Book Description
People who are single are changing the face of America. Did you know that:
* More than 40 percent of the nation’s adults---over 87 million people---are divorced, widowed, or have always been single.
* There are more households comprised of single people living alone than of married parents and their children.
* Americans now spend more of their adult years single than married.
Many of today’s single people have engaging jobs, homes that they own, and a network of friends. This is not the 1950s---singles can have sex without marrying, and they can raise smart, successful, and happy children. It should be a great time to be single. Yet too often single people are still asked to defend their single status by an onslaught of judgmental peers and fretful relatives.
Prominent people in politics, the popular press, and the intelligentsia have all taken turns peddling myths about marriage and singlehood. Marry, they promise, and you will live a long, happy, and healthy life, and you will never be lonely again.
Drawing from decades of scientific research and stacks of stories from the front lines of singlehood, Bella DePaulo debunks the myths of singledom---and shows that just about everything you’ve heard about the benefits of getting married and the perils of staying single are grossly exaggerated or just plain wrong. Although singles are singled out for unfair treatment by the workplace, the marketplace, and the federal tax structure, they are not simply victims of this singlism. Single people really are living happily ever after.
Filled with bracing bursts of truth and dazzling dashes of humor, Singled Out is a spirited and provocative read for the single, the married, and everyone in between.
You will never think about singlehood or marriage the same way again.
Singled Out debunks the Ten Myths of Singlehood, including:
Myth #1: The Wonder of Couples: Marrieds know best.
Myth #3: The Dark Aura of Singlehood: You are miserable and lonely and your life is tragic.
Myth #5: Attention, Single Women: Your work won’t love you back and your eggs will dry up. Also, you don’t get any and you’re promiscuous.
Myth #6: Attention, Single Men: You are horny, slovenly, and irresponsible, and you are the scary criminals. Or you are sexy, fastidious, frivolous, and gay.
Myth #7: Attention, Single Parents: Your kids are doomed.
Myth #9: Poor Soul: You will grow old alone and you will die in a room by yourself where no one will find you for weeks.
Myth #10: Family Values: Let’s give all of the perks, benefits, gifts, and cash to couples and call it family values.
“With elegant analysis, wonderfully detailed examples, and clear and witty prose, DePaulo lays out the many, often subtle denigrations and discriminations faced by single adults in the U.S. She addresses, too, the resilience of single women and men in the face of such singlism. A must-read for all single adults, their friends and families, as well as social scientists and policy advocates.”
---E. Kay Trimberger, author of The New Single Woman
Customer Reviews:
A great consciousness-raiser.......2007-10-05
I just finished this book (which I had checked out from the library) and plan to purchase a copy for re-reading. Recently and very unexpectedly divorced after nearly 30 years of marriage, this book came into my life at the perfect time. I (embarrassingly) recognized myself within the pages as one of those who had unknowingly had the cultural advantages and self-satisfied attitudes of couplehood/marriage.
This book has taken me to a new level of awareness and understanding of society's subtle (and not so subtle) messages about people who are single by choice or by circumstance. Ms. DePaulo's writing is clear, insightful, and humorous. (I found her humor in turns wry, sly, and playful, not at all sarcastic or bitter.) She is right-on in her analysis of cultural views of both singlehood and coupledom.
Aided by the perspective of this book, I am no longer simply accepting life as a single, but looking forward to creating a future as rich, fulfilling, and compassionate as possible. I now view my unexpected singlehood as a blessing that allows me to direct my love and energies into new avenues, including deepening my friendships and providing community service. This book has dramatically redirected my outlook.
Somewhat disappointing.......2007-08-01
A friend sent me DePaulo's chapter headings and they are hilarious! I looked forward to reading her book as an interesting exploration of the devaluation of singlehood. The book's concept is thought provoking. The writing, however, is sarcastic (to the detriment of DePaulo's message), at times embittered, and sometimes tedious (e.g., she'll describe at length another writer's work and then pick it apart bit by bit; she could have instead made her point more clearly and persuasively if she wasn't just reacting to other material). All in all, I was disappointed.
"Don't worry, honey, your turn to divorce will come....".......2007-06-23
DePaulo's book is brilliant, but it made me so angry. Angry at how many couples (from here on, "marrieds") stereotype, stigmatize, and ignore singles, of course! I already knew that marrieds feel sorry for singles because they're "incomplete," "lonely," and "unfulfilled." But not everyone wants the same thing, not everyone wants the conventional, predictable married life. I enjoy solitute tremendously, and marriage has never been my life goal. I'd rather focus on my career, which is more fulfilling than any relationship I've had. I also enjoy traveling on the weekends whenever I want, spending my money how I want, hanging out with single friends (fortunately I still have several of them). Most marrieds don't plan a weekend to go visit a good college friend (well, maybe they will if it's a couple and not merely a single person) and spend money "selfishly" on food, entertainment, and going to take photographs of old nuclear power plants or other unique trips. Does this mean I'm not grown up? no! It means I know what I like to do, so I do it. It's that simple. I feel like I have to put so much energy into defending my contented state, while marrieds are assumed to be content (although I know that isn't always the case, especially since marriage ends in divorce half the time).
I am almost 26 so it's still "acceptable" for me to be single, but people still ask why I don't have a boyfriend. "Don't you want to get married one day?" "Are you dating anyone?" "Don't you want to have children?" "You're attractive, why aren't you with anyone?" (there must be something wrong with you!) I used to feel inferior when asked those kinds of questions, especially in college when people were frantically getting engaged, much like a Baskin Robbins gets raided on the day they sell ice cream for 31 cents per scoop. Better get some before it runs out, ya know. But gradually, I became confident in my singleness by my junior year. This book really reinforced my feelings and it was as if DePaulo was reading my mind for most of it. Especially the chapter about why anybody should CARE if we're single of not? Get a life, marrieds..perhaps you should worry about decreasing your divorce rate instead.
I also liked the part criticizing how society gives a hard time to singles who still live with their parents. I still live with mine but am not "mooching" off them. I pay rent, my car payments, my car insurance, my phone bill, my college loans, and other expenses. I am saving up for my own condo (not because it screams "Single person!" but because it's the only thing I can afford in my area). I have a good relationship with my parents and I give a lot back to the economy, much like the Japanese women. I know that I go out and have a social life more than a lot of marrieds I know. And I'm not going out just to look for a husband either, grrrrr!
I have a good male friend in his late 30s. Some people have asked me if he's ever been married. When I answer No, one of them remarked, "There must be something wrong with him." Actually, there isn't. He just doesn't believe that marriage would improve his life. It's overrated and not a "fix-all" solution. He likes being single! He's happy being single. Is that so difficult to understand? Apparently, it is.
