by James P. Othmer. Advertising veteran Othmer weathered a couple of decades on the creative side of the field before throwing in the portfolio to write this book. Admen are known not only for their creativity but for their quirkiness and iconoclasm as well, and this book clearly demonstrates the best traits of the trade: it's funny, clever, irreverent, gossipy, and surprisingly insightful about advertising, human nature, and the postmodern business world. Othmer's novel, The Futurist, was acclaimed for its biting wit and satire, which are evident here as the author chronicles his rise from bricklayer to muckety-muck on the creative side of a renowned agency and his trip out the back door again to the real world. VERDICT For anyone interested in a career in advertising, this is essential reading—at least to know what one is in for. But the book's relevance goes well beyond any sort of career preview or critique. In highly enlivening style, Othmer offers astute assessments of the world of business. —Library Journal (Check catalog)
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Adland : searching for the meaning of life on a branded planet
by James P. Othmer. Advertising veteran Othmer weathered a couple of decades on the creative side of the field before throwing in the portfolio to write this book. Admen are known not only for their creativity but for their quirkiness and iconoclasm as well, and this book clearly demonstrates the best traits of the trade: it's funny, clever, irreverent, gossipy, and surprisingly insightful about advertising, human nature, and the postmodern business world. Othmer's novel, The Futurist, was acclaimed for its biting wit and satire, which are evident here as the author chronicles his rise from bricklayer to muckety-muck on the creative side of a renowned agency and his trip out the back door again to the real world. VERDICT For anyone interested in a career in advertising, this is essential reading—at least to know what one is in for. But the book's relevance goes well beyond any sort of career preview or critique. In highly enlivening style, Othmer offers astute assessments of the world of business. —Library Journal (Check catalog)
