Something for the Weekend - Overdressed

It takes quite a lot for me to read a non-fiction book all the way through, in one go (without giving up for months and reading 6 novels in between), but Overdressed by Elizabeth Cline held my attention all the way through.

The book is about how cheap fashion retailers (such as US brands Target, Forever 21 and European brands like H&M and Zara) have created an attitude in shoppers that makes us buy loads and loads of cheap, badly made clothes, in favour of buying a few more expensive pieces which will last more than one season. Cline says that part of the reason for this is that ‘trends’ have become the new fashion trend – you can’t pin down the look for fashion since 2000 because the look has been lots of different looks. This means that the retailers bring in new lines and items of clothing every single day, to make people shop more and more and more.

This attitude in customers has also led to devaluation in the perception of what clothes should be worth. Cline talks to bloggers who share their ‘hauls’ – a video or blog post about how much clothing they buy in a single session, mostly from the cheap shops. One girl she interviews in the book refuses to buy a blazer because it’s $45 (about £30) and not because she already has 10 blazers. This attitude has obviously led to a need to change the manufacturing process.

I liked how Cline covered every aspect of the ‘Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion’ and was especially interested in how demand for lots and lots of cheap fashion has changed the way clothes are made.

The US (Cline in American so the book focussed on the US garment industry) used to have a large clothes and fabric manufacturing industry, especially based in New York’s garment district and LA. But over the last 40 years or so, it became so cheap to make clothes in countries like India, Bangladesh, China and Guatemala (where there is either no minimum wage or a very, very low one for workers), that very little clothing is made in the US any more. There are a few factories left, that can get trends into the shops quicker, but the vast majority of manufacturing has moved abroad. This has had a knock-on effect on the unemployment levels and also the conditions the textile workers abroad have to endure. I found it interesting than even China is starting to price itself out of the market as its workforce becomes more skilled and the garments they can produce more sophisticated.

Cline ends the book with a plea to us all to shop more wisely and in a more sustainable way. Most synthetic fabrics are produced by burning fossil fuels, and as we all know, they are running out. She talks to people who sew their own clothes from scratch and those who refashion existing modern and vintage clothing to reuse the fabric and garments which are already in circulation, and to stop them going to landfill. There is a growing market for sustainable clothing and she talks to some shops who are trying to re-educate people to pay a good price for clothes which have been made from quality fabric and sewn by workers earning a living wage.

Amelia

Competiton Time!

*PLEASE NOTE THIS COMPETITION HAS NOW CLOSED*


Would you like a free copy of Professor Brian Cox's sumptuous & fascinating 'Wonders of life' book?

Then just answer this simple question:

Who is Brian's co-presenter in the 'Infinite Monkey Cage'? Is it:

(a) Robin Ince
(b) Paul Ince
(c) Prince

It's not difficult, it's not supposed to be! We want someone to have a free book!

Email the answer to Gary.wigglesworth@blackwell.co.uk with the answer as the subject line. I will put all the winning answers in a hat* & draw the winner on Friday 22nd of March at 3.00pm. I will notify the winner by email that very same day.

                                                        Good luck!!



*may not be actual hat.

Terms & conditions:
Not open to Blackwell's employees.
Book is Wonders of Life 9780007452675 rrp £25.00, must be collected from Blackwell's Bookshop 100 Charing Cross Road within 7 days of notification.

Some DVDs for the weekend!

Hello, bit different this week, did you know we stock DVDs? Well we do & what's more we've got an excellent range & they are at excellent prices! So for this weeks recommendations I've picked a few of my personal favourites out. At time of writing all these titles are in stock & £5.00 each or under! - they are what I would call 'a right bargain'. So here they are:

Edge of Darkness, starring Bob Peck, Joanne Whalley & Joe Don Baker
 (2 discs) £5.00
This is a riveting 80's Eco/political thriller from the BBC. I didn't see it at the time & only caught up with it after a recommendation. It's unbelievably tense & Peck should/would have been a star if not for his untimely death -  you cannot take your eyes off him. It's particularly good when Peck's gruff understated Yorkshire copper shares scenes with Joe Don Baker's (James Bond) slightly deranged, hilarious CIA agent. Just brilliant.

