Are you a fan of the TV show Mad Men? Then you’re going to love Mad Women by Jane Maas, a book which takes you behind the scenes of the 60s advertising world because Jane herself lived it. Fans are enthralled by the world depicted in the show and are eager to know just how true to life the exploits of Don Draper and company are. Did people really have that much sex in the office? Were there really three-martini lunches? Were women really second-class citizens? Jane Maas says the answer to all three questions is unequivocally yes.
As one of New York’s premier advertising executives in the 60s, the Mad Men experience was Jane’s daily life. It’s quickly apparent that the not only is the truth stranger than fiction, it’s also more salacious, with sex and booze filled parties, drugs and plenty of affairs.
Mad Women also goes deep into the ugly side of advertising in an era where women had to fight tooth and nail just to exist in a workplace. There was rampant sexism, unequal pay and Jane was among the first generation of women to tackle the work/motherhood dilemma. She provides an intelligent and very funny insight into the world of 60s ad executives, as one of the trailblazers who paved the way for other women at work. The anecdotes fly off the page as does Maas’ crisp narration, dotted with equal parts nostalgia and irony.
Praise: ‘In this damn funny book, the talented Jane Maas, who lived through those days of struggle and sometimes humiliation, tells it like it really was.′ George Lois, legendary NY ad man.
About The Author: Jane Maas was a major player in New York’s advertising world. She began at Ogilvy and Mather as a copywriter in 1964 and went on to become a creative director. A Matrix Award winner and an Advertising Woman of the Year, she is best known for her direction of the I Love New York campaign.
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