2005, ISBN: 9780071364409

Pasta dura

Penguin Books. Very Good. 4.33 x 0.91 x 7.09 inches. Paperback. 1976. 592 pages. <br>The early masterpiece of V. S. Naipaul's brilliant career, A House for Mr. Biswasis an unfo… Más…

Penguin Books. Very Good. 4.33 x 0.91 x 7.09 inches. Paperback. 1976. 592 pages. <br>The early masterpiece of V. S. Naipaul's brilliant career, A House for Mr. Biswasis an unforgettable story inspired by Naipaul's father that has been hailed as one of the twentieth century's finest novels. n nIn his forty-six short years, Mr. Mo hun Biswas has been fighting against destiny to achieve some semb lance of independence, only to face a lifetime of calamity. Shutt led from one residence to another after the drowning death of his father, for which he is inadvertently responsible, Mr. Biswas ye arns for a place he can call home. But when he marries into the d omineering Tulsi family on whom he indignantly becomes dependent, Mr. Biswas embarks on an arduous-and endless-struggle to weaken their hold over him and purchase a house of his own. A heartrendi ng, dark comedy of manners, A House for Mr. Biswas masterfully ev okes a man's quest for autonomy against an emblematic post-coloni al canvas. n nEditorial Reviews n nReview nNaipaul has constructe d a marvelous prose epic that matches the best nineteenth-century novels for richness of comic insight and final, tragic power.-Ne wsweek n nExcerpt. ® Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved . nI. Pastoral n nShortly before he was born there had been anoth er quarrel between Mr Biswas's mother Bipti and his father Raghu, and Bipti had taken her three children and walked all the way in the hot sun to the village where her mother Bissoondaye lived. T here Bipti had cried and told the old story of Raghu's miserlines s: how he kept a check on every cent he gave her, counted every b iscuit in the tin, and how he would walk ten miles rather than pa y a cart a penny. n nBipti's father, futile with asthma, propped himself up on his string bed and said, as he always did on unhapp y occasions, 'Fate. There is nothing we can do about it.' n nNo o ne paid him any attention. Fate had brought him from India to the sugar-estate, aged him quickly and left him to die in a crumblin g mud hut in the swamplands; yet he spoke of Fate often and affec tionately, as though, merely by surviving, he had been particular ly favoured. n nWhile the old man talked on, Bissoondaye sent for the midwife, made a meal for Bipti's children and prepared beds for them. When the midwife came the children were asleep. Some ti me later they were awakened by the screams of Mr Biswas and the s hrieks of the midwife. n n'What is it?' the old man asked. 'Boy o r girl?' n n'Boy, boy,' the midwife cried. 'But what sort of boy? Six-fingered, and born in the wrong way.' n nThe old man groaned and Bissoondaye said, 'I knew it. There is no luck for me.' n nA t once, though it was night and the way was lonely, she left the hut and walked to the next village, where there was a hedge of ca ctus. She brought back leaves of cactus, cut them into strips and hung a strip over every door, every window, every aperture throu gh which an evil spirit might enter the hut. n nBut the midwife s aid, 'Whatever you do, this boy will eat up his own mother and fa ther.' n nThe next morning, when in the bright light it seemed th at all evil spirits had surely left the earth, the pundit came, a small, thin man with a sharp satirical face and a dismissing man ner. Bissoondaye seated him on the string bed, from which the old man had been turned out, and told him what had happened. n n'Hm. Born in the wrong way. At midnight, you said.' n nBissoondaye ha d no means of telling the time, but both she and the midwife had assumed that it was midnight, the inauspicious hour. n nAbruptly, as Bissoondaye sat before him with bowed and covered head, the p undit brightened, 'Oh, well. It doesn't matter. There are always ways and means of getting over these unhappy things.' He undid hi s red bundle and took out his astrological almanac, a sheaf of lo ose thick leaves, long and narrow, between boards. The leaves wer e brown with age and their musty smell was mixed with that of the red and ochre sandalwood paste that had been spattered on them. The pundit lifted a leaf, read a little, wet his forefinger on hi s tongue and lifted another leaf. n nAt last he said, 'First of a ll, the features of this unfortunate boy. He will have good teeth but they will be rather wide, and there will be spaces between t hem. I suppose you know what that means. The boy will be a lecher and a spendthrift. Possibly a liar as well. It is hard to be sur e about those gaps between the teeth. They might mean only one of those things or they might mean all three.' n n'What about the s ix fingers, pundit?' n n'That's a shocking sign, of course. The o nly thing I can advise is to keep him away from trees and water. Particularly water.' n n'Never bath him?' n n'I don't mean exactl y that.' He raised his right hand, bunched the fingers and, with his head on one side, said slowly, 'One has to interpret what the book says.' He tapped the wobbly almanac with his left hand. 'An d when the book says water, I think it means water in its natural form.' n n'Natural form.' n n'Natural form,' the pundit repeated , but uncertainly. 'I mean,' he said quickly, and with some annoy ance, 'keep him away from rivers and ponds. And of course the sea . And another thing,' He added with satisfaction. 