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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
George Orwell once wrote, "To an ordinary human being, love means nothing if it does not mean loving some people more than others." This logic is at the heart of Bellow's conception of nepotism, which he means to rescue from the near-universal scorn it suffers today. Son of Nobel-winning novelist Saul, now an editor-at-large at Doubleday, Bellow seeks to redefine nepotism not as a "deplorable lack of public spirit" but as the very "bedrock of social existence"-a natural, healthy concern for family and, by extension, those ethnically or otherwise similar to ourselves. This is no brittle screed, as the title might imply, but rather a impressively full-blooded and wide-ranging work of scholarship, demonstrating that the individualistic U.S. is quite exceptional in its rejection of nepotism. Bellow assimilates biology, theology and gargantuan chunks of human history with brio, never losing the thread of his argument or the attention of his audience. Since nepotism is about power, the book has an unavoidable top-down orientation, as it is almost exclusively about the ruling class throughout history, from Borgia and Bonaparte to our own Adams, Roosevelt and Kennedy clans. Since nepotism is synonymous with familial interest, it is hardly surprising that Bellow is able to find ample evidence of its existence throughout history-even in "egalitarian" America. At times he casts such a wide net that he risks blurring nepotism with the entirety of human history. However, his analysis of the flexibility and complexity of nepotism's forms is utterly enthralling and stimulating.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
"It's not what you know, it's who you know." At one time your name alone could guarantee you admission to a prestigious university, a cushy job, and lifetime security. The practice of nepotism, universally abhorred but also universally practiced and accepted as "the way things are," has made a comeback. Today it is evident in politics, with the return of the political dynasty (obvious in the 2000 Bush-Gore election), and in Hollywood, where a new rash of thespian offspring are making inroads in the film industry. This in-depth look at nepotism and all its implications takes a very broad approach, arguing that nepotism is a basic instinct rooted in the social biology of animals and humans, and that it may be a necessary and even positive force in evolution. Bellow examines the phenomenon throughout history, from tribal societies through ancient Greece and Rome and early Christianity, to today's New Nepotism that pervades politics, business, the arts, and sports. Bellow himself is an example, being the son of novelist Saul Bellow. He unearths the rich history of the practice, which alone is worth the read. David Siegfried
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
See all Editorial Reviews
George Orwell once wrote, "To an ordinary human being, love means nothing if it does not mean loving some people more than others." This logic is at the heart of Bellow's conception of nepotism, which he means to rescue from the near-universal scorn it suffers today. Son of Nobel-winning novelist Saul, now an editor-at-large at Doubleday, Bellow seeks to redefine nepotism not as a "deplorable lack of public spirit" but as the very "bedrock of social existence"-a natural, healthy concern for family and, by extension, those ethnically or otherwise similar to ourselves. This is no brittle screed, as the title might imply, but rather a impressively full-blooded and wide-ranging work of scholarship, demonstrating that the individualistic U.S. is quite exceptional in its rejection of nepotism. Bellow assimilates biology, theology and gargantuan chunks of human history with brio, never losing the thread of his argument or the attention of his audience. Since nepotism is about power, the book has an unavoidable top-down orientation, as it is almost exclusively about the ruling class throughout history, from Borgia and Bonaparte to our own Adams, Roosevelt and Kennedy clans. Since nepotism is synonymous with familial interest, it is hardly surprising that Bellow is able to find ample evidence of its existence throughout history-even in "egalitarian" America. At times he casts such a wide net that he risks blurring nepotism with the entirety of human history. However, his analysis of the flexibility and complexity of nepotism's forms is utterly enthralling and stimulating.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
"It's not what you know, it's who you know." At one time your name alone could guarantee you admission to a prestigious university, a cushy job, and lifetime security. The practice of nepotism, universally abhorred but also universally practiced and accepted as "the way things are," has made a comeback. Today it is evident in politics, with the return of the political dynasty (obvious in the 2000 Bush-Gore election), and in Hollywood, where a new rash of thespian offspring are making inroads in the film industry. This in-depth look at nepotism and all its implications takes a very broad approach, arguing that nepotism is a basic instinct rooted in the social biology of animals and humans, and that it may be a necessary and even positive force in evolution. Bellow examines the phenomenon throughout history, from tribal societies through ancient Greece and Rome and early Christianity, to today's New Nepotism that pervades politics, business, the arts, and sports. Bellow himself is an example, being the son of novelist Saul Bellow. He unearths the rich history of the practice, which alone is worth the read. David Siegfried
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
See all Editorial Reviews
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