Alex's review illuminates a bitter dispute

Ian writes: Readers with an interest in Australian history would find value in Alex's assessment of Walter Dill Scott's Increasing Efficiency in Business (posted May 19), and in Alex's references to Frederick Taylor's Scientific Management, published in 1911.

An attempt to introduce Taylor's methods triggered the New South Wales railway strike of 1917 – which I believe to be the most divisive industrial dispute in Australia's history.

In the background, Australian social cohesiveness was under stress from the growing war casualties in Europe, from the bitter class and religious differences displayed in the military conscription debate which saw "loyalist" advocates narrowly lose national plebiscites in 1916 and 1917, and from the assertiveness of a newly articulate working class.

In January 1916 James Fraser became acting Chief Commissioner of the NSW Government Railways, which then included the extensive street tramway systems. In Working Lives, a commissioned railway union history, Mark Hearn wrote:

Fraser was an engineer by training, a man with a methodical cast of mind. An official portrait portrays him as brooding on human inefficiency. He believed that the labour force could be made to work like the implacable machines of industry.

He was influenced by American ideas of scientific or systematic management. During 1916 Fraser attempted to introduce the management strategies of Frederick Taylor into Eveleigh Railway Workshops [in an inner suburb of Sydney].

Taylor's system involved the use of cards to measure an individual worker's performance. Fraser commented that “the object was not to 'Americanise' the system, but simply to get a proper, fair and right record of the work done and exact cost of every article”.

The unions differed. In July 1916 a Co-operator [railway union newspaper] editorial stated that “it may be said that so-called scientific management seeks to make the task of the worker more monotonous than it ever was, to take from his work the last vestige of individuality, and to make him a mere cog in the machinery of production”.

In Working Lives, Hearn said the war created the sense that events were no longer under control, that life and work were hurtling inevitably into chaos and confrontation.

This must have been especially disturbing to the controlled and well-ordered Fraser, who sought certainty in properly regulated, concentrated and systematic work. On 20 July 1917 Fraser introduced the card system into the Randwick tram workshops.

Hearn continued: Far from striking as soon as the cards were introduced the workers at Randwick in fact sought to negotiate with both the Commissioners and the Government . . . “they knew that they worked as fast there as was done anywhere else, and were not afraid of any inquiry into the question.”

The negotiations proved pointless. On 2 August the men walked off the job.

The strike quickly spread. At Randwick 1100 men walked out; on the same day 3000 downed tools at Eveleigh, and were joined by rail workers at Newcastle, the Clyde workshops and Goulburn. In turn their numbers were swelled by train drivers and workers outside the rail and tram industry – seamen, wharfies [stevedores], miners . . .

The strike lasted 82 days and involved about seventy thousand workers, 14 per cent of the total NSW workforce. However, 42 per cent of rail and tram employees did not strike, and more than three thousand volunteers helped keep trains and trams running. Non-union crews worked coastal shipping. More volunteers drove trolleys and wagons and manned wharves.

Workers who were starved or frightened back to work found themselves demoted; those who stayed out to the end found themselves marked never to be re-employed.

One of the sacked workers was locomotive driver Ben Chifley, a Irish Catholic blacksmith's son from the NSW country town of Bathurst. He did not regain his job until the election of a Labor government in 1920, which returned the sacked or demoted workers to their old positions.

The experience turned Chifley to politics, and he won a seat in the Australian Parliament. He became the nation's Treasurer during World War II, and, after the death of John Curtin in 1945, Prime Minister until the voters tipped his government out in 1949.

Here endeth the history lesson. I'll read Increasing Efficiency in Business as soon as I've time. Is Scientific Management also in the library? I must check, but I'd better search also for the next Globusz book to review.

