As social satire, I suppose that this book has some value. It effectively reveals the silliness of the television industry, for example. As a novel, however, this book is not very good at all. It is almost impossible to relate to or care about any of the characters (unless you're a television producer or Silicon valley executive, perhaps.) The plot is unengaging and somewhat implausible. In contrast, Bonfire of the Vanities had a good story to tell and interesting (if not sympathetic) characters. In Wolfe's novel, you actually cared to find out how the book turned out. It's a boring book that you will forget all about the day after you finish reading it. As Jerry Seinfeld once said, "If I want a long, boring story with no point to it, I've got my life."