Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful!
Review: This book is hilarious! Even though Nick Naylor manages to nail every woman in the book, I'd still do him myself if given the chance. He manages to make the combination of unethical and intelligent into something appealing and sexy.A must-read!
Rating:
Summary: Never before has sleeze been so charming...
Review: One never quite knows whom to feel sorry for -- the very antagonistic protagonist, the very pretentious public health interests, or us all, the very disillusioned public. After a few hundred pages, all three seem a little seedy, and a delicious love-hate relationship is born. Christopher Buckley takes the reader into the heart of postmodern darkness, the top hired gun at Washington's fiercest pro-tobacco lobby, who -- as he continuously points out -- is only trying to pay his mortgage. The brilliant verbal jousting and tumbling plot twists leave the reader slightly appalled, and unless you're dead, very, very amused. Buckley captures the idiosyncrasies of interior Washington perfectly, as landmarks roll through the pages, both institutional (a wonderful send up of the Washington Times, which is already pretty easy to laugh at) and geographic, with story line that tours the Capitol's least impressive monuments. A roll-around-on-the-floor funny sex scene, portrays love in a city with a power fetish perfectly. "'Ooo,' she said... 'Ah', he said..." Rarely has evil been portrayed more tactfully, and Buckley is such a master of pacing and plot development that even in the midst of the full-throated cynicism of the K Street trade lobbies, all the characters come off as human, despite just about everything they've ever done. The novel just oozes wit, and it gets hard to put down.
Rating: 
Summary: Where'd I leave my sense of humor?...
Review: "Thank You For Smoking" made me reconsider my perspective on even the most hated industries (in this case the tobacco industry). Although likened to Satan, the protagonist, Nick Naylor is just an ordinary person who is doing what he can to keep his job and pay his mortgage. When put in that perspective, Naylor is even a likable guy--you can hate him for advocating cigarettes, but you can't hate him for being human. A feminist is more likely to be angry with the protagonist for his objectification of women than a non-smoker is going to hate him for lobbying for the tobacco industry. Buckley does well in his characterization of the protagonist but slightly lags behind on the others. What he tells you of the other characters is only what Nick can see, thus giving you more insight to Nick than anyone else. I picked up this book as a requirement for a class under the sales pitch that it was the "funniest book you will ever read." After opening the cover, I was beginning to wonder if I had left my sense of humor back home because I was simply not finding anything worthy of a chuckle. However, after pressing on (and may I remind you this was for a class), I found myself thoroughly entertained once Nick was kidnapped by Peter Lorre and the author had proved his cleverness by coming up with Nick's perfect punishment--being covered with nicotine patches! With this stunt, Buckley had gained my trust and I could finish the book in a more responsive frame of mind. Although I never would have picked this book up on my own, I found it to be an easy and entertaining piece of writing. I am glad to have read it because I showed myself that despite being an extremely picky reader, I can once in a while let go enough to broaden my horizons.
Rating:
Summary: great read, original and hilarious
Review: Thank You For Smoking is a wildly original, hilarious book. In challenging the mainstream political correctness of America it opens the reader's eyes to a different perspective. Nick Naylor is a supremely intriguing character who is such a pure representation of greed that it is impossible not to like him. The spins he puts on attacks from anti-smoking groups or witty and shrewd and very well-done. Christopher Buckley does a great job of keeping the reader constantly engaged in the action with a developing plot filled with several unexpected twists and turns. Though a work of fiction, the book feels so realn that the reader assumes they are learning about ATS, a real tobacco lobby. You would swear buckley is the head of P.R. himself. The book succeeds most in its many subplot which support the main theme of Naylor fighting the anti-smoking advocates. First there is the desire of BR to get rid of Naylor and Naylor's subsequent alliance with the Captain. There is Nick's hiding from the FBI and his revenge on Peter Lorre, the man who attempted to kill him. And then there his personal life - his sexual escapades, his relationship with Joey, his twelve year-old son, and his meetings with the Mod Squad. It all fits together very well in the story. Buckley's use of the third person is at times so intimate that it feels person. Naylor's voice is clear and speaks directly to the reader. The book begins by introducing you tot he world of Nick Naylor, and does a wonderful job of doing so. It shows you what goes on in the ATS, and gives great characterization of the people he works with. The plot quickly moves ahead when Nick gets abducted by the anti-smoking terrorists paid off by BR. This sets the tone for the fast pace of the novel which is maintained by the wit of Nick and his friends in the Mod Squad and the skill of the author to tell the reader only what's necessary. In fact, Nick's relationship with the Mod Squad was my favorite part of the book. Each of their characters is so perfect, and Bobby Jay especially was hilarious. The end of the book is also very well-done as what happens is so unexpected yet so understandable. This book is a must-read for anybody who likes to root for the bad guy or who wonders what goes on in the mind of the enemy. Great cultural commentary.
Rating: 
Summary: Extremely witty, original, funny.
