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Rating:  -
This was a great read. Any character in this book could be your brother, cousin, next door neighbor, or coworker. You really feel like you know the Wiser family. Jeff is just an average guy- trying to make something of himself - like all of us!
While reading this, I took on his personality in wanting to make something more of myself too! I couldn't put the book down because I had to know what was going to happen to him and his family!
This man goes through so many different emotions and adventures in his life - so many ups and downs, but everything he goes through is so realistic. There were so many paths that Jeffrey Wiser could take, and him being a normal guy who wants to fulfill a dream - you don't know what he'll do to keep him and his family happy.
Anyone with a dream, anyone with a family, anyone with a job, anyone whose ever bought a home or who's lived in an apartment should read this book. It's about hard work, dedication, and wanting to be successful in all aspects of life. Everyone should pick it up and read it - you will not be able to put in down, and I guarantee- the authors' sense of humor will get you smiling!
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Joel Samberg leaps into the arena of successful comedic writers with this excellent new novel HOT AIR. The story is in many way just a simple memoir of a striving but relentlessly thwarted 'Everyman', but Samberg's fictional anti-hero, Jeffery Wiser, may just be the opening gate for a series of studies of people who seem to be caught in the stream of chronic failure. Given Samberg's keen writing style and facile use of recalling savory moments and phrases to reinforce his story line give evidence of a well-prepared artist whose credentials include journalism, playwriting, and a rich knowledge of American culture.
Jeffrey Wiser is an author whose list of manuscript applications is matched only by his list of rejection notices. Living in a substandard cheap apartment with his wife Liz and their daughter Jillian in Cape May, NJ, Jeff's nemeses include a crotchety and cheapskate landlord Sid who happens to own the Bagels by the Beach shop below Jeff's crumbling apartment, his loudmouth-never satisfied-hypercritical-obsessive boss Randy who runs the Mormon-owned Elder Publishing for whom Jeff writes frustratingly innocuous articles, real estate brokers unable to find a house for Jeff, Liz and Jillian (and their incubating additional child), and people in his path who promise the world and offer rejection. Sounds like a depressing story? In Samberg's astute style of writing the odyssey is one of the most genuinely humorous diatribes on the misfortunes of the little guys who try to make their mark in a world that seems nearly delusional!
Each of Samberg's large cast of unforgettable and disparate characters - both the bad guys who deliver his misfortunes and the good ones who, like Liz and Jillian and his supportive buddies, bring the moments of exhilaration - is so well drawn than rather than being incidental bleeps on the page whose purpose could be momentarily additive to the story, instead become part of the wild 'family' of this novel, reappearing in odd places and taking unexpected twists in character that assure the reader that every word on every page is well conceived as a 'thoroughly composed' novel. That is a sign of special brilliance that makes discovering the writing of Joel Samberg a pleasure: he knows how to create an atmosphere and a constantly developing narrative in a way that keeps the reader engaged from the first idea on the first page to the last well-developed (and very hilarious) ending on the last page. In the course of this fine book Jeffrey Wiser grows into a man whose priorities are altered, and actually becomes the 'wiser' of his name, and very obviously the more content from his funky adventures. Joel Samberg has already polished his skills at writing comedy: aanticipating his next novel will keep us wondering how far he can take us with his very obvious talent! Grady Harp, August 08
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Having been to Cape May, this book was really a treat for me because I related to a lot of the beautiful seaside imagery. It is a book about hopes and dreams and about the importance of family and the struggles and tribulations that all of us go through. We all deal with people we don't always like, and we all get into jams and crises sometimes and this book tells that story of life with humor and emotion. The characters came alive and the story moved me. I could not put it down!
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"Hot Air" is an entertaining and witty story of a young man going through some of life's hardships that anyone can surely relate to. This book is a great read that I had trouble putting down. I easily felt connected to the main characters journeys (and struggles) of establishing a solid career, a home, and a family of his own. A heartwarming and humorous story that readers of all generations are going to enjoy.
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If you you are a Neil Simon fan, you will love "Hot Air." The book takes you through the trials and tribulations of a struggling young writer--from family dysfunctions to psychotic bosses. You'll laugh out loud as Jeffrey Wiser navigates his career while trying to manage friends and family. And you'll cheer him on as he reveals his endearing character. A great uplifiting read.
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