The Chinese on the Art of Painting: Texts by the Painter-Critics, from the Han through the Ch'ing Dynasties (Dover Books on Art, Art History)

Book Description

One of the first Western systematic studies on more than two thousand years of Chinese art by a premier expert in the field. Includes comments by noted landscapists, poet-painters, historians, and theoreticians during the Sung dynasty, methods of study and aesthetic principles of the Ming period, and more. 7 black-and-white plates of illustrations.

Customer Reviews:

Review: The Chinese on the art of painting.......2007-07-30

Title fits the book perfectly - in fact it could have been written in Chinese. It is a collection of translated quotes from Chinese sources on rules and critique of Chinese painting through the ages. The author adds his own comments here and there but in places, I found the book nearly incoherent.

Book Description

Witty, cultured, provocative, and shamelessly enjoyable, The Rear View is a celebration of the behind, ranging from its physical evolution to its history as a source of artistic and literary inspiration and as a barometer of social attitudes.

The ancient Greeks revered the buttocks as being an aspect of the divine and portrayed them enthusiastically on marble statuary. With the Christian era, however, depiction of the nude figure sank into shameful ignominy until the fifteenth century, when Florentine artists once more raised the bottom to subliminal heights, from which lofty eminence it was dashed by the prudish Victorians, who found everything from the waist down a source of embarrassment. Today dress designers decree that the bottom should once more be the focus of attention, and no dedicated followers of fashion can afford to neglect their rear view--or this well-rounded appraisal of it.

Jean-Luc Hennig, a French linguist and essayist, begins the book by writing that "Buttocks" date from remotest antiquity. They appeared when men conceived the idea of standing up on their hind legs and remaining there--a crucial moment in our evolution since the buttock muscles then underwent considerable development. But more important, Hennig surmises that as a result, man's hands were freed and the engagement of the skull on the spinal column was modified, which allowed the brain to develop. Therefore, man's buttocks are in some ways partly responsible for the early emergence of his brain. This is the brilliant and hilarious starting point of The Rear View.

Beautifully written and incredibly humorous, it makes a perfect gift for an intimate of either sex.

Customer Reviews:

Backwards glance, frontwards glimpse.......2007-08-14

A thin, naughty book you pick up for two hours' dalliance at an outdoor cafe in a slightly seedy but raffishly charming market town. This is a collection of feullitons-- short essays that wear their learning lightly if ostentatiously. It's written by a scholar who's also a journalist. He also penned, the jacket flap tells us, an erotic history of fruits & vegetables. Rather than a theoretical tome or an array of pictures for a mature audience, "The Rear View" compiles his reflections, a commonplace book about an overlooked body part and often disdained foundation of yourself that you are probably sitting on as you read this review.

It's difficult when writing about erotic and sexual constructs not to slip into fulsome metaphor. This book shares a coyness blended into a more explicit entry into the nether-realm of the senses, Toni Bentley's (2005) "The Surrender: An Erotic Memoir." (Also reviewed by me recently on Amazon.) Strangely, Bentley does not mention this earlier account, the only other survey even skirting this topic from a mainstream American press which I have found.

Jean-Luc Hennig, a professor of "grammar," a former editor at Libération and Rolling Stone, occupies the intersection between academia and left-leaning popular journalism, so the erudite mixes with the familiar knowingly. He carries that Gallic "je ne se quoi" which in translation English-speaking readers may be titillated or annoyed by in equal measure. 32 short chapters follow the style and tone of Roland Barthes' "Mythologies," as they ponder the derriére from anthropological, historical, literary, and especially aesthetic points of view. The early Christian classification of this as a no-man's zone, and repressive medieval social and theological reactions (perhaps for their scantier extant testimony if no less outraged coverage), do suffer considerable neglect here. Rabelais, de Sade, and courtesans all jostle, but edge others aside. For instance, the calumny that toppled the Templars and the alleged derivation of "bugger" from a heretical movement: both are missing from a chapter on the diabolic associations. Chaucer and Dante are absent; likewise Joyce and Lawrence.

