The Season: The Secret Life of Palm Beach and America's Richest Society

The Season: The Secret Life of Palm Beach and America's Richest Society
Average customer rating:

LIKE READING SOMEONE'S DIARY

I Hate Myself

Interesting read but not earthshattering

Author's forum against anti-semitism???

Interesting & Well-written

The Season: The Secret Life of Palm Beach and America's Richest Society
Ronald Kessler
Manufacturer: HarperTorch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0061098426
Release Date: 2000-09-05

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In books such as The FBI and Inside Congress, Ronald Kessler turned his journalist's eye, its focus honed during years at The Washington Post, to uncovering the scandals behind America's biggest institutions; his research even led to the deposition of a director of the FBI. So, what secrets has he uncovered that will change the lives of Palm Beach denizens? Not many, as it turns out. Mistresses, breast implants, and other high-living extravagances of the Palm Beach rich aren't secrets after all. Nor does Kessler have the literary gifts of John Berendt, who deftly explored small-town society intrigue in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. The characters that populate The Season are straight out of Dynasty: "shapely" and "alluring," "raven-haired," or "spectacular blonds with impossibly tight behinds." If there's anything truly shocking about this book, it's witnessing Kessler's remarkable research skills put to such trivial use. As a frothy page-turner The Season earns its price, but as a cultural study it's as insubstantial as the lives it chronicles. --Maria Dolan

Book Description

The wealthiest, most glamorous, decadent, self-indulgent, sinful spot on earth, Palm Beach is home to billionaires like Donald Trump, trust fund babies, women addicted to staying beautiful, and the sophisticated "walkers" who escort them.

In this juicy, entertaining book, New York Times bestselling author Ronald Kessler introduces you to some of the most fascinating and bizarre people you'll ever meet. And he reveals the social rituals that culminate in the season, a five-month whirlwind of parties, balls, and charity events that no one who is anyone dares to miss. The very rich are very different. Find out how in The Season.

Customer Reviews:

LIKE READING SOMEONE'S DIARY.......2006-04-04

Basically a series of anecdotes. Like reading someone's diary.
The interesting anecdotes were that Marjorie Merriweather Post liked her gold bath room fixtures because gold is much easier to clean, that one of Bobby Kennedy's kids OD'd in room 107 of the Brazilian Court Hotel, and that the Kennedy estate was falling in and had no A/C when the family sold it. Of course, Donald Trump weighs in with his genius for self promotion. I guess one could have used it for a guide to the hot bars and restaurants in the late 90's when the book was written.
But the book is sadly lacking in insights and history of how Palm Beach became such a center for superficiality and messed up values. About the only insigths he offers is that super rich are often unhappy, and their children could care less when they die.
Don't bother!

I Hate Myself.......2005-07-25

I hate myself for having read this book right to the end. It was like reading aspecial double issue of Vanity Fair, packed full of scabrous gossip about a bunch of people I never heard of efore and never will again. The so-called "celebrities" who flicker through the pages of the book were just flying in, they don't live in Palm Beach, and who's left? Well, Donald Trump and a few others, all of them deadly dull.

Every page has some kind of cautionary tale about the straight men who rule the roost in Palm Beach and buy their love with money. This one "can't keep it in his pants." That one " has to get his affairs into order." It would be interesting if the reader cared about any of the people, or again, knew who they were. The author, Kessler, who wrote a fairy tale book about George Bush Jr's Presidential character, is obviously in great anxiety about his own social status, and he must feel that rubbing against these rich, spoiled people on vanity fair's bank account, is going to make him somehow less Jewish.

As many readers have commented, the book is filled with photos of Kessler and his wife ("Pam") meeting rich people, trying to look happy and relaxed. But their flop sweat is written all over them. Whoever the photo editor was for THE SEASON should have discreetly taken the Kesslers aside and told them how tacky their photos are, save them for the panelled den in their suburban home, or their cabin cruiser.

Kessler tries to imitate the highly worked novelistic shape of MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL by focussing on the dreary story of a male "walker," a single presentable man who is available to escort society women to parties--this character is called Kirby and he indulges in a passion for a so-called straight man named Bill, a loser ex-con who's always up to some drug-inspired mischief. Kirby would be pathetic, but at least he shows some emotion. Unlike the other people Kessler tries to impress us with.

As one woman says in THE SEASON, "There are a lot of floozies and fruits and nuts. There are also a lot of beautiful men and women here.. But the ones who are straight are taken. I live in a crazy town. People try to contaminate me with their bizarreness." Well, hey, I live in a crazy town too, but I never felt contaminated until I read this impossible, heartbreaking book about trying to mingle with your betters.

