Stewart Books

Janelle Barlow and Paul Stewart got it right. Having spent my entire 30 year professional career in the services industry it was clear the book was based not only on comprehensive research but also on practical experience. Their theories and advice can and should be applied in organizations of all sizes.
The book is entertaining and convincing. The reader will be able to relate to the real life examples the authors describe. They explain in easy to understand detail how to brand your organization from the inside out, effectively defining your organizational DNA. In addition, I have seen their advice work in numerous organizations. Implementing their processes is the equivalent of a Super Bowl ad.
Branded Customer Service is not only the best brand development book I have read, it is also the best business book I have read.

The authors are really clear on the differences between "generic customer service" and "branded customer service". You still get the impression that it would be difficult to apply in certain areas / industries, but it is important to take a look at what should everyone do in order to continuously support your brand promise. Worth a read!

Written by chief executives Janelle Barlow and Paul Stewart, Branded Customer Service: The New Competitive Edge is a no-nonsense guide filled with strategies, exercises, and real-world examples to teach the reader how to harness the power of branded customer service. Unbranded customer service can potentially harm one's business, even when it is of good quality; branded customer service helps foster repeat business and word-of-mouth referral, among its many other advantages. Chapters discuss how to link the world of branding to one's customer service, how to embed on-brand service into the DNA of one's organization, tips, tricks, and techniques for supporting one's brand from within, and much more. Accessible to readers of all backgrounds, Branded Customer Service is a "must-read" especially for business executives, marketers, and even small business owners with the power and need to foster lasting improvements in this dimension of their chosen enterprise.

Branding has been inside the marketing thinking pattern for so long that this refreshing look, coming from an innovative perspective, gives the reader an insight on the true meaning of a brand. Like every other dimension of your company, it's your people who will make it or breake it. Barlow and Stewart guide us through new models for (re)thinking and developing a brand. Having employees with "on-brand" behavior should be the main concern of every company. Read this book to learn how you can achieve it.

I have been working on a branded customer service project for a few years now, and was looking for some research or reference material when I came across this book - it was like I found my "tribe"!

The authors do a brilliant job defining the concept of branded service, and offer great tools and ideas that you can use to start getting your organization "on-brand." It's easy and fun to read with real-life examples of what it's like to experience on-brand and off-brand service.

If you believe that branding only belongs in the advertising or marking department - think again. It's the job of the entire organization to not only represent your brand, but to also make it come alive!

Once you read this book you will never be able to look at an organization or service experience again without thinking... hmmm...was that off/on brand or what!

I highly recommend this book for anyone who is working in this field, or thinking about how to gain a real competitive advantage for their organization.

I loved this adorable little book, and you will too. It is written with charm (pun?) and wit and made me smile lots of times. The pictures are beautiful and will inspire you to want even more charms than you already have. Definitely buy it if you are at all interested in charm bracelets.

This is a nice picture book and fun to look through but when it comes to putting together charm bracelets the suggestion is to take it to a jeweler. Charm bracelet collectors, buy this book. Charm bracelet makers, look elsewhere.

Yes, this book about charms is, well, charming! If you like jewelry, themed or not, you'll like this book. I was smiling as i looked through it, and I make themed charm bracelets myself, so it was fun to see what other people have done over the years. So many charms, so little time!

If you have ever had a charm bracelet, currently collect charms, or have ever wanted to start a collection - this book is for you! The ideas, history, and photos of the bracelets are all wonderful. It inspired me to clean up my old charm bracelets and, along with my current one, put them on display. They are works of art that tell a story. This book is also a great gift. It has inspired those I've given it to as it inspired me.

I was browsing one day at the Gardner in Berkeley, CA and saw this book. I bought it for a friend and it was so fun that we decided to start charm bracelets of our own. The fever caught on and now there is a group of us that are trading and swapping stories. My bracelet is becoming my history and its great to watch it evolve.

