Rating: 
Summary: Surprise Twist! Surprisingly good.
Review: This is about guy in the 1950's going to a state school for art. It is presented in two semesters, with the first half of the book being very different from the second half. This is the author's first attempt at writing, and it seemed as though, in the beginning, he was taking every writing technique he knew of and tried to use them all at once. As the book went on his writing style improved greatly, although there were some parts later in the text that were still redundant. What I liked is that it seemed like the author had a lot to say, a lot of his own thoughts and social commentary. He really utilized the second semester teacher well for that. The second half of the book steadily improved, and then at the very end this huge exciting plot twist! I didn't see that coming at all, and it made the whole book worthwhile. If not for the last 100 pages or so, I would have given this book 3 stars. But the twist at the end and his view on life and art and society made it all great!
Rating: 
Summary: Funny and interesting. Should have quit while he was ahead.
Review: Amazing the things you learn by reading Amazon customer reviews. I didn't know Chip Kidd was a book jacket designer. Well, the beginning was very funny. The story was interesting, especially from the perspective of someone who is not an artist and only took one art (photography) class in college. The creative process was fascinating. But then what happens toward the end? The tone of the whole thing changes, and the book until that point doesn't really prepare you for how dark and disjointed it gets. The last chapter just seems very rushed.
Rating:
Summary: Teacher Insane...Book Awesome!!
Review: As an aspiring Graphic Design student, I found the book to be very insightful. The critiques made me laugh out loud, and Kidd shows that not only is he an excellent graphic designer, but he can capture the reader and put them in the classroom with his outstanding writing abilities. It was the eclectic cast of characters who made this book was a great read. I certainly recommend it to those who are interested in Graphic Design (or Commercial Design...whatever your preference), or for those who just want a good laugh.
Rating: 
Summary: 5 stars
Review: I am fascinated with Chip Kidd's use of descriptive words.
Rating: 
Summary: Pretty but boring
Review: I wonder if the reviewers quoted all over the back cover of my paperback copy liked this book because they know of the author's work in graphic design; that must the case, because, knowing nothing about Kidd, I found the book to be clever in a puerile sort of way, and the graphic design insights nothing more than obvious to anyone with a set of eyes. This book reeks of look-at-me-I'm-writing-a-novel unevenness, self-satisfaction and derivative post-modernism. There's a wonderful irony here: Kidd loves taking shots in the novel at artists who are valued simply because their name has currency. That's my sense of the source of the positive reviews of this book. And the change of typeface halfway through? Oooooh. Profound. Not.
Rating:
Summary: A visual feast
Review: From cover to cover (literally, look at the inside and outsides of the covers) this book creates a visual impact unlike most other novels. Kidd's background in graphic arts is evident, and he provides an amusing romp through the freshman year of our precocious protagonist. The story is created carefully enough that it should remind anyone of their college years, and is down to earth enough to ask questions that most everyday people ask (as in, is this really art or just a bunch of b.s.?). The book also makes one think about what artistry and friendships, and many other abstract ideas are. It's a nice, fun read that I would recommend to most, particularly if you're under 35.
Rating: 
Summary: clever moments
Review: The dialogue can be witty, and some of the writing wonderful, but it's too self-consciously "clever" and the smugness of the characters can be grating. When you go through college, you discover that the "rebellious" artistic types, the "noncomformists" that make up this book, are just as conformist as the sorority and fraternity crowds...it's just that they drop different references in conversation and are conformist to a different set of mores....but that nonetheless are a standard set of mores. "Mies van der Roh, dahling." So I didn't buy the whole "free spirit" aspect of Dodd, nor the others. I found her smug and grating and little else. But this is better written than a lot of other "hip" books I've had recommended to me, so can't dismiss it altogether.
Rating:
Summary: Not terrible
Review: There's nothing really terrible about this book, but the writing feels immature, the ending slapdash. I enjoyed reading it, however, I will likely forget I ever read it, come summer. A good book for a long flight. I didn't hate it.
Rating:
Summary: I AM NOT ARMED
Review: If nothing less the assignments given by the instructor to first year graphic design students is enough to squeek out a giggle. Being a designer I relate to the hell that comes from seeing everything through those lenses and I loved every minute of this book. If I wasn't a designer would I enjoy it as much... I think not. For those in the In Crowd though it is a romp through our past. Great fun!
Rating:
Summary: good is dead
Review: The Cheese Monkeys is by far the most creating and intriguing book I've read in a long time. I recently read it in the span of three days when I was sick in bed, and I can't think of a time that I've had more fun coughing/hacking/having a hoarse voice that makes me sound like a porn star. The design of the book is creative and hilarious (the back cover even features the BAD reviews), and Kidd's story of art students in the 1950s is brilliant, kitchy, and reminicant of Salinger's Catcher in the Rye.
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