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A sense of style to enhance our writing

Ian reports: Guys, I hope you don't think I'm skiting, but for a time this was my desk as I assessed Slips of Speech. Perhaps, even, I could claim to have literally heaps of dictionaries, style guides, writing manuals and the like. Sounds obsessive, but for more than fifty years these were some of my tools of trade as a journalist. As well as my own books, the photo shows a few I borrowed from the local library to help me check how Slips of Speech stands up against modern guides.

In my previous post on May 17, I outlined some questions to be answered. First, can a book published in the US in 1895 help today's writers and speakers? I had been sceptical about 19th century advice – but the fundamentals of sound English usage don't change much over time.

Perhaps that shouldn't surprise. Cornell University professor William Strunk published The Elements of Style in 1918, and his little book still forms the core of the better known editions expanded by E.B. White. Over the Atlantic, Henry Fowler published Modern English Usage in 1926.

Decades later, their advice still helps us write and speak English which conveys our meaning with precision and vigour. Still, some word meanings and usages do change over time. When I began as a cadet journalist, I received a copy of The West Australian's style manual – a set of galley proofs. When they changed a ruling, the editors would just replace a few lines of metal type and have new proofs pulled.

I recall, however, that they hadn't got round to replacing: "Aftermath is the grass that grows after mowing. Do not use in any other sense."

In 2001, senior journalist Lucinda Duckett prepared an excellent style guide for Rupert Murdoch's Australian newspaper empire, but she was already out of date with "e-mail" instead of "email", and perhaps in putting a capital letter on internet.

Guides published in 1895 or 1918 or 1926 or 2001 remain valuable, but writers must keep their craft up to date. As for the differences between US, British and Australian English, we'll just have to learn to live with them. Levelling or leveling? Jewellery or jewelry? Criticise or criticize?

The Globusz guys in New York may be scratching their heads over "skiting", used above, but in Australia it's a well established synonym for boasting.

Strunk's readers in the rest of the world may be misled by his instruction to write "red, white, and blue" rather than "red, white and blue". An American football hero may get an answer he doesn't expect if he asks an Australian girl to root for him.

Some Sydney newspapers previously used the US spelling labor, and by some quirk our ruling political party is the Australian Labor Party, but otherwise Australia follows the UK with labour.

[Any writer who needs to know how UK and US styles differ would find The Economist Style Guide invaluable, particularly the hard copy version. Writers should also mark the guide's opening words: "Clarity of writing usually follows clarity of thought. So think what you want to say, then say it as simply as possible."]

Do you need to know terms like participle and infinitive and gerund to understand Bechtel's advice? No, you do not. Where you need to understand them, Bechtel offers clear explanations in plain language.

My extensive research has failed to uncover much about Bechtel (OK, I tried Wikipedia, and nothing came up). I suspect he wrote for the newly literate class which would have emerged in the 19th century after the US government brought in compulsory schooling. As in Britain and Australia, the desire for self-improvement probably drove many people to improve on their rudimentary education.

Unlike some authors of English usage manuals, Bechtel didn't assume his readers were already well versed in the terminology of grammar. He organised Slips of Speech into sensible chapters. To assess his guidelines for apostrophes, I looked up the chapters on Contractions and on Possessives. His explanations were clearer than you'll find in many modern books.

The Globusz edition retains the original index, but the reader cannot use it to look up individual entries because the original page numbers no longer apply to the digital scan.

Globusz author Eugene Binx was kind enough to post a witty comment to my May 17 post: "Good'ay Ian. Just a thought; perhaps the Apostrophe should be abolished as its' uses are possibly not an exact science."

As it happens, I can – just – remember a short-lived newspaper which did abolish apostrophes. Described by veteran journalist Mungo McCallum as Richard Neville’s "attempt at hippiedom in which he wrote under the pseudonym Harry Gumboot", The Living Daylights was a product of wild young Australian radicals in the mid-1970s. If you share my nostalgia for those manic days, follow this link.

Seriously, though, I think apostrophes are too valuable to discard – too many contractions or possessives would become confusing. We just have to learn to use them correctly.

