Techbitch Paperback – 4 Jun. 2015

Techbitch by Lucy Sykes and Jo PiazzaRating: 4 out of 5It is a very chick flick type of book but I just loved the combination of fashion and technology in it.The main character is Imogen Tate, an Editor in chief of Glossy, which is a high end fashion magazine located in NYC. The novel opens with Imogen's return to work after a lengthy sick leave due to breast cancer. Upon her return everything has changed - her magazine has essentially become an app! In addition, her old assistant, Eve, seems to have come back to run that app completely side-lining the non-technology savvy Imogen. Imogen basically has to adapt to the digital world or leave.Eve's character is .. hard to describe. I have never so thoroughly disliked a character in a long time. She is an amalgamation of bad bosses everywhere. She's a sociopath who overworks her employees, forces them to "have fun" with her and makes them sleep in the office. She fires people with no reason. She is a bad tempered, badly behaved and bratty boss who believes she is the epitome of the "new age" employer. It's almost hilarious if such bosses didn't really exist in so many workplaces!However, Imogen's character really irritated me. She is supposed to be 40-something but cannot use a laptop/smartphone/social media?? I am not sure whether the authors were trying to be patronising but I know plenty of people of that age who are experts at technology. They should have had her age around late 50s or early 60s to make their point! Also she never seems to fight Eve over anything - why? She is Editor in Chief so do your job! She helps the employees but the moment Eve waltzes in, Imogen backs off. It was very difficult to empathise with Imogen. I did think Imogen was too nice for the ruthless corporate world but she is very good at her job and we see examples of that throughout the book.Overall, I really enjoyed the book - not just for the fashion aspect but also for the tech aspect. It is also a great book for those who have had horrible bosses in the past.

I loved, loved, loved this book. I picked it up after I read a review from Kevin of I Heart Chicklit. Besides, it's called 'Techbitch' - what's not to love!The story isn't a romance. There is plenty of love in it - Imogen clearly loves her husband Alex and her kids- but that's not the crux of the story. It is more like 'The Devil wears Prada' from in reverse. Imogen, the protagonist is 40 and is threatened by her former assistant, who had been promoted (almost) above her.As someone who is is her forties and reasonably tech savvy, I found Imogen's initial reluctance to do anything with technology a little annoying to start with (but then again, I know lots of people - both male and female - who say 'oh, I don't do that, I'm old school'). But Imogen handles things so well, you can't help liking her. It was also refreshing to see a successful woman in the fashion industry portrayed as something other than a total bitch (tech or otherwise).I loved this book. Did I say that already? I did? I must be getting old...

I really enjoyed this....a tale for modern times. Imnogen returns to her glossy magazine office to find her former assistant has usurped her position and turned the mag into an app. Somehow Eve sits it out and turns things round, and good triumphs over bad. I felt Imogen was a bit lame, certainly at the start. It's quite likely Anna Wintour is a "dinosaur" with tech but I actually doubt it. Imogen was only 42 so no excuses for being such a clueless idiot. And one thing that bugged me for the whole book: Rashid. At one point he was conspiring with Eve, but this wasn't built out or mentioned again. Careless.

The Devil Wears Prada for the contemporary fashion fan.I work for a large fashion e-commerce company - but started my career working for a beauty start-up. Lucy Sykes and Jo Piazza have nailed that start-up vibe alongside spot-on fashion culture.I had my very own tech-bitches (who were young men) who made us download every app/technique/book/tool that they'd read about being used in silicon valley. Also I was the only female they hired for a BEAUTY start-up - the rest were men - as they thought the girls were only good to be interns. They also expected us to stay until 9 every evening and on more than one occasion suggested a hackathon weekend (come on guys - it will be so fun - we'll get pizza!) As if we didn't spend enough time with those guys. They would also micromanage and interrupt the workflow by saying "Oh X, come play some pingpong - get our creative juices flowing" - never mind that I'd rather just finish my work and have no desire to play ping pong with my annoying boss.But enough ranting - it's more to illustrate that what he authors describe REALLY does happen in wannabe start-up culture. We're in a period where there are so many technological advances and you have to keep up with it to survive, However as demonstrated in this book - talent, social skills and perseverance are still the most important transferable skills - you can always hire someone work out the tech side of things.Techbitch was really fun and the perfect summer read. I laughed out loud on more than one occasion and loved the references to the designers as you know that most of them will most certainly be based on real life as the authors are well-connected people in fashion. Can't wait to read more by these ladies.

For fans of books like The Devil Wears Prada, you will enjoy this one. It is obviously chick-lit and not challenging reading, but it has really impressed me with the amount of accurate tech industry info that has been incorporated in it. Don't let that put you off - it's still a fun little read about the world of fashion. If you're too old for Snapchat (or whatever the kids are using these days!) you'll have quite a few moments of nodding in solidarity and realising you're not the only one who doesn't totally get this crazy new world we live in.

