Services Books

Cross-cultural Servanthood: Serving the World in Christlike Humility

Duane Elmer's book was a journey through Cross-culture. The book featured the problems and prospects of Missionaries. Also, the book offered good advice for would-be Missionaries.

Although the book is subdivided by several sections, there are really two concepts to this book: (1) See the image of God in others-- which encompasses the ideas of "welcoming others into our presence," "communicating respect for others, " "building confidence in relationships," and "seeking information that changes you;" and (2) Show Christ to others-- which involves "posture of the servant," "becoming like Christ to others," "biblical foundations for change" and "the servant and leadership/power."

The section entitled, "Acceptance," basically suggests that Christians ought to see the image of God in others. Acceptance is "The ability to communicate value, worth and esteem to another person" (58). To illustrate the meaning of "acceptance," the author shares 1 Corinthians 8:13--"An accepting Christian values the other person so highly that he or she would rather sacrifice a personal preference, even a right, than risk losing the relationship or being a stumbling block to that person" (61). If a Christian believes that people are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), then there is "common grace" that is bestowed on all people.

The author explains it in this way, "Acceptance of others is to proactively communicate respect and dignity to each human being based on the fact that each is an image-bearer of God" (75). In a similar way, acceptance of others as image bearers of God is found in Galatians 3:28--"There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female" (NIV). One does not need to be a Christian in order to bear the image of God as illustrated in this passage: "Yes, you must execute anyone who murders another person, for to kill a person is to kill a living being made in God's image" (Genesis 9:6).

The author reminds the reader, "By virtue of being made in the image of God and God's common grace, every person can contribute to our learning" (109). He then shares a story about his wife, Muriel, who used the villagers' story about killing lice to help lower infant mortality in Mozambique (110). This type of humility helps Christians to become better servants (115). Colossians 1:16 says, "For by him (Christ) all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or power or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him" (NIV). If Christians truly believe this passage, then what the author says in page 119 makes sense: "For the priesthood of all believers to function properly, we must all nurture each other, listen to each other, see the beauty of Christ in each other and seek God's grace from each other."

Elmer shares a story of missionary who set the example of true hospitality towards people in the area by inviting them through the front door to dine with him (183). This practice was unacceptable to the other missionaries so as a result he was ostracized by them. However, this act of showing Christ to others changed the way foreign mission was done in that country (184). The reaction that this particular missionary received from the other missionaries was very much like the reaction Jesus received from the Pharisees in Luke 15:2--"The Pharisees and the Scribes complained saying `This Man receives sinners and eats with them'." This is a good example to follow--invite the people in the area to eat with us. Extend the invitation for them to join us over a meal. The Book of Hebrews supports this idea, "Do not forget to do good and to share" (Heb. 13:16).

The act of sharing a meal is what the author calls "openness," which is to "accept people as they are and build trust with them" (196). Elmer supports the idea of "openness" by stating, "This is the foundation for revealing Christ to others" (196). In fact showing Christ to others is a way of revealing the Gospel to unbelievers. It is having the light shine through us so that others are pointed to Christ (Matthew 5:14). In a way, it is doing what John the Baptist did--"God sent a man... to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony... he was simply a witness to tell about the light... the One who is the true light... to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:6-12).

Christians are to be different--"If you love only those who love you, what good is that? If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else?" (Matthew 5:46-47). The idea of being different is also expressed in Mark 10: "But among you it should be quite different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all. For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others" (Mark 10:33-35).

"Cross-Cultural Servanthood" is not only for international missions; it is very useful for pastors of stateside churches in rural or ethnic regions of the country. It supports the biblical fact that we are to see all people as an image of God and to be different in our expression of being "salt" and "light" to the community. The book made me realize that despite the criticism that we may receive from other churches for doing unconventional things, we must continue in our efforts. We must follow the example of Jesus and "dine" with sinners.

Review by: M. Teresa Trascritti

This book has been good, he uses a lot of stories and really helps you to think through things

This book is a must read for anyone who is going on a short term mission trip. It reveals some things that you would never have thought of and helps you to change your thought process to better minister to others. READ this book.

