Book Description

After decades of egalitarian, restricted consumption, residents ofChinas cities are surrounded by a level of material comfort and commercial hypeunimaginable just ten years ago. In this first in-depth treatment of theconsumer revolution in China, fourteen leading scholars of Chinese culture andsociety explore the interpersonal consequences of rapid commercialization.

In the early 1980s, Beijing's communist leadership advocateddecollectivization, foreign trade, and private entrepreneurship to jump-start astagnant economy, while explicitly rejecting any notion that economic reformswould promote political change. However, by the early 1990s the reforms in themarketplace not only produced double-digit growth but also enabledordinarycitizens to nurture dreams and social networks that challenged officialdiscourse and conventions through millions of daily commercial transactions.Using participant observation, contributors to this book describe and analyze awide range of these changing consumer practices: luxury housing, white weddinggowns, greeting cards, McDonald's, discos, premium cigarettes, bowling, andmore. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An insight into the sociology of consumption in China
The consumer revolution in China is a relatively recent phenomena with the former state controlled society slowly moving to a capitalist market where the individual is beginning to exercise choice in his/her consumption decisions. Chinese consumer behaviour is therefore a relatively unchartered area and this collection of studies by 14 authors provides a socio-political context for a range of consumer practices. The studies range from a semiotic analysis of advertising for luxury housing in Shanghai to an analysis of the social impications of the emerging trends of adopting Western bridal wear, purchasing greeting cards, and visiting discos. The book helps the reader get under the skin of an otherwise impenetrable consuming society with anecdotes and insights not available anywhere else. It makes for highly absorbing reading and I would recommend it to anyone interested in gaining an understanding of consumers in this unique market ... Read more

Book Description

There is no way to mistake the ubiquitous trademarked Coca-Cola bottle, or the stylish ads for Absolut Vodka with any of their competitors. How have these companies created this irresistible appeal for their brands? How have they sustained a competitive edge through aesthetics?

Bernd Schmitt and Alex Simonson, two leading experts in the emerging field of identity management, offer clear guidelines for harnessing a company's total aesthetic output -- its "look and feel" -- to provide a vital competitive advantage. Going beyond standard traditional approaches on branding, this fascinating book is the first to combine branding, identity, and image and to show how aesthetics can be managed through logos, brochures, packages, and advertisements, as well as sounds, scents, and lighting, to sell "the memorable experience." The authors explore what makes a corporate or brand identity irresistible, what styles and themes are crucial for different contexts, and what meanings certain visual symbols convey. Any person in any organization in any industry can benefit from employing the tools of "marketing aesthetics."

Schmitt and Simonson describe how a firm can use these tools strategically to create a variety of sensory experiences that will (1) ensure customer satisfaction and loyalty; (2) sustain lasting customer impressions about a brand's or organization's special personality; (3) permit premium pricing; (4) provide legal "trade dress" protection from competitive attacks; (5) lower costs and raise productivity; and (6) most importantly, create irresistible appeal. The authors show how to manage identity globally and how to develop aesthetically pleasing retail spaces and environments. They also address the newly emergent topic of how to manage corporate and brand identity on the Internet. Supporting their thesis with numerous real-world success stories such as Absolut Vodka, Nike, the Gap, Cathay Pacific Airlines, Starbucks, the New Beetle Website, and Lego, the authors explain how actual companies have developed, refined, and maintained distinct corporate identities that set them apart from competitors. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

To manage brand at another angle!
A brand is very important to a company. It is not just a name you call the product or company. It can in fact give the overall impression of your products or company to customers that helps differentiate from its competitors.

I have read several books about brand such as "The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding: How to Build a Product or Service into a World-Class Brand" and "The New Guide to Identity: Wolff Olins: How to Create and Sustain Change Through Managing Identity", which are mostly about how to well use of the power of brand or how to launch the identity program.

This book is also about brand identity. But it is totally different from what I have read before. Seldom book about brand will concern for the psychological factors of customers. But it does. Customers do not usually act rationally. Many factors, not just the product itself but a total sensory experience will affect them to make purchase decisions.

This book talks about the management of brand identity by using aesthetics, that is, to create an overall customer impressions through visual impacts. The use of symbol, styles, themes, retail spaces and environments etc can satisfy customers' experiential needs - their aesthetic needs, which creates value to customers. All these are illustrated by many great successful cases: Absolut Vodka, Cathay Pacific Airlines, Starbucks, Nike¡K¡K

Try to read this book and manage how to build brand at another angle!

Good, but where are the metrics? Hard definitions?
The other reviews have done a fine job of outlining the many positive points for this book. It certainly does do a wonderful job of attempting to move the practice of 'brand equity' forward. Even if you don't agree with many of the ideas in the book, it's a valuable read. But I *do* have two main problems with the piece.

First, by the end of the book, can anyone give a decent, concise definition of what exactly aesthetics is? Of course, it's a difficult question because much of aesthetics lies in the overall whole impression created by a brand, rather than just on packaging, advertisements, and sensory data. But one major problem I had was by about halfway through the book, 'aesthetics' had come to mean just about anything. Marketing communications? Aesthetics. Packaging? Aesthetics. All sensory information given off by a product? Aesthetics. The environment the product is sold or consumed in? Aesthetics. With a definition this loose, of *course* it's critical for marketers to pay attention to aesthetics, and of course they already do to a large degree. While the emphasis of seeing all these things as part of an interrelated whole is an admirable goal, this leads to my second problem.

Second, since aesthetics is such a 'squishy/stretchy' concept, how on earth are you supposed to measure it, or know when youre doing a great job at managing it? The scenarios where a manager would make one aesthetic change, and then see quantifiable results seems rare. It would strike me as more common that aesthetic changes go hand-in-hand with strategy re-assesments and realignments.

Still, even with my general reservations on the book, I can reccomend it as one of the better practicioner-focused books on branding and brand identity to come out in recent years.

The World is Yours.
Double S drops the 'marketing book' of the year. Now you tell me who won, I see them: they run. Ain't one of you got Cynko cells or somethin? Now when TP dropped the word on this book, I check it at my local library. Word is bond. It's phat.

Suits best cop it, and learn from it. This is better than any stuffed up text you'll find.

Clad in a MGM white T, light brown khaki's, gold around my neck, cigar in left hand, brass knuckles on my right. Cap pulled down, eyes shifty. Black Jag, dark tinted windows.

Others try to copy, beat it, with a twist of my wrist, i end all existence.

