Activity-Based Costing: Making It Work for Small and Mid-Sized Companies (Wiley Cost Management Series)
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Very detailed
  • Must Buy for ABC
  • It really makes it work
  • Doug Hicks - ABC Guru
  • Literally breaks ground!
Activity-Based Costing: Making It Work for Small and Mid-Sized Companies (Wiley Cost Management Series)
Douglas T. Hicks
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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  1. Activity-based Cost Management: An Executive's Guide Activity-based Cost Management: An Executive's Guide
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  3. Activity-Based Cost Management Making It Work: A Manager's Guide to Implementing and Sustaining an Effective ABC System Activity-Based Cost Management Making It Work: A Manager's Guide to Implementing and Sustaining an Effective ABC System
  4. Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing: A Simpler and More Powerful Path to Higher Profits Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing: A Simpler and More Powerful Path to Higher Profits
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ASIN: 047123754X

Book Description

* A practical, cost-effective guide to ABC for small to medium companies.
* Identifies the key cost related issues in organizations and shows how to develop a cost-flow structure that reflects the organization's cost behavior.
* Feature an ongoing case study throughout the book documents the model-building process.
* Provides a spreadsheet model blueprint that details data flows.
* Shows how a cost model of an organization can be developed using basic spreadsheet software on a PC.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Very detailed.......2002-10-25

Hicks has a lot to offer in this book on activity-based costing, however it is not an easy to read. It very quickly dives into the weeds of detail. I think this is a very good second book to read on Activity Based Costing, because it goes into the details of how to actually implement a system. I would recommend that you first read Kaplan's "Cost and Effect," to get a good grounding in the fundamentals before reading this book.

5 out of 5 stars Must Buy for ABC.......2001-11-14

This is a fantastic book on the subject of ABC. The costing model constructed in the book goes into just enough detail to give you a practical foundation for actual implementation, without getting lost in minutiae. At just the right times, the author also reminds you about the big picture and doesn't let you go away thinking correct decisions can all be boiled down to exercises in number-crunching. This is a must-buy, if you're serious about implementing ABC in your organization.

5 out of 5 stars It really makes it work.......2000-04-20

Activity-Based Costing: Making it Work for Small and Mid-Sized Companies, is a very well written and usefull handbook to design and implementation of Activity-Based Costing. It provides: a general description of key concepts of ABC, a practical guide to design of ABC system in the company, as well as description of any potential problems concerning implementation of ABC. I am working as a financial consultant (in Warsaw), and this book has helped me to help many companies that were loosing their cost-effectiveness. I think, that the author should have added some 100 pages to the book, and defined - described some aspects of Activity-Based Management - although that could have been too technical for most of the readers. Overall, I think that the book contains most of the knowledge needed for successful design & implementation of ABC. It really worked for me...

5 out of 5 stars Doug Hicks - ABC Guru.......2000-03-05

This is a model of clear and effective writing and teaching. Certainly one of the best accounting books I've ever read, it gives you the tools to start ABC analysis at once and never strays into jargon. The many examples of different company types and the simple to use and understand spreadsheet analysis keeps you focused on the theory of ABC rather than minute details of allocations. A book to keep on your desk.

5 out of 5 stars Literally breaks ground!.......2000-02-26

I can not quite imagine a single decision made in any company that does not concern cost. And, when it is about accurate costing, I can not imagine another book on business that can better assist than this one.

First, the author defines the concept, states the reasons why Activity Based Costing should be implemented in every company, and then thoroughly shows you how to do it. Since the main step-by-step example in the book concentrates on a small manufacturing organization, those who are applying the concept to service organizations may have a harder time making the translation to their specific situations. Still, I don't think that will be much of an issue. The book is very well-written and must be digested by every professional with a passion for improving their company and seize a competitive advantage.

