By Plum Sykes
If Paris Hilton is ever caught in flagrante reading a book—hey, it could happen!—it would likely be this one. With a level of luxury-brand name-dropping that would embarrass a gangsta rapper, Sykes, a Vogue contributing editor, follows the lives and loves of young Manhattan socialites, women who shop all day, aspire to marry an "of (of Greece, of Spain, etc.) and are employed, if at all, as fashion-magazine contributors. That's the trade of our heroine, known only as "Moi," who introduces herself as "a champagne bubble of a girl-about-town." Like brut Moët, her tale is fizzy, dry and best in small doses to avoid potential headache.
Bergdorf Blondes is packed with delicious sociological observations, one-liners ("Ralph Lauren is my drug of choice," declares someone named Muffy) and tart definitions ("PJ" is a private jet; "Arizona" is a euphemism for rehab; "CBK" is Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, possessor of ideal hair). But it's hard to care about the airhead-ed characters. One wishes Sykes had abandoned chick lit conventions and bared her Nars Candy Darling-varnished nails with an all-out Tom Wolfe-style satire. That would be worth stashing in an Hermès handbag.
NOVEL
By Bill Mason with Lee Gruenfeld
CRITIC'S
Mason is an ex-cat burglar who stole from many (including celebrity victims such as Bob Hope and Robert Goulet) but was caught only a few times. Now that the statute of limitations has run out on his crimes, Mason fesses up to all his wicked ways in this entertaining recollection. We get to read about him inching along a rain-slicked ledge to break into industrialist Armand Hammer's 15th-floor condo, cutting through a wall to snatch $100,000, and robbing from the very rich using low-tech tools like sledgehammers and grappling hooks.
Mason, who served only three years in prison for his crimes, was no desperado. A successful real estate manager (now retired), he says he stole for the thrill, not the money. And occasionally he thought better of his deeds: He once returned a gold medal he lifted from Johnny Weissmuller, proving there is some honor among thieves.
MEMOIR
Crib Sheet
For many women, the business ladder turns out to be slippery, but why? "It's time for women to stop acting like girls," says corporate coach Lois P. Frankel, who pinpoints 101 mistakes women make that sabotage their careers in Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office.
THEY DON'T PLAY THE GAME Women tend to see work as an event where everyone comes together to play nicely. Not only is business a game, it's a game that changes. It has rules, boundaries, winners, losers. Never forget that you're there to win the game of business.
THEY WORK TOO HARD Women complain that they do more than anyone else, and they do! No one gets promoted purely because of work. Likability, strategic thinking, networking are all part of success. If you're not wasting a little time building relationships, you're doing something wrong.
THEY MAKE THEIR OFFICES TOO GIRLY By emphasizing your femininity, you diminish credibility. Another mistake: feeding others. Unless you're Betty Crocker, there shouldn't be cookies or candies on your desk.
THEY DON'T CAPITALIZE ON RELATIONSHIP Men rely on relationships to open doors for them. [Unlike women] they don't see this as taking advantage. There is success by affiliation.
THEY SKIP TOO MANY MEETINGS
Meetings are not about content. They're about seeing and being seen. It's about show-and-tell—go to the meetings.
THEY'RE TOO MODEST Blow your own horn! Women don't talk about their accomplishments enough.
THEY ASK FOR PERMISSION INSTEAD OF PRESENTING A PLAN We expect children to ask for permission. So when you have an idea, state it in positive, affirmative statements.
THEY EXPLAIN TOO MUCH Women tend to give more information than one would need. People tune out after the first 30 seconds. The message should be crisp.
THEY CRY Don't.
- Contributors:
- Samantha Miller,
- Bob Meadows.
Saved by the Bell Reunion
The hookups, the meltdowns, the memoires
The case reveals what was really going on what they think of each other now!