Sure, sometimes I think it would be nice to be married, to have that one person who is supposed to be your best friend, lover, etc. But I'm not going to go around actively looking for it because it's not worth it. If it happens, it happens, but I know I wouldn't mind being single for the rest of my life. I don't need another person to make me feel complete. I'm not going to waste time obsessively searching for the right person (dating is much more of a waste than being contentedly single). Ooh, I must be bitter with this attitude! Sometimes I am, but usually I just think, why try to change my life when I love how it is right now? And marriage could also make my life much worse - you never know if it will work out or not, and you could end up devastated by infidelity, abuse, etc (also true in serious unmarried relationships, i know, but people generally have higher expectations of a fairytale perfect marriage, especially with all that commitment). I know a few married men at work who are cheating on their spouses. Obviously, not all marrieds even respect marriage. How then, can this type of person look down on singles as inferior?
I was especially disgusted with Chris Matthews' treatment of Nader. How dare he imply that because Nader did not consume as much as the marrieds (such as no house, no car), that he was less of a person, less responsible? He is really a thousand more times responsible than Newt Gingrich or Bill Clinton, who have made a mess of their marital relationships. Nader is responsible enough to never embarrass a wife (or any other woman, for that matter) on international television. HE never made a mockery of the all-important marriage as others have done. And he is environmentally responsible for not owning a car because, wow!, he doesn't need one, which makes perfect sense (although not to Matthews). Singles rarely get credit for their accomplishments. I admire him and politicians like Condi Rice all the more because of their singleness.
How are people more "grown up" just because they're married? Nineteen year olds get married and are no more grown up than 19 year old singles. In fact, I argue that 19 years old marrieds are much more stupid and insecure than singles their age.
Have to mention one more thing. Once I was invited on a weekend trip where I would be set up with some guy. But I immediately turned it down because I was buying my new car that weekend. An organizer of the trip then asked me, "Which would you rather have, a new boyfriend or a new car?"
"A new car." Of course. I needed a car, but I didn't need a boyfriend...and still don't.
Singe Edition.......2007-06-13
I had been anticipating the arrival of Bella DePaulo's book for months and read it within a day upon receiving it. Ms. Depaulo could not have said it better when she indicates that not all singles are desperately waiting to be rescued by a mate. In fact many are completely satisfied in their solo state while those who are married may not necessarily be fulfilled. Increasingly individuals are choosing to remain single and Ms. Depaulo helps shatter the stereotypical portrait that has been painted. Bookstores today are replete with kitschy chic lit tales, dating propaganda or stories that glorify mommies but Singled Out is a power piece that raises the individual to the positive and realistic rank they merit. I am thankful for the contribution Ms. Depaulo has made and applaud the sincere and courageous stance she has made in putting forth her writings.
Sherri Langburt
The Last Socially Accepted Prejudice.......2007-06-11
This book is about one of the last forms of prejudice that is still socially acceptable, the stigmatization of people who are single. Contrary to some of the comments made, the author makes it clear from the start that this is not a book about putting down people who are married. The criticism is of married people and others who portray marriage as the only valid lifestyle choice for a mature adult and stereotype single people in such a way that they are portrayed as lesser human beings. I have observed that often, pioneers in exposing stigma of an out group get personally attacked for their "tone", especially if they present compelling arguments that are difficult to reasonably refute.
This is not a book about victims, but rather, a book about the resiliency of single people who have managed to prosper in spite of the negative stereotypes and discrimmination. In each chapter, DePaulo exposes and systematically refutes myths about singles that many in our culture have taken for granted. One of the most prevalent myths is that singles don't "have anybody" when research shows that always single people, especially women have the strongest social support networks. She illustrates how our culture has belittled any relationships other than marriage as unimportant when in fact, friendships and relationships with siblings are just as important and often longer lasting.
The book also exposes how legitimate research can be misinterpreted in the popular media, especially when the data violate cherished beliefs and assumptions. The truth is that singles comprise a higher percentage of households than the traditional married couple with children. While the traditional household is a fulfulling choice for some people, when it comes to marriage, given the high divorce rate and the growing percentage of people who choose to be single and remain happy, clearly one size does not fit all. It is time to stop blaming and pathologizing people for failure to conform to the expectations of society that we all must marry and begin to recognize that differences in civil status are often due to normal, healthy differences in personality and temperament. I have written a lengthier review of this book on my blog:
[...]
Book Description
In this fun follow-up to Killer Heels, Big Apple fashion writer Molly Forrester heads to the Hamptons Zeitgeist magazine advice columnist Molly Forrester is trying to stay out of trouble after tripping headlong into murder in Sheryl Anderson's fabulous debut, Killer Heels. So she is head-ing out to the Hamptons with her two best friends, Tricia and Cassady, to attend Tricia's brother's engagement party and also to take a break from her heated but confusing romance with an NYPD homicide detective. But that's the last thing Molly gets. Just after the party, the bride-to-be turns up dead, drowned in the pool at Tricia's aunt's house.
Customer Reviews:
So-So.......2007-01-03
I enjoyed the first book in this series, but this one disappointed me.
For some reason, it just couldn't hold my interest for more than a few minutes at a time, and a book that would normally take me a day or two to read took nearly two weeks.
I found Molly and her friends to be annoying and silly, and all the talk of designer labels got on my nerves after awhile. I also found it ridiculous that Kyle would put up with Molly, both her annoying ways and her insistence on continuing to stick her nose into the investigation.
I honest can't say for sure if I'll read the next one. Chick lit should be fun...it shouldn't drag you down and make you feel like reading it is a chore.
A Life Well Lived.......2006-12-21
"Killer Cocktail" is a wonderful combination of love, life, and the choices that we all have to make. Against a background of wealth and privelage, three lovely, educated women try to find their way through personal issues, family issues, and the reality that one of their brother's may end up on trial for killing his problimatic fiance.
If you love Kate Spade, Prada,and all things designer ... you will love this book!
'Killer Cocktail' bubbles like champagne..........2006-05-25
Advice Columnist Molly Forrester is way overdue for a vacation from her job at Manhattan glossy, Zeitgeist, as well as her confusing life and romantic relationship with NYPD homicide detective Kyle Edwards. So when the opportunity arises for her to head to Southampton with her two best friends - Cassady and Tricia - for a weekend of fun to celebrate Tricia's brother's engagement, she can't pass up the chance to getaway from it all. But Molly's plans of a little rest and relaxation are quickly dashed when, instead of finding a nice pitcher of margaritas by the pool, she discovers that the bride-to-be - Lisbet - has been found dead - poolside - and the biggest suspect in the case is none other than Tricia's brother - David. Given that the fight that took place between the two lovebirds just hours before the brides murder, it is thought to be a crime of passion. But Molly thinks otherwise. Now, the amateur sleuth must head back to the Big Apple, where she plans on following a trail of lies, sex, and streaming video of the bride-to-be before her grisly death, and figure out who the true murderer is, before David ends up behind bars. The only problem is that her boyfriend, Kyle Edwards, keeps getting way too involved in the case, and taking Molly's mind off of the clues she's already found. The other problem being that she's receiving threats that could leave her in the same position as Lisbet - dead.