Because of the way I was raised, my ESL training, and my experiences in Africa, it may be that I am actually better at "other world cultures" than the subtle but shattering differences in what the author refers to as "home culture." For me, this book is as much about relationships as it is about serving other cultures.

The author's willingness to expose his own shortcomings on this subject creates a comfortable atmosphere of receptivity rather than one of exhortation. This did not dilute the intensity of my need to change some foundational thought processes. He provides some practical tools to do just that!

I have purchased this book for several of my pregnant friens and their friends over the years and find it the best one so far.

Many business books talk about how to get new customers
to come into our front door . . . there's nothing wrong with that,
of course . . yet Feargal Quinn in his excellent CROWNING THE
CUSTOMER says what's really important is his Boomerang
Principle: the name of the game is getting the customer back.

Quinn, founder of the Superquinn supermarket chain in Ireland,
developed this principle when as a youngster, he watched
his father operate a successful holiday camp . . . guests, at
the end of their week's stay, were encouraged to return the
next summer . . . when and if they did, it was easy to
determine that any particular week--or even summer--was
successful.

CROWNING THE CUSTOMER presents many similar ideas
that may sound equally simple, but amazingly, just aren't
put into practice as often as should be the case.

For example, in Chapter 7, Quinn talks about how to make
customer panels work . . . this one chapter alone is worth
whatever you might pay for the book . . . you'll learn why it
is imperative that you do the following:

1. In selecting your panel, touch all the bases but don't worry
too much about being fully representative.

2. Don't pay your panel members

3. Let your customers set the agenda.

4. Keep your side as small as possible.

5. Be aware of the flattery obstacle. (In other words, don't just
let your customers compliment you.)

6. Don't answer back.

7. Circulate a report on each customer panel widely within your
organization.

8. Take action on the comments, suggestions and criticisms.

What I really liked about CROWNING THE CUSTOMER were the
numerous examples on found on virtually any page . . . in
reading it, you'll come across useful tidbits that can be
applied to business and non-profit organizations . . . among
them, to name just a few:

* In our business, we have a rule which requires our top
management to do their own household shopping once a month.
This gives them first-hand experience of what shopping is like, seen
from the customer's perspective.

* After using names, the most important step towards seeing
your customers as people is to actually look at them.

* The next time you are tempted to say, "Which will we go for,
this market or that one?" try asking yourself: "Can we not
go for both?"

This guy invented everything there is to know about REAl Customer satisfaction , and way ahead of Harvard or other gurus.
The principle he illustrate in this book are valid for tomorrow.
I bought multiple copies of the book , and I am giving it as a gift to everybody who claim to understand customer care.

First of all, i would like to thank Mr. Quinn for his book and attention. the book is excellent i tought many thing from it. The language is very clear and has alot of advices that applicable to any businees again, tahnk you for the book with respect Sayed Omar The American Uinversity in Cairo

This excellent book is not out of print! It is available through Amazon.co.uk in both hardback and paperback. It is an excellent read and a must for anybody in the service sector.

Dr. Fancher makes many excellent points in this book. There is a lot more reform that needs to happen in psychology and psychiatry. It's good that there are courageous people like Fancher who will raise these crucial issues.

I am giving up half-way through. The outline of this book is great, and the points made are valid. But it is not written well. Specifically, it is very wordy and repetitive. The author makes a point, discusses the point, then makes the point again a page or two later. I got it the first time.

I am toward the end of the section on the Behaviorists, and have just decided it is not worth finishing. I would give an example of the wandering wordiness, but it would take too much text to convey this oft-repeated problem. An editor needs to get hold of this and fix it up.

That's a shame - the author does a very good job of defining the theory and the scientific basis of the major schools of psychotherapy, and then noting how far the theory is from its scientific claim. For the intellectual content, I agree with other reviewers that this is one of the best books to do this. However, it is a lot of work to slog through all this writing to cover the wide but discrete range of theses presented.

The author makes profound statements about the human condition, normalcy, and pathology, including as understood by the schools of therapy. But he presents this elliptically. His case could be stronger if he simply stated his counter-arguments, supported them, then went on to the next chapter. The counter-arguments actually add up to a nice profile of what it means to be human, whether disturbed or not!

