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Conan O'Brien's infamous assistant makes the case for lazy-faire

DURING SONA MOVSESIANS decade-plus as Conan O'Brien's assistant in the Conan era, she developed a beloved shtick as a sparring partner who binge-watched Friends, did crossword puzzles on the clock, and rarely assisted anyone other than herself. She later created the YouTube series Sona Fixes Your Life and currently cohosts the podcast Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend.

Now she's hawking the bare-minimum work ethic with her memoir, The World's Worst Assistant, out from Plume. With tips on how to nap at work or abuse a corporate card, the book is a tongue-in-cheek entry to the work-life balance conversation. "There's been so many things written or made about the assistant who's just depressed and overworked and whose boss is terrible," Movsesian says. "I thought it might be refreshing to just write a story about the very opposite, about someone who doesn't fully give herself to her job, whose boss is really nice, and who she has a good relationship with."

Movsesian's first call was to O'Brien—a rare request for permission. "Before I even wrote the book," she says, "he was like, 'i'll write the foreword.' " As Movsesian cheekily writes, "Wouldn't the World's Worst Assistant need to be enabled by the World's Worst Boss?"

SAVANNAH WALSH