From Those Wonderful Folks Who Gave You Pearl Harbor

I loved this book. Even though it was written in 1970 it is a keenly insightful journey into the business of advertising from a man who is a legend. NOTE OF CAUTION - There are anecdotes in this book that got me laughing so hard, tears were running down my face. This can cause problems if you are eating alone. People think you are either severely despondent, choking, or a nut job. In any case, it is worth reading if you like to laugh while you learn.

Like the reviewer above, I read this book when I was in college and it's one of the reasons I'm an advertising copywriter today. Great anecdotes and the story of modern advertising during its formative years. I must have read this book some five times. Della Femina and George Lois are still my heroes (Alas, The Art of Advertising by Lois is also out of print).

Like the reviewer above, I read this book when I was in college and it's one of the reasons I'm an advertising copywriter today. Great anecdotes and the story of modern advertising during its formative years. I must have read this book some five times. Della Femina and George Lois are my heroes (Alas, Lois' The Art of Advertising is also out of print).

Jerry Della Femina claims advertising is the most fun you can have with your clothes on. While I might dispute THAT statement a bit (I've been making similar claims about my own profession, journalism), Della Femina does make his point eloquently and elegantly. The book reads as if you were sitting in the room with the author and listening to him sharing great stories with you, and with you only. I have known most of the insides before, but still, the read was absolutely hilarious. And while I was laughing I almost didn't realize there is a serious message behind all this. What message? Read it and find out for yourselves.

I read this book in junior high school and it made advertising seem like so much fun and so interesting that I am now, like Mr. Della Femina, a copywriter in Manhattan. It is not as glamorous or as lucrative for me as it has been for him, but I'm not complaining. There are dozens of great anecdotes, one of which provides the title of the book. Unfortunately, I lent it to a work associate, who lent it to a girl at the agency who he was trying to date, and I never saw it again. So if you find a copy, read it and hang on to it