Average customer rating:
- Schizophrenic artist of cats
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Catland
Louis Wain
Manufacturer: Duckworth Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General
| Drawing
| Arts & Photography
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General
| Arts & Photography
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ASIN: 071561164X |
Customer Reviews:
Schizophrenic artist of cats.......2006-10-28
This is a fascinating biography of an accomplished artist who started a whole "style" of cat art, known all over England. He married young, but his first wife became seriously ill right away...This is the story of a man with great imagination, which eventually let him to an insane asylum for a number of years...but he was so famous that the public eventually helped him out!
This edition is by Magna Press, 1995, and the most recent edition of the book. A slim large hardback, with about 40 pages. The kitties are as fascinating as the artist. Highly recommended. Rare.
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DAYS IN CATLAND
Louis Wain
Manufacturer: B. Shackman & Co. Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KHZF1C |
Average customer rating:
- not for everyone
- A Vivid, Enthralling Tale for All Ages
- An incredible story that you will carry with you forever
- Review from White Crane Journal
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Catland
David Garrett Izzo
Manufacturer: Black Panther Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Contemporary
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General
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ASIN: 097210822X |
Book Description
Catland is a fable for all ages about mystic and mythic heroic cats the size of lions that lived before recorded time when they were the gifted species and humans were the newcomers. Catland is a parable of goodness adapted from the sweetest essence of mystical philosophy. Catland is about friendship and loyalty, love and devotion, heroism and sacrifice. The kittens Huxley, Maximus and Princess learn about these qualities at the feet of the great sage Gerald, who is an ancient friend of the mystical eagle and leader of Eagleland, Wystan the Wise. When the kittens become adults and Catland's leaders, they face the threat of the evil human Reltih who wishes to rule the world. The Princess chooses Huxley as her mate. The orphan, Maximus, driven by his unrequited love for Princess, becomes Catland's greatest warrior and defends his adopted home from the enemy.
Customer Reviews:
not for everyone.......2003-05-03
The book was marginally enjoyable. Many parts necesitated trudging through. Maximus was somewhat entertaining. There were definitely highlights and some philosophical aspects. Bottom line: not worth the money unless you are a cat freak.
A Vivid, Enthralling Tale for All Ages.......2003-03-09
Catland ignites the reader's imagination and paints incredible pictures as it tells of the cat's we wish we knew: cats who lead lives of valor and compassion. Readers of all ages will love it. The cat-lovers of today know that our very cats live mystical lives, but they, unfortunately, cannot convey them. Catland does this for us. And those who aren't cat-lovers...well, they will be.
An incredible story that you will carry with you forever.......2003-03-01
Once I opened CATLAND I was unable to put it down. It is full of mysticism, wisdom, and beauty. Maximus, the lead cat character, is every woman's dream. You will fall madly and hopelessly in love with him. This was one of the most enjoyable books I've read in a long time and the story will stay with me forever. Aside weaving a spellbinding tale, David Garret Izzo's writing is exceptional.
Review from White Crane Journal.......2003-02-25
"Before recorded time, the big cats ruled the world with mysticism, honor, and courage," goes the subtitle for Catland by White Crane subscriber and contributor David Izzo. This is a children's book: on the surface, a piece of fluff-but quite fun-about legendary housecats the size of human beings who inhabit a world a little like Tolkien's Middle Earth where intelligent, even psychic, animal spirits share the earth with one another, wizards, majestic eagles, and problematic human beings, and a little like the galaxy far, far away where the Light and the Dark sides compete for the power of the Force, i.e. a world of myth and metaphorical meaning.
The story tells of the adventures of the head of the Council of Cats, Maximus the First, a black cat with a shiny white chest and burning yellow eyes. Maximus was stolen as a kitten and cared for in capitivity by a wise, magical eagle named Wystan and watched over by a wizard named Gerald. The first half of the book involves Maximus's rescue by the red-and-tan tabby named Huxley and his uniting with a bride Princess Blue.
The second half recounts Maximus's conflict with the evil humans, likened to Nazis with names that are cyphers for Hitler and Mengele, men who have chosen "Second Nature" (the Dark side), that is, ego and power over collective identity and common good.
