Rating: 
Summary: Wittiful and Lighthearted
Review: "Depth Takes a Holiday" is a hilarious bestseller brought to us by the insightful and witty Sandra Tsing Loh. This is a collection of essays where Sandra tsing Loh invites us to observe different aspects of the Californian lifestyle. Througout the three parts of her book, the author uncovers with keen observations and delightful details various topics including the difference in class structures, the variety of cultures in L.A, and their relative manners. Sandra Tsing Loh moves on to describe the attitudes of men and women about dating and relationships. The title of this book, "Depth Takes a Holiday" appears as an invitation to halt your critical thinking and to take a break, a holiday. On the contrary, Sandra Tsing Loh outwits us. You will find yourself engaged in more critical thinking to understand the nature and reality beyond the presented situation. In one of her essays,"IKEA! The Cry of The Lost Generation", Sandra Tsing Loh provides us with a portrait of her depressed generation. This is the generation of the "late boomers" who are overeducated and underemployed. In her eyes, as well as in the eyes of many pertaining to her generation, IKEA is the light, the hope. IKEA succeeds in lessening their disappointments and enables them to purchase modern stylish furniture at cheap prices. IKEA can help them paint a better picture of their lives. All in all, I find "Depth Takes a Holiday" a pleasurable book to read. You will find yourself flipping through the pages and asking for more beacause of the lighthearted and natural descriptions. I recommend this book for individuals who seek to know more about the lifestyle that governs LA. You will even discover that some of these attitudes are universal. So Grab this book this summer and see for yourself. M.Chaaban // California State University, LA //
Rating:
Summary: Parochial but amusing
Review: A collection of humorous newspaper articles mostly written from the standpoint of a 30-something female living in Los Angeles. I think you'd have to know Los Angeles and watch a lot of TV to fully appreciate it. Of course most of the world has more curiosity about how life is lived in Los Angeles than about Des Moines or Toronto, and more curiosity about the movie industry than widget manufacturing, so that gives it some degree of universal appeal. I did not catch all the cultural references. At times I felt like an American high school student trying to read Umberto Eco. One complete essay is about a television show called Baywatch, which is apparently popular in places like Uzbekistan and Thailand, so maybe I'll have to go there before I can appreciate it. Nevertheless, even for the ignorant, this is a very funny and insightful book.
She complains somewhat about the fact that most people like her stories about her father best but I also found these were the best. I picked this book up after reading "If You Lived Here You'd Be Home By Now" which is a novel that picks up a lot of the same atmosphere and is easier for an unassimilated British immigrant living in the top right hand corner of the USA to understand.
Rating:
Summary: A funny way of looking at lives in LA.
Review: A collection of short essays describes and shows Loh's experiences of living in LA. The essays will make you look at your everyday life differently. Loh utilizes some of her depressing moments and makes fun out of them. I found the majority of these essays very funny, delightful and also very detail in terms of context, but few of her works in this collection are nothing more than a story of an unemployed woman who is whining about life. An enjoyable book for any of us who spend most of the day stressing at work or frustrating of job hunting.
Rating: 
Summary: Very witty, very Los Angeles
Review: A terrific collection of pieces from a 30ish, "Valley" point of view. If you love a good story, you will roll on the floor laughing as Loh pinpoints why IKEA sells so much furniture, what the "real" benefits of marriage are, the easy way to get an art grant, and where to have fun in Las Vegas.
If you know of or live in Los Angeles, Loh's insights are particularly humorous and cutting: You don't have to move far from the Galleria before you find the "Valley Girls" have disappeared. But LA residency is not required. Loh's stories are particularly personal and revealing, ranging from problems related to being a "non-traditional" artist, to her quirky family, her transition from single to married life, and other issues.
If you enjoy author/performers like Spalding Gray or Harry Shearer, you will enjoy this book greatly.
Rating: 
Summary: Fans of David Sedaris turn back now.
Review: After visiting L.A. for the first time, I was interested to hear what Ms. Loh had to say about it. While her observations are occasionally keen, her writing style GRATED on me to the extent that I tossed it aside after 20 minutes. Like L.A., she's all surface, using cute turns of phrase and bombastic imagery to substitute for any real insight. Crap, crap, crap.
Rating:
Summary: If you're from LA, you will LOVE this book!
