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Interviews | May 7, 2012

Jill Owens: IMG Gideon Lewis-Kraus: The Powells.com Interview

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Gideon Lewis-KrausI started and finished A Sense of Direction in one evening; I couldn't really stop thinking about it, so I couldn't put it down. I found it... Continue »
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4 Local Warehouse Self Help- Memoirs

eBook editions

Dead End Gene Pool: A Memoir

by Wendy Burden

Dead End Gene Pool: A Memoir Cover

 

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

In the tradition of Sean Wilsey's Oh The Glory of It All and Augusten Burrough's Running with Scissors, the great-great-great-great granddaughter of Cornelius Vanderbilt gives readers a grand tour of the world of wealth and WASPish peculiarity, in her irreverent and darkly humorous memoir.

For generations the Burdens were one of the wealthiest families in New York, thanks to the inherited fortune of Cornelius "The Commodore" Vanderbilt. By 1955, the year of Wendy's birth, the Burdens had become a clan of overfunded, quirky and brainy, steadfastly chauvinistic, and ultimately doomed bluebloods on the verge of financial and moral decline — and were rarely seen not holding a drink. In Dead End Gene Pool, Wendy invites readers to meet her tragically flawed family, including an uncle with a fondness for Hitler, a grandfather who believes you can never have enough household staff, and a remarkably flatulent grandmother.

At the heart of the story is Wendy's glamorous and aloof mother who, after her husband's suicide, travels the world in search of the perfect sea and ski tan, leaving her three children in the care of a chain-smoking Scottish nanny, Fifth Avenue grandparents, and an assorted cast of long-suffering household servants (who Wendy and her brothers love to terrorize). Rife with humor, heartbreak, family intrigue, and booze, Dead End Gene Pool offers a glimpse into the fascinating world of old money and gives truth to an old maxim: The rich are different.

Review:

"In this dark and humorous memoir Wendy Burden takes us inside the family circus that was her side of the Vanderbilt dynasty, bringing American class structure, sibling rivalry and the decline of the bluebloods vividly to life. It is a wonderful read." Gus Van Sant

Review:

"Charles Addams meets Carrie Bradshaw in this honest, sardonic, and touching memoir. Burden's tale makes for riveting and often hilarious reading." Jane Stanton Hitchcock, New York Times bestselling author of Social Crimes and Mortal Friends

Review:

"[A] compelling window into a life you're glad you didn't have to live, and the woman who survived it, sense of humor intact." Boston Globe

Review:

"Burden offers fascinating and voyeuristic insights into a little-known segment of society, the mega-rich American plutocracy in decline." Library Journal Annex

Synopsis:

The great-great-great granddaughter of Cornelius Vanderbilt gives readers a grand tour of the world of wealth and WASPish peculiarity, in her irreverent and darkly humorous memoir.
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About the Author

The great-great-great-great granddaughter of Cornelius Vanderbilt, Wendy Burden is a former illustrator, zoo keeper, taxidermist, owner and chef of the bistro Chez Wendy, and served as the art director of a pornographic magazine — from which she was fired for being too tasteful.
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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 10 comments:
TC, January 2, 2011 (view all comments by TC)
I loved it!
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spechtfamily, January 1, 2011 (view all comments by spechtfamily)
The author has a wickedly droll sense of humor. Raised in one of the most aristocratic families of America by relatives who were barely able to function on a daily basis, the author chronicles her very dysfunctional childhood. I read "The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie" immediately after and was struck by how much the character Flavia and the author had in common. It is a wonder that Wendy Burden survived to tell her story, which is well-written with lots of black humor.
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Quacko54, January 1, 2011 (view all comments by Quacko54)
I enjoyed this book for a number of reasons. Wendy Bender is the same age as I am. I was also a very neglected child in a crazy household-It was fascinating to see what intergenerational abuse/disfunction keeps producing and diminishing quality of life.

Having the same time line and living in New York City was an amazing look into how we all live and what money can or will not do to its possessors...Fascinating family history. Especially if you have read about the Vanderbilt history.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9781592405268
Subtitle:
A Memoir
Author:
Burden, Wendy
Publisher:
Gotham
Subject:
Personal Memoirs
Subject:
Burden, Wendy - Childhood and youth
Subject:
Burden family
Subject:
Women
Subject:
Biography - General
Copyright:
2010
Edition Description:
B-Hardcover
Publication Date:
20100401
Binding:
Hardback
Grade Level:
from 12
Language:
English
Pages:
288
Dimensions:
9.10x5.92x.95 in. .97 lbs.
Age Level:
17-17
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Related Subjects

Biography » General
Health and Self-Help » Self-Help » Biographies
Health and Self-Help » Self-Help » Memoirs

Dead End Gene Pool: A Memoir Used Hardcover
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$12.50 In Stock
Product details 288 pages Gotham Books - English 9781592405268 Reviews:
"Review" by , "In this dark and humorous memoir Wendy Burden takes us inside the family circus that was her side of the Vanderbilt dynasty, bringing American class structure, sibling rivalry and the decline of the bluebloods vividly to life. It is a wonderful read."
"Review" by , "Charles Addams meets Carrie Bradshaw in this honest, sardonic, and touching memoir. Burden's tale makes for riveting and often hilarious reading."
"Review" by , "[A] compelling window into a life you're glad you didn't have to live, and the woman who survived it, sense of humor intact."
"Review" by , "Burden offers fascinating and voyeuristic insights into a little-known segment of society, the mega-rich American plutocracy in decline."
"Synopsis" by , The great-great-great granddaughter of Cornelius Vanderbilt gives readers a grand tour of the world of wealth and WASPish peculiarity, in her irreverent and darkly humorous memoir.
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