For those who've yet to read it, the book can be divided into roughly three [unequal] parts: childhood, high school/college and Susan-as-an-adult. The first part was the best for me - perfect mix of funny and sad, just like a good sweet-and-sour sauce should be. The second section is shorter than the others, which is a good thing.
High school pretty much consists of a looooooooong riff on virginity, with a drawn-out celebrity stalking adventure thrown in. Her college years are covered by one anecdote; all I'll say about that is that Henry seemed like a "metrosexual before his time" and the more he went on about needing to screw his girlfriend the less convincing he sounded. This section was the low point for me. Stick with it though as the later stuff gets better.
Ms. Gilman's conclusions on the concentration camp tour of Poland were the high point of the book for me; her subsequent Congressional job and wedding plans are well-written, interesting stories that coast the book nicely to a smooth end.

I did have a major problem with her presentation: how could she possibly have gotten into Stuyvesant (one of the most prestigious high schools in the nation) and Brown, and have been that clueless? Her rant on having all those deductions from her first actual paycheck (as a high school student) struck me as preposterous. I don't see how she could possibly have not known about deductions (nor have missed the student withholding exemption status when she filled out her tax forms)? Her ignorance about Judaism (she is a native New Yorker raised in an ethnically Jewish, though non-practicing, household!) was so very far-fetched that I had to consciously disregard it as a failed fictional device. I deducted a star for this, and the uneven middle section.

That having been said, I enjoyed the book a lot, and would consider it as gift material for friends and family.

This book is great I actually found myself laughing out loud while reading it. The author has a wonderfully wicked since of humor that jumps out of the page at you,Great if you grew up in the 70's.

What a great read! If you were born in the mid-1960s, chances are you will appreciate many of the popular culture references and social issues recounted by Susan Gilman in this autobiographical book. Parts are seriously laugh-out-loud hilarious, too, largely due to Gilman's mastery of description and knack for highlighting the absurd with understatement.

There were some parts where I was sitting alone, laughing out loud. Some people have the ability to make their everyday lives hilarious, and this author is one of them.

In interesting memoir. Raised in a fairly dysfunctional family and making the best of it, Ms. Gilman has a way of softening what could have been horrid scenes with her wit and slightly skewed outlook on life- which I like... you know you gotta play with the cards your dealt- she does it quite nicely.

It started out okay, but when she becomes a teenager she talks too much about the Rolling Stones. I got bored with it.

In my opinion this book is a waste of time to read. there are a few funny parts, even laugh out loud part, but to get to them you have to hear about stupid stories or growing up in the 70-80's. It is just too long and doesn't leave you with a sense of completing anything but a long book about a person you never have met, even though she did have some funnies along the way. If you have other books on you TBR then pass this one by, if you happen to see it laying in the bus station and you have nothing else to read, then by all means go for it!

This was cute. I laughed out-loud at some things. At first I thought Susan was my age (40s) but I think she's a wee bit older. I mean, I never had an obsession with Mick Jagger, thank goodness! And the story of not going to college to start her own business was a riot!

Less a true autobiography/memoir than slices of life and remembrances, this book is a very engaging and enjoyable read. While the writer certainly lived a different life from mine, I still connected with her experiences and reactions. I wanted to read lines out loud to my husband from almost every page - she has an excellent way with words. I really enjoyed this book.

Memoir written by Susan Gilman. It explains a generation that is "neither Lost nor Beat, Silent nor Xed."

Especially enjoyed her account of her growing up years. "While the adults around us might have been singing "Joy to the World" and reading aloud stories like George Washington Carver: Father of Peanut Butter! a lot of kids in the neighborhood were simply interested in kicking each other's ass."

Humorous and timely - a good read!

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Good reading for the girls....

I read this a few years ago- laughed out loud at several funny moments.

This book was hilarious!

Great memoir, very funny and light.

Very cute memoir of growing up a tomboy

Very good book! Gilman's a great author. Must read!

****

I went to school in NYC with Susie Gilman. I loved her book - and not just the passages about Stuyvesant HS. She's really funny. You'll like her book too.

A book full of hilarious stories!

Great book- best I've read in awhile!

Hilarious personal memoir.

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