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Inside the Bubble
In Inside the Bubble, a captivating tale of high-tech and female friendship, Noga Niv takes us to Silicon Valley at the turn of the millennium, when the collapse of the dot-com bubble had produced thousands of new millionaires and left behind many frustrated contenders who’d hoped the gold rush would never end. Against the backdrop of California Internet culture unfold lives and stories from Silicon Valley’s émigré Israeli community.
Daniela, a clinical psychologist and mother of three, has followed her husband from Tel Aviv to the center of technological innovation, where she and her four closest female friends live in material comfort but grapple with homesickness. The women contend with the changing dynamics of their marriages, and their individual transitions into middle age. They talk openly about men and women, about Americans and Israelis, and about life far from the home country. Secrets are half-spoken and plans are formed that will determine the course of their future.
Daniela, a clinical psychologist and mother of three, has followed her husband from Tel Aviv to the center of technological innovation, where she and her four closest female friends live in material comfort but grapple with homesickness. The women contend with the changing dynamics of their marriages, and their individual transitions into middle age. They talk openly about men and women, about Americans and Israelis, and about life far from the home country. Secrets are half-spoken and plans are formed that will determine the course of their future.
300 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
32 people are currently reading
642 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
April 6, 2017
I can't believe how much I enjoyed this book. I had a hunch this might be a 'little' enjoyable, .....but it's LOTS ENJOYABLE!!!!!
"Inside The Bubble" takes place during the unique era of the dot com explosion..... here in Silicon Valley.....( my neck of the woods).
This fiction novel is taken from true facts. The story is centered around 5 Israeli women. Each of them - with children - and a husband- came to live in Palo Alto because their husbands were offered high wages.
Noga Niv, author, and a practicing psychologist, was also the narrator. It's a book about friendships - ( specifically about these Israeli wife's living in the states - talking about the latest news in Israel together -giggling like teenagers together without their husbands when on a 'girls weekend'- talking to each other in Hebrew trying to feel connected to their home country- sharing with each other about their children -their worries & concerns about raising their kids in America but nourishing their birth identity ....all the time feeling in the shadow of their very successful husbands.
These women are a tight - knit community..... and I'm racking my brain trying to figure out if I met them. About 5 years ago --- A group is Israeli women ( their own tight knit group from Palo Alto), rented our warm water pool - & sauna/ yard out for their own private gathering. Their group came two different times ---but there was more than five of them: about 10-12 of them. Their group came twice - great group of women.
I didn't hang out with them during their private retreat -- but I sure liked the women.
Was one of those ladies in this book I just read? It wouldn't surprise me 'at all".
The author wrote a very engaging book.....and her attention to real life details make this story easy to relate to.
The characters are flawed and complex. We get to know everyone well ---including their kids - husbands - jobs -etc.
Noga Niv takes care to develop these characters in a way that each become 'little friends' in your brain. It's easy to miss them when the story ends!
A great 'girlfriend' book.... a book that many men will appreciate too!
"Inside The Bubble" takes place during the unique era of the dot com explosion..... here in Silicon Valley.....( my neck of the woods).
This fiction novel is taken from true facts. The story is centered around 5 Israeli women. Each of them - with children - and a husband- came to live in Palo Alto because their husbands were offered high wages.
Noga Niv, author, and a practicing psychologist, was also the narrator. It's a book about friendships - ( specifically about these Israeli wife's living in the states - talking about the latest news in Israel together -giggling like teenagers together without their husbands when on a 'girls weekend'- talking to each other in Hebrew trying to feel connected to their home country- sharing with each other about their children -their worries & concerns about raising their kids in America but nourishing their birth identity ....all the time feeling in the shadow of their very successful husbands.
These women are a tight - knit community..... and I'm racking my brain trying to figure out if I met them. About 5 years ago --- A group is Israeli women ( their own tight knit group from Palo Alto), rented our warm water pool - & sauna/ yard out for their own private gathering. Their group came two different times ---but there was more than five of them: about 10-12 of them. Their group came twice - great group of women.
I didn't hang out with them during their private retreat -- but I sure liked the women.
Was one of those ladies in this book I just read? It wouldn't surprise me 'at all".
The author wrote a very engaging book.....and her attention to real life details make this story easy to relate to.