A Sensible Perspective
The authors assert that, within a marketing context, a company must find "a powerful point of differentiation through the use of aesthetics to create positive overall customer impressions that depict the multifaceted personality of the company or brand." How? The book explains how. Substantial attention is devoted to the branding phase during which a symbol is strategically created, conveys a positioning, provides tangible value, and is most effectively managed on a daily basis. "Drivers" of identity are also explained as is the procedure for cross-functional coordination and other components of what should be a cohesive, comprehensive, and cost-effective marketing program.

During the course of Marketing Aesthetics, the authors examine a number of different products for which various companies achieve "a powerful point of (aesthetics as a strategic tool); Lucent Technologies and Continental Airlines (creating identity and image through aesthetics); IBM (corporate and brand expressions); Starbucks and Gillette (styles); Pepperidge Farm Cookies (themes); The Four Seasons (overall customer impressions); LEGO and Bosch (comprehensive identity management); Godiva and Nike (retail spaces and environments); and Volkswagen, Netscape, and Yahoo! (corporate and brand identity on the Internet). Throughout Marketing Aesthetics, the focus is on real-world corporate experience which the authors carefully examine in support of their assertion that "Business processes do not provide value to customers. Core competencies do not. Even brands per se do not. Value is provided only by satisfying needs." Moreover, "In a world in which most consumers have their basic needs satisfied, value is easily provided by satisfying customers' experiential needs -- their aesthetic needs."

Marketing Aesthetics thus explains the most effective strategies for achieving both brand and identity objectives. Those who derive benefit from this book are urged to read the more recently published Experiential Marketing in which Schmitt develops even further ideas introduced in Marketing Aesthetics.

Keys to build identity, providing the artistic dimension
Brand management begins with a strategical business perspective, then engages in a marketing oriented brand plan (accompanied by psychographic studies of the consumer) to end up with artistic executions (such as labels, print ads or tv commercials). This multifunctional obligation makes a though order for those who really want to be a complete marketing manager. Companies have to accept that business schools not always prepare future managers in psychological aspects nor artistic appreciation, however these same future managers will be intented to direct marketing research, product design and brand communication. With this book, Alex Simonson and Bernd Schmitt provide a lift for those managers who want to understand these new dimensions of brand management. And, most of all, remind in the urgent need to understand that the consumer is not bound to logical and practical behaviour but rather, is always in the search for an experience, one wich will provide with a sense of good living. An acknowledgement for the authors who have managed to show in a practical format ways to integrate aesthetics to brand identity management. ... Read more

Book Description

Here's something no wine aficionado should be without. The experts at Wine Spectator magazine have tasted tens of thousands of wines to provide oenophiles with a complete reference of exceptional wines from around the world. Because it guides its readers to only the most satisfying selections, the Wine Spectator, one of the foremost publications on the subject of wine, is valued for the select reviews that appear in each issue. This comprehensive buying guide includes more than 10,000 listings, representing all recent vintages from 40 countries, organized by both wine and country of origin. Each entry includes a full review and rating. Make no mistake--these are the most interesting wines available, all rated on Wine Spectator's unique 100-point scale. This is the only volume that gathers all the results of the magazine staff's most current tastings into one convenient resource, and along with our other successful Wine Spectator titles, it's sure to be a strong addition to our successful wine and spirits category. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Great book - if you don't have access to their web site
This is a handy reference with tasting note and prices for many wines but there are some glaring holes. In many cases there are WS tasting notes available but they don't make it into the book, in other cases there are multiple entries over a period of time but only the latest is in the book. .......

Don't get me wrong, I love the book - its just a shame it wasn't more complete.

Well constructed for the casual wine buff
Wine Spectator seems to have an excellent feel for who its audience is and what they want in a wine guide. Similar books by Hugh Johnson and Oz Clarke either skimp on the details with their pocket guides or inundate you with details in Encyclopedia sized tomes. This guide has just the right mix of extensive reviews, top 100 lists from recent years, current value wines, and summaries of the great wine growing regions.

The regional summaries give you almost everything you need to know about classifications, primary varietals, labeling practices, etc. One suggesiton would be to include sample labels from each region to make shopping a little easier. Another would be to realign the Burgundy reviews to group them together in a less confusing fashion.

The pull-out vintage charts and wine-buying strategies are the icing on the cake. Now, if only they would offer an addendum (as well as a complete volume release) each year to keep prior customers up to date...

Cheers

An Authoritative Guide
Editor and Publisher Marvin R. Shanken calls this book "an indispensable resource" for wine lovers. I'd have to say he is right about that. This book provides everything and then some that most of the wine buying public needs or wants to know about the vintner's tasty product. Over 40,000 wines are reviewed and there are tasting notes on more than 20,000.

One section of the book concentrates on great wines suitable for the wine collector. It rates the best wines from the present vintages of what the authors consider are the world's most prestigious wine types. These are identified as Red Bordeaux, Red Burgundy, White Burgundy, Red Rhome, Piedmont Red, Tuscan Red, Vintage Port, and California Cabernet. Included with the ratings are date references to "Wine Spectator" issues in which the wines were rated.

Another interesting feature is a wine buying strategy for stocking wine cellars. Vintage charts are provided which cover the top 100 best wines released by year from 1988 to 1999. A detachable and foldable vintage chart is included which may be carried in the purse or wallet for easy reference during those shopping sprees. Also helpful is a complete winery index at the back of the book.

For those folks like me who are not wine aficionados but like to get the best value for their dollars, the editors have included a checklist for wineries and wines of good quality for $12.00 or less. This is a fairly inclusive list and includes wines from Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, Italy, Spain, and the United States.

Full of great information, there is probably too much detail for the casual wine shopper; however, it appears to be a must have for the more discriminating wine buyer.

For all wine enthusiasts as well as rookies
I have to admit that I did not know anything about buying wines before I purchased this book. For all of those people who don't know anything about wine, the task of buying wine can be very intimidating and frustrating. However, this book clearly explained everything there is to know about buying wine, and the best part is that the book is not confusing at all. The book tells you how to tell the difference between all the different wines. In addition, it explained how to find the best prices. I showed this book to my wine collecting neighbor and even he was impressed, and I thought this book was only for beginners. This book helped me out a lot.

An excellent comprehensive resource
I've had a copy of this book since it was published in late 1998. All I can say is that it's a tremendous resource which I've thoroughly enjoyed using. I marvel at the accuracy of its descriptions. I've used it to "do my homework" before shopping at wine sales. I've used it to help determine when to drink the wines I have accumulated. Above all, I've derived great pleasure from just reading the entries.

