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The Futurist

James P. Othmer

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What Members Thought

Mar 05, 2009 Kerry Dunn rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2009

This is not a book I would normally pick up so I'm thankful for the wonderful book group (fiction files redux here on goodreads) that I belong to that introduced me to Mr. James P. Othmer. What I liked the most about this book was the main character Yates. I have nothing in common with him and yet I related to him completely. I loved the way he dealt with wacky situations, I loved how he thought, how he felt, and how after his epiphany he called himself on the bullshit: others' and his own. This ...more

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Mar 11, 2009 Patrick rated it really liked it

I read this book and it is very good: the writing is very crisp and clean, but a bit distant, the main character is cynical but have a bit of a good heart to acknowledge that. After reading that, I wished that I had applied to the Futurist position so I could have been a sell out at a higher price with the best perks after college.

If you want to know more about this book, check out my review at Amazon.com

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Nov 10, 2008 Brian rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2008

To use the old cliché, this book had me laughing out loud. Yates, the cynical protagonist in this fast moving book, took me on a hilarious ride around the world selling bullshit to countries that could have just used the bull and not the shit. I’m not a cynic, though I ‘m cynical (yeah, right) so I appreciated the humor in this book.

I swear that I’ve met most of the characters in The Futurist, except for Magga, and frankly she scared me. I loved Jeremy, the AWOL from the Peace Corps boy and the To use the old cliché, this book had me laughing out loud. Yates, the cynical protagonist in this fast moving book, took me on a hilarious ride around the world selling bullshit to countries that could have just used the bull and not the shit. I’m not a cynic, though I ‘m cynical (yeah, right) so I appreciated the humor in this book.

I swear that I’ve met most of the characters in The Futurist, except for Magga, and frankly she scared me. I loved Jeremy, the AWOL from the Peace Corps boy and the whole dialogue between him and Yates. Brilliantly funny.

Being an ‘Expat’ for over 20 years I’ve seen and heard the hate generated towards America and it’s true that while America asks, why do they hate us?; The world asks, why do they hate us? I’ve lost count how many times I’ve claimed to be Canadian and a hardcore Bryan Adams fan. Taxi drivers have spit at me, immigration counter bureaucrats have told me I don’t belong here, and strangers will talk to me like I can get on the phone, call Bush, and get him to get his ass in gear. Fat chance of that ever happening (I do have a fantasy about breaking into a mosque, getting on the loud speakers, and belting out the song “There she was just a-walkin down the street, singin’, do-wah diddy-diddy down diddy-do”)… but I digress…

Though I laughed throughout the read, there was an undercurrent of truth to the whole premise of The Futurist that spiked and jabbed through the satire and made me squirm uncomfortably. I do believe that the global marketing going on today is a dirty business. War and natural disasters are businesses and they also need commercial time… right between the McDonald’s Happy Land spot and the ad for incontinence panties (I'm being cynical... ok?)

Something also tells me that this line from the book hits close to the truth and maybe gave spark to what turned out to be The Futurist.

“Honey”, Amanda Glowers says, “I was the CEO of the second biggest advertising agency in the world. Advertising. I had the U.S. Army for a client. Raytheon. Global pharma companies. You act like I spent the last fifty years in a fucking convent.”

I'm not sure if Mr Othmer traveled to the same places as Yates, but he did an excellent job with the descriptions. The only places that Yates traveled to that I haven’t visited are Pittsburgh, Greenland, and a Bas'ar type country. Milan and Jo'burg were spot on. Adding the bit about the bats at dusk in Fiji was a nice touch. But the airport in Kuwait is actually surprisingly dingy and third worldish though when flying in and peering out the windows it does look like you're flying into an American base, which I guess it really is.

I really enjoyed The Futurist. Excellent book. Thanks Mr James P. Othmer. Looking forward to more from you. ...more

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