Sheryl J. Anderson has done it again - woven a creative, hip, fun sequel to KILLER HEELS that is sure to please the amateur sleuth, SEX AND THE CITY crowd, and keep them coming back for more. As always, Anderson has blended the witty, different as night and day personalities of Molly and her two pals, Tricia and Cassady, to create a unique cast of characters who are easy to identify with, and enjoy from page to page. Sprinkled with fashion commentary on each page will keep the fashionistas happy, while the developing relationship between Molly and her on-the-rocks status with Kyle will bring a smile to the lips of romance readers. KILLER COCKTAIL bubbles like champagne, and will keep readers on edge waiting for the next installment into Molly's hectic - fashion-filled - life.
Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper
Killer Cocktail.......2006-05-21
If you're looking for a chick lit book type mystery you've found it. It's fast paced and fun until the last page.
Perfect to bring for a day at the beach or sitting by the pool.
Did not disappoint.......2006-05-09
Killer Cocktail was a great debut and Killer Cocktail (the second in the series) did not disappoint. Love the friendship between Molly and her friends and who wouldn't want a guy like Kyle in their lives? I can't wait for Killer Deal to come out in paperback!
Average customer rating:
- What a hoot!
- Not even worthy of being called Dirt
- another good barrington novel
- Man oh man! Is this the same guy that wrote "Chiefs"?
- Very enjoyable!
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Dirt: A Novel
Stuart Woods
Manufacturer: Harpercollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 United States
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ASIN: 0060176660 |
Amazon.com
Woods seems to write smooth and solid thrillers as fast as most of us read them. Cop-turned-lawyer Stone Barrington of New York Dead returns with all his street smarts intact in this story about a powerful gossipmonger who has the tables turned when dirty pictures of her start appearing on fax machines across the country. The characters are so rich, famous, and upscale that you might get a nosebleed, but Woods has a light, deft touch that makes the book hard to resist.
Book Description
Coming on the heels of his bestselling Choke, and Imperfect Strangers, Stuart Woods brings back one of his best loved characters, Stone Barrington, who most recently appears in New York Dead, in a fast paced, rollercoaster ride through the high-profile world of celebrity gossip.
Feared and disliked for both her poison pen and ice queen persona, bi-coastal gossip columnist Amanda Dart finds the tables have turned. The unwitting victim of an anonymous gossipmonger who is faxing to national opinion makers an outrageous scandal sheet revealing the details of her on-going indiscretions with a nationally known takeover artist, Amanda enlists the help of New York lawyer and investigator Stone Barrington to learn the identity of the faxer. Everybody is a suspect in the world of tabloid journalism. As the faxes grow more scathing and begin to expose the peccadilloes of not only Amanda but other members of the gossip community, Barrington winds up with more leads than he can handle, and an employer who is about to take matters dangerously into her own hands. The world of gossip is turned on its head. It becomes clear to Stone that even the most respected members of the social scene will stop at nothing - even murder - to clear their names.
Irresistible as only good gossip can be, Dirt is a mesmerising tale of betrayal and murder set against a backdrop of the fast-paced Manhattan tabloid business; it is filled with the twists and turns that have made Stuart Woods's nocels international hits.
Download Description
E-book Extra: 'We Are Very Different People": Stuart Woods on Stone Barrington. The tables have turned on ice-queen gossip columnist Amanda Dart: someone is faxing the scathing details of her sexual indiscretions to national opinion makers. Amanda turns to Stone Barrington -- ex-cop, fulltime lawyer, and sometime investigator -- for help.
Customer Reviews:
What a hoot!.......2006-04-12
This book was a hoot and a half to read - a vicious gossip-monger who has always been careful to keep her own dirty laundry hidden finds out she hasn't done as good a job as she would like and finds the tables turned. She turns to Stone Barrington to get help. As things progress, more and more of the high and mighty find themselves being drug through the mud. I had lots of good laughs in this, and of course the suspense was great as well. The twists and turns were everything you would expect out of Stuart Woods and more and the mystery plotting was tight. Expect some pins and needles, because you're not going to want to put it down - you'll sit right where you are until you're finished!
Not even worthy of being called Dirt.......2005-03-19
My first Stuart Woods book and I'm not likely to pick up another. Not a likeable character to be found other than the domestic help. I didn't care what happened to anyone.
another good barrington novel.......2004-10-28
This is the third Barrington novel I've read and I have to say that Woods keeps the plots pretty interesting...they're not all just murder mysteries...
now, that being said..there's some things that I don't like as well....Stone's morals are a bit iffy at times with certain things...let's just say that I don't feel bad for him if he doesn't have luck with the ladies =)
anyway..I read this in about two days..the pages go by really quick and it left me always wanting to know what the next page held...
very entertaining read
Man oh man! Is this the same guy that wrote "Chiefs"?.......2004-10-14
I ask the question because 'Chiefs' was an absolutely fantastic novel. One of my favorites. This story is easy to read, quick-moving and entertaining but, for me, ultimately it is disappointing because I know that he could do sooooooo much better. If you've never read Stuart Woods, read 'Chiefs' and maybe you'd be better off just walking away.
So, why am I irritated? The characters are two-dimensional cutouts of what we might suspect the rich and the famous are really like. They reminded me of unpleasant parodies of the Howells from Gilligan's Island. Woods can do so much more.
To be fair, I guess I'm really irritated to see a man who showed so much early promise resort to being a hack writer, pounding out the same story time after time. I tolerate, in fact, I revel in it when it comes to Robert Parker. But in the case of Stuart Woods - what an incredible waste of writing talent!
Very enjoyable!.......2004-08-03
Heard the taped version of DIRT by Stuart Woods . . . this is an engrossing novel about a lawyer, Stone Barrington, who is asked to investigate gossip being spread about a New York
columnist . . . there are lots of twists and turns, as well as suspense, and the story kept my attention until the very end . . . the narration by Tony Roberts was as good as any I've ever heard.
Book Description
"Somehow or other I seem to have slipped in between all the 'schools,' " observed Nathanael West the year before his untimely death in 1940. "My books meet no needs except my own, their circulation is practically private and I'm lucky to be published." Yet today, West is widely recognized as a prophetic writer whose dark and comic vision of
a society obsessed with mass-
produced fantasies foretold much
of what was to come in American life.
Miss Lonelyhearts (1933), which West envisioned as "a novel in the form of a comic strip," tells of an advice-to-the-lovelorn columnist who becomes tragically embroiled in the desperate lives of his readers. The Day of the Locust (1939) is West's great dystopian Hollywood novel based on his experiences at the seedy fringes of the movie industry.
"The work of Nathanael West, savagely, comically, tragically original, has come into its own," said novelist and screenwriter Budd Schulberg. "A new public [has] discovered in the writings of West a brilliant reflection of its own sense of chaos and helplessness in a world running more to madness than to reason."