'He will have a n unlucky sneeze.' He began to pack the long leaves of his almana c. 'Much of the evil this boy will undoubtedly bring will be miti gated if his father is forbidden to see him for twenty-one days.' n n'That will be easy,' Bissoondaye said, speaking with emotion for the first time. n n'On the twenty-first day the father must s ee the boy. But not in the flesh.' n n'In a mirror, pundit?' n n' I would consider that ill-advised. Use a brass plate. Scour it we ll.' n n'Of course.' n n'You must fill this brass plate with coco nut oil--which, by the way, you must make yourself from coconuts you have collected with your own hands--and in the reflection on this oil the father must see his son's face.' He tied the almanac together and rolled it in the red cotton wrapper which was also spattered with sandalwood paste. 'I believe that is all.' n n'We forgot one thing, punditji. The name.' n n'I can't help you compl etely there. But it seems to me that a perfectly safe prefix woul d be Mo. It is up to you to think of something to add to that.' n n'Oh, punditji, you must help me. I can only think of hun.' n nT he pundit was surprised and genuinely pleased. 'But that is excel lent. Excellent. Mohun. I couldn't have chosen better myself. For Mohun, as you know, means the beloved, and was the name given by the milkmaids to Lord Krishna.' His eyes softened at the thought of the legend and for a moment he appeared to forget Bissoondaye and Mr Biswas. n nFrom the knot at the end of her veil Bissoonda ye took out a florin and offered it to the pundit, mumbling her r egret that she could not give more. The pundit said that she had done her best and was not to worry. In fact he was pleased; he ha d expected less. n nMr Biswas lost his sixth finger before he was nine days old. It simply came off one night and Bipti had an unp leasant turn when, shaking out the sheets one morning, she saw th is tiny finger tumble to the ground. Bissoondaye thought this an excellent sign and buried the finger behind the cowpen at the bac k of the house, not far from where she had buried Mr Biswas's nav el-string. n nIn the days that followed Mr Biswas was treated wit h attention and respect. His brothers and sisters were slapped if they disturbed his sleep, and the flexibility of his limbs was r egarded as a matter of importance. Morning and evening he was mas saged with coconut oil. All his joints were exercised; his arms a nd legs were folded diagonally across his red shining body; the b ig toe of his right foot was made to touch his left shoulder, the big toe of his left foot was made to touch his right shoulder, a nd both toes were made to touch his nose; finally, all his limbs were bunched together over his belly and then, with a clap and a laugh, released. n nMr Biswas responded well to these exercises, and Bissoondaye became so confident that she decided to have a ce lebration on the ninth day. She invited people from the village a nd fed them. The pundit came and was unexpectedly gracious, thoug h his manner suggested that but for his intervention there would have been no celebration at all. Jhagru, the barber, brought his drum, and Selochan did the Shiva dance in the cowpen, his body sm eared all over with ash. n nThere was an unpleasant moment when R aghu, Mr Biswas's father, appeared. He had walked; his dhoti and jacket were sweated and dusty. 'Well, this is very nice,' he said . 'Celebrating. And where is the father?' n n'Leave this house at once,' Bissoondaye said, coming out of the kitchen at the side. 'Father! What sort of father do you call yourself, when you drive your wife away every time she gets heavy-footed?' n n'That is no ne of your business,' Raghu said. 'Where is my son?' n n'Go ahead . God has paid you back for your boasting and your meanness. Go a nd see your son. He will eat you up. Six-fingered, born in the wr ong way. Go in and see him. He has an unlucky sneeze as well.' n nRaghu halted. 'Unlucky sneeze?' n n'I have warned you. You can o nly see him on the twenty-first day. If you do anything stupid no w the responsibility will be yours.' n nFrom his string bed the o ld man muttered abuse at Raghu. 'Shameless, wicked. When I see th e behaviour of this man I begin to feel that the Black Age has co me.' n nThe subsequent quarrel and threats cleared the air. Raghu confessed he had been in the wrong and had already suffered much for it. Bipti said she was willing to go back to him. And he agr eed to come again on the twenty-first day. n nTo prepare for that day Bissoondaye began collecting dry coconuts. She husked them, grated the kernels and set about extracting the oil the pundit ha d prescribed. It was a long job of boiling and skimming and boili ng again, and it was surprising how many coconuts it took to make a little oil. But the oil was ready in time, and Raghu came, nea tly dressed, his hair plastered flat and shining, his moustache t rimmed, and he was very correct as he took off his hat and went i nto the dark inner room of the hut which smelled warmly of oil an d old thatch. He held his hat on the right side of his face and l ooked down into the oil in the brass plate. Mr Biswas, hidden fro m his father by the hat, and well wrapped from head to foot, was held face downwards over the oil. He didn't like it; he furrowed his forehead, shut his eyes tight and bawled. The oil rippled, cl ear amber, broke up the reflection