Izzo's dedication at the head of the book reveals that Max, Huxley, and Princess are he and his wife's household cats. But, of course, the names are also reminiscent of the 1940s and 50s poetry/mysticism circle of W.H. Auden, Gerald Heard, Stephen Spender, Aldous Huxley, and Christopher Isherwood. Izzo is a scholar of this period in English and American letters, having written and edited several books and scholarly anthologies on these mostly gay literary figures. One of Izzo's books is a novelized account of these men's experience of the rise of Nazism in Europe called A Change of Heart (to be published by Gival Press) which examines Isherwood's idea of the Truly Strong Man.
Catland is certainly not a roman a clef, though there are parallels between the cats and their namesakes (Huxley the red-and-tan tabby is half-blind from an eye-infection like his namesake Aldous). But it is, in fairy-tale style, another examination of the idea of the Truly Strong Man-or, in this case, Cat-which is one who would give his own life for the sake of transpersonal good (what in Catland is called "Great Mystery").
I liked this little book. I thought the Nazi references clumsy, but as a cat-lover myself, I thoroughly enjoyed the images of giant housecats bounding to the rescue. Izzo's writing is very descriptive. This book is a treat-with a truly mystical message.
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Catland
Rodney, Dale
Manufacturer: Leicester: Promotional Reprint Company Ltd. 1995
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000ROCZ2K |
Average customer rating:
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Catland Companion
Rh Value Publishing
Manufacturer: Gramercy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
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ASIN: 0517120259
Release Date: 1994-08-06 |
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Catlands : Pays Des Chats
Felix Vincent
Manufacturer: Tundra Books of Northern New York
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
All French Books
| French
| Foreign Language Books
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ASIN: 0887760910 |
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Christmas in Catland
Alice Goyder
Manufacturer: Crowell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
Children's Books
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| Ages 4-8
| Ages 9-12
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ASIN: 0690039352 |
Book Description
First impressions are crucial in today's social and professional environments, and personal appearance plays an important role in creating this impression. Here, gathered by America's foremost image consultants, are 500 beauty secrets, professional tricks and fashion tips to help the woman of the 90s look powerful and beautiful. The book includes advice on which styles best flatter specific body types; tricks to accentuate your strongest features; simple makeup and hair style tips; organizational ideas to simplify a daily routine; quick fashion and beauty secrets to enhance self-confidence, create a romantic mood, or raise a flagging spirit; ideas to minimize clothing expenditures through smart shopping; and much more. For more than a decade, the authors have solved problems for thousands of private clients, and collected fool-proof answers to their most asked questions. With Instant Style, these professional secrets are right at women's fingertips.
Customer Reviews:
less than expected.......2000-03-04
this book didn't provide as much information as i had hoped. the tips were about one sentence each and many were platitudes like, "self-confidence will always help you look better." if you want sound-bites, this book might be for you. but if you're looking for a current style guide that actually walks you through different aspects of putting together a workable wardrobe, keep looking.
A little gem filled with useful information!.......1999-09-07
This little book is chock full of useful information - hints, tidbits, common sense, and interesting suggestions for improving your appearance and your life. It's also an "easy read" - you can read an item, a page, or the entire book as your time permits. Definitely a good purchase - a wealth of information for a cheap price.
Great tips, easy to read.......1999-07-25
You can pick this book up and in a matter of minutes find a tip that is worth using. This is not a wardrobe building book, but it does have tons advice for looking your best.
Sound-bite grooming and style hints.......1998-02-07
I was expecting coherent style advice for professionals, but this is more of a 'Heloise's Hints' for dressing. Some of them have value, but it's not any sort of cohesive program for updating your 'look.'
Book Description
Presented in the form of diaries, official documents, and letters, rather than simply transcribed scripts, this book is a companion to the successful BBC series, "Yes Prime Minister."
Book Description
This book is a companion to the highly successful BBC series, "Yes Minister."
Customer Reviews:
would give it more if possible.......2006-04-12
This is a book that I have read atleast 20 times since I bought it back in 1995 - I would suggest looking for a hardcover version since the wear and tear has taken its toll on my precious copy - its now held together with gaffers tape ...
anyhoo - this is probably the best political satire ever - and even though it was written back in the 80's it is more than relevant today in the day of the infamous spin cycle and the sparing between the Bush Admin and the press (not taking sides here)
Hey even Margaret Thatcher was a big fan as it truely represented how things worked, albeit in a very smartly funny and incisive way .... she even WROTE a skit along with her press sec that was PERFORMED by MT, Sir Humpy and Jim .... here is a link for more details
http://www.yes-minister.com/thatcherscript.htm
BUY this book and preserve it - I fear the day when copies of this book are no longer available in print form
Absolutely Priceless!.......2003-12-18
It is not uncommon for writers of britcoms to supplement a successful television series with a text-based adaptation, and such is indeed what writers Jonathan Lynn and Antony Jay have done with Yes Minister (and its sequel, Yes Prime Minister). It is uncommon, however, to find such a good one.