I was excited to get this book. I have read a lot on this topic. Like the author, I am also trained as a psychotherapist, and like the author, I am quite concerned about the way that therapeutic training ignores the truth that most of what we do is based on philosophy and belief and only to a small (but increasing) degree on science.

I was surprised at the quality of writing when I began reading. I then figured out my mistake: I picked this used book up for a good price, thinking it was written by Raymond Fancher, who wrote the marvelous book, Pioneers in Psychology. That also covers historical and philosophical bases of psychology. When the writing proved annoying, I looked closer and realized it was a different Fancher!

If you conduct research in this area and want a good account of the premises of the major schools of psychotherapy, and you want a good account of their criticisms, this is a valuable book. for example, an ambitious undergrad could write a strong paper with guidance from these arguments. But you will have to work at it -they are not clearly presented.

If there were still hippies, this book would not have to be written. Thinking back to those days, I recall my friend Alex coming from therapy one day and saying, "Psychologists basically want you to conform." He was right then, but in our age of conformity, common sense statements like that will not be enough to educate a public inundated with data showing the efficacy of therapy. This book fills that vaccuum and reveals the hidden ideology of each of the contemporary schools of psychotherapeutic schools so cogently, succinctly, and logically that it would probably be blacklisted by most graduate Psychology departments. It is equivalent to Galileo's revelation that the Church had a vision of the solar system, not based on study but on wish-fulfillment. Taking on the psychoanalytic enterprise, behaviorists, Beck's cognitive psychology, and psychopharmacology in one fell swoop, he demonstrates effectively that that the theorists and practitioners of these various "methods" have molded their views in the same way pre-Columbian map makers designed atlases: through conjecture, impressionism, and powerful cultural biases. Regardless of the implied assertions by many that psychotherapy is rising to the level of a science, Fancher shows this to be far from the case. This is of particular importance today as there is a strong move toward defining evidence based or empirically based therapies that work--probably an artifact of pressures from HMO's rather than greater sophistication of understanding the nature of mental illness. Fancher presents two major problems: one is that in dealing with what is a "healthy individual," one must have an ideological basis; and second, the "subjects" are not reliable. Ever take an employment test with a question "Have you ever stolen from an employer?" How would YOU answer? This is a rather crude example, but you get the point. But if you think about the claims therapies make, and think rationally, it seems fairly obvious psychologists are either poorly trained in logic, poorly educated in the nature of human culture, value, and imagination. One gets the feeling from reading the anayses of the reasoning behind what makes therapy work that most psychologists/psychiatrists don't even read the newspaper. One salient example is the popular Beck Cognitive Therapy industry. Your thinking determines how you feel; change your mind, change your emotions--all in 12 easy sessions. I can imagine Doestoevsky or even John Steinbeck in these sessions. "See, John, when you THINK people are poor and exploited and powerless, you will feel sorry for them and write those pessimistic books of yours. Now, just look around, do you see anyone starving to death in my office?" That might be a bit of hyperbole, but not far from the truth. But it is certainly the truth that such methods--if taken at face value--have the potential of converting the search for the end of psychological suffering and the search for meaning to a reductionist level that approaches the quest for mental health on the same level of taking dance lessons to get dates. Fancher hits home when he challenges each of the popular forms of therapeutic schools, showing even psychopharmocology is an enterprise based on Nielson ratings, figuring out what therapists want their patients to feel, then trying to get the chemistry right. At times the author uses a bit more ammunition than he needs. Having hit the nail on the head, he will occasionaly add a few swings of the hammer. Also, while psychopharmocology does have its ideology, it does appear to relieve some suffering at least some of the time, so I'd be hesitant to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Rather than provide more summary, I'd make the point that if you are interested in the field of therapy or counseling--either as a professional or consumer--if you don't read this book, it would be like trying to play chess without knowing what any of the pieces do or how the game is played.

This is the best book on comparative clinical psychology/psychiatry I've ever read.

If psychotherapists/psychiatrists were considered faith healers (which this book makes clear they are), this book would qualify as a book on comparative religion, and it would make one question their faith.

Psychoanalysis, Behaviorism, Cognitive Therapy, and Biological Psychiatry are all analyzed, with their core beliefs and assumptions described in detail. Each school's standing with the scientific facts is mentioned.

