Leaving Sophie Dean by Alexandra Whitaker, 2012

A delightful read, Leaving Sophie Dean was one of my vacation reads during my trip to Aruba.

With her clever dialog, twist on the extramarital affair and refusal to follow standard formula "happily ever after" plots prevalent in movies and literature, Alexandra Whitaker's novel is highly entertaining and a perfect beach read.

The premise of the story actually makes you think.  Not all chick-lit books do this, outside of thinking about designer labels, that is.

Adam Dean is a father of two whose monotonous life in the suburbs pales in comparison to the sophisticated and toy-free life that his co-worker Valerie offers.

When Adam decides to leave his wife Sophie for Valerie, Sophie decides that she is the one who needs to leave and take a few months to rebuild her life as someone other than Sophie Dean.

As the primary caretaker of two young children, Adam is not able to lead the life he imagined with Valerie and their relationship must adjust to this new reality.

Another entertaining relationship is the frenemy interaction between Valerie and her childhood friend Agatha.  Close as sisters, the two women care for each other deeply while also reveling in each others' misfortunes and constantly attempting to one-up each other.

Personal Notes 
Details that make this story resonate with me even more include:
   * The novel taking place in Boston, where I am from and currently live
   * The male protagonist is English, like my boyfriend
   * Agatha and Valerie are 39, which is how old I am

Given these coincidences, it is no wonder that I enjoyed Leaving Sophie Dean so much. 

Quote of note and what I still need to remind myself after taking over 35 years to realize: "I confused what's real and matters with what's superficial and doesn't."

Leaving Sophie Dean is a book that I would re-read.

What the CEO Wants You To Know by Ram Charan, 2001

While reading Birds of a Feather, the second Maisie Dobbs series, this quote got me thinking about leadership:

'e used to say that if you 'ad workers, it wasn't so important to be liked as it was to be respected, and it was possible to respect someone without actually likin' them.

So I put down Birds of a Feather and picked up Ram Charan's slim book, What The CEO Wants You To Know.

A consultant, Charan summarizes the lessons that he has learned working with top CEOs of major corporations all over the world.

His book is a fast, insightful and very thought-provoking read that I finished in one sitting.

Leadership

• A good CEO is able to break down the most complex business down to the fundamentals - This concept is reflected in the slimness of Charan's book compared to other bloated business books.

• Coaching - Give positive feedback and *specific* instructions to build a skill. Self-confident, secure leaders love to give true feedback, saying what they really think.  Not just behavior, but business side - is the individual cutting through complexity, focusing on right priorities?

• Mismatches - Mismatches become a drain.  Most common answer for CEO mistake when dealing with people is waiting too long to remove/address a mismatch.  When someone's aptitude or attitude gets in the way of execution, address the issue.

• Synchronization - Synchronize efforts and link them to the business priorities; clear, simple list.  Linking business needs to people's natural talents; right people in the right job.  Increase information flow, coordinate work, make the group more decisive, build the team.

Business Acumen 

• Lessons from a Street Vendor - A street vendor represents the fundamentals of a business: sales forecast, inventory, cash, merchandising/advertising, product mix, profit margin, consumer focused, best practices. Look at the big picture for opportunities and priorities, keeping in mind the fundamentals.
• Functional Chimney v Business Acumen - Most people build their carer in one area and move vertically up as if in a chimney.  By seeing a company as a total business, you make suggestions for the betterment of the company, even if they may not benefit your department.

• Nucleus of a Business - Cash generation, return on assets, growth.  Growing the right way means that the growth has to be sustainable and profitable.  Finding the right growth is business acumen.

• Consumers - When you can't get the price or margins that you want, talk to the consumer to find out why.

• Things you should know about your company:
  
  • What are your company sales?
  • Is your company growing?
  • What are the profit margins?  Are they growing, declining, remaining flat?
  • How does the profit margin compare to competitors'?
  • What is your company's inventory velocity?  Return on assets?
  • Is the company's cash generation increasing or decreasing?
  • Is your company gaining or losing against competitors? 

Quotes
"CEOs who deliver results have mastered both the business side [selecting the right business priorities] and the people side."

"Some of you have the intellectual capacity to cut through the complexity but are indecisive or afraid of being wrong...  Have the courage and conviction to provide focus for your area.  You have to decide what your department, division, or business unit must do and what it must stop doing.
You have to determine the business priorities, and those priorities have to be consistent and aligned with the corporate goals.  You can’t have too many, can’t keep changing, and have to communicate them clearly and repeatedly...
You should be able to explain what you need to do in clear, simple terms, and you should be able to explain how it will improve money making."

Fundamentals
As a testament to Charan's focus on the fundamentals, the business acumen and leadership lessons in this book are still valid in today's business world.

Published over a decade ago, the CEOs and superstar companies profiled are in a vastly different place today (e.g. Ford, Dell, GE), but the content of the book and advice given remain relevant.

Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear, 2003

Having grown up adoring Trixie Belden, it's nice to stumble across a mystery series.

I found Maisie Dobbs while browsing the Fiction section of the library.  It had been misplaced from its usual Mystery home.

My Downton Abbey obsession must have led me to the book because, lo and behold, Maisie Dobbs takes place in London during the Edwardian time.

Unlike other protagonists of Mystery thrillers, Maisie Dobbs considers herself a Psychologist first, and Investigator second. 

As a result, the story does not have as fast-paced of a Mystery/thriller story line that I am used to through my limited mystery novel-reading, which mainly pertains to Agatha Christie, Robert Parker's Spencer: For Hire series, some Elmore Leonard, and from childhood: Trixie Beldon, Nancy Drews, The Hardy Boys and the very clever Encyclopedia Brown.

