Dead End Gene Pool

A Memoir

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Biography & Memoir
Cover of the book Dead End Gene Pool by Wendy Burden, Penguin Publishing Group
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Wendy Burden ISBN: 9781101186183
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group Publication: April 1, 2010
Imprint: Avery Language: English
Author: Wendy Burden
ISBN: 9781101186183
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Publication: April 1, 2010
Imprint: Avery
Language: English

In the tradition of Sean Wilsey's Oh The Glory of It All and Augusten Burrough's Running With Scissors, 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.

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 Burden's 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.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In the tradition of Sean Wilsey's Oh The Glory of It All and Augusten Burrough's Running With Scissors, 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.

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 Burden's 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.

More books from Penguin Publishing Group

Cover of the book Problem Solving 101 by Wendy Burden
Cover of the book Women Who Love Too Much by Wendy Burden
Cover of the book Pretending She's His by Wendy Burden
Cover of the book Medicine by Wendy Burden
Cover of the book The Bodies in the Library by Wendy Burden
Cover of the book The Trailsman #325 by Wendy Burden
Cover of the book The Arrogance of Power by Wendy Burden
Cover of the book Perfect Balance by Wendy Burden
Cover of the book Stone Hand by Wendy Burden
Cover of the book All My Sons by Wendy Burden
Cover of the book A Taste of Ice by Wendy Burden
Cover of the book The Spy Who Couldn't Spell by Wendy Burden
Cover of the book After the Storm by Wendy Burden
Cover of the book Walking with Abel by Wendy Burden
Cover of the book The Power Playbook by Wendy Burden
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy