations. Get the whole set. Start them all up at the same time. See if your co-workers don’t stop bothering you when you’re trying to “work” (wink-wink). Next, when your co-workers have forgiven you, get them together to play Shocking Roulette. Two to four fingers are placed in the appropriate receptacles, a button is pushed, and the lucky “winner” is the one who gets his or her finger shocked. Try the Fly Catcher which is modeled after Audrey II (Little Shop of Horrors). Flies are attracted into the flower where a motion sensor activates two petals. These slap together providing the fly an opportunity to join the buzzing fly choir invisible. Or, if you’re feeling particularly paranoid, there is the spy calculator – the perfect gift for the “employee of the week”. It’s a transmitter, and you have the receiver.

Of course there are many old-time favorites here such as the syringe pen (with red ink), the boxing nun, Sea Monkeys (did he say Sea Monkeys? Yes! Sea Monkeys!), Silly Putty, Koosh balls, the inflatable Scream, Pez dispensers, and the perfect desktop computer – the Etch A Sketch.

Suffice to say that this book will provide you hours and hours of wasted time when you purchase some of the items, when you go to the websites referenced in the back, and, quite simply, just by reading up on all it contains. ( )