First published 1982
The protagonist finds himself climbing the corporate ladder at a prestigious men's magazine during the early 1980s. He moves through the glossy offices where editorial decisions shape cultural attitudes and business deals determine the publication's future. The magazine world offers him opportunities he never imagined, but success comes with complications he didn't anticipate. As he adapts to this new environment, he discovers that the lifestyle he's helping to promote conflicts with his personal values. The tension between professional ambition and moral uncertainty drives his journey through boardrooms and editorial meetings. The story explores how corporate culture shapes individual identity and the price of upward mobility in American business.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, american-fiction, 20th-century, business, contemporary
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, moral-ambiguity
Setting: America
Period: 1980s
Paperback · Playboy Press