And now, class, before we go, let's check out some more sightings:

• An email from Telstra BigPond tells me a new plan could take effect from 12am the next day.
  
• A receptionist confirms my appointment for 12pm.
  
• "I think the onus is on the Minister to ensure that there is a proper, objective and fulsome investigation of this leak" – Australia's ABC Online quotes Senator Nick Minchin.

When the clock is spot on 12, it can be neither ante nor post meridiem – it's 12 midnight or 12 noon. And as the News Ltd style book says: "Fulsome does not mean full or abundant, but overdone, insincere, disgusting, sickening. Fulsome praise is anything but positive."

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Increasing Efficiency in Business by Walter Dill Scott is a winner.

Don’t you just love it when you find a book that reinforces your own beliefs? Scott’s a gutsy guy, because he’s prepared to take on modern thinkers with his in-ya-face ideas. In his book Increasing Efficiency in Business, Scott says, ‘the modern business man is the true heir of the old magicians.’

Some readers won’t like what Scott has to say or his take no prisoner’s style. I’m guessing some people will find his comments a bit too confronting and he’ll rattle their comfort zones.

Scott refers to F.W. Taylor on many occasions. If you’ve forgotten what line Taylor peddled, this is a quote from Vincenzo Sandrone, a former student of the University of Technology, Sydney, in his essay, F. W. Taylor & Scientific Management. Under Taylor's management system, factories are managed through scientific methods rather than by use of the empirical "rule of thumb", so widely prevalent in the days of the late nineteenth century when F. W. Taylor devised his system and published "Scientific Management" in 1911. "Few employers can gather a force of efficient workers and keep them at their best. Not only is it difficult to select the right men, but it is even harder to secure top efficiency after they are hired." Touching this, there will be no dispute. Experts in shop management go even farther. F. W. Taylor, who has made the closest and most scientific study, perhaps, of actual and potential efficiency among workers, declares that: "A first-class man can, in most cases, do from two to four times as much as is done on the average."

“While overwork has its place among the things which reduce energy and shorten life, it is my opinion that overwork is not so dangerous or so common as is ordinarily supposed.” And what about, “Those nations which expend the most energy are probably the ones among whom longevity is greatest and the mortality rate the lowest. In the city of Chicago there are many conditions adverse to health of body and mind, yet the city is famous for its relatively low mortality as a parallel fact. It is also affirmed that the average Chicago man works longer hours and actually accomplishes more than the average man elsewhere. This excess in the expenditure of energy -- in so far as it is wisely spent -- may be one of the reasons for the excellent health record of the city.” See what I mean. He’s a straight shooter. But he’ll get some women off side, because he only talks about men. He never mentions women. But cut him some slack girls. When he wrote the book women weren’t well represented in the workplace. In Scott's time most women didn't work outside the home. It was their job to take care of the men.

Hey, you can’t argue with this comment, “We have a choice between wearing out and rusting out. Most of us unwittingly have chosen the rusting process.” Right on!

If everyone reads Scott’s work and only 1 in 500 take on board his ideas, I reckon we’d all be better off. Because those people would start hassling all their mates and the people they work with, and they just might win them over.

A really good mate of mine says she believes we’ve all been brainwashed into believing we need three times as much sleep as we actually do. And we’ve be told over and over that we have to put limits on how much work we take on. She recons it’s all rubbish, and she pushes the boundaries every day to keep trying to find her maximum working potential and her minimum sleeping requirements.

I'm convinced! I want to fight the popular myths and take on Scott’s ideas to the max. Hey, I’ve got nothing to lose. If he’s right, then I’m going to be a whole lot more productive. If he’s wrong; what the heck. I’ll have a great reason to become a ‘slacker’ and join the beach bum brigade. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Dill_Scott

When I discussed Scott with my hard working parents, they both said, 'It’s time we brought back his ideas so people will develop proper work ethics again.'