Mark D. Jordan's 1997 "The Invention of Sodomy in Christian Theology" examines, if from a homosexual rather than heterosexual concentration, the misreading of the Genesis story that led to identification of the crime of Sodom & Gomorrah with neither inhospitality to strangers nor possibly gang rape but a canonical insistence that the sin of the townspeople referred to same-sex penetration. Jordan addresses, however, a learned readership within a narrower scope; Hennig appeals to a casual reader looking for thoughtful but lighter diversion. The learning's easygoing.

This topic, as well as the heterosexual experiences Bentley refers to in passing, lumbers about culturally weighted with considerable baggage ever since the Christian condemnation of this activity consigned those who investigate it into furtive pursuits. While queer theory and gay-oriented readings have dominated emerging study in the past few decades, the heterosexual contexts remain far less scrutinized in detail. Bentley documents her skill at the game, rarer her fellow fans; Hennig admires the crowd more often than play-by-play action. Lately, the topic's habitually consigned to queer theory or gay-themed cultural studies. For a male-female dynamic fully fleshed out, this androgynous "contested space" demands a mass-market study pitched beyond pathologists-- or perhaps psychoanalysts-- as far as I can tell!

However, considering the lack of competition, this jeu d'esprit, a witty bagatelle of 32 variations on an often furtive sight well lure you, as Hennig reminds us, to gaze with renewed interest at each other's passing by. It's full of suggestions and possibilities that leave you, as the book's only 180 large-type pages, with curious details and a sense that there's much more to be found about this subject. Perhaps this is the nature of any study of what appeals to the erotic sensibility and, for this topic, the conventionally forbidden expression of its fulfillment.

I wish the book had footnotes, as the references cannot be traced without any paginal documentation. No bibliography, either. Monochrome photos exist, but they were torn out of my public library copy before I checked it out, so I cannot comment. The examination of Hennig's sources, those earlier loving looks and hateful stares, remains superficial. This weakens the usefulness of this text beyond one man's heap of wit and arcane learning.

Nevertheless, it's a quaint perusal despite its often superficial array of ideas arranged more to graze among for a few minutes rather than to nourish into a more sustained examination of the subject. Hennig, like so many smart writers, makes an obvious point-- but one that you and I may not have expressed so precisely. The area of our own body least easily viewed by me is that open to your visual scrutiny-- and possibly the erotic attention of everyone else who follows us. Unless we look back, perhaps we never know who's taking the measure of our own rear view.

One picture, and one tail, are worth a thousand words........1997-09-18

This is another boonie dog book review from Wolfie and Kansas. Jean-Luc Hennig's book "The Rear View" is a collection of essays and vignettes about the human backside. "The Rear View" may be the best book of this subject since J.F. Federspiel's novel "Laura's Skin". However, while "The Rear View" is often cute and clever, it has two major faults.

First, this book reads as if Hennig had written the text for a coffee-table book (albeit one to be placed on coffee tables in high-class bordellos), only to have an editor remove most of the pictures at the last minute to keep the price down. Much of the book discusses notable paintings and photographs of human buttocks, but since the pictures are not reproduced, it is sometimes hard to make sense of the text. The book's handful of black-and-white pictures is not adequate to illustrate the many points which Mr. Hennig seeks to make.

This book also devotes nothing more than a passing mention to the major inadequacy of human hindquarters--the absence of a tail. Doubtlessly the human practice of bobbing the tails of some dogs is just a vengeful and violent expression of human tail envy. One reason that humans talk so much is that you must chatter endlessly to convey emotions that we dogs can express with a simple wag

Book Description

The world's most fun-loving cat returns in living color, with another whisker-grabbing edition of the Sunday comics, collected from his fabulously feline-filled bestselling books.

Customer Reviews:

FUNNY!!.......2003-01-11

Garfield is still alive and tickling funny bones. I bought this for my seven year old son, who has just discovered Garfield and loves him. The great thing about this book is that I laugh with my son!

Great Compilation, But Missing Logos........2002-05-13

The 5th Garfield Treasury comes recommended from me, but not without a few problems. As most of you know, these more recent treasuries are cutting out the logos and the very first little box. A shame.

