izzyrose221's review against another edition

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Sometimes I just crave information about the most random of topics and this was one of those times

mannim's review against another edition

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informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

czimanske's review against another edition

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funny informative lighthearted reflective fast-paced

4.0

mskft's review against another edition

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informative reflective slow-paced

3.0

maddy_walock's review against another edition

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dark informative mysterious reflective medium-paced

4.0

erin_is_reading's review against another edition

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funny informative reflective fast-paced

3.75

swancubine's review against another edition

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2.0

Interesting subject matter brought down by a bland, scattershot writing approach. Doesn't know if it's quirky, broad coverage of collectors, a biography of Ty Warner, a cautious tale of economic bubbles, or something else entirely, and excells at none of them. Tonally, anything that came off as quippy was usually the easiest possible joke, so it's not a darkly comedic take, and the too often quoted books on economics or like, Freud for some reason make it feel like a repurposed college essay. It's still very readable at least so it's not hard to get through, the material supports itself for the most part through being trainwreck-esque.

jbrooks124's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective medium-paced

3.0

The rise and fall of Beanie Baby and its creator, Ty Warner.

As a child of the 90s, I remember a particular love of these cute beanies - specifically, I recall having one for my birth month, as did each of my siblings. I was not prepared for just what a miserable person the man behind them was, or those around him. I knew that the hype surrounding them was pretty surreal at the time (I had family members who were convinced that they would be "worth something someday"), but also hadn't realized the extent to which some buyers went. All in all, this book was a bit of a bummer. I also think I would've enjoyed it more had I read it rather than listened, as IMO the narrator sounded like one of those AI voices - really stilted and monotone.

orygunn's review against another edition

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3.0

The book somewhat danced in circles on the same themes. Basic points Ty Warner is crazy but makes pretty and cute plush.

kelshef's review against another edition

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adventurous funny informative mysterious reflective fast-paced

2.75