Every bit as erudite and witty as the series upon which it is based, The Complete Yes Minister (originally published in 1984 and subtitled The Diaries of a Cabinet Minister), is ostensibly by the Right Hon. James Hacker MP (with Lynn and Jay serving merely as humble editors!). The year is 2019--and no this is NOT science fiction! Although Hacker kept a daily diary of his experiences and opinions whilst in office in the 1980s, the subsequent passage of time has resulted in the expiration of the Thirty-Year Rule. What this means is that the editors (who are writing from Hacker College, Oxford, by the way!) now conveniently have access to (and are able to publish) copies of all the memos and minutes written by Sir Humphrey Appleby (amongst others)--copies of which are included in the book, thereby providing us with a perspective other than Hacker's rather narrow (and, at least initially, innocent) one.
The book commences (as one would expect!) with the "Editors' Note." Lynn and Jay elaborate on the problems they encountered in editing the Diaries and how these were dealt with. Nevertheless, they admit it falls to us ultimately to decide for ourselves whether Hacker's account represents: "(a) what happened, (b) what he believed happened, (c) what he would like to have happened, (d) what he wanted others to believe happened, or (e) what he wanted others to believe that he believed happened"! The editors also include a note of thanks to Sir Humphrey (whose last days were spent in St. Dympna's Hospital for the Elderly Deranged!) for information gleaned from conversations which were held with him "before the advancing years, without in any way impairing his verbal fluency, disengaged the operation of his mind from the content of his speech."
The Diaries themselves are divided into twenty-one chapters (one chapter per episode) with 20 to 30 pages each (there are 514 pages in all). Of course there is dialogue (from Hacker's recollection), but the Diaries comprise so much more. The inclusion of copies of memos, letters, interviews, newspaper clippings, entries from Sir Humphrey's own diary, not to mention the recollections of Sir Bernard Woolley (from conversations with the editors) make for a far more dynamic, fun book than if the writers had merely presented us with the series' scripts. The format also allows for so much of Hacker's thoughts to be included--much of which we as viewers were never privy to. Finally, the Diaries are liberally annotated by the editors with helpful, humorously phrased bits of background information often pertaining to government workings or terminology--bits that are additional to the television series.
Of course, it is being a fan of the television series and having watched it with such enjoyment that makes this book (a UK publication) such a gem as we picture Hacker, Sir Humphrey, etc., in our mind's eye. But it is so creatively written, with all the original wit (and more), that it's a superb book in its own right--one which I'd recommend to anyone looking for an intelligent, hilariously witty, pun-filled book--one that also happens to offer a wealth of insight into the inner workings of the parliamentary system of government. For those, however, for whom this richly witty, intelligent series is a favourite, this book (together with it's sequel) really is a must-have, and I recommend it every bit as highly as the superb series upon which it is based!
British humor at its best.......2002-03-31
if you like your humor understated and your wit dry (droll as humphrey would no doubt say), this book will be the best you have ever read. and it will stay that way.
the british civil service had a unique characteristic - it was not directly under the control of the political masters. this gave rise to a very interesting situation where the civil service and her majesty's servants were working towards entirely opposite ends. to the civil servant, imaginative and bold were the worst criticisms. change in any form was looked down upon - as we say here - "if it aint broke, dont fix it". the politicians (especially those new in office like hacker who weren't cynical enough not to care one way or the other) often came to office with lofty ideals of revolutionizing society and being the forefathers of a better tomorrow.
behind the curtain of civility, they (the civil servants and politicians) fought battle after battle. the art of realpolitik meant entirely diffent things to both sides. many of the battles went to the civil servants (Lord Humphrey being among the shrewdest) but at times Hacker (James Hacker - first minister and later Prime Minister) prevailed with his low cunning and fast realization that not everything was what it looked like.
each chapter is a revelation - the next time you read the news, you will see it in an entire different perspective after reading this book. action and motive are so far removed as to make the connection entirely unimaginable and the amount of time spent trying to do nothing seems at times appalling.
if slapstick is your cup of tea, stay away from this book. the humor is often less in what is said than in how it is said. the laughs never end. i have read this book 5 times now. the first time, you enjoy the humor for what it is. the second time, you start enjoying the situations, the broader picture, the political moves,and the sheer genius of humphrey. the third time you see how the characters develop. by the fourth time, it's like you're on crack. you cant explain it - you know what is going to happen next, you know the exact words. you still have to read it again. and again. and again.
