"21 Dog Years -> Doing Time @ Amazon.com" by Mike Daisy
Mike Daisey is a dilettante. I know this because he says so in the first chapter of his book. The book is an account of his time working at Amazon.com, and is hilarious. More accurately it is the text version of his one-man show, which is wrapping up a five month run in New York City. Like Spaulding Gray, Henry Rollins and, to a lesser extent, Eric Bogosian, Mike Daisey is a story-teller.
As an additional reference for his dilettante credentials, check his web site which includes a blog. The site also features the first chapter from his book, video clips including an appearance on Letterman and a guided tour of the Amazon offices including Jeff Bezos' 12 inch bear penis.
Several reviews I've seen confuse this book with a business analysis of the dot.com bubble such as Michael Wolfe's "Burn Rate" or "The New New Thing" by Michael Lewis. It is not. It is one man's account of taking a job for the health insurance, and getting caught up in the hype.
It is a laugh out loud book, and is interspersed with emails from Mike Daisey to Jeff Bezos. I wonder if Jeff has this book on his wish list?
The book is rather slim (an outcome of it being the text of a monologue) despite being 222 pages because all the chapters begin with a very large typeface. Though Daisey does point out this is a key strategy for padding an essay.
Article comments
1 - Jim Carruthers
I just checked Jeff Bezos' Wish List and he doesn't have "21 Dog Years". I wonder if he already has it.
2 - Spaulding Bogosian
This is a really funny site. The author shows a fresh outlook on some old and new material. I only wish he had more in his archives.