Although idiots are barnacles on the ship of executive survival, they can nonetheless serve valuable functions ? as long as they're not in charge,' says business consultant and admitted 'recovering idiot boss' John Hoover. 'The bad news is they usually are in charge. The good news is, talented and dedicated people can rise above the situation and thrive in spite of their idiot bosses.'

If you work for a difficult boss but happen to like or need to keep your job, your choices are limited. Doing nothing leads to resentment, while trying to change your boss is most often futile and might even cost you your job.

What you can change is your reaction, which is the main focus of Hoover's book, offering 'methods and techniques to help you deal with fools in positions of power more easily.'

As a mid-level executive at Walt Disney, a manager at McGraw-Hill, and in positions of power at other companies, Hoover confesses 'I've had a bitter pill of self-aggrandizement lodged in my throat for years.'

When it comes to dealing with an idiot boss, Hoover recommends you first look at yourself to see if you have the same traits. 'Things that annoy us about others are often characteristics we possess,' he says. 'Our own flaws are almost indescribably irritating when they show up in the words and actions of someone with power and authority over us. If you can spot it, you've got it,' he quips.

He suggests that it might also help to identify your triggers and pet peeves, and strive to eliminate them, so your boss can no longer push your buttons. If you can't beat him, you might as well join him because 'Your idiot boss needs to feel that someone is on his side, in his corner, and has his back.'

To muster a little empathy for your boss, Hoover prescribes imagining 'the Idiot Police' showing up one day and taking her away, then ask yourself, 'What things wouldn't be done? Would any positive activities cease?' More times than not, despite the menacing attitude, your boss probably does serve a purpose.

Other advice includes getting along with coworkers and doing little things around the office that will gain notice, like watering the plants or picking up trash off the floor. Also a self-confessed workaholic ? he's been filing income tax returns since the age of 11 ? Hoover lists a serious work ethic as another way to garner recognition.

Dressing the way your boss dresses is another way to curry favour, according to Hoover, even if your boss has questionable taste in clothes or clearly lacks the fashion gene. 'It's hard for people with taste to dress poorly,' he admits, but he contends the effort will pay handsome rewards. 'He probably won't realize what you're doing, but he'll feel strangely more comfortable around you.' A word to the wise though: 'remain aware of how your wardrobe choices and grooming will affect your most immediate relationships. It can be a tough call.'

On the bright side, if you do have an 'idiot boss,' things could be worse. Hoover classifies bosses into several categories ? God bosses, Machiavellian bosses, masochistic bosses, paranoid bosses and buddy bosses, to name a few ? many of which are worse than an idiot boss, but he offers concrete strategies for dealing with each type.

Much of Hoover's advice is encouraging, such as, 'Don't allow poor performance reviews to wound your ego. They are a more reliable indicator of the boss's mood and ability to deal with people issues, than they are accurate reflections of performance.'

The book is loaded with sayings that are both humorous and profound ? like 'Even a broken clock is right twice a day.' 'It's easier to push off toward the surface from the bottom of the pool,' and 'The ways in which we humans think and act are like the tires on your car. You never give them any thought until one goes flat.' ? that make reading this book a pleasure.

But if you do read his book, Hoover offers this sage advice: 'Do not leave How to Work for an Idiot lying around the office, unless it's on your worst enemy's desk.'