Industrial Efficiency in Six Nations
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Industrial Efficiency in Six Nations
    Richard E. Caves , and Associates
    Manufacturer: The MIT Press
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

    GeneralGeneral | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
    MicroeconomicsMicroeconomics | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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    Production & OperationsProduction & Operations | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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    ASIN: 0262031930

    Book Description

    Industrial Efficiency in Six Nations continues the pioneering research begun in Caves and Barton's Efficiency in U.S. Manufacturing Industries, extending it to the international sphere and laying the empirical groundwork for a deeper understanding of the sources of inefficiency and their cost in productivity.

    This extended project is the first to apply the stochastic frontier production function routinely, with results that are both meaningful and sophisticated. Of particular interest are substantive results concerning the effects of exposure to competition, both domestic and foreign, and of organizational factors such as corporate diversification and unionization on productive efficiency.

    Caves and his colleagues investigate the gaps between average and best-practice efficiency of plants in the manufacturing industries of the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Australia, Japan, and Korea. They show that the resulting measures of industrial efficiency can be used to test many hypotheses about how efficiency differs from industry to industry. They confirm the generally favorable effects of competition on efficiency and also test many effects of organizational choices, while controlling for dynamic disturbances and sources of intrinsic diversity. They also explore what happens to the typical industry's efficiency over time, show how much and why the efficiency of large and small units differs, and probe the relation of the gap between an industry's average and best-practice efficiency and its international standing in average productivity.

    Richard E. Caves is Professor of Economics and Business Administration at Harvard University.
    Industrial Efficiency in Six Nations
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      Industrial Efficiency in Six Nations
      Richard E. Caves
      Manufacturer: The MIT Press
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback
      ASIN: B000OR4CNU

      Sovereign States and Suits Before Arbitral Tribunals and Courts of Justice
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        Sovereign States and Suits Before Arbitral Tribunals and Courts of Justice
        James Brown Scott
        Manufacturer: Lawbook Exchange
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Hardcover

        GeneralGeneral | Law | Subjects | Books
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        ASIN: 1584774592

        Book Description

        Scott, James Brown. Sovereign States and Suits Before Arbitral Tribunals and Courts of Justice. New York: The New York University Press, 1925. x, 360 pp. Reprint available May 2004 by The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd. ISBN 1-58477-459-2. Cloth. * Scott [1866-1943], a participant in the Versailles Conference, was an outstanding scholar of international law. This book grew out of a series of lectures delivered at New York University in 1924. Scott outlines a history of states gradually renouncing warfare in favor of international mediating agencies. His conclusions were overly optimistic, but his book is remains valuable for its intellectual history of inter-state mediation and its insights into the relationship between sovereign states and the Hague Tribunal of Arbitration and the Permanent Court of International Justice.
        Sovereign States and Suits before Arbitral Tribunals and Courts of Justice
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          Sovereign States and Suits before Arbitral Tribunals and Courts of Justice
          James Brown Scott
          Manufacturer: New York University Press
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Hardcover
          ASIN: B000NU2USW
          SOVEREIGN STATES AND SUITS:  Before Arbitral Tribunals and Courts of Justice
          Average customer rating: Not rated
            SOVEREIGN STATES AND SUITS: Before Arbitral Tribunals and Courts of Justice
            James Brown Scott
            Manufacturer: The New York University Press
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Hardcover
            ASIN: B000M0Y6YE

            Rodent Biology and Management (ACIAR Technical Reports)
            Average customer rating: Not rated
              Rodent Biology and Management (ACIAR Technical Reports)
              Zhi-Bin Zhang , Lyn Hinds , Grant Singleton , and Zu-Wang Wang
              Manufacturer: Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR)
              ProductGroup: Book
              Binding: Unknown Binding

