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shehtaz's review against another edition
4.0
I agree with other reviewers that this book is occasionally repetitive and could have been edited down. However, I did enjoy (is enjoy the right word?) the voyeuristic look into the lives of the super wealthy. While Sherman does sympathize with her subjects, I was mostly aghast at their level of wealth and the extent they would go to shield their wealth from the rest of us "poors."
glowbird's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting, but difficult to read. The anonymous responses provide limited narrative, so even as respondents names appear over and over it’s hard to remember who said what. These conversations really explore how the wealthy justify themselves. Sometimes it’s relatable, sometimes it’s a spraining eye roll. And the sample is extremely weird…it’s only self-flagellating liberals from NYC. These are the people who desperately want to be good…and their reasoning is still a mess. I wonder how you get the self satisfied talking?
trekbicycles's review against another edition
4.0
A bit repetitive, but the ending pulled it all together. Solid scholarship and interesting conclusions that I just brought up with a friend in a call :) BTG #5
kailaelders's review
I kept this in my currently reading for two years but I think I got what I needed out of the first half and probably won't be going back. If I do I'll update here. Technically DNF'd in 2022 I think
bootman's review against another edition
5.0
I am beyond late to the party with reading this book. It came out in 2017, and I wish I read it sooner. There’s very little research about the rich for a wide range of reasons, so we in the 99% make a ton of assumptions. Sherman is a sociologist and wanted to learn more about these liberal elites. How do they view privilege? What are their perceived struggles? What is their moral compass really like? What do they hope to teach their children? All of these questions are answered and so many more because Sherman interviewed a ton of wealthy New Yorkers to do research that hasn’t been done before.
I could write pages and pages about what I learned from this book and the new questions that I have as well as my thoughts. In short, it kind of validated a lot of assumptions I had about the rich and the daily dissonance and self-deception that they struggle with. Sherman also does a great job of tossing in some sociological theory as she writes about the interviews. I think the most interesting aspect came from the fact that I recently read the amazing book Racism without Racists. The similarities are uncanny. The interviewees have almost the exact same views, but rather than the topic being about racism, it’s about wealth inequality. For example, they say they know a lot of non-wealthy people were dealt a bad hand, but then they’ll also say that many of these people are lazy and just don’t work hard.
This is a great book if you want to learn more about how the rich live and the thoughts that run through their head. It’s a book that I can definitely see myself reading again in the future.
I could write pages and pages about what I learned from this book and the new questions that I have as well as my thoughts. In short, it kind of validated a lot of assumptions I had about the rich and the daily dissonance and self-deception that they struggle with. Sherman also does a great job of tossing in some sociological theory as she writes about the interviews. I think the most interesting aspect came from the fact that I recently read the amazing book Racism without Racists. The similarities are uncanny. The interviewees have almost the exact same views, but rather than the topic being about racism, it’s about wealth inequality. For example, they say they know a lot of non-wealthy people were dealt a bad hand, but then they’ll also say that many of these people are lazy and just don’t work hard.
This is a great book if you want to learn more about how the rich live and the thoughts that run through their head. It’s a book that I can definitely see myself reading again in the future.
estherbookster's review against another edition
5.0
Just read it for enjoyment, education, and entertainment, if anything. I particularly found interest in the studies and interviews that Sherman conducted. I may never be in their shoes but it's a well-written book to help me understand a glimpse into their lives. Overall, it was amazing.
marisacarpico's review against another edition
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
We are going to infinite the irony of where and when I read this and just marvel at how good this is. Sharp in its observations. I can imagine many of the subjects felt destroyed after. That said, nothing Sherman says is unfair or out of pocket. She’s brutal in her assessments and consistently backs up her conclusions with less observational data. Highly recommend.