Reviews
"Those who think they are playing to an unseen audience often find that they are abruptly on stage without a stitch. Why do they need this validation and why do we so much enjoy providing it? In How to Become a Scandal Laura Kipnis investigates the dirty habits of the heart and illuminates the secret places of the psyche, speculating brilliantly and amusingly about the trouble to which people will go to get themselves exposed." --Christopher Hitchens, author of Hitch-22 "Laura Kipnis is scarily smart and enviably funny, and with How to Become a Scandal she emerges as a Tocqueville for the age of Gawker. You'll never read Page Six in the same way again." --Rebecca Mead, author of One Perfect Day: The Selling of the American Wedding "Read Laura Kipnis's new book if you're hoping to become the object of a media feeding frenzy. Read it if you're hoping to avoid one. This is cultural criticism of a high order." --Jacob Weisberg, author of The Bush Tragedy "An extremely smart, funny, acid, and beautifully written meditation on a scary truth that we all try desperately to ignore: we are deeply divided animals, and we are drawn to the creation of our own demise." --David Shields, author of Reality Hunger: A Manifesto "Excruciatingly fascinating and as fun to read as all the tabloid fodder we pretend we're not following, How to Become a Scandal deftly reveals our halls of infamy to be halls of mirrors. Laura Kipnis has written another fabulously intelligent book." --Rivka Galchen, author of Atmospheric Disturbances "In the future, historians will have to read How to Become a Scandal if they want to understand this bizarre century. Laura Kipnis writes about the central conflicts in our society, the great comedies of manners, with the profound wit and broad sympathy that we used to find only in ambitious novels." --Michael Tolkin, author The Return of the Player "Laura Kipnis has the rare ability to keep her wits about her even as she treads into areas where most nice people would not go. As Kipnis so astutely observes, each epoch gets the scandals it most needs, but at their root is just the inexorable, inexpungible, humiliating fact of being human." --Keith Gessen, author of All the Sad Young Literary Men "Kipnis delivers all the lurid, lowbrow pleasures of scandal-voyeurism redeemed by the Apollonian grace of wit and intellect." --Jim Holt, author of Stop Me If You've Heard This: A History and Philosophy of Jokes "A brilliant original analysis of our culture's addiction to scandal. Kipnis illuminates her subjects with such wit and perception that she raises the art of critical writing to new heights. Brava." --Patricia Bosworth, author of Marlon Brando "‘Know thyself' the ancient Greeks commanded. Far easier commanded than obeyed, as Laura Kipnis demonstrates in this incisive, hilarious look at four exemplary modern American scandals. In ways as delicious and disturbing as the transgressions themselves, she tells us why we love this stuff." --Daniel Menaker, author of A Good Talk: The Story and Skill of Conversation "Who knew it could be worth revisiting national bad dreams like Linda Tripp's smile or Oprah's diets? Kipnis unpeels meaning the way Freud would have, if he'd had a sense of humor." --Jonathan Arac, author of Imp, "Scandal has never had it so good. . . In How to Become a Scandal , Laura Kipnis delivers consumers of high and low culture that rare twofer, taking material that self-respecting people are supposed to resist and treating it with such smarts that the reader feels nothing short of enlightened. Her book is filled with sensational subjects, but Kipnis delivers all the thrills." The New York Times Book Review "A brilliant, funny take on our downfall-a-minute age." People Magazine "A must-read for anyone unable to look away from another's fall from grace. . . . Reading her clever book is like sitting in a front-row seat at Scandal Theory 101and serves as a cautionary tale for those tiptoeing on the edges of indignity. . . . How to Become a Scandal is as transfixing and engrossing as the tremendously chaotic tales she recounts with exacting detail." Tina Brown, Editor-in-Chief, The Daily Beast "Thrilling. . . Hypocrisy, hubris, and self-delusion are delightful intellectual tangles in Kipnis''s hands." Bookforum "Thought-provoking examination of scandals past and present. . . with the benefit of this provocative