              GeneralGeneral | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
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              ASIN: 1863202560
              The biology of arboreal rodents in douglas-fir forests (Biology and management of old-growth forests)
              Average customer rating: Not rated
                The biology of arboreal rodents in douglas-fir forests (Biology and management of old-growth forests)
                Andrew B Carey
                Manufacturer: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station
                ProductGroup: Book
                Binding: Unknown Binding
                ASIN: B0006DJ9XA
                A Review of the Biology and Management of Rodent Pests in Southeast Asia (ACIAR Technical Reports)
                Average customer rating: Not rated
                  A Review of the Biology and Management of Rodent Pests in Southeast Asia (ACIAR Technical Reports)
                  G.R. Singleton , and D.A. Petch
                  Manufacturer: Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR)
                  ProductGroup: Book
                  Binding: Unknown Binding

                  GeneralGeneral | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
                  GeneralGeneral | Agricultural Sciences | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
                  ASIN: 1863201246

                  Biology: 1 On 1 Lab Exercises
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                    Biology: 1 On 1 Lab Exercises
                    Hershey
                    Manufacturer: Burgess Intl Group
                    ProductGroup: Book
                    Binding: Paperback

                    GeneralGeneral | Biology | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
                    GeneralGeneral | Science | Subjects | Books
                    GeneralGeneral | Biology | Biological Sciences | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
                    ASIN: 0808717863

                    El Suelo/ Dirt: Tierra Y Arena/ the Scoop on Soil (Ciencia Asombrosa)
                    Average customer rating: Not rated
                      El Suelo/ Dirt: Tierra Y Arena/ the Scoop on Soil (Ciencia Asombrosa)
                      Natalie M. Rosinsky
                      Manufacturer: Picture Window Books
                      ProductGroup: Book
                      Binding: Paperback

                      NonfictionNonfiction | Earth Sciences | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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                      4 a 8 años4 a 8 años | Infantil y juvenil | Libros en español | Formats | Books | General | Libros con Dibujos
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                      Ciencias AgriculturalesCiencias Agriculturales | Ciencia | Libros en español | Formats | Books | Ciencia de la Alimentación | Ciencia de los Cultivos | General | Horticultura | La Cria y Apareamiento de Animales
                      No-FicciónNo-Ficción | Libros en español | Formats | Books | Automotriz | Ciencias Sociales | Crimen y Criminales | Educación | Estudios de la Mujer | Feriados | Filosofía | Gobierno | Hechos Verídicos | Planeamiento Urbano y Desarrollo | Política | Sucesos de Actualidad | Transportación
                      AgronomíaAgronomía | Ciencia Profesional | Profesional y Técnico | Libros en español | Formats | Books | Ciencia de los Cultivos | General | La Cría y Apareamiento de Animales
                      ASIN: 1404824952

                      Book Description

                      How does that work? Why? These fun science books answer kids_ questions about the world around them_and encourage them to ask more.
                      La patria, imbricación de tierra y sangre. (México)(TT: The Motherland, a mix of blood and dirt) (TA: Mexico): An article from: Siempre!
                      Average customer rating: Not rated
                        La patria, imbricación de tierra y sangre. (México)(TT: The Motherland, a mix of blood and dirt) (TA: Mexico): An article from: Siempre!
                        Jaime Labastida
                        Manufacturer: Edicional Siempre
                        ProductGroup: Book
                        Binding: Digital
                        ASIN: B00096QRWK
                        Release Date: 2005-07-28

                        Book Description

                        This digital document is an article from Siempre!, published by Edicional Siempre on November 7, 1996. The length of the article is 940 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

                        Citation Details
                        Title: La patria, imbricación de tierra y sangre. (México)(TT: The Motherland, a mix of blood and dirt) (TA: Mexico)
                        Author: Jaime Labastida
                        Publication: Siempre! (Refereed)
                        Date: November 7, 1996
                        Publisher: Edicional Siempre
                        Issue: n2264 Page: p22(1)

                        Distributed by Thomson Gale
                        Tierra-dirt (Descubre La Ciencia)
                        Average customer rating: Not rated
                          Tierra-dirt (Descubre La Ciencia)
                          Steve Tomecek
                          Manufacturer: C. D. Stampley Enterprises
                          ProductGroup: Book
                          Binding: Hardcover

