Gil Schwartz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gil Schwartz
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| Born | May 20, 1951 New York City, New York, U.S.
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| Died | May 2, 2020 (aged 68) Santa Monica, California, U.S.
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| Other names | Stanley Bing |
| Alma mater | Brandeis University (BA) |
Gil Schwartz (born May 20, 1951, died May 2, 2020) was an American writer. He was famous for his funny business articles and novels, which he wrote under the pen name Stanley Bing. He wrote a popular column for Fortune magazine for over 20 years. Before that, he wrote for Esquire magazine. Gil Schwartz also wrote many books, like What Would Machiavelli Do? and The Curriculum. Outside of his writing, he was a top leader in corporate communications for CBS, a big TV company.
Contents
Early Life and School
Gil Schwartz was born on May 20, 1951, in New York City. He grew up in New Rochelle, New York. He went to Brandeis University and earned a degree in English and Theatre Arts. This means he studied writing, literature, and how plays are made.
His Career
After college, Gil Schwartz wanted to be a playwright, someone who writes plays. He even helped start an improv group called Next Move Theatre in Boston. Later, he got a job in communications at Westinghouse Broadcasting.
Writing for Magazines
Gil Schwartz became a well-known writer, especially for his columns and books. He often wrote about how people act in the business world and how leaders use their power.
He first started writing for Esquire magazine. He had a short column at the back of the magazine about business ideas. After a few years, his articles became longer and moved to the front of the magazine. These articles mostly focused on topics related to business.
Becoming Stanley Bing
Gil Schwartz wrote his first book, Bizwords, which was a funny look at business terms. Then, in 1992, he published Crazy Bosses. This book helped set the stage for his future writing career.
At first, Gil Schwartz wrote his books and articles in secret while working at a large company. His co-workers at Westinghouse only knew him by his real name. But after Crazy Bosses came out, he told his colleagues that he was also Stanley Bing. From then on, he continued to work in business as Gil Schwartz but mostly published his writings under his pen name.
He wrote many popular business books, including:
- What Would Machiavelli Do?: The Ends Justify The Meanness
- Throwing The Elephant: Zen and the Art of Managing Up
- Sun Tzu Was A Sissy
- Rome, Inc.: The Rise and Fall of the First Multinational Corporation
- 100 ... Jobs and How To Get Them
In 2007, he updated Crazy Bosses with new ideas. In 2008, he published Executricks: How to Retire While You're Still Working.
In 2011, Schwartz wrote Bingsop's Fables. This book was a modern, business-themed version of Aesop's Fables. It featured characters like The Stupid Investor and the Ill-Tempered PR Person. The book had illustrations by Steve Brodner.
His most recent book, published in 2014, was The Curriculum: Everything You Need to Know to Be a Master of Business Arts. This was a funny textbook that pretended to give a full business education. It included colorful charts and lessons on topics like "not appearing stupid" and "insensitivity training."
In an interview with Fortune magazine in 2014, Schwartz joked that his information came from a made-up research group called The National Association of Serious Studies. He said this group followed "the highest standards of Internet journalism."
Gil Schwartz also wrote online. In 2007, he started a daily blog on his website, which also appeared on the Fortune website and CNNMoney. He also shared his writings and video blogs on HuffPost.
His Secret Identity Revealed
For a while, Gil Schwartz kept his Stanley Bing identity a secret. But in 1996, a colleague from Esquire magazine told The New York Times that Stanley Bing was actually Gil Schwartz, an executive at CBS.
The Times published an article about it. It said that Schwartz probably would have kept his secret identity if he hadn't been so successful at his main job. In the article, Schwartz didn't say if he was Stanley Bing or not. However, Howard Stringer, a former CBS leader who knew the secret, compared Schwartz/Bing to famous TV personalities like Andy Rooney and David Letterman.
After his identity was revealed, Schwartz continued to write the back page column for Fortune magazine. He also wrote a similar column for Men's Health magazine.
Personal Life
Gil Schwartz was married to Laura Svienty for 14 years. He had two children and two step-children, and he was a grandfather to two grandchildren. He and his wife used to live in both Manhattan and Mill Valley, California.
Gil Schwartz passed away on May 2, 2020, at his home in Santa Monica, California. He was 68 years old and died from a heart attack.
Books He Wrote
- Biz Words: Power Talk for Fun and Profit. Pocket Books. 1989. ISBN: 978-0-671-67414-4.
- Crazy Bosses: Spotting Them, Serving Them, Surviving Them. Pocket Books. 1992. ASIN B00921ILOK.
- What Would Machiavelli Do? The Ends Justify the Meanness. Collins. 2000. ISBN: 978-0-06-662011-4.
- Throwing the Elephant: Zen and the Art of Managing Up. Collins. 2002. ISBN: 0-06-018861-8.
- The Big Bing: Black Holes of Time Management, Gaseous Executive Bodies, Exploding Careers, and Other Theories on the Origins of the Business Universe. HarperBusiness. 2003. ISBN: 978-0-06-052955-0.
- Sun Tzu Was a Sissy: Conquer Your Enemies, Promote Your Friends, and Wage the Real Art of War. HarperBusiness. 2004. ISBN: 0-06-073477-9.
- Rome, Inc. The Rise and Fall of the First Multinational Corporation. W.W. Norton. 2006. ISBN: 978-0-393-06026-3.
- Crazy Bosses: Fully Revised and Updated. HarperBusiness. 2007. ISBN: 978-0-06-073157-1.
- Executricks: How to Retire While You're Still Working. HarperBusiness. 2008. ISBN: 978-0-06-134035-2.
- Bingsop's Fables: Little Morals for Big Business. HarperBusiness. 2011. ISBN: 978-0-06-199852-2.
- The Curriculum: Everything You Need to Know to Be a Master of Business Arts. HarperBusiness. 2014. ISBN: 978-0-06-199853-9.
Novels He Wrote