But, that aside, this book certainly has its laughs. I laughed a lot and this book (as long as you bring along EVERY other Treasury and the black and white books) is great for long car rides. People think Garfield is only for the little kids, but he's for the adults, too. The whole family can laugh at the fat cat's hilarious mischief and his practical jokes on Jon, his hapless owner. Some of the colored Sunday strips are from "Garfield Rounds Out," which is one of my favorite Garfield books. Having them in color here is a real treat. An especially funny strip in this one i where Garfield pretends to be a bird-bath, and gets more than he bargained for.

The 5th Garfield Treasury is laugh out loud funny! But then again, what Garfield book isn't?

well I liked that book more than anythink.......1999-08-06

well my kids laked you show. But when I told them that you can read garfield they just said you are lieing to us so the next day later i bought it and read it to my kids they loved it I loved it.

it's a funny book.......1999-07-29

this is a great book it's very funny and great for gafield fans

it's a funny book.......1999-07-29

this is a great book it's very funny and great for gafield fans

Average customer rating:

The Fifth Garfield Treasury

Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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It's All Downhill from Here

Getting Old Sucks

Not Bad For An Old Timer

Wow, does this book hit the mark!

Getting Old Sucks: But It Sure Beats the Alternative
Ed Strnad
Manufacturer: CCC Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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Accessories:

RESPeRATE Blood Pressure Lowering Device

Philips HeartStart Home Defibrillator (AED)

ASIN: 1576440486

Customer Reviews:

It's All Downhill from Here.......2006-05-31

As one who is now on the other side of the hill, I can safely say that getting old does indeed suck. But, as Ed Strnad points out, it sure does beat the alternative!

This book reads like the movie script of my life, and had me crying tears of laughter. If you know anyone who is aging gracefully (or fighting it), this book would make a wonderful gift. We may as well laugh at the pitfalls of geriatric living, because there isn't a darn thing we can do about it. So read the book, and give yourself something to laugh about.

Getting Old Sucks.......2002-02-05

I think Ed Stnad has his finger on the pulse of us aging baby boomers. I laughed till I cried. The print was nice and large, made me feel young enough to read without glasses. Then I passed it around a nursing home and the residents there roared till they wet their pants. Plain and simple "Getting Old Sucks"

Not Bad For An Old Timer.......2001-08-27

I just bought a used copy of this book and I'm sure glad I did! Not only did I save a few bucks, but it's funny, too! So, listen, is this what it's really like to get old? It's scary. I may have to pull a Kurt Cobain. ha ha ha Anyway, Ed, if you're out there, good work. I'm going to spread the word.

Wow, does this book hit the mark!.......1998-08-21

This is the second Ed Strnad book I've read (the first was the "Optimists/Pessimists Guide to the Millenium") and once again, this author has hit the mark. I would guess Ed is a baby-boomer peering over the age abyss and not liking what he's seeing. But he has such a funny way of encapsulating that stomach-churning feeling all of us boomers are feeling that I swear he's tapping our phones. I don't usually laugh out loud when I read a book, but this one had me guffawing on the bus -- and disturbing my fellow passengers. How could they know I was laughing at getting old!

Customer Reviews:

great!.......2000-03-17

this is a great book. it full of facts you need. if your looking for a bio here it is one of the best. it's not really missing any inportant things. and if your his #1 fan like me you will love this book.

Book Description

Ten of his most beloved songs, arranged for accordion by Kenny Kotwitz. Includes: All I Ask of You * Any Dream Will Do * As If We Never Said Goodbye * I Don't Know How to Love Him * The Music of the Night * Old Deuteronomy * Think of Me * Unexpected Song * and With One Look.

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Contemporary Hits for Accordian

Manufacturer: Hal Leonard Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Songbooks | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 079352170X

Book Description

15 favorites arranged for accordion, including: I Left My Heart in San Francisco * Just the Way You Are * Longer * My Way * New York State of Mind * Piano Man * Somewhere Out There * Through the Years * To All the Girls I've Loved Before * Your Song * and more.

Contemporary Accordion (Accordion/Melodeon)

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Contemporary Accordion (Accordion/Melodeon)
Louis Giampetruzzi
Manufacturer: Oak Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Book Description

A thorough survey of new styles for accordion with over 30 tunes in all the familiar traditions for practice and performance. Covers fills, breaks, and endings, with sections on purchase, care, and maintenance of the accordion and an informative discography.

