Bennet Books

This a very good book. It is written by two people that together have more than 40 years of experience in project management (PM) and provides with real and usefull examples.
I strongly recommend reading to people that already know PM. Its not a basic book in PM.

This is very good book on project management, i am a member of pmi, but in pmi u learn more about project management in general but this book is for IT guys, esply chapter on project management process is good, allso about tackling issues is well documented.

I have applied methods in this book and a related seminar to a number of real projects and have gotten excellent results. I am not an IT person and was placed in charge of systems. The book helped me to plan and execute a huge IT project from scratch.I have 12 staff who were applications programmers of which 2 were analysts. I divided their tasks and attached them to users per the ideas in the book. The approach was applied to enhancements, new systems for tender evaluation and purchasing, and hardware. Per the methods of the book, all arising matters with management, vendors, and users were seen as issues and not as problems. By the team approach we were able to sack one person and reassign his roles. A 4 year project was finished in 2 years. Hardware and WAN were completed in two months. Right now we are planning a project to reach out to the remotest plantations that we own that is another 170 areas. We are using the book here as well. The key idea here is that the methods in this book are different and WORK.

IT projects are very different from standard projects. This books provides an in-depth approach to managing IT projects. It has some very good specific tips regarding risk analysis, the management critical path (as opposed to the critical path), the use of score cards for project evaluation, how to deal with issues, and how to use lessons learned and experience to get continuous improvement in project management. In addition, the book focuses on templates rather than the traditional work breakdown structure-so it is gives greater flexibility. Another novel approach is use of the team members in participating in project management. Overall, very useful and informative.

Our organization has reviewed over 50 books in IT and general project management from the view of usability and useful methods for a multiple project, complex environment. We found books like Schwabe and Menche somewhat useful, but very limited in dealing with the actual problems faced in projects. There was just too much introductory material. This book, on the other hand, is very useful in that it addresses problems such as scope creep, changing requirements, high management expectations, dealing with vendors and users, and other specific issues. It is also being translated into Chinese. This is the book you should get if you want to address problems in real projects and want specific guidelines.

Wow! I couldn't believe I was reading a "Karen Hawkins" book!!!
This is a totally different writing style from the way she writes
her St. John's series. Where that series is closer to a Sabrina
Jeffries style, this book is sooo like reading a Lynsay Sands, that it was difficult to remember that I was reading a Karen Hawkins book! Whodathunk it???

While reading, I kept picturing this book as a movie. "The Princess Bride" and "Robin Hood: Men in Tights" kept coming to mind. This book is very easy to visualize as a middle-ages comedy.

All the characters were great, and even the villian wasn't all that he was cracked up to be. My favorite was Robert, but I also liked Mary, and Duncan. The main characters, Thomas & Fia, were wonderful. Of these 2, I liked Fia best, because she was so much more level-headed than Thomas, who was a hothead from time to time.

On the 1-10 scale, I'd put this book at about a 9.8-9.9. Near
perfect. It had romance (the 2 love scenes are among some of the spicest Karen Hawkins has ever wrote), comedy (if the name of the author had been left off the book, I would have sworn I was reading a Lynsay Sands novel), adventure (First in Scotland, then on a ship, then in England), drama (Walsingham provided the basic plot to the story), and love (these 2 main characters were very easy to love!).

The bottom line: When you've read all the Lynsay Sands books there are to read, give this one a try. You won't be disappointed, I'm very sure.

I bought this book and didn't read it for a while because I thought the cover was silly. It turned out to be one of the better ones. I think I read it in two days...and I should have been doing other things! The best thing I can say about this one is that it's really a shame Ms. Bennet (aka Ms Karen Hawkins) doesn't write more books faster. She is a delightful storyteller, her heroine is charming and smart and feisty, her hero is deliciously different. Read the book. Read all her books when she finally gets to writing them.

When Fia pushed Thomas out the window, I laughed. When Fia's horse sat on Thomas, I screamed. When Fia made the rabbit Thomas caught for dinner her pet, I just absolutely LOST it. This book is a MUST read!

Delightful story about an infamous Earl (Thomas) who's good luck is legendary and a young lady who tries his patience at every turn (Fia) - and makes him doubt that his legendary good luck is holding!