book, we can now understand why [scandals] will continue as long as human society exists." The Buffalo News " A deliciously flippant tone serves the reader the juicy details we savor so about scandal, while tossing in some timeless questions and speculations about the deeper meaning of it all. This is a dead serious book that''s an utter lark to read." Publishers Weekly , starred review "Those who think they are playing to an unseen audience often find that they are abruptly on stage without a stitch. Why do they need this validation and why do we so much enjoy providing it? In How to Become a Scandal Laura Kipnis investigates the dirty habits of the heart and illuminates the secret places of the psyche, speculating brilliantly and amusingly about the trouble to which people will go to get themselves exposed." Christopher Hitchens, author of Hitch-22 "Laura Kipnis is scarily smart and enviably funny, and with How to Become a Scandal she emerges as a Tocqueville for the age of Gawker. You''ll never read Page Six in the same way again." Rebecca Mead, author of One Perfect Day: The Selling of the American Wedding "Read Laura Kipnis''s new book if you''re hoping to become the object of a media feeding frenzy. Read it if you''re hoping to avoid one. This is cultural criticism of a high order." Jacob Weisberg, author of The Bush Tragedy "An extremely smart, funny, acid, and beautifully written meditation on a scary truth that we all try desperately to ignore: we are deeply divided animals, and we are drawn to the creation of our own demise." David Shields, author of Reality Hunger: A Manifesto "Excruciatingly fascinating and as fun to read as all the tabloid fodder we pretend we''re not following, How to Become a Scandal deftly reveals our halls of infamy to be halls of mirrors. Laura Kipnis has written another fabulously intelligent book." Rivka Galchen, author of Atmospheric Disturbances "In the future, historians will have to read How to Become a Scandal if they want to understand this bizarre century. Laura Kipnis writes about the central conflicts in our society, the great comedies of manners, with the profound wit and broad sympathy that we used to find only in ambitious novels." Michael Tolkin, author The Return of the Player "Laura Kipnis has the rare ability to keep her wits about her even as she treads into areas where most nice people would not go. As Kipnis so astutely observes, each epoch gets the scandals it most needs, but at their root is just the inexorable, inexpungible, humiliating fact of being human." Keith Gessen, author of All the Sad Young Literary Men "A brilliant original analysis of our culture''s addiction to scandal. Kipnis illuminates her subjects with such wit and perception that she raises the art of critical writing to new heights. Brava." Patricia Bosworth, author of Marlon Brando, "In the future, historians confused by the way we have turned politics into a series of puppet shows will have to readHow to Become a Scandalif they want to understand this bizarre century. Laura Kipnis writes about the central conflicts in our society, the great comedies of manners, with the profound wit and broad sympathy that we used to find only in ambitious novels. Sociology is rarely so entertaining." --Michael Tolkin, authorThe Return of the Player "Excruciatingly fascinating and as fun to read as all the tabloid fodder we pretend we're not following,How to Become a Scandaldeftly reveals our halls of infamy to be halls of mirrors. Laura Kipnis has written another fabulously intelligent book." --Rivka Galchen, author ofAtmospheric Disturbances, "A deliciously flippant tone serves the reader the juicy details we savor so about scandal, while tossing in some timeless questions and speculations about the deeper meaning of it all. This is a dead serious book that's an utter lark to read." —Publishers Weekly, starred review Those who think they are playing to an unseen audience often find that they are abruptly on stage without a stitch. Why do they need this validation and why do we so much enjoy providing it? InHow to Become a ScandalLaura Kipnis investigates the dirty habits of the heart and illuminates the secret places of the psyche, speculating brilliantly and amusingly about the trouble to which people will go to get themselves exposed." —Christopher Hitchens, author ofHitch-22 Laura Kipnis is scarily smart and enviably