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The

SOCIAL CLIMBER’S HANDBOOK

A novel by

Molly Jong-FastTo be published as a Villard Books Trade Paperback Original on April 26, 2011

On April 29, Molly Jong-Fast, whose previous works include her memoir Girl [Maladjusted] and the novel

Normal Girl, brings us a hilariously satirized account of “Recessionista” life on Manhattan’s Upper East Side in the

irresistible black comedy THE SOCIAL CLIMBER’S HANDBOOK (Villard Books Trade Paperback; $15.00).

Upper East Side socialite Daisy Greenbaum is accustomed to the finer things—designer clothes, summers in the

Hamptons, elite private school educations for her daughters, and a staggeringly expensive Park Avenue apartment. But

Daisy finds her well-heeled lifestyle on precarious footing after her husband, master of the universe Dick Greenbaum,

learns about some shady dealings that threaten his position at The Bank.

Daisy refuses to allow her family to slip down the social ladder, so she devises a madcap plan: Anyone who

jeopardizes her place at the top will simply have to be dispatched—six feet under. From Dick’s arrogant boss to his

scheming former mistress to a pair of nosy bloggers, Daisy’s hit list is a who’s who of big names with even bigger

secrets. But with the body count rising as the Dow Jones falls, can Daisy really get away with murder?

The Boston Globe has praised Jong-Fast for her “great ear and a keen eye” and there’s a reason for that. Growing

up in Manhattan as the daughter of best-selling author Erica Jong and screenwriter Jonathan Fast, she has experienced

first-hand the hilarity of Manhattan’s Upper East Side. She has already earned the praise “searing, bitchy, funny” from

Jay McInerney: all one has to do is think “Heathers meets The Talented Mr.Ripley.” Biting, relevant and witty, THE

SOCIAL CLIMBER’S HANDBOOK holds up a mirror to the post-recession blues.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: MOLLY JONG-FAST is the author of the the novel Normal Girl and the memoir Girl [Maladjusted]. Her essays

and articles have appeared in The New York Times, W Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Mademoiselle, Marie Claire, The

Times (London), Elle (UK), and The Forward. She lives in New York City with her husband and her three children.

She comes from a great literary tradition—her mother wrote Fear of Flying, and her late grandfather wrote Spartacus.

She thinks this book is inspired, in a way, by both. For more information, visit her website at www.mollyjongfast.com.

THE SOCIAL CLIMBER’S HANDBOOKBy Molly Jong-Fast

A Villard Books Trade Paperback OriginalOn sale April 26, 2011

ISBN: 978-0-345-50189-9 • Price: $15.00 • Pages: 256

“Edgy...Darkly comic take on the ‘greed is good’ shenanigans that led up to the recent financial apocalypse.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“Twisted fun…a campy bloodbath à la Patrick Bateman in Jimmy Choos.”—Publishers Weekly

“Razor-sharp, hilarious.”—Gigi Levangie Grazer, author of Queen Takes King

“Molly Jong-Fast’s quick wit and keen eye make her the new queen of comedy. An irresistible read.”

—Meg Cabot, author of Insatiable and the Princess Diaries series

“Molly Jong-Fast so skillfully conjures an American Psycho for the Bergdorf’s set that it leads one to wonder why more beautiful heads didn’t fall along with the Dow.”

—Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus, authors of The Nanny Diaries

“As addictive as valrhona chocolate and every bit as delicious. I absolutely loved this book.”

—Julie Klam

“Fast, funny and smart. Read this book!” —Laura Zigman

“The kind of blissfully entertaining novel I wish I could read every night.” —Caitlin Macy

“Mix two cups Jane Austen, a dash of Fran Lebowitz, a tablespoon of Tom Wolfe, and a pinch of Jonathan Swift. Better yet? Just order in take-out and read this book.”

—Deborah Copaken Kogan

“Molly Jong-Fast is one of New York City’s funniest people. Like its author, this book is shameless, tasteless and ruthless—and extremely good company.”

—Rebecca Mead

Praise for Molly Jong-Fast and THE SOCIAL CLIMBER’S HANDBOOK