Rating: 
Summary: I wish Nanny wasn't such a pushover!!!
Review: I loved this book. As a former "Nanny", I found I could sadly relate. The only problem I have with this story is how totally wimpy/passive Nanny was. I would have really loved to see her tell Mrs. X off big time. Aside from that it was a great read, unfortunately women like Mrs.X really exist and it is so very sad for the childern who just want to be loved by their mommy's and daddy's.
Rating: 
Summary: I loved this book
Review: I found this book by first time writers extremely funny! I didn't want to put it down. Every chance I got, I was reading! At times the characters seem to go too far, but that is what makes it such a good read, the reader can't wait to see what they do next. Bravo to these two former nannys turned authors for giving us such a good read that is filled with lots of laughs at such a somber time for America.
Rating:
Summary: Sad but All Too True
Review: I was surprised that "The Nanny Diaries" was really a good book. Usually books fail to live up to their hype and this one was hyped to high heaven. In some respects, "The Nanny Diaries" was not what I expected; in other respects, it was more.Nan (who is called "Nanny") is the perfect person to care for a child. She graduated from a prestigious Manhattan school, she possesses all the personal characteristics one would want in a caregiver and she's simply a nice person in the bargain. Nan is hired by the "Xes," a very wealthy Park Avenue couple to care for their four year old son, Grayer. At $10 an hour, Nan is a steal. She gives Grayer all the things the selfish and self-centered Xes seem unable to give...love, attention, time...the things any normal four year boy needs in order to develop into a self-sufficient adult. It is, of course, Nanny and not Mr. or Mrs. X who takes Grayer to his music lessons, swimming lessons, karate lessons, piano lessons, French lessons, etc. Grayer is the typical New York "rich kid" and his days are booked to the hilt. It is Nanny who sees that he gets through those days. It is also Nanny who sees that Grayer gets through his nights. She's the one who's there when Grayer has a nightmare, the one who praises his childish efforts and rewards him with a hug or a kiss when he needs one. Although Nanny doesn't "need" Grayer, he very definitely needs her. Mrs. X seems to think that a nanny's job entails looking after her as well. This really comes as no surprise since Mrs. X is more of a child (and less self-reliant) than is Grayer. She expects Nanny to keep her supplied with lavender water, to make sure her alphabetized lingerie drawers stay alphabetized and to procure the French dairy substitutes she feels she must have. It is a small miracle that the authors managed to conjure up some actual sympathy for Mrs. X. I congratulate them. She could have so easily slipped into the role of a caricature, yet she didn't. Mr. X, however, is a different story. This man is a cad and that's actually a compliment. He doesn't call upon Nanny so much as his mistress calls upon Nanny. She calls upon her for oysters; she calls upon her to fetch her black lace thong from beneath the bed, she calls upon her...well, she calls upon her whenever the whim strikes her, and strike her it does. "The Nanny Diaries" was written by two former students who spent a combined eight years working for people just like the Xes. If their book is meant to be a social satire, it works, but it might not have come off quite as light as the duo hoped. There is a deep-seated truth to all of this madness that makes "The Nanny Diaries" a little sad. These absentee parents really do exist, and not just among the rich. And, underpaid, overworked, loving caregivers like Nanny do exist, the unsung heroines of a child's lonely world. The authors are wonderful with details and its the details that bring this story to life. I laughed at the huge list of food-related allergies and found the description of the way Mrs. X and her friends scrupulously avoided physical contact with their offspring marvelous. Marvelous writing, that is. The only reason I gave this book four stars rather than five was the dialogue. It is, I think, true to life and therein lies the problem. It is too true to life. Stark reality doesn't always make for good reading and good written dialogue is very different from the way people actually speak. It is said that a book is only a strong as its villain factor and this one has a villain and a half. The authors paint a truly horrifying portrait of Mr. X. He is a cruel, callous, unfeeling monster...someone whose lack of emotional availability almost drives his family insane. Although there is humor in "The Nanny Diaries," ultimately, it is a sad book simply because it is so true to its subject matter. It is fitting that Nanny is absolutely horrified by all that goes on in the home of the Xes. When Mrs. X spends a long-awaited Valentine's Day dinner sobbing with Nanny instead of enjoying the romantic tryst she'd envisioned, I knew that scene had to have been taken from real life rather than being a product of the authors' imagination. Although she's nearly perfect, in her role as caregiver to Grayer, at least, Nanny is ultimately betrayed. We do feel for her and care about her plight. Although some people will no doubt laugh their way through "The Nanny Diaries," (and it is funny), the sad truth of the matter is...it is all too very, very true. Perhaps we should thank the authors for bringing this to light.