My hat is off to the Wine Spectator for this guide and my hope is the next edition is soon on the way. ... Read more

Book Description

Nobody has been more accurate about how to profit from the future than Faith Popcorn, who in her bestselling The Popcorn Report reports on what we'll buy, where we'll work, and what we'll think in the next decade. For the corporate manager and the owner of a "kitchen table" business alike, The Popcorn Report offers hundreds of ideas for new products to create, new businesses to start, and new markets to capture. Here, too, are the market waves that are beginning to dominate your personal and profes-sional lives. Faith reveals how to chart the future's impact on your business, how to capitalize on the newest trends, and the ways in which emerging mar-keting techniques will revive the dying retail market. She also describes what impact these changes will have on your habits at work, at home, and at play. Here is every businessperson's chance to get the word on the future--now.

00-01 William Allen White Children's Book Award Masterlist

Reviews (8)

One of the Top 3 Marketing Books Ever Written
Have you ever met someone who's been to one-too-many Tony Robbins seminars? It's like listening to a parrot. Most marketing books, in my opinion, are like that; compilations of what's already been said by someone else. The exceptions to this rule - the great breakthrough books - are Ogilvy on Advertising, The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing, and The Popcorn Report.

Originally published in 1991, some would call it "dated." These people are idiots. In one of her closing chapters, Ms. Popcorn very presciently describes email and e-commerce, calling them "screenmail" and "infobuying" though neither had yet been invented. Heck, in 1991 we weren't even using the word "internet." It would be another 3 years before anyone was even talking about "The Information Super-Highway."

The Popcorn Report is one of the great books of original thought and Faith Popcorn deserves a spot in the Marketing Hall of Fame. Buy the book. It will stretch your mind by showing you how we got to where we are.

Still handy, great for beginners, horrible cover though
Very light reading which is interesting if u r just starting out on sociology stuff. The thing abt this 10 yr old book is that u should think how it applies to the Now, especially in a global playground. Use it as a spark that pushes u to think further. Horrible cover though. Looks like a lame self-help book. But fun stuff to read.

10 years old and still brilliant
How often do you read a business book, 10 years old, and still find yourself underlining, and underlining, and..you get the point. The specific trends Faith shares and the ideas she offers for solutions are insightful, creating an easy sense of trust and confidence in her industry wisdom. They are simple and readily observable all around us. She describes her research strategy which anyone can implement, and would be a fool not to. This book is ideal for business owners, entrepreneurs and especially for those who haven't made the jump yet. By the way, if you consider yourself to be a young entrpreneur or plan to be one soon, I suggest, The Young Entrepreneur's Edge, by Jennifer Kushell.

Wrong wrong wrong
Someone should actually read this book before reviewing it. Like Bill Gates, Popcorn is as wrong as she is right. Visionary? I'll tell you who the visionary is: Ted Nelson, not Faith. Cocooning? It never actually happened as Popcorn describes it.

New ideas that shape our future
I was introduced to Faith Popcorn the first time on a Anthony Robbins interview audio casette. Of course I wanted to hear more so I reviewed this book. Ms Popcorn has a powerful way to bring across future trends. The Internet is one good example of this. Another book, Life and Death on the Internet by Keith A Schroeder deals with these new trends on the Internet and I feel these two books make a good fit. If you are considering buying this book, just do it. It is a powerful and practical guide into the near future. ... Read more

Amazon.com

"Primary age group: 35-64... Median household income: $80,600... Median home value: $247,000... Predominant ideology: moderate Republican... Preferences: car phones, domestic wine, Land Rovers."

If this sounds like you, then you're a part of what's known as the "Winner's Circle" cluster. If not, then you probably fall into one of 61 other lifestyle clusters with names such as "Urban Gold Coast," "Pools & Patios," "God's Country," "Golden Ponds," and "Shotguns & Pickups." In The Clustered World, demographic detective Michael Weiss draws on the work of market research firm Claritas and its PRIZM cluster system to render a richly detailed view of the many neighborhoods and demographic segments that make up the United States. According to Weiss, the image of America as a melting pot is simply inaccurate--think salad bar, instead. He writes, "For a nation that's always valued community, this breakup of the mass market into balkanized population segments is as momentous as the collapse of Communism.... Today, the country's new motto should be 'E pluribus pluriba': 'Out of many, many.'"

In addition to explaining the cluster concept, Weiss shows how marketers can put clusters to work to understand consumers better and sell everything from college educations to Dodge Caravans. Weiss also looks beyond the U.S. population to lifestyle clusters in Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, South Africa, and Spain. Marketers and social observers will find this pointillist view incredibly useful and perhaps a little disturbing. The overriding truth behind The Clustered World is that, like it or not, "You are like your neighbors." And in case you're wondering what cluster you belong to, Weiss includes the URL for the Claritas Web site (yawyl.claritas.com), where you can enter your ZIP code to find out more about you and your neighbors. --Harry C. Edwards ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Fun and entertaining
I read Michael Weiss' first book-"The Clustering of America" years ago, so when I read about his latest-I bought it as well. It is a real fun read-not just statistics etc..., but a lot of fun facts about people and their purchasing habits. My town was actually classified in the book as "Executive Suites" which made it even more interesting to read.(Pretty accurate description as well) Michael Weiss also used Berwyn, Ill. as an example of "Big City Blend" and he hit the nail on the head there. ( I have some older relatives who live in Berwyn). I started by flipping back and forth in the book, then just settled down and read it all the way through. I like demographics, and marketing, so that is another reason it held my interest. There were some surprises-ex: Price Club is popular with the "Blue Blood Estates". There is also some mention of foreign countries, and how they use the cluster system in marketing. The descriptions of the clusters are interesting, and take current events into account. It is a good book just to keep around to flip through to try and find communities you are familar with and see if the descriptions hold true, or read it all the way through. Either way-it's entertaining.

Political Dynamic, Missing the Fuse or the Future

When Howard Dean used the shorthand expression "guys with confederate flags on their pick-ups" he was actually talking about what some call "NASCAR dads" and Michael Weiss calls the "Shotguns & Pickups" cluster (number 29 in his first book, number 43 in this advanced and improved edition).

Although others have written about the nine nations of North America (Joel Garreau), various "tribes" across the nation, and demographics in general, Michael Weiss stands head and shoulders above all of them in providing the definitive reference work that is also a form of novel about America.

With this book he also begins the process of extending his ideas to he world, showing how neighborhoods in 19 countries can be classified into 14 common lifestyles, the bottom three being Lower Income Elderly, Hardened Dependency, and Shack & Shanty....billions of people disenfranchised by amoral capitalism, whose desperate circumstances have not quite made themselves felt, yet, in America.

