Fellowes corners this market.
581101
classic tale of status among the have and have-nots. Beautifully filmed.
2691352
Julian Price was allowed to run free as a  child, because after the death of his immediate family a wastrel uncle took over his care. He did have very good friends in the neighbourhood. But since so many of those friends died in the war, he feels he has nothing left to lose. Even when he finds out that his uncle has run the estate into debt.
Henrietta Houghton was considered one of the chaps when she was playing with her twin brother and his friends.  That was until they noticed she was turning into a woman. Years later she has made up her mind to remain a spinster, because the only man she has ever wanted doesn't want her.
This is a gentle romance, with two people who have been friends for life, but have changed in adulthood, and are terrified of spoiling what they have.
No great surprises, but an entertaining read. With lovely characters.
1124313
I liked this quite a bit. Some may be put off by the British manner of the prose, and it is not really about the British version of "Antiques Road Show" but rather about the worlds of art auctions, verifications, restorations, repairs, etc. There is a lot that happens in the USA within the covers. If you ever dreamed of finding an old painting in an attic or at a yard sale and discovering that it is valuable, you should enjoy Mr. Mould's volume.
3548108
Some things are cheap.  Some things are just right.  It is rare the two meet.
4450971
The nuts are little bit old and too many almonds and not enough walnuts.
The price could com down a bit.
2461654
This is a very short story and you know just where it is going from the first time you meet the Earl.  But it still has a way of bringing forth the era it was written about.  The filth of a large city, the poor and unfortunate and how things were changing in England because the poor were so taken advantage of by the wealthy who thought that was their right.  How ever the way the story turns out ended up surprising me a bit.  It was a good read.
3014872
The heart essence lies in this book is the statement about the crowding-out effect of the reach of market-norm into the sphere of life which ordinarily not governed by the economic reasonings. In supporting his argument, the author rejected to employ the reasoning of coercive effect with regard to the unequal bargaining power of the parties, but rather he pointed out that the reach of market-norm into the non-market's space brings about the corruption or demeaning of things' value. The author's approach rests upon the postulate that there is/are certain value(s) in a certain thing, to marketise it is to eliminate its real value. Although this approach is quite conservative on the one hand, but its merit is well worth of being considered on the other. This book is written in the easy-reading style with a number of real event exemplifications, I recommend it as a 'good' book.
3406800
Tea plantations are beautiful and the tea industry has an antiquarian charm.  The author, Roy Moxham. captures some of that charm in this book -- but doesn't neglect describing the seamy side of British colonialism in India, China, Sri Lanka, and Africa.  Moxham doesn't go much into botanical descriptions of tea or growing and harvesting techniques, but focuses on the history of tea consumption and production.

Moxham catalogs the growing addiction of the British to tea in the 18th century and the efforts of British colonialists to grow the stuff in the 19th and 20th century.  The story of tea growing in the Assam district of India is dirty indeed -- typical of colonial ventures around the world. Some of the stories of the exploitation of workers during the early days of tea growing are horrific.  The author also describes briefly the principal tea dealers in England, past and present, and their marketing techniques. So addicted are Britains to the daily 'cuppa' that tea during World Wars of the Twentieth Century was considered a vital commodity.

One of the more interesting sections of the book was the author's brief description of his work on a tea estate in Malawi (Nyasaland) in the 1960s.  The book concludes abruptly as he finishes his first year on the estate, giving the impression that a sequel may be in the works.

This is a good little book with a few illustrations and maps, a list of the various kinds of tea, and a good bibliography for those inspired to dig more deeply into the subject.

