Another mÇlange of bromidic management pointers from the prolific British author of The Super Chiefs (1992), etc. In presuming to counsel corporate executives on what it will take to survive and thrive in an increasingly competitive global marketplace, Heller covers much the same ground as he did in his previous book. He even structures the text at hand in identical fashion, dividing it into ten sections, each of which offers sketchy how-to advisories on strategies ranging from devolving authority and achieving radical change through ensuring constant renewal and gaining total control of quality. In relatively short order, Heller's tips are all but lost in a welter of twice-told tales about AT&T, Chrysler, Ford, GM, IBM, Microsoft, Xerox, and a score of other multinationals that have (or have not) measured up in recent years. The author has recycled virtually all of his object lessons from secondary sources, including himself (in the case of a short take on Desert Storm as a world-class logistical enterprise). Nor does Heller's penchant for by-the-numbers pronouncement (three questions to ask before committing to a new product or service, four obstacles to making money in advanced technologies, six telltale signs of a company in denial, nine reasons why acquisitions fail, etc.) make his scattershot messages appreciably clearer, let alone more coherent. If the author's cursory, anecdotal reportage were weighed against the demanding standards by which he purports to evaluate commercial concerns, it would be deemed a very bad business.
Pub Date: March 20, 1995
ISBN: 0-525-93900-8
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1995
BOOK REVIEW
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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