The Book of Incompetence: How to Recognize It, Survive It, and (Sometimes) Use It

Have you ever looked at a co-worker (or your entire organization) and thought, “Something is fundamentally broken here”? Systems that should work flawlessly somehow implode. Appointments vanish, cars die on the highway, banks close without warning, and the guy downstairs triggers his car alarm at 3 a.m. again. Then there's the donut-shop server who used to squirt jelly at customers for fun.

The common thread? Incompetence.

It's not new—it's been part of the human condition since the dawn of time—but in today's world, it's more widespread, more systemic, and more dangerous than ever.

The Book of Incompetence is your no-nonsense guide to defining it, understanding its forms, and building real coping mechanisms so you don't become its next victim. Drawing from 50+ years as a Quality Systems expert (Firestone crises, Sears disasters, airbag recalls, and 5,000+ workplace failures across industries), James A. Shell delivers the truth nobody wants to admit: incompetence isn't always laziness or stupidity—sometimes it's weaponized, accidental, or baked into the system itself.

In this companion to Why People Don't Do Their Jobs and Why People Still Don't Do Their Jobs, you'll discover:

• A Brief History of Incompetence — why it's endemic and arguably peaking right now
• Lady Incompetencia — and how she differs from her evil stepsisters, Laziness and Stupidity
• The Dunning-Kruger Effect — the most dangerous flavor of incompetence
• Types of Incompetence — Accidental, Systemic, Weaponized — with real-world signs to spot each
• Why employee screening fails — and the hidden risks it creates
• How to land a cushy C-Level job — Hint: Don't be from Akron
• Math-class truancy — the silent killer behind many business failures

Packed with ironically funny (and painfully true) anecdotes from transportation, materials, IT, and beyond, this isn't theory—it's battle-tested reality from someone who's audited hundreds of companies and seen incompetence up close.

Nobody can make this stuff up.

Grab your copy today and start surviving (and maybe even outsmarting) the incompetence epidemic. Perfect for managers, auditors, consultants, and anyone tired of wondering why nothing works the way it should.

About the Author James A. Shell is a veteran ISO9001/AS9100 auditor, consultant, and author with 50+ years fixing (and surviving) quality disasters worldwide.