Amazon.com: Everyone Worth Knowing (9780743262330): Lauren Weisberger: Books

Amazon.com Review

Lauren Weisberger, whose bestselling debut The Devil Wears Prada outed the vicious antics of the magazine industry elite, is back at it with Everyone Worth Knowing, another cautionary tale of sex, power, and fame. This time around, the PR industry is her target, and Prada fans will recognize similar themes throughout this entertaining, if at times overly dramatic, exposé.

Bette Robinson is a twentysomething Emory graduate who shunned her parents' hippie ideals in favor of a high-paying yet excruciatingly boring job at a prestigious investment bank. One day, after a particularly condescending exchange with her boss (who sends her daily inspirational e-mails), Bette walks out on her job in a huff. After a few weeks of sleeping late, watching Dr. Phil and entertaining her dog Millington, Bette's uncle scores her a job at an up-and-coming public relations firm, where her entire job seems to revolve around staying out late partying and providing fodder for clandestine gossip columns. What follows is one episode after another of Bette climbing up the social ladder at the expense of her friends, family, and the one guy who actually seems worth pursuing.

Weisberger is clever enough to turn seemingly outrageous circumstances into amusing anecdotes, like the tale of a woman who was close to suicide until she found out she was only 18 months away from scoring a highly coveted Birkin bag ("You simply cannot kill yourself when you're that close ... it's just not an option."). This wit, combined a hint of voyeurism that most of us can't deny, is what makes Everyone Worth Knowing a guilty pleasure that's well worth the indulgence. --Gisele Toueg

The Significant Seven with Lauren Weisberger
Lauren graciously agreed to answer the questions we like to ask every author.

Q: What book has had the most significant impact on your life?
A: Very tough question. For the first half of my life, it would definitely have to be Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume. I worshipped that book. Recently, I'd say that it was Empire Falls by Richard Russo. Even though there's not a tremendous amount of action, the characters are brilliant. It's a hauntingly realistic depiction of small-town America. And the place descriptions are so compelling that the book is compulsively page-turning.

Q: You are stranded on a desert island with only one book, one CD, and one DVD--what are they?
A: This is not the time for self-improvement, that's for sure--they'd all have to be 100% entertainment. For book it would have to be The Last of the California Girls, a random novel that I've read 2,000 times; for CD I would say Monster Ballads, the album of cheesy 80's love songs that I ordered from an 800-number, and for DVD, it would be Dirty Dancing, of course.

Q: What is the worst lie you've ever told?
A: That one's easy. It goes something like this: "Hi, (insert editor's name here)! Yes, of course, it's already finished. I'm just tweaking a few sentences, and I'll have the whole draft to you by Monday, latest."

Q: Describe the perfect writing environment.
A: For me, the best writing environments are all about deprivation and the removal of temptation. Therefore, anywhere on earth where there's no TV, no phone, no internet access, no friends, and no fridge is pretty much perfect.

Q: If you could write your own epitaph, what would it say?
A: I really don't want to think about this one, but if I HAVE to, I hope it would include a few keywords like "brilliant," "supremely talented," and "drop-dead gorgeous."

Q: Who is the one person living or dead that you would like to have dinner with?
A: I'm supposed to say Hemingway or Moses or Madonna, right? It'd probably just be my sister, Dana. We already have a lot of dinners together, so I know it's a guaranteed good laugh.

Q: If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
A: The ability to be invisible! It would make all my current spying/stalking/staring SO much easier.

Lauren Weisberger's List of Books You Should Read

so80s

Marjorie Morningstar

Kissing in Manhattan

Bright Lights, Big City

Glamorama

See more recommendations from Lauren Weisberger

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

A 27-year-old New York banker quits her job and finds work at a posh PR agency, trading her navy pantsuits for low-slung jeans and skimpy tops so she can hang out with the beautiful people at "in" places like Bungalow 8 (though first she has to find out what Bungalow 8 is). Weisberger's bestselling The Devil Wears Prada hinged on a similar fish-out-of-water scenario, and while it may have worked then, this time around it feels like a rehash. Bette Robinson begins as a likable enough character, but it isn't long before Weisberger's caricature of her becomes frustrating: Bette is surprisingly successful at her new job, even as she's constantly complaining about "the ridiculousness of what we were doing"—i.e., orchestrating Manhattan social events in such a way that the agency's clients look good in gossip columns. Bette's personal life gets equally ridiculous treatment, as she enters into a "just for looks" and very public relationship with a British heartthrob who's really gay, as her friends and family (and the guy she really likes) look on in horror. The book occasionally entertains—as when it makes jabs at the very critics who panned DWP—but not nearly often enough.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Downtown Press (May 2, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0743262336
ISBN-13: 978-0743262330
Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.3 x 1.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (208 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #279,081 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Front Cover | First Pages | Surprise Me!

Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
Though I'd caught only the briefest glimpse from the corner of my eye, I knew immediately that the brown creature darting across my warped hardwood floors was a water bug-the largest, meatiest insect I'd ever seen. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, Philip Weston, Black Door, Page Six, Four Seasons, Diet Coke, List Girls, Dirt Alert, Grey Goose, Bette Robinson, Gramercy Tavern, Harvest Festival, Jesus Christ, Los Angeles, Murray Hill, Bettina Robinson, Black Card, Bloody Mary, Calvin Klein, East Village, Key West, Soho House, Sunday Styles, Aaron Brown, Amy Sacco

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Citations (learn more)

This book cites 4 books:

The Devil Wears Prada: A Novel by Lauren Weisberger on 4 pages
Sex and the City by Candace Bushnell on page 65, and page 76
Sex and the City: Kiss and Tell by Amy Sohn on page 76
Empire Falls by Richard Russo on page 217

2 books cite this book:

Looking for Mr. Goodbunny by Kathleen O'Reilly in Back Matter
Sex and the South Beach Chicas by Caridad Pineiro in Back Matter

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	69% buy the item featured on this page: Everyone Worth Knowing 2.9 out of 5 stars (208) $10.17
	10% buy Chasing Harry Winston: A Novel 2.7 out of 5 stars (176) $10.88
	9% buy One Fifth Avenue 3.5 out of 5 stars (116) $6.24
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Customer Reviews

208 Reviews

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(46)
3 star:		(37)
2 star:		(40)
1 star:		(49)

Average Customer Review

2.9 out of 5 stars (208 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars The Devil Wears BlackBerry, October 28, 2005

By	Harriet Miers, Jr. (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Everyone Worth Knowing (Hardcover)

I have a feeling there was a conversation that went something like this:

Editor: We want another 'Devil Wears Prada.'
Lauren Weisberger: I don't want to write the same book again, that's boring.
Editor: We'll pay you.
Lauren Weisberger: I don't know. How much?
Editor: A lot.
Laruen Weisberger: Such as...?
Editor: A million dollars.
Lauren Weisberger: Know what? Funny you should bring this up, but I actually have this idea that's pretty much The Devil Wears Prada, but in the PR industry...

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53 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, October 24, 2005

By	K. Huff (New York, NY) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Everyone Worth Knowing (Hardcover)

This book diappointed me. It had the same, predictable plot as The Devil Wears Prada, and the same poor-me-I've-got-a-terrible-boss theme. It gets old very, very quickly.

Bettina (or "Bette") Robinson is a young twenty-something living in New York. She grew up in Pughkeepsie with liberal, hippie parents and attended Emory before moving to New York to pursue a career in investment banking. She walks out on the job; and through her uncle Will, manages to find a job working as a party planner.

Throw in a handsome, debonair man-about-town who everyone thinks Bette is dating; some co-workers who I think were meant to be funny but just end up looking pathetic; and a love interest, and you've basically got the gist of this poorly-written, over-advertised novel. This is definitely one "not worth knowing."

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14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Junk Food, October 10, 2005

By	J. Sklar (New York, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Everyone Worth Knowing (Hardcover)

I thought this would be sort of a fun distraction, but instead I was just disappointed. You know that feeling of hunger before you try a new restaurant and the food turns out to be mediocre, but you are full? Well this is my best attempt to review this book. It seems like she is a good writer, but her talents are wasted.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Sorority girl reads redo of the Devil Wears Prada
While Weisberger's story is entertaining enough, it's not much different from The Devil Wears Prada. Read more

Published 3 days ago by Livvie

1.0 out of 5 stars UGG!
UG! Great story premise and liked the main character but the book was painful to read. Very badly written. I slushed throw it hoping it would get better but it never did.

Published 14 days ago by Rhiana Jones

1.0 out of 5 stars A Book Not Worth Knowing
Oh God! This book is an absolute YAWN!

I expected more from the author of the famous `The Devil Wears Prada' novel, but sadly I was very, very disappointed! Read more

Published 2 months ago by Boo

1.0 out of 5 stars Horrible to the Last Word
I don't usually review items on Amazon because I haven't loved or hated anything enough. But this book--it was so terrible, I couldn't not write a review. Read more

Published 2 months ago by katyychen

1.0 out of 5 stars So cliche it's painful.
Take DWP and swirl it in a blender and you have this tedious story. Same plot - arrogant girl out of her element, a chef, a jilted best friend, a few town cars, a couple of... Read more

Published 3 months ago by Tracey Huenemann

4.0 out of 5 stars Not too bad
I actually quite enjoyed this book. Wasn't one I would pick for myself, but as a birthday present it worked quite well. Read more

Published 4 months ago by J Prouten

1.0 out of 5 stars What they said...
Most of the other reviewers have adequately covered the fact that this book is an obvious retread of The Devil Wears Prada. Read more

Published 4 months ago by Patricia T. Todd

4.0 out of 5 stars If you liked The Devil Wears Prada...
...As you've probably surmised from every other review on this site, this book is a not-quite-there version of it.

I loved The Devil Wears Prada. Read more

Published 6 months ago by S. Druggish

2.0 out of 5 stars Half hearted review
Just started this book. It's starting kind of slow unlike Devil Wears Prada. But we'll see. I have hope that it will be good.

Published 6 months ago by M. Moylan

4.0 out of 5 stars Great book, I couldn't put the CD in fast enough to listen.
I loved this book. I felt like it was similar to The Devil wears Prada, but there were characters that made it different and just as interesting. Read more

Published 8 months ago by C. C. Heiman

› See all 208 customer reviews...

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