this one takes a unique turn in narrative point of view that I found fascinating. The story is told from the first person perspective of an employee at a top Chicago ad agency. This is in the time leading up to Sept. 11, 2001, during the crash of the internet boom, when lots of creative types are losing jobs. Yet the narrator never mentions "I." We learn absolutely nothing about him or her. The story is all about the other employees, and the narrator uses the collective "we" throughout. Halfway through, when you realize this is what is going on, the narrator becomes like a ghost moving about the other characters. But Ferris is careful to never devolve into the oddly-omniscient first person. All stories are related second-hand (like all office gossip) and the point of view stays intact.

The story might be considered by some to be cliche (how the 9 to 5 grind deflates the human soul) but it is a smooth read. The narrative technique at the end is not new either, but the story closes with the most satisfying ending of any book I have read in a long time, as we come to the end and... I'll leave it at that.