I have only one major criticism of this book, apart from its obsession with understanding people in order to sell to them--it fails to go the extra mile in understanding the future consequences of each group's economic status and consumer preferences. Although the book very specifically addresses the politics of each group (predominant ideology, 1996 presidential vote, key issues), it lacks the transformation analysis that might be helpful in understanding the political economy dynamics of each group, and what might be required to craft a new national progressive consensus that reduces materialism, corruption, waste, and restores democracy, community, and sustainable national security and prosperity.

Regardless of this modest shortfall, this is an extraordinary book, as was the first that I also own ("The Clustering of America"). Those interested in how these clusters are coalescing into a new progressive movement that is in-front, deep green, against big business, big money in politics, and amoral globalization, might wish to read Paul Ray and Sherry Ruth Anderson "The Cultural Creatives", Google for "Cultural Creatives" or visit culturalcreatives.org. America is changing. This book by Michael Weiss is a brilliant snapshot of where we are today.

Useful look at how geodemographic clustering works
Weiss gives an entertaining and well-written overview of how geodemographic profiling works. He explains the concept, compares the US profiling to other countries, and talks about its applications in marketing. Finally, he provides a breakdown of the 62 PRIZM clusters that existed at the time that the book was written. It may not be the book to learn about the US (but I don't think it's useless in that regard) but it's definitely the book to learn how marketers see the US.

Maybe as a reference book
I expected something a little more from this book. It breaks down groups of people/markets into clusters and gives descriptions of the clusters one by one. There is not a lot threading it together. Granted, I gave it a quick look and put it on the coffee table for a couple of months. But, I was underwhelmed. I suspect it may be useful for a pure marketing type instead of an armchair sociologist like myself.

Insightful!
Michael J. Weiss documents the way populations have fractured into different demographic and lifestyle groups, or clusters. He gives these clusters catchy names that describe the key lifestyle features which influence their buying behavior, voting, and other choices. This excellent, original, well-researched book focuses on clusters in the U.S., though Canada and Europe are sometimes cited. The book is written in an easy-to-read style, but some may find it difficult to read because of the wealth of detail. Sometimes, it is hard to keep the various clusters straight, particularly in the first few chapters when Weiss refers to them without defining them. However, definition is difficult. These groups are composed of many characteristics, as becomes clear in the last chapter describing the United States' 62 clusters. We [...] recommend this book to those in management or marketing who are developing products, services, and programs for particular niche groups.
... Read more

Book Description

Consumer Behavior, 7/e by Peter and Olson provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to perform consumer analyses that can be used for understanding markets and developing effective marketing strategies. The authors have developed the Wheel of Consumer Analysis, which is a tool to help the reader understand how consumer affect and cognition, consumer behavior, consumer environment, and marketing strategy interact. The Wheel Model is a powerful tool for analyzing and understanding consumer behavior and can be used to guide the development of effective marketing strategies. ... Read more

Book Description

Massive demographic upheavals are changing the societal identities of American consumers and disrupting the effectiveness of traditional marketing techniques. The so-called mass market is dissolving into smaller groups of consumers who express distinctive ethnic, age-related, or lifestyle values by what they buy and how they buy it. Consumers in different subcultures speak different languages, read different magazines, watch different networks on TV, and buy in different places.

The lesson for marketers is clear -- a single marketing campaign may no longer effectively reach a broad spectrum of consumers. Marketers and advertisers hoping to attract large numbers of American consumers must build relationships by mirroring the values and multiple identities of various groups. Marketers need tools to link their efforts to consumers within several subculture communities.

Marketing and Consumer Identity in Multicultural America presents strategies and tools for marketers seeking to reach these emerging subcultures. Chapter 1 introduces the phenomenon of multiculturalism in America and its impact on marketing. Chapter 2 introduces the seven key shifts from traditional thinking that marketers must make to thrive in a multicultural world (e.g., from "market segmentation" to "market identification"). Chapters 3 through 7 profile five key subculture groups -- the elderly, Latinos, African Americans, gays and lesbians, and Asian Americans. Chapter 8 profiles several emerging groups, and chapter 9 is a comprehensive summary of marketing attitudes and techniques that are critical to success in this new multicultural environment.

There are four very important reader benefits to this book that should be stressed in Sage’s cover copy and advertising:

- While this book is highly practical, it rests on a theoretical foundation that is laid in chapter 1 and developed throughout the book. In other words, it is not just a cookbook or a collection of war stories.

- The author intersperses real examples from real marketing campaigns from real companies throughout the book. There’s more than just a lot of demographic information; there’s information on how successful organizations have successfully matched their efforts to different multicultural groups.

- There is a consistent planning framework in each of the "demographic" chapters (3-8) that links consumer values with suggestions for an integrated marketing communications program.

- The book is rich with comprehensive data sources not usually found in books: US Census Bureau, the MSR’s Minority Market Reports, reports in trade publications, academic journals from different disciplines, and the author’s own primary research. Most of this material has never appeared in book form.

Reviews (2)

PORTRAYS INTERESTING INFO IN A QUITE READABLE FORMAT
This book is a very good overview of multi-cultural marketing and why different cultures create different types of consumers.Sadly, it seems that many colleges are paying too little attention to this area of consumer research.It's nice to read Tharp's book and see that someone has recognized the importance of examining these issues in a rapidly-changing America.

Good basics albeit thin on white ethnics
I enjoyed this book. Overall it was quite good with a very thorough coverage of the foundations of multicultural marketing used as the basis for later parts of the book that address specific cultural groups.

However, some of what is being passed off as multicultural seems more like "protected classes", i.e. minorities, gays, disabled, mature Americans et al.

As such I was somewhat disappointed that the non-minority ethnic marketing treatment was a bit thin. To wit: Native Americans, Italians, Jews, Irish and Arab Americans warranted all of 5 pages in +350 page book! And there was little or no coverage of Polish, German, Aremenian, Croatian, Bohemian, Swedish, Greek, Ukranian, Lithuanian and non-Hispanic Spanish/Portuguese.