Interesting read but not earthshattering.......2004-04-04

I initially picked up this book because I thought that life in Palm Beach would make for an interesting story. I was wrong. Dead wrong. Instead I find tales of deceit and lies interwoven to form a web of snobbery, elitism, and low self-esteem. Yes, low self-esteem. For if one really reads betwen the lines and asses the information in Kessler's book, one will find that the people are lacking inmany ways that money cannot fix. Overll the book was interesting. However, I feel that Kessler indeed got bogged down with too much namedropping and with too many vague and uninteresting characters. The story could have flowed a bit better and perhaps would have been more interesting had he gone more indepth about the bigotry that currently inhabits Palm Beach. Still, this was not Kessler's best work.

Author's forum against anti-semitism???.......2003-12-30

The book was an easy read in that respect it was well written. It flowed well. However, I could not help but to think repeated throughout the book how the author harks on anti-semitism in Palm Beach by the upper class. For example, there is more than enough chapters about how the country clubs exclude Jews, over and over. I am not anti semitic, nor do I support anti semitic views and practices but I think the author mentions this way too much in his book. There is prejudice everywhere but what is so appealing in being a member of "members only" establishment is that it does exclude most.

There are more pics of author with the so-called "rich and famous" than the rich and famous themselves!

The book, I feel does give some insight into the lives of the inabitants of Palm Beach but not really into the lives of the original inhabitants, the "old guard". The people he interviews all seem to be poseurs trying to fit in and be a part of the "old guard" and even if theydo float on the "fringes" of "society" they don't really seem to be an insider or a real member. His sources are restaurant managers, real estate brokers, waitresses at hotel bars - how many of the old money-ed Palm Beachers would have these types of occupation? I just question how accurately these sources know the real workings of the truly wealthy, old money-ed Palm Beachers since they are not one themselves.

All in all, pleasant read but take the information with a grainof salt.

Interesting & Well-written.......2003-04-10

In THE SEASON, Ronald Kessler gives an interesting overview into life in Palm Beach. Palm Beach is very much America's Riviera, and Kessler offers his readers a bird's eye look into the resort's peculiar rhythms, and into its manners. In every situation, Palm Beach marches to the beat of its very own drummer, a drummer who is banging out his music with "D" color, Asscher-cut, flawless diamonds encrusted on platinum drumsticks.

My biggest complaint is a backward compliment: I wish that this book were longer, and that it could have covered more of PB's inhabitants and their fascinating escapades. Still, no question that author Kessler has done a thorough job of communicating what life is like in this gilded community. If the book is somewhat superficial, nattering on about Grand Dukes and Duchesses, famous charity balls that raise almost no funds for their charities, rare cars, exclusive jewelers, dressmakers and decorators, well, this also perfectly reflects the superficiality of the town itself.

I also found it disruptive to the flow of Kessler's text when he interjected personal comments about himself and his wife, such as the facts that he is Jewish while she is a member of the DAR. Really, this wasn't a family biography. Still, Kessler's own endnotes thank his editor for insisting on this literary device, so I guess that the inclusion of personal details was not his decision.

For those who are curious about America's own Cannes-off-Interstate 95, THE SEASON is the best book around!

The Season: The Secret Life of Palm Beach and America's Richest Society
Average customer rating:
The Season: The Secret Life of Palm Beach and America's Richest Society
Ronald Kessler
Manufacturer: HarperTorch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OFDFGM

Customer Reviews:

Slight, wordy, but interesting, tale of golf's Bobby Jones.......2003-04-10

Bobby Jones is one of the most revered names in the rich history of golf. However, beyond the fact that all golf fans, and many casual observers, know that Jones won what was golf's Grand Slam in 1930 (U.S. Open, British Open, U.S. Amateur, British Amateur) and created Augusta National Golf Club and the Master's tournament, little is known about the man beyond a few blurbs. What better way to really learn about the man than to read the authorized biography penned by Jones' personal confidante, journalist O.B. Keeler. Unfortunately, a great opportunity seems to have been missed here. While "The Bobby Jones Story" does capture the amazing feats of golf career, it gives very little insight into the man himself. Keeler writes this biography less as a study of Bobby Jones and more as just an excited observer who was present for much of Jones' accomplishments.

Let it not be said that there isn't anything of worth in this book, though. The three-star rating obviously means that there are enough redeeming qualities to recommend it. The reader is able to get some insight into the pressures golf placed upon Jones. Pressure so great that he had decided to retire from competitive play following the 1930 season, Grand Slam or not. It also shows that earlier in his career, before he started winning majors, Jones could be considered by the Phil Mickelson of his era. He was gambler with his game who often went for too much with tournaments on the line and was frequently the victim of just horrible luck in tournaments, not unlike Mickelson today.

