Anyone who's interviewed for a job at Microsoft is intimately familiar with questions like the one in this book's title. They've probably also pondered such problems as why are manhole covers round? how do they make M&Ms? what does all the ice in a hockey rink weigh? how many piano tuners are there in the world? Questions like these, which test problem-solving abilities, not specific competencies, are de rigueur at job interviews at Microsoft, other tech firms and on Wall Street. In this hybrid book-it's at once a study of corporate hiring, an assessment of IQ testing's value, a history of interviewing and a puzzle book-science writer Poundstone (Carl Sagan: A Life in the Cosmos) explains the thinking behind this kind of interviewing. In straightforward prose, Poundstone describes the roots of logic questions in interviews (the approach appears to have had its modern beginnings at Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory in 1957), drawing on the history of IQ testing in hiring interviews, psychological studies and interviews with Microsoft ex-interviewers and interviewees, makes a strong case for eliminating standard questions like "What are your strengths and weaknesses?" and replacing them with logic puzzles. Almost half of the book is devoted to an "answer" section, where Poundstone gives possible solutions to the brainteasers. Although it lacks a specific focus, this is a fun, revealing take on an unusual subject.

Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.