Thomas is on a secret mission to Scotland where he was to steal a "letter" that could cause/prevent a war from the Laird (DUncan). As it's a "secret" mission, he has to steal into Duncan's home to search for the letter and that's when he falls for Fia - literally - or rather Fia pushes him out of the window. Entirely by accident of course! Fia is Duncan's ward and is also on a mission - of a personal nature - she's determined to be a London playwright...

And she's a kind soul who collects old/stray animals in need of TLC - the author did an excellent job of giving personalities to these woebegone animals. Their many abuses to Thomas' good nature will have you smiling!

I found one of the secondary characters, Robert, quiet interesting - there's definitely anoter story there! Robert is a reknowned coward (throughout Scotland), a dandy - and once very briefly impersonated a regal "lady."

ONE LUCKY LORD is a Keeper!

I have enjoyed Karen Hawkin's style of writing in both ABDUCTION OF JULIA and A BELATED BRIDE so when I found out Kim Bennet was one of her pseudonym, naturally I was pique to read this one book under that name. However, I must admit, I was very hesistant at first cuz the front cover looked very silly to me. The guy looked weak and sheepish-not fetching for my kind of hero at all. I don't know exactly what made me change my mind but I am truly happy I ordered it in the end. This book provided me with a wonderful LAUGH all throughout my day off. After a long week of hectic work load, ONE LUCKY LORD is a perfect company for days off like today.

In addition to the Editorial Reviews and Kim Bennet's words herself... I'd like to add how much I enjoyed both Fia and Thomas. Their love story was convincing and heart warming to me because it took time to develop. All the secondary characters (& the comical animals) contributed a lot of spice to the story. Oh, the dashing, smooth talker Robert ~ I wish Karen Hawkin's would write a book just for him. I also love Duncan. A book just for him would also be an interesting read.

My gosh, truly, how many books have made you smile, chuckle, giggle and then laugh out loud all in just one chapter? For me, It's "NONE" till this one.... I have never read such an all-out-amusing book, yet manages to be romantically touchy at the same time. Julie Garwood also holds a lot of humor in her works. That is why she is my top favorite author. I have enjoyed and loved her style eversince I begun reading historical romance novels but so far, base on this one, Karen Hawkin's/Kim Bennet's ONE LUCKY LORD simply topped it all in HUMOR. A lot of unbelievably comical and laughable scenes! Can't wait to lend this book to my sister. Oh, Umm... perhaps I should just ask her to buy her own copy. Can't part with this one just yet :-)

Do yourself a great favor and read this book. Afterall, Laughter is indeed the best medicine.

This book is very good for all types of projects. It covers setting up a project, organizing the work, managing a project, handling several projects at once, dealing with project issues and crises, using modern technology such as groupware and the Internet. The approach of establishing an issues data base and relating issues to specific tasks in a project is unique. It is very useful.

This is one of the best project management books for introducing employees to modern project management in an interesting way. Most project management books are ver dry and lack realistic examples. Thus, it is difficult to motivate people to read and use such materials. This is a very practical, down to earth book that has many guidelines that you can use immediately as you read the book. Some of the strengths of the book are: 1) best description of matrix management; 2) use of collaborative tools in managing projects; 3) how to deal with multiple projects; 4) how to share resources across several projects; 5) how to deal with risk in projects. The authors have developed a very creative and useful approach in dealing with project risk that associates project risk with unresolved issues. I highly recommend this book.

Project management for the 21st century is one of the most usable, easy to read, and complete project management books. There are good examples. Techniques are modern--better than that available in other books. This books stresses working together, sharing information, and dealing with resources that are spread among various projects. Very good reference.

This book provides the basics of project management in an easy to use casual style. It proceeds step by step through building a plan and then managing a project. The chapter on project costing is good, but could use some more detail. The modern and historical examples are usefully examined. These could be expanded more later.

This book not only gives you all of the basics, but also highlights how to use the Internet for project management. Very useful material.

The Bennet's provide a dialogue of complex systems that is exceptionally thought provoking. They have a logical progression in developing their concepts and are mindful of reinforcing the basic concepts by continually referring the reader back to the basics of the introductory chapters. Experienced managers will be able to relate the concepts presented in this book to the ones they have experienced. It will allow those mediocre managers to set their goals in proper line and also help those who have been successful in either reinventing their organization from the ground up or honing a functioning organization into a finer running machine. This is not a book you can read and absorb in a short time. In fact, my first reading took several months. My second reading continues in an even more deliberate way, selecting certain chapters that relate to my real world.