                          GeneralGeneral | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
                          NonfictionNonfiction | Environment | Nature | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
                          Rocks & MineralsRocks & Minerals | Nature | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
                          GeneralGeneral | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
                          SpanishSpanish | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
                          GeneralGeneral | Infantil y juvenil | Libros en español | Formats | Books
                          No ficciónNo ficción | Infantil y juvenil | Libros en español | Formats | Books
                          GeneralGeneral | 4 a 8 años | Infantil y juvenil | Libros en español | Formats | Books
                          GeneralGeneral | Ciencia, Naturaleza y Como Funciona | Infantil y juvenil | Libros en español | Formats | Books
                          No FicciónNo Ficción | Medio Ambiente | Naturaleza | Ciencia, Naturaleza y Como Funciona | Infantil y juvenil | Libros en español | Formats | Books
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                          ASIN: 1580871054

                          Advances in Liquid Crytals: A Special Volume of Advances in Chemical Physics
                          Average customer rating: Not rated
                            Advances in Liquid Crytals: A Special Volume of Advances in Chemical Physics

                            Manufacturer: Wiley-Interscience
                            ProductGroup: Book
                            Binding: Hardcover

                            CrystallographyCrystallography | Chemistry | Science | Subjects | Books
                            GeneralGeneral | Physical & Theoretical | Chemistry | Science | Subjects | Books
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                            ASIN: 0471180831

                            Book Description

                            Prigogine and Rice's highly acclaimed series, Advances in Chemical Physics, provides a forum for critical, authoritative reviews of current topics in every area of chemical physics. Edited by J.K. Vij, this volume focuses on recent advances in liquid crystals with significant, up-to-date chapters authored by internationally recognized researchers in the field.

                            The Clothes They Stood Up In and The Lady in the Van (Today Show Book Club #5)
                            Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
                            • Mother wit
                            • Wonderful writer
                            • The Meaning of Material Things
                            • Simple pleasures
                            • two divergent lfestyles........one question.......
                            The Clothes They Stood Up In and The Lady in the Van (Today Show Book Club #5)
                            Alan Bennett
                            Manufacturer: Random House Trade Paperbacks
                            ProductGroup: Book
                            Binding: Paperback

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                            ASIN: 0812969650
                            Release Date: 2002-11-01

                            Book Description

                            From Alan Bennett, the author of The Madness of King George, come two stories about the strange nature of possessions...or the lack of them. In the nationally bestselling novel The Clothes They Stood Up In, the staid Ransomes return from the opera to find their Regent’s Park flat stripped bare--right down to the toilet-paper roll. Free of all their earthly belongings, the couple faces a perplexing question: Who are they without the things they’ve spent a lifetime accumulating? Suddenly a world of unlimited, frightening possibility opens up before them.

                            In “The Lady in the Van,” which The Village Voice called “one of the finest bursts of comic writing the twentieth century has produced,” Bennett recounts the strange life of Miss Shepherd, a London eccentric who parked her van (overstuffed with decades’ worth of old clothes, oozing batteries, and kitchen utensils still in their original packaging) in the author’s driveway for more than fifteen years. A mesmerizing portrait of an outsider with an acquisitive taste and an indomitable spirit, this biographical essay is drawn with equal parts fascination and compassion.

                            Customer Reviews:

                            5 out of 5 stars Mother wit.......2007-10-02

                            The author's introduction clarifies that 'The Lady in the Van', Miss Shepherd, saw herself as a member of the middle class, no matter what she wore and had. This calls to mind the upper class designation of the Big and Little Edies Bouvier, the women in GREY GARDENS.

                            THE CLOTHES THEY STOOD UP IN, the first piece of the volume, concerns a couple, Rosemary and Maurice Ransome, victimized by burglars, remaining together through his love of Mozart. In replacing household items, Mrs. Ransome developed a zest for shopping. An interesting point is that the Ransomes are provided with the services of a burglary counselor. Events take an unanticipated turn. Really, details pile up and an absurd scenario is disclosed to the reader. Marriage is a sort of parenthesis it is stated. This is droll in the extreme.