Quite simply the Best book in Satirical humor.......2002-03-22
Sir Humphrey Appleby, Sir Bernard Wooley, and Rt Honorable James Hacker... this is simply the most outstanding work of humorous fiction that lampoons the British civil service and politicians alike.
Based on the diaries of the minister, the series has been converted to a wonderful teleseries, where the casting has been done by someone who truly loves the book and has imbibed the characters so completely, that on later readings of the book, the television characters appear to the mind.
The book is a series of short stories, which expose the careful interplay between the British civil service and the British politicians, the role played by media, the foriegn office, the various departments etc. It is a wonderful set of stories, where the English is truly masterful!! I remember reading each story with a pencil and dictionary while writing the GRE many years ago,... this and its sequel, yes prime minister, are books which should receive their space in your cabinet.
I dont know why this says - Limited availability, these books are easily procured in India where they are being printed.
That rarest humour - which is found in truth........1999-05-25
Yes Prime Minister is that rarest of books. It is based on a TV show, itself hilarious, and yet manages to be even better than the show. Whereas the show descends into slapstick and exaggerated humour at times, the book does not miss a step. The plots are wonderfully woven, the characters all superbly crafted and uniformly shallow and the writing is impeccable - there are never two words when one will do, and the characters will stay with you long after the first (of many) reading(s). I suspect in years to come, when some distance can be put between the book and it's times, it will be recognised as one of the all time comedy classics. Buy it now!
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THE COMPLETE YES MINISTER
J. LYNN
Manufacturer: BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000S3T2YY |
Book Description
The TLA Video and DVD Guide 2004 is the absolutely indis-pensable guide to worthwhile cinema. It includes over 10,000 entries on the best of film and video that a real film lover might actually want to see. Unlike some of the other mass market guides that tend to be clogged with unenlightening entries on even more unenlightening films, TLA focuses on independent, foreign, and the best of Hollywood to bring the cinaste an opinionated guide that is both fun and useful. The guide includes: -Reviews of more than 10,000 films -Four detailed indexes-by star, director, country of origin, and theme -More than 300 photos throughout -A listing of all the major film awards of the past quarter-century, as well as TLA Bests and recommended films -A comprehensive selection of cinema from more than 50 countries. For the first time, now published as an annual edition, comes one of the most respected guides from one of the finest names in video retailing. The TLA Video and DVD Guide is perfect for anyone with an eclectic taste in cinema.
Customer Reviews:
Quality guide for quality films.......2005-10-03
Well organised, thorough guide to best-known movies. Great resource for classy-style film programmers, not strong on cult/weird/offbeat material. Well-written without pretension.
Discerning film lover loves this book.......2003-12-13
This book is exactly what I needed to separate the good/excellent films from the bad and the ugly. I don't watch films (primarily those on TV) without consulting it. It has enabled me to find popular as well as little-known films that are well-made, well-acted, and well-directed. It has saved me hours of watching films that I wish I'd never seen and reading film guides that include most of the films ever made.
Average customer rating:
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The Rough Guide to Poker (Rough Guide Reference)
Iain Fletcher
Manufacturer: Rough Guides
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Gambling
| Card Games
| Puzzles & Games
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Poker
| Card Games
| Puzzles & Games
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Puzzles & Games
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Gambling
| Card Games
| Puzzles & Games
| Entertainment
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
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Poker
| Card Games
| Puzzles & Games
| Entertainment
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
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General
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| Entertainment
| 4-for-3 Books Store
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All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
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ASIN: 1843536692 |
Book Description
The Rough Guide to Poker is the ultimate companion to the world's most famous card game. This essential guide tracks the game's history, from its early beginnings on the Mississippi riverboats, right up to the current global boom in online playing and televised tournaments. Known for its mystique, glamour and notoriety, the guide looks at the game's most famous poker faces, from playing legends Johnny Moss and Thomas “Amarillo Slim” Preston, to US President Richard Nixon and Hollywood celebrities, Brad Pitt and Ben Affleck. There is also section on the rise in popularity of women players, including actress Linda Fiorentino who won her part in Men In Black in a poker match. The guide also looks at the global fascination with poker, from its starring role in recent blockbuster movies to the current buzz in celebrity TV poker. The heart of the guide looks at the many different versions of the game, with detailed explanations on how to play, and plenty of useful, insider advice, tips and secrets on how to become a successful player. From the glamorous casinos of Las Vegas to the top online poker sites - this guide looks at the very best places to play the game and comes complete with a full glossary of poker terms to make sure you get the most from your hand…and that's no bluff!