Annie Hall, starring Woody Allen & Diane Keaton. (1 disc) £5.00
Surely i don't need to say much here. One of my favourites, it's funny, clever, & wise. Even if you think you don't like Woody Allen (& you're wrong by the way) seek this out. Worth 5 pounds just to see Allen's face as a very young Christopher Walken tells him of his 'inner thoughts'.

The Apartment, starring Jack Lemmon & Shirley MacLaine (1disc) £4.00

An absolute classic, everyone at the top of their game. Lemmon in particular has never been more likable. He plays CC Baxter, toiling away in a thankless impersonal office building, he starts to climb the ladder by letting his bosses use his apartment for nefarious purposes. Things begin to unwind when he falls for the lift lady Miss Kubelik (Maclaine - charming). This film will make you laugh & cry, it's a heart warmer of the highest degree. They really don't make them like this anymore.

This is Spinal Tap, starring Christopher Guest, Michael McKean & Harry Shearer. (3 discs) £5.00.
Yes you know it, but do you own it? 3 discs for £5.00, we're too good to you!

Immortal Beloved, starring Gary Oldman. (1 disc) £4.00
Oldman plays Ludwig Van Beethoven. I'm a big fan of Mr Oldman & he doesn't disappoint here with a grand, sweeping performance. It's a fascinating sumptuous film, that delves into the mystery of just who was Beethoven's Immortal Beloved. Needless to say the soundtracks not bad either.

So there's just a few I like & I could have picked a lot more! We also stock factual series (such as Carl Sagan's Cosmos, Attenborough's Living Planet etc), box sets.. all sorts. So come & have a look & treat yourself to a film, or a series or both.

Gary

Something for the weekend.. The Man Who Planted Trees..

This weeks Something for the weekend is..

The Man Who Planted Trees

By Jean Giono

It may be quite a short and simple story but The Man Who Planted Trees by Jean Giono will always be one
of my favourites, it is the most inspirational and thoughtful of books.

This beautiful allegorical tale not only conveys the idea of importance of appreciating & protecting the harmonies of nature, it also emphasizes the immense powers of abilities of all people. This story is so inspirational because it shows that every person is able to do countless good deeds during their life which can result in creating even more and more happiness for other people. No matter where we are or what we do, we can always try to make an asset to our society and to help others.

The novel centres around an extraordinary character - Elzeard Bouffier who decides to devote his life to planting trees in a desolated, ruined and lifeless region. During his humble and peaceful life, he manages to cover a massive area of land with trees. By his regular and persistent work he turns the miserable piece of land into a beautiful place where one would wish to live, where there are restored forests, fields, valleys and meadows but more importantly people with hope. "...more than ten thousand people must owe their happiness to Elzeard Bouffier."

I believe that The Man Who Planted Trees is one of those books which should be in everyones library as it is such a wise and unforgettable story which is really nice to frequently return to.

Jana

Buy it here

Something for the weekend - The Prestige

Hello, this weeks 'Something for the weekend' is..

The Prestige

by Christopher Priest

Is the book always better than the film?* It's a good question; can you think of any films that are better than the source material? I really enjoyed Christopher Nolan's film of this novel but once again the book is even

better.

From what I remember of the film (it's been a while) it concentrates entirely on the rivalry between two Victorian magicians. Each trying to discover the secret of the other's 'Prestige' (the apparent teleportation illusion they both perform) they resort to desperate, devious tricks. While that takes up a good part of the book Priest counterpoints the entertaining rivalry with a bleak modern tale of identity, uncertainty & loss. The present day narrators searching the text for answers that they may not like but that they need.