                            'The Lady in the Van' presents another sort of mystery wherein the writer befriends a near bag lady. This tale covers a span of twenty years. Miss Shepherd, the lady, claimed she had always been in the transport line. Giving Miss Shepherd sanctuary in his garden, Bennett's arrangement for the storage of her van and domicile lasted for fifteen years. Cables ran from Bennett's house to give Miss Shepherd light and heating. She was not part of the desperate poor by her own estimation. When she had the flu. Bennett shopped for her. Being parked in Bennett's garden, Miss Shepherd could qualify for full social security payments since she had an address. The account is very funny and very sad. Near the end, suffering from illness and quite aged, Miss Shepherd attended a day center. Following her death, the author visited her brother.

                            Alan Bennett's text causes the reader to think of a novel by Doris Lessing describing an elderly charity case. In addition there are similarities between Bennett's work and the stories of Joseph Mitchell detailing the lives of eccentric characters encountered by him in New York City that appeared in THE NEW YORKER. The comparisons made here are all to the good. It is hard to imagine that anyone would not enjoy Bennett's sparkling pieces.

                            5 out of 5 stars Wonderful writer.......2007-07-01

                            Everything I have ever read by Alan Bennett is wonderful and this book is no exception.

                            5 out of 5 stars The Meaning of Material Things.......2006-04-02

                            There are two stories in this slim package, both dealing with people’s relationships with their possessions.

                            In the first, Mr. and Mrs. Ransome return from the opera to find their flat totally empty. The casserole has disappeared along with the oven, and even the toilet paper’s gone. Mr. Ransome mostly misses his stereo equipment (and of course the toilet paper) but cheers up when he remembers that he can upgrade his technology with the insurance refund.

                            Mrs. Ransome quickly gets over her shock, and begins shopping for the bare essentials to tide them over until the insurance cheque arrives. During this exercise, she rediscovers the simple things and learns that life without all her accumulated baggage isn’t that bad after all.

                            When the mystery is revealed, Mrs. Ransome has a whole new outlook on life, and although her husband has also changed, he hasn’t evolved as much as she has. This is a story with some very funny bits, but also with some important messages for all of us.

                            The other (shorter) story is about an eccentric woman who makes her home in a van, surrounded by everything she owns. Also very funny, it is so rich in description that your nose turns up whenever the author takes you inside the van.

                            If you’re looking for an entertaining read, and don’t feel like tackling a whole book, this one is highly recommended.


                            Amanda Richards, April 1, 2006

                            5 out of 5 stars Simple pleasures.......2006-02-28

                            The Clothes They Stood Up In is a simple story with a profound lesson - it's good to get out of your comfort zone and try something new. There's more to life than than that cozy rut! Alan Bennett tells the story beautifully, showing us a married couple who have been together for many years but are essentially strangers. The Lady in the Van reminds us that, yes, folks, those unsightly homeless people are people, too, with feelings, emotions, histories, and families somewhere. Bennett evokes Miss Shepherd vividly enough that I could practically smell the interior of the van. Highly recommended.

                            3 out of 5 stars two divergent lfestyles........one question..............2004-04-26

                            This is a book the encompasses two short stories that at first glance may seem totally unrelated but, in fact, are very similar.
                            In the first story a couple is robbed of all their earthly possessions except for what they are wearing. What happens when all your "things" are missing? How is your life defined by the things that surround you? How are your possibilities limited? These are some of the questions that are explored.
                            In the second tale, an elderly woman lives her life completely out of her van, everything she owns is packed into the van. Is she more free than those who have more material possessions or is her life limited by this lack of personal property??
                            With these two unique looks into the lives of two very divergent lifestyles the author opens up the world of possibility and contentment that people seek to achieve.
                            The Clothes They Stood Up In
                            Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
                            • A Couple of gems mixed in with pebbles.
                            • This first novel doesn't stand out
                            • Priceless!
                            • Not what I expected, but I thought it would be better
                            • Bennet at his finest
                            The Clothes They Stood Up In
                            Alan Bennett
                            Manufacturer: Random House
                            ProductGroup: Book
                            Binding: Hardcover

