Rating: 
Summary: overly-smug and precious
Review: This book is half over-generalized sociology and half product placement advertising. Throughout the book Brooks tries to be both self-congradulatory and ironically/sarcastically distant. Burn your SUV. Vote for Nader.
Rating: 
Summary: Like it or not, it is accurate
Review: Whether or not you enjoy this book will be highly dependent on your perspective.I believe Mr. Brooks wrote the book in order to chronicle the lives, views, and desires of a generation that has grown into a mature facet of our society. If you look at this book from that vantage, it is an accurate (if somewhat preachy and obsequious) description of the "Bobo." Mr. Brooks does not manage to do much more than paint the picture, but he has done so in a realistic manner. Interpretation of the picture (and judgement of the society he paints) is left to the reader.
Rating: 
Summary: Bobos in Ecotopia
Review: Brooks has done a valuable service in charting a socioeconomic phenomenon. However the Bobos are not representative of the Upper Class AS A WHOLE. There is a tremendous amount of conspicuous consumption in society as a whole. If the "rich peasants in Vegas" are a minority, then why is Las Vegas booming as much as ever. Also, the Bobo consumption pattern of "refined rusticity" is not much in evidence in Manhattan and Beverly Hills. The Bobo is a geographic phenomenon found primarily in Ecotopia{the Pacific Northwest and Vermont} and not much in evidence elsewhere.
Rating:
Summary: Uneven and inconsistent
Review: This book comes across as more of a jumping-on-the-bandwagon book than a carefully (or even uncarefully) researched sociological study. The author's main contention is that the upper class in America has shifted from being comprised of people with a lot of wealth to people with a lot of education. He points out that the rich in the past weren't typically top achievers, even if they did manage to graduate from Harvard, but now the top achievers seem to be well-to-do. There's a missing logical connection there that's never explicitly filled in. Likewise, he approaches the justification for his term "Bobo" for "bourgeois bohemian" from several directions but never quite completes the task. But that's all in the beginning of the book where he appears to be on track to somewhere. In later chapters his description of "Bobohood" becomes rather inconsistent. One minute a Bobo is a green hyper-consumer, the next a self-promoting talkshow pseudo-intellectual. I just don't see the connection between all those people driving SUVs, furnishing their houses from Crate and Barrel, and spreading their artisan bread with extra-virgin olive oil with the overbearing interviewees peddling their latest books on Good Morning America. I don't think the ordinary espresso drinkers that make up the core of Brooks' new class all have pretensions of doing talkshows- -after all, many of them are too busy throwing away their televisions. A few tastes of this book are amusing, but as a whole, it's a bunch of long-winded ideas for essays that have been over-stretched to make a monograph. If you want to know who the real upper class in America are, you're better off reading The Millionaire Next Door, whose findings are actually based on real statistical data.
Rating: 
Summary: Being Bobo is my Mojo
Review: What a great and decent book about myself. Well Done Brookie. However, being cool Bobo is not nerdy, as percieved by a previous reviewer. Bobe's can be of pre-wealthy families, but these days (Yuppies? Lol-Where you been that last two decades, sonny) the majority are RICH due to hard strong study,torturous hours and 'blooming' hard work. The lesson is to enjoy this book, it's fun and fluency will pull you right in; understand we all have different lives: It IS true about the buying 'rubbish' for the hell of it - showing off etc - then never using it, and dropping to a low after....but just imagine what life would be like for YOU if you were sooo rich, that one just didnt enjoy shopping anymore....see, THEN how would you feel! BTW-'Nerdy' is an 'envy' term...........go on, save your money, give it a go, I promise you, you'll enjoy it (but in my case, et al, you'll enjoy studying and working for it much much more. Case Closed).
Rating:
Summary: A good overview of today's upper middle class
Review: This book is thoroughly enjoyable, even if getting repetetive towards the end. The fact that it is drawn mostly from prior writings by the author would explain why some pages are much stronger than others. Topics on Leisure and Consumption were hilarious and right on the mark. Topics on Spirituality and Sex seemed less inspired, and overall seemed more typical of the whole society instead of just the Boho subclass. I also felt that demise of the WASP was greatly exaggerated. Having gone to school with many future "Bobos" and many present and future WASPs I cannot agree with some of the conclusions the author makes on the subject. Overall however, I found it a very good read. I highly recommend it for an evening or train ride read, and it makes a great gift to a Bobo you know and love.
Rating:
Summary: Brooks is indeed a Bobo.
Review: I saw Brooks interviewed on C-Span and was perplexed and disappointed as he himself turned out to be a bobo. You know; a nerd. I think he is overintellectualizing what is merely yuppie nerds and their offspring. As is the case with most people, these yups are a product of the established order in which people are indoctinated via governments, schools, TV that they need foolish products. They are then sold these foolish products. They eventually realize unfulfillment and move on to the next product. Their minds have been programmed to be recievers of advertisements via the media. By the way, Brooks can call himself whatever he likes; the fact is he is establishment all the way. I live in one of the Yuppiest towns in the entire world and see them everyday. Yuppies frowning while wearing sunglasses on cloudy days, honking as they plow through the weary streets with their Lexis SUVS, on their way to downtown Westport in hopes of a glimpse of Paul Newman. That gives me an idea, I should write a book on it. If I only had the connections Brooks had...darn. ;) I strongly recommend Thomas Sowell for intelligent commentary on social trends rather than what amounts to Brooks' partially disguised autobiography.