Book Description
An indispensable introduction to the company that will define the twenty-first century economy.
Edited by one of the nation's preeminent labor historians, this book marks an ambitious effort to dissect the full extent of Wal-Mart's business operations, its social effects, and its role in the U.S. and world economy. Wal-Mart is based on a spring 2004 conference of leading historians, business analysts, sociologists, and labor leaders that immediately attracted the attention of the national media, drawing profiles in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and the New York Review of Books. Their contributions are adapted here for a general audience.
At the end of the nineteenth century the Pennsylvania Railroad declared itself "the standard of the world." In more recent years, IBM and then Microsoft seemed the template for a new, global information economy. But at the dawn of the twenty-first century, Wal-Mart has overtaken all rivals as the world-transforming economic institution of our time.
Presented in an accessible format and extensively illustrated with charts and graphs, Wal-Mart examines such topics as the giant retailer's managerial culture, revolutionary use of technological innovation, and controversial pay and promotional practices to provide the most complete guide yet available to America's largest company.
Customer Reviews:
Sure Wal-Mart is swill ,but this book is dry and boring.......2006-10-01
Before commenting on this very boring,badly written junk book I think it is necessary to comment on some of the political diatribes that herein pass for "reviews"of this volume...Everyone knows that at wal-mart prices are low because the company is cut-throat,doesn't pay its workers well,and has as it's primary goal the intention to drive as many of its competitors out of business as possible..so what else is new?In an era that allows a brainless twit like George W.Bush to have two terms as president,that has seen repeated tax give-aways to the rich but no increase in the federal minimum wage for the poor,that allows government to step on the constitution and trash the bill of rights,one can only wonder at the self-righteous fulminating to be found in reviews that say more about liberal anger than about how badly written this book is...Hey!Wal-Mart thrives for the same reason that George W.Bush remains president,and for the same reason thatthe rich get richer while the poor remain poor;BECAUSE A MAJORITY OF THE AMERICAN PUBLIC ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN !
This book is written is an ultra-dry,statistical style,apparently designed for someone other than the average reader...If the people responsible for this book thought that with its publication a spark would be ignited that would burn wal-mart to the ground they were-and are-mistaken...while poring over the data in this volume may indeed show wal-mart to be the predatory corporate villian that we all already accept as fact,it is not likely that many will take the time and the effort necessary to do so..and effort is needed,as reading through most of what is contained in this volume is about as entertaining as reading the phone-book cover to cover.
THE RACE TO THE BOTTOM MUST STOP HERE.......2006-06-10
This may not be the book of essays that finally gets people up in arms against the Wal-Martization of the world but it contains much useful information for those are interested in that perspective.
This writer has just received news that the Massachusetts Federation of Teachers (MFT) has voted to support the Wal-Mart boycott. Thus, the MFT joins a growing number of other unions union federations nationally and internationally in support of this first step in the struggle to organize Wal-Mart. Every militant is obliged to and must support this boycott as a first step in the struggle against this greedy mega-corporation. To list the egregious labor practices of this corporation is like reading pages from the history relating the sweatshop conditions of the American labor movement at the turn of the 20th century. These essays detail that exploitation. Whatever piddling savings one might receive by shopping at Wal-Mart is negated by the degradation of its labor force. It is high time for the labor movement to move on this outfit and move hard. The race to the bottom stops here.
Whatever the practical effect of the boycott it can only be a first step in the ultimate union organization of Wal-Mart. A boycott is not enough! A consumer boycott, as has been shown by past practices, is only as effective as the diffuse shopping public is aware of it. In general, a consumer boycott has little or no effect at all. In any case it is not decisive. There is no short-cut to effective organization at the point of production and, particularly in the case of Wal-Mart, distribution. The leadership of the organized American labor movement (now centered in the AFL-CIO and Change to Win Coalition) has chiefly used to the tactic of boycott to avoid the hard struggle to unionize the workforce. In the final analysis only organization in the field will bring unionization.