A book you keep on a nearby shelf to pull down periodically for a short read about a specific organization concept of interest.

The authors provide a valuable resource for executives striving to assure their companies excel in a competitive and complex environment. Dave and Alex Bennet use their practical management experience and excellent insight in knowledge theory to address the challenges facing organizations in a rapidly changing world. Their explanation of the Intelligent Complex Adaptive System ICAS provides a model for successfully handling the increasing demands of a swiftly changing business atmosphere. As background, the book provides a description of the differences between Bureaucratic and World Class organizations. It explores the emergent properties of the ICAS and how it works in practice. The Bennets present a variety of new and innovative techniques for improving organizational performance. The ICAS and the processes described in this book are a roadmap for organizations to achieve sustainable competitive advantage. I highly recommend this book for executives who strive to excel in a complex and ever changing competitive environment.

At Kent State University our graduate interdisciplinary program, Information & Knowledge Management (IAKM), was founded two years ago by a number of departments and schools: Communication Studies, Computer Science, Graduate School of Management, Journalism & Mass Communication, Library and Information Science, and Visual Communication Design. This rich mosaic of experience and knowledge is a seedbed for teaching the Intelligent Complex Adaptive System (ICAS) as described in Organizational Survival in the New World: The Intelligent Complex Adaptive System, by Alex and David Bennet.

Many of our learners in the IAKM Program are mid-career professionals, managers, and executives who seek a blueprint and framework for constructing and sustaining the new, Second Generation Knowledge Management (SGKM) organization. Alex and David have provided a rich foundation in the theory behind ICAS and draw in a resulting learner dialogue that demonstrate how theory can be practically engaged in the dynamic environments of our evolving institutions, businesses, and governments. This handbook will be used to design a new course in IAKM that prototypes a successful and innovative ICAS organization-covering aspects of its architecture, structure and infrastructure, culture, leadership, problem-solving and decision-making apparatus, collaboration, and potential institutional outcomes.

Alex and David Bennet are exemplary Master Builders who draw upon Complexity Theory. This book fulfils the needs displayed by many highly motivated learners who wish to comprehend and apply the elements and theories that are required to construct and launch a competitive and agile ICAS organization.

Of particular value to me was Part IV: The Knowledge Solution, which focused on the new skills and competencies needed by the new knowledge worker to help attain organizational survival and, more importantly, organizational success. This seminal monograph has augmented the goal of my research into the development of a Knowledge Management Educational Framework (KMEF) because it contains rich material with which I can effectively teach KM as well as fertile substance for my academic research agenda. I highly recommend this book because it will prove useful to academics as well as practitioners.

The authors provide a valuable resource for executives striving to assure their companies excel in a competitive and complex environment. Dave and Alex Bennet use their practical management experience and excellent insight in knowledge theory to address the challenges facing organizations in a rapidly changing world. Their explanation of the Intelligent Complex Adaptive System ICAS provides a model for successfully handling the increasing demands of a swiftly changing business atmosphere. As background, the book provides a description of the differences between Bureaucratic and World Class organizations. It explores the emergent properties of the ICAS and how it works in practice. The Bennets present a variety of new and innovative techniques for improving organizational performance. The ICAS and the processes described in this book are a roadmap for organizations to achieve sustainable competitive advantage. I highly recommend this book for executives who strive to excel in a complex and ever changing competitive environment.

This is one of only a few books to attempt a fresh expansive view of new organizational infrastructure, principles, and tools in nearly a half-century of post-industrial society experience. One might say that until the last decade of knowledge management thinking, there has not been the perspective to do this. But, I don't buy it. Fritz Machlup's work in the 50's extensively described the impact of knowledge work on the economy. Drucker clearly saw it in the 50's. What have we been thinking about?

You can't read this book without disagreeing with the Bennets. They touch too many subjects too dear to too many of us. Still, give them credit for so many new ideas. They have laid the basis for a broad dialogue grounded in the credible view of complexity theory. The Bennets have sent out the invitations, they have set the table, who will join the feast? It is challenging for me to read this book. I constantly want to be able to discuss it with others. There is so much depth and breadth at the same time. Also, you may not be able to read it without being remorseful about your own organization, especially if you work in a complex enterprise. Recommend you scan the table of contents and then start reading. As the Bennets say, go to Chapter 19 if you need grounding in complexity theory. I found it useful to jump ahead and read chapters as my interest was peaked. Then go back and pick up from where you left off.