of Mr Biswas's face, already d istorted with rage, and the viewing was over. n nA few days later Bipti and her children returned home. And there Mr Biswas's impo rtance steadily diminished. The time came when even the daily mas sage ceased. n nBut he still carried weight. They never forgot th at he was an unlucky child and that his sneeze was particularly u nlucky. Mr Biswas caught cold easily and in the rainy season thre atened his family with destitution. If, before Raghu left for the sugar-estate, Mr Biswas sneezed, Raghu remained at home, worked on his vegetable garden in the morning and spent the afternoon ma king walking-sticks and sabots, or carving designs on the hafts o f cutlasses and the heads of walking-sticks. His favourite design was a pair of wellingtons; he had never owned wellingtons but ha d seen them on the overseer. Whatever he did, Raghu never left th e house. Even so, minor mishaps often followed Mr Biswas's sneeze : threepence lost in the shopping, the breaking of a bottle, the upsetting of a dish. Once Mr Biswas sneezed on three mornings in succession. n n'This boy will eat up his family in truth,' Raghu said. n nOne morning, just after Raghu had crossed the gutter tha t ran between the road and his yard, he suddenly stopped. Mr Bisw as had sneezed. Bipti ran out and said, 'It doesn't matter. He sn eezed when you were already on the road.' n n'But I heard him. Di stinctly.' n nBipti persuaded him to go to work. About an hour or two later, while she was cleaning the rice for the midday meal, she heard shouts from the road and went out to find Raghu lying i n an ox-cart, his right leg swathed in bloody bandages. He was gr oaning, not from pain, but from anger. The man who had brought hi m refused to help him into the yard: Mr Biswas's sneeze was too w ell known. Raghu had to limp in leaning on Bipti's shoulder. n n' This boy will make us all paupers,' Raghu said. n nHe spoke from a deep fear. Though he saved and made himself and his family go w ithout many things, he never ceased to feel that destitution was very nearly upon him. The more he hoarded, the more he felt he ha d to waste and to lose, and the more careful he became. n nEvery Saturday he lined up with the other labourers outside the estate office to collect his pay. The overseer sat at a little table, on which his khaki cork hat rested, wasteful of space, but a symbol of wealth. On his left sat the Indian clerk, important, stern, p recise, with small neat hands that wrote small neat figures in bl ack ink and red ink in the tall ledger. As the clerk entered figu res and called out names and amounts in his high, precise voice, the overseer selected coins from the columns of silver and the he aps of copper in front of him, and with greater deliberation extr acted notes from the blue one-dollar stacks, the smaller red two- dollar stack and the very shallow green five-dollar stack. Few la bourers earned five dollars a week; the notes were there to pay t hose who were collecting their wives' or husbands' wages as well as their own. Around the overseer's cork hat, and seeming to guar d it, there were stiff blue paper bags, neatly serrated at the to p, printed with large figures, and standing upright from the weig ht of coin inside them. Clean round perforations gave glimpses of the coin and, Raghu had been told, allowed it to breathe. n nThe se bags fascinated Raghu. He had managed to get a few and after m any months and a little cheating--turning a shilling into twelve pennies, for example--he had filled them. Thereafter he had never been able to stop. No one, not even Bipti, knew where he hid the se bags; but the word, Penguin Books, 1976, 3, Minotaur Books. Very Good. 5.82 x 1.04 x 8.74 inches. Hardcover. 2005. 304 pages. <br>In the South, the past can never be forgotten . . . or forgiven. When Alain Darnay suddenly reappears on Hilton He ad, Bay Tanner believes she and her former lover can finally sett le into something resembling a normal life. But her tenuous peace is shattered by an innocent-looking boy with cold blue eyes who will force her to relive the nightmare of her husband's murder, t o face that terrifying summer of treachery, deceit, and death. C art Anderson, a recently orphaned teenager burning with resentmen t, wants to know how and why his father, Geoffrey, died, and he's convinced Bay has the answers. But shortly after a confrontation with her in the parking lot of a glitzy resort hotel, the boy di sappears. His empty car is found splattered with blood at an aban doned fort on nearby St. Helena Island, and suddenly Bay and her lover find themselves the chief suspects. When retired New York h omicide detective Ben Wyler enters the case, the web of circumsta ntial evidence against them begins to pile up. But what does the ancient black woman, whose ramshackle cottage sits next to the o ld fort, know about the boy's disappearance? And why is the entir e county so willing to believe Bay is guilty? Enlisting the aid o f her former partner, Erik Whiteside, and an ambitious local repo rter, Bay begins to unravel a plot so intricate, so devious, it c ould shatter not only her own life but those of everyone she hold s dear. From the gated enclaves of the Southern aristocracy to the dusty, echoing passageways of an abandoned fort, from the sec ret vaults of an offshore bank to the twisted mind of a vengeful child, Resurrection Road speeds to a deadly confrontation that wi ll alter Bay Tanner's