lindasdarby's review against another edition
2.0
I can't finish this book. I lived on the Upper East Side once upon a time (not the author's upper east side of course) and I worked for someone who lived in one of those fancy addresses so I know this stuff exists. Here are my two main problems - the author moves to the UES but acts like she is better than all of these crazies even though she also goes "native". The author is so annoying. The second problem is that the book is just boring. Read "The Devil Wears Prada" or "The Nanny Diaries" and you will learn the exact same information but not from some woman who wants to live with the people on the UES but thinks she is superior to them with her Yale degree and midwest background and the fact that she wants her kids to go to public school. Honestly this woman is the worst.
ben_sch's review against another edition
3.0
I was entertained by more human-primate social dynamics, but would not recommend --- there's a magazine article.
Main thing here (specially compared to Ashley Mears' books) was that women in environments of high wealth disparity and 2 women to 1 man gender ratios tend to engage in more competitive/aggressive behavior. I'd be a lot more interested in how economic reliance of wives on husbands or people (of both genders) on those who will give them an inheritance fucks people up.
Main thing here (specially compared to Ashley Mears' books) was that women in environments of high wealth disparity and 2 women to 1 man gender ratios tend to engage in more competitive/aggressive behavior. I'd be a lot more interested in how economic reliance of wives on husbands or people (of both genders) on those who will give them an inheritance fucks people up.
crystenaq's review against another edition
2.0
I got over 50% with this book before I just couldn't do it anymore. I listened to it on audio and the narrator did a fine job, no complaints there. When this first started, this memoir was entertaining in that it felt like you were being let in on a world you had no access to. I empathized with the author on the "otherness" she felt while trying to be accepted in this 'group'. As she began to change and conform to this new ...society, I empathized less and less with each passing chapter. It felt more like a repeat of high school mean- girl dynamics and frankly, I'm too old for it.
When faced with similar real life situations, I often ask the question of myself and my friends, why are you fighting so hard to belong to a group that is like...that. In this case mean, shallow, miserable, and condescending...
I lost the desire to continue with the story, regardless of whatever epiphany the author comes to.
Next!
When faced with similar real life situations, I often ask the question of myself and my friends, why are you fighting so hard to belong to a group that is like...that. In this case mean, shallow, miserable, and condescending...
I lost the desire to continue with the story, regardless of whatever epiphany the author comes to.
Next!
sophiaxlm's review against another edition
3.0
比较“纽约时报畅销榜”感的轻松读本，“贵妇秘辛”混合着（略显重复的）人（灵长）类学小知识。语言比较风趣（直到写到作者流产后，画风突然“大度了起来），不知道原文用了什么表达方式，作者两个儿子被称作“大宝”“二宝”听起来很村气……以及，上东区的那个幼儿园入院大战跟香港找幼儿园的步骤听起来很类似。
jessicahyf's review against another edition
4.0
上流社會入門：
上東區人們有錢、勢利、各種花錢不手軟的背後，其實是一套社會規則不斷被reinforced的結果
其實不懂那樣的生活到底身為女人的價值和成就感要去哪裡找。
蠻喜歡作者深入的觀察，並且用人類學以及其他靈長/哺乳類動物群裡的現象來拆解上東區女人們追求美、追求全力、在人際上精打細算的過程和原因，長了很多人類學知識，真的很有趣XD
但明顯作者老公肯定也是很有錢＝＝只是在超及有錢的人前面看起來沒什麼而已
最喜歡最後面。失去孩子的擔憂是所有女性的共同記憶，而這樣強大的情感讓原本冷冰冰、勢利眼又討人厭的上東區媽媽們在作者失去孩子後擁有了「母親」的溫柔、悲傷形象。即使在上東區這樣人人為己的地方，還是隱藏了人類「共同撫養」的天性。
這樣的轉變放在最後一章真的很喜歡
上東區人們有錢、勢利、各種花錢不手軟的背後，其實是一套社會規則不斷被reinforced的結果
其實不懂那樣的生活到底身為女人的價值和成就感要去哪裡找。
蠻喜歡作者深入的觀察，並且用人類學以及其他靈長/哺乳類動物群裡的現象來拆解上東區女人們追求美、追求全力、在人際上精打細算的過程和原因，長了很多人類學知識，真的很有趣XD
但明顯作者老公肯定也是很有錢＝＝只是在超及有錢的人前面看起來沒什麼而已
最喜歡最後面。失去孩子的擔憂是所有女性的共同記憶，而這樣強大的情感讓原本冷冰冰、勢利眼又討人厭的上東區媽媽們在作者失去孩子後擁有了「母親」的溫柔、悲傷形象。即使在上東區這樣人人為己的地方，還是隱藏了人類「共同撫養」的天性。
這樣的轉變放在最後一章真的很喜歡