Book tours and blog tours, oh my! Talk about packing in all kinds of fun into my Friday 🙂
Thanks to the publisher and Smith Publicity for the copy in exchange for my honest review.
AMSTERDAM EXPOSED – David Wienir (out now!)
Book Description:
Amsterdam Exposed by David Wienir tells the true one-of- a-kind story of an innocent exchange student who moves to Amsterdam hoping to write a book about the red light
district – and everything that follows. It’s an American abroad story, and also a love story; it’s an uplifting tragedy, full of humor from beginning to end; it’s an Amsterdam survival guide; a sympathetic look at a societal problem; a little piece of policy; a sweet farewell to a world just about gone; and, ultimately, as close as you can come to a free trip to Amsterdam without leaving your couch.
In sum, Amsterdam Exposed takes readers deep into the district on a journey never
before possible, forever reshaping their understanding of one of the most famous tourist attractions in the world, and the women who work there. If you’ve ever spent time in Amsterdam, or dreamed of doing so, this book’s for you.
Here’s an Excerpt:
The room was small and barely fit a bed, mini fridge, and sink. A balcony looked out onto a canal. It was the classic Amsterdam view, like something you might see on a postcard. I gazed out the window as a boat floated by. It was packed with tourists sipping wine, eating cheese squares, and taking pictures of the historic buildings huddled around my apartment. I waved as they passed. Someone snapped a picture. I felt connected. Amsterdam felt right. The apartment was perfect. Well, except for one thing. Every few minutes, the No. 3 tram roared down the street, rattling the building. The sound was intense, like an earthquake.
By the time I unpacked my belongings, the room looked about as barren as when I arrived. Exhausted from the long day of travel, I stretched out on my bed like a starfish and wondered about the life I would soon create for myself.
Just as I closed my eyes, I was awoken by the sounds of a French horn from across the hall. It was loud, and the musician was a beginner trying to play the theme song from Rocky. Over and over, the same song played, again and again. Every time, wrong. Combined with the sounds of the No. 3 tram, I was about to lose my mind. I stumbled across the hall and knocked on the door, hoping to make an introduction, possibly a friend, and most importantly, stop the music. I needed sleep.
The music stopped and the door swung open. In front of me stood a 21-year-old Dutchman, slightly bewildered, his hair a mess.
“Hi, I’m David,” I began.
“Hi,” he replied, and nothing more. I waited to see if he was going to continue, maybe say his name or something. He didn’t. He just stood there, gazing at me like a deer in headlights.”
“I just moved here from America,” I continued. “Nice playing.”
“Thanks,” he said, embarrassed but flattered. “You could hear?”
“Uh, yeah,” I said, laughing. “I think all Amsterdam could.”
“Oh, man, sorry,” he said, dropping his head. “My name’s Oliver. Want to come in?”
“Sure,” I said, making my way through a pile of school books, pizza boxes, and dirty socks to the only chair in the room. Oliver sat on the corner of his bed as The A-Team played in the background. The show was popular in Holland at the time, albeit 16 years after its American release.
“See,” Oliver said, “it’s in English.”
Unlike most of Europe, American television isn’t dubbed in the Netherlands. It’s subtitled. The English voice remains. People wonder why the Dutch speak English so well compared to the French, Spanish, and so many others. It’s simple. They were raised watching The A-Team and other quality US programming. In many respects, the Netherlands is bilingual because of it.
My Thoughts: 3.5/5 stars!
I have never been to Amsterdam, so this was something the piqued my curiosity. I always love reading stories or memoirs about places I haven’t been to yet. I love when the authors can place the reader there and really set the scene for the rest of the novel.
These memoirs are always hard to review. It’s a part of someone’s life and their experiences as they remember and saw it. There are some topics covered in this novel that definitely aren’t for everyone and I wouldn’t recommend this for younger readers. We go on a journey with the author as he tries to find women in the industry to interview for his book – which was a lot harder than you would have thought! This memoir is equal parts exposé and travel diary, and it definitely kept my interest throughout.
I was impressed with the rules he set in place for himself from the beginning when it came to trying to interview the women in the sex industry of the red light district. I was no expecting the story that I got, and I was pleasantly surprised! I figured this would be a coming of age story of a young man going to the red light district for the first time. Instead we get a detailed look into the world of drugs and prostitution. I find these topics incredibly intriguing and would recommend this to those that feel the same way.
About the Author:
David Wienir is a business affairs executive at United Talent Agency and entertainment law instructor at UCLA Extension. Before UTA, he practiced law at two of the top entertainment law firms where he represented clients such as Steven Spielberg and Madonna. His previous books include Last Time: Labour’s Lessons from the Sixties (co-authored with a Member of Parliament at the age of 23), The Diversity Hoax: Law Students Report from Berkeley (afterword by Dennis Prager), and Making It on Broadway: Actors’ Tales of Climbing to the Top (foreword by Jason Alexander).
Educated at Columbia, Oxford, The London School of Economics, Berkeley Law, and the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, David is married to Dr. Dina (to whom the book is dedicated), a pioneer of the cannabis movement who has been named “Queen of Medical Marijuana in LA” by Rolling Stone Magazine and is the inspiration for the Nancy Botwin character in the show Weeds.
Social Media Handles:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/RedLightDistrictBook
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AmsterdamBook
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38332473-amsterdam- exposed
Website: http://www.AmsterdamExposed.com
Where to Purchase a Copy:
Amsterdam Exposed: An American’s Journey into the Red Light District by David Wienir is available as of May 1, 2018 with De Wallen Press, and available in paperback and e-book formats wherever books are sold. Order a copy on Amazon today:
https://www.amazon.com/Amsterdam-Exposed- Americans-Journey-
District/dp/0999355902 / Website: http://www.AmsterdamExposed.com
What do you think of these types of memoirs?
–Jess
Jessicamap Reviews 