The book is beautifully designed and written.

If you are interested in learning some advanced mathematical concepts, this is a great book. Even if you are not interested in mathematics, this book has additional rewards beyond the mathematical concepts: it will provide you with insight into approaching non-mathematical problems -you will be able to use most of the mathematical concepts contained in it, for unrelated but analogous problems. I especially enjoyed the simple explanation of modularity. You don't have to be mathematically inclined to enjoy and gain from the reading of this book. It is excellent. It should be in the collection of any person who is interested in learning how to think better and more rigorously.

This book helped open my eyes to THE essence of math (creative, discovery of truth, usability) which I didn't learn through years of college (and high school) mathematics.
Though I feel I've missed the boat through formal education, I finally get to see the light.
What a wonderful world, math and all.

I was not looking for a book on math when I bumped into this volume, I was looking for a book about math. What I really had in mind was a book on tales and curiosities. Dr. Ian Stewart's text is nothing of the kind but was nevertheless delightful to read. His style is clear and elegant yet impressively precise. And the topics are covered just to the right extent. But be aware it is definitely no book for the layman. Some parts are quite involved and even with some mathematical background you may find yourself flipping back and forth trying to grasp some beautiful or strange new mathematical concept. I strongly recommend it to all non-mathematician scientists.

Most of the time Math seems to be dry.This one breaks the mold and brings Math alive.I couldnt put this one down until the end!

Starting a new graduate program in Mathematics but without an immense background in the area, I was looking for a book to prime the pump and give me a heads up on various areas and concepts. In a sense to draw an outline which I can fill in as I take classes and learn more details.

The book *sort of* worked for this. The first couple of chapters are pretty good, talking about set theory, functions etc in a really really common sense way. This was very well presented perfect for me and I started to lay a conceptual foundation for understanding much of the more critical concepts in math. But then he just gets esoteric and frustratingly caught up on seemingly pretty trivial stuff. I was looking forward to the section on modulus operations for instance, but then the material just implodes on itself and loses a real sense of the "forest" for some pretty insignificant trees. Stewart used to write a "Mathematical Recreations" column in Scientific American and I feel like the writing in these sections is similar to that style of content. Perhaps fun to fool around with, cute and clever, but really way off mark for someone trying to lay down the steel strut foundation of the house of mathematics.

I'm only about 1/3 of the way through so we'll see how the rest of the book goes. I hope he keeps down the ratio of cute and clever / foundational.

I loved this book! It is a great example of Mary Stewart's ability to create suspense and atmosphere in writing. I only wish that she would write another book sometime. I don't even know if she is still around.

This was the first Mary Stewart I read and I was hooked. It is still a favorite along with Madam Will You Talk and The Ivy Tree. The author is masterly in setting up the suspence and romance along with compelling action.
In Wildfire at Midnight, the setting is the Isle of Skye and the tension becomes quite frightening as the heroine feels drawn to a possible murderer. Someone is committing ritual murders on the mountainside and the murderer is likely one of the guests at the remote lodge.

This is a very good book, but the first chapter is a beautifully polished gem. The description of the heroine's look-alike but very different ancestor is unforgetable: "the Vixen Venus ...a Beauty in the days when beauties had a capital B, and were moreover apt to regard beauty and capital as one and the same thing."

Some books are like relatives. You love them despite their lack of perfection. Perhaps they are better than other books in the ways that count - with characters who truly live in their pages and your imagination. Or perhaps they become alive because they transcend the confines of genre fiction and have the complexity of real life.

I love this book, and the author's Nine Coaches Waiting, but both books raise issues about love and trust that I don't think they resolve realistically. However, it is probably my persistent re-reading of the books that caused me to see flaws the casual reader would not.

But it is a great book. I enjoyed the whodunit atmosphere, and of course the sligh twang of romance in the air. Again, this book was written in the 60's I think ,so some of the feminine perspectives might be different, but I enjoyed this novel for all its minute details! Mary Stewart makes her characters come to life!

