This book investigates the persistent and often absurd nature of organizational bureaucracy through the lens of Parkinson's Law. C. Northcote Parkinson, a naval historian and management theorist, utilizes his signature satirical framework to analyze the mechanisms of administrative inefficiency. By presenting a series of interviews and observations, he argues that institutional growth is often decoupled from actual productivity, leading to the proliferation of committees and the stagnation of decision-making processes.

Experts recognize this work as a continuation of Parkinson's earlier satirical critiques of administrative structures. Readers frequently note the dry, witty prose style that characterizes his observations on the inherent flaws of large-scale organizations.