Summary

In "Perfectly Human," Diski explores the lives and relationships of Vera Nabokov and Lillie Langtry. In both women she sees a tendency to edit the past in order to fit with their current agenda. In her next essay, “Stinking Rich,” Diski considers how times have changed. In the past, the rich and famous could shield themselves from the public with their money, but now even the most rich and powerful people need to also come across as being “democratic and loveable” (159). The rich want to have a glamorous lifestyle, but they want people to know that they spend their time working for the betterment of others. She turns her attention then to Richard Branson. After saying how Princess Diana died while she was still popular, she notes that Branson took quite a few risks but managed to...