Other People's Rejection Letters: Relationship Enders, Career Killers, and 150 Other Letters You'll Be Glad You Didn't Receive [Hardcover]

Bill Shapiro (Author)

Book Description

Release date: May 11, 2010

Welcome to the rejection-letter hall of fame, where the hopes and dreams of celebrities (Jimi Hendrix, Andy Warhol, among others) are crushed alongside the aspirations of the rest of us. You’ll find handwritten notes from former lovers, nasty e-mails from would-be bosses, heated texts, crayon scrawlings, and surprising dismissals from Playboy, Disney, even the pope. To unearth this collection, Bill Shapiro searched America’s desk drawers, hard drives, and government files. But what at first seems to be a voyeuristic jaunt through other people’s flops is ultimately a testimony to everyone who has at least tried. And while rejection’s sting is painful, it is not lethal; here, you’ll see that one of the great universals is not only people’s desire for acceptance but also their ability to persevere.
 
BILL SHAPIRO is the editor in chief of LIFE.com and the former editor of LIFE magazine. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"’A rejection letter can sway or scar a life,’ writes editor Bill Shapiro, ‘causing one person to give up his dreams, another to work harder.’  They’re no fun either way, but after reading the examples in his new book, at least you’ll know you’re not alone."  - People

"A lusciously laid out compendium of snobbery as delicious as it is heartbreaking" – New York Observer’s Very Short List

"A collection of more than 150 notes, letters, and telegrams that will make you feel good about yourself." – Esquire.com

 "Bill Shapiro shares 150 nay-saying (and jaw-dropping) messages that’ll take the sting out of your own recent burns, spurns, and turndowns" – More Magazine
 
"The native Angeleno and editor of Life.com must have rifled through lots of desk drawers (and government files) to come up with these: nasty emails, angry texts, and dismissals of both the famous (like Andy Warhol and Jimi Hendrix) and non-famous alike – and they’re funny because they’re not ours." – LAmag.com

 "A new anthology of career failure, romantic relationship disasters, cute letdowns, and outrageously nasty trash talk" – Boston Herald

“A great gift for anyone who has ever heard a resounding no.” -- AllYou.com

About the Author

BILL SHAPIRO is the editor in chief of LIFE.com and the former editor of LIFE magazine. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Potter Style (May 11, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307459640
• ISBN-13: 978-0307459640
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 0.9 x 8.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #173,085 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great gift! May 19, 2010

By Fan of Tick Tock

Format:Hardcover

The letters in this book are fully engaging and beautifully presented, spanning a full range - from rejection letters sent to famous people (Andy Warhol, Jimi Hendrix, etc.) to relationship kissoffs ("You were right; I'll be fine without you") to notes scrawled by kids ("I hat you," [sic], "I'm running away"). But what's especially impressive is how the letters flow, one after another, with little treasures left here and there -- a typed note from Eleanor Roosevelt, a sexy text about a "doggystyle" party, the saddest break-up letter ever, and on and on. They're like sparkling one-act plays. And the book isn't just entertaining to read: it helps you see clearly that you're not alone in the universe, that everyone gets shot down once in a while. This would be a great gift for graduates seeking to make their way in the world with their pride and sense of humor in tact.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Not worth the money October 11, 2010

By Cass J. Mcmain

Format:Hardcover

This was an amusing concept, and one in ten or fifteen of the letters in the book are actually very funny. The others are simply boring as hell. If the funny ones were made into a book, it would be a slender volume, indeed. I slogged through a reading of a foreclosure notice, numerous rejection letters of no interest whatsoever, a petition for divorce, and a long (boring) notice to a parent that her child bites other children and is being sent home. The book is virtually all filler, and very little frosting. I wouldn't buy it if I were you; if you want to read rejections of this quality, you could just send poorly written material to publishers and then visit your own mailbox. It's a shame, because this could have been much better.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Huge disappointment - not at all funny August 26, 2010

By Heidi S.

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I ordered this book expecting that the rejection letters would be funny and entertaining. They're not. Many of them are simply standard, straight-forward rejection letters and I had to wonder, from an editorial standpoint, why they were even included. Some of them are mildly entertaining once you know the back story, but the background information is included in the very last section rather than with the letter itself. This is a very disappointing, and not at all amusing, book.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Missing one rejection letter August 12, 2010

By God's Muggle

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is missing one rejection letter...the one that should have been from the publishers of this book. Exceedlingly boring, the follow up letters should be WITH the rejection letters, not stuffed in the back. Some letters are very hard to read. The good news is, it look less than 2 hours to read, but certainly NOT worth the cover price. DULL DULL DULL

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Reject (and Eject) This Book July 31, 2011

By Constantine E. Theodosiou

Format:Hardcover

Except for a few that have some historic value (like those from Jackie Robinson and Eleanor Roosevelt) the rejection letters in this book are largely forgettable. If for some reason you enjoy the tenor of rejection letters, have the time of your life. If for some reason you find them enlightening, or even entertaining, you'd do better to change your reading habits. The material in this book would inspire a reality TV show. That wasn't meant to be a compliment.

This book is a one time read at best. Its novelty does wear off quickly, so spare yourself the unnecessary expense of a new copy. That way, rejecting it won't hurt as much.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars amusing, but you'll only need to see it once. June 15, 2010

By ellen foster

Format:Hardcover

Read this and then give it to a friend. Some of these letters are gems. Others are extremely ordinary and I wonder why they are even in a book. Unlike an "Onion" book that is so funny that the jokes never get old, you will feel no need to read this book twice.

5.0 out of 5 stars Hysterical January 6, 2013

By Vicki Giordano

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Read the whole book in a day and I'm not a "reader"! The book is really funny and there are some surprising letters to some famous people. Very good!

5.0 out of 5 stars LOVED THIS October 14, 2010

By Anne Gans

Format:Hardcover

I loved this book for what it is, but maybe that's because I never expected it to be a side-splitting comedy piece. Rejection is part of life for all of us ~ famous or not. This is an honest reminder that we all experience it in many forms. I handed it off to my teenager who is currently feeling the sting of rejection, knowing it will help. It'll make you smile and share it with a friend.