Customer Reviews:
Reader beware.......2007-05-17
Wow. Much like Paul Bowles, this author takes no prisoners. May I suggest that you be in a stable frame of mind before reading this novel, lest it prove to be one unsettling factor too many for you. I found myself to be none too comfortable to be counted as a member of the human race at the end of this book. Written at about the same time as Raymond Chandler's early novels and set in the same real estate, The Day of the Locust is about five times as sordid. It is totally original and totally unpredictable, except for the scent of doom that pervades it from the opening page. You know that the author was writing about what he saw. Los Angeles and Hollywood were rotten seventy years ago. What must they be like now? West covers so much ground, with such economy, and it's all so readable. This devastating work is a remarkable achievement. What a staggering loss that Nathanael West died so young. And what a surprise to find Homer Simpson hiding out in such a fine novel. Highly recommended.
"Every Man His Own Carver".......2006-12-30
In both of these stunning novellas - one set in New York, the other in Los Angeles - Nathanael West shows us a world without a center, one in which the various characters are therefore free to pursue their own idiosyncratic notions of bliss. Conspicuously absent is any widely accepted code of manners which might have a tonic influence in shaping character and aspiration, or even at lowest ebb in keeping people more recognizably human than grotesque. Thus the considerable element of the distorted which figures strongly in each of these pieces. Shrike in "Miss Lonelyhearts" and Faye Greener in "Day of the Locust" are each self-absorbed to a freakish degree, though West's point in such satiric but painful drawing is to bring contemporary readers to see the frighteningly normal in such freakishness, the unacknowledged bizarreness in modern everyday behavior.
Only because it was assigned.......2006-10-17
I wish there was a rating under one star. I'm supposed to read this for a class, but, in rare fashion, I doubt that I will finish the novel. I realize this is supposed to be surreal, but must I sacrifice plot and character to immerse myself in "literature"?
Maybe I'm a product of the times, but a plot which is at least interesting would be nice, even if I don't care about the characters. Please: Barth, Barthleme, and Pynchon write complex, surrealistic fiction, but also give us characters we can care about and plots which fascinate.
The Torture Of Conciousness.......2005-11-18
Nathanael West was well practiced in the arts of revelation and cruelty that go way beyond what we normally think of as satire. "Miss Lonelyhearts" alone is a dark and disturbing jewel in his very strange crown. It bites the reader softly and injects a moral venom into the reader giving her over to experiences of psychological subtley and derangement that make ordinary psychological novels seem pedestrian - excercises in mere cataloguing. "Miss Lonelyhearts" is a visionary experience.
I wonder if Thomas Harris, the author of "Silence of the Lambs" got any of his inspiration for Hannibal Lector from the character of Shrike. Shrike is very bad. He is a sort of demonic being who cares enough about his victims to give them the very best in a form of torture that interrogates their souls and illuminates every last particle of illusion he finds in them. He doesn't eat their livers with fauva beans and a nice chiante because he doesn't need to. Showing them the nature of their souls in the hellish light of his inquiry is more than enough nourishment for him.
He is happy. He finds it no sin to labor in his vocation.
Miss Lonelyhearts himself is an abusive Christ figure who dies for no one's sins other than his own. He is a directionless victim full of lust and a malice disguised as compassion. He was born for ruin and his death is the exact opposite of anything we would ever call an apotheosis. No one's sins are redeemed. They are confirmed.
Nathanael West apparently was a self-hating jew but his moral rigor is so savage and extreme methinks he might be best thought of as a literary satanist come to torment and educate us all through demonic revelries that move in slow motion. I can't remember if there are very many colors described in this little poisonous novel because the whole effect on my inner eye is a dark wastescape composed of tones in black, false-white, and endlessly arranged shades of gray.
Surely "Miss Lonelyhearts" was one of the best novels of the twentieth century but hardly anybody has heard of it. I recommend it strongly to those who prefer their humor as black as the pit of hell, but hidden behind a sunlight that tortures the ground until spikes of grass grow up.
Surreal and Scathing.......2005-10-21
West always reminds me of Fitzy. Extremely cynical views on love and the America dream.
Average customer rating:
- It's kinda OK...
- Fun, yet helpful
- Too Smug says it all
- Funny, raunchy, and surprisingly moral
- Funny, raunchy, and surprisingly moral
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Savage Love: Straight Answers from America's Most Popular Sex Columnist
Dan Savage
Manufacturer: Plume
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0452278155 |
Book Description
Welcome to the hot new wave of writing about sex: Savage Love. Columnist Dan Savage has hand-picked over 300 letters from six years worth of "Savage Love," a no-holds-barred syndicated sex-advice column which runs in 16 papers in the United States and Canada, including The Village Voice and the San Francisco Weekly. An original and funny thinker, thrashing around in the playground of human sexuality, Savage advises on a wide range of titillating topics: * What is the best seduction music? * How do I come out to my fundamentalist parents? * What is so wonderful about intercourse, anyway? Forget Anka Radakovich and Isadora Altman. Tune in to Dan Savage as he answers these questions and much more in his own uniquely irreverent and sexually spunky style.
Download Description
'An original and funny thinker, trashing around in the playground of human sexuality, Savage advises on a wide range of titillating topics. 304 pp. National publicity. Author tour. On-line promo. 25,000 print.
Customer Reviews:
It's kinda OK..........2007-04-07
According to the author, who is gay, he writes for straights in his column of which this book is a compilation. Personally, I didn't find it all that enlightening. Maybe he just picks the letters to which he can give a humorous response and the purpose of his columns isn't actually to instruct. The answers to his readers' questions were often flippant and dismissive. However, I did enjoy Dan Savage's other book "The Kid". If you're looking for humor of a sort, you might enjoy this book. If you're looking for answers about sex - keep looking.
Fun, yet helpful.......2007-01-09
I knew going in, that reading Savage Love was going to be fun and it was. But since this collection of advice columns was the actual advice, from time to time, because I could relate to what was being asked, the advice was helpful.
Too Smug says it all.......2003-07-22
Yep, he's harsh sometimes and not that big on empathy - but it isn't worth the trouble to empathize with everyone. And he gives good advice. Mostly though, empathy isn't all that funny, and he's the funniest advice columnist I've ever read, and he does it without giving bad advice. Word.
Funny, raunchy, and surprisingly moral.......2002-04-30
Dan Savage might hate to hear this, but he has a fairly conventional morality. Yes, that gay advocate of sexual pleasure, known from time to time to advocate infidelity, actually comes across as a person who, through hearing the whinings and self-deception of thousands of letter writers, has come to some general conclusions like: honesty is really a good idea in the long run, consideration will usually rebound in your favor, etc.
No, nobody is going to read this book to hear from someone with a neoconservative ethics. You're going to read it to get some pointers on oral or anal sex, or for the laughs, or to learn about the best sex tip: talking to your partner about what you want.
Funny, raunchy, and surprisingly moral.......2002-04-30
Dan Savage might hate to hear this, but he has a fairly conventional morality. Yes, that gay advocate of sexual pleasure, known from time to time to advocate infidelity, actually comes across as a person who, through hearing the whinings and self-deception of thousands of letter writers, has come to some general conclusions like: honesty is really a good idea in the long run, consideration will usually rebound in your favor, etc.
No, nobody is going to read this book to hear from someone with a neoconservative ethics. You're going to read it to get some pointers on oral or anal sex, or for the laughs, or to learn about the best sex tip: talking to your partner about what you want.