Hopefully the next book will cover these groups in more detail... ... Read more

Book Description

The Marketplace of Revolution offers a boldly innovative interpretation of the mobilization of ordinary Americans on the eve of independence. Breen explores how colonists who came from very different ethnic and religious backgrounds managed to overcome difference and create a common cause capable of galvanizing resistance. In a richly interdisciplinary narrative that weaves insights into a changing material culture with analysis of popular political protests, Breen shows how virtual strangers managed to communicate a sense of trust that effectively united men and women long before they had established a nation of their own. The Marketplace of Revolution argues that the colonists' shared experience as consumers in a new imperial economy afforded them the cultural resources that they needed to develop a radical strategy of political protest--the consumer boycott. Never before had a mass political movement organized itself around disruption of the marketplace. As Breen demonstrates, often through anecdotes about obscure Americans, communal rituals of shared sacrifice provided an effective means to educate and energize a dispersed populace. The boycott movement--the signature of American resistance--invited colonists traditionally excluded from formal political processes to voice their opinions about liberty and rights within a revolutionary marketplace, an open, raucous public forum that defined itself around subscription lists passed door-to-door, voluntary associations, street protests, destruction of imported British goods, and incendiary newspaper exchanges. Within these exchanges was born a new form of politics in which ordinary man and women--precisely the people most often overlooked in traditional accounts of revolution--experienced an exhilarating surge of empowerment. Breen recreates an "empire of goods" that transformed everyday life during the mid-eighteenth century. Imported manufactured items flooded into the homes of colonists from New Hampshire to Georgia. The Marketplace of Revolution explains how at a moment of political crisis Americans gave political meaning to the pursuit of happiness and learned how to make goods speak to power. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Well-written, but a stretch?
Breen writes a nice book here with lots of detail on colonists as consumers, and how the so-called market revolution impacted America prior to the Revolution. He suggests that this mass consumerism was the bond that tied Americans together and was the reason they were able to unite and rebel in 1775. My concern is that when he does expand upon the idea that this consumerism is what made colonists have something in common and allowed them to act in 1775 as a coordinated community, evidenceis lacking and Breen mostly speculates. It must have been so thus it was so, seems to be Breen's basis for conclusion. ... Read more

Book Description

In their efforts to become more customer-focused, companies everywhere find themselves entangled in outmoded systems, metrics, and strategies rooted in their product-centered view of the world. Now, to ease this shift to a customer focus, marketing strategy experts Roland T. Rust, Valarie A. Zeithaml, and Katherine N. Lemon have created a dynamic new model they call "Customer Equity," a strategic framework designed to maximize every firm's most important asset, the total lifetime value of its customer base.

The authors' Customer Equity Framework yields powerful insights that will help any business increase the value of its customer base. Rust, Zeithaml, and Lemon introduce the three drivers of customer equity -- Value Equity, Brand Equity, and Retention Equity -- and explain in clear, nontechnical language how managers can base their strategies on one or a combination of these drivers. The authors demonstrate in this breakthrough book how managers can build and employ competitive metrics that reveal their company's Customer Equity relative to their competitors. Based on these metrics, they show how managers can determine which drivers are most important in their industry, how they can make efficient strategic trade-offs between expenditures on these drivers, and how to project a financial return from these expenditures. The final section devotes two chapters to the Customer Pyramid, an approach that segments customers based on their long-term profitability, and an especially important chapter examines the Internet as the ultimate Customer Equity tool. Here the authors show how companies such as Intuit.com, Schwab.com, and Priceline.com have used more than one or all three drivers to increase Customer Equity.

In this age of one-to-one marketing, understanding how to drive Customer Equity is central to the success of any firm. In particular, Driving Customer Equity will be essential reading for any marketing manager and, for that matter, any manager concerned with growing the value of the firm's customer base. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

A Useful Tool for Marketing and Communications Managers
Many marketing executives are challenged to evaluate the impact of their marketing communications and customer relationship strategies, but too often get bogged down in short-term measures like click-throughs and direct response. Driving Customer Equity is a valuable tool for quantifying the long-term impact of investments in building a brand and improving customer satisfaction. It is based on a logical framework that recognizes the financial returns from building brand equity, improving perceived value and increasing customer satisfaction. The book does more than provide a useful framework and report real research. It also includes hands-on tools that can be used by managers, consultants and researchers. I am recommending this book to all of my clients in the hope that it encourages a long-range focus that recognizes building customer equity is more important than short-term sales.

Waves the flag, but doesn't offer much leadership
The book is fundamentally right on a key principle -- companies need to focus on customers, not products or even markets. They argue that long-term growth is based on creating customer equity, which is based, depending on varying circumstances, on value, brand and retention equity.

However, the book is a confusing mishmash that reads like it was written by committee. Points are redundant. There are three identical charts, for example, of the "profitability death spiral." The links between a theory we can all agree on -- customers are important -- and strategy that can impact operations and marketing are weak. And the calculations for tactics -- determining the right mix of value, brand and retention equity -- are incomprehensible, and I've got a background in accounting. They read like they were lifted from an academic article by one of the authors. The stories they tell to illustrate their points -- Priceline, Amazon -- are rehashes of the same story we've all heard so many times before. Bottom line: Good concept, some intriguing thoughts (re: a customer equity officer) but no roadmap on how to get from a good idea to actual results. A worthwhile scan, but not much more.

The next edition should be much shorter
This book has a few great points, however it continues to assert them page after page after page. The writing reflects a group effort, as you will find yourself reading a definition that was already articulated in the immediately preceding section. Each small passage or section within the chapters reads like it's own 500 word essay, meant to read independent from writing around it.

Little clear quanatative methods are expressed, rather we are forced to endure a hodgepodge of graphs that belong in a high school classroom.

Like the graphs, this book was poorly written. The sections are confusing and painful to endure. All of the concepts could be presented in a more condensed fashion, and quantative methods addressed. Better works are out there, so save your money on this one.

Good book
This book shows you the importance of been a client focus organisation through ''value, brand and retention equity''. Also good for strategy.

Useful guidebook for emerging businesses
Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, companies have built an organization around their products. In the traditional corporate model, finance, marketing, information systems, and operations focus on the profitability of products rather than customers. In recent years, companies have attempted to become more customer focused but often lack the organizational structure and corporate strategy to succeed in this transformation. In Driving Customer Equity, Roland Rust, Valarie Zeithaml, and Katherine Lemon develop a conceptual framework to help companies reshape their corporate strategy to grow the lifetime value of their customer base, or "customer equity". Although the concepts and strategies in this book could, theoretically, grow customer equity, the lack of real world implementations offered in this book leave the reader unsure of the feasibility to existing firms.

Rust, et al., break down the customer equity strategy into four parts: examining the problems with traditional product-oriented strategies, defining the customer equity framework, developing a customer-centered strategy, and managing the customer equity strategy. Each concept within the customer equity strategy is clearly organized and explained. At the end of each chapter the authors provide a table of "key insights" matched to "action steps" for each insight. Throughout the book, these tables provide a high-level roadmap to implementing the customer equity framework.