When I was a child in the 1970s we were on a holiday on the west coast of Scotland and by chance, taking refuge in the car from the torrential summer downpour in the barren square of Portree, my father turned on the radio. What came on was a creepy, disturbing drama set on Skye. A young woman, the only visitor to this country hotel not on the suspect list for a grizzly murder is sitting in the dead of night by the unconscious body of another would-be victim of the murderer. "How appropriate!" my mother laughed, and we listened on. The landscape of the story was the same landscape that was around me, though I couldn't see it for the rain, and there were strange characters, a crazed climber, beltane fires and murder. I thought it was great and it really, really stayed with me. It was years later that I read Wildfire at Midnight and realised that this was the self-same story I'd heard as a child. It's cracking, unashamedly romantic, but really rather well written. A good read for a sick day tucked up on the sofa, or a quiet night in. Mary Stewart's great - if only new pulp fiction could manage the same alluring balance of literary poise and good swash-buckling plots. No one else does it as well.

Mary Stewart is a great writer. I loved the setting of Delphi, Greece. The whole driving scene is funny. The bit of war history of Greece is good background information. Highlights the British view of Greece and it's people, which is not always flattering. But, still a great read.

Definitely buy this novel, or any by Mary Stewart, if you have grown bored of the modern authors.

Stewart knew how to tell a tale of romance and intrigue and here you are plunged into the crisp, dark waters of suspense. The rocky hills and ancient marvels of Greece are the backdrop for this fast-paced story of a young woman who sets out to see Delphi. She discovers far more than she bargained for in the form of the very likeable and mysterious Simon, whose brother Michael was murdered during the hostilities of WWII more than a decade before.

She joins him in his search for justice and together they solve the murder and find great wonders. If I compared this story to a painting, it would be one of the colorful baroque canvases about 12 feet tall.

As a fan of Barbara Michaels/Elizabeth Peters work, this book at first moved slower than I am used to. However, the book delivered on many of the elements that makes me most interested in picking up a mystery novel - historical/archeological/mythological themes, exotic settings well described, a strong female heroine, adventure, and maybe just a touch of romance (not too much). What I found most interesting/facinating was Mary Stewart's ability to paint with words a richly detailed/atmospheric landscape (in this case the rugged mountains of Greece and historically significant center of Delphi) was enough to leave a lasting impression, like snapshots in your mind of time spent in a place that just by being there spiritually uplifted you in some way. Armchair travelers with an interest in experiencing through osmosis impressions left on people upon visiting historical/mythological places will like this book.

Other recommended authors: Sharyn McCrumb, Nevada Barr, Jessica Speart, Beverly Connor, Lyn Hamilton, Susanna Kearsley, and Kathleen Skye Moody.

I'm so glad to see some of Mary Stewart's romantic fiction reissued. As a young girl I envisioned Greece while reading My Brother Michael, as a young adult I went there and it was sublime. We read and, then, we experience. If you read to see the world, start at home with Mary Stewart and let your imaginations take you to Europe; her books will grow with you. With Madam Will you Talk in mind, (her best I think) I danced on the entrance to the Pont d'Avignon, I stood on Hadrian's Wall and thought of the Ivy Tree; Corfu did indeed boast men named Spiro, but sadly, no magic dolphin. I wish there were more of her books.

I remember before I discovered Ruth Rendell, Elizabeth George, Minette Walters, and P.D. James, my favorite writer was Mary Stewart. I may never read her "Merlin" series again, but I still think of it fondly as a great step along the way to good reading. So when I came across a few of her books recently that I may or may not have read 20 years ago, I snatched a couple of them up, anxious to see if they held up over time. I probably should have resisted. "My Brother Michael" is an interesting story, and Mary Stewart's writing is good, but she just isn't in the same league as the Big Four. This was an OK read, and the setting was beautifully described, but the story sort of lurched along for me. I may go ahead and read another of the Stewart books I picked up at the same time as this in hopes of redemption, but then again, I may not. The good news: this is a very fast read. : )

Very well written story on the life of Gilles and full of tons of facts on his races and the way he lived his life . I still can't believe he lived that long while reading this book . Check out Curtis Turners book " Full Throttle " for a perfectly written story that's imposible to put down , with an emotional ending on probably the first " Intimidator " . You won't be disappointed .

