“Seven Days in the Art World is a deliciously voyeuristic account of art’s entire mise-en-scène… In Thornton’s capable hands, this sophisticated and smart subculture is open to us all…. An entertaining, witty, and vibrant look at contemporary art in its new role as mass entertainment.” Barnes & Noble, a “Discover Great New Writers” selection.

A “highly informative and entertaining book… We are fortunate that [Thornton] was able to penetrate all of these opaque, protected, and often secretive groups.” Boston Globe

“Thornton’s eye for detail is uncanny… [She] refuses the lure of being an authority: her material is quicksilver, and she’s wise enough to know it.” Artnet.com

“Seven Days in the Art World is a great page-turner… I worry that the book demystifies things so much that the next generation of artists will be over-informed.” Grayson Perry, artist.

“Thornton serves as a Virgil guiding readers through the divine comedy of contemporary art… she condenses five years of intimate investigation into clear, crisp, character-driven and compelling New Yorker-style profiles of the seven magic circles of the international contemporary art world.” DazedDigital.com and V Magazine

Thornton “is equally at home on the phone to designer Marc Jacobs (discussing Murakami’s collaboration with the Louis Vuitton brand) as she is squeezed into the backseat of an art student’s beat-up red Honda during a burrito run. Rather than skewering the snobs or scoffing at the scruffs, which would be too easy, Thornton calmly records and collects… [and] her research pays off in vivid character sketches. Newsday

“Thornton offers an elegant, evocative, sardonic view into some of the art world’s most prestigious institutions.” Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Thornton’s narrative moves gracefully across international boundaries, cultures, languages and genres… An exhilarating guided tour of some very exclusive circles.” Kirkus

“Sarah Thornton has ranged wide for her highly readable and amusing book… It’s a hectic journey… but an engagingly informative one.” The Independent

“A smart, engagingly written insider’s look at the machinations and manipulations of today’s art world… from the behind-the-scenes drama of a Christie’s auction to the empire building of such artist-celebrities as Takashi Murakami, to that ultimate art group-grope, the Venice Biennale, all limned here in fascinating detail. A great read.” —Annalyn Swan, coauthor of De Kooning: An American Master, winner of the Pulitzer Prize