funny, and withHow to Become a Scandalshe emerges as a Tocqueville for the age ofGawker. You'll never read Page Six in the same way again." —Rebecca Mead, author ofOne Perfect Day: The Selling of the American Wedding Read Laura Kipnis's new book if you're hoping to become the object of a media feeding frenzy. Read it if you're hoping to avoid one. This is cultural criticism of a high order." —Jacob Weisberg, author ofThe Bush Tragedy An extremely smart, funny, acid, and beautifully written meditation on a scary truth that we all try desperately to ignore: we are deeply divided animals, and we are drawn to the creation of our own demise." —David Shields, author ofReality Hunger: A Manifesto Excruciatingly fascinating and as fun to read as all the tabloid fodder we pretend we're not following,How to Become a Scandaldeftly reveals our halls of infamy to be halls of mirrors. Laura Kipnis has written another fabulously intelligent book." —Rivka Galchen, author ofAtmospheric Disturbances In the future, historians will have to readHow to Become a Scandalif they want to understand this bizarre century. Laura Kipnis writes about the central conflicts in our society, the great comedies of manners, with the profound wit and broad sympathy that we used to find only in ambitious novels." —Michael Tolkin, authorThe Return of the Player Laura Kipnis has the rare ability to keep her wits about her even as she treads into areas where most nice people would not go. As Kipnis so astutely observes, each epoch gets the scandals it most needs, but at their root is just the inexorable, inexpungible, humiliating fact of being human." —Keith Gessen, author ofAll the Sad Young Literary Men Kipnis delivers all the lurid, lowbrow pleasures of scandal-voyeurism redeemed by the Apollonian grace of wit and intellect." —Jim Holt, author ofStop Me If You've Heard This: A History and Philosophy of Jokes A brilliant original analysis of our culture's addiction to scandal. Kipnis illuminates her subjects with such wit and perception that she raises the art of critical writing to new heights. Brava." —Patricia Bosworth, author ofMarlon Brando ‘Know thyself' the ancient Greeks commanded. Far easier commanded than obeyed, as Laura Kipnis demonstrates in this incisive, hilarious look at four exemplary modern American scandals. In ways as delicious and disturbing as the transgressions themselves, she tells us why, "A brilliant original analysis of our culture's addiction to scandal. Kipnis illuminates her subjects with such wit and perception that she raises the art of critical writing to new heights. She makes you laugh and think. Brava." --Patricia Bosworth, author ofMarlon Brando "‘Know thyself' the ancient Greeks commanded. Far easier commanded than obeyed, as Laura Kipnis demonstrates in this incisive, hilarious, and, er, penetrating look at four modern American scandals, all of which involve self-destructiveness of the highest and most bewildering order. In ways as delicious and disturbing as the transgressions themselves, she tells us why we love this stuff." --Daniel Menaker, author ofA Good Talk "Read Laura Kipnis's new book if you're hoping to become the object of a media feeding frenzy. Read it if you're hoping to avoid one. Either way, it will leave you delighted and ten times smarter about the workings of our media-celebrity complex. This is cultural criticism of a high order." --Jacob Weisberg, author ofThe Bush Tragedy "An extremely smart, funny, acid, and beautifully written meditation on a profound truth that we all try desperately to ignore: we are deeply divided animals, and we are drawn to the creation of our own demise." --David Shields, author ofReality Hunger "Those who think they are playing to an unseen audience often find that they are abruptly on stage without a stitch. Why do they need this validation and why do we so much enjoy providing it? InHow to Become a ScandalLaura Kipnis investigates the dirty habits of the heart and illuminates the secret places of the psyche, speculating brilliantly and amusingly about the trouble to which people will go to get themselves exposed." --Christopher Hitchens, author ofHitch-22 "Kipnis delivers all the lurid, lowbrow pleasures of scandal-voyeurism redeemed by the Apollonian grace of wit and intellect." --Jim Holt, author ofStop Me If You've Heard This "Laura Kipnis has the rare ability to keep her wits