world forever. Editorial Reviews From Pu blishers Weekly In Wall's fifth book to feature tough, determined and thoroughly modern Bay Tanner (after 2004's Judas Island), th e widowed South Carolina accountant has basically disbanded her n ascent detective agency, while her relationship with sexy Frenchm an Alain Darnay seems headed in the right direction. But Bay's pa st comes back to haunt her after young Carter Anderson, who blame s her for his dad's death, confronts her (I want to know why you killed my father). When Carter goes missing, Bay and Darnay becom e suspects in the boy's disappearance. Wall paints an almost Kafk aesque scenario as a new detective, a recently appointed judge an d a web of evidence, circumstantial or manufactured, begin to box Bay into a corner. For once the powerful connections of Bay's la wyer father are of little help. Wall manages to imbue the vestige s of the old South with only a tinge of regret and yet still milk s the romantic ambience effectively. Bay's resourcefulness and co urage are again tested fully as fans have come to expect in this increasingly popular series. Agent, Amy Rennert. Regional author tour. (May 9) Copyright ® Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From Booklist Bay Tan ner and her lover, Alain Darnay, are being shadowed by young Cart Anderson, who believes Darnay killed Cart's father. When the boy disappears, and his abandoned car is found with bloodstains on t he front seat, Bay and Darnay are the chief suspects. Then an eld erly acquaintance is found murdered the day after Bay and Darnay visit her. As the circumstantial evidence mounts against them, Ba y finds herself alone as Darnay vanishes, leaving her heartbroken and confused. The insidious net of conspiracy weaves itself arou nd her, and Bay must solve the crimes to protect herself and thos e closest to her. Plot twists, fast pacing, and the oppressive he at of a Low Country summer provide a satisfying frame for the lik able Bay's fifth adventure, as she revives her almost defunct det ective agency, Simpson & Tanner, Inquiry Agents. Sue O'Brien Copy right © American Library Association. All rights reserved Review Resurrection Road should be part of your carry-on baggage on you r next trip. --Chicago Tribune Wall has succeeded in creating wh at every mystery writer must dream of-a complex, utterly likeable protagonist whom readers want to spend time with again and again .-Lowcountry Weekly This newest Bay Tanner outing is quite handi ly Wall's best. For starters, it takes off at a brisk pace, build ing up to 'here's your ticket, ma'am' speed by the final third of the novel.-The State With her strong characters, tight narrativ e, and smart plotting, Wall shouldn't have to worry about having a short career as a writer. But perhaps the most noticeable part of her fiction is the lush, rich settings provided by setting her novels in an area of the country she's come to know quite well-t he Lowcountry of South Carolina.-The Beaufort Gazette This fast- paced mystery trumps everything else in Wall's already impressive series. The action charges right out of the gate and never slows down. Of course, while her plots are patently thrilling, Wall ha s always hung her hat on her ability to bring the Lowcountry to b reathtaking life. Interwoven through the tight plot are Wall's in comparable descriptions of Beaufort, Bluffton, and Hilton Head. T he locales may be familiar, but the author describes in such a wa y that even long-time islanders will see their home in a new ligh t...remarkable...a truly gifted mystery writer. -Hilton Head Mont hly Review About the Author Kathryn R. Wall practiced accounting for twenty-five years in Ohio before retiring with her husband t o Hilton Head, South Carolina. Excerpt. ® Reprinted by permissio n. All rights reserved. Resurrection Road Chapter OneYou're not g etting involved with those people again, and that's final!I punct uated the shout by ripping the ball cross-court, a stinging backh and that should have left him staring in admiration as it whizzed by. Instead he dived to his left, just managed to get a racket o n it, and popped up a lazy floater that nicked the tape and dribb led over to land six inches beyond my side of the net.Game! he sh outed, pumping his tanned fist in the air. And set!He dropped to his knees and raised his face and arms skyward, like Pete Sampras at Wimbledon. The group next to us interrupted their doubles gam e to grin at his antics, and one of the two lanky women waiting f or our court applauded.I flashed him a reluctant smile and trotte d over to gather our gear from beside the net post. I'd be ashame d to take that point if I were you, I said, slinging a towel arou nd my neck and swiping at the strands of sweat-soaked hair escapi ng from my ponytail.Bay Tanner, I would never have expected you t o be such a bad loser.Alain Darnay, I'd never have expected you t o be such a cocky winner.I was also pretty amazed at how well his recovery was coming along. Less than a year before, I had worked frantically to staunch the blood pouring from a gaping bullet wo und in his left side. A scant two months ago he had still looked thin and frail as he glowered from the curb in front of the Paris apartment at the taxi whisking me off to Orly Airport and home. It seemed I had been wrong. Returning to his dangerous work with Interpol hadn't jeopardized his health--it had apparently restore d it.We'll discuss it, ma