To organize Wal-Mart means there must be the will to organize Wal-Mart. It is necessary to go all out to win once the decision has been made to organize this monster along industrial lines, like the automobile industry in the 1930's. Previous local efforts (such as in Quebec and Texas) to organize particular stores have shown that this strategy (or lack of strategy) has been a failure. Wal-Mart is just too big and powerful to be taken on piecemeal. This writer has seen estimates that the number of field organizers necessary to effectively organize Wal-Mart is at least 3000. Militants must call on the organized labor movement to fund and sent out that number en masse. The time is now.
Those even slightly familiar with the Wal-Mart operation know that the corporation has a fleet of at least 7000 trucks to transport and deliver goods to its various locations. This should make every militant salivate at the prospect of organizing that fleet. Militants must demand that the Teamsters International Union to organize the fleet. Know this, if the trucks, the key to the distribution process are unionized that is a very powerful argument in the workers' favor if a showdown with other parts of the Wal-Mart workforce is necessary. This writer suggests that militants read Teamster Rebellion and Teamster Power by Farrell Dobbs; a central organizer of the successful Teamster union drives in Minneapolis and later over the road drivers in the 1930's. (These books have been reviewed elsewhere in this space) One thing is sure, if it took practically a civil war to bring the relatively loosely organized trucking company bosses to their knees in the 1930's it will be 1000 times harder to do so against this monolithic giant. But the victory will be sweeter.
very very useful academic perspective.......2006-01-26
Neither a polemic nor a whitewash, this book is critical yet strives to be fair. Its perspective is predominantly historical and a bit too academic, but it is well written and simply fascinating.
Sam Walton was a natural salesman, passionate about building his retail business. When founded Wal-Mart in 1962, he did not entertain any dream of becoming the wealthiest man in America or creating the world's largest company. Instead, he wanted to bring big-city discounting to his corner of the rural American South, which would cut about 20% off the prices in local stores. But he wanted the discounts to be offered every day, rather than by one-time sales promotions of selected items. He chose to expand locally, opening stores in his native Arkansas and spreading slowly into Oklahoma, Missouri, and Louisiana. Thus, as the book points out, Wal-Mart's culture reflects where it was born, where its salaries were viewed as fair and people could live reasonably well on them and in a context without strong unions or organized workers.
Walton's strategy was simple: to make up for his low profit margins, he would have to sell in higher volumes of sales in a large number of stores. In addition, his company developed a relentless drive to lower costs by going directly to manufacturers and constantly increasing worker productivity, which often translated into low salaries for a high-turnover work force. He also paid close attention to the competition as well as trained Wal-Mart workers to treat customers with courtesy and consideration of their needs. It was a phenomenal success. In 1985, with just under 1,000 stores, he was named by Forbes Magazine as the richest man in America. By 1991, Wal-Mart was recognized as America's largest retailer as it began to expand overseas. It was repeatedly hailed as the most admired company in America.
In the aftermath of Walton's death, the expansion of the company accelerated with a combination of new technologies (the "logistics revolution") and the globalization of its operations. By 2004, Wal-Mart was number one on the Fortune 500 list, as both the world's largest corporation and the largest non-governmental employer.
From the mid-1990s, Wal-Mart became a pioneer in technology-driven productivity enhancement. Elements included: 1) point-of-sale data collection, enabling managers to track inventory and demand in real time; 2) data mining in order to exploit trends to boost sales via novel merchandising techniques, e.g. placing diapers and six packs of beer near store entryways on Fridays, to exploit a spike in demand for both items at the end of the workweek; 3) the establishment of a just-in-time delivery system, which suppliers and distributors were obligated to participate in and obey, in effect joining Wal-Mart's data network. According to a widely cited estimate by McKinsey and Co., Wal-Mart alone was responsible for 25% of the "gain in productivity" of the U.S. economy from 1995 to 1999! Many of these efficiency gains, the company claimed, were passed directly on to consumers in the form of lower prices. Wal-Mart, the company said, saved U.S. consumers over $100 billion per year.