The sad fact is that, despite the popularity of F1 now, nobody since has demonstrated Gilles' control.

This book is a good representation of him- it doesn't fawn on him, he's not without his flaws and I think it does a pretty balanced job of showing all sides of the man. If you're into Villeneuve's style, and want to know more about him, you will not do better.

In Montréal on GP weekend, they've a display of Gilles' suit on Crescent Street. The guy looks all of 5 feet all...a tiny giant among drivers...

This book is impossible to put down, if you are or are not a
Gilles fan this is a must. The book is very well written with
tons of insite to his years of racing as well as lots of
liitle known information about him and his family. I found myself
making time to get a few more pages in before I would have to
put it down. I was at six of the races mentioned in the book,
Watkins Glen and Canada, not only did it bring back great
memories, but I learned more about those races than I knew then
when I was there live. Buy it and god bless Gilles

I've read a lot of racing books, but never one better than this. It is at the same time gripping, compelling and very well written.

Donaldson's masterpiece is recommend without hesitation.

Let me be clear: this is simply the best racing driver biography ever written. It's complete, well written, touching and objective at the same time, respectful to the dead. It's an amazing book. No doubt the writer is a big Villeneuve fan, but he managed to avoid being totally partial.
It's full oof data, anecdotes, funny parts, tragic parts, competition, brief technical analysys of the cars, a lot of famous drivers in diverse categories... Well, this is the book.

An excellent book with good advice. Makes a wonderful gift to lady friends. Enjoyable and fun to read.

This little book packs a powerful punch of must know information. Heart disease is the #1 killer of women. Prevent or delay being a statistic. Have a glass of red wine, munch on some dark chocolate while enjoying this great book. Buy several and give as gifts to the special women in your life. Of course, don't forget to include a bottle of wine and chocolate!

I have spoken to many women who are ready to make changes in their lives, but need a strategy, and Deborah gives us a road map. Uncomplicated and fits in to most lifestyles.

I love this book because it is full of helpful information but is also well-organized and easy to read. It is organized into 100 practical tips that are easy to understand and implement. It is full of good advice, written by a woman to address the unique health issues of women.

As a heart patient and coordinator of support groups for other female heart patients, I love this book! Instead of dwelling on what we CAN'T have and what we MUST do, Debora Yost presents her 101 tips as gifts we can give to ourselves. Also, her research is sound and up-to-date, and I like the idea of incorporating one new tip into my life each week. If you have heart disease, get this book as a gift to yourself. If you know a woman with heart disease, buy it for her!

Yes, yes, yes to all the earlier reviewers! That's why I put Madam, Will You Talk? on my listmania list of favorite romances - along with my alltime Stewart favorite: Nine Coaches Waiting. They both hold all the essential ingredients for a good read - not the least being excellent writing. It's all too true that most contemporary love stories, suspense thrown in or not, are written at an elementary school literary level. I've submitted 3 manuscripts to Avalon, all of which were returned with comments that my writing was excellent and my characters engaging but I spent too much time on plotlines and peripheral characters outside of the central love story - which is exactly what I prefer in a story! Thank goodness Stewart never followed Avalon's "Rules for Writing"! Unlike some other reviewers, I lost interest in Stewart with her Merlin series. It's her early first-person narratives that enthralled. Her sense of place, plot, and people cannot be beat in this genre! Sad to say, my local library does not carry a single one of her early romantic suspense novels, so I'm on a quest to build my own Stewart library. I don't reread many authors - but Stewart just gets better with time. Madam, Will You Talk? holds a line I've never forgotten over 30 years: "Who's Johnny?" Not what I expected the hero to ask in that scene but what an impact! Read the book and see if you agree. Lily's Sister

First Sentence: The whole affair began so quietly.