Smallchief
1026454
This is a sweet tale set in the splendor and prejudice of an age gone by. It was an enjoyable evening's viewing. Julian Fellowe's adaptation of this novel is Downton Abbey Light. The casting was fabulous, as well as the scenery and costumes. Definitely not memorable but well worth the watch..
2417454
JK has taken on a new literary challenge with this story of a small town in England and its local politics, the relationships of parents and children, and classism, elitism of some town members contrasted by those in the "Fields".  While the author is developing the characters in the first 100 pages, it is a bit of a slog, but once you get into the story it gets interesting.  The characters (with all of their flaws and inadequacies) are developed and revealed. At the end, you are in consideration of right and wrong, good and evil, and human condition.
886313
Given todays open attitude to being gay this story may seem out of date. it is none the less a fascinating picture of a society so 'buttoned down' in every way. We remain intrigued by the Edwardian period for all it opulence and the life style of the rich, we are equally fascinated by the upstairs downstairs  world of the country house of the landed gentry.
Its easy to overlook the pain society caused many people rich or poor in the area of personal freedom and self determination.
2203280
Mr. Fellowes follows up Downton Abbey with this beautifully-filmed, dramatic, intriguing and sometimes comical period piece.  He even breaks in periodically (filmed sitting in a plush chair in front of a cozy fireplace) to explain and comment on the story as it progresses.  Some of the English accents are thick and hard to understand, but Mr. Fellowes's commentary helps in tracking plot, sub-plots. and characters.  Highly recommended for folks who like this type of English period piece and you know who you are.
1452030
If any Brit presentation demonstrates production values, compared to USA efforts, it is this one.  Julian
Fellowes is a creative genius in placing  viewers in another time and place.
2431983
It is amazing to read the old history of the West from the point of view of a growing business group. This is a series of facts from these days; from the very early days of goods trading from UK, via Cotton trading to metal trading and extraction. It is interesting to imagine the life of the people during these times.
3848174
For those who miss Downton, and love the Jane Austen type, this was a nice series. It was a little slow in developing in a couple of places, and is a bit predictable, but it is an enjoyable four hours of TV.  Tom Hollander is a veteran of Pride and Prejuice but plays a much better character in Dr Thorne than the ridiculous Mr. Collins. He is fun to watch. Good summer viewing. I hope Julian Fellowes makes more adaptations like this.

I am always drawn to Fellowes work. I first saw him as the quirky neighbor in Monarch of the Glen, which is a must watch. Then read several of this works of fiction, finally to be enraptured by all that was Downton. He is a brilliant producer, writer, and actor. In the style of Alfred Hitchcock, Fellowes introduces each episode and does a brief wrap up at the end. These make the viewer feel more involved. Thanks for another delightful venue.
181245
In classic economics, there are markets and market forces, and these interact in known or predictable ways. However, perhaps, just perhaps things are different now. The widespread use of the internet, and particularly trading, has redefined the market place and market trading. The broad thesis is that we no longer have just bricks-and-mortar stores (shops to you and me) that stock items that are likely to sell. Now new trading methods enable very slow movers not only to be sold, but to be WORTH selling if the market place is large enough.

Chris Anderson uses examples from different market sectors, and especially examines items where selling can take place with little stock sitting on warehouse shelves. In entertainment (music and films), the technology is available to create physical items to sell when an order is placed, and in these markets (and increasingly in books as well) items are not always shipped, but transmitted digitally. The can be almost no cost in holding items in the selling inventory - and with physical books, the technology of print-on-demand can mean this same principle applies here.

No longer is the choice limited to the top 50, or even top 1,000, but there is a demand for items further away from the `hits' - extending a long way down "the tail" to include products that were hitherto unavailable anywhere. This means more choice, but the crucially what is available is easily found. Such tools as customer recommendation even generate extra sales, with "customers who bought X also bought Y" suggestions.

The figures behind the theory are sometimes speculation, and more investigation is needed. However, the ideas are refreshing, well explained, and are a supreme example of unintended consequences at work.

In the USA, 20% of the population are more than 8 miles from a bookshop and 8% are more than 20 miles from a bookshop. This is part of the large untapped demand that long-tail selling can open up. Not only do `hits' sell (the traditional approach for pile-`em-high and sell-`em-cheap outlets), but that there is plenty of profit in the niche market that is the long tail.

Anderson even talks about how the `long tail' for music is not really a simple long tail, but a plethora of long tails, by genre. When is a long tail not a long tail? Why, when parts of it are themselves heads of niche markets, subdivided by genre, of course! Anderson makes his points well and this fairly easy read will explain all better than I can in a few short words.

Peter Morgan, Bath, UK (morganp@supanet.com)
3548461
Being a fan of Fellowes' writing for the Downton Abbey series, I was intrigued to try his other fiction. It was an entertaining read, but not as accomplished as I'd expected. The story was a bit hard to follow. Still, it was well-written and I'm not sorry I spent the time.