Beginning with two important concepts, the "profitable product death spiral" and the "lifetime value of the customer", the authors build a good case for changing a company's focus from products to customers. The theory's foundation is that companies who remove unprofitable products from the marketplace may lose customers who purchase bundled products and therefore lose long-term profit potential. Rust, et al., argue that companies who focus on the value of the customer over their lifetime may choose to keep unprofitable products to maintain or grow their customer base and increase long-term customer equity.

The authors build on this basis by breaking down customer equity into three unique but interdependent areas - value equity, brand equity, and retention equity. Value equity of a company is "when what it offers matches what the customer expects and perceives value to be." The concept of value equity is used as the foundation of the customer's relationship with the firm. Brand equity is defined as the "customer's subjective and intangible assessment of the brand, above and beyond its objectively perceived value." Retention equity is defined as the "customer's tendency to stick with the brand, above and beyond objective and subjective assessments of the brand."

While none of these three concepts are new, Rust, et al., redefine these areas in terms of the impact, needs, and perceptions of the individual customer. The action steps at the end of these chapters, such as "Engage in marketing research to understand which definitions of value are relevant to your customers. Tailor offers to focus on different value perception," are mostly common sense. There are no novel gems of wisdom, but instead a woven fabric of simultaneous actions necessary for the customer equity strategy to work.

In subsequent chapters, the authors go on to develop a customer-centered strategy that tries to measure customer equity, evaluate the financial impact of different customer equity strategic decisions, and convince upper management that customer-centered strategy will be more profitable to the company. Each section is well written and again provides action steps. However, these steps, such as "Develop a uniform evaluation procedure for all improvement programs for increasing Customer Equity," are often very high-level or require very large investments in time or money.

The last few chapters investigate ways to manage customer equity through redefining market segmentation based on the profitability of each customer rather than demographic, geographic, or psychographic approaches. As a result of this new segmentation, the authors show that some customers who are actually a drain on the company's resources should be proactively removed from the customer pool, thus lowering costs. It may seem counter-intuitive to decrease customers, but the authors make a good argument and provide ways to remove the customers gracefully.

While the book is well written and clearly explained, there are a few problems with the implementation logistics for existing firms. Examples of successful shifts to customer equity strategy are scare and repetitious. Fed Ex, IBM, and banks are some of few real-world companies that are shown to have implemented parts of the customer equity framework. There is no example of a company who has adopted the entire customer equity strategy. Without at least one leader in this revolution, managers may hesitate to pick up the banner of customer equity.

Another complicating issue is the customer equity strategy must be implemented at all levels of the company simultaneously to be effective. Many of the action steps require a significant amount of time, money, and buy-in from upper management, as well as fundamental shifts in organization and company values. For a start-up company, this strategy could be incrementally implemented as the company grows, but for established organizations it is a daunting and most likely impossible task.

Rust, Zeithaml, and Lemon have described a very thorough strategy that will most likely become the standard of operation for new companies. The ideas expressed in Driving Customer Equity, taken as a whole, could grow value equity, brand equity, and retention equity. However, without a success story to rally interest, successful implementation for existing firms is out of reach unless the fundamental values of and dedication to the customer equity strategy are embraced by senior management, employees, and shareholders. ... Read more

Book Description

Faith Popcorn has been called "America's most highly regarded trends forecaster" (Newsday). She first identified the concepts of Cocooning, Female Think and Icon Toppling; predicted the fall of New Coke; and has helped create and market many of America's most successful new products. Her astonishingly accurate predictions are an invaluable asset to the American business world, and Clicking, which sold over 100,000 copies in hardcover, appeared on bestseller lists ranging from the New York Times and USA Today to the Chicago Tribune and Business Week.

Now Popcorn, coauthor Lys Marigold, and Popcorn's company, BrainReserve, share even more of their remarkable insights about how we will conduct our businesses and live our lives in the future. Clicking is about positioning one's business, and one's self, to be poised to take the fullest advantage of upcoming trends. Loaded with telling anecdotes and inspiring examples, packed with ideas, products and people who have successfully mastered trends, or "clicked," this up-to-the minute revised report (including a major trend not identified in the hardcover) reveals the shape of the future. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Decent Concepts
Despite the fact this book has an awful cover, it is useful. Faith Popcorn presents a valid argument that we as a society need to observe the trends that are driving our culture. Some of the trends include, cocooning, clanning, icon-toppling among others. These trends make sense and are backed up by anecdotal evidence gathered by the author's company.
Faith is a futurist marketer, trying to predict what will happen next, and what consumers will want. There is some wiggle room, I believe, between the forces of what consumers want and what companies and culture demand that the consumer has to buy. Faith leans more towards trends should drive companies, rather than companies driving trends. Overall a useful book, but at this point some of the material is out of date, (note the 97 publishing date), but I am sure Faith is somewhere 'popping' some more ideas at her company, the 'brain reserve.' One pick with this book is the concept of 'female think' & 'mancipation.' While there is some validity to what Faith is saying, why does the chapter on 'female think' get two chapters and all other trends (17) get just one? Fair and Balanced? Faith, you are successful, quit trying to prove it to the boys club, who cares what they think of you, you are doing a great job. Just some observations. Grade of 'B'

Joseph Dworak

Useless drivel
Trends? I'd say Faith is more of a keen observer of what's happening NOW rather than what may soon be. The first 20 minutes of the 90 minutes I heard (the audiobook) was a combination of wordsmithing, technospeak and self-promotion. If you want a good book about REAL unfolding trends, pick up Robert Reich's "Future of Success." He's not selling a product.

This is a really good book.
This is a really good book. I learned a lot. I keep it on a shelf near my desk so people think I read it. I quote the parts I did read in meetings so people think I am cool.

Missed your Target!
The book is recommended for college students yet most of the text is intended for the baby boomer generation and not the new savvy student. Better luck next time.

Clicking : 17 Trends That Drive Your Business -- And Your
This is a very good book for anyone interested in long term trends and how to forsee some of the main trends for the future. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Luxury isn't just for the rich, says James B. Twitchell. Today you don't need a six-figure income to wear pashmina, drink a limited-edition coffee at Starbucks, or drive a Mercedes home to collapse on the couch in front of a flat-screen plasma TV. In Living It Up, sharp-eyed consumer anthropologist Twitchell takes a witty and insightful look at luxury -- what it is, who defines it, and why we can't seem to get enough of it.

In recent years, says Twitchell, luxury spending has grown much faster than overall spending -- and it continues to grow despite the economic recession. Luxury has become such a powerful marketing force that it cuts across every layer of society, spawning a magazine devoted to spas, cashmere bedspreads on sale at Kmart, and a dazzling array of bottled waters.