The Bennets' research alone has immense value. This book should become a college text for graduate work. They are well grounded in complexity theory, nevertheless, they pull from many fields, disciplines, and theorists to build this new body of knowledge. The book would rock an MBA program.

Drucker says that figuring this sort of thing out will determine how well we'll compete in this new century. The Bennets give us new frameworks for describing what we're working with and how we can organize for breakthroughs on multiple levels. In the meantime, hopefully a leader at Homeland Security is reading this book.

The book gifs an good overall view to the beginning, or more experienced doctor (or layman) in the physiology and pathophysiology of hyperbaric medicine. The book is rather complete and easy to read, it reads more as a novel than a scientific book. I use it as standard book for many questions in the field of diving or hyperbaric medicine. Besides this it gives a view at the treatment of diving disorders.

physiology and medicine of divin

The book gifs an good overall view to the beginning, or more experienced doctor (or layman) in the physiology and pathophysiology of hyperbaric medicine. The book is rather complete and easy to read, it reads more as a novel than a scientific book. I use it as standard book for many questions in the field of diving or hyperbaric medicine. Besides this it gives a view at the treatment of diving disorders.

This is an in depth treatment of the physiology of diving. We use it as a reference at the UCLA Gonda Center for Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine where we operate two large recompression chambers. The style is readable and useful, but I believe that interest in it will be limited to physicians, physiologists,and kinesiologists. For those interested in a less in-depth treatment consider the excellent U.S. Navy Diving Manual available on CD-ROM.
Another text more heavily weighted towards medicine is Diving Medicine by Bove. All three of these texts grace are shelves and are referred to regularly.
If the price puts you off, try lurking until a used one comes up.

This book is probably the standard work in the field of diving physiology. The contributers are the leaders in the field and this well referenced and thought out book is certainly a must for people who are involved in diving research and development.

The reason for only 4 out of 5 is that the book is probably too technical for the average person you need a reasonably good background in both physiology and hyperbaric medicine to get a true benefit from this book.

Otherwise a seminal text in the field

As opposed to general reengineering principles, this book tells you how to carry out and implement reengineering successfully. We have already used it in one project with very good results and it was much cheaper than hiring expensive consultants. We now plan on using it for two more projects.

We have tried to use radical reengineering and continuous improvement. Both failed. This book presents a method for major discrete process improvement--in between the two extremes. This successful method is composed of 14 discrete steps that people can use without training out of the book. Each step is thoroughly addressed with guidelines,lessons learned and examples. The book also handles how to overcome resistance and problems that you might encounter.

Books about the relation & the effect of quality in process planning & the reverse

Most reengineering books give you general directions for doing part of the reengineering. They do not deal with implementation. Nor do they address the many problems that you are likely to encounter during the work. This book is an exception. It is probably the most useful and usable book on process improvement/reengineering. It is based on actual experience and follows a step-by-step approach through implementation. In fact, almost half of the book deals with implementation. There are a number of real world examples that are carried and discussed through the book. The book is well written and complete. The files on the CD-ROM are very useful.

One thing that I liked about the book was the analysis of specific issues across an entire part of the book. There is a chapter on outsourcing as well. The steps in the book can be carried out in parallel. We have been using the book to lay out our project. The book really gets into business and politics as well as technical issues. The book points out that e-business is a program not a project. Commitment from the bottom of the organization is as important as upper management support. This is an important point that the book makes. Another thing--the book does not assume that you have an ERP. A company used the method that had an ERP and found it very useful, however. The book contains little of the "chain" and business model jargon--thankfully. As an example of common sense, the book suggests that you keep searching for the answer to the question "What is success?" This turns out to be critical in e-business since you gain a better understanding as you work your way through installing e-business. The examples and lessons learned in the book are of real use. They are detailed and specific. We have found that there are also good hints on how to manage vendors and consultants and what the roles of consultants and business departments should be. Overall, an excellent read.

