Diary of a Yuppie

July 1, 1986
"You're only wrong if you get caught" is the credo of 32-year-old Bob Service, who handles corporate takeover cases for a large New York law firm. Thirty years ago, people would have called him a shyster. The finer side of his character (he reads Wordsworth and Walter Pater) is buried behind a warlike exteriorand it works for him. Despite rifts with his wife and his mentor, Service gets everything he wants. This brief contemporary novel explores the ethics of loyalty in business, love, and friendship. Auchincloss, a prolific novelist of manners, is also a Wall Street attorney, and his shallow, ambitious characters ring true. The title is unfortunate, but it may help increase the readership for this subtle, memorable book. Joyce Smothers, Ocean Cty. Lib., Toms River, N.J.