This book also benefits from detailing the amazing golf accomplishments of Jones. The seven-year run of success Jones had between 1923-1930 is unmatched in the annals of golf, even with Tiger Wood's modern mastery (13 major wins, including 7 straight U.S. titles). That success is made all the more remarkable by the fact that the only competitve golf Jones played during that period was at the majors. "The Bobby Jones Story" covers these matches and their key moments in great detail.

Alas, that three-star rating also indicates that this book suffers in many areas. Most of the problems center around Keeler's literary style and choices. One such problem may just be symptomatic of time period in which the book was written. Keeler has a tendency to use certain antiquated words when describing the action on the golf course. He uses words like 'niblick', 'mashie', and 'mashie-niblick' to describe types of clubs being used without ever explaining what exactly those clubs are. While that could just be indicative of the language of the time, it is distracting to the contemporary reader who has no idea what those are.

Another area where Keeler makes a mistake is with his tendency to use hyperbole to describe Jones' accomplishments. Far too many times Keeler refers to a shot made by Jones, or a round or tournament played by Jones as the 'best he's ever seen' or 'best Jones ever played'. This happens too much and leads the reader to believe that there are far too many occasions of Jones' best ever accomplishments.

Keeler seems to also be writing in a 'stream of consciousness' style. He skips around too much with stories he's telling. One moment, the 1925 U.S. Open is being discussed and the next line or paragraph, Keeler is talking about events in 1926 Open without using any sort of segue or transition statements to indicate to the reader that such a change has occurred. The readers will often find themselves having to backtrack just to make sure they have sequence of events understood correctly. Keeler also focuses on too short a period of Jones' life, from the start of his golfing career as a young teen until his retirement at age 28 in 1930. Keeler, himself, died in 1953 and this book was released just prior to his death. There was plenty opportunity to go into detail about Jones' creation of Augusta National and The Masters. There also should have been mention of Jones' remarkable war record in World War II. Not of that makes its way into this book and that's a shame.

This is not a bad read, though. Though incomplete and wordy, "The Bobby Jones Story" is still an interesting look at a portion of the life of Bobby Jones from a close, first-person observer.

Customer Reviews:

He Done Her Right (Except for the Revision) .......2005-02-24

THE original FILMS OF MAE WEST was one of the best entries in the Citadel film series. Originally published in the early 70's when Mae was still alive and active (one film yet to be made!) it's both admiring and serious, fan-oriented and scholarly. Since Mae only made 11 pictures at that point, each movie gets far more attention that films in other volumes where the star made 60 or more. Tuska clearly admired Mae at the time (he even heaps praise of the widely trashed MYRA BRECKENRIDGE, accurately predicting it would become a cult film!) Alas, he apparently had a falling out with West or something because in his update for the edition after her death he brutally trashes her last film, the genteel rather enjoyable sex comedy SEXTETTE as well as her performance, makes comments about her personal abilities in her final years that are unkind and rude, and tacks on a final essay on her that seems dismissive. I would give the book five stars if not for these "revisions".

Book Description

Brave men, one and all, have been dispatched on what the king promised was a glorious quest. But Xena knows the truth--Menelaus is using the questers to hunt down Helen, the wife who fled from him years ago. Now the Warrior Princess must risk the wrath of her sworn enemy, the god Poseidon, as she takes to the sea to warn Helen...

Customer Reviews:

Super Reader.......2007-08-07

Menelaus and his scheming priest Avicus have a scam going. They want young men to believe they are going on a hero's quest, when all Menelaus wants to do is get Helen back.

Joxer is dumb enough to fall for this, and given the priest knows who he is, and that he can manipulate Xena through him, he takes full advance. Xena's old lay Draco, the warlord, and a young Bellerophon are also involved.

As the first of a trilogy, it ends with the travelling three on a ship travelling further towards where Menelaus wants them to be.

Xena???.......2005-10-26

Ru Emerson is maybe a good writer but she dont know anything about Xena! All those books suck, By the gods!!!

Just Doesn't Cut It.......2004-05-18

I Just finished reading the first two books based on Hercules and Xena. BY THE SWORD by Timothy Boggs was the better of the two. THE EMPTY THRONE by Ru Emerson was not quite as enjoyable.

Having seen Xena rescue the arc of the Covenant, Defend Troy, save Helen and meet Homer, Xena goes to Ithaca and gets involved in the Odyssey (Homer is still a young boy and has never met any of the heroes). Unfortunately it lacked the fun and silliness that runs throughout the series. Although I do like the way Homer was in diapers at the start of the Trojan war. Really.