Our firm employed this method to implement business to business e-commerce. It really works. We had tried another approach before which did not work. Some benefits of the method are that it encourages a group approach to implementation. It also provides a way to address political issues which we have many of. I found the book very readable and useful. We are now using the book as the basis for doing intranets within our firm. Chapter 2 presents the idea of a project concept. This is valuable in getting consensus on the scope of the work. Chapter 6 is one of the better ways to understand technology without getting into too much detail. Fitting e-commerce into normal business is important and often not covered in other books. It is covered well in chapter 9. Perhaps, one of the most useful chapters is 12. That is where the implementation strategy is developed. This was a turning point in our effort. You can plan all day, but if you do not have a solid approach for putting e-commerce in, you are going to be in trouble. The book also addresses how to use suppliers in a pilot effort to get other suppliers involved-very useful in political terms. Marketing of e-commerce internally and with suppliers is not given much attention. Here an entire chapter is devoted to it. E-commerce is more complex than most people think. This book provides one of the most useful step by step methods.

I must have purchased 10 different e-commerce books. Typically, they have concepts and buzzwords, but are short on how to implement e-commerce. This is one of the few books that really deal with putting in e-commerce. It gives excellent details about how to implement--from creating a strategy to expanding your site. A best buy.

Rather than portray e-business as a huge effort that will consume everything and will transform the world, this is a solid book on getting down to the nuts and bolts of real world. If most e-business books are geared to business suits and theories, this book is down to working uniforms and getting things done without a lot of people or time. It does not assume that you have some fancy systems or technology or that you are a big company with hundreds of IT people. It can fit start up firms and small firms as well. The book provides a detailed roadmap and tells you how to deal with the pitfalls that you will find along the way. The extensive experience of the authors in doing e-business really shows in this book in the issues, lessons learned, and examples. In using the book we have already used 40 of the guidelines and run across over twenty issues. If you want to do e-business, buy this book. If you want theory and vague concepts go elsewhere.

This amazing story of a man who truly transforms from a self-centered drug abuser to an instrument of God's grace is well worth the read. The family is authentic, demonstrating pain, confusion, caring, love, and finally acceptance that God has a plan for this dying man and it is not what they expect. It's impossible to read this without a tear, but the tears are cleansing and redemptive. Buy this book!

I must admit that this book moved me very deeply. It is written with an email style that shows how a family struggled through the life and passing of a loved son in his fight against cancer. Its a very personal story that the author sets up and lets the emotions flow through family members. If you need to find some courage in your life, battling terminal cancer, you need to read this book.

A great story about how a family responds to a loved one's terminal illness. Sad, yet hopeful, we learn about the family through their e-mail connections. Steve is at the center of the story, and responds courageously.

Honest compelling story of a family in crisis--e-mail concept unique--Steve's fight with cancer brings a bi-coastal family together--with Love triumphing

This is a detailed It planning book that covers all aspects of setting up and managing a technology planning process. It tells you how to avoid problems. Each step of this planning process results in usable tables that can be easily updated. The disk provides a means to do this. At the end of the planning process you have a series of interrelated and integrated tables that are ideal for getting management commitment.

This well written book gives a step by step approach for creating an IT strategic plan. It works better than the methods of the big accounting firms. How to deal with issues encountered in planning is also covered. In addition, there are literally hundreds of guidelines from the real world. This book recognizes that planning resources are part-time people and an army of full time planners. Excellent approach for firms and agencies of all sizes.

This book is very well organized. It begins with the need for a planning process and proceeds to go through steps in developing the IT plan and implementing the planning process. It covers how to develop department IT plans. Hundreds of guidelines are given as well along with experience.

This is the review I wrote for the book in my blog, Jane Austen Today, and I still stand by each word. I had such a fun time reading the story of Lydia, that I couldn't wait to find out what would happen.

Lydia Bennet's Story: A Sequel to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice by Jane Odiwe is a fun and spirited romance. In it, the narrator follows Lydia to Brighton, where she meets up with Wickham and runs off with him. She thinks he is taking her to Gretna Green, but when he announces that they have only enough funds to get them to London, this foolish young girl naively goes along with his plan, still thinking her "Georgie" intends to marry her.

We already know the story as written in Pride & Prejudice from Elizabeth Bennet's perspective. In her narrative, Jane Odiwe gets into Lydia's mind. She contrasts Wickham's general disinterest in Lydia (except to get her into his bed) with Lydia's youthful ardor. Through Lydia's journal, we come to understand the process that brought her to forget her strict and genteel upbringing, and throw everything to the wind to follow a worldly man, one who has merely toyed with her in order to escape his creditors. She brushes aside indications of his bad temper and profligate ways, always looking at the sunny side and making excuses for him.