Rating: 
Summary: Be warned...your heart is broken every 7 pages
Review: This book lets you see into a world that only an insider can describe. That is interesting. This books allows for some laugh out loud moments about the silliness of the ultra New York rich. And then the book describes the longing of a child for love and attention from his parents. A need that is never met. This book is being celebrated as being a fun read. If you have a heart, be prepared for it to be crushed unmercifully by the authors. If I read "I want my mommy" or "I want my daddy" while reading the full description of the poor child's tear stained face once more...I think I will scream.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book...couldn't put it down
Review: This book was absolutely fabulous. I couldn't put it down. It's like I was in Nan's world the whole time. The funny thing is that there are really people who live this life everyday. I fell in love with the child and the nanny and came to despise everyone else. I'd definately recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Shallow People Worship Expensive Things But Irresistibly!
Review: Anyone who earns their living as an underpaid subordinate to anyone, anywhere (and who doesn't) will recognize that jerks come in all sizes, shapes and bank accounts. You don't have to be rich or a celebrity to be as self-important and self-involved as Mr. and Mrs. X. That's why the Nanny Diaries rings so true. It ain't literature but it is very readable. I presume McLaughlin and Kraus had the benefit of an excellent editor. The opening is fantastic and really draws you in but it soon deflates. Nanny certainly worships "things" as much as the X's do, though we are supposed to believe that Nanny's values are better. Why? because she's only paid $10 an hour? Nanny literally is ecstatic over a cast off pair of Prada shoes, is bum'd that a gift isn't expensive enough, went to Chapin, falls for an otherwise boor because he goes to Harvard, and has a grandmother who knows the maitre d at Lutece. These don't characterize altruism, but McLaughlin and Kraus give the impression that they think they do. Finally, Nanny's initial description of poor little rich boy Grayer X, sounded like she didn't like him. Inexplicably, and I mean that literally, there's no reason for it, she comes to care for the strange little 4 year old head case. Therein lies the great tragedy of the story. One can't help aching for the little boy and wishing that someone would report the parents to the authorities for neglect. I guess that's why boarding schools were invented. Sad. very, very sad. All in all, minor questions about a thoroughly entertaining book.
Rating:
Summary: EYE OPENING
Review: I travel alot and so I listen to audiobooks frequently. On a recent trip I stopped in [a bookstore] and on a whim, picked up The Nannie Diaries. I popped the cassette into my car and immediately I could not stop listening. I was home from my trip before I knew it! I had to take the tape out and bring into the house where I finished it.
Simply put, this was fabulous. It was an eye opener to see how "the others" actually live. You see the world through the eyes of "Nannie". These ladies put you right there in that world. I actually felt like I was in the apartments, playgrounds and the Cape with them all.
Don't miss this book! It's not the number one bestseller for nothing!
Rating:
Summary: Brilliantly Tragic!
Review: This book was an entertaining, yet tragic, tale of life with uppercrust society parents and a young student who earns her keep as a nanny and makes the one mistake of becoming personally invested in her charge. My heart ached for the poor child in this book. If you are from New York or have ever been exposed to society there then you would know that the author's of this book have captured perfectly the reality of society life in New York. You at once feel for the child, relate to the story, root for certain players, and wish for the best possible outcome for everyone.
I thought this book was just brilliant, witty, quick, easy to read, and moving. Bravo!!!
Rating:
Summary: Rated on accuracy...
Review: I'm a nanny and what this book lacks in literary excellence it makes up for in realism. It's very scary to know that the children produced by wealthy, powerful parents are the ones who will themselves hold the world's power. The only way these children get good parenting is through good nannies...and they're difficult to come by because, as the authors pointed out, if you do your job too well, you're gone. It's a sad state of affairs depicted well in this story.
Rating:
Summary: A Delightful Read!!
Review: Ever wonder how different your childhood would be like with millionaire parents? Before you start daydreaming, read this book and then decide if it's all it's cut out to be. A must-read for all those who are young-at-heart, this book will warm your heart, if not call your parents and thank them.
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