Cultural reasons why Americans accept certain therapies, or come to accept them in spite of their unscientific bases, are also given.

The most noticable omission is the lack of any discussion of Albert Ellis' Rational Emotive Therapy, although many of the comments about Beck's therapy apply to RET too.

The chapter on biological psychiatry could have provided more background on its history, as well as mention more specific psychiatrists' and pharmaceutical companies' influences. For biological psychiatry, "Blaming the Brain" by Elliot Valenstein (mentioned in this text's acknowledgements) is also recommended.

Without coming out too strongly (which could create a backlash), the book does an excellent job of pointing out how biological psychiatry's illness model is used to justify prescribing psychoactive drugs with no proven specificity in treating "illnesses", in a culture which otherwise wages war on psychoactive drugs.

The only noticable editorial error was a major misspelling of "renaissance".

Okay, I wrote this, so of course I like it--and since I have to give it "stars" in order to post, I give it five.

But the point of this "review" is to say that the book will be back in print this Fall (2003), from Transaction Publishers/Rutgers, with a new intro and a new title--"Health and Suffering in America: The Context and Content of Mental Health Care."

The hype about mental health care in the last five years or so has grown more and more outrageously false. I'm glad Transaction wants to keep this book in print, as a corrective to the nonsense that those who profit from mental health care would have you believe.

I am hoping to be in the performance of this play. I have read it twice so far today and that was after my audition this morning. I do hope I get to play any of the characters... they are ALL so very lovable and fun. I enjoyed the reading of it very much and hope the good read can be magnified on stage. Depends entirely on dirrection of corse

I student directed an interpretation of The Curious Savage at my school. I couldn't have chosen a better play. The story is poignant in its morals, showing the terrible havoc that greed and unkindness can render. It also is a shining tribute to the power of love, and its healing power. Incredibly witty and fast-paced, the audience hardly has a chance to laugh before they cry, but they are there for the ride all the same. This is play is an enjoyable read, and even more enjoyable to work with. Highly recommended!

"Parcheesi! The royal game of India!"

I saw John Patricks The Curious Savage on stage and I think it's awesome and than went and bought this book and I love it!

Mrs Savages step children belong in a zoo!

i was fairymay in a school production, and it is the best play i have ever done.it is a very open minded script, so you can percieve it however you want. it is totally awesome

The Curious Savage is fantastic and will be a great read, I had the privilege to see a wonderful performance of this play and it is now one of my favorites, My mother's friend played Fairy May who though I liked all the characters she was one of my favorites and had some of the best lines. I actually went to see this play with little excitement thinking I would be bored but I definitely was proved wrong and was just amazed with how wonderful and original it was. I highly recommend the book to not only actors but to anyone who likes to go to the theater and if you ever hear of a performance of this play in your area than definitely go see it, I'm hoping our local theater will put on another production as this is something I will gladly see again and I highly recommend that all stage directors and actors consider putting on a production so other theater goers can have the experience of seeing this wonderful play!

The ideas are great, easy to put in place and reap the rewards. This author knows customers and contacts centers. jl

There are many ideas and concepts in this volume that all contact center professionals could use. Well done.

As a senior exec in R&D I have often been frustrated with the lack of discipline in every support services division I have worked with. Mr. Schulz has provided the foundation, best-practices and execution triggers for support services in one book. I highly recommend this book and have procured additional copies for our international sites. The support-services playing field has hereby been leveled.

J. Clonn

Not your typical business book. There are many great ideas and a number of best-practices are presented and discussed. On the downside the author should curb his flippant comments and stick to the business at hand.

\tr

Thisi s the first review I've written. I've got a stack of business books. Most are filled with common sense advice, advice I really do not need and a waste of my [money]. BUT, The author of this book provides clear examples, examples that can be used right away, advice worth buying the book for. I am impressed.

/KK

This book does an excellent job at describing from an MD's insider viewpoint, the forces of change in American medicine from the 1970's to 2001, when Dr. Rosenblum finally closed his practice. The author, in just 114 pages, manages to succinctly but clearly explain the forces driving the decline of medicine in America...the interplay of patients, doctors, nurses, politics, insurance & pharmaceutical companies, medical schools, hospitals and more.

