Customer Reviews

Dish: The Inside Story on the World of Gossip

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm not sure what I expected from this book when I picked it up. With Princess Grace on the cover (it doesn't talk about her at all) and a chapter about Diana, I guess I thought it would be about how great women took the hounding by the media. Well, it sort of is. But mostly it's about the gossip reporters, and about how the news industry, over the last few decades, slowly but solidly lost its integrity and turned toward sleaze for ratings and "scoops." Fascinating stuff! It doesn't so much repeat the gossip as it does tell how reporters get their story and what they do with it. I couldn't put this book down, except that every once in a while the sleaze factor was so great, I had to go and bathe just to feel clean again. There were parts I didn't really find captivating, but others where I laughed out loud, mostly at someone's arrogance. There's something in here for everybody. Easy to read, well written. I wanted more!

Dish was an incredibly entertaining book that read like a thriller of the gossip industry - - I don't think I put the book down more than two or three times. I was fascinated by the history of the world of gossip that the author traces from Confidential to the Enquirer to the birth of tabloid television. Interspersed throughout the book, the author manages to skillfully "drop" gossip of her own about celebrities, past and present, adding an "up to the minute" feeling to the book. If you're a media junkie, it's a must read!

At first glance I thought Ms Walls was going to tell me more about gossip than I really needed to know. After reading DISH, I was impressed by how well she kept my attention to the whole topic because she actually writes as a serious journalist giving the history of a form that is a well established part of our culture. The book is entertaining and informative and moves as a very rapid pace. I think it will delight all those readers who followed the news of previous celebrity watchers. It is well researched and written in a story fashion that does not lag. I couldn't put it down

I enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone interested in learning how the line between journalism and gossip has been forever blurred. But Walls--or her editor--glaringly mis-identifies some major players by name. For example, she calls former NBC news president Reuven Frank "Frank Reuven" and refers to Brown and Williamson scientist-whistleblower Jeffrey Wiegand as "Jeffrey Wigland." These mistakes are repeated in the book's index as well, along with some others. Somehow, I can't bring myself to give this more than 3 stars because the author's own errors in accuracy erode some of her credibility for me. Too bad, because otherwise, the book is exhaustively researched.

A very good history on the convergence of gossip with poltics, entertainment and the media (television and magazines). However for recent events in the 1990's, Ms. Walls simply re-cycles old "Gossip."

As a teen I was more interested in naming the husbands of Elizabeth Taylor than the same number of past vice presidential candidates. I eagerly awaited the next copy of Modern Screen magazine and devoured the stories as if they had been revealed to me personally. Later I lost the keen edge to celebrity watching but from reading Ms. Walls book , I have discovered that it can be a latent characteristic. As a house guest, I picked up a borrowed copy and found that Jeanette Walls has more insights than Hedda had hats. The literary form and writing were better than I expected and it is nice to know that in fact , I did not out grow my thirst for gossip afterall. Ms. Walls writes intelligently and the book is obviously well researched. I say, "Well done, Ms. Walls. I enjoyed the adventure of reading your book. Thanks for the ride."

I found "Dish" very entertaining as well as educational. I think the historical aspect is very good. However, after reading another reader review that criticized sloppiness with names (spelled wrong, first and last names transposed), which now does make me wonder just how truly careful and thorough the research was. The way I feel right now is that fumbling the names was not due to the author not knowing what she was writing about, but just that her writing (editing, proofreading) wasn't great. I did get the feeling that this book was rushed to print, which might have led to the name fumbling. The different chapters read like separate articles, without much of a transition from chapter to chapter so there wasn't a real cohesive feel to the book as a whole. I wish I could rate this book higher, because I think there is good content but it's not presented as well as it could be.

If you read The National Enquirer, The Globe or Star weekly or enjoy gossip columns or shows like Entertainment Tonight, this book is for you. Full of history and detail, you get the inside scoop on how gossip is made and reported, and how it's changed the face of "legitimate" news organizations. It's a great read and very informative. I couldn't put this book down. Sure, stars complain about the tabloids, but wait to you hear celebrities' true role in it all.

I had been somewhat intrigued by the tabloids most of my life, but after reading this novel, I am turning into a wanna-be gossip-guru. Walls combines unique insight with a powerfull writing style. Highly recommended!

I picked this book up on a whim and what a treat. Gossip, whether you like it or not, has definately altered the course of history. Dish definately introduced some concepts I would have brushed off as trivial in the past.

I couldn't put it down.