WWII war widow Charity Shelbourne whose holiday in France becomes life changing. It starts with a large dog and a young, clearly troubled, boy in Avignon and progresses with a suspicious step-mother, an Englishman who reads poetry and a way-too-handsome Frenchman via a thrilling car chase to a man who had been accused, but acquitted, of murder and is desperate to connect with his son in spite of others desperate attempts to prevent it.

I love Mary Stewart's pre-Merlin books. The story starts off placidly but you are told things are going to quickly change as all the players are in place. Stewart's writing is incredibly visual. Her sense of place is vivid to the point that you feel the heat and smell the flowers. Her use of analogy is wonderful. With only a few words, you know who these characters are. Her protagonist is strong, smart and very capable. Her friend, Louise, plays a minor role but is memorable in her own right. I don't always like the way children are portrayed but, again, Stewart has drawn a lovely character in the boy, David. Stewart creates and builds the suspense, but adds just a subtle, mostly off-scene, dash of romance to make a wholly satisfying read. Even the chapter headings add to the story. My only personal nit-pick is the use of portents, which is just a personal irritant for me, but so minor when compared with the rest of the story. This book was an absolute pleasure to read.

I first read this nearly 30 years ago (yikes), and it left such an indelible impression that when I recently started visiting this genre again, I had to have another taste of this story. There are a couple points where it's obvious this is an early work, but they are few and do not detract from the vivid descriptions and characterizations. By the end of the novel, I have been to Avignon and Marseilles, and I'm quite fond of Charity and her friends. Even Louise, a minor character, is well drawn and you feel you know her.

Time to revisit all of Mary Stewart's books, I think. I remember the Merlin series fondly as well. If you like this genre, you may also like the works of Victoria Holt, Susan Howatch, and Phyllis Whitney. And if you liked the Merlin series, I highly recommend The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley.

Mary Stewart writes great romantic suspense. This novel has the beautiful settings, fast-paced mystery and charming protagonist of all her suspense novels, plus an edge-of-your-seat climatic car chase that will leave you wanting to rush out and get her other books.

Nobody does it better. Nobody ever will. Even in this, Stewart's first novel, her prose is so compelling that you overlook some of the new-author awkwardness. Some scenes go on too long, and her fascination with cars/driving/car chases (a staple in each of her books) can get a bit tiresome. But you only notice that on your third or fourth reread. It's a shame that romance novels aren't permitted to be intelligent nowadays; authors are expected to write at a junior-high school comprehension level. No such rules in Stewart's day, and that's why she'll never be bested.

These young guys and girls need to practice self respect. I have an eleven year old daughter and I'm afraid of these streets and what she may grow up to do in them. This book is a great read because unlike the urban book written today. it doesn't have any curse words in it and as a father I really am thankful for the author.

This is a wonderful, oh so wonderful piece. I am so very proud of you and your accomplishment in completing this work. I wish I was the first to read this work but we will talk about that later. I will most definitely share this book with every person that I come into contact with whle on my journey to save those souls that have been prematurely determined as lost. I thank you again for sharing and caring just enough to put your all into what you were impregnated with and not aborting what the ALMIGHTY creator has blessed all of us with.

Your friend forever Sir Charles Anderson...
sirc@tmail.com

This is an outstanding story. This young lady should be reconized for this novel. It's shocking to me that Oprah is quick to put those silly white young girls on her show for dumb topics but a youn black young lady with issues to speak to her generation will never be heard unless she's seen on BET! "don't worry, I'm praying for you sista!"

All I can say is read this book! DC is so unique.