More than just a description of the decline of American medicine, I found this book to be a real education for anyone curious about "why things are as they are." Why do I have to wait so long for an appointment with my doctor? Why is there so much paperwork when it comes to my medical needs? How come our government leaders aren't doing anything to make things better? Why do those medical residents have to pull so many all-nighters, and is that really any good for them or their patients?

Students interested in a career in medicine would do well to read this book to better understand the forces in play that they will face. I also hope public policymakers will discover this book as it articulates the challenges through the eyes of a doctor and offers some modest starting suggestions for change.

Overall, a very enjoyable, educational and worthwhile read.

This is a well written and thought-out explanation of the definite decline of American Medicine. I started reading and could not put the book down until I had finished. Dr. R. has written in good lay-language to really clarify and explain this awful mess. I am 75 years old and worry about the years I have left, but I worry so much more about my children's older years. It is a dismal outlook. I hope that someone can wave a magic wand to help this situation and bring back the "family doctor".
Dr. R was my family doctor for many years before we moved out of the state and we saw how frustrated he was because he could no longer practice medicine from his heart and mind. I will do anything I can to try to bring back real medical care.

Dr. Michael Rosenblum has taken the time to clearly detail the problems confronting our medical care system today and in the near future. This is a must-read book. I wonder why the national press has not picked up on this very informative and enlightening book. Where are the commentators when we need them?

Dr. Rosenblum gets it all right here. Preserving excellence in health care for future generations will demand a serious soul search, particularly on the part of insurance carriers and other 3rd parties (including trial lawyers). The brightest and best students are loathe to study medicine because they cannot afford the education/sacrifice, and afterwards they cannot afford the spiraling overhead and risk of practice. Primary care medicine has indeed been thrashed. The doctor lays down his message with brilliant clarity. Fine suggestions are made (so don't give up hope). This potent little book is required reading.

Dr. Rosenblum gives a detailed explanation of the current crisis that we are facing. His concise overview answered some of the questions I have asked for years. Where have all the doctors gone? What has happened to the care I remember receiving as a child? How can we possess great technology, but feel as if we are unable to access it readily and with the support of our physician? This book is a "must read" for those of us who expect and value the best health care possible.

Fantastic, entertaining book!! Loaded with history and recipes -- Who could ask for more??? Highly recommend.

Fine addition to anyone's cookbook collection and a great gift for the
rail fan. Recipes are easy and they work! Don't expect to lose weight!

Great book! Wonderful back story of an era mostly gone. Recipes are particularly interesting and became the theme for a wonderful party. Research done by the author is staggering. Bravo!

Really a fun book to have for the railroader with someone who loves to cook. Tons of fine recipies from railroads all over the country. SOME EXPERIENCE REQUIRED! I tried my hand at a dish, but it didn't turn out right despite following directions to the letter. Recently, Mom and I were successful. Her years of cooking experience handed down from Grandma paid off, because she noticed a missing step. Some basic preparation steps are left out becuase by the time a cook was assigned to the diner, he didn't need to see everything on paper. Since then, Mom and I have enjoyed many more weekend cooking classes with the dining car cookbook. Although many projects have turned out well, I'll always recall our first as my personal favorite: Western Pacific Rice Cream Pie. Good times!

The book "Dining by Rail" was purchased at the urging of a ten-year old son who is a rabid railfan. The book not only has a treasure trove of the most famous recipes from all the different rail lines, but it features a marvelous history of railroads from the point of view of the customer, the cooks, and others whose job it was to provide customer service. One also learns how the menus on the trains reflected the relations with the most important commercial customers of the railroad, an aspect nostalgic railfans don't always think about.

The book is well written and carefully researched. The pictures are evocative, and the recipes very easy to follow and recreate.

Altogether, this book is providing my son and me with a interesting and tasty railroad education!

