Rating: 
Summary: a very funny book-great read
Review: Steve Martin's The Pleasure of My Company is the story of 31 year old Santa Monica resident Daniel Pecan Cambridge. He has very severe obsessive compulsive disorder (though he doesn't recognize it as such), which dictates everything in his life. It takes him 40 minutes to get top a drugstore that is only a few blocks away because he will only cross the street on driveways that dip down a certain way and are parallel to each other (he's afraid of curbs), and he creates mental grids of his ceiling to count irregularities. He is also obsessed with a realtor whom he has met only briefly under the guise of a potential renter, his (student) physiatrist (Clarissa),and his pharmacist (Zandy). Eventually he conquers his problems and moves on to a new life. This book was really funny as well as insightful. There were some parts where I had to struggle not to burst out laughing, which is why I gave it a 5 out of 5.
Rating:
Summary: Amusing, Amazing, Uplifting Short Novel
Review: Daniel Pecan Cambridge is a young man who is totally incapacitated by OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder). He is unable to hold a job or have friends, he is barely able to make it to the neighborhood pharmacy because he cannot navigate curbs. His love life is limited to looking (from afar). And yet, there is more to Daniel than his illness. For one, he is a mathematical genius who can tell you what day of the week your birthday will fall on in twenty years. More importantly, he has a heart for people, a discovery which will surprise Daniel himself as much as the reader of this book.The Pleasure of My Company is a short novel, beautifully written, easy to read, funny, insightful, delightful and redemptive. It explores in depth (and with humor) the suffering of Daniel's self-imposed limitations, and it shows the way to his healing. How does it happen? You will just have to read the book to find out. Author Steve Martin is well known for his comic films, but he is also an extremely good writer. He has a deep understanding of people and their sufferings, undoubtedly drawn from life experience. In this book he has done it again, and I recommend it highly. Reviewed by Louis N. Gruber.
Rating:
Summary: Thoroughly Enjoyable
Review: I found this story to be light-hearted and witty. The Pleasure of My Company was a pleasure to read.
Rating: 
Summary: Steve Martin can write!
Review: Most of us are familiar with Steve Martin the comedic actor and not Steve Martin the author. Well, it's about time we all took a closer look at Martin the author because the guy CAN write. Not only is The Pleasure of My Company well-written, but it's also thoughtfully constructed. For people who are expecting this novel to be the literary equivalent to Martin's cinematic slapstick physical comedy will either be pleasantly surprised or sorely disappointed. TPOMC has a Zen-like quality to it, which originates from the character's constant and often witty introspection. This calmness is in direct opposition with the character's numerous disruptive habits stemming from his OCD and the problems that arise from this conflict, along with the character's steady transformation, makes for a delightful and entertaining read.
Rating: 
Summary: It is a bad version of "The Jerk"
Review: This literary version of "The Jerk" never gets going for me. It starts off as a monologue and since I know Steve Martin wrote it the image I got in my head is of Steve on stage telling me this story. Once a few characters are introduced they have no depth or real life. As the books goes on the story never progresses. The main character has no conflicts to change is character. He has a few obsessive compulsive issues to deal with but they mysterously dissolve by the end of the book. I found the ending to be particularly bad. The main character's problems are solved and he finds true love in a terrible final 10 pages. This was a story about a wierd guy who has some mildly humurous episodes and then gets better. Who cares?
Rating: 
Summary: I Think I Liked It
Review: The jury is still out for me on Steve Martin as a writer. I really enjoyed "Shop Girl." "Pleasure of My Company" had some great moments and fresh and unique ideas, but didn't capture me in the same way. I found more similarities to "Shop Girl" with Augusten Burroughs' "Sellevision" or Rikki Lee Travolta's "My Fractured Life" then I necessarily found with "Pleasure of My Company". It is a unique and interesting book, not bad at all. It's just different than what I expected and not filled with that same quick wit I found in "Shop Girl" and with Burroughs and Travolta. I'm not counting Martin out. I liked this novel I think, I'm just not as sure as in the past.
Rating:
Summary: Tender, Touching and Triumphant!
Review: This is a wonderfully written book with depth, charm and humor! Kudos to Steve Martin! Thank you!
Rating: 
Summary: Get on the court in life!
Review: While I haven't read Steve Martin's first book, this book was horrible! I'm not interested in the thoughts and delusions of this character who's obsessions and psychoses rule his boring, mundane life. I'd rather read about someone who gets on the court and plays the game of life, not someone who lets life pass them by.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: I loved this book, it was fun, interesting and kept my attention. I didn't realize who wrote it at first. I'm very impressed!
Rating:
Summary: THE PERFECT NOVELLA & A PLEASURE TO READ
Review: Steve Martin has written the perfect novel here: Compelling, witty, gentle, and pure joy to read. Anyone tired of crime and violence novels will love Daniel Cambridge, Martin's first person character in PLEASURE. Though his mental stability keeps him confined to out of work status at his California apartment, Daniel finds attractive elements in each of the women he desires. Charming them each in his non-aggressive way, Daniel eventually finds the love of his life through selfless, altruistic acts by merely being his sweet self. Martin seems to know much about women with his honest observations and descriptions of their inner and outer beauty. You almost wish he would pass along his secret to being a gentleman, but he is subtler than that. Quite simply, Daniel is a man you wish you knew in real life. What is delightful about this novel beyond the brilliant prose and soothing descriptions, is knowing that when Steve Martin tires of acting we will be enjoying his novels. I have been a Steve Martin fan for years, reading most of his offbeat books, and listening to all of his comedy albums. I found SHOP GIRL to be a surprisingly fun novel to read. Martin has raised the bar for himself with PLEASURE and I look forward to additional, and longer stories. Steve Martin is truly a talent to be cherished. Read this book. You'll be glad you did. Steve, write more and longer books!
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