'I’m hooked. I hope you will be too. This one should be essential reading in preschools. I know I’ve said it before, but if you want to do yourself a favour, then do the download. http://www.globusz.com/ebooks/Increasing/index.asp

Scott was a member of Phi Beta Kappa Society (ΦΒΚ) stands for Φιλοσοφία Βίου Κυβερνήτης or philosophia biou kubernetes, "Love of learning is the guide of life."

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I asked the readers to be the judge and they've done just that.

Kevin Atkinson has defended Eugene Binx’s novel Zen and the Art of Stand Up Comedy. Kevin read the eBook and enjoyed it so much that he's taken the time to add a comment to the Blog.

Thank you Kevin.

I hope many more people will read the book and make their own judgement about its worth. I’m happy to admit that reading tastes vary enormously, and my opinion may not be shared by most of Eugene’s readers.

It’s great to know my review has started a debate.

Congratulations Eugene. I believe the Globusz Publishing Book Club is providing an excellent service. Giving writers and readers a place to interact, and share views, is extremely valuable; and it's just not possible with traditional book clubs.

I’ll be delighted if my review comments are proven to go against public opinion. After all the job of a reviewer is to generate interest, and to stimulate others to read the book. You may find you have a lot of support out there. And that’s got to be a good thing.

Well done,
Kind regards,
Lindsay.


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Yes, there's a need for Slips Of Speech

Ian reports: A few days ago, I took two of my grandchildren to the Australian Reptile Park. It's a good day out, but I felt I had to shield their impressionable young eyes – any time the illuminated sign above an exhibit tried to say "its" it said "it's", as in "this snake sheds it's skin".

On ABC radio 702 in Sydney, the morning presenter says the previous Australian Federal Treasurer, Peter Costello, is becoming disinterested in Parliament.

A judge tells a law conference he has a problem with disinterested juries.

An emailed newsletter from the NSW State Library tells me of the enormity of a new exhibition.

In a blurb about a book on English usage, I read that "John Hendricks Bechtel . . . has literally put millions on the highway to greater accomplishment and success".

So, do we need another book on English usage? The examples above (all of which are true) suggest we do – or at least that it can't do any harm.

Less than five years ago, Lynne Truss's book Eats, Shoots and Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation headed bestseller lists in English-speaking countries for many months.

Truss's readers would invite you to join them as they sniggered at the illiteracy of the great unwashed (usually, these smug people bugged me so much I'd switch to discussing the use of the possessive case in gerunds, and mock those who didn't know what I was talking about).

In the past five years, have you seen an improvement in the use of apostrophes?

Is it pedantic to point out that "disinterested" doesn't mean "uninterested". I expect a jury (and the judge) to be disinterested, but I don't want them uninterested.

Is it too late to shout that "enormity" means monstrous wickedness, not of great size?

And with respect to the Globusz people, I doubt that Bechtel, despite his being impressively erudite (note my use of the possessive case in a gerund!), put literally millions of people on any highway, let alone one to greater accomplishment and success.

Yes, I've quoted from the Globusz catalogue blurb for the book I'm reviewing – Slips of Speech, by John Hendricks Bechtel.

Anyone who read the May 8 post on my personal blog knows that Vera and I were to review a Globusz book together.

She suggested Kama Sutra, which sounded fascinating, but instead we settled on Slips of Speech because Vera felt she needed to brush up her English after 20 years living in a Mediterranean nation (I told Vera I wished most people could match her prose).

Now Vera has taken leave to give more focus to university. She's made the right decision, although I hope to see her back in the Writer's Cafe during the next long uni hols. That leaves me to assess Slips by myself.

I'm well into it, and my first impressions are generally favorable. Questions I hope to answer in my next Writer's Cafe post (by the end of the week, I hope) are:

• Can a book published in the US in 1895 help today's writers and speakers?
• Do you need to know terms like participle and infinitive and gerund to understand Bechtel's advice?
• How does Slips stand up against other books with the same aims – does it complement them, or do others do it all better?
• How sound is the advice? And how easy is the book to use?