Product Description
From the dust jacket: STET, Damnit! is a treasure trove: the only complete (and accurate- with typos!) collection of Miss King's biting and entertaining Oeuvre Misanthrope. Readers will revel as The Queen of Spleen skewers a kabob of society, fads and fatheads. Great writinig is timeless, and so it is with STET, Damnit!- a decade later, three years later, no matter how "old" her column, no matter how faded its topic, readers will find that Miss King's prose still dazzles. And that her whip still lashes!
Customer Reviews:
Florence King at her very best.......2006-03-12
This is a complete collection of all the 'Misanthrope's Corner' columns Miss King wrote for the National Review from 1991 to 2002.
Every column is a joy to read as Miss King gives her views, usually jaundiced, on current affairs, and is always amusing, whether you agree with what she is saying or not. She is savagely funny writing about the Clintons, the Bushes, the feminisation of America, and anything else that takes her fancy.
she is painfully funny writing about the Clinton/Lewinsky affair. Reminising about her own teen years she recalls:
....It is 1952. Now 16, I hav elost my baby fat and gone from duckling to swan, and my mother, who normally pays no attention to anything except baseball and her hero Sen. Joe McCarthy, is being uncharacteristically maternal. We are washing dishes when suddenly, out of the blue, she says:
"If a man ever asks you to do something funny to him, you tell him to go to hell, you hear?"
"What do you mean, 'something funny'?"
"Never mind, just promise me"
Mystified, I promise. The mystery deepens as she swung off on one of her patriotic tangents.
"That's why the French can't win a war without us! It saps their strength! They're so busy doing something funny to each other that the Germans just walk right in!"
Another favourite passage of mine is where she is writing about the effect that the draft had on men of her generation:
The draft produced the kind of men that today's girls have never known, and relations between the sexes were better for it. What sticks in my mind about them is their self-sufficiency and competence in fixing things that broke and figuring out solutions to emergencies. Thanks to the draft I belong to the last generation of American women who could scream "Do something!" and get results. Most of my men were intellectuals, but they had been taught in basic traning to change a tire in 90 seconds, rig up electrical wiring, tie knots that stayed tied, and take a rifle apart and reassemble it while blindfolded. This last was never necessary in civilian life, but it made for a self-assured deftness that was awesome.
Occasionally Miss King becomes quite lyrical in her praises, whether of the Post office, of Woolworths, Mario Lanza, or Alice Faye. There is a quite enchanting description of her first trip to Paris, and a very touching tribute to her aunt.
Whatever Miss King's views on the subject she is writing about, every column is a joy to read.
The Misanthrope's Corner.......2005-12-04
"Stet, Damnit!" is the complete collection of Florence King's 1991-2002 columns for the National Review. This reviewer is one of many who used to read National Review beginning with her weekly posting on the last page. King's keen insight into human nature, stubborn common sense, and acerbic wit made her column entertaining whether she was goring sacred cows and pompous egos on the left or right of the political spectrum. Her frequent reviews of movies and books were equal parts insightful and unforgiving of sloppy or pretentious work. Her retirement was a real blow to those who enjoyed her writing style.
This volume is highly recommended for those who are nostalgic for her column. The content holds up pretty well in spite of being a little dated. Hard core junkies of political commentary will also find this entertaining.
Long Live the Queen of Mean!.......2005-11-10
Florence King authored "The Misanthrope's Corner," featured on the back page of "National Review" for many years. The column was known for "serving up a smorgasbord of curmudgeonly critiques about rubes and all else bothersome to the Queen of Mean," as NR put it.
It's a rare writer who is not only a skillful wordsmith, but insightful and witty as well; Miss King's columns never fail to be all three.
"She is an unconventional satirist," said Louise Rothe of the Chattanooga News-Free Press, "funny, unpredictable, sometimes raunchy. Nothing, however trite, escapes her wit."
And now, a few excerpts...here are some of Miss King's amusing musings on stress in America:
"The American way of stress is comparable to Freud's 'beloved symptom,' his name for the cherished neurosis that a patient cultivates like the rarest of orchids and does not want to be cured of. Stress makes Americans feel busy, important, and in demand, and simultaneously deprived, ignored, and victimized. Stress makes them feel interesting and complex instead of boring and simple, and carries an assumption of sensitivity not unlike the Old World assumption that aristocrats were high-strung. In short, stress has become a status symbol."
Nor does England escape her withering observations. Her thoughts after watching a week's worth of TV coverage on the death of Princess Diana:
"My saturation viewing helped me make a vital decision. For some time I had been thinking of emigrating to England to bring my nationality in line with my blood, but I have now abandoned the idea. There is no England, just this demi-realm, this scepter'd loony bin set in a sea of rotting flora, this U.K. of Utter Kitsch where the crud de la crud build teddybear temples to a gilded hysteric who was nothing more than Judy Garland with a title. If I must live in a country where people who once tipped their hats now tip the scales, I might as well stay home and save myself the trouble of learning to look right instead of left to avoid an oncoming hug. My hyphen, right or wrong."
I like how she summed up her writing efforts in another column:
"Being a writer has made me a lifelong practitioner of no-holds-barred insight, driven by an irresistible impulse to shovel through mountains of received bull to get to the bottom of things."
It was a said day in 2002 when Miss King wrote her final column and laid down her shovel. But at least with this volume we can keep enjoying all the digging she did.
Long live King, the Queen of Mean!
Book Description
Josephine Tulip is definitely a smart chick, a twenty–first century female MacGyver who writes a helpful hints column and solves mysteries in her spare time. Her best friend, Danny, is a talented photographer who longs to succeed in his career...perhaps a cover photo on National Geographic?
When Jo’s next–door neighbor is accused of murder, Jo realizes the police have the wrong suspect. As she and Danny analyze clues, follow up on leads, and fall in and out of trouble, she recovers from a broken heart and he discovers that he has feelings for her. Will Danny have the courage to reveal them, or will he continue to hide them behind a façade of friendship?
Customer Reviews:
Mystery with some fun quirks.......2007-05-28
Jo Tulip writes a household advice column, "Tips from Tulip", where she answers questions from fairly clueless housewives about household cleaning and clues them in on what they are obviously overlooking. (Not that nice about it either- saying "Be a Smart Chick!" duh your real problem is...) In the wee hours of the morning of her wedding to Bradford, a real dud, she happens upon a neighbor arguing loudly and then a car parked in the middle of the road. In a few hours she is called to that house, now a scene of a murder! The victim happens to be a fan of Jo's column; feeling an affinity for the poor old woman, Jo morphs from Suzie homemaker/MacGuyver to Nancy Drew. Conveniently enough, the woman's daughter hires Jo to clean up the house- the perfect opportunity for digging around.
Danny Watkins is in love with Jo and really doesn't want her to marry Bradford, who she has only known for six months. Danny and Jo have been best friends since they were kids. He is a sweet guy, who looks out for Jo and comes to her rescue. I'm looking forward to seeing if more develops or "blossoms" in their relationship.
