Customer Reviews (1)

a key to understanding contemporary innovations in managemen
In spite of a well-crafted selection of essays from Mary Parker Follett's lectures and writings, it is unfortunate that the subtitle of this text may be misleading. The significance of this publication is not that Follettwrote in the 1920's -- or even that she was a prophet of what has beendiscovered in management to date.The significance of this text is that itmay help the reflective practitioner and theoretician create the future ofmanagement on a more sound footing than we have accomplished throughoutmost of this century. As Peter F. Drucker, Warren Bennis and others havepointed out, Follett developed her approach to management on afundamentally different assumptive base than did her contemporaries.Whatremains to be articulated is the fundamental character of that contrast andtheir implications. These questions will not be answered in thecommentaries, but there is an implicit invitation to consider the issues. One may find that Follett's assumptions anticipate our own time in itscomplexity, turbulence, and uncertainty, more adequately than most writersor practitioners who are currently grappling with these sorts of issues. Ifyou are a reflective practitioner or a theoretician, and wish a leg-up onthe future, this is a good place to start. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

Funny, but it goes on a bit.
Consider now the mid-life crisis of Brian Porker, hard-rockin' creator of "soulbilly" with his one hit, "Knee Trembler." He's been living on its diminished returns ever since, playing to ever-smaller audiences in ever-smaller venues every time he tours. And that's where the fun begins......

Graham Parker the writer has many similarities to Graham Parker the rocker---venom, humor, a way with words and the tendency to plow an idea into the ground if left unrestrained by a editor (or producer). THE OTHER LIFE OF BRIAN is acidly funny much of the time, but mainly when Parker covers his hapless alter-ego's travails playing to semi-filled halls in Northern Scandinavia, Tasmania and somewhere near the Artic Circle. When he deals with the book's subplot involving an endangered marsupial and adherents to the Bahai faith, the book loses steam and it peters out altogether at the very end. I bought it at the beach this past week and read it in one sitting, and that's probably the level of involvement Parker was hoping for with this book---a quick read, a good chuckle, then pass it along to somebody else.

HYSTERICAL!!!
I am one of those people who enjoy cds of artists that arent popular so if you think GP was great on his first two albums (arent they called albums?) then you probably wont like this book.
I laughed out loud so many times i lost count. i like his writing style, the ranting, the story and the insanity of the characters life. it was torough joy to read. i dont compare this to his music although there are obvious comparisons through the cynical humor. the best of the book is some of the most original stuff ive read in a long time.

The Other Life of Brian
Having just finished off Carp Fishing on Valium I was very excited to dive into The other Life Of Brian...Graham's style of writing is very engaging.I was wisked off to the frozen tundra with a cast of amazingly funny and unique characters. Carruthers and Steed (soundman and manager respectively)play exceptionally well against Brain Porker, our hero, who is neither short on intellect, pessimism or ego. I found the entire escapade to be an enjoyable, funny and well written journey. I would recommend this book for anyone who needs a good laugh.There are plenty of them in this book.From Steed, who is one of those people who can commit a "stupid human trick" and come out unscathed (totally hilarious)to Carruthers, a rather young and gangly soundman with connections to the most interesting people in some of the coldest places on Earth.You'll catch yourself yelling Kimber and Nibbs before you're done...also, if you are a Graham Parker fan, and you appreciate his story telling ability this is a must. ... Read more

Book Description
Graham Parker has released over 20 albums, including Squeezing Out Sparks, considered one of the great rock and roll albums of all time. Now, Graham stakes his claim in the literary world with Carp Fishing on Valium. Carp is the story of Brian Porker, an aging rock star, told in a series of episodes from his life: as a nature-loving lad who collects eggs; a high-living rock singer auditioning to replace the "newly deceased" Mick Jagger; and in his final guise as an ornithologist comedian. Witty, absurd, and keenly insightful, Carp Fishing on Valium has established Graham Parker on the literary scene in the same wickedly incisive way he turned rock on its ear.AUTHORBIO: Graham Parker, whose classic albums include Howlin' Wind, Heat Treatment, and Struck by Lightning, divides his time between the wilds of upstate New York and London. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Starts OK, Goes Astray
I started reading this as a beach book and I enjoyed the first, maybe, eight stories.The stories about his childhood and adolescence were charming and well-written.I had to put this book down, though, when Parker strayed into the dreaded "live out my unfulfilled rock fantasy" territory.Vignettes are interesting.Reading about some obscure rocker's fantasy to sing with the Stones via a self-gratifying, markedly unclever writing style is *not* interesting.If you must buy this book, tear out the last few chapters before you read it.