VERA IS TAKING EXTENDED LEAVE .. and we're sad to see her go!

As many of you know, Ian and Vera were team reviewing this month. Unfortunately, because of her heavy university workload, Vera has to take extended leave. This means she won't be doing any reviewing for a while.

This is sad news for us, but we're all hoping it won't be too long before she's able to return to her Globusz position.

I'm sure you’ll join us in wishing Vera success with her uni studies.

On behalf of all the team I'd like to convey our sincere thanks to you Vera. We appreciate all the time you gave to club activities. We'll miss your cheery emails.

Warmest regards and our very best wishes,

Suzanne

GLOBUSZ PUBLISHING ~ Where the virtual defines the future ... and synergy has a whole new meaning

Slips of Speech - and how to avoid them.

Ian and Vera are team-writing the review of this great classic.


They will have it ready for you soon.


This is one for us all! Certainly worth waiting for.

We'll soon see if two heads really are better than one.



GLOBUSZ PUBLISHING ~ Where the virtual defines the future ... and synergy has a whole new meaning

A NEW WHITEBOARD FOR CLUB MEMBERS

Hi everyone,

I have just created a new blog for you to use as a whiteboard. I think it will be useful when you're discussing work and developing a draft review. It should help members who are team-writing.

This is the link:
http://oz-whiteboard.blogspot.com/


GLOBUSZ PUBLISHING ~ Where the virtual defines the future ... and synergy has a whole new meaning

It's time to get serious, I say! (Alex)

I'm making an investment in my corporate smarts hedge-fund. I've been tossing the idea around for weeks, and now it's time for action. How's that grab ya? You're pretty impressed, right?

The time for fun is over and I've gotta get serious. So I'm having a crack at this eBook. In two weeks, I'm off overseas again, and this will be a great title to impress the person who sits next to me on the plane. They'll think i'm a really clever dude. I could get lucky; my travel companion might be way-up-there brainy. And they might help me out if the stuff's a bit over my head. Whatya think? Good idea?

Increasing Efficiency in Business, A Contribution to the Psychology of Business by Walter Dill Scott. SYNOPSIS: We've built machines to become more efficient in business, but humans remain human -- and inefficient. But must that always be the case? According to renowned business psychologist Walter Dill Scott, managers can help workers find their "second wind," the point at which they move past their previous limits and achieve top performance. Applying psychology to business, Scott wrote, "when a man is doing what he believes to be his best, he is still able to do better; when he is completely exhausted, he is, under proper stimulus, able to continue." In Increasing Human Efficiency in Business, Scott explores how to create motivation for success. He looks at factors such as imitation, competition, loyalty, concentration, wages, pleasure, "the love of the game," relaxation, and habit formation. He hopes to find each worker's latent powers and hidden stores of energy to discover "wider horizons of honorable and profitable activity."

It might be a while before i post my comments. Be kind; the delay won't be because I'm slack. It'll be just because my employer actually expects me to meet deadlines. I tell my boss all the time, that i've got more important stuff to attend to, but he just doesn't get it. He keeps checking my time sheets to make sure i'm not fudging the figures. Poor guy. He should get with the program and join the club too. www.globusz.com/ebooks/Increasing/index.htm

See ya guys.

Hey Lindsay, just gotta tell ya, that i loved your Zen review. Don't let anyone tell ya it's over the top. It's great. From the comments even the author thinks you did him a favour. Can't wait to read your next review. I'll be checking the blog all the time i'm away. And showing it to my workmates. They think you're a cool chick. Cya! This is Alex, over and out.