A bit slow in the beginning but then the plot picks up and is a quicker read. An interesting mystery with a not too obvious culprit. Overall a pleasant surprise and I'm interested to read what more adventures are in store for Jo!
not for me.......2007-04-16
I'm not a terribly demanding reader, but I couldn't make it through this. The characters are self-consciously cutesy -- early in the story the heroine (Jo), a writer of a household hints column (think "heloise") impresses a lot of cops at the scene of a possible murder by explaining all of the seemingly odd circumstances as the deceased having used various household remedies. ("Why, chief! That green stuff on her face -- it's a homemade cucumber facial!") In theory I wouln't mind this, but for me, it just doesn't come off; the cops are too dumb and Jo is too much like a parody of a 50s housewife. When her beautiful wedding dress is badly ripped and dipped in automotive grease, she perkily sends someone for the proper ingredients for a proper home remedy. Ugh.
Then -- I don't like being preached at. It's fine if Jo and friends want to pray -- they are religious characters. But I don't need to be hit over the head with it every couple of pages. Jo's friend Danny, who thinks her planned marriage is a mistake, asks her whether she knows enough about her prospective husband's spiritual path. Do people really do this? I guess they must, but not anyone I've ever met.
Great Fun!.......2007-02-15
Mindy Starns Clark has delivered a funny, witty story with an unforgettable character.
Josephine Tulip struggles to keep her grandmother's hint column alive, dealing with issues of the modern woman. When a neighbor winds up dead, confusing the police with the abundance of shower caps, tomato juice and cucumber paste, Jo is called in to advise. Reeling from the shock of being stood up at the altar, Jo dives in to solve the case with her bestfriend, Danny.
Eternal life, empty promises, the search for love, a dog who loves throw pillows...all these and more make up this delightful and suspenseful read. I recommend Mindy's books to anyone who enjoys a quirky heroine and a sweet love story.- Cynthia Hickey, author
It's a Smart Chick Mystery.......2007-01-22
After being dumped at the altar on her wedding day and finding a dead body next door, Jo Tulip's world turns up side down. Danny Watkins, Jo's friend, and Josephine Tulip, Jo, have been friends since they were kids. And now, when it's the hardest time for her, Jo is glad to know he is there for her. Jo has a helpful hints column in several newspapers, which provides helpful information for people. Danny, who was hired by the police to take pictures of Edna Pratt's death, realized that there were a lot of weird things around the house. For example, shower caps under potted plants, a lamp turned on in a drawer, and tomato juice in the woman's hair. He called up Tulip on the day of her wedding to come and take a look. Jo had an explanation for everything because she had written about it in her column. Another thing, which she had written about in her column, was not to mix bleach and ammonia because it was fatal, but there in the house was a bucked full of it. Jo was convinced it was a murder.
So after her "almost" wedding, Jo decides to devote herself to finding evidence. She starts to clean out Edna's house for Edna's daughter. Along the way she stumbles upon some shocking evidence. Danny and her investigate further to find that the man in some of the pictures, reaching back to the early 1900's, was her brother. They did more investigating to find his name was Simon and that he and Edna were responsible for a con that was taking place. In the meantime Jo received a dog she and Bradford, her not so fiancé, had picked out together. She finally is able to convince the police chief that Edna's death was a murder. At a press conference, Jo didn't show up because she was caught by the murder, a professor from the local college. Jo was able to escape and find Danny, who provided transportation. The professor was caught and Simon died of a heart attack. I enjoyed this immensely.
Jo seemed to have an explanation for everything happened, that is one reason why I liked this book. For example, when Danny found the weird things at Edna's house he called Jo, who could explain what everything was for. Then when she found some old pictures in a secret compartment that she believed could help explain the mystery. Lastly, when a realtor was selling a house that needed serious repair, Jo suggests some things that could help the appearance.
Another reason why I liked this book was because it was full of suspense. For example, when Bradford leaves Jo at the altar and made a get away in his car and doesn't talk to her for a while. Then when Danny and Jo think Simon killed Edna, but it turned out not to be and they didn't have another lead. Finally, when Jo wakes up in her home office to her dog growling and someone trying to brake in to her house. She called the police and Danny and found out the person who had tried to brake in was an acquaintance.
This book also had lots unexpected twists and turns. First when Jo and Danny thought Simon was the one who killed Edna and everything starts to point to him and then don't. Then the story switches to Simon's point of view and he is sad and didn't know his sister died and started to remember their childhood. In the end the one person no one suspected to have murdered Edna caught Jo and held her captive `til he got what he wanted.
Lastly, I loved this book because I enjoy murder mysteries. Edna was finally done justice when they caught Keith McMann, the murder and professor. Danny and Jo's relationship didn't change, but Jo said she would give up dating for a while. The Trouble with Tulip was so good I want to read more books by this author.
H.Wissmann
Martha Stewart meets Nancy Drew.......2006-12-18
Jo Tulip has just been jilted at the altar and been involved in murder investigation, all in the same day. Her best friend Danny (who's secretly in love with her) gets Jo to come to the crime scene of an elderly woman who turns up mysteriously dead in her own home. The police rule it as an accident but with Jo's knack for household tips, she discovers it to be a murder. Theft, fraud, the deceiving of old ladies, and alchemy all come into play to as Jo and Danny try to discover the truth about really happened.
This was my first Mindy Starns Clark book and I really got a kick out of it. I loved all the household advice spread throughout the novel. Very interesting techniques given how to combat any home problem. I have yet to try out any but I may do so in the future. The murder investigation was really gutsy of Jo to do it mostly by herself. There were a lot of twists I wasn't expecting. I really Jo's character. I do hope we get a full confrontation with Bradford. The guy is a jerk. She should be happy she didn't marry him, what a wimp. I also hope Jo can work out her relationship with her parents. It'll also be interesting to see how Jo's and Danny's future will work itself out.
I really liked the letters from the advice column. I found it funny that the writers of the letters always seemed to be clueless about the situations they were writing about. I guess housewives from back then really were in the dark? Great book, great mystery, and good fun read.
Book Description
In Manhattan, when you make a deal, you see it through. Even if it kills you. On a leave of absence from her advice column, Molly Forrester is assigned to do a feature article on the murder of advertising maverick Gordon Dean. The buzz in Manhattans business circles is that Deans murder is the result of a power struggle over his acquisition deal of a rival advertising firm. As the police department comes under pressure to break the case, friction mounts between Molly and her NYPD boyfriend, Kyle. To make matters worse, Mollys ex, a New York Times reporter, is also on the case and using it as an opportunity to crawl back into her life. As if that werent enough, the case heats up into a fast-paced, high-spirited race to find the killerand Molly finds herself on a dangerous path. Killer Deal is the thrilling third addition to Sheryl J. Andersons charming Molly Forrester series.
Customer Reviews:
Great Series - When do we get #4?.......2007-03-21
I've read all three of these books and thoroughly enjoyed them all. They are great, entertaining mysteries which focus on the mystery, Molly, her two best friends, and her hot, police detective boyfriend.