Don't waste your time
A collection of random, boring, and poorly written vignettes.I guess Parker's clout as a recording artist helped him land a publisher.It surely wasn't his talent.The title and cover art are the best parts...

Clever Name. Bad Book.
Maybe it's just my fast paced brain, but I found that this book often read like a transcript of a conversation between completely uninteresting people. It's slow, it's confusing, and often consists of almost incoherent conversations between people who cuss at each other a lot.

Fans of Graham Parker may find me harsh, and if you're a fan of Graham Parker you may want to give it a try. For me, the book just didn't live up to the clever title.

A very entertaining collection
Graham Parker? The singer-songwriter behind such brilliant albums as "Howlin' Wind" and "Squeezing Out Sparks?" What's he doing writing a book? That's what I thought when I came across this book. But think about it: song lyrics are basically short stories, so why not? I was pleaseantly surprised to find a very funny, often moving, collection here.

Ths book is basically a collection of short stories that follow the life of a young boy into his life as a famous rock star. Parker has a natural gift for dialogue. My favorite story by far is "Me and the Stones," in which our narrator is handpicked by Keith Richards to replace the recently deceased Mick Jagger. Sound strange? Yes, but also very funny. Buy it!

The joys of catch and release
Despite the title of Parker's book and my review, this book is not aboutangling. _Carp Fishing on Valium_ is a collection of linked stories thatfollow the life of a British musician named Brian Porker. Author Parker'swit, and Porker's often stumbling ways make for enjoyable reading. Further,some provocative observations reveal a yearning on the part of the authorto contribute a work of serious literature. Porker's experiences reflect anumber of episodes in recent history (such as the cutting of Mr. Bobbitt),as well as delving into some of the underlying cultural issues, includinggender politics and issues relating to the profit-driven music industry.Porker fancies himself a serious artist hemmed in by other's expectations,but also hindered by bad habits.

This book is more serious than much ofthe throw-away fiction that dominates best-seller lists. The entertainingnarrative hints at a deeper purpose. But, in this ambition, the author wasonly partly successful. Reading _Carp Fishing on Valium_ provided anevening of laughter, as well as briefly stimulating productive reflection.But, having finished it, it sits on the shelf gathering dust. It offerslittle of enduring value. Reading this book was like catching and releasinga small trout. It is pure joy for a few minutes, but when the game is over,not much has changed. ... Read more

Book Description
How many haystacks in this picture? Counting objects in art teaches children numbers and observation. ... Read more

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Graham Parker reviews all of London¹s gay social clubs, political organizations, health services, restaurants, and night spots, ensuring that gay men and women will enjoy their visit to the capital. With maps and travel directions to all the key areas of interest, this is an essential guide to the city¹s gay scene. ... Read more

Product Description
This study covers the latent demand outlook for graham crackers across the prefectures and cities of Japan. Latent demand (in millions of U.S. dollars), or potential industry earnings (P.I.E.) estimates are given across some 1,000 cities in Japan. For each city in question, the percent share the city is of it’s prefecture and of Japan is reported. These comparative benchmarks allow the reader to quickly gauge a city vis-à-vis others. This statistical approach can prove very useful to distribution and/or sales force strategies. Using econometric models which project fundamental economic dynamics within each prefecture and city, latent demand estimates are created for graham crackers. This report does not discuss the specific players in the market serving the latent demand, nor specific details at the product level. The study also does not consider short-term cyclicalities that might affect realized sales. The study, therefore, is strategic in nature, taking an aggregate and long-run view, irrespective of the players or products involved. ... Read more

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This study covers the world outlook for graham crackers across more than 200 countries. For each year reported, estimates are given for the latent demand, or potential industry earnings (P.I.E.), for the country in question (in millions of U.S. dollars), the percent share the country is of the region and of the globe. These comparative benchmarks allow the reader to quickly gauge a country vis-à-vis others. Using econometric models which project fundamental economic dynamics within each country and across countries, latent demand estimates are created. This report does not discuss the specific players in the market serving the latent demand, nor specific details at the product level. The study also does not consider short-term cyclicalities that might affect realized sales. The study, therefore, is strategic in nature, taking an aggregate and long-run view, irrespective of the players or products involved. ... Read more

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"The Curse of Spider-Man?" ... Read more