But something happens to our Lydia. As she gets to know her husband intimately, her eyes are opened, and though she will never possess the wit and wisdom of her elder sister, Elizabeth, she does mature with the passage of time. Be it far from me to spoil the plot of this novel, or its plausible ending. Simply know that when you purchase this novel, you will be transported to Brighton and London and all their Regency charms, and revisit some of your favorite Pride & Prejudice characters.

Jane Odiwe has a knack for describing the settings in her narrative, and writing in Lydia's breathless tone in the journals. I enjoyed the book, much to my surprise. I only say this because I generally don't read sequels. This one was entertaining, and had me turning the page to find out how the story ends.

Presented as a novel interspersed with diary entries, Part one of Lydia's story retells the now familiar events of Pride and Prejudice through a new heroine's eyes, adding details which help explain some of her actions, shedding light on the motive behind others. As readers, we are wont to think of Lydia only as one of "the silliest girls in the country." Ms. Odiwe undertakes to teach us better.

A young teenager in love cannot be anything but thoughtless, but it does not stand that once the first bloom of romance has passed that she may not turn her mind towards the improvement of herself and her situation. It is not impossible to learn from one's mistakes. The moral of Pride and Prejudice is that first impressions are not the stuff of lasting relationships. Personalities can improve or disappoint on further acquaintance- from knowing one better, their disposition is better understood. This theme is carried further in Lydia Bennet's Story.

We accompany Lydia to Brighton with the Regiment and there experience firsthand her flirtation with Wickham. Unaware of his past indiscretions, she fancies herself in love with him. A midnight flight is planned and we follow the couple to London, stand with them at their wedding and from there travel with them to their new life in the north.

Part two begins where Pride and Prejudice leaves off, with the Wickhams in Newcastle and Jane and Elizabeth happily settled at their respective estates. Life has not been kind to the young couple, though it is perhaps what they deserve for beginning so badly. How they find their way towards a better understanding of each other, how the past is brought forward to determine their future...well--it is riveting reading.

New friends are introduced and old ones are revisited with grace and charm. Romances are concocted, and hearts are won and lost against a vivid background of Regency England. Brighton is brought forth in all its gaudy splendor; a whole camp full of soldiers with balls and parties every night. Newcastle becomes a real place, far more than just a northern banishment; a seaside city full of full of merchants and warehouses, shops and gossips. In Bath, all the familiar haunts from Northanger Abbey and Persuasion are revisited; the Pump Room, the Upper Rooms, Queen's Square and even the Gravel Walk, so often the trysting place of young couples.

With an unexpected plot twist the story of young Lydia rapidly comes to its satisfying conclusion. Readers will not be disappointed by the creative way the author brings justice to all. Lydia's story is thoroughly entertaining. Despite the illicit nature of the Wickham's relationship at first, readers will find the matter delicately handled with no reason to blush. Lydia's voice is sweet and lively. Hers is not a nature to be weighed down by care or sorrow. A greater understanding of her nature and situation brings the reader a new compassion for her and an admiration for her overcoming spirit. It is a mature Lydia who writes at the end of the book, "If only I could have shown some control over my actions and curbed my obsession with George, perhaps my own great folly could have been avoided. Well, we have both come to a better understanding of life as a result... though first attachments, it would seem are not always the best".

Lydia Bennet was, indeed, born to an extraordinary fate, and I, for one, am grateful to Ms. Odiwe for sharing her story.

Jane Odiwe lives in North London, with her husband and three children. She is an avid fan of all things Austen and talented artist. Her first book, Effusions of Fancy is an illustrated collection of "letters" by Jane Austen.

No one has paid much attention to the youngest Bennet sister before, except to find fault with her for her foolish and thoughtless behavior. This loving Pride and Prejudice sequel reminds us that Lydia Bennet was, after all, very young, when she ran away with Mr Wickham.

Jane Odiwe has cleverly shown us Miss Lydia Bennet in a refreshingly sympathetic light. While Lydia's natural exuberance does not diminish through the trials of her unfortunate marriage, the effect of age is to allow reason and perspective to creep in. Jane's story gives us a delightful alternative to the grim prospects Jane Austen held out for poor Lydia.

A lovely, lighthearted story that's a pleasure to read.