petite, he said, mopping his streaming face.It took me a moment to realize he was referring to my outbur st just before the end of the match. LeBrun, his superior at Inte rpol, had sent another coded fax just that morning, one in a long stream of communications which had kept the international phone lines buzzing for the past week or so. I didn't need to decipher its contents to know Darnay's employers were angling once again t o get him back in their deadly game.Damn right we will, I said, s oftening the words with a smile.We slid our rackets into their ca rrying cases, and Darnay hefted the double-handled tennis bag. He flung an arm across my shoulder, being careful to avoid the tend er area where my own recent wound had still not completely healed .What a pair we are, I thought. When we get old, we can sit aroun d and compare battle scars.He nodded to the two women who had mov ed onto the court behind us. Enjoy your game, ladies, he said in a thick French accent that made even the most mundane comments so und like a lover's caress.Quit flirting, I said good-naturedly an d received a Gallic shrug from the tall, craggy Frenchman who onl y that morning had asked me to marry him--for the fourteenth time , if my scorekeeping could be trusted. If he wasn't careful, I th ought, I'd begin to take the offers seriously.What can I say, my darling? It is the nature of the beast. Bred into the bones, abso rbed from the mother's milk, inhaled with the bouquet of the wine s ...I punched him playfully in the arm with my free hand.As we a pproached the canopy of live oaks under which we'd left the Thund erbird, Darnay tossed the bag into the rear seat. Turning his bac k on the parking lot, he leaned casually against the creamy yello w fender of my new convertible. His face had lost its bantering l ook, and his normally soft eyes had darkened to the steely blue w hich usually signaled anger.Keep smiling, he said, ignoring his o wn dictum, and glance over my right shoulder.I faltered a little, startled by the tone of his voice.Smile, he repeated, and I did my best to comply.What am I looking at?He reached out to slip an errant strand of auburn hair behind my ear. Black Mercedes sedan at the end of the row. Young man. Dark skin, longish blond hair. Navy blue polo shirt.I leaned in to kiss him gently on the cheek and whispered, Got him. So what's the problem?Another woman might have asked more questions, been more suspicious of Darnay's sudd en change of mood and urgent commands. In the two years since I'd watched my husband's plane explode in a shower of flaming debris and dismembered bodies, I'd experienced enough danger to recogni ze its reflection in someone else's eyes.Do you know him? Darnay nuzzled my ear, momentarily making me lose track of the conversat ion.Uh, no. No, I don't think so. Why?Give me the keys and get in , he said.For a moment I balked. Taking orders is absolutely alie n to both my nature and inclination. But Darnay's glare didn't wa ver, so I strolled around to the passenger side and slid into the sun-warmed leather seat. Without turning my head, I managed to g et another glimpse of the object of his interest.Definitely young . Expensive-looking wraparound shades. Maybe Latino.Smile, I hear d again from the other side of the car, so I threw back my head a nd laughed, a sound so artificial it wouldn't have fooled anyone within hearing distance. Hopefully I looked the picture of carefr ee, fortyish Southern womanhood: rich and idle, without a problem in the world. I carried on with the charade until Darnay backed the car around and headed us out of the small tennis complex tuck ed up to one of the three golf courses in Port Royal Plantation.W hat the hell was that all about? I demanded as we pulled onto For t Walker Drive. The sweet gums and towering pines cast a welcome shade over the sleek hood of the convertible.He's following us. A lain Darnay, Interpol agent and former top investigator for the S ûreté in Paris, barely flicked his eyes to the rearview mirror. N o, don't look! he barked when I began to turn in my seat.You're s eriously ticking me off, I said in a voice he should have been al l too familiar with. Our on-again, off-again romance had been mor e off than on recently, due primarily to the demands of his profe ssion. And so what if he's behind us? I added, glancing at the fi rm set of his wide mouth and the slight dimple that bisected his otherwise strong chin.This is the third time he's turned up in th e last couple of days, Alain remarked, his tone so conversational we might have been discussing last night's Braves game or the ti me of the next high tide. I do not like coincidences.I don't eith er. But Hilton Head is an island, after all, and a small one. Eve n with all the summer tourists here, it wouldn't be that farfetch ed to run across the same person a couple of times. Especially if he's staying at the Westin or renting one of the condos at the B arony.And you believe he just happened to be at the restaurant la st night? And at the bookstore this morning?His questions brought me up short. I'd been so intent the previous evening on deflecti ng Darnay's thirteenth marriage proposal over candlelight and cha mpagne at Conroy's that I'd been pretty much oblivious to my surr oundings. He, however, had been captivated by the works of our lo cal literary icon for whom the swanky dining room of the Marriott Hotel had been named. It had been Darnay who insisted