Since Dobbs is a psychologist, she uses interesting techniques to uncover the secrets of those whom she is investigating.

One such technique is mirroring a person's body language, where she will adjust her stance and body to mirror those of her subjects, to get a sense of how that person is feeling - whether they are upset, angry, in pain, etc.

Not just an investigator, Dobbs emphasizes healing her clients.  One of her first case is from a man who suspects his wife is having an affair.  Dobbs will only take the case if the husband agrees to discuss his intentions with her once she has uncovered the truth.

With this focus on healing, Dobbs befriends her client's wife Cecilia, discovers the root of her troubles, steers Cecilia towards the path of healing and provides her client, Cecilia's husband, with advice on how to help ease his wife's pain; thus, repairing the marriage.

She also unearths a murderous cult-like facility for wounded veterans and prevents another murder by drawing upon her psychology background to disarm and break the spell of the villainous leader.

Supporting Cast
Like any great investigator, a Sidekick and Mentor are needed.  For Dobbs, the Sidekick comes in the form of Billy Beale, a wounded World War I veteran.  Beale is one of the many wounded soldiers (and nurses) who would bring about a deep change to English society.

The Mentor is the wise Maurice Blanche, doctor and crusader for the under-privileged, whose investigation practice she takes over.  Added into the mix is Lady Rowan, a wealthy benefactor with connections, which is always nice to have. 

In Summary
Maisie Dobbs is a pleasant, light read.  Although, I am surprised to find, I may be tiring (gasp) of period novels set in England during the Edwardian era.

There are nine books in the Maisie Dobbs series thus far, and I am planning to read the next one.  I forgot how nice it is to read a serial book again, to have an endearing character to go back to, like having tea with an old friend.

And, since Winspear is English, the characters are constantly having tea.

Quote
The following quote from the book resonated with me as I am currently struggling with my career path. 

"Truth walks toward us on the paths of our questions.  As soon as you think you have the answer, you have closed the path and may miss the vital new information.  Wait awhile in the stillness, and do not rush to conclusions, no matter how uncomfortable the unknowing."

Downton Abbey Obsession!

To feed any Downton Abbey obsession and indulge in the show itself and era surrounding the series, I recommend the following two books

With glossy pictures (The Chronicles of Downton Abbey) and sidebar tidbits and "celebrity" quotes (To Marry an English Lord), these books are the US Magazine for Downton fans.

The Chronicles of Downton Abbey: A New Era by Jessica Fellowes and Matthew Sturgis, 2012
Although Jessica Fellowes, niece of series founder and writer Julian Fellowes, is shamelessly banking off the success of the show, this book works and is a delightful read.  (Unlike the current Countess of Carnavaon's attempt.)

Filled with glossy pictures, character summaries, memorable one-liners from the series, and quotes from the actors of the show, this book is a real treat for Downton fan(atics). 

Supplementing the character overviews are light historical contexts, as well as photos of artifacts from the 1920s that the characters may have come across.

Although the content and photos are mostly fluff, the book is filled with interesting tidbits and makes for great eye candy.

Filming and Production
The book also includes interesting details on filming and production.  For example, to film the posh, serene upstairs scenes, the film crew uses wider lenses and slower tracking.

To film the hectic servants quarters, hand-held cameras are used to reflect the hustle and bustle of the servants who work to create and maintain the serene environment upstairs.

Details in each scene are meticulous, where even the letters that characters use for props are created as if they were from the late 19th Century and early 20th Century.  This attention to detail contributes to a quality end product.

For the dining scenes, which are plenty as the aristocracy's day revolved around dining, a meal of 70 servings is prepared for an 18-person dinner party scene so that food remains edible and fresh looking throughout filming.

To Marry an English Lord: Tales of Wealth and Marriage, Sex and Snobbery by Gail MacColl and Carol McD. Wallace, 1989

Noted by Julian Fellowes as his inspiration for Downton Abbey, To Marry an English Lord is composed of profiles of American heiresses who traveled to England to seek posh marriages and titles.

The book is a fascinating read filled with tidbits and trivia that serve as a knick-knack filled reference guide of the era.

Due to the rigid hierarchical society that was controlled by Mrs. Astor in New York City, many wealthy heiresses who were not permitted into New York City society found that their wealth provided entry into London society.

Due to Prince of Wales Albert Edward's acceptance of these refreshing American women, who entertained and amused the fun-loving Prince, London society was welcoming of these women.

Marriages ensued as English nobility was quickly losing money due to land that was no longer generated enough revenue to finance an aristocracy's lifestyle, much less the upkeep of estates or increasing estate taxes.

The premise of Downton Abbey is based on this exact scenario, where Lord Grantham (based on the 5th Earl of Carnavon) is only able to maintain his estate by his marriage to American heiress Cora.

To Marry an English Lord is a pleasure to read and serves as an entertaining reference guide with photos of the grand and wealthy women and men of the late 1800s and early 1900s, atmospheric details such as diagrams of a typical New York City Washington Square brownstone, and random tidbits such as the fact that women wore gloves so tight that fingernails could be seen.

With profiles peppered with pictures, trivial details, random sidebars, this book succeeds in capturing a unique time in history

The only disappointment is that the photos are in black and white.  If the book had been published post-Downton Abbey, the publishers would have surely used color photos, which would add to the essence of the decadence of the aristocracy during the Victorian and Edwardian time.