Huntington Beach Couple Cashing in With Management Fairy Tales

Books doling out business advice have become hugely popular and profitable. The question remains, though, whether people actually read these works, which are often weighted down with jargon and statistics.

Huntington Beach residents Gloria Gilbert Mayer and Thomas Mayer took a decidedly different twist in their tome, “Goldilocks on Management: 27 Revisionist Fairy Tales for Serious Managers.”

The couple, both health care consultants, convey important lessons in a light, humorous way. “Little Red Riding Hood,” for instance, shows that competitors will take advantage of inexperience. “The Hare and the Tortoise” demonstrates that success is contingent upon having a clear focus.

“We’re not developing new knowledge here,” said Thomas Mayer, who spent nearly two years on the book with his wife. “We’re just conveying basic management information in a more interesting and useful way.

“Goldilocks on Management,” published by business book publisher Amacom in September, is now in its second printing.