on running out the next morning to fill in the gaps in my collection of the works of Pat Conroy. Engrossed in my quest through the aisles of Barnes & Noble, I'd failed to notice a familiar face.I'm sorry. I didn't realize.His smile accepted my apology.So what do you thi nk it's all about? I asked.It couldn't have anything to do with t he fledgling inquiry agency my father and I had established. We h ad been floundering since the defection of one of our founding me mbers, Erik Whiteside. The last thing remotely resembling a case had been wrapped up months before, its only lingering remnant evi denced by the stiffness that still plagued my injured left should er. Having been mangled by the exploding debris of my late husban d's plane, then battered again by a through-and-through bullet wo und, by rights the shoulder should not have been functioning at a ll. I applied creams to soothe the shiny skin grafts, exercised t he stiff joint every chance I got, and tried not to think about i t.He was watching us play tennis, then hurried back to his car wh ile we were packing up, Darnay finally answered. Nice-looking, cl ean-cut, maybe five-eight or nine. You sure you don't recognize h im?Positive, I said as we took a left just before the overpass th at led to the security gate.The road to my beach house skirted on e of the golf courses, winding its way to the ocean past sprawlin g Lowcountry homes nestled among stands of live oaks and screenin g shrubbery.Glance back now and see if he followed us, Darnay com manded.I turned casually, as if surveying the scenery, just in ti me to see the black car disappear over the bridge and glide on to ward the gate. Nope, he kept going.My relief proved short-lived a s my companion suddenly whipped the car into a, Minotaur Books, 2005, 3, McGraw-Hill. Very Good. 6.25 x 1 x 9 inches. Hardcover. 2000. 193 pages. <br>Based on a study of more than 1,100 companies worl dwide and conducted by the experts at one of the world's largest and most dynamic consulting firms, A.T. Kearney, this book focuse s on one of the hottest issues in business today--growth. The aut hors explain the pivotal role of growth in corporate success and the various forms it takes, and they outline proven strategies fo r achieving value-building growth, the strategically most advanta geous form of growth. With the help of fascinating and instructiv e growth success (and failure) stories--including Intel, Microsof t, 3Com, Bayer, BASF, Hyundai, Nissan, and other top global compa nies--The Value Growers: *Identifies the 5 fundamentals of value- building growth that companies in every industry sector can use f or increased shareholder value *Provides managers with diagnostic tools identifying their organizations' growth categories *Descri bes proven strategies and techniques for achieving sustained, val ue-building growth James McGrath (Chicago, IL), Fritz Kroeger (Ch icago, IL), Michael Traem (Chicago, IL), and Joerg Rockenhaeuser (Chicago, IL) are senior consultants and specialists in growth an d strategic development at A.T. Kearney, the management consultin g subsidiary of EDS. Editorial Reviews From the Back Cover Valu e-building growth does not happen accidentally. It is the product of a conscious, constantly monitored process in which success br eeds success and in which value builders make their own luck. --T he Value Growers In today's economy growth is essential to the success--and longevity--of any business. Growth, by its very natu re requires some sacrifice of bottom-line profits. But how much i s too much? And how do companies expand without negatively impact ing shareholder value in the long-term? An orientation toward pur e profit can be just as damaging as an orientation that espouses growth at all costs. According to the experts at A.T. Kearney, on e of the world's leading and most dynamic consulting firms, the s ecret to success can be found in strategic balance. Based on a 10 -year study of over 1,100 companies worldwide conducted by the fi rm, The Value Growers explores and explains the importance of bus iness growth. This book provides the sound business theory and strategy necessary to create long-term success above and beyond w hat conventional, bottom-oriented companies generate. The true pa ragon of excellence is strong and lean; neither virtue can suffic iently bring success on its own, explain the authors. Companies n eed to achieve a strategic balance between top-line and bottom-li ne growth in order to flourish and enjoy staying power. The stron gest companies are those that recognize and understand the import ance of both innovation and improvement. These companies never st op growing--even if they must temporarily sacrifice their bottom- line profits. These companies are value growers. Drawing from act ual growth success and failure stories from top global companies such as Intel, Microsoft, Nissan, BASF, Hyundai, 3Com, Bayer, and others, this book reveals that value-building growth is a consta nt, conscious process. It also proves that successful growth is p ossible in any industry, at all phases of the business cycle. Org anized into three authoritative sections, The Value Growers: *E quips managers and business leaders with the diagnostic tools to identify their organizations' growth categories *Outlines the fi ve fundamentals of value-building growth that companies in any in dustry sector can follow *Delivers proven strategies and techniq ues for achieving