20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Better Than The Original!, September 20, 1999
This review is from: The Best Little Boy in the World Grows Up (Hardcover)
Having just finished this delightful book, I decided to post a review. As I read over the comments about this book, I was taken aback by the harshness and negativity of so many of the reviews and the intensely personal nature of the comments, many of which appear to spring from jealousy of Tobias' financial success, and have nothing to do with the intrinsic merits of his book. They constitute what I would call an ad hominem attack on its author. The man's work is fair game, but please refrain from attacking him personally.
As a reader who found "The Best Little Boy in the World" to be a seminal (no pun intended!) work in his own coming out process, I was quite looking forward to the sequel. I wanted to find out how The Best Little Boy had fared during the twenty-five years since the book was first published. Also, since learning a few years ago that "John Reid" was a nom de plume for Andrew Tobias, whose financial books I had enjoyed, I wanted to see how he had integrated his two personas. And I must say, he has done so quite nicely!
This book is a wonderful read. Andrew Tobias has written an entertaining narrative that is well worth anyone's time. I read the book in one weekend, and found myself breaking out in laughter time and time again - his anecdotes resonate with me.
In fact, I enjoyed this book so much that I went out and bought "My Vast Fortune", Tobias' account of his various business ventures and misadventures, and found it delightful and informative as well. It includes the author's tragicomic accounts of locking horns with Ralph Nader over no-fault auto insurance and launching an anti-smoking campaign in Russia. (I'll write a review of that book next!)
Personally, far from begrudging his success, I wish Andrew Tobias the best in all his endeavors. He's a gay man who's making a positive contribution to American society, in a way that reflects well on all of us. I am very proud of the role he is playing as Treasurer of the Democratic National Committee. I only wish I had some money to contribute!
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Is there anyone famous I haven't mentioned?, June 28, 2001
By A Customer
I enjoyed TBLBITW immensely, but it appears the Little Boy's head grew at a greater rate than his body. I got tired of reading this book after I saw Arianna Huffington's name mentioned for the fifth time. OK, Mr. Tobias you know famous people; get over yourself and write something interesting. If there is to be a third book I would like the title to be "The Best Little Boy In The World Comes Down To Earth". Perhaps Ed Koch and Rudi Giuliani could both parachute in to his pool party at the release!
And so it goes on.... "My Vast Fortune"... it would be funny if we thought it would be in the least bit self-deprecating. But alas head-swell is apparently still untreatable.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Would Have Liked To See TBLBITW Mature Instead of Grow Up, February 21, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: The Best Little Boy in the World Grows Up (Hardcover)
Like millions of other gay males, I read Tobias' first memoir, TBLBITW, 20 years ago during a personal crisis in my life (coming to terms with my sexuality). It was a watershed moment in my life, and the book helped me to deal with my feelings towards my sexuality. I discovered his second memoir (TBLBITW Grows Up) recently during another personal crisis (midlife crisis). Like the first book, I couldn't put the thing down, and in fact read the entire book in the bookstore one afternoon! Tobias' style is very captivating and easy to read. The down-to-earth persona so evident in his first book seemed to be missing in the second. While I sometimes felt as if the author was "name-dropping" as I read this book, it made me laugh and cry as I related to the content of the book. While the second book did not help me deal with my current personal crisis, as the first one did, it never the less was enjoyable to read. Footnote-When I saw in this book that the author had an email adress, I sent a congratulatory note to him, indicating that I enjoyed the second book, and explained that the first one had a profound impact on my life. He replied back something along the lines of "how nice...I was just made Treasurer of the Democratic National Committee, please send your donation to...." That's why I think that TBLBITW may have grown-up, but he hasn't matured. I'd still recommend the book. Especially to gay males still struggling with their identity at midlife
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