A Suspense novel seems a fitting next choice

Hogback sounds like an excellent choice for my next eNovel. It has the potential to engage me, while at the same time providing a diversion; which can be a highly effective tactic. It worked well during the Battle of Gettysburg.
http://www.historynet.com/jeb-stuart-battle-of-gettysburg-scapegoat.htm

SYNOPSIS: Hogback is a suspense novel, which explores the age-old dilemma of good versus evil. The story begins recounting two seemingly unrelated events happening in different parts of the world on the same day: The first in Vietnam and the second in the small, eastern Georgia town of Washington. The son of the town drunk was an easy target for an over-zealous lawyer and a weak judge who were manipulated and bought by the ruling family of the county. The teenager’s desire for revenge on the family that framed him was unfulfilled because of their death from car accident just prior to his release from prison. His anger and quest for revenge takes him on a trail of vengeance to seek out any wealthy father and son who controlled small towns in Georgia.

I love a good suspense novel, and Hogback appears to have all the right ingredients. If the pace is fast, then it shouldn't take me long to get through it. I'll post my comments soon. I bet you can't wait to see what I come up with. An interesting aspect of the human condition, is that many of us are fascinated with train wrecks. If you're expecting one, I think you will be disappointed.
Back soon,
Lindsay.

http://www.globusz.com/ebooks/Hogback/index.asp

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How harsh is too harsh?

Hi guys (and onlookers).

I've been following the debate between Lindsay and Eugene Binx, the author she bagged for over-use of obscene words in Zen and the Art of Standup Comedy. Right from the start, I wanted to comment, but after the latest exchange I took the dog for a long walk while I thought things over.

On my return I find Suzanne has posted a couple of comments. They're helpful, and perhaps she's trying to calm something at risk of becoming bitter. Still, I'd like to add my two bob's worth. I'm not troubled if Eugene has used the F word seven times in seven sentences. If it helped develop our understanding of his novel's main character, or of its setting, that's fine by me. On the other hand, if it's gratuitous – put in just to shock us – I'd fall into line with Lindsay. I haven't read Zen and the Art of Standup Comedy.

I have Lindsay's opinions, but I don't know her general attitude to obscene words in popular novels. Are they distasteful at all times, or only when used gratuitiously?

English literature, popular or highbrow, would be much poorer if we admitted only those books one could read aloud on a crowded Sydney bus.

So I don't know whether Lindsay was too harsh. I hope Eugene isn't discouraged, and that he pushes on with his writing. He should think over Lindsay's comments, but if he disagrees, so be it. Write on Eugene, and I'll take a look at your next book.

Meanwhile, I think we should welcome robust discussions such as we've just had, but perhaps revise the format in which we conduct them.

First, we should invite authors to respond with full posts (not just appended comments) when we criticise their work. Before I read Eugene's comment, I'd already read Lindsay's reply. It's as if she held on to the microphone.

When we decided we would read different books, then tell the others about them, we became reviewers, as well as members of a book club discussion. That gives us some limitations and some more responsibilities, as the literary critic Kerryn Goldsworthy has explained. Our first task is to tell others whether a book is worth reading. But we should also remember our criticisms, if offered constructively, may nurture the talent of a novice writer.

[For you Globusz guys in New York, two bob is not very much money – two shillings in the currency Australia abandoned in the 1960s. So my two bob's worth is an inconsequential opinion but you're going to get it anyway. ]

The sketch? That's me, drawn by Sydney newspaper caricaturist Tony Rafty in 1982. I use it as a sort of signature when I'm blogging. -- Ian Skinner

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The Author Thinks I Was Too Harsh!

Hi Eugene,
Good to hear you defend your work with such passion. You make an interesting case, but I still think your Zen eBook relies far too heavily on foul language as a reader engagement tool; and that detracts from the writing quality.

Sorry, but your technique just doesn’t cut the mustard. I think the methodology fails, and that’s why I couldn’t take the work seriously.

You asked why I didn’t hammer you about Norman’s obsession with sex. Good question, because you do use his sexual exploits to build the persona. And the story relies heavily on his ability to get every woman he meets into bed. Sure it's true that all the women throw themselves at him, and actually instigate the rather crazy bed-hopping. But Norman doesn't stop to think about the consequences of his involvements.