                            ComicComic | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
                            ContemporaryContemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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                            ASIN: 0375503064
                            Release Date: 2001-02-06

                            Book Description

                            The Ransomes had been burgled. "Robbed," Mrs. Ransome said. "Burgled," Mr. Ransome corrected. Premises were burgled; persons were robbed. Mr. Ransome was a solicitor by profession and thought words mattered. Though "burgled" was the wrong word too. Burglars select; they pick; they remove one item and ignore others. There is a limit to what burglars can take: they seldom take easy chairs, for example, and even more seldom settees. These burglars did. They took everything.

                            This swift-moving comic fable will surprise you with its concealed depths. When the sedate Ransomes return from the opera to find their Notting Hill flat stripped absolutely bare—down to the toilet paper off the roll (a hard-to-find shade of forget-me-not blue)—they face a dilemma: Who are they without the things they've spent a lifetime accumulating? Suddenly the world is full of unlimited and frightening possibility. But just as they begin adjusting to this giddy freedom, a newfound interest in sex, and a lack of comfy chairs, a surreal reversal of events causes them to question their assumptions yet again.

                            The Ransomes' bafflement is the reader's delight. Alan Bennett's gentle but scathing wit, unerring ear for dialogue, and sense of the absurd make The Clothes They Stood Up In a memorable exploration of where in life true riches lie.

                            Download Description

                            The quiet existence of Mr. and Mrs. Ransome is turned inside-out when, on coming home from the opera, they discover that their Notting Hill flat has been robbed. Pillaged might be a better word for it. The thieves took everything, including the casserole that was warming in the oven (also stolen). They even took the toilet paper off the roll. Once the Ransomes begin to assess their loss, they're left with a dilemma. Just who are they without all of their things? Suddenly, life -- with all its terrifying possibilities -- comes streaming in. But just as they're adjusting to this giddy freedom, a newfound interest in sex, and life without the settee, all of their possessions come flooding back, in a bittersweet and utterly surprising denouement. The Clothes They Stood Up In is a swift-moving comic fable, with a host of unerringly drawn cameos that will delight readers who loved Ilene Beckerman's surprise hit, Love, Loss, and What I Wore. Pick it up to while away an evening or -- who knows -- to turn your worldview upside down.

                            Customer Reviews:

                            2 out of 5 stars A Couple of gems mixed in with pebbles........2003-03-28

                            I have sometimes thought that if a tornado destroyed all my possessions, I would not be entirely sorry. Never before have so many people had the opportunity to realize how burdensome belongings can be. People sometimes find themselves the bewildered inheritors of collections of valuable things that they don't want and can't figure out how to get rid of gracefully. For this reason, parts of this novella resonate powerfully with me. The Ransomes come home to find that everything in their flat, (including the oven and casserole warming in it) has been stolen. The likable and sweet-natured wife, Rosemary, finds a sense of liberation in this unasked-for opportunity to rethink her life. The thread of her thoughts as she reconstructs her life, feeling a certain relief at the loss of some things and a certain dismay at the return of everything, is the very best part of the novel.

                            Unfortunately, the story goes downhill from this intriguing beginning. The book, outside of Rosemary's musings, becomes very contrived, silly, cliched and dull. For such a short book, there is an amazing amount of extraneous and tedious detail: the caretaker's night school, the trip to the Aylesbury, bowel movements, etc. Social trends in the UK and the US don't necessarily move in lockstep, of course, but this book feels like something from the 1970s. Rosemary in particular seems to have stepped through a time warp: more a timeless stereotype of a sixtyish woman than a plausible woman born around 1940 and growing up after World War II. At one point Bennett even intrudes into the narrative to explain his theme, just in case the reader hasn't managed to figure it out.