about her even as she treads into areas where most nice people would not go. She's done it again in this funny and sympathetic book about scandal:why it keeps happening, and why each time we find it so incredibly fascinating. Each epoch gets the scandals it most needs, but at their root, as Kipnis so astutely observes, is not anything particular about fame or the culture or ‘the Internet,' but just the inexorable, inexpungible, humiliating fact of being human." --Keith Gessen, author ofAll the Sad Young Literary Men "How many times have you watched the latest scandal unfolding on TV and said, ‘How could he be so stupid' or ‘What was she thinking'? Laura Kipnis gives you the answers and, along with them, a theory of why scandal, like rock and roll, is here to stay." --Stanley Fish, author ofSave the World On Your Own Time "Laura Kipnis is scarily smart and enviably funny, and withHow to Become a Scandalshe emerges as a Tocqueville for the age of Gawker. You'll never read Page Six in the same way again." --Rebecca Mead, staff writer,The New Yorker "Not only is this enormous fun, it is also a very smart book, rich in insight and psychological truth.How to Become a Scandalprobes searchingly into, "A brilliant, funny take on our downfall-a-minute age." -People Magazine "A must-read for anyone unable to look away from another's fall from grace. . . . Reading her clever book is like sitting in a front-row seat at Scandal Theory 101-and serves as a cautionary tale for those tiptoeing on the edges of indignity. . . . How to Become a Scandal is as transfixing and engrossing as the tremendously chaotic tales she recounts with exacting detail." -Tina Brown, Editor-in-Chief,The Daily Beast "Thought-provoking examination of scandals past and present. . . with the benefit of this provocative book, we can now understand why [scandals] will continue as long as human society exists." -The Buffalo News "A deliciously flippant tone serves the reader the juicy details we savor so about scandal, while tossing in some timeless questions and speculations about the deeper meaning of it all. This is a dead serious book that's an utter lark to read." -Publishers Weekly, starred review "Those who think they are playing to an unseen audience often find that they are abruptly on stage without a stitch. Why do they need this validation and why do we so much enjoy providing it? InHow to Become a Scandal Laura Kipnisinvestigates the dirty habits of the heart and illuminates the secret places of the psyche, speculating brilliantly and amusingly about the trouble to which people will go to get themselves exposed." -Christopher Hitchens, author ofHitch-22 "Laura Kipnis is scarily smart and enviably funny, and withHow to Become a Scandalshe emerges as a Tocqueville for the age of Gawker. You'll never read Page Six in the same way again." -Rebecca Mead, author ofOne Perfect Day: The Selling of the American Wedding "Read Laura Kipnis's new book if you're hoping to become the object of a media feeding frenzy. Read it if you're hoping to avoid one. This is cultural criticism of a high order." -Jacob Weisberg, author ofThe Bush Tragedy "An extremely smart, funny, acid, and beautifully written meditation on a scary truth that we all try desperately to ignore: we are deeply divided animals, and we are drawn to the creation of our own demise." -David Shields, author ofReality Hunger: A Manifesto "Excruciatingly fascinating and as fun to read as all the tabloid fodder we pretend we're not following,How to Become a Scandaldeftly reveals our halls of infamy to be halls of mirrors. Laura Kipnis has written another fabulously intelligent book." -Rivka Galchen, author ofAtmospheric Disturbances "In the future, historians will have to readHow to Become a Scandalif they want to understand this bizarre century. Laura Kipnis writes about the central conflicts in our society, the great comedies of manners, with the profound wit and broad sympathy that we used to find only in ambitious novels." -Michael Tolkin, authorThe Return of the Player "Laura Kipnis has the rare ability to keep her wits about her even as she treads into areas where most nice people would not go. As Kipnis so astutely observes, each epoch gets the scandals it most needs, but at their root is just the inexorable, inexpungible, humiliating fact of being human." -Keith Gessen, author ofAll the Sad Young Literary Men
