Celebrated ad man Richard Kirshenbaum, the original New York observer, reveals the fashions, foibles, and outrageous extravagances of the private-jet set Paid friends. Pot dealers draped in Dolce. Divorce settlements that include the Birkins at their current retail price. Air kisses, landing strips, and lounge-chair bribery. For most of us, the idea of life inside the golden triad of Park Avenue, Sagaponack, and St. Barths is just as exotic as the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle. Luckily, Richard Kirshenbaum has a VIP pass to the Upper East Side and is willing to share the wealth-of gossip. His New York Observer column on uptown social life provides a fascinating glimpse behind the gilded curtain into the swanky restaurants and eye-popping vacation destinations where the 1 percent gathers. Isn't That Rich? features highlights from Kirshenbaum's monthly column as well as several brand-new essays. From cash-strapped blue bloods willing to trade their good names for a taste of nouveau riche treasure to the fine art of donning a cashmere sweater in Capri, our intrepid correspondent exposes the preoccupations of the posh. His insider sources may be anonymous-Our Lady of the East River wouldn't have it any other way-but the light he shines on their world is dazzling and fabulously fun.
"Isn't That Rich? is as funny as it is smart. Richard Kirshenbaum knows this world and the people in it, and his up-to-the-minute portrait of today's 1 percent is both insightful and a joy to read, no matter what tax bracket you're in."
Mortimer Zuckerman, chairman and editor in chief of U.S. News & World Report
"Wholesale psychological understanding of the current culture . . . by the talented Richard Kirshenbaum."
Liz Smith, Chicago Tribune
"America is the richest country in the world, but one of the poorest when it comes to writers telling us how the rich really live. Richard Kirshenbaum doesn't just explain the bizarre rituals and eccentric misbehavior of the class that brought you the 'wealfie' (read the book to find out what it means). He makes them fun."