This is a modern Cooley High. The author has a lot of talent. She speaks of episodes in this novel that could be so real. I laughed, cried and laughed somemore. I really could see this on the silver screen, it's way better than all of those street novels in the book stores. "hey Spike Lee... this book could bring you back!(lol)

I read the original book after hearing about it in an author profile in O Magazine. WOW am I glad that I did! I am reading the MBS to my son now, and just finished this book myself. What a great story, great characters- it's all great. You can't go wrong with this book. I want to be Kate when I grow up.

This is the second book in this exciting children's series for ages 8-12. Compared to Lemony Snicket, Roald Dahl and Blue Balliett, this book has spunky and brilliant child heroes, with unusual backgrounds, almost unbelievable talents and nearly impossible quests.

Kate can do most anything physical, carries a red bucket with all sorts of useful tools and lives on a farm with a circus strong man. Her often-absent and newly rediscovered father, Milligan, is a master spy. Reynie was adopted by his teacher and he is intuitive, able to find solutions to the most difficult situations. Sticky knows many languages, can read very fast and recalls everything he has ever read. Constance is only 3, but has talents she is just beginning to learn about, including predicting the weather.

After the children's first adventure, they returned to their ordinary lives, but they miss each other and write often. Mr. Benedict has arranged a special surprise for them, an expedition and reunion. They meet at Kate's farm, then leave to go to Mr. Benedict's house, but find him missing, along with Number 2-and a pigeon with a message has been delivered by a minion of their old nemesis, Mr. Curtain, who also happens to be Mr. Benedict's twin brother. The children escape from the house and the government agents that were sent to help, following the clues Mr. Benedict left for their reunion, knowing he and Number 2 have been kidnapped from somewhere along this route. First comes a trip on the Shortcut, the world's fastest and most secure cargo ship, then a train trip to Amsterdam, where they visit the library where Mr. Benedict's parents' papers are stored, and they are helped by a very smart librarian and meet up again with Milligan. Then on to a remote and mysterious island, one not on any map, for the stunning and terrifying conclusion.

A fantastic summer read for all ages. My favorite character was three-year-old Constance, who would get cranky if she missed her nap.

Armchair Interviews says: Wonderful addition to the series.

After reading The Mysterious Benedict Society my eight year old son and I were too anxious to get this second book to wait for it to come in the mail, so we downloaded it onto the Kindle and got started reading before the hardback arrived. We read a couple of chapters before bedtime every evening. I'm a librarian and I like to make this time special by finding books that are fun and exciting, but also of a high enough quality to be thought provoking and to spark meaningful interaction between myself and my son. The Benedict Society books are just the ticket. The children's characters are carefully constructed so that they represent specific types that readers can either identify with, or recognize from their own experience. Their problems and concerns are realistic and believable enough to create empathy in young readers, which thereby allows them to better understand themselves and others. The word puzzles and clues are fun, but not so difficult that the average kid can't figure some of them out before the answers are figured out by the characters. Not all eight year olds could read these books themselves, but the language is accessible to most children older than six if the reader is patient enough to stop and explain occasionally. Overall, for children interested in adventure, this is a pretty sure thing.

YAHOOOOOOO!!! The mysterious benedict society is back and better than ever! This sequal is almost better than the original... almost but, not quite. What this book lacks in the suspence that made the first book it more then makes up for in other elements that the first one lacked. The puzzles are the same old challenging things that we all know and love- REALLY love. In the story mr. benedict and number two are captured by mr. curtain and the society must save them! Overall a wonderful book i hope there's several more mysterious benedict society books-if they're all as good as the first two.

My son, 9, read this book in less than 24 hours AND he slept all night! (I know because I swiped the book from his bedside table so I could read while he slept.) Great sequel to MBS. Didn't think it could be matched! Makes kids the heros- no grown-up can do what the kids can as a team. Good read-aloud for younger readers.