In the first two novels, Killer Heels and Killer Cocktail, Molly, an advice columnist, is thrown into solving murders with the help of her two best friends, an attorney and a society party planner. Throw in the gorgeous police detective and it's a winning combination. In the third book, Molly is actively looking for another murder to solve in the hopes that she will finally leap from advice columnist to serious investigative journalist.
If you are looking for fun suspense, pick up Killer Heels, Killer Cocktail and finally Killer Deal. I am anxiously awaiting news of a fourth book, but so far there is nothing on Sheryl Anderson's website.
fun lighthearted Manhattan romp .......2006-08-13
In New York, Zeitgeist magazine advice columnist Molly Forrester yearns to become an investigative crime reporter, but has had little opportunity to show her worthiness though she has solved two homicides recently (see KILLER COCKTAIL and KILLER HEELS). However, she has a slight opening when editor Eileen Fitzsimmons assigns Molly to interview Gwen Lincoln the ex-wife of the recently murdered "advertising rock star" Garth Henderson; she is the prime suspect.
Encouraged by her two best friends, attorney Cassady Lynch and events planner Tricia Vincent, who want to see their "sister" writing for the New York Times, Molly investigates the case. Discouraged by her current boyfriend NYPD homicide detective Kyle Edwards, who fears for her safety, Molly still investigates the case. However, as Molly finds several suspects with motives involving a merger of Henderson's firm with another, a killer is willing to murder again with the reporter and her two pals at the top of the list.
KILLER DEAL is a fun lighthearted Manhattan romp that has the readers running along side the heroine who sets a fast-pace as she makes inquiries that lead to endangering her and her friends. Molly once again competes with her unethical ex-boyfriend NYT crime beat writer Peter Mulcahey and her current squeeze Kyle in trying to solve the Henderson murder. Fans of this killer of a series will root for the unsinkable Molly Forrester.
Harriet Klausner
Book Description
For over 20 years, Michael Musto ("the Hunter S. Thompson of snark") has written the popular entertainment column La Dolce Musto. The outrageous weekly column has pioneered gay issues in celebrity news and politics and has long been a mainstay of pop culture as well as a cutting edge chronicle of the hip and hopeful.
In this fabulous collection, Musto includes a sampling of his star romps, from a hilarious column describing his night out with the Kids in the Hall to a scathing catch-up session with onetime Fellini beauty Anita Ekberg. Along the way, celebs like Sandra Bernhard, Madonna, Lindsay Lohan, and Anderson Cooper provide much juice and dazzle. Also included are biggies, from Brad Pitt to the Hiltons.
The first openly gay gossip columnist, Musto encouraged closeted celebrities to come out for years before it became okay to address performers' sexuality in the daily columns. He was reviled, called a "gay Nazi" by Rosie O'Donnell, but ultimately vindicated. Included are his views against then-closeted Rosie, and Ellen DeGeneres.
Customer Reviews:
A Disappointment.......2007-06-28
A ragtag collection of columns -- some of them vaguely amusing, a couple of them making some interesting comments and observations, but too many of them far too involved in the intricacies of 1990's NY nightlife. I'm sure that many of these articles were interesting and clever at the time if you had been to last night's party at Limelight but now they're just obscure and/or dull. Musto specializes in commenting on the day-to-day ephemera of celebrity, a topic which does not age gracefully. A decade or more later, it's hard to care much about his observations on things like the Madonna/Sandra Bernhardt faux-romance, a Reagan inaugural ball or Andy Warhol's funeral.
Dirty, Dishy, and Delightful .......2007-02-09
Michael Musto should write his memoirs next. This man has been mingling with a pantheon of celebs, from Kitt to Pitt, for over twenty years and this book only hints at the dirt this guy could dish.
He doesn't talk much about himself in this book -- I would've liked to have heard about him younger, you know, hanging out on the stoop in Brooklyn -- but he does provide a short biographical sketch, albeit in the third person:
"She's an omnipresent party girl with beet-red hair, bulbous lips, and the winningly woozy demeanor of an inflatable doll who only comes to life when a camera's in the room. Floating from soiree to soiree with a silicon smile . . . exuding a good-natured alien appeal, like a top-heavy escapee from a sci-fi porn comedy."
Wait! That's Musto's description of Amanda LePore. Sorry
This is himself:
"I couldn't exactly pass for straight. And so I gayed it up like crazy, mocking all the bold-faced liars, screaming at anyone who held back the fight against AIDS, and relentlessly promoting gay talent, from drag queens to porn stars, while wearing a fetching assortment of my own braids and boas. I was stunned that the queer community didn't instantly crown me queen."
Well, persistence has paid off, and Musto is butcher than he thinks he is. In my humble opinion, nobody does irony better on television. Musto is the only reason I watch MSNBC (Keith Olberman, great show) and his self-effacing remarks do nothing to alter the fact that he is, and has been, considered one of the top gossip columnists in NYC, alongside Liz Smith, Cindy Adams and Page Six, for years now. Musto is the best thing in the Voice too. These columns will have you laughing out loud, guaranteed.
Five Stars. Get the book!
HARD TO DESCRIBE (BUT HEAR THE LAUGHTER!).......2007-02-07
VERY funny man. Got this as a travel gift for my wife,
& we'lll test "drive" it on the flight to NYC this
Friday. Good price, fast delivery. Thanks!
Fun to Read.......2007-02-02
I love Musto's appearances on Keith Olberman's show, which is what lead me to purchase this book. Each "chapter" is one of his pieces written for the Village Voice over the years, which makes a chapter the perfect size for reading over your coffee in the morning to start your day off laughing. But, of course, he is not just funny, he is also very clever and a master of the pun.
Mesmerizing book.......2007-01-29
La Dolce Musto is a book which obviously cries out for its successor yet it still stands on its own, which is a remarkable achievement. Each section has its own appeal but the parts which really blew me away were the ripe dishy columns which covered the celeb/club scene from the 80s and early 90s. Musto caught Brad Pitt just starting out, Madonna when she still bantered in her own voice to the audience from the stage, the mid-90s Paris Hilton who was Bijoux Phillips -does anyone even remember her now for all her antics so admirably described by Musto. And what a supporting cast! It was such a memory lane to read about Andy Anderson -whatever happened to him? or Marc Berkeley? and the magazines like Seven Days, and so many clubs like Tilt etc that I had forgotten about even though they had ripped me off. I had almost forgotten Rosie O'Donnell's infatuation with Tom Cruise too. Musto's prose fits it all perfectly too, quick and sharp, often about himself but not distracting from others somehow. It is hard to believe that those columns could stand the test of time but actually I think they have gained somehow which is extraordinary. It would be great if there were an internet site where selected additional columns could be read. Great job here!!!
Book Description
Which loose-lipped gal about town has been caught canoodling with a randy restaurateur? Sources say the new “legs” of the Examiner’s gossip column has been helping him bury his long-simmering scandal even though it’s been eating away at her conscience.