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Contemporary Hits for Accordion
Gary Meisner
Manufacturer: Hal Leonard
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 999827429X

Customer Reviews:

What A Memory!.......2003-08-29

I remember this book *well* from my elementary school days. I wore my brother's copy to pieces and had to buy a second one. Card tricks, games, puzzles (including instructions for building your own Chinese Ring Puzzle, whose quickest solution is the Gray-code sequence of binary numbers), all ways to impress your friends based on math. Unlike the Elkin Park reader, I would give this book to *every single child* in elementary school. I can't believe it's out of print... maybe the two of us should buy the rights.

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Magic House Numbers
Irving Adler
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0451040511

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Magic House of Numbers
Irving Adler
Manufacturer: John Day Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000T494S6

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Magic House Of Numbers
Adler
Manufacturer: The John Day Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000JD2YTI

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Magic House of Numbers
Irving Adler
Manufacturer: The New American Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000VN83OG

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Magic House of Numbers
Irving Adler
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0000CK45L

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magic house of numbers
adler
Manufacturer: signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000LOBNYC

TERROR TALES - Volume 1, number 1 - September Sept 1934: House of Living Death; Dead Man's Bride; Hands Beyond the Grave; Terror Island; Blood Magic; A Night In Camberwell

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TERROR TALES - Volume 1, number 1 - September Sept 1934: House of Living Death; Dead Man's Bride; Hands Beyond the Grave; Terror Island; Blood Magic; A Night In Camberwell
Anonymous. (editor) (Arthur Leo Zagat; Wyatt Blassingame; Henry Treat Sperry; Hugh B. Cave; G. T. Fleming-Roberts; John Flanders)
Manufacturer: Girasol Collectables
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GW25QO

WEIRD TALES - Volume 22, number 4 - October Oct 1933: The Pool of the Black One; The Seed of the Sepulcher; The Vampire Master; The Mansion of Unholy Magic; The House of the Worm; The Plutonian Terror; The Black Dead Thing; The Cat Woman; The Festival

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WEIRD TALES - Volume 22, number 4 - October Oct 1933: The Pool of the Black One; The Seed of the Sepulcher; The Vampire Master; The Mansion of Unholy Magic; The House of the Worm; The Plutonian Terror; The Black Dead Thing; The Cat Woman; The Festival
Farnsworth (editor) (Robert E. Howard; Clark Ashton Smith; Hugh Davidson; Seabury Quinn; Mearle Prout; Jack Williamson; Frank Belknap Long; Mary Elizabeth Counselman; Marion Doyle; H. P. Lovecraft) Wright
Manufacturer: Girasol Collectables
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Average customer rating:

good on theory

Ron Baker shows us how to price on purpose and with purpose.

you are what you charge.

An excellent overview of a timely topic

For anyone involved in any kind of pricing this is a must read book

Pricing on Purpose: Creating and Capturing Value
Ronald J. Baker
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0471729809

Book Description

—Reed Holden, founder, Holden Advisors Corp., www.holdenadvisors.com coauthor, The Strategy and Tactics of Pricing: A Guide to Profitable Decision Making, Third Edition

"With Pricing on Purpose, Ron Baker had made an enormous contribution to the better understanding of pricing that will be accessible to anyone who wants to learn. People are intrigued by instances of what they see as idiosyncratic pricing. Sometimes it is idiosyncratic, but oft-times it is fiendishly clever and well researched. So is this book. There are examples that at first sight seem to have nothing to do with the subject at hand, but the learning points are all made and explained in any number of interesting and memorable ways. Pricing on Purpose is a welcome and valuable addition to the learning on pricing and I recommend it to professional pricers, marketers, and anyone interested in capturing the value their business creates."
—Eric G. Mitchell, President, Professional Pricing Society, www.pricingsociety.com