Review: Even with a short attention span, a dislike for contemporary fiction and a natural resistance to forced reading assignments, I managed to thoroughly enjoy the wit and humor found in Christopher Buckley's Thank You for Smoking. The protagonist is the antagonist; the attitude is dark yet truthful and the characters artfully dynamic. Nick Naylor is the chief spokesperson for the Academy of Tobacco Studies. He pays his mortgage by stretching, twisting and hiding the truth about tobacco from the public, and as a result lives his life as a target for despise. Buckley's talent as a writer concisely and sarcastically reveals the culmination of events that grow from Naylor's continual and conscious lying. The readers' separation from Nick's dangerous life provides perspective for humor - continuing to prove the "it's funny when someone else falls down" theory. As Nick's awareness and follies increase so does the readers' fondness for this tragic hero. When boss-man, BR, turns up the heat, Nick's urgency to regain the integrity of tobacco for a newly health-conscious society shifts into a high gear. He begins to make blatantly false public statements that in turn introduce him to death-threatening enemies and the praise of the Captain, the tobacco-god. With manic intensity he continues to finagle his way into the media until he is so deeply loved and hated that bodyguards, FBI interrogations and secrete plots with his fellow "Merchants of Death" become necessary. Oddly, Nick's increasingly good job results in an increasingly malignant response from his boss, and the notion of internal tobacco scandal calls for extreme measures. The curious scandal and how Nick manipulates and escapes brilliantly fuels the plot. Buckley writes with a mesmerizing tempo, gluing your eyes to the pages. Between his cynicism, humor and talent for creating anticipation, Buckley weaves Thank you for Smoking into a book that is impossible to leave unfinished. My only criticism is the last chapter, which is weak and jumps almost too radically to a pleasant conclusion, however the fury of events leading up to that single final chapter makes the book well-worth the read.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful Contradiction
Review: While I was apprehensive upon being assigned a bit of "witty" modern literature in my class, I do not regret for a moment being forced to read this book. I like to read just about anything, but this book was better than most. It starts with an utterly disgusting character as a very believable protagonist, and the contradictions escalate from there. This book is truly witty, but in a way that is different than you'd expect. Yes, it has a good deal of humor, but it is the complete reversal of common sensibilities that is so impressive. I had to check myself every so often and remind myself that the guy I was cheering for was spending all of his efforts trying to put cancer sticks in the mouths of pre-teens. A real winner. But that is the kicker - this guy is amazing. Buckley has created a character in Nick Naylor who is ingeniously evil, and yet the reader can't help pulling for him the whole way. He's in the middle of a political lobby that is exactly what we, as humans, should object to, but I just couldn't while I was reading. This book is gripping. From the first lie, through the abduction and dispensing of justice towards mister Naylor, right up until the end, the pages turn themselves. Buckley makes it all okay with his ending, and Nick turns out to be a good guy after all who pays his debt to society and then makes money off of the whole ordeal. Buy this book. It's cheap, it's fun, it won't take but a cool minute to read. Plus, it's really good. And, if you're lucky, you can get college credit for it.
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Summary: Non-smokers Nightmare proves to be Hilarious Read
Review: When I first sat down to read "Thank you for Smoking" I was a little concerned that the controversial topic would take away from the fun in reading. I am a non-smoker and didn't know what to expect after reading the title. My opinions about tobacco are strongly rooted and I believed that no amount of humor would cover up the truth about tobacco in my mind. Christopher Buckley proved my preconceptions to be wrong, however. The novel was hilarious! I often found myself laughing out loud. I love the irony brought into the situations of the novel, from Nick being covered with nicotine patches to being framed by his boss. While reading about the Merchants of Death and their weekly rendezvous for lunch, I found myself wondering about the people who actually hold these positions. I found myself often believing that the situations in the novel exist in the world of marketing and advertising today. I would not put it past the major industries to do some of the things that Nick resorts to in the novel. I know that there are a lot of jobs out there that people wind up doing to "pay the mortgage" and not really enjoy doing. After reading this novel I can't see those people as the "bad guys" anymore. I honestly rethought my views on many of the advertising agencies that use sex and drugs and rock and roll to sell products. Whatever works! Buckley's satire was amazing in that it is meant to be ironic and purely fictional, but it had the effect of a literary masterpiece on the way I saw things in the world. All the same, I had more fun with it than any other novel I have read in years. Overall, the novel was a fun and fast read. What a change from reading works by Faulkner and Hemingway. I realize that a book does not have to be deemed "canonical" to be a good novel. I recommend it to many of my friends as a way to escape the often mundane and dry reading we have to do as college students. Being a non-smoker and having strong opinions about the tobacco industry did not diminish the enjoyment I had reading the novel!