As you'll see it's a Gollancz SF Masterwork, now I like a bit of Sci-Fi but I would implore you not to let that description put you off if you don't. What you have here is a riveting, eerie thriller that anyone can enjoy. It's a compelling, heart in the mouth type of book. I think I may read it again!

*Oh & 'Blade Runner' is by the way.. sorry Philip K fans but come on.. disagree? Post a comment!

Buy it here

Gary

Something for the weekend.. The Final Solution

Hello, this weeks weekend suggestion is Michael Chabon's 'The Final Solution'.

In the English countryside an 89 year old man looks after his bees & keeps himself to himself - he is vaguely remembered by the villagers as a once famous detective. What unfolds is a quite bizarre mystery involving an escaped Parrot, a small silent German boy & a motley parade of villagers & outsiders.

I'm afraid I can't share with you one of the great delights of this book. I was given this book purely on the basis that I like Chabon (& I certainly do - see my Telegraph Avenue review for evidence) & I hadn't read it. What neither I nor the person gifting the book knew, is that the central figure of the novel is none other than SPOILER ALERT Arthur Conan Doyle's esteemed detective Mr Sherlock Holmes. Or is it? (Yes it is). Being a fan of Holmes I was certainly intrigued.

So we have a great writer indulging himself in imagining the last case of the greatest ever detective. Holmes (I should say the character is never named) with age has grown quite infirm in body, & to a lesser extent in mind. Poignantly he struggles to remember simple facts & his once crystalline mind is becoming fogged. Chabon humanises the ageing Holmes, making him more fallible than Doyle's original. The relationship between Holmes & the refugee is nicely played & the story itself is intriguing. The main drawer though, as ever with Chabon is the style & the beautifully realised characters. Anyone can enjoy this book but Holmes fans in particular will enjoy the references.

I find myself being a bit of a hypocrite here as I am not a fan of writers continuing other writes tales - I'm thinking of the addition to Douglas Adam's Hitch Hikers books in particular. But Holmes feels more universal & by not naming the character Chabon gives me an out!

So give this a go or even better buy it for a Holmes loving friend who's never heard of it - they will be delighted.

Buy it here

Gary

The business of selling books..

We have an opening for a Manager in our CPI department (corporate accounts). It's a demanding role but if you think you have the right stuff (please read the description below) then send your CV & cover letter to Gary.wigglesworth@blackwell.co.uk. Please be aware only those chosen for interview will be contacted.

                                     *THIS ROLE IS STILL AVAILABLE*

                                                       12/03/2013

Vacancy

Business Sales Manager

Corporate, Professional and Institutions

Charing Cross Road, London

The Role:

We have an exciting opportunity for an individual with strong commercial skills to manage our CPI department.

In this role you will be responsible for managing the team, developing and delivering a

strategy for liaising with all our customers and prospective clients to ensure continued

profitable sales growth.Main Duties:

• Consistently deliver all commercial KPI targets, which include sales and profit targets
• Leading, inspiring and developing the CPI team to deliver exceptional performance and to fulfil their individual potential.
• Developing the commercial and expert/specialist knowledge of your team.
• Management of selected key accounts. Ensure exceptional customer service is delivered to all customers at all times.
• Sourcing and delivering new sales opportunities.
• Ensure all CPI processes are carried out accurately and efficiently.
• Hold professional meetings with existing and potential customers.
• Facilitate the shop and company CPI marketing plan.

Skills/Experience:

• Experience of developing and implementing a local strategy, business plan and tactics.
• A record of business building and identifying and responding proactively to market/trading opportunities.
• Experience of leading, motivating and managing a team to deliver success.
• Accountability for managing a significant budget and strong prioritising and organisational skills.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Able to establish and build strong relationships internally and externally with a wide range of people and institutions
• High levels of confidence and personal energy, a positive ‘can do’ attitude and able to thrive in a high profile role.