"Ron Baker is what I'd call a 'thought giant.' In his first two books he literally began a revolution in the accounting and legal professions. Thousands of professionals in public practice now lead far better, more rewarding lives thanks to him. Now he's broadened his impact in a huge way. Read this book, implement the ideas and you'll never look at your prices or your pricing policies in the same way again. You'll be richer in many ways because of it."
—Paul Dunn, founder and CEO, ResultsNet Australia, coauthor, The Firm of the Future: A Guide for Accountants, Lawyers, and Other Professional Services, www.resultsnetaustralia.com

"As a reader of hundreds of business books, I am thrilled when I come across one that has something new to say. Pricing on Purpose does just that. Instead of presenting a set of feel-good items to check off a list, Ron Baker encourages us 'to think with him, not like him.' He methodically builds his argument leading us through the labyrinth of pricing theory and encourages us to look at pricing as the strategic tool that it is rather than taking the lazy cost-based tactical approach of most businesses. To paraphrase Karl Marx in terms of Baker's book, 'Cost-based pricing is the opium of business.'"
—Ed Kless, Director, Partner Development and Recruitment, Sage Software

"Baker has done it again! Building on the core principles that he advanced in Professional's Guide to Value Pricing and The Firm of the Future, Ron Baker has again evolved thought leadership on the critical dynamics of value and pricing. Baker's latest work, Pricing on Purpose: Creating and Capturing Value, provides real-world examples and practical strategies that provide a framework for pricing optimization. His clarity of purpose and passionate call to action resonates in today's intellectual capital economy."
—Thomas Finneran, Executive Vice President, American Association of Advertising Agencies

"We love this book! With detailed research, thorough references, and recommendations for further reading, this could be considered a textbook. That it is so readable and engaging is a triumph. The chapter providing the epitaph for cost-plus pricing is worth many times the price of this book. 'Got price-sensitive customers? Wonder why? Read and stop weeping. Who's in charge of value in your company?' Baker asks. If you can't immediately answer, you'd better read this book. Bravo, Baker!"
—Paul O'Byrne and Paul Kennedy, partners, O'Byrne and Kennedy LLP, Chartered Accountants, United Kingdom, www.obk.co.uk

"Ron Baker is nothing short of brilliant, and his enthusiasm for pricing is contagious. Pricing on Purpose will add more value to your firm than anything else you could do. As usual in Ron's books, he presents cutting-edge ideas. There is no greater value to your company than to read Pricing on Purpose and implement its ideas."
—Scott Abbott, entrepreneur, former regional business development, manager, BDO Dunwoody, LLP, Manitoba, Canada

Download Description

Reed Holden, founder, Holden Advisors Corp., www.holdenadvisors.com coauthor, The Strategy and Tactics of Pricing: A Guide to Profitable Decision Making, Third Edition ""With Pricing on Purpose, Ron Baker had made an enormous contribution to the better understanding of pricing that will be accessible to anyone who wants to learn. People are intrigued by instances of what they see as idiosyncratic pricing. Sometimes it is idiosyncratic, but oft-times it is fiendishly clever and well researched. So is this book. There are examples that at first sight seem to have nothing to do with the subject at hand, but the learning points are all made and explained in any number of interesting and memorable ways. Pricing on Purpose is a welcome and valuable addition to the learning on pricing and I recommend it to professional pricers, marketers, and anyone interested in capturing the value their business creates."" Eric G. Mitchell, President, Professional Pricing Society, www.pricingsociety.com

Customer Reviews:

good on theory.......2006-08-28

the book is good in price theory, but it needs material about practical cases of how to price porfessional projects.

Ron Baker shows us how to price on purpose and with purpose........2006-07-17

This is essential reading for any professional service provider.
As the title suggests, understanding the why and how of 'creating and capturing value' will change the way you think about your services and how you deliver those services to your customers. Many professionals are trapped in the traditional ways of doing things and many try to be all things to all people. Ron Baker explains how professionals need to change and how to 'deliver' value, not just to customers, but to the right customers and at the right price.