Answer: I accepted your fictional character for what he is. A shallow youth, who lacked the maturity to understand that sex, has little, if anything, to do with relationship building. His behaviour fits the mould of a young man driven by a desire to take, without any thought for personal responsibility. Now come on; surely you don't expect us to believe that poor old Norman didn't know that getting into bed with his own aunt wasn't a good idea? His aunt was a lonely woman; what was Norman's excuse? How many women did he have on the go at the same time? It was pretty hard to keep count.

Still he did learn a lesson or two along the way. He discovered he was capable of experiencing feelings for others, albeit, fleeting, and shallow ones. And when push came to shove, his choices were always based on what he wanted, and expected.

He should have gotten his comeuppances when Betsy double-crossed him, but his depth of emotional maturity, robbed him of the genuine pain-response, that others might feel when a loving (a gross over statement) relationship ends.

Sorry Eugene. I’m sticking with my initial critique, but I do wish you well with the new novel.

Cheers, Lindsay.

NOTE: Read the author's comment - scroll down to my earlier post: Am I being too harsh here? You be the judge. posted: Sunday March 30

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Meanwhile, I've enjoyed a pleasant sea change

Eugen Herrigel has a lot to answer for. He kicked off this whole "Zen and the Art of . . ." thing with his Zen in the Art of Archery published in Germany in 1948. People who know about these things said it was good on zen and good on archery. Pity the copycats couldn't be the same.

Wikipedia says there are now 200 books with similar titles – and that's before you start counting blogs. The other day someone gave me Zen and the Art of Lawn Bowls!

Robert M. Pirsig rekindled the genre in 1974 with Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Being a keen biker (still am!), I accelerated past Pirsig's warning:

What follows is based on actual occurrences. Although much has been changed for rhetorical purposes, it must be regarded in its essence as fact. However, it should in no way be associated with that great body of factual information relating to orthodox Zen Buddhist practice. It's not very factual on motorcycles, either.

It was quite an interesting account of a motorcycle tour across the US, and I'm glad I read it. But I never did fall into line with all those other people who said Pirsig's book changed their lives.

Today, if anyone offers a book titled Zen and the Art of Something, let's poke it with a sharp stick. It's probably limp and lifeless, giving off a faint whiff of the 1970s.

Sorry you had to find out the hard way, Lindsay.

As for standup comedians spraying obscene words at their audience (or their readers), isn't that so 1970s too?

It began when comedians moved from the theatre stage into alcohol-sodden pubs and clubs, and it coincided with a sort of liberation mood when young people rejected the pursed-lips wowserism they'd experienced from their parents through the 1950s and early 60s.

Shouting four-letter words was so liberating! Wasn't it?

With Alex, it's good to know he laughed like a drunken Irishman as he read The Best of Forwarded Emails. I'm glad he didn't say imbecile Sikh, which must have been a temptation after reading a whole chapter of Sardarji jokes.

Thanks, Alex, for pointing me to Getting IT Right. It sounds just what I need to stay on top of all these newfangled YouTube and Web 3.0 and podcast things I'm supposed to master to stay in the action.

Me? I've had an enjoyable time on a Scottish island. I could nit-pick my way through some faults with Peter Culling's Isle of Enniskerry, but what the hell, it's an enjoyable yarn. Perhaps this sort of thing rekindles Boy's Own enthusiasms from my far-distant youth.

I guess you read the blurb. Jim wins four million quid in a British national lottery, buys a deserted Scottish island which once supported a laird in a big house and some farmers and fishermen in crofts, recruits a diverse group of people wanting to escape city life, and gets the island moving again.

So where could I find fault? First, Culling writes well, but could do better if he learned to revise and revise again (fundamental to a writer's craft) until he chopped at least a fifth of his words, and sharpened up those he kept. He should learn his spellchecker won't pick out "principal" when he intends "principle", or "to" instead of "too".

