Customer Reviews

Coffee Table Coffee Table Book

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Probably the most interesting aspect of the "Coffee Table Book" is the obvious pun of the title; beyond that, it's basically a lot of avant-garde furniture. Most coffee table books are just giant books that sit and collect dust on people's coffee tables.

But this? It's a book, and it's about coffee tables. Get it? Yeah, yeah. So did "Seinfeld's" Kramer. And without the kooky sidekick to give it an entertaining twist, the "Coffee Table Book" really comes across as rather boring, except to aficionados of interior design.

The photography is quite pretty, and most of the coffee tables are interesting -- they range from futuristic to icky (a topless, leather-clad woman on all fours makes up the base of one -- shades of "Spinal Tap") to 100% ordinary. Some are flowing structures of metal, wood and glass, while others are garish blobs of plastic.

The problem is, you can only look at pictures of coffee tables for so long. And it doesn't help that the little text blurbs accompanying each picture really don't illuminate much. A tiny shred of history, and maybe a quote are included. As a result, it feels like a hardcover furniture catalog, with only one item of furniture included.

It's a cute idea, but the "Coffee Table Book" is too long and bland to be of any actual interest. It would be best on -- you guessed it -- the coffee table, so guests can chuckle at the title.

If you had bought any of these tables, you'd probably be a millionnairee
and not be buying books at a discount.

Well, you have to also consider the author of the book. Though everyone seems to know about the 'Seinfeld' episode, they don't seem to notice that Alexander Payne, of 'Sideways' and 'About Schmidt' fame, is the author. I'm fairly certain that he wasn't trying to pass this off as an original idea; he just thought it was a funny episode and, with his new found clout, decided to make the book a reality.

This is amazing. There is no credit given to "Seinfeld" anywhere in the text, not even in the full page of acknowledgments. The writers attempt to pass this off as their own idea, having assumed, I guess, that they are the only ones who have ever seen the most popular sitcom in history. I hope someone at NBC is suing.

This is not the book seen in seinfeld it has no legs on it or coasters and they advertise it as "Kramer's coffee table book" and it is not.I have yet to find a replica identical to the book in the seinfeld sitcom.

how can someone bring an idea from the longest running, most popular sitcom in tv history into reality and not give any credit to that show. absolutely disgusting.

A coffee table book ABOUT coffee tables? This has to be one of the most unique, original ideas in a long time! Someone should make a TV show where there is a crazy character who actually dreams up this idea! Now that, I would pay to see.

Well... it's not *that* original!
Seinfeld, episode 86 (The Opposite) - Kramer has this idea, a few episodes earlier about a coffee table book about coffee tables. In ep. 86 the idea is materialized and he presents it to Regis and Kathie Lee. It even has the little fold out legs.

Still, I think it's great that someone actually did this - I thought it was cool back then, when I first saw the episode.

Hope to read it soon!

Best wishes!