This is both a great read and an important historical document. Fanny Trollope was the mother of Anthony Trollope, perhaps the most prolific English novelist of the nineteenth century and my favorite. Fanny's husband was ineffectual in the breadwinning department, but fortunately for the family, Fanny herself was energetic and enterprising. She took one of her sons (not Anthony) and an artistic young man to the United States. She was planning to join a friend of hers who was a mover in setting up the utopian community in Harmony, Indiana, but the place turned out to be squalid, and she didn't stay long.

Fanny spent most of her time in the U.S. in Cincinnati and in her book is very hard on the city and its inhabitants. She especially objected to the pigs' role as garbage collectors. (In those days, pigs roamed the streets freely, like sheep grazing.) Fanny felt most of the people she encountered were loud, dirty, vulgar, and fanatically patriotic. It is her vivid descriptions of the physical conditions and the people that give this book its historical and entertainment value.

While she was living in Cinci, she opened a retail emporium and filled it with rather shoddy merchandise sent from England by her husband. She also attempted to bring culture to the inhabitants. Not surprisingly, both ventures failed.

After Mrs. Trollope returned to England, she supported her family by writing novels that were quite popular at the time, though they haven't become the classics her son's have. She spent her final years living in Italy with another son and his wife.

This is an extremely entertaining commentary on American manners and well written. I agree, however, with Mrs. Trollope's son, Anthony, who commented that Mrs. Trollope is a keen observer but she understands little. Certainly her complaints about the lack of gentility among Americans is valid but she completely missed the wonderful lack of class restraints endemic to English society which afforded Americans "class mobility"--freedom of opportunity (except for native Americans and slaves).

Fanny Trollope (1779-1863) wrote over 35 novels and several non-fictions books in her effort to rescue her family from poverty. However, the most read of all her books is "Domestic Manners of the Americans" which she published in 1832. It was in that distant year that Fanny and two of her children traveled across the Atlantic Ocean. Her purpose was to join a utopian community in Tennessee whose denizens were freed slaves.
Fanny left her impecunious and feckless husband the barrister Thomas Trollope back home in England. Her famous son Anthony did not make the trip as he was a student at Harrow School. Fanny knew her husband would join her in the USA when money became available. Later the family would flee to Bruges to escape creditors. Fanny eventually lived out her life in Florence near her son Thomas Trollope.
After leaving Tennessee the Trollopes settled for two years in the Queen City of the West Cincinnati, Ohio. Fanny did not like America or the American people! She found us xenephobic; boastful, prideful and violent.She hated the hypocrisy of life in Midwest Ohio although she did attend such cultural attractions as opera, plays and lectures. She favored the state Anglican Church of Great Britain not caring for America's separation between church and state.
This book could well be read alongside Charles Dickens' "American Notes for General Circulation" based on his 1842 six month trip to the USA.
Both Trollope and Dickens found the Americans crude, lacking in manners
and eager to make a quick buck. Listen to Trollope at her most scathing:
"..among the rich and the poor, in the slave states, and in the free states...I do not like them. I do not like their principals, I do not like their manners, I do not like their opinions." (p.314).
Fanny Trollope's book is more interesting than Dickens since she discusses colorful characters and shares anecdotes about her sojourn in our young republic. Like Dickens she hates the odious practice of tobacco chewing and the mangling of the English language. Trollope found us Yankees to be too serious and viewing us as poorly read. Unlike the wealthy and famous Dickens, Mrs. Trollope was a middle-aged woman fighting off poverty with her pen. I enjoyed her descriptions of nature such as those she paints of the Potomac River, Northern Virginia and the Niagra Falls area in New York and Canada. She is aware of flora and fauna and describes them with knowledge and in beautiful prose.
Dickens and Trollope give us the eye to see America in the days prior to the Civil War when the curse of chattel slavery ruled the land. Since those days America has granted freedom to all citizens. I wish both Fanny and Charles could visit us again in the 21st century. Their remarks would be of great interest to this reviewer and countless others!

