Customer Reviews

The Girls in The Office

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I'm a huge Jack Olsen fan and tend to connect him with true crime books. This is something very different. He has compiled multiple case histories of single women of various ages who all work for the same company in New York City. He never reveals who the company is (after decades of thought and a little research, I think I figured it out), but that isn't important. What IS important is the lives of these women, how they feel about their lifestyle, how they feel about their work, how they feel about the company, and how they feel about each other! If you ever sensed that the faces we wear in public have little to do with who we really are and how we really feel, this book will solidify that feeling. All of the women are very unique, some you admire, some you pity, some you dislike. But all are fascinating. It's a flashback to the 1970's and the early stages of the women's liberation movement. It will leave you wondering where these women are today and what became of their lives. I highly recommend it.

I bought this book after learning it is required reading for the writers of the AMC series "MadMen." The book gives a riveting account of the early days of women in the corporate world - complete with three martini lunches, drunken company parties, and rampant adultery. The reader gets a front row viewing of lives shattered by an illusion of making it and realizations of wasted years that come far too late. It is sobering and sad at times but a must read for all young women and anyone else who wonders about the struggles and missteps of women testing their independence in a society that wasn't ready to accept them as anything more than playthings.

Jack Olsen, a trustworthy author, lets the women of a New York office - reputably Time magazine -tell their stories.

Unlike the followup "Girls on the Campus," these women are old enough for each story to contain a dramatic arc.

This is a unique book - give a copy to your daughter.