The characters are flawed and complex. We get to know everyone well ---including their kids - husbands - jobs -etc.
Noga Niv takes care to develop these characters in a way that each become 'little friends' in your brain. It's easy to miss them when the story ends!
A great 'girlfriend' book.... a book that many men will appreciate too!
May 28, 2015
This book has become my gift to my dearest female friends!
Beautifully written as it captures the challenges of our new era, the new 'gold rush' of the Silicon Valley at the turn of the millennium.
A glimpse to an Israeli female friendship circle in the land of opportunities. Suffering homesickness while enjoying the comforts of material life.
Feeling lonely and away from home and at the same time experiencing the power of womanhood and intimacy.
This book is literally a 'mirror' to the dynamic changes of life. It illustrates the dilemmas we all face in our relationships, friendships. It's a book about life, a book about love.
.
Beautifully written as it captures the challenges of our new era, the new 'gold rush' of the Silicon Valley at the turn of the millennium.
A glimpse to an Israeli female friendship circle in the land of opportunities. Suffering homesickness while enjoying the comforts of material life.
Feeling lonely and away from home and at the same time experiencing the power of womanhood and intimacy.
This book is literally a 'mirror' to the dynamic changes of life. It illustrates the dilemmas we all face in our relationships, friendships. It's a book about life, a book about love.
.
May 31, 2015
Inside The Bubble is drama involving the interactions within a tight-knit community in a unique place taking place at a unique time. A group of Israeli women, living in Silicon Valley during the 2000 bubble, married to high-powered successful husbands go through emotional upheavals involving love, competition, family issues and the pain of betrayal.
The author, a clinical psychologist herself, shows her understanding of the dynamics of the characters involved and spins a web of dramatic interactions taking place at a time and place that seem fictional while at the same time haken back to what was actually experienced by many.
The author, a clinical psychologist herself, shows her understanding of the dynamics of the characters involved and spins a web of dramatic interactions taking place at a time and place that seem fictional while at the same time haken back to what was actually experienced by many.
May 29, 2015
The Silicon Valley area has a unique gathering of many interesting cultures and people, many of which follow their spouse from far parts of the world in support of the grand career. The book “Inside the Bubble” is a novel that takes a peek into the world of these family lives with a focus on five women and their ongoing daily challenges living the life in America. Niv, the author and a clinical psychologist, enriches the stories with her deep experience in the bay area social life. A great read for anyone that is interested to get a taste of this unique setting!
June 1, 2016
I received this book for free in a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review. The book was actually pretty good! It follows the opulent lives of a group of immigrant friends from Israel who settle in Silicon Valley to make their fortunes. It mostly gives you a glimpse into the women's lives as the wives of these uber wealthy men who dominate the tech boom-- their inner struggles as they live under the shadows of their husbands. I really enjoyed it overall-- some entertaining story lines and characters.
May 30, 2015
In this fiction based on fact novel, Noga Niv captivates us with universal real life intrigue - love affairs, midlife crisis, homesickness to families across the ocean, interwoven with the unique personality of the Silicon Valley when things were booming (and then not). The story is seen through the eyes of a group of 5 friends, all Israeli women who, if not thrown together by fate when they followed their husbands to the USA in support of their careers, most likely would not have been friends at all. But here in the US, they are more than friends - they are substitute families.
In an insular community where privacy is hard to come by and appearances are everything, Dr. Niv pulls back the curtain to show us that the "incredible Oz" of Silicon Valley success is human, just like you and me. Don't be dissuaded by this group being Israeli. The dynamic works for any high tech immigrant group be it Indian, Chinese, or Egyptian. A quick, fun read. Great for book club discussions!
In an insular community where privacy is hard to come by and appearances are everything, Dr. Niv pulls back the curtain to show us that the "incredible Oz" of Silicon Valley success is human, just like you and me. Don't be dissuaded by this group being Israeli. The dynamic works for any high tech immigrant group be it Indian, Chinese, or Egyptian. A quick, fun read. Great for book club discussions!