Combined with its sheer size (Wal-Mart accounts for approximately 10% of all retail sales in the U.S.!) these technological capabilities enabled Wal-Mart to exert an unprecedented degree of control not only over its business partners (independent manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors), but over its employees as well.
On the one hand, this represents a fundamental shift of market power to the retailer, which traditionally had served as outlets for manufacturers. In practical terms, this meant that Wal-Mart could force its partners to set prices at whatever levels that the retailer deemed desirable, which translated into direct control of both their marketing through Wal-Mart stores and in many cases, even the manufacturers' brand. Given the imperative of cost containment, this tends to cut their profit margins to the bone. In the case of Vlasic pickles, for example, some have argued that Wal-Mart's insistence that the company lower prices led to its bankruptcy as well as derailed its brand strategy for high quality at slightly higher prices. One the other hand, managers in Wal-Mart headquarters are able track the productivity of workers in its individual stores, allowing them to push for "improvements", allegedly as unpaid over-time and refusal to take breaks, which many critics charged were degrading and often illegal.
Wal-Mart's size and reach attracted many critics, who condemn its practices and began to mount protest campaigns against the company. Their tactics include grassroots campaigns to block the establishment of new Wal-Mart Supercenters, targeted consumer boycotts, a barrage of media attacks (in films and television, on the internet, and in print), and efforts to unionize Wal-Mart associates. In addition, the company became the object of a growing number of lawsuits (on average two per hour, 365 days per year!) from both current and former employees and customers, including many class-action suits.
Wal-Mart's critics argue passionately that the company had to change in a variety of ways. First, they believe, Wal-Mart had to somehow lessen its impact on the communities that it entered. As it stood, they charge, Wal-Mart not only destroys local "mom and pop" stores that could not compete on price, which sometimes turn traditional downtown shopping areas from vital social centers into ghost towns, but also generate such second-hand effects of increased traffic, reduced demand for other local businesses such as newspapers, additional infrastructure costs that create new tax burdens. Second, Wal-Mart's labor practices, which they believe are brutal and unfair, have to change. The company, they demand, should allow associates to unionize, offer better wages and health insurance benefits, and treat them more humanely. Moreover, critics claim, Wal-Mart's labor practices were dragging down those of its unionized competitors, who were asking employees to "bargain away" their higher salaries, pension plans, and other benefits in order for the companies to survive. Third, they argue, Wal-Mart has to provide a more equitable management of its supply chain, from "sweatshop" workers in China to the company's truckers as well as its manufacturing partners. This often means that the company should pay more for the goods and services it buys.
This criticism amounts to nothing less than a fundamental repudiation of Wal-Mart's business model, which in the words of one critic in this book, "can flourish only by externalizing many of its most important social and economic costs, which are displaced onto a relentlessly squeezed supply chain, an underpaid retail work force, and those many thousand communities...which have been forced to absorb so many intangible expenses..." Even worse, evidence suggests that the criticism resonated with a growing portion of the public. In a 2004 confidential McKinsey & Co., it was reported, between 2 and 8% of the public had ceased to shop at Wal-Mart due to the "negative press" about the company. Most alarming to Wal-Mart executives, however, was the disapproval of more affluent, middle class consumers in urban areas, that is, the group that the company had identified as the market that it must next enter if its growth rates were to improve or even be sustained.
This is about where the book stops, which is unfortunate given the things that have happened recently. As media campaigns against the company grew in 2004, Wal-Mart President and CEO Lee Scott decided to mount a counter-offensive. In its aim respond directly to the claims of critics, this represented a new departure for the company. After hiring the public relations firm Edelman, the company created a rapid-response "war room" in summer, 2005. Among the tasks of the group was the cultivation of a more positive image of the company - as environmentally aware and more worker friendly - in the minds of the "swing voters" who had not yet decided against shopping at Wal-Mart. It wants to be viewed as a good guy again, which in my opinion is a dubious proposition.
The next phase of the story is whether or not this new PR will work. The company certainly got lots of praise for its Katrina relief efforts, and deservedly so if you ask me. But the opposition to the company will persist. My advice is: hold onto your seats because it's gonna be a heckuva ride. For example, just after Scott announced some progressive measures, such as a new health care plan and some environmental initiatives, foes of the company released a leaked internal memo (on strategies to keep employees off the company health care plans) with perfect political timing: the vilification was intense, focusing on how the leopard may not really have changed its spots. These opposition groups are media-savvy and driven - and they will not stop. I have interviewed some of them, and to say the least, they are passionate about their mission, which is not just to block Wal-Mart but on how to shape the direction in which their communities will develop. Instead of asking "how many jobs", they are looking at what kinds of jobs are being created. In my view, this represents a fundamentally new kind of social movement and Wal-Mart had better take heed.