Which grizzly tabloid guy better watch his way with the ladies? We hear he got more than a hangover from a boozy night out with a mattress (model/actress) that may cost him his burgeoning relationship with a precocious Park Avenue princess.
Which Wall Street mogul is about to be busted for fuzzy math on his taxes? Luckily, his ink-stained son is digging up a diversion to take down a blowhard billionaire instead.
In the novel 4% Famous, Kate Simon, Tim Mack, and Blake Bradley negotiate the ruthless underworld of Manhattan while working for the city’s top gossip columns.
Friends, lovers, and frenemies may come and go as quickly as the fame quotient of the celebrities they cover, but the young columnists must figure out for themselves what—and who—is worth protecting as they try to avoid becoming fodder for Manhattan’s boldfaced games.
Sexy, exciting, and addictively readable, 4% Famous is an intimate fictional tale of a bizarre industry full of characters and secrets that are as seductive and dark as New York City itself.
Customer Reviews:
Eye-opening look at the 'quid pro quo' nature of the gossip game.......2007-03-22
"4% Famous" is a book I suspect I'd like and appreciate more were I more attuned to the NYC gossip scene. Given Deborah Schoeneman inside-ish background to these rarefied circles, it's a fair bet that much of what she spools out here in 269 quickly and eagerly consumed pages draws very deeply from actual goings on reported by New York magazine during her tenure there. But even without that level of knowledge, I thought "4% Famous" was a compelling and enlightening read. I say 'enlightening' because of the way it lays bare the gossip game, especially - as one of the professional reviews on this page notes - its 'quid pro quo' nature. Watching the horse-trading of items so each writer could protect their respective interests was eye-opening.
Completely Boring!.......2007-03-19
I couldn't even get 2 chapters into the book. It is that boring to me! Might try and read some other time but for now, going back to the library it goes!
should be glamorous, merely dull. .......2007-03-17
This novel is virtually unreadable. There is too much exposition, and of a sort that makes me think that every character (and every quip) is a thinly veiled and unimaginatively retold from the author's own life -- invented characters would not be nearly so dull or indistinct. It's unfortunate because there probably is a rich vein of story here, but the depths have been left undisturbed.
She's certainly been there, but lacks the skill bring her life to life on the page, and has little perspective or irony to offer in the telling. Thoroughly dissapointing.
Pretty good for a short story.......2006-11-10
It was pretty good. I like all of there different short stories.
4% Famous is 100% Adorable!.......2006-08-19
I just finished this book and I LOVED it! I mean, not only did Deborah expertly explain the columns, the parties, the scenesters/publicists/writers/socialites etc, and everything about New York "celeb culture" - but she explained it in a way that will be easy enough for someone to understand who lives in the middle of no-where and has never been exposed to this stuff; while not dumbing it down to a point where it was at all boring to read, even for those of us completely immersed in that world.
Her characters were likable - lovable actually, I *heart* Kate! - the story was compelling, and the whole thing was just fun to read. I sat outside last night on the balcony of my little apartment over here in Hell's Kitchen with a blanket and my puppy dog on my lap, and the book in my right hand, and I had a serious case of the "just-one-more-page-and-I'll-go-in-and-go-to-sleeps" - I was up reading until almost 4am! And I am never up till 4am these days... That's because I myself - a former publicist like the ones mentioned alongside the columnists in this book - took a step back from the party scene, and I think that's the other reason this book hit so close to home for me. Because I too came to the city with stars in my eyes (didn't we all?), and true, the parties and the job perks WERE DEFINITELY fun for a hot second....but after being a publicist for 6 or 7 years, I just do not want to be out 5-7 nights a week at 2-3 events a night. It is pretty much a fact, as discussed in the book, that if you don't want to go out that frequently - which pretty much requires that you also want to drink and do drugs endlessly all the time as well - then this might not be the industry for you. I think that's what the book also touched on so brilliantly...that struggle between getting well known...well, 4% well-known...but then getting overwhelmed by the lifestyle....but being scared to get out of it, because what if you fall off the face of the planet? What if no one remembers your name?
I've gotta say, its a hard reality, and one that the book speaks to perfectly. You may be the little social butterfly, not a celeb but famous enough to party alongside them, even occasoinally gracing the pages of magazines and the gossip columns, but many of us in the biz will get progressively more tired of all that comes along with that glam-party lifestyle with each 6am walk home from some socialites house (that you just HAD to go to, because what if you missed an opportunity to invite some B-List celeb of model to your next event?). I like this book, because it shows the rises and falls in the industry - all the fun and exciting parts of being a gossip columnist, and also the part when some realize that drinking and partying their way around New York City to pander to the egos of rich and famous idiots is exhausting and soul-sucking. It's definitely a tough biz, and if you're not out at night at the events to catch the gossip when it goes down, you might as well not go into work the next day. Also, the characters in the book deal with the confusing paradox of "working" both in their corporate office environment during the day, but also while out partying at night. An industry that expects you to look polished during the day, but often judges your biggest successes by how many times this month you shared a bottle of grey goose with Paris Hilton or a bag of blow with Tara Reid can be...well, in a word: Gross.
But it's all in the eye of the beholder...some say that it's us, the publicists and the gossip columnists that are the problem, and we should stop parading around celebrities for the public to gawk at like trotted-out show ponies. Maybe we'd stop trotting if the public stopped looking. But it really doesn't matter, because those topics all fall away when you read the book, and remember that behind every byline there is an actual PERSON who had to do a lot to get the story. Nothing is so black and white, except the ink on the newspaper blaring the next morning's headlines.
Overall, I just want to thank Deborah for writing such a tremendously honest, fun, charming, courageous, heartwarming, awesome book. It's a literary gem, fun, truthful, and a quick read, but will stay with you long after the last page has turned.
Books:
- Stephen King's Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born #2 (Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born)
- Storm Runners: A Novel
- Teaching: Is a Learning Experience! (For Better or for Worse Collections)
- The All-New Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook (Southern Living (Hardcover Oxmoor))
- The Art of My Neighbor Totoro: A Film by Hayao Miyazaki
- The Assistant: A Novel
- The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell
- The Boy Next Door
- The Chronicles of Narnia CD Box Set
- The Draconomicon (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying)
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Recommended Books
- Truth, Lies and Advertising : The Art of Account Planning
- Sea of Thunder: Four Commanders and the Last Great Naval Campaign 1941-1945
- On Location. . .on Martha's Vineyard: The Making of the Movie Jaws
- Page Layout: Inspiration, Innovation, Information
- Teach Yourself VISUALLY Chess
- The Historian
- The Dreaming Tree
- Working Papers Chapters 1-17 for Fundamentals of Accounting
- Kmg Main Hurdman Guide to Preparing Financial Reports
- Michigan Business Directory 1997-1998: The Ultimate Sales & Credit Tool
Living Alone and Loving It: A Guide to Relishing the Solo Life
Flying Solo: Single Women in Midlife
Single: The Art of Being Satisfied, Fulfilled and Independent
The Single Girl's Manifesta: Living in a Stupendously Superior Single State of Mind
The New Single Woman
