I haven't read Marc Favreau's "The Lazy Person's Handbook: Short Cuts to Get Everything You Want With the Least Possible Effort" (Perigee, 2005). It's unlikely that I will, given what I've read about it so far in the reviews.

While I'm an avid follower of anything that eliminates unnecessary steps or delivers results faster without sacrificing quality, none of these shortcuts seems to achieve those standards. For example, the "fastest way to get rich? Marry money." The "fastest way to lose pounds? Cut your daily caloric intake by 500 calories and exercise five times a week." Want to shortcut vacation planning? "Research your destination, check out your passport, set a budget, then call a travel agent." More than shortcuts, Favreau's text seems, from the reviews, to deliver advice that prompts either "you gotta be kidding!" to "duh, there really isn't any other sensible way" responses. Beyond that, some of the shortcuts suggest any advice takers should develop rather basic skills and attitudes rather than rely on the shortcut. Favreau suggests, for example, that a shortcut to getting someone off the phone is for you to dial your cellphone number, excuse yourself to answer the incoming call and return to the original call to announce that "you need to take the call because it's your mother, an important business-related call or someone calling from overseas." One could, I suppose, for particularly difficult-to-finish calls, announce that it's your mother, who is now your boss, calling on important business-related matters ... from Zurich. If that doesn't seem an option, you can, Favreau writes, "ring your own doorbell."

Let's review what seems wrong with this shortcut. First, it's rude to play the "let me see if my other call is more interesting." [Exceptions to this include those who have a teenager who calls only when faced with an emergency or who find themselves in other family-related, heart-stopping crises.]

Second, the fabrication is a convenient lie that will, likely, be recognized as such - especially when invoked multiple times with the same original caller. Third, the need to resort to lies or inserted disruptions such as self-rung doorbells seems to signal a serious lack of assertiveness skills. Why not, instead, learn to say, "I've enjoyed our conversation. I need to go now." Or, "Oops, I've run out of time. Let's talk again next week." Both are shortcuts that do work with little effort.

For all that, Favreau's shortcut for getting a promotion had me laughing out loud. The review summarizes his thoughts into "Perfect your listening skills. Don't complain when your boss steals your ideas. Never call in sick on a Monday. Have something intelligent to say at every meeting, or keep your mouth shut." It's a start. Necessary, but not sufficient. It isn't enough. I'd love to see lots of people use that advice - but I doubt any could report back in 12, 24, 36 or 240 months that, using that advice alone resulted in being catapulted to the organization's highest position or, even, being bumped up one level.

The advice will work - if one adds: learn and use good interpersonal skills; know your job inside and out; consistently deliver excellent work; learn the skills needed at the level above your current one; maintain a positive, can-do attitude; dress as if you're already in the next position; treat everyone with respect; learn all you can about your industry; and become a lifelong learner.

If that seems too onerous, you could consider what Favreau might well suggest in a follow-up, "More Short Cuts ... . "Plan to be born into a wealthy family, marry the owner, marry the owner's offspring, place an ad in the classifieds or gather the dirt on senior leadership and extort your way into the boardroom. When that doesn't work, reconsider the basic truth. There's no sustainable shortcut.