Review: And if you're not, you'll probably find it pretty funny. It's so refreshing to see a great work of writing that about LA that doesn't demonize the place. Instead, Sandra Tsing Loh celebrates it, all of its pitfalls and craziness. She puts her spin on the mundane, everyday bits of life in our beloved city and makes them hilarious-because what she says is so true. Subjects of the short essays in this collection include: IKEA, our misguided attempts at the ideal of multiculturalism, Trader Joe's, models, and the best pick-up lines for LA women based on their earrings. Even if you're not of her "generation," you will enjoy it, as this teen has. Medusa (any comments-please email)
Rating:
Summary: Like, totally charming
Review: Author Sandra Tsing Loh takes a look at contemporary Los Angeles in this engaging book of essays. She's very perceptive about pointing out the vanities and obsessions of L.A., and she fully enjoys the city. What clinched this book for me was the juxtaposition of Loh's fine, precise literary style with the often gonzo hyperbole of everyday life in an image-obsessed city. "Depth Takes a Holiday" is a great coming-of-young-adulthood story by a cultural survivor who emerged from the gloss and illusion with her mind, and voice, joyously intact.
Rating:
Summary: Like, totally charming
Review: Author Sandra Tsing Loh takes a look at contemporary Los Angeles in this engaging book of essays. She's very perceptive about pointing out the vanities and obsessions of L.A., and she fully enjoys the city. What clinched this book for me was the juxtaposition of Loh's fine, precise literary style with the often gonzo hyperbole of everyday life in an image-obsessed city. "Depth Takes a Holiday" is a great coming-of-young-adulthood story by a cultural survivor who emerged from the gloss and illusion with her mind, and voice, joyously intact.
Rating:
Summary: Life in the polluted city-Los Angeles
Review: Depth Takes a Holiday by Sandra Tsing Loh, she claims that it is a wonderful experience living in the metropolitan area-Los Angeles. In one of the short essay "Coming Home to Van Nuys", she states that, after getting off the airplane from Los Angeles Airport, there is no place like home, but, in fact, she is home. She continues describes her wonderful life throughout her essays. When reading her short essays about the life in the city, she brings in lots of fact about the life that can change from period. The most interesting part of her essay is "IKEA! Cry of a Lost Generation". She uses the IKEA home furnishings store to contrast between the good and bad. She brings to the reader an interesting fact that every furnishing stores try to close down except IKEA which they expanding more. Furthermore, she states that why buy a BMW when it costs the same a Hyundai and everyone's driving them? The fact is that it does not matter rather we own a new or an old BMW, but the price still costs more than Hyundai. In a way, she uses automobile to compare (my point of view) rather we are rich or poor. We are still living in the same city and sharing the same polluted air. It does not make us look totally different rather driving a nice or ugly car on the street. The only thing really matter is that we are share the natural resources. The book, Depth Takes a Holiday, gives the reader to think about life living in the city. The phenomena question rises to our thinking that does it worth to live in a crowded city like Los Angeles. The fact is that we should enjoy what Mother Nature creates for us. The author gives the reader a feed back about her life in the metropolitan city. Also, she describes her own observation where she goes from her house and what fascinates her to change her mind that she considers this is her "home". Even though, I have not finished all her essays, but I do enjoy reading her book to enhance my knowledge in this metropolitan city. I do find few weakness points about her essays such as bad language, bad advises for teenagers, and so forth. Overall, I still enjoy reading her book, but I will not recommend to any teenagers. I am a college student that understand the concept of which is right or wrong, but it does not impact on me as in teenagers. Sometimes, teenagers are misunderstanding from what they learn through reading. I personally recommend the author be strict on her writing for her next adventure. California State University, Los Angeles ~ Andy Truong ~
Rating:
Summary: Excellent reading for anyone seeking to find paradise in CA
Review: Depth Takes a Holiday is a lighthearted compilation of essays on life in California and everything that entails living in this unique setting. Sandra Tsing Loh has put together a set of humorous as well as sarcastic thoughts about her experiences. It allows the reader to conjure up images of her descriptions as well as erasing the myths about life in California. The author has made it her task to convey the distortions that are made about Californian life and offers the reader a good laugh along the way. Depth Takes a Holiday is an excellent book for those seeking to find paradise in California as well as providing those who live there with an unspoken knowledge of life in the Golden State. -D.O.Ochoa, California State University, July 21, 1999
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