I had hoped that books based on the series would get better with time (like they did with Star Trek) but there were only a few and now the series has ended. Oh, well. If you really liked the show, you should probably skip this one. Ru Emerson is a talented writer but the nuances of are just not her style.

Crappy.......2004-02-13

Ru Emerson knows nothing of Xena's attitude or style and she changes chakram in to her own version of shakra. There were also several spelling or typing errors. Obviously she's too cheap to have anyone proofread her work. It is like that in all of her other books as well. RU EMERSON STOP WRITING ABOUT WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW A THING ABOUT>

Great Book!!!.......2001-10-01

This book is very interesting. I thought it was very well written and that Ru had done a fabulous job with the characters and the story line. The characters especially, they were exactly like they were on the television show. I would recommend this to any die hard Xena fan!!!

Average customer rating:

An Amazingly Entertaining Book
A hilarious romp in the fantasy realm of misadventure!
Regarding the ending
I thought This Book Was Well Written as a fantasy / humor
A short but not unpleasurable read.

Go Quest, Young Man (Tsr Books)
K. B. Bogen
Manufacturer: TSR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1560768983

Customer Reviews:

An Amazingly Entertaining Book.......2001-02-14

In my search to find humorous fantasy this is one of the gems of my collection. Bogen writes a great misadventure of a young magician thrist out into the world to find his own way. The book read very quickly, though it was in part because of my enthusiasm to see what was in store for the "hero" in the next chapter. It is a shame that more books did not come out in this series, but if you can find this one, grab it and add it to your collection.

A hilarious romp in the fantasy realm of misadventure!.......2000-09-27

This may be K. B. Bogen's first book...but I really hope it isn't her last! Her characters are a colorful blend of reality and fantasy. I couldn't put the book down! There's alot of fun and adventure...of course the fact that the main character would like nothing even close to adventure makes it even better! My son read the book after me and wanted me to go out and buy the next one! I only hope that there will be more of them... The honesty with a strong dose of attitude is fantastic. Even though some of the characters are walk-ins, it's ending has you eager to read more. I want more of the story! So someone tell the author & publishers to wake up! This is a great fantasy book and as the title says...GO QUEST,YOUNG MAN...go find this book for a great read! With everyone going crazy about HARRY - This is something to give those done with the fourth book. It's right up there with evil spells, danger, humor and it even has a dragon in it! I really liked it alot...and I "am" a writer! So what you sitting there for? Go get a copy already!

Regarding the ending.......2000-03-25

The reason why this book's ending isn't really an ending is because there were sequels planned, but TSR decided not to buy them because they didn't get enough reorders.

I thought This Book Was Well Written as a fantasy / humor.......1998-09-29

This is one of the best books I have ever read. The way the Story unfolds is Like waiting to take your next breath. K.B.Bogen has taken the fantasy of a TSR book and skillfully mixed it with the Humor of Douglas Adams (Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy Triology). I laughed so hard I almost peed my pants. This book will become glued to your hands until you finish reading it. The only Thing I can Say bad about the book is that in Describes Erwyn's First Year as a Journeysmanship But The Author Never Goes and writes a Second Book. The Journeymanship is a Four Year Plan. So where is books 2-4? Hope They come soon. :-)

A short but not unpleasurable read........1998-01-28

The major problems with this book are three fold. First off, the author does not seem to be able to stick to the idea of writing a comedy adventure. She continually throws in plot twists that would, in a serious book, be interesting and usefull. In this book however, she puts these twists and turns up for display and then does nothing with them. Second is that it is too short. It is my opinion that had the book been longer she would have been able to develop better characters and therefore, funnier situations. Lastly the major plot of the book has a rather confusing end which makes me think there were misunderstandings between author and editor. On the good side the book is fun and somewhat funny. Like I said before, it is a good book for a short read, but could be so much better. (please excuse my bad spelling)

Average customer rating:

Go Quest, Young Man

Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast, UK
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0099455811

Managerial Accounting: Creating Value in a Dynamic Business Environment w/PowerWeb/OLC, and Net Tutor card
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Managerial Accounting: Creating Value in a Dynamic Business Environment w/PowerWeb/OLC, and Net Tutor card
HILTON
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill/Irwin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OGVIR4

Customer Reviews:

Inspirational.......2004-12-30

I know Morris Goodman and this book is a true representation of what happened to him and how he used positive thinking and other methods of motivation to allow him to breathe and walk again. With an injury similar to that of Christopher Reeves, Morris was told that he would never be able to breath on his own, nor walk again ... but he did!