                            This explanation is the worst of the book: "... what he is being condemned for here is for not having got out of his shell ... ." What is it to me or to anyone if he hasn't? Why bother joining Busybody Bennett in standing in judgement over Maurice Ransome or anyone like him? If a cranky misanthrope has the grace to be a recluse, who is being bothered by him? He strikes me as an undesirable husband, but Rosemary seems to cherish some affection for him and if she doesn't, well it's not like divorce isn't pretty common these days. I could understand it if Bennett had turned his ire against Paloma, that aggressive evangelist of rigidity who was behind the bizarre burglary. (I have just had a vision of the relentless Hyacinth Bucket, arrogant meddler par excellence of the British sitcom "Keeping Up Appearances" adding the Ransomes to her list of persons to be bullied and terrorized into her vision of a well-led life.) Alas, real life is full of people who intrude on others, even complete strangers, with unsolicited advice on how to cease being oneself and become more like the unwanted advisor. Those who do it in the name of freedom and individualism never do seem to get the irony.

                            3 out of 5 stars This first novel doesn't stand out.......2002-08-24

                            The Clothes They Stood Up In is British playwright Alan Bennett's (author of the play The Madness of George III and later screenplay The Madness of King George) first novel.

                            The story revolves around the Ransomes, a reclusive and childless middle age couple who are living out their isolated lives in "an Edwardian block of flats the color of ox blood" known as Naseby Mansions. One evening, after returning from a production of Mozart's "Cosi fan tutte", they find that their flat has been burgled, leaving it devoid of every single item that the Ransomes have accumulated in their life together, much of which had been of little use at all anyway.

                            Faced with what would seem to be a devastating situation, the Ransomes in fact adapt to the situation as though it had been a blessing, and begin to rebuild their lives anew.

                            It was at this point that I began to suspect that the main underling motive of the work was to serve as a critique of our modern materialistic culture, but then Bennett added an interesting twist. Based on a query from a storage company, the Ransomes undertake an impromptu expedition to a storage facility, where, to their surprise--but indignation, rage, or even dismay--they find their stolen property. Oddly, not only did they find all of their possessions, these possessions were arranged exactly as they had been in their flat; moreover, somebody by the name of Martin had made himself quite at home, apparently ignorant to the fact that everything about him was stolen. In fact, he--and his lover--made himself more than just at home, which after the Ransomes have their possessions restored to them, is key to how the story plays itself out.

                            I have to say that the story proceeds along from this point in an interesting manner, although the ending in my opinion is somewhat indicative of the author's uncertainty as to how this off-beat tale should be resolved. This is of little consequence really, when one comes to think of it--the story, although possessing a certain degree social commentary, can easily be read superficially as a means of passing a few spare hours. Be forewarned: the format of this book is small, being smaller that the standard pocketbook and its stated length of 161 pp. is deceptive; the average word-per-page is much less than what one expects. For this reason, The Clothes They Stood Up In should really be considered a novella.

                            Although not an overly impressive book, The Clothes They Stood Up In will provide the reader with a few hours of casual entertainment while not being excessive mind-numbing and/or pathetic.

                            5 out of 5 stars Priceless!.......2002-08-08

                            Alan Bennett's writing so often reminds me of fractal forms; the twists and turns of his plots on the macro scale being matched perfectly on the micro scale by the endless convolutions of his individual sentences and paragraphs. There are times when his writing gives every impression of wandering aimlessly through a tangled mass of irrelevant side detail, with no possible single end point in mind, until suddenly, and with an almost shocking clarity, his words reveal themselves as carefully chosen after all, when they all unexpectedly lead plumb to centre of the narrative target that has been in his sights all along. I can see that, for some people, this technique may prove to be an impenetrable annoyance (although anyone brought up in Yorkshire - and more especially Leeds - where they talk like this all the time, should merely find it homely and comforting.) But examine his words closely and, for all their meandering, you'll see that they have an absolutely exquisite precision and economy to them. This is the work of a true (and truly English) literary craftsman.