Twitchell says that the democratization of luxury has had a unifying effect on culture. Luxury items tell a story that we want to identify with, and more people than ever aspire to the story of Ralph Lauren's Polo or Patek Philippe. Shopping itself is no longer a chore but a transcendent experience in which we shop not so much for goods as for an identity.

Sharply observed and wickedly funny, Living It Up is a revealing and entertaining examination of why we are all part of the cult of luxury. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A Guilty Gordon Gekko
Living it Up starts with the premise that consumption--even overconsumption--is good for the economy and good for your community. Twitchell makes a coherent argument that those who pay ridiculous prices for things they don't need make it possible for the rest of us to pay lower prices for the same things. Then, what used to be a luxury to one generation (indoor plumbing, cars, computers) becomes a necessity for the next.

But somehow, Twitchell seems guilty about all this. He even quotes Gekko (from the movie Wall Street), a bit sheepishly. He praises "first-users" (those who buy the first VCRs, etc. at high prices) while sneering at the stereotypical yuppie with all his toys. Professor Twitchell mocks the voluntary simplicity movement by picking the most hypocritical example he can find, of a back-to-nature advocate who buys acres of her neighbor's land. But he ignores such aspects as not spending more than you have, reducing the amount of stuff you own, enjoying the occasional luxury rather than shopping as a habit.

Interesting reading if you are fascinated by our consumer culture, but a bit confusing as the professor tries to decide where he stands on over-consumption.

Luxury, a new religion analyzed
This is a landmark book. The author analyzes in very detail the mechanisms behind selling luxury to the public, including the religious attributes affixed to those products.
"Probably it shouldn't get into the hands of consumers", because they might find out they are spending too much money for ordinarily manufactured goods with high status affixed by advertising. On my trips to the US, I wondered how big, luxury only shopping malls could survive, this book tells the reason why. Europe is still more conservative with luxury spending.
I wanted to give it 5 stars, but the language used is very difficult to read. To exclude most luxury spenders?

Posh LUST
Entertaining book, well written, thought provoking, ultimately absolving us of our sins of posh LUST.

Another Contribution to "Lux Lit"
The subtitle attracted me to this book: "Our Love Affair with Luxury." I assumed that the first-person plural pronoun refers to Americans in general and to affluent Americans in particular; that Twitchell views the relationship between a consumer (or consumer wannabe) and material objects resembles a love affair; finally, that luxury denotes both material objects and the lifestyle (if not quality of life) they collectively create. After having read the book, I concluded that my assumptions were essentially sound. Twitchell conducted extensive research for this book. He traveled throughout the country, roaming around various upscale retail establishments, observing salespeople and engaging in conversation with many of them. For Twitchell, what is luxury? He suggests "a mallet with which one pounds the taste of others" (does this preclude the appreciation of luxury for its own sake?) and "those things that you have that I think you shouldn't have" (does this include a terminal illness?). If I understand Twitchell (and I may well not), his research leads him to several conclusions. For example, that contemporary values are influenced significantly by advertising; that the the shoppes along Rodeo Drive and Fifth Avenue are "cathedrals" of consumption in which their customers are guided to "epiphanies" which determine purchase decisions; and that experiences with faux luxury (e.g. those found in the opulent casinos of Las Vegas) are better than none at all. When determining social status, Twitchell views what he calls "opuluxe spending" as a more relevant criterion than is one's ancestry: You are what you can afford to own. Not all would agree with him. I don't.

However, few (if any) of Twitchell's readers have conducted the research he has on all this. My own experience suggests that distinctions between Old Money and New Money are less informative than the matter of taste. (Twitchell suggests few such distinctions.) Vulgarity cuts across all economic levels but, in general, the consumption of those in the Old Money category is less conspicuous than consumption by those in the New Money category. (If Twitchell has read The Millionaire Next Door, I wonder what he thinks of Tom Stanley's conclusions.) Almost all of the affluent people I know collect and redeem coupons, are constantly alert for bargains, try to get the maximum number of shaves from a razor blade, etc. Early in life, I learned that those referred to as "tightwads" are relentlessly frugal but not opposed to "opuluxe spending" per se. Unlike most others, they maintain tight control of a "wad" which permits them to purchase just about anything they may desire.

What to make of this book? First of all, it's highly entertaining. Also, its general subject is one which has not as yet received as much attention as I think it deserves, although a number of other books ("Lux Lit") have also been published in recent years. Moreover, I think that Twitchell is really on to something important when suggesting (or at least implying) that expanding consumerism on a global basis will create greater access to "the finer things in life." Who knows? That may well raise taste levels, require higher quality and greater value from those who design and manufacture consumer products, and perhaps (just perhaps) increase both the standard of living and quality of life. Given the current War on Terrorism as well as the hostilities in the Middle East and throughout much of Africa, the sooner the participants stop shooting and start shopping, the better.

very smart, very thoughtful
Many writers have taken on the subject of luxury spending. The issue seems to have growing weight these days given the spread of luxury products through a very broad income range. Many approach the question as if it were one of morals, or one of emptiness. The refreshing thing about Twitchell is that he understands that people simply like things and always have. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Eeeeever-Cooooool
Are you looking for a secret formula to guide your kid focused marketing decisions? Gene Del Vecchio's book - "Creating Ever-Cool A Marketer's Guide to a Kid's Heart" is truly insightful. It is the closest thing to a secret formula that I've come across.

'Ever-Cool' is a book that answers a seemingly simple but actually quite complex question... Why do some brands in the kids marketplace remain the favorites of children year after year - generation after generation. Exactly what gives these brands their staying power? 'Ever-Cool' answers this question in a well written and entertaining style.

The book has 4 sections: 'The Introduction' , 'The Child's Psyche' , 'A Kid's World and Culture' and 'Marketing to a Child's heart'.

In 'The Child's Psyche' section Del Vecchio examines the timeless and underlying needs of childhood. From the differences between girls and boys, to their fears and fantasies.

'A Kid's World and Culture' investigates children in the world today. Their self awareness, shifting family structures, and universal (hopefully) experiences of childhood such as going to school, and living in the neighborhood. The 'Marketing to a Child's heart' section contains lots of advice and suggestions on how to utilize these insights.

I found the concept that there could be 'Kid Psyche Gaps' in the market place to be particularly intriguing. Del Vecchio explains it in the following way: Psyche Gaps are "that part of the child's psyche that is not currently being satisfied by a competitor" (pg. 221.) Clearly identifying what these gaps are and strategically developing a product to fill the gap is very sound marketing.

