Generation X technical whiz, Jack Cooper is an unemployed, workplace dinosaur. Grumpy and sarcastic, he would rather seal his eyes with sticky notes than work in an office full of Gen Y and Z hipsters harping on about dancing-baby gifs.

So when Jack’s pregnant daughter finds him a job at an ultra-cool, tech firm, he expects nothing more than a painful drowning beneath company values and a rapid descent to the bottom of a gin bottle.

Yet Jack needs the money. His wife is pushing for a divorce, his single daughter will soon deliver a grandchild, and his embarrassing son suffers from a grizzly identity confusion.

How will Jack lift himself from his angry 1980s nostalgia and halt his slide into drunken, divorced loneliness? And how will he remain sane while bombarded by Instant Messages, smiley-faced poos, and the constant celebration of mediocrity?

XYZ is a funny, well-observed and wry novel, from Former BBC and Guardian writer, William Knight. Like the good Nick Hornby books , it’s essential reading for anyone in the workplace over 40, and a handbook for those cocky bastards who are not.

If you are into satire, cynicism and dry humor, then this one is for you. readinggirlreviews.com

I laughed and laughed. Jazz Hands. Yay.
Tony (Gen Y)

Finished. Loved it. LOLLED OVER AND OVER.
Ken (Boomer)