                            This short story, "The Clothes They Stood Up In", receives the classic Alan Bennett treatment, both in terms of writing style and also in terms of another of his hallmarks: the at times almost surgical examination of the social mores (and boors) of Middle England. Although this book is very short indeed (it should not take even the most meticulous of readers more than a couple of hours to devour this tasty titbit) it nevertheless demonstrates this author's unerring capacity for dissecting away endless layers of social stereotyping, in order to expose the central nuggets of individuality at the heart of his characters (or else reveal such nuggets to be entirely absent) whilst at the same time pointing up the basically ridiculous natures - and faintly ludicrous habits - of even the most ordinary of people.

                            Amusing and poignant by turns, this small volume delivers some exquisite character studies of ordinary people in entirely extraordinary circumstances. As ever, it makes for a highly entertaining read for those open to Alan Bennett's distinctive writing style. Bargain hunters may like to be aware, though, that this story is available in various better-value boxed collections, alongside other Alan Bennett short stories (principally "Lady in the van" and "Father! Father! Burning Bright") There are also plans to publish it within a single compendium volume some time in 2002. Of course, some people may just consider such collections as altogether too much of a good thing!

                            3 out of 5 stars Not what I expected, but I thought it would be better.......2002-04-21

                            I had somewhat high expectations of this book as a bizarre, quaint little tale from a mind who created the marvelous film, "The Madness of King George."

                            The book itself was enjoyable, but I would not read it again or recommend it to a friend. Bennett could benefit from some punctuation, as some of his sentences are run-ons or are nonsensical (I'm sorry, but I'm an editor). The satire of the British middle class, Britain in general, and various types of people is the best part about the book. It is intelligent in that way.

                            My biggest disappointment was that the bizarre tale climaxed (when the reader finds out how, by whom, and why all of the Ransomes' possessions were stolen) in a way that did not fit with the rest of story and, indeed, did not add anything to it.

                            The characters are high quality, however, in a book that is so small and fluid.

                            5 out of 5 stars Bennet at his finest.......2002-03-20

                            Yet another masterpiece from Bennett, this time the victims of his seditious satire are Rosemary and Maurice Ransome, a
                            middle-aged, middle-class, childless couple who are gradually drifting apart from each other in a long-term emotional
                            withdrawal. Their lives are governed by order and routine with the one remaining ember of passion between them lying in
                            Maurice's love of Mozart. This escapism from the reality of each other is shattered one evening as they return from the opera to
                            discover that they have been burgled, not just a smash-and-grab but instead everything has been taken, right down to the
                            insurance policy! As they gradually attempt to restore some semblance of order to their lives, Maurice discovers further
                            fulfilment in the new hi-tech CD players he could buy to improve the quality of his Mozart. Rosemary undergoes something of a
                            cultural revolution with visits to the local Pakistani grocer shop and the occasional venture into a "thrift shop". In a startling climax, Rosemary discovers the motive behind the theft and Maurice finds his inner-self awakened but in the most unpleasant of circumstances. Bennett's perspective on those around him and the foundations of middle-England are ruthlessly portrayed here in what is one the one hand a wonderful social comment and, on the other, an familiarly disenchanted critique. The precision with which Bennett selects his characters and provides us with the ammunition to assassinate them is remarkable, there is not a word wasted or thought used to excess, stunning.
                            Alan Bennett: Four Stories (Unabridged)
                            Average customer rating: Not rated
                              Alan Bennett: Four Stories (Unabridged)
                              Alan Bennett
                              Manufacturer: audible.com
                              ProductGroup: Book
                              Binding: Audio Download
                              ASIN: B000BTIP4I

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