David a Glazer

Empty Suit David a Glazer

This novel tells the story of an over educated but otherwise unassuming man - Andy Greene - following his life in corporate America, from his upbringing in New York City through his days in college and beyond and into the politics and questionable policies of his tenure in the financial services industry. His scratch and claw rise into the ranks of middle management takes him through boom and bust economies, the stress of his career on his family life, and culminates with his struggles during and after The Great Recession of 2008-09. In his struggle, we see him carry his middle class ethics, his ethnic heritage, his prejudices and his battles to suffer fools gladly into corporate boardrooms and leadership roles. The story is told in flashback, where we first see the older and wiser Andy after a crucial career change, and wonder how he wound up where he is today. Empty Suit is so titled as a reference to those in corporate America who look the part, dress the part, seem to say the right words, but contribute little or nothing of value when it matters. In this story, the author fictionalizes some of his own first-hand experiences in the corporate world, including his development of alter egos to compensate for the frustrations of being undervalued and overlooked in business - as a part-time musician and bandleader, and eventually as a college professor. This story is not so unique; it is told over and over in the lives of countless thousands of similarly situated middle managers who may find themselves in many portions of this book - this trek through corporate America.