Rating:
Summary: A Must Read of Hilarious Slimy Scandals
Review: Christopher Buckley's Thank You for Not Smoking is a hilarious political satire that will leave readers hacking with laughter. As the chief spokesman of the Academy of Tobacco Studies, readers are suppose to despise the arrogant, yuppie slimeball, Nick Naylor and what he stands for. Amazingly, Nick loves his job and happily promotes and defends the right of smokers daily. However, the trials and tribulations he goes through to pay the mortgage and put his son through the prestigious private school, St. Euthanasius, has readers sympathizing, and even liking him. Unfortunately, Nick's boss, BR, (Budd Rohrabacher) wants Nick ousted of his PR position so Jeannette Dantine, BR's bedroom buddy, can take his place. He seeks comfort with the M.O.D. (Merchants of Death) squad consisting of two other friends employed by the NRA and alcohol industry. The group meets for lunch to complain about their bosses and debate which one works for the worse industry. In attempts to save his career, Nick has over the weekend to create a phenomenal campaign scheme that will revolutionize the tobacco industry. Although BR tries to undermine his ideas, Nick manages to sustain his job, and even up his salary. As he successfully climbs upwards on the career ladder his fame is heightened by his triumphant Oprah and Larry King Live stints. Everything seems to be in tact with Nick; even his sex life seems to be at a climax as he juggles two women at once. However, Nick's popularity seems to be escalating too rapidly when a group of anti-tobacco terrorists kidnap him and nearly kill him by covering his body with lethal nicotine patches. But Nick doesn't let this stop him. Instead, he uses his near-death experience to promote the smoking industry and condemn nicotine patches. Before he knows it, Nick finds himself bombarded by bodyguards and on the search for his attempted killers. Nick's relentlessness to win and be the best in the industry sets the stage for comic relief. He is sly, conniving, and has no morals. Yet, his persistent, driven character has readers rooting him on. It offers insight as to what insane, slimy, disgusting things people will actually do to get to the top. If you like scandals, behind the scene dramas, and pure comedy this best seller is a must read. It will leave you wanting more.
Rating:
Summary: Thank You for the light read
Review: In Jeff Buckley's Thank You for Smoking Nick Naylor is struggling to save his job from his boss's sexually aggressive assistant. As head of pubic relations for a big-tobacco funded research institute based in Washington D.C. Nick is a relative no-body until he leads big tobacco in a media offensive. Nick takes center stage on "Larry King Live" and "Oprah" attacking "neo-puritanical" America's assault on the freedom of smokers, and in a risky move promises an ad campaign to combat teenage smoking, funded by big tobacco. The most entertaining aspect of this book is Nick's perspective. We get to experience the pro-smoking side of the battle. Buckley masters the question twisting, blame shifting, and finger pointing language of politicians which Nick uses to defend big tobacco. In the process Nick wins the favor of "The Captain," the head of Nick's company. "The Captain" proves to be Nick's only friend, much to the chagrin of BR (Nick's Boss.) Nick finds himself at the center of a true capital hill scandal. Under investigation by the FBI, Nick is forced to figure out who tried to kill him with an overdose of Nicotine. Nick sidesteps the law and tiptoes around his Boss who is waiting for an excuse to fire him in order to figure out who wants him dead. After "The Captain's" death Nick's only friends are his M.O.D. squad buddies. The Merchants Of Death squad consists of Nick from the cigarette lobby and his friends from the alcohol and gun lobbies who are all fighting the same battle against "neo-puritanical" America. In the real world of Capital Hill Buckley paints the portrait of a man struggling to maintain his friendships and his relationship with his son. Trying to sort out enemies from friends turns out to be no easy task for public enemy number-one. Nick turns morals and values on their head in a story which written in '94 serves as somewhat of a prophetic glimpse into the Tobacco lawsuits of '98, and a counter point to the popular film "The Insider." Thank You for Smoking is a humorous book that makes a great light read. The writing is lacking when it comes to great literary talent. But, if you want literature go read Dickens. If you want an entertaining pre-bedtime read, read this book.
Rating:
Summary: As Addictive As Nicotine...
Review: Oh, those evil tobacco companies. This is a wonderful job of portraying both sides of the tobacco industry. Whatever your feelings are on the subject, Christopher Buckley writes a beautiful novel about the struggle between big tobacco, anti-tobacco lobbyists and the government. While doing so, he also succeeds at portraying a middle-aged divorced father perfectly and keeps the story entertaining. Nick Naylor is a tobacco lobbyist that is also a devoted smoker. He struggles to fight off anti-tobacco lobbysists while trying to keep his sanity at the same time. Buckley does a brilliant job of creating this character. If the reader is strongly against tobacco, they can still feel a bit of compassion for the man. In his own words, he only promotes the portrayed "industry of death" to "pay the mortgage." Buckley also nicely exposes a side of the anti-tobacco lobby that may not be realized. All in all, "Thank You For Smoking" is a great book. It is one that is very hard to put down, even if you don't agree with the side of the story that is being portrayed. Sex, alcohol, smokes, they're all in here. They blend together to create a brilliant story that should be required reading for any person lobbying for or against an issue.
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