The Miracle Man: An Inspiring True Story of the Human Spirit

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The Miracle Man: An Inspiring True Story of the Human Spirit
Morris E. Goodman
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OIQE5I

Book Description

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Yoram Dinstein's seminal textbook is an essential guide to the legal issues of war and peace, armed attack, self-defence and enforcement measures taken under the aegis of the Security Council. This third edition incorporates new material on the Kosovo air campaign, 'humanitarian intervention', recent resolutions adopted by the Security Council, the latest pronouncements of the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Also discussed are new treaties including the 1998 Rome Statute on the International Criminal Court and current studies of the International Law Commission. In addition, supplementary sections consider, for example, enforcement action carried out by regional organizations under the authority of the Security Council. War, Aggression and Self-Defence remains a comprehensive and highly readable introduction to the legal issues surrounding war and self-defence, and continues to provide an indispensable tool for students and practitioners of international law, international relations and military studies.

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War, Aggression and Self-defence
Yoram Dinstein
Manufacturer: Cambridge University
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K4TX0O

Book Description

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Why has the literature on Asian development not addressed the issue of money politics in Korea? How can we reconcile the view of an efficient developmental state in Korea before 1997 with reports of massive corruption and inefficiency in that same country in 1998 and 1999? Politics is central to the answer. In this book the author makes two arguments. First, both Korea and the Philippines experienced significant corruption throughout the post-independence era. Second, political - not economic - considerations dominated policy making in both countries. Focusing on the exchange of favors for bribes between state and business, the author argues that politics drove policy choices, that bureaucrats were not autonomous from political interference in setting policy, and that business and political elites wrestled with each other over who would reap the rents to be had. Even in Korea, corruption was far greater than the conventional wisdom allows.

Customer Reviews:

An interesting book for specialists.......2002-07-30

This book takes on an important topic: the relationship between corruption and economic development, focusing on two countries, South Korea and the Philippines. It began, apparently some years ago, as the author's dissertation. As a consequence, most of the analysis and references apply to events in the past. It is much better on Korea than it is on the Philippines. The book argues that the outcomes in the Philippines and Korea are best understood as a competition between the political and economic elite for the rents generated by the economy. Since the competition between the political and economic elite was more balanced in Korea, corruption there did not spiral out of control as it did in the Philippines. A chapter attempting to analyze these countries rather differing experiences in the 1997 Asian financial crisis (the Philippines fared better than Korea) in terms of this framework seems appended to any already finished product. The book does make the important point that simply invoking the slogan "developmental state" is an inadequate explanation of these two countries differing histories.

Crony Capitalism: Corruption and Development in South Korea and the Philippines.(Book Review): An article from: Journal of East Asian Studies

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Crony Capitalism: Corruption and Development in South Korea and the Philippines.(Book Review): An article from: Journal of East Asian Studies
Jorge I. Dominguez
Manufacturer: Lynne Rienner Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Journal of East Asian Studies, published by Lynne Rienner Publishers on September 1, 2003. The length of the article is 1057 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Crony Capitalism: Corruption and Development in South Korea and the Philippines.(Book Review)
Author: Jorge I. Dominguez
Publication: Journal of East Asian Studies (Refereed)
Date: September 1, 2003
Publisher: Lynne Rienner Publishers
Volume: 3 Issue: 3 Page: 534(3)

Article Type: Book Review

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Crony Capitalism: Corruption and Development in South Korea and the Philippines.(Book Review): An article from: Pacific Affairs

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Crony Capitalism: Corruption and Development in South Korea and the Philippines.(Book Review): An article from: Pacific Affairs
Park Tae-Gyun
Manufacturer: University of British Columbia
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B0008E7TJ8
Release Date: 2005-07-31

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Pacific Affairs, published by University of British Columbia on June 22, 2003. The length of the article is 667 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Crony Capitalism: Corruption and Development in South Korea and the Philippines.(Book Review)
Author: Park Tae-Gyun
Publication: Pacific Affairs (Refereed)
Date: June 22, 2003
Publisher: University of British Columbia
Volume: 76 Issue: 2 Page: 272(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Customer Reviews:

Very intresting........2004-05-11

I came upon this book and it is very interesting and informative. It talks about how zoos were and how they are and even how they might become. It is a little outdated and a little hard to find be it is a little teasure of a book.

Zoo Book The Evolution of Wildlife Conservation Centers

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Zoo Book The Evolution of Wildlife Conservation Centers
Linda Koebner
Manufacturer: Forge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTV5DS

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