Another really cool part of this section is the 'Kids' Idea Matrix'. Del Vecchio provides a creative idea development aid that works in the following way: "By forcing our eyes to see relationships, we help our brains consider the ideas that are born from them. This can be accomplished with a system I call Matrixing a simple process of putting various categories of items in front of our eyes, side by side, in a fashion that will help us to easily mix and match them. The items we will force together are those that we have discussed throughout this book." (pg. 185) Del Vecchio essentially is showing us how to use his ideas.

Del Vecchio also briefly covers advertising, setting up a research program, and ethics. All in all I personally have no hesitation in recommending this book. I found it to be highly insightful and an enjoyable read.

Secret Weapon for Kid marketing!
Short version: Buy this book now, and get it shipped to you overnight!

This book is the secret weapon for anyone who markets to kids or wants to. Gene Del Vecchio manages to make the subject entertaining and engaging while teaching you a pile of indispensible techniques to capture a kid's heart.

Not only does the book teach you how to market products better, it gets you thinking different. Suddenly, you're developing products and strategies with kids in mind, and you understand why certain products are big hits with kids.

Another funny thing about this book...it helps you to understand kids better. For readers with their own kids, this could be the greates value of all.

Enlightening, entertaining and easy to read!
The author not only reveals important and interesting aspects of a child's psyche, but also gives you insights on how to use those aspects to make your products and brands "ever cool".

It's my kid marketing bible.
Buy it for the 25 pages on kid psyche. The rest is bonus (special bonus offer: 90% more free!). Damn insightful bonus. I constantly refer back to the kid psyche section. Every time I work on a creative strategy. Every time I look at a new toy. I can't tell you how valuable this book as been for me and my group. Five stars+++

Required for anyone seeking to market to children
This is required reading for anyone who hopes to effectively market to children. Unlike professorial/scholarly treatises, this author has actually been in the trenches, and it shows. The real world applications is what puts this book above all others dealing with this topic. ... Read more

Book Description

Web Systems Design and Online Consumer Behavior takes and interdisciplinary approach toward systems design in the online environment by providing an understanding of how consumers behave while shopping online and how certain system design elements may impact consumers' perceptions, attitude, intentions, and actual behavior.This book contains theoretical and empirical research from expert scholars in a number of areas including communications, psychology, marketing and advertising, and information systems.This book provides an integrated look at the subject area as described above to further our understanding of the linkage among various disciplines inherently connected with one another in electronic commerce. ... Read more

Book Description

In the bestselling tradition ofThe Lazlow Letters and Letters from a Nut, screenwriter Paul Davidson has been firing off humble but humorous letters to Fortune 500 companies to find answers to such hot-button questions like why hasn’t Minute Maid begun to sell an all pulp, juice-free product yet, and whether it’s safe to microwave a bowl of Marshmallow Fluff on high for ten minutes. And the funny thing is . . . consumer-care departments everywhere have been writing back to him, addressing his queries with deadpan seriousness.

Collecting dozens of selections from Davidson’s funniest correspondence, Consumer Joe uncovers why a box of fifty envelopes only contained forty-seven and how colorblind people are supposed to tell whether their Ziploc baggies (“yellow and blue makes green”) are properly sealed, while making numerous product-improvement suggestions along the way (such as adding Tuna Melt flavor to the Jamba Juice product line).

Taking aim at the increasingly advertising-sponsored society, Consumer Joe features utterly absurd but irresistible missives to companies ranging from Barnes & Noble and Fed-Ex to Southwest Airlines and Taco Bell. Full of kvetches we all can relate to, Consumer Joe is poised to become the patron saint of every beleaguered shopper.

Reviews (11)

An idelible character
Sure the letters are funny, but the best thing about Consumer Joe is the guy who ostensibly wrote them, David Paulson. In him, Paul Davidson has created a vivid comedic character who writes with a hilarious combination of outrage and naivete as he huddles in his Beverly Hills apartment with (if his letters are to be believed) several cats (one of them injured), a thrill-seeking dog, and stacks of coupons sent to appease his urgent need for justice. Letter-by-letter, we learn more about this person and his equally eccentric extended family, until he becomes a fully-realized creation reminscent of Rob Long's brilliantly funny agent character in "Conversations with my Agent." Though the letters in the book gave me more than a few hearty laughs, discovering the character of David Paulson was an unexpected pleasure of reading this book.

Very Funny, Enjoyable Book
A previous reviewer complains that this book adds nothing new to the prank letter book genre. While I respect the opinion, I wholeheartedly disagree.

The main thing that this book adds to the genre is this: a darn funny, side-splitting, hilarious book. Does the author reinvent the prank letter? No. Does he set the world of prank letters on its head? No. Does he make you question your existence as a human being reading a prank letter book in a cold, unforgiving universe? Uh, no. Does he make you laugh so hard that you can't catch your breath and tears are running down your face? For me, the answer was YES YES YES!

Anyway, if you're looking for a book that cures cancer or re-invents the wheel, look elsewhere. But if you're looking for a really funny, quirky book that will add a few hours of fun and laughter into your life, I wholeheartedly recommend this book.

Finally fresh humor
This is the funniest, wittiest and original book I've read in ages. With so much mundane humor out there it's refreshing to see some fresh and original humor. I read this book in one sitting, laughing out loud. Paul Davidson has a rare gift. I look forward to his next endeavor.

Great coffee table book...
I purchased this book after hearing the author on KROQ. I absolutely loved it. It was a combination of funny yet realistic situations. I've often asked myself some of the very same questions and could relate. I read some of the letters at a family gathering and we laughed out loud.

Laughing Out Loud
So I heard about this book from a friend, so I picked it up for a recent trip to NYC. I cracked it open @ the airport as I waited for my flight. "David Paulson's" letters are so quirky and bizarre, its hilarious. I just kept thinking, how does this guy come up with some of these scenarios and inquiries. Corporate America is just so white collar and by the book, it's refreshing that a handful of companies even played along. At one point I was lauging out loud for 5 minutes straight at JFK as I sat at the gate. I ended up taking the book into work and it was water cooler chat for a week. This is an excellent conversation piece or just a laugh out loud book to keep in your guest bath. I highly recommend this book..... ... Read more

Book Description

In today's global economy the customer has more and better choices than ever before, bringing on one of the biggest challenges the business community faces today - customer loyalty and retention.

To thrive in today's customer-driven economy a company needs to give customers what they really want. They don't just want the best prices, selection, and service; they want a relationship. CRM (cust