Rating: 
Summary: For Entertainment Purposes Only
Review: This book is only to be taken lightly and with sense of humor. If you are looking for historical biographies of BAP type women then read Having It All by Victoria Chambers. I read the book and met the authors at MAC in DC and loved it. The book will surely remind you of women you know of all races. While materialism does play a part in the life of the fictious BAP descriptions, it's really just an outward assumption from society. Who really cares if a BAP spends a ridiculous amount of money on Prada as long as she looks good, speaks well, and exudes a level of confidence money can't buy? All hail the BAP woman- she is a work of art.
Rating:
Summary: I loved this book
Review: If reading this book upsets you then you obviously need to get a life. Books like this one are supposed to be fun and lighthearted. This one definitely is.Most forms of media and entertainment portray the negative shoot 'em up/pregnant teenager/cracked out african american. Other forms show black people shucking and jiving like minstrels. It's fantastic that these women took the time to write about the modern day black woman. Whether you fit into one of the categories or not, doesn't matter. The book shows that there is more to the black woman than the stereotype of a loud, gum popping, neck rolling hoochie named Bonquita. It highlights women with class. I loved it!
Rating: 
Summary: It made me laugh
Review: Even thought I am not a BAP, this book made me laugh. I am writing this online review to make an observation-
If you take away some of the distinguishing characteristics of the types mentioned in the book, it could be any overindulged, spoiled girl with a sense of entitlement. Black, white, whatever color.
I guess really there is nothing wrong with someone who is spoiled-unless you happen to live with someone like this, or have to work with them. Not all of them, but in their worse incarnation, they can be the meanest little snobs in the world. Some of them treat everyone like servants and always maintain their superiority to you-no matter if they are incredibly wrong about something.
I agree with the previous posters-I just want to be there when the money dries up, or the man with the blue box ends up leaving...
Rating:
Summary: A Great Book!
Review: I think that this was a great book for those who are interested in shopping, name brands, and being the best that you can be. It opened my eyes to many of the finer things in life. Very well written.
Rating:
Summary: school education not mandatory for a bap
Review: Good book. I agree that all Baps seek education but it doesn't have to come from school. I know Baps who didn't complete gradeschool, and others like Oprah Winfrey who did not go to college.
Rating:
Summary: THIS WAS AWESOME
Review: okay my mom bought like 5 copies of this book for me and her and some of her friends and my friend and i (who is th white version of me aka betty bap) thought it was the greatest thing in the world. I am like Betty Bap meaning my definition of "I want" is "I get NOW" lol and I thought it was just like, awesome. thats like my favorite book now YALL DID A GREAT JOB!!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Not a BAP, but a BAQ!
Review: I pretty much read The BAP handbook in less than a day. I am not a Jack and Jill member, yet I come from a family of women and men of Black fraternities/sororities who are lawyers, educators, professors and upstanding community members. My family also supported me to attend and graduate from a well known and prestigious HBCU. I can relate to the BAP girl growing up surrounded by love and family who would do anything for you. But my family instilled in me that money and clothes can be gone in a day. A well known dentist in our town, whose daughters were Jack and Jill and very popular, was arrested for illegal acts regarding his business and other involvements. My family used that family's crisis to convey to my sister and I that everyone with money, expensive cars and big titles, doesn't live happily and may not be as honest as we would think. I hope NO WOMEN who have SHAKY SELF ESTEEM read this book! Because it conveys that material things, titles and memberships 'make the BAP' and thus, make the woman valuable. If you don't feel loved and whole on the inside no amount of MAC, clothes, men, trips to Paris or Prada is going to make you as a women feel happy, valuable or make others respect you. If anything, people will just use you and 'keep on stepping.' These authors were intellgent enough to write two or three books on and for our troubled young African American girls who are having sex irresponsibly, doing drugs, choosing the wrong friends and being neglected by their 'rich' and financially struggling parents alike. But they didn't and that's their choice. So, I feel the authors promoted materialism and superficial ideologies a bit too much. I liked Our Kind of People alot better, a book by Lawrence Otis Graham. Graham's book had more of a historical and factual perspective to the roots and lifestyle of upper middle class African Americans. The BAP handbook is best suited for girlfriends who want to get together and laugh about ridiculous stereotypes, money mishaps, materialism and college memories. Of course all of us women have some similarity to some of the BAP descriptions, but some of it is a little off the deep