sustained, value-building growth The Value Gr owers is a timely and important resource for anyone looking to bu ild a strong, successful, ever-expanding, and prosperous organiza tion. The bigger and better we get, the higher the hurdles beco me. It is incumbent upon us to challenge and continuously improve the way we run our businesses. --Bernie Marcus, Chairman, The Ho me Depot What is the proper balance between top-line and bottom -line growth? How much impact does profitability have on sharehol der value? Can companies truly pursue both profitability and grow th as co-objectives? The Value Growers addresses these crucial is sues and explores fully the pivotal role of strategic growth in c orporate success. Drawing from a comprehensive, international stu dy conducted by the experts at the world's fastest growing consul ting firm, A.T. Kearney, this important book: *Provides a solid foundation in the nature and necessity of corporate growth *Sho ws how leaders can tap into their organizations' hidden potential *Features real-life case studies of top global companies *Addr esses the current and future challenges to successful value-build ing growth Chock full of case studies and priceless lessons, Th e Value Growers presents a much-needed blueprint for achieving va lue-building growth in today's economy. </div ., McGraw-Hill, 2000, 3<

2000, ISBN: 9780071364409

McGraw-Hill. Very Good. 6.25 x 1 x 9 inches. Hardcover. 2000. 193 pages. <br>Based on a study of more than 1,100 companies worl dwide and conducted by the experts at one of the worl… Más…

McGraw-Hill. Very Good. 6.25 x 1 x 9 inches. Hardcover. 2000. 193 pages. <br>Based on a study of more than 1,100 companies worl dwide and conducted by the experts at one of the world's largest and most dynamic consulting firms, A.T. Kearney, this book focuse s on one of the hottest issues in business today--growth. The aut hors explain the pivotal role of growth in corporate success and the various forms it takes, and they outline proven strategies fo r achieving value-building growth, the strategically most advanta geous form of growth. With the help of fascinating and instructiv e growth success (and failure) stories--including Intel, Microsof t, 3Com, Bayer, BASF, Hyundai, Nissan, and other top global compa nies--The Value Growers: *Identifies the 5 fundamentals of value- building growth that companies in every industry sector can use f or increased shareholder value *Provides managers with diagnostic tools identifying their organizations' growth categories *Descri bes proven strategies and techniques for achieving sustained, val ue-building growth James McGrath (Chicago, IL), Fritz Kroeger (Ch icago, IL), Michael Traem (Chicago, IL), and Joerg Rockenhaeuser (Chicago, IL) are senior consultants and specialists in growth an d strategic development at A.T. Kearney, the management consultin g subsidiary of EDS. Editorial Reviews From the Back Cover Valu e-building growth does not happen accidentally. It is the product of a conscious, constantly monitored process in which success br eeds success and in which value builders make their own luck. --T he Value Growers In today's economy growth is essential to the success--and longevity--of any business. Growth, by its very natu re requires some sacrifice of bottom-line profits. But how much i s too much? And how do companies expand without negatively impact ing shareholder value in the long-term? An orientation toward pur e profit can be just as damaging as an orientation that espouses growth at all costs. According to the experts at A.T. Kearney, on e of the world's leading and most dynamic consulting firms, the s ecret to success can be found in strategic balance. Based on a 10 -year study of over 1,100 companies worldwide conducted by the fi rm, The Value Growers explores and explains the importance of bus iness growth. This book provides the sound business theory and strategy necessary to create long-term success above and beyond w hat conventional, bottom-oriented companies generate. The true pa ragon of excellence is strong and lean; neither virtue can suffic iently bring success on its own, explain the authors. Companies n eed to achieve a strategic balance between top-line and bottom-li ne growth in order to flourish and enjoy staying power. The stron gest companies are those that recognize and understand the import ance of both innovation and improvement. These companies never st op growing--even if they must temporarily sacrifice their bottom- line profits. These companies are value growers. Drawing from act ual growth success and failure stories from top global companies such as Intel, Microsoft, Nissan, BASF, Hyundai, 3Com, Bayer, and others, this book reveals that value-building growth is a consta nt, conscious process. It also proves that successful growth is p ossible in any industry, at all phases of the business cycle. Org anized into three authoritative sections, The Value Growers: *E quips managers and business leaders with the diagnostic tools to identify their organizations' growth categories *Outlines the fi ve fundamentals of value-building growth that companies in any in dustry sector can follow *Delivers proven strategies and techniq ues for achieving sustained, value-building growth The Value Gr owers is a timely and important resource for anyone looking to bu ild a strong, successful, ever-expanding, and prosperous organiza tion. The bigger and better we get, the