Rating: 
Summary: Guess I'm not a Bobo
Review: David Brooks' funny and passionate examination of the rise of Bourgeois Bohemians takes us through the last 50 years and makes sense of modern society. By looking at Bobo education, consumerism, business, intellect, pleasure, religion, and politics, Brooks shows that America has moved from the extremes toward the center. His description of community life in the Bobo townships and the paths and pressures of success are a perfect counterpoint to Globalization and the McWorld. I found the book refreshing, smart and funny, and insightful. I don't know how I will be able to walk through Berkeley and not chuckle under my breath as I pass the confused faces of Bobos trying to decide between Peet's and Starbucks'.
Rating:
Summary: Apt, entertaining, but not quite on target
Review: This work by Brooks's is hot because it is timely and depicts a self conscious group which enjoys being characterized, provided that it is being laughed with and not at. However, while Brooks describes significant, and conspicious, cohorts of the meritocracy his definitions are somewhat off the mark. It is inappropriate to depict this element as bourgeois bohemians; Brooks describes a decidedly bourgeois group of people. What seems to elude him (or perhaps is a part of his denial as a group member) is that anything bohemian in this life style is clearly an affection. This group of the affluent, highly educated assumes bohemian affections to demonstrate their extensive education and experience -- things attributable to affluence and bourgeois application. Their interest in developing cultures reflected in dress, diet, and material acquisitions is not indicative of some adoption of bohemian interests and mores; it is a means of indicating the breath of their cultural knowledge, and is often a pretext for demonstrating how well traveled they are. This is proven by the group's separation from anything untidy, unpredictable, or unpleasant inherent in peasant or working class culture. Occasionally they "slum" because it is chic. This isn't new, for example, many WASPs were devotees of the Harlem Renaissance. Brooks also asserts, incorrectly, that the WASP upper crust has been displaced by a new, affluent, highly educated, multicultural meritocracy. This is hardly the case; the WASP upper crust has proved adaptable and is quite secure. It only surrendered that for which it has deemed not worth fighting. Brooks assumes that because WASPs are no longer the conspicuously dominant group in many managerial roles that they are in decline. What eludes Brooks is that a low profile and understatement are integral parts of WASP culture. As technology has increased the spotlight on most upper income careers traditional WASPs have sought the shadows. That the WASP role in American society remains secure is reflected by the aping by non-WASPs of many characteristics of white bread WASP culture (albeit, fortunately not the diet). This is reflected by their striving to attend citadels of WASP education -- prep schools and Ivy and little Ivy colleges and universities, as well marketing of Ralph Lauren, the resurgence of Brooks Brothers, and ironically everything sold by Renovation Hardware. "Newly" popular recreational pursuits he describes such as fly fishing, hiking, and mountain biking have always been elements of WASP leisure. The WASPs remain, their institutions are secure (if now accepting parvenue revenue), they are still proportionately overrepresented in most professions governing society, and entrance to their enclaves still remains elusive to those who are not members of their tribe. The author's descriptions also seem to attempt to define this group as the new upper class. Instead, what he describes is the upper middle class in America, still a small percentage, however, of the total population. He also seems to view his own experiences as reflective of the entire meritocracy he attempts to describe, which is probably inaccurate. Wayne, Pennsylvania is hardly reflective of all highly educated, enlightened, upper income communities in the nation (at least one hopes). In conclusion, it is interesting that Brooks attempts to draw such a distinction between "yuppies" and his "bohos"; there seems to be no difference. Regardless, both are what for centuries have been called the nouveau riche, albeit a consistently well educated segment.
Rating:
Summary: Straddling the Line Between Ironic Wit and Self Absorption
Review: When considering Mr. David Brooks' Bobos in Paradise, it is best to begin with a very important fact - Mr. Brooks considers himself a "bobo." He is very forthcoming with this important bit of information. With it, the reader is advised from the start that although this will be a somewhat comical and occasionally insightful work of social - I don't particularly like to use the word here but there seems no other choice - criticism, it will not be an icon shattering indictment of the society nor will it investigate any topic to a degree that might make the present paradigm unstable. In a way, Mr. Brooks has proven the entire thesis of the book - that affluence, wealth, and the things they can obtain have replaced intellectual and moral substance in America, that the new affluent class has a taste for the superfluous over the substantive (although they may protest to the contrary), and that their influence has driven the direction of contemporary society - by this very point. The question then becomes whether to congratulate him for this keen bit of ironic genius or condemn him for not being able to see beyond the end of his nose. The structure of the book is quite simple: Mr. Brooks first defines what he perceives as a distinct social group and then analyzes it. "Bobos" or Bourgeois Bohemians are explained to be the product of the sixties "counter-culture" combined with the eighties orgy of materialism. In a sense, the book condemns the idealism of the sixties being corrupted by easily gotten gains. However, the condemnation is not very strong, something along the lines of "darn you, darn you all to heck." With that, Mr. Brooks goes gleefully on not to criticize so much as to display the effects of this odd social melange. It may be argued that too criticize to harshly, Mr. Brooks risks bringing down cries of "hypocrite!" upon his head, thus he could be expected to do no more than depict what he observes. This goes directly back to the original question of this review - is the book a product of irony or short sightedness? The reader is left to decide the matter. Some of Mr. Brooks' depictions are interesting, others simply too obvious to be of any importance. Together, they paint a society enthralled by its own success. Occasionally, one will find something not previously known, as in the section on "bobos" and religion. I have for some time observed the rise of the shopping mall mentality in the area of American religion, but I had not considered all the manifestations of this trend that were found and described by Mr. Brooks. Needless to say, it enlarged my picture of the whole but it did not improve my impression of it. One feature the book does have, although it will disturb many readers, is the ability to point an accusing finger back to the reader. It is difficult not to read this book and find oneself among the darned. If you are college educated and between the ages of 35 to 55, something in this book will apply to you. If you are honest, you will recognize it and perhaps mend your ways, for no social quality described in this book is commendable in any person. If you find nothing, you were either not paying attention or are too self absorbed to notice, a true "bobo."
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