I was struggling between a three and four star rating. Why?
Well, I think mostly due to expectations on my part that are largely unknown to me. And foI was struggling between a three and four star rating. Why?
Well, I think mostly due to expectations on my part that are largely unknown to me. And for me, it doesn’t make sense to punish a book for delivering exactly what it promises to, but failing to be a personal page-turner for you.
As one reviewer pointed out - while this book is probably incredibly interesting to many people at many different points (my personal opinion, not what he said) - the book as a whole is a bit of a niche book.
I believe a lot of people just see the word billionaires and expect it to be interesting - because yes, as much as people may hate to admit it, the world of billionaires is so extremely different than anything you’ve ever known.
Forget being a multimillionaire, this is next level wealth… many of whom will literally never be bankrupt. If anyone wants to challenge me on that, I’d be more than happy to provide an explanation. Insight into this very tiny subset of about 2700 people controlling 3.5% of the world’s wealth provides very interesting psychological analyses, for it often seems as though these people were born on a different planet.
However, while I think most people probably expect a lot of details about these often reclusive, often flamboyant characters (it always seems to be one or the other) - that’s not really what this book is about. Nor do you get pictures of the inside of the buildings themselves, save for one small picture of one tower’s “members only” private club on the hundredth floor. I’m sure this isn’t for lack of trying on the author’s part; rather, the developers of the buildings pride their sales on exclusivity, and ensure their clientele of secrecy.
You can, however, find out what many of the apartments look like, as virtual tours are shown on Ryan Serhant’s YouTube channel, such as the $250 million triplex penthouse listing at Central Park Tower. Check that out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4d2osT8TXs And yes, Serhant is mentioned numerous times in the book.
It doesn't seem like my link is doing anything but taking me back to Goodreads, if that's the case for anyone reading this review, if you just copy and paste the link by itself into another browser window, it will work for you, I promise!
Beyond that, the book largely explores the stories behind the scenes of the five tallest “supertalls” construction, from start to finish. Visions of architectural greatness and developers’ desires to leave their mark on NYC’s skyline along with the the agonizing assemblage deals these developers must negotiate to turn these visions into a concrete reality. It really takes a special kind of person to develop, market, sell, etc., these types of projects - not for the faint of heart!
I’ll just end this review by recommending this book for all those interested in learning the sordid details behind bringing these skyscrapers into existence, but also with the realization that you’ll learn a lot about this real estate industry and the power players within it - which may not always be the most sensational read, but it is nonetheless a very informative one.
Also, a quote from the inside jacket of Billionaires’ Row: “a juicy, gimlet-eyed account of the genius, greed, and financial one-upmanship behind the most expensive real estate in the world - a stranger-than-fiction saga of broken partnerships, broken marriages, lawsuits, and, for a few, fleeting triumph.
Loading...