June 4, 2015
Inside the Bubble is a captivating novel. I find the story engaging and the characters realistic and believable. Noga Niv described a group of women who moved to the Bay area following their husbands who hold busy and successful career and they grapple with issues of identity, raising kids in a different culture, missing their families in Israel, losing their familiar environment, but they have each other. This story is also about women friendship which we (women) can easily relate to. I find this novel to be touching. It made me laugh and cry, and certainly was thought provoking.
September 23, 2018
"That ocean... Whoever crossed it left broken hearts in their wake, because the rift hurt those who stayed much more than those who left." (p. 171)
Inside the bubble explores the lives and friendships of five Israeli women whose husbands work high-level tech jobs in Silicon Valley. Overall the author does a great job of setting up the characters and getting the reader interested, I just found it hard to invest myself in the stories being told.
This book is a medium read and took me about a week to finish. Overall I would recommend the book to anyone trying to learn what life was like in Silicon Valley during the ".com" boom.
Inside the bubble explores the lives and friendships of five Israeli women whose husbands work high-level tech jobs in Silicon Valley. Overall the author does a great job of setting up the characters and getting the reader interested, I just found it hard to invest myself in the stories being told.
This book is a medium read and took me about a week to finish. Overall I would recommend the book to anyone trying to learn what life was like in Silicon Valley during the ".com" boom.
did-not-finish
July 6, 2021Wow, I had a hard time with this book. At the end of the day, it's been shelved on my DNF (did not finish) shelf because I could not get through it.
First of all, let me say that I received this book a two years ago from a Goodreads Giveaway. After trying to start it about 4 different times, I had pretty much given up on it. This is very out of character for me. I am an avid reader of many different genres and styles of writing. Because of this, I chalked it up to the fact that I was busy at University. I was "probably too busy and distracted to focus on the book". Fast forward to 2020 and the COVID pandemic hits: suddenly I am reading more than I ever have in years. I figured it was the time to give this book a second (fourth? fifth?) chance. Here's what I have to say.
It is very clear to me that Noga Niv was not an author before writing this, her first novel. The chapters are a slog and are very difficult to get into. The narrator goes off into long tangents from the story, providing backstories into literally any character or situation we come across as a reader. It continually takes you out of the story, prevents the chapters from ever picking up some semblance of pace, and makes it difficult to determine what is the ACTUAL storyline. I almost fell asleep every time I'd pick the book up. By the time I was about half-way through I gave up.
It should be said, however, that the other reviews of this book seem to give it a lot of praise. Perhaps the story picks up the pace or gets more interesting once you're further than I got. I'd argue, however, that if the ending is that "worth it" then the author should have written a better beginning to encourage me to get there.
First of all, let me say that I received this book a two years ago from a Goodreads Giveaway. After trying to start it about 4 different times, I had pretty much given up on it. This is very out of character for me. I am an avid reader of many different genres and styles of writing. Because of this, I chalked it up to the fact that I was busy at University. I was "probably too busy and distracted to focus on the book". Fast forward to 2020 and the COVID pandemic hits: suddenly I am reading more than I ever have in years. I figured it was the time to give this book a second (fourth? fifth?) chance. Here's what I have to say.
It is very clear to me that Noga Niv was not an author before writing this, her first novel. The chapters are a slog and are very difficult to get into. The narrator goes off into long tangents from the story, providing backstories into literally any character or situation we come across as a reader. It continually takes you out of the story, prevents the chapters from ever picking up some semblance of pace, and makes it difficult to determine what is the ACTUAL storyline. I almost fell asleep every time I'd pick the book up. By the time I was about half-way through I gave up.
It should be said, however, that the other reviews of this book seem to give it a lot of praise. Perhaps the story picks up the pace or gets more interesting once you're further than I got. I'd argue, however, that if the ending is that "worth it" then the author should have written a better beginning to encourage me to get there.
June 30, 2016
This was an interesting story. The author takes the reader inside the dotcom bubble right after the Twin towers collapses. Marriages seem to be coming apart over social media hookups. The money to purchase startups with great product and no capital is non existent and there is a lot of stress in everyone's lives. This is a psychologist's novel. The author is taking the reader inside the character's heads to see where one's thoughts lead to one's actions. Unhappiness and dissatisfaction abound in the story, but this was a struggling time for the high tech world. Many companies that existed in 1998 would be gone by 2001. While the author does not name any household names, venture capitalists are the bane of corporate financing.