All I can say is: what a great read! Who knew? Quite frankly, upon first sight of this book I must admit a bit of dread as the puritanical artwork does not smack of fun and games. Of course, as a literature student, I should know better than to ever judge a book by its cover.
Had I been Fanny Trollope writing such an account of America in the 1820s, I would be hardpressed to say that I would have changed a single word. Trollope has been the victim of many mean spirited caricatures and accusations by Americans and it still continues today, but what is interesting is that no one can do more than attack her person. In other words, no one seems to be able to refute her claims.
Trollope's "bitchiness" seems, for the most part, merited by my standards and while she finds much to complain about concerning an American democracy in its adolescence, she certainly discovers just as many things that she likes or finds beautiful.
Plain and simple, Americans collectively have a hard time taking criticism, especially from an outsider...and at that time, political criticism from a woman was deemed absurd if not audacious.
Last but not least, Fanny Trollope is always sure to preface anything she says with the conscious realization that she can only speak for what she has seen/heard personally and is thereby not judging ALL of America.
Trollope is witty and anecdotal and I think anyone interested in what an outspoken Englishwoman had to say about the New World should certainly pick up a copy. I found particular interest in gender/religious issues but got the most laughs out of her descriptions of American manners (or the lack thereof).
It is always interesting to see how much things have changed, and better yet, how many things have remained exactly the same!

Very entertaining read of the author's trip through 19th Century America, full of wonderful description and enlightening observations. Despite the griping below, Mrs Trollope simply reports what she sees - men spitting tobacco on the floor, ladies off in another room while the guys have a good time, etc. She reports accurately on our forefathers' rugged pioneer spirit, but points out the lack of education everywhere. We want to shout "lies!" but Mark Twain wrote about the same thing, and the aspects of our society that haven't changed much are still being commented on with the same frankness by writers like Saul Bellow, Gore Vidal, Dawn Powell, Paul Theroux and Joan Didion. Many true-hearted Americans will enjoy this book no end. Mrs Trollope clearly loved America and simply wrote truthfully about; she is simply beholden to no one - the essence of good writing. A thoroughly refreshing read.

Wow! Dreamweaving is a very easy, quick read packed with great sales & marketing tips. I've been in radio sales for a long time, and picked up a lot of new, useful information. I then passed the book on to not just my sales staff, but to my on-air, and promotional staff. After reading the book, we feel we will be able to take care of our advertisers a lot better by addressing their needs & helping with their creative message. It also made us look at how we market our radio station. We did make some sales too, and I'm sure we'll make many more!

The concept of dreamweaving has changed the way I think about the marketing I do. As a bank mareting director for a community bank in Alabama, I have found this to be the best and most valuable thing I do in any day of the week, month, year. Any marketing expert would agree that ANY advertising results are often difficult track directly back to the specific expense. But after embracing (which is truly what you must do to make it work)dreamweaving in Spring 2001, our community bank has grown tremendously with 2003 being one of the best years we have ever had. The promises the book makes are not "hype". They are happening at our bank! Employees that are involved love it. Non-profit organizations have stopped asking for money and started asking for radio time! REALLY! I'm not kidding! Our advertising budget has not increased. In fact, the first full year that we began dreamweaving, we spent 25% less than budgeted. The budget has not increased, though two new branches have been built and marketed since dreamweaving began. If you are to embrace dreamweaving, you will get immediate feedback, no doubt. However, you must go the long-term with it. Many radio stations asked us at first, "Well, how long are you going to do this campaign?" The answer: It's indefinite. It will not end. We will ALWAYS do it.

I manage two radio stations and recommend Dreamweaving to every marketing consultant. This easy to read book makes sense! The content reviews the basic principles of marketing and is a simple guide to your success. You must read it!

I recently accepted a marketing position at a community bank and one of the first books my boss asked me to read was this one - Dreamweaving. This has been one of the most eye opening marketing/communication stratagies that I have seen or heard of in a long time! It makes sense, is simple, and can be the most strategic asset for your bank or business. Dreamweaving builds an emotional bridge between your business and the community. It allows you to focus on the relationship with people first, and then the product. I think that we have placed too much emphasis on the product and that banking/business marketing is the 'same old thing!' Everyone already knows that your bank has checking accounts and CD's - why bother telling them? Invest your time (and money) into relationships. This book is a MUST for anyone and everyone who has a business and wants it to genuinely stand out from the rest - we're talking Top of Mind Awareness!

Every hour of every day we consumers suffer a barrage of advertising, each shouting "bigger, better, new, improved." Our eyes and ears are so afflicted by claims and counterclaims that we soon learn to filter out the noise.

