Here is what reviewers wrote about

AD NOMAD

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Always in Deep Kimchi

5.0 out of 5 stars

ByPete

Amazon Verified Purchase

 

Ad Nomad is the story of a determined professional zealot (he's a perfectionist writer) caught up in the corporate world (medical advertising), his quirks and his foibles...

The book is well written and very, very funny. It's a long adventure story of Dane Bacchus' career in the medical advertising world, and I really couldn't stop reading until I finished all 600 pages. The book might be remembered as a story of the unforgiving cutthroat corporate world, or as an attack on the ethics of the pharmaceutical industry (minimizing side effects in prescription drug ads), or as a story of how a George Costanza character (but with talent) blunders through life. But as I look back, what stays with me most is the complex character that is Dane Bacchus...

So, take this book on vacation or to the beach. It's a great read. The question is - who should play Dane in the TV series ?

JULY 16, 2012

 

MAD WORLD OF ADS

By BUNNIMAN

 

4.0 out of 5 stars

Amazon Verified Purchase

 

This book is like a thriller...waiting to see what's going to befall the ad protagonist next! If you ever wonder what it's like to work on Madison Avenue, but want to experience that vicariously, this adventure is for you.

 

This novel is curiously spellbinding. The protagonist, an artist who realizes his talents may translate to shortcomings in the commercial world, nevertheless sets sail (under the necessity of providing for his family) through the dangerous seas of professional advertising in the Big Apple. The author, a long-time NYC resident, infuses the story with the sights, smells and sounds of the big city along with vignettes from the lonesome suburbs of the tri-state area.

I found myself rooting for Dane as he takes on maniacal bosses and damaged co-workers while moving from job to job (apparently a given in the world of advertising). At the same time I felt like yelling, "Get out! Get out! Save your soul before it's too late!" There is a poignant awareness that Dane doesn't belong in this world in the first place, and you wonder if and when he's going to crack.

... this wonderfully entertaining novel, like Ulysses, takes the reader on an odyssey through the harrowing trials of making money, keeping one's family intact, keeping one's sanity, and keeping demons at bay. Though it's a cliche, I did not want to put the book down in anticipation of the next kinky or morbid confrontation Dane would experience.
Treat yourself to this book that will make you laugh, wince and cheer, not necessarily in that order!

 

 

Jul 11, 2012

Robert rated it

...Move over Cervantes, Roth, Wolfe, Salinger. This book captures a picaresque journey during extremely challenging times, as boom boomers reflect on dreams, hopes, and ambitions in the midst of significant and ever increasing disruptions and changes - from industrial to information age, to the global market, increases in concentration of power and wealth and corruption, decreases in security and continuity, aging workforce experiences, abundance of talent/scarcity of opportunities, the eccentricities of idea businesses, and more. No other book on advertising comes close to capturing the hunger to succeed, survive, and excel in such a fickle world - making you laugh and cry at the same time.

I love the book. It cuts to the core and more. Truth be told, it is the best book I ever read. This may be quite circumstantial, (since I have spent most of my adult life in advertising). AD NOMAD is such a good book that it made me wonder, again, what have I been doing with my life and what the heck am I doing now! When I finished the last line of the last page, I didn't panic or feel depressed, I laughed because the novel was so funny. Not smirk and chuckle funny. Larry David, Jerry Seinfeld, hell, ... Rodney Dangerfield move over too! 

Now, I want more Dane to help me cope. Turns out his case histories are the best medicine!

To conclude without redundancy, it was amazing. I loved it! A masterpiece, indeed.


Jessica's review

Jun 21, 12

 

 

bookshelves: first-reads

Read from May 29 to June 21, 2012

 

Wow! If this is what it is like to work in advertising, I'm so glad I have a different career path. Ad Nomad follows the ups and downs (mostly) of late-in-life pharm-ad guy Dane. And boy Dan and I have some of the same issues with anger management and integrity in others. I was a little daunted by the length of the story but once I started reading, it was very quick. The story progresses nicely. It has many vivid characters that make appearances throughout the various jobs Dane takes. There are many times you can empathize with Dane's mental state and lots of time you want to step-in for him and knock some sense into his boss.

It was very well written and engaging. I'm not sure if it is a true story (or based on a true story) but should be a must read for anyone who wants to get into advertising. It provides an interesting insight into an industry that I knew nothing about, and after reading Ad Nomad, I'm kind of glad I don't.

 

Bruce from California wrote:

 

"I've already read Eric's book and it's like a thriller...waiting to see what's going to befall the ad protagonist next! I need to get around to penning an Amazon review."

 

...It's kind of poignant with the theme of an artist who must make a living, not so hard for me, & others I am sure, to relate to...