The story centers around five Israeli women living in Palo Alto, California. Their husbands are out of reach emotionally locked in this world of high tech corporate finance. Social Media is connecting them to the girls of their youth and everyone appears to walk on eggshells. One woman's bold move at a party will strengthen the family ties.
The story centers around five Israeli women living in Palo Alto, California. Their husbands are out of reach emotionally locked in this world of high tech corporate finance. Social Media is connecting them to the girls of their youth and everyone appears to walk on eggshells. One woman's bold move at a party will strengthen the family ties.
August 23, 2015
It was easy for me to relate to Noga Niv’s Inside The Bubble; this is the story of many of us immigrant families who find themselves part of the crazy rat race called the Silicon Valley experience. Yet it is different as it exposed the reader to the unusual protagonists - the wives and families and what they go through as a result of professional choices imposed by the entrepreneur of the house.
In a very personable and insightful way Niv introduces us to a group of women, their personalities and stories. Each one of them embedded in the Northern California life but at the same time carrying a load from and ties to the ‘old country’. Adding the psychologist point of view as the storyteller certainly adds depth and an interesting layer to the book.
In a very personable and insightful way Niv introduces us to a group of women, their personalities and stories. Each one of them embedded in the Northern California life but at the same time carrying a load from and ties to the ‘old country’. Adding the psychologist point of view as the storyteller certainly adds depth and an interesting layer to the book.
May 30, 2015
Around the turn of the last century, millions of Jews escaped Eastern Europe and landed in the Goldene Medina, the Golden Country, the United States. In Inside the Bubble, Noga Niv writes of a circle of friends who left Israel in the last quarter century to come to Silicon Valley, this century’s Golden Country, to seek new lives and new fortunes. What makes the book special is Niv’s intimate understanding of couples, where the man too often chases after superficial trappings while the woman searches for unattainable meaning. Narrow keys open wide doors; although she focuses on Israeli immigrants, Niv has written a wise and insightful story with something for everyone.
July 5, 2016
I lived and worked as a programmer in Silicon Valley in the 1980s, and I couldn't have existed in that environment without my friendships with women, most of whom were wives of engineers I worked with. Inside the Bubble tells the same kind of story as my experience back then. The novel is set in Silicon Valley, and although the timeframe is later, at the beginning of the new millennium, the compelling women characters bond intensely and talk it out, in order to keep sane in that stressful, high tech situation. I really enjoyed reading this book that reminded me of life in those times and in that specific place.
I read this book after winning it in a Goodreads giveaway.
I read this book after winning it in a Goodreads giveaway.
Want to read
May 30, 2015Noga Niv's book gives us not only the story of a group of Israeli women during the bubble in the Silicon Valley but a glance into their mind.
While they are the wives of successful spouses in the Silicon Valley the book showed you another layer of sadness, arrogance and competitions. There are women in the group who use their money to show off with expensive cloths and jewels There is also a compassion that comes from the character of Daniela a clinal psychologist. She is the one that shows understanding of her friends and is there to help them.
Miri G.
While they are the wives of successful spouses in the Silicon Valley the book showed you another layer of sadness, arrogance and competitions. There are women in the group who use their money to show off with expensive cloths and jewels There is also a compassion that comes from the character of Daniela a clinal psychologist. She is the one that shows understanding of her friends and is there to help them.
Miri G.
June 1, 2015
This capturing novel provides a window into the social dynamic of women friendship and their families described by a group of Israeli women living in the silicon valley at the turn of the millennium. The women arrived at the valley following their husbands, form unique close ties that seems as a substitute for family ties they left behind back home. Inside the Bubble captures a special era in the high-tech life of the silicon valley which reminds the reader of the gold rush time of the previous century. The novel reads smoothly, it is funny at times and even touching, I recommend.
May 25, 2016
I won this book from Goodreads and absolutely loved it.
It's the story of 5 Israeli wives who followed their husbands to Silicon Valley told by the one of the women who is a clinical psychologist as is the author. It tells of their friendships, heartbreaks, adjustments to a different culture, their longings for home and families left behind. It is beautifully written, and so believable. I felt like I was right inside their lives. A wonderful read and a book that I will gift to my women friends.