How then, can the creator or vendor of a product of service hope to gain the attention of potential customers and turn that attention into sales?

"To millions of talented businesspeople," says marketing consultant Michael Chandler in DREAMWEAVING: The Secret to Overwhelming Your Business Competition, "SALES is a four-letter word."

What he means, is that just because someone has a talent for business doesn't make them equally skilled in selling their product or service no matter how convinced they are theirs is the best thing since cable TV. The very thought of facing a reluctant consumer and convincing them they should spend their hard-earned cash on THIS instead of THAT gives them heartburn.

Fortunately, says Mr. Chandler, the most successful sales campaigns aren't. They don't sell anything. Rather, they focus on what the customer needs and wants and simply alerts them that the very thing they're looking for is RIGHT HERE. This is the fine craft of Dreamweaving.

"Dreamweavers don't think in or out of boxes," he explains. "Dreamweavers think in circles . . .Dreamweavers understand how people feel, how they think, and what makes them tick. They know what makes people excited and what bores them to tears."

And how to these amazing folks know all of this? Quite simple. They don't talk, they listen. In this era saturated with mass advertising, they don't try to out-shout the competition. Instead, they seek out the needs of their prospective customers and fulfill them. Successful marketing, he advises, is solely a matter of how the customer perceives the product. So, the wise marketer focuses on determining which images and ideas will allow his or her potential customers to personally relate to the product.

"Listen to what your customers want. Then give it to them," Mr. Chandler says.

Does it work? So far, if the examples Mr. Chandler provides are any indication. And we're talking banks, where the difference between one and the next is negligible at best when it comes to services. He has consulted with several banks that have seen their assets and customer base skyrocket simply because they have offered their paid radio advertising time to promote public events and fundraisers. Why? Because the residents of the communities they serve stop thinking of them as "the bank" and start considering them neighbors, friends, people who'll come through when they're needed.

Written in a pleasant, ironic style that entertains as well as educates, DREAMWEAVING offers advice that can be used by businesses no matter how small or large. The principles Mr. Chandler relates are also egalitarian in that they can be adapted to just about any kind of business you'd care to mention, and his focus on customer relations rather than hard sell is refreshing in itself. He honestly admits many are put off by what they consider the "touchy-feely" aspects of his premise, but that doesn't faze him a bit. The important thing is, it works.

Andrew's book is incredibly relevant, given the current economic situation. His pertinent examples provide for a clear and concise learning experience. I liked that when discussing Individual Accountability he really drives home his point giving excellent comprehensible examples, cutting out all the babble. His eloquent style throughout keeps the reader intrigued, especially when discussing persistence to get what you want. Excellent read, worldly relevant and a great addition to any collection.

Andrew Wileman's well-written book comes along at a critical time: he offers an intelligent approach to cutting and managing costs that makes use of a stiletto rather than a tomahawk. He is about thoughtful innovation rather than draconian blows. Wileman's advice to managers is anchored in the real world, his useful points made with humor, passion, and common sense. A real rarity -- an entertaining volume on keeping costs under control.

Andrew Wileman provides a series of practical toolkits that help you achieve cuts in your cost structure to support your company's strategic position. He also shows why cost slashing destroys brands and undermines future growth. His writing can be a bit colloquial and clunky at times, but it's still very clear and easy to read. The book stays on point from beginning to end. Each chapter provides a list of the key ideas for each toolkit. getAbstract recommends this book to executives, CFOs, managers and others who are responsible for budgeting.

I ordered the book after reading a very complimentary review in The Economist's Aug 27th, 2008 issue - [...]

Like most other reviewers, I found the book a fast and interesting read without the dry dense text that is common in most business texts.

Equally importantly, unlike most business best sellers, Mr. Wileman's book is not 250 pages around a single insight. Instead it is a series of practical ideas around the entire gamut of costs that exist in any business.

The best business book I've read all year.

Bought it after reading the very complimentary Economist Review.

Refreshing new perspective for an age old management challenge. Very useful and surprisingly entertaining. Witty, great anecdotes. A must read for managers -- intelligent cost cutting for all environments. Brilliant.

Highly Recommended!