Just
in time for summer travel season comes a book to tell how the other half lives.
Not the rich and famous, but the nondescript concierge who only lives to serve.
Or maybe not. The authors are two ex-actors who entered hospitality management to
make ends meet between gigs. Needless to say by the title of the book, neither
one found their true calling at the front desk. How May
We Hate You purports to give the dirt on what really goes on in the world
of hospitality management, but doesn’t quite hit the mark.
Quibbles
and bits
The
book is a short, quick read filled with vignettes and little drawings. The major
fault is that it doesn’t go far enough and often reads as half done. It’s not
gossipy enough to be a tell-all. The authors hint they’ve witnessed famous
people acting in unprofessional or embarrassing manners, but don’t give names.
Then why mention it at all? If you’re going to write a book like this and
expect me to believe you, sorry I need the dirt. Otherwise, I’m going to think you made it all
up.
There’s
not enough substance in the writing for it to be an exposé on the life of the
concierge either. While heavy on the
snark, it’s light on the details and often comes off as merely two people
crabbing about their jobs. Mind you, the stories, vignettes, and little quirky
lists aren’t badly written. They range from mildly amusing to ho hum. I like a
lot of the drawings. The authors apparently have a blog which is probably why
much of the writing reads like rehashed posts. If you’re in the doctor’s office
it’s a good way pass the time. At a
little over 100 pages you’ll probably breeze through it before called for the
appointment. I did. In general, a reader will come away with more sympathy
toward those who man the front desk, a chuckle or two, but not much else.
Scratching
my head on this one
I obviously
don’t understand marketing. The physical
makeup of this book consists of heavy binding, sturdy cover, and pages of high
quality paper. Why? It’s not the kind of book a person keeps forever. It’s a
light read that takes about an hour, more fitting for a trade paperback found
in an airport gift shop. Even the ebook is expensive at just shy of ten
bucks. I don’t get it.
I received this book
from Blogging for Books in
exchange for a
review.