higher the hurdles beco me. It is incumbent upon us to challenge and continuously improve the way we run our businesses. --Bernie Marcus, Chairman, The Ho me Depot What is the proper balance between top-line and bottom -line growth? How much impact does profitability have on sharehol der value? Can companies truly pursue both profitability and grow th as co-objectives? The Value Growers addresses these crucial is sues and explores fully the pivotal role of strategic growth in c orporate success. Drawing from a comprehensive, international stu dy conducted by the experts at the world's fastest growing consul ting firm, A.T. Kearney, this important book: *Provides a solid foundation in the nature and necessity of corporate growth *Sho ws how leaders can tap into their organizations' hidden potential *Features real-life case studies of top global companies *Addr esses the current and future challenges to successful value-build ing growth Chock full of case studies and priceless lessons, Th e Value Growers presents a much-needed blueprint for achieving va lue-building growth in today's economy. </div ., McGraw-Hill, 2000, 3<

2000, ISBN: 0071364404

[EAN: 9780071364409], Gebraucht, sehr guter Zustand, [PU: McGraw-Hill], CORPORATIONS,INDUSTRIAL MANAGEMENT,CORPORATE PROFITS, Jacket, 193 pages. Based on a study of more than 1,100 compan… Más…

[EAN: 9780071364409], Gebraucht, sehr guter Zustand, [PU: McGraw-Hill], CORPORATIONS,INDUSTRIAL MANAGEMENT,CORPORATE PROFITS, Jacket, 193 pages. Based on a study of more than 1,100 companies worl dwide and conducted by the experts at one of the world's largest and most dynamic consulting firms, A.T. Kearney, this book focuse s on one of the hottest issues in business today--growth. The aut hors explain the pivotal role of growth in corporate success and the various forms it takes, and they outline proven strategies fo r achieving value-building growth, the strategically most advanta geous form of growth. With the help of fascinating and instructiv e growth success (and failure) stories--including Intel, Microsof t, 3Com, Bayer, BASF, Hyundai, Nissan, and other top global compa nies--The Value Growers: *Identifies the 5 fundamentals of value- building growth that companies in every industry sector can use f or increased shareholder value *Provides managers with diagnostic tools identifying their organizations' growth categories *Descri bes proven strategies and techniques for achieving sustained, val ue-building growth James McGrath (Chicago, IL), Fritz Kroeger (Ch icago, IL), Michael Traem (Chicago, IL), and Joerg Rockenhaeuser (Chicago, IL) are senior consultants and specialists in growth an d strategic development at A.T. Kearney, the management consultin g subsidiary of EDS. Editorial Reviews From the Back Cover Valu e-building growth does not happen accidentally. It is the product of a conscious, constantly monitored process in which success br eeds success and in which value builders make their own luck. --T he Value Growers In today's economy growth is essential to the success--and longevity--of any business. Growth, by its very natu re requires some sacrifice of bottom-line profits. But how much i s too much? And how do companies expand without negatively impact ing shareholder value in the long-term? An orientation toward pur e profit can be just as damaging as an orientation that espouses growth at all costs. According to the experts at A.T. Kearney, on e of the world's leading and most dynamic consulting firms, the s ecret to success can be found in strategic balance. Based on a 10 -year study of over 1,100 companies worldwide conducted by the fi rm, The Value Growers explores and explains the importance of bus iness growth. This book provides the sound business theory and strategy necessary to create long-term success above and beyond w hat conventional, bottom-oriented companies generate. The true pa ragon of excellence is strong and lean; neither virtue can suffic iently bring success on its own, explain the authors. Companies n eed to achieve a strategic balance between top-line and bottom-li ne growth in order to flourish and enjoy staying power. The stron gest companies are those that recognize and understand the import ance of both innovation and improvement. These companies never st op growing--even if they must temporarily sacrifice their bottom- line profits. These companies are value growers. Drawing from act ual growth success and failure stories from top global companies such as Intel, Microsoft, Nissan, BASF, Hyundai, 3Com, Bayer, and others, this book reveals that value-building growth is a consta nt, conscious process. It also proves that successful growth is p ossible in any industry, at all phases of the business cycle. Org anized into three authoritative sections, The Value Growers: *E quips managers and business leaders with the diagnostic tools to identify their organizations' growth categories *Outlines the fi ve fundamentals of value-building growth that companies in any in dustry sector can follow *Delivers proven strategies and techniq ues for achieving sustained, value-building growth The Value Gr owers is a timely and important resource for anyone looking to bu ild a strong, successful, ever-expanding, and prosperous organiza tion. The bigger and better we get, the higher the hurdles beco me. It is incumbent upon us to challenge and continuously improve the way we run our businesses. --Bernie Marcus,, Books<