Recommended as the best book I have yet read on the company. While it is predominantly historical, it explains many useful things about the company that are unavailable elsewhere. Also, there are wonderful histories about the retail trade.
Good Insights!.......2005-12-06
The book begins by summarizing the 10/11/03 lockout/strike of 59,000 Southern California grocery workers from 850 supermarkets in an effort to maintain wages and healthcare insurance the UFCW had negotiated over 50 years. The lockout/strike ended Feb./Mar. of '04 with a decisive defeat for grocery workers - the new contract slashed starting pay and capped health insurance payouts. The one point of agreement was that the struggle was initiated by industry management trying to prepare for expected competition from Wal-Mart in their area. (Some experts see Wal-Mart becoming the nation's leading grocer by '08.)
Wal-Mart is attributed to bring over 230,000 shipping containers across the Pacific each year - approximately 100 containership loads, and about 10-20% of transhipped through Southern California. Its overseas suppliers employ up to 65,000 at a single facility (Huyen-Binh-Chanh in VN).
Discounters' labor costs average about 15% of sales (about half that of department stores); Wal-Mart's are another 25% less. One means of selling its low wages is to also offer profit-sharing - however, few take advantage because qualifying requires two years' employment to qualify (40%+ turnover/year). Only 7% of its employees try to support a family with children on a single Wal-Mart income -> reduced need for benefits. A 32-hour week is considered "standard" at Wal-Mart (some employees do work 40 hours. It probably has a higher percentage of managers start in low-paying jobs and lacking a college/university degree than any other large company in the world.
Adding groceries to Wal-Mart's existing stores typically increased sales of non-food items 30%.
Wal-Mart's "Plus One" principal: - each product's price should be lowered or its quality improved each year. Over 500 large vendors have a permanent sales office near Wal-Mart's headquarters. It requires suppliers to open their books and undergo detailed cost analyses; trade-promotions and direct-marketing campaign costs are deducted from the wholesaler's price. Vendors can access saels data directly, providing the ability to test new products more easily/quickly, and to simply product production and setting inventory levels.
Providing national brands helps Wal-Mart document its status a a low-price leader; store brands (abouat 40% of the total) appeal to the more price conscious shoppers.
Methods of Controlling Labor Costs: Making indenpendent contractors out of truckers bringing containers out of port prevents them from trying to organize or join a union - would bring anti-trust suits; in addition, a large portion are immigrants - particularly difficult to organize. Staffing distribution centers with temporary agencies/employee-leasing firms allows a quick change if organizing develops.
Wal-Mart originally incorporated each store separately, thus allowing sales/store to fall under levels that would require paying the minimum wage - this was stopped by a court-ruling in '67. (K-Mart took the concept a step further - licensing out different departments within a store to different companies.) A computer staffing system dictates lower staffing/sale as sales levels increase; people are sent home early when sales fall. Managers are pushed to "beat yesterday" to retain their position and earn bonuses.
The rest of the book is taken up with general retail history, a summary of the class-action suit claiming Wal-Mart discriminates against women in promotion decisions, and background on Wal-Mart's foray into Mexico.
My opinion is that blaming Wal-Mart for low wages/benefits is misplaced - Wal-Mart would not be able to do this if the economy were better. Thus, the weak economy is the problem, and Wal-Mart provides a preview of how life will be for more and more Americans as international competition increases.
Books:
- Chinese Opera Costumes Paper Dolls
- CHINESE PATTERNS W/CD-ROM (Shambahala Agile Rabbit Editions)
- Classic Techniques for Watercolour Landscapes
- Climbing Jacob's Ladder: Heroes of the Bible in African-American Spirituals
- Concrete to Canvas: Skateboarders' Art
- David Hockney: A Drawing Retrospective
- Diaspora and Visual Culture: Representing Africans and Jews (Culture Work)
- Digital Harmony: On the Complementarity of Music and Visual Art
- Egypt: 4000 Years of Art
- Egypt and the Ancient Near East Part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art at Home Series
Books Index
Books Home
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- Mountains Without Handrails: Reflections on the National Parks
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