end. Most of the friends I have who are middle and upper middle class do not regularly shop at Tiffiany's and Prada. Those are the girls who have high, high debt and brag all day , at work about their credit cards. But most of them are stressed because they can barely pay their bills. I think the authors forgot to add that even BAP girls have college/grad. school loans that need to be paid back and some of them shack up with boyfriends to avoid paying rent, etc. I'd rather be known as a beautiful person, who has confidence, skills and talent and happens to be attractive , than a BAP. The BAP girl in this book reminds me of silly, immature female co-workers I've had who try so hard to impress one another and appear like they are rich, but they weren't raised like that and they spend their last dime at 'Bloomies', Tiffiany's or Bananna Republic only to come up short later. That's so tired. I can't speak for the BWIP (Black West Indian Princess) but African Americans, including women, are smarter about money now. Now it's more respectable to dress smart and have money in the bank and investments with a plus being having your own business. The BAP girl in this book, sounds straight out the 1950's, cause all my quote un-quote BAP girlfriends, live well AND handle their finances well! Now that's living for the best and nothing less! If you are a woman who stands for the best, you don't have to say it out loud, people know it. Prada isn't necessarily the best, neither is Chanel or other high end name brands, this is what society says is 'the best' or makes you 'rich.' But for those of us who don't have mommy and daddy paying our bills anymore, always springing for the high end, isn't smart. My friends and I call ourselves 'Queens' and the men in our lives treat us as such! So can we get a book about the empowered, smart, attractive, money-savvy, successful, educated and classy African American Queen?! The BAQ! Black American Queen! The princess is all grown up and no longer throwing tantrums and being materialistic. Save that for materialistic imaged rap videos!
Rating: 
Summary: A Must NOT Buy
Review: This book was full of shockingly adolescent views. The content indicated an unimaginable lack of maturity on the part of the authors. Clearly written for those who lack any real substance, this book relates numerous superficial ideas and fills page after page with useless data like hypothetical calendars for "child BAPs", hypothetical to-do lists, imaginary diary entries, the names of famous black women, etc. The authors even go so far as to recommend African American women change their "inappropriate" names (LaShanda, Letrice, Tawana, Shameka, and many, many more) to "acceptable" names (Blythe, Chelsea, Elizabeth, Martha, Wendy, etc.). This book is lacking in reality and facts, is unreasonably idealistic and sends negative messages to it's readers. Simply stated, it lacks positive, constructive, affirmative, and encouraging features. Though the subject matter of this work (or lack of work) is clearly written for the impressionable, I would object to the exposure of such minds to this type of worthless, undeserving subject matter. It's hard to believe that women with such credentials as the authors have done us African American women such a great injustice. Although described as humorous, I didn't laugh once. It wasn't funny; it was disheartening that in this day and age we would send such shallow, unfavorable and ridiculous messages to ourselves and our children
Rating:
Summary: Funny but too materialistic
Review: I thought that this book was an interesting, light-hearted read as I identified myself as exemplifying BAP status. As an honor roll, Seven Sisters college-bound, graduating senior, yes, I have had plenty of BAP material experiences including a debutante cotillion, attending private schools, and being fortunate enough to afford Louis Vitton and Gucci handbags. However, I hate the fact that this book emphasizes that in order to be a BAP, one must have money. Although there is a distinction between being a BAP and a BUPPY (Black Urban Professional), and the fact that education does not necessarily breed class, it is important to note that class does not necessarily breed education. I know plenty of women that have so-called "menial jobs" as cleaning ladies, restaurant workers, and child-care workers-- jobs with which the world would not be able to function-- that exemplify more class and BAPtitiude than some women that are college-educated, sorority-initiated and Fortune 500 company employed. This book was funny and I did see some aspects of myself, my mother, my sister, and my friends in it. However, I think that it is unfair to characterize educated and successful black women as being materialistic, and to put down those that are not.
Another note-- if you (the authors of this book and some of you that responded) want to be seen as being so educated and high-class, (especially if you are college graduates), then I think that you should not only learn how to spell properly, but use proper punctuation as well.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting & Funny
Review: All my BAP friends told me I had to get it, so I did. Mostly it was funny. Some of it was snobbish, but I think it was meant in jest. At least I hope. People shouldn't take stuff so seriously. Just enjoy it. You may be surprised at finding yourself in it.
|
