In BITTER IS THE NEW BLACK, Jen Lancaster explores what it's like to go from having a household income of almost a quarter of a million dollars to being evicted from a slum in less than two years. In the heady days of dot-com fortunes, Lancaster lived the high life to a fault - she had the perfect man, professional success, designer clothing specially selected by personal shoppers, standing reservations at the most premium tables in the most fashionable restaurants, and a luxurious penthouse loft in the Chicago's trendiest neighborhood - but after the bubble burst she found herself unemployed and unemployable. This is the smart-mouthed, soul-searching story of a woman trying to figure out what happens next when she's gone from six figures to unemployment cheques and she stops to reconsider some of the less-than-rosy attitudes and values she thought she'd never have to answer for when times were good. Filled with caustic wit and unusual insight, it's a rollicking read as speedy and unpredictable as the trajectory of a burst balloon.