It's the story of 5 Israeli wives who followed their husbands to Silicon Valley told by the one of the women who is a clinical psychologist as is the author. It tells of their friendships, heartbreaks, adjustments to a different culture, their longings for home and families left behind. It is beautifully written, and so believable. I felt like I was right inside their lives. A wonderful read and a book that I will gift to my women friends.
May 26, 2015
many stories have been told about the millionaires of silicon valley. This story is unique in that it concentrates on the "wives of" about their lives away from their families and homeland, about building new friendships and relationships. Noga Niv spins a fascinating tale as she brings us into the hidden world of the silicon valley society, a world she describes with humor and insight. A great read!
May 22, 2015
A fascinating glimpse into the "real" world of the Silicon Valley, which focuses on the community and families. Fluently and emotionally written, the plot also introduces psychological aspects of the personal triumphs, loses and the overcoming process in one of the most dynamic environments in the world.
Overall, a wonderful read for anyone who has ever wondered what happens "Inside the Bubble".
Overall, a wonderful read for anyone who has ever wondered what happens "Inside the Bubble".
May 28, 2015
A very interesting insight into the lives of a group within the Israeli community in the Silicon Valley. Niv explores and develops the different characters, the relationships among them and between them and their partners, the dilemmas they face within their private lives and issues arising from being expatriates. I enjoyed reading the book, and highly recommend it to everyone, not just Israelis.
May 29, 2015
As an Israeli “wife of” who moved to Silicon Valley after her husband’s job relocation, I found “Inside the Bubble” an engaging read! In many places throughout the story, I could see myself talking with one of the five women and exchanging thoughts on how to deal with these interesting occasions in the bay area lifestyle. The author does an excellent job in describing the characters, each with their own unique complexities. Easy and interesting read!
June 13, 2015
Within a group of Israeli immigrants through the disastrous dot com crash, Noga Niv’s “Inside the Bubble” presents a fresh taste of the immigrant life and culture in Silicon Valley. It is the friendship of five wives, struggling through marriage and love. Niv allows a peek through a tight knit community to see a universal longing for home and identity. The characters seize the story with bold confidence and will leave you crying and laughing along for the ride.
July 19, 2016
Thanks Goodreads for my copy of Inside the Bubble by Noga Niv. First I would like to say that I really liked the author's writing style. The characters came alive and were complex humans. The problem is that I didn't really care for their stories. Although the author did a fine job in telling this story, it is not one that I really got personally involved in. I think if you are Jewish, you will love this story but to me it was a slow read.
April 19, 2016
I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway, and absolutely fell in love with characters...most of them anyhow. This group of women are exposed and vulnerable, each coming to terms with the value she places on life, love, home, friends and family. One of the most realistic looks at marriage and friendship I've read in a long time. Amazing.
April 18, 2016
Glad I ordered this book
I hesitated at first because, not being Jewish, I did not know if I would relate to this novel. However, the author made wonderful themes related to relationships come alive in her characters. Her writing style is great and the chapters really flowed. I saw apart of myself in many of the characters. This book has universal appeal for all women!
I hesitated at first because, not being Jewish, I did not know if I would relate to this novel. However, the author made wonderful themes related to relationships come alive in her characters. Her writing style is great and the chapters really flowed. I saw apart of myself in many of the characters. This book has universal appeal for all women!
May 29, 2015
I very much enjoyed reading Inside the Bubble. It's a "mandatory" reading for new comers to the silicon Valley. Especially to people not familiar with the challenges presented by this amazing place.
May 2, 2016
I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
This is a beautiful story based on the real lives and friendships of a group of Israeli women living in Silicon Valley. It was beautifully written and, at times, quite thought provoking. An enjoyable read.
This is a beautiful story based on the real lives and friendships of a group of Israeli women living in Silicon Valley. It was beautifully written and, at times, quite thought provoking. An enjoyable read.
March 11, 2015
Five Israeli women find friendship in Silicon Valley as their husbands work unreasonably, traveling the globe, searching for the next "big thing".
April 18, 2016
Interesting book detailing lives of Israeli friends during the .com bubble in California.
July 5, 2016
I found the story compelling and realistic. The time setting was acurate and I enjoyed the read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews