Customer Reviews

Doormen (Fieldwork Encounters and Discoveries)

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

 

 

This is a cool book. Students in a Sociology class conducted interviews with doormen and tenants in New York City for a class project. You learn what goes on. I grew up in one of these buildings and this book made me think about my doormen. The chapter on the bonus -- how much tenants give to the doormen for Christmas -- is great. It should be required reading for people who live in a doorman building. The chapter on sex and crime is funny. Bearman is probably right when he says that lots of tenants fantasize about their doormen. There is sociology in this book, but it doesn't get in the way of the doormen, too much.

Given this book by a friend I opened it with some apprehension.
But, from the introduction to the conclusion I was hooked. A fascinating study of a particular urban species. Bearman applies academic standards, but manages to enliven it with pungent observations, one on one interviews, and very human insights. I hope he applies these same sociology and writing skills to other denizens of the city.

This work has given me and my colleagues new insights into the world our employees inhabit.

This is not the most exciting subject in the world, but Ive not ever seen a study on this subject before and the author details everything possible about doormen so its rates a 4 rating for that reason.

I bought this book based on the wording "if you plan to live in the building with doormen, do yourself a favor, read this book". Well, shouldn't do it. Nothing helpful, very boring, some useless statistics...thats about it. Live in a doorman building now and nothing from this book helped me. Do not recommend. Instead of buying this book, use money to tip a doorman, it will be much more helpful.

Why I relied on Amazon readers' reviews [?friends/students of the author?] to the exclusion of the Publishers Weekly criticism, I'll never know.
Trying to write this review based on what the book is, as opposed to what I assumed it was, is not easy.
This volume is an in depth cultural and sociological study of doormen; a treatise written with the fervor of a tract. There is no need for this subject to be dreary not to mention the inanity of the charts that are incorporated within the text. I stuck through the first 115 pages and then put it aside; far aside.Yes, University Presses are understandably higher priced than mainstream publishing, but the U. of Chicago Press should have staple bound this and distributed it to those libraries that might have a readership interest. That might have amounted to one dozen or so units.
I've lived in doorman buildings all of my adult life. This examination of these men is downright ridiclous.Irresponsible publishing and packaging.

This book is not the typical socillogical ethnography because it has ideas in it. But It is also full of funny stories and good quotes. You always know that the Doormen will tell it like it is. So does Bearman. If you want to learn about life in the big apple, read this book.