you are what you charge........2006-07-09

Pricing on Purpose by Ron Baker is, quite simply, one of the best books on pricing on the market. It revolves mainly around the subjective theory of value as opposed to the theory of cost-plus pricing. Without encroaching on Baker's territory by going into too much detail (a task I fear I would fail horribly at anyway), the subjective theory of value states that price determines costs, and that costs do not determine price. The fact that this simple statement flies in the face of many classical economic theories and in the face of many companies' pricing strategies is well understood by Baker at the onset. As such, almost the first half of the book is devoted to laying the foundation for both value theories historically as well as on a practical level. The summation of this course of discovery, one which Baker himself had to learn the hard way while working as a CPA, is that cost-plus pricing does not optimize profits. The subjective theory of value, on the other hand, enables companies to "price on purpose," or put the customer at the front end of the value chain. The subjective value chain, as I call it, looks like this:

Customers > Value > Price > Costs > Product

This value chain (first introduced in Nagle and Holden's The Strategy and Tactics of Pricing) flips the traditional chain completely around, and for a very good reason. As value varies depending on customers, so does price vary depending on value. "Price-led costing" is the result, as the costs incurred to create the product depend entirely on the created value and the customers' willingness to pay for this value. Only after all of this is considered is the product developed.

This only scratches the surface of Pricing on Purpose and no review can fully capture the intellectual value of reading this or any of Baker's books. My suggestion is to read this book back-to-back with The Strategy and Tactics of Pricing by Nagle and Holden (the new fourth edition is by Nagle and Hogan). Ron Baker's magnum opus on pricing, Professional's Guide to Value Pricing (currently in its sixth edition), is the next on my pricing reading list and is supposed to fill in a gap in the field of pricing literature by providing a detailed analysis of how to implement value pricing for services. For anyone interested in value pricing or the theoretical grounding behind it, Pricing on Purpose would make an excellent starting point for framing the proper mindset to understanding more profitable applications of the art of pricing.

An excellent overview of a timely topic.......2006-07-07

Ron Baker has written an intriguing book which explores the theory and practice of pricing...from classical economic thinking to the psychology of price. The book is well researched, well considered and well written.

But most of all, it is readable. Lessons in creating and capturing value are richly illustrated by thought-provoking and often humorous stories. Why is movie theater popcorn so expensive? How do Starbucks and Evian get away with such price premiums? Why do men's shirts cost less to dry clean than women's?

Forget your preconceptions that pricing is a dry and arcane topic. Prepare to be simultaneously entertained and educated by Pricing on Purpose.

For anyone involved in any kind of pricing this is a must read book.......2006-04-09

Ron Baker's latest book confirms him as a thought leader in the field of value pricing. The topic is a crucial one for all business organisations. This is not just a specialist book about pricing and billing though. The content of the book is better summed up by its subtitle: "Creating and Capturing Value". That also sums up what business should be about, which is why this is such an important book.

Baker argues that value is created outside the firm in the hearts and minds of customers and is largely independent of the time or effort taken to create it. The focus for pricing decisions therefore has to be the customer's perception of value - what would customers willingly pay for this product or service? Getting it too high will lead customers to walk away. Getting it too low will damage customers' perceptions of value.

Baker rightly dismisses those who bemoan that their services have become a commodity. They have merely failed to create value for their customers. That value depends not only on the function of a product or service but on the whole design of the customer experience or transformation (ie demonstrated outcome).

Everything - at every point of contact with customers - must act to create a perception of value. Baker lists the 5 Cs of value:
1. Comprehend value to customers
2. Create value for customers
3. Communicate the value you create
4. Convince customers they must pay for value
5. Capture value with strategic pricing based on value.

Different customers will have different perspectives on value and this justifies differential pricing. Baker examines various strategies for ethical differential pricing such as skim pricing where a relatively high price is set initially (to capture early adopters willing to pay more) before lowering prices, perhaps with a slightly different product, for the mass market -think of hardback books, the newest mobile phones and iPods.

For me the most important question in the book is "Who is in charge of value in your firm?" If your answer to that question is "everyone" then it might as well be no-one. Two organisations - both accountancy firms - have taken a lead in appointing a Chief Value Officer.

Baker argues his case well with a thorough analysis and sound theoretical underpinning. Notwithstanding this, it is very readable (I read it during a five-hour flight) with extensive quotes and illuminating examples.

I for one am looking forward to Ron's next book in his series on intellectual capitalism which will deal with key performance indicators for value and pricing competence.

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