The price of nice

A new study shows that the ability to manipulate others to benefit yourself is your ticket to financial and professional success. So, nice guys really do finish last. This, the study says, explains women's poorer wages and slimmer chances at tops jobs. They tolerate being told "no" more easily than men (that's a whole different conversation).

This would explain the success of tender souls like Donald Trump and John Bolton, the Bush administration's nominee for U.N. Ambassador. Apparently Mr. "T" wasn't available, so Bush chose someone a little tougher.

And needless to say, the rise of Martha Stuart could be described as a mystery solved, but Martha -- to her credit -- always said that a man with the same personality attributes would simply be considered ambitious. Absolutely true.

And I still don't like Stuart, but that's a personal thing. I buy her products because they tend to be well-made. That's why her company survived her felony conviction -- not the quality of her personality -- the quality of her products.