Comparisons will be made with The Devil Wears Prada. Forty two year old Imogen returns to her Editor in Chief position after 6 months off dealing with breast cancer. Her former assistant Eve left to get an MBA at Harvard and Imogen is surprised to find that Eve is back - with a vengeance. Eve turns out to be evil. She’s tech savvy and she wants to take Glossy online, make it an app and get rid of Imogen. Her problem is, she’s not good at reading or managing people and she doesn’t have Imogen’s years of fashion industry experience. Imogen on the other hand doesn’t do social media (except for Facebook to check on her daughter) and has yet to comprehend the joys of Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Tumblr or indeed anything techy. So the scene is set for some memorable run ins as Eve sets about white anting the polite and kind Imogen. When Eve in her naive brashness puts her foot in it with a few of the big names we’d like to experience schadenfreude, but Eve doesn’t have the sensitivity realise how much she’s put these powerful people offside. She also doesn’t realise that working people to the bone, firing them indiscriminately and forcing them to partake in egg and spoon races when they just want to get home to bed is going to create really low morale.Although Eve and Imogen are very black and white the characters are well drawn and feel like real people. The plot bubbles along nicely with Eve doing ever more dastardly things while Imogen considers her options. Moving to New Orleans might be nice. Meanwhile, she is forced to become more tech savvy and finds herself with an interesting Instagram friend who turns out to be more than useful. She also joins a site on which older, experienced women moan about their brattish millennial bosses. It’s chick lit, yes, but good chick lit, which shines a light on the universal issue of how rapidly tech is changing the world and the phenomenal adjustments humans are having to make while not checking their moral and ethical standards at the door.

The first few pages I felt I couldn't find my way into the story, but then it hit me! And I fell in love with the main character and although ten years younger than her, I sometimes feel like a dinosaur in the ever faster world with all those tweets and twerks and stuff.The story is not so obvious as I had feared and it is an easy read!

awesome book, such a good story set in new technical age

Pretty interesting but quite predictable

I thought this book was fantastic. I loved every page and finished. It was so current in its research bringing together a great story of Imogen as she returned to work finding her role completely different, and the interactions with Eve who had completely changed the way the company worked, plus all the new technology. It brought together the impact and learning of social media, website analysis in a really fun way together with all the things that don't work for team development. I think everyone can relate to this book in a changing world. I was only sorry when the story finished. I looked for another book by these authors and was disappointed there wasn't one.

Loved this OTT read. I am in Tech, and I am mid 40's, I have worked for a Silicon Valley company in the past, so a great deal of this book Resonated with me. I love disrupted technology, I love the way Things are just changing so quickly - so get on Board with this book! Well done girls - a really great read!

I enjoyed this book. Funny and entertaining. I knocked off one star because no where does it say that this is the UK version of the Knockoff. I read the Knockoff and it was good. I bought this only to realize I bought a duplicate of what I already read and own. Perhaps I shouldn't done more research, but I think it should be more obvious on the product page.

I so enjoyed The Knockoff that I purchased the book Tech Bitch thinking it was another story. Somewhat disappointed that I have a duplicate of my audible book. I think the seller needs to allude this is the UK version of the knockoff

If you liked The Devil Wears Prada, you'll enjoy this book too. The stories are different, of course, but this left me with the same good feeling after I finished it. You'll laugh out loud and shake your head many times throughout the book. Enjoy!

I loved this sophisticated chick-lit with well-developed characters and a look behind the scenes of the magazine world.I love Plum Sykes' books and can now add sister Lucy Sykes to my list of favorite authors. It exceeded my expectations.

An enjoyable read. Although reasonably predictable Techbitch was a really pleasant and fun story to read. Great that it was so up todate with technology. No spoilers here. But I can recommend it as an enjoyable read. Will await more by these authors.

I loved every minute of Techbitch and would recommend it to fellow fortysomething journalists, editors and publishers who acknowledge digital change in our industry but will forever love print too. Mums especially. It was fun to read something frothy while working on some serious content at work, and why not, we all need to relax with some trash now and then. This was chick lit with a message, too. It made me feel good.

An absolutely accurate viewpoint on the generational issues that are changing the workplace. Disruptive is sometimes destructive. Finding the balance is key. Aside from the important message that this story brings, it was an absolute joy to read.... I couldn't put it down!

At the age of 40+, most books I start reading are too predictable and at some point, just boring. Thus hook surprised me with its unique plot and how relatable the characters were. I recommend it to everyone who had started finding books too boring.

Great read. Very funny and I would recommend this book to all ladies who want to feel good about themselves.