Rating: 
Summary: Written by a true salesman!
Review: Only one who has sold could nail it so completely. As one who formerly sold advertising, I was mesmerized from page one. This IS sales--100% on target. I enjoyed all of it, and would have given it 5 stars except that the ending was a little too farfetched...but enjoyable nonetheless...would make a great movie.
Rating:
Summary: Easy summer reading
Review: I really loved his previous book so had very high expectations. I enjoyed this one and would certainly recommend it to anyone looking for something light to pass the time. A bit unbelievable in many places - you know you're reading fiction. I'm getting a little tired of books with the off-shore banking scene. Still, I'll look forward to Kennedy's next one.
Rating: 
Summary: A MUST FOR ANYONE WHOEVER HAS MET A SALESMAN
Review: HARD TO PUT DOWN. IF YOU LIKE GRISHAM YOU ARE SURE TO LIKE KENNEDY,
Rating: 
Summary: A gripping page-turner about a hard-to-like protaganist
Review: "The Job" grabbed my attention and I did read it in two days. The plot was very John Grisham-like and I found myself intrigued. It was hard to like the main character, Ned Allen. Although the author tried to make him likeable, the way he treated his wife and co-worker made it hard to truly feel sorry for him. I did find the ending disappointing. At the finish of the book, I had the feeling that Kennedy had been told, "The book is too long. You've got to wind it up in the next 5 pages. Don't use too much detail."
Rating:
Summary: A well written thriller
Review: "The Job" of course echoes John Grisham's "The Firm", as earlier reviewers have correctly pointed out, but I found Mr. Kennedy's book to be a shade darker and more sinister than the Grisham novel, and it is also a notch above Grisham's prose quality-wise.The main character, Ned Allen, comes across as very human and believable, even though the over-the-top ending spoiled a lot of that credibility for me. Ned stumbles through the twists and turns of the book, barely reacting to all the massive blows aimed at him (which does make the character so sympathetic), and suddenly, in the bleakest of moments, he comes up with the grand scheme and brings down a whole network of big-money thugs? Hmmm... Otherwise, "The Job" is a very exciting read, a novel that for once really deserves the phrase "hard to put down".
Rating:
Summary: entertaining pop fiction
Review: The formula of this story is pretty much identical to the one used in his earlier book The Big Picture: begin the story with an introduction of the upper middleclass guy who seems to have a stable, mundane life, throw in an event or a series of events that makes him lose everything/ends his life as he knew it, & tell the tale of how he manages to find a new life. Both books seem to be written with a movie adaptation in mind. Nonetheless, this book was thoroughly enjoyable and a fast read.
Rating:
Summary: Top writing, great story
Review: It is always a pleasure to read a novel that is crafted so well, where the author's skill at story telling is so blatantly evident, that it literally immerses the reader into its world and will not let go until the last page is turned.
The Job is an excellent tale about a Ned Allen, a magazine advertising salesman who loves the thrill of the deal, closing the sale is his ultimate adrenalin rush, and he's good at it. He's living the Manhattan dream: high fliers, exclusive restaurants, a downtown apartment and a beautiful wife. Ned is also a nice guy, generally an ethical man, which is a dangerous thing to be in a world of the "cut throat" deal. One could say that life is a series of choices, and the choice we make determine who we are in the end. Ned wants to do the right thing, he cares about his employees, but sometimes the pressures of the deal, and the stress of the moment can push one to make decisions that can turn one's life upside down. Ned is confronted with an ethical dilemma - he makes a decision, moving into that ethical `grey' area, that sets off a chain of circumstances which changes his ideal Manhattan life into a nightmare.
Kennedy ensures we have great sympathy for Ned Allen. The mistakes he makes, his dubious ethical choices, most would agree are minor compared to some of the stories we hear about in the world of big business and high finance. But for some people it doesn't take much to topple our house of cards on simply a whim or seemingly insignificant choice. While some get away with murder or move through life stepping on people on a daily basis without a second thought of consequences, some of us can make one little mistake, and the world changes forever. Ned is that type of person that must follow his own values or pay the price. And, unfortunately, he pays the price.
The job is a convincing piece of story telling, compelling in its content, a compulsive experience that wouldn't let go until it was finally finished in the dark early morning hours. A perfect weekend read that has prompted me to seek out further novels by Douglas Kennedy. A great performance.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: Fans of Steven Frey (The Takeover) will love this book! It starts out centering on the daily highly pressured business of selling advertising in the computer magazine business. It then progresses to corporate takeovers, off-shore investment funds, and money laundering. The main character, Ned Allen, is one of the best salesmen there is because of his "closing" ability. His decision to follow ethical rules leads him to lose his job, his wife, and be literally thrown out to the street with no future prospects. Desperate for anything to keep him going he meets up with Jerry Schubert, a friend from his old hometown. Jerry seems to be a godsend, taking Ned in and helping with many of his prior problems (credit card debts, etc.) with ready cash and a fairly well-paying job. As usual, what seems too good to be true, is in fact that. As Ned finds out he is sucked into being a "slave" for Jerry and his shady dealings. A situation, which seems there is no way out of. I read this book in half the time it normally takes me to read a book. It is one of those difficult to put down books. I found myself stopping at the end of a chapter but being so intrigued that I needed to look ahead to the next chapter. The only distraction is that the book is written in first person. When dealing with thriller type fiction I usually don't like this technique because you know right up front that the storyteller is not going to die so some of the suspense is lost. I recently read another Kennedy book called "The Big Picture." As much as I liked that one, I think this book is superior overall.
Rating:
Summary: A well written thriller
Review: "The Job" of course echoes John Grisham?s "The Firm", as earlier reviewers have correctly pointed out, but I found Mr. Kennedy?s book to be a shade darker and more sinister than the Grisham novel, and it is also a notch above Grisham?s prose quality-wise. The main character, Ned Allen, comes across as very human and believable, even though the over-the-top ending spoiled a lot of that credibility for me. Ned stumbles through the twists and turns of the book, barely reacting to all the massive blows aimed at him (which does make the character so sympathetic), and suddenly, in the bleakest of moments, he comes up with the grand scheme and brings down a whole network of big-money thugs? Hmmm... Otherwise, "The Job" is a very exciting read, a novel that for once really deserves the phrase "hard to put down".
Rating:
Summary: Moral Dilemnas Abound
Review: Moral Dilemnas Abound in this fast-paced read about an average New Yorker trapped in a bizzare situation far beyond anything even he could imagine. A likable protagonist, even though at times you want to thump him on the head and say, "Ned!! Ned!!" "Ned, WHAT are you doing?" I enjoyed this book and would reccomend it to anyone who wants to read pure entertainment...with a twist. Also, an FYI to my fellow reviewer, 'Martina,' American Airlines just happens to own 85% of all gates in the Carribean market, as well as many places the character Ned traveled to throughout the novel. As an frequent traveler, I was actually thrilled to see an author be very accurate in his information and not simply create flights that do not exist in real life.
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