Jim says he doesn't want the new islanders to think of him as the laird, but he spends much of his time dispensing avuncular advice, and you'll wait in vain to see him spit on his hands and pick up a crowbar or shovel to help those rebuilding crofts or farmyards.

Perhaps Culling should get hold of the Mills & Boon writer's manual, where he could learn to structure his novel with a few crises which threaten the whole project. And because the novel ends with a romantic happy ending, a few bitter misunderstandings and unrequited yearnings along the way would have built tension.

There were problems, such as a vet who couldn't get on with the farmers, and a gang of bovver boys who tried to trash the island, but they were seen off quite easily.

And fundamentally, too, I wonder whether the success of Jim's endeavours leaves him and his islanders living in the same sort of high-pressure, businesslike world they'd set out to escape.

But don't let my quibbles put you off. I think you'd enjoy Isle of Enniskerry. I did.

To save Christine from having to answer those Globusz guys in New York, wowser is one of those wonderful Ocker (that means Aussie!) words describing those prune-faced, anti-fun people who would be called killjoys, blue-stockings or puritans in other parts of the world. Hence wowserism.

Some say it was invented by John Norton, an unsavory Sydney newspaper proprietor around the end of the 19th Century, and some say it's an acronym derived from We Only Want Social Evils Remedied.

Back in the Great Land of Oz. And lovin' it!!

Hey guys,
I’ve been working outside Australia again and have just returned. I’ve gotta say it was fun to log into Writers Café 101 and read the stuff that had been posted. It made me feel great to be part of the club. And I got a good laugh from Lindsay’s last post.

She’s like the wordsmith Grim Reaper. I’m glad I’m not an author. I’d be too scared to let her anywhere near my books. She’d mow me down like a Sherman tank. Here’s a video to help you get a handle on the damage she’d cause. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-7JZIHsRN0

Still I get the message. There she was all set for a bit of light Easter entertainment, only to have Binx crush her like a chocolate egg. I hope it didn’t turn her off her Easter Bunny loot.

While Lindsay was plotting her revenge on poor old Eugene, I was laughing like a drunken Irishman. No kidding. I had a ball with The Best of Forwarded Emails, by Ram G. Kumar.

This is a great little book to carry around on your laptop. Fantastic for de-stressing difficult client, or boss, related situations that go off the rails. I can guarantee it will defuse the most highly charged confrontation and before you know it, the person who wanted to dismember you, will become your best mate.

Kumar has done an excellent job compiling his material. There are so many great pieces it was hard to select a couple for a suggestion list. Why don’t you start with these, then work your way through the whole lot.

The Future of Customer Care
Funny leave letters and applications sent from India
Appraisal Note – Read between the lines

And every red blooded Aussie lad will love the Beer Theories. This is a great read. Do yourself a favour and download it asap.

Cheers, Alex.

AN IDEA: Lindsay add this to the travelling show repertoire. The Sydney Buses' passengers will love you for it. Pass around a hat and buy yourself the digital book reader "thingy" I think you called it. You know, the one you said you really wanted.

I'M SO IMPRESSED I TOLD MY MUM ABOUT RAM.
I downloaded another one of Ram's eBooks for my mother. On a scale of 1 - 10 (1 low), I'd say my mum's computer application skills are about 7.5., so I downloaded Getting IT Right for her. It's a very small work, but packed with great stuff to help computer newcomers get a handle on a few things. I reckon it'd work for a lot of people who just need to brush up of stuff they've forgotten. Come to think of it; just about anyone will find it useful. Even the CompNerds might find something useful in it. Good Gear. Do the download!





http://www.globusz.com/ebooks/GettingIT/index.htm

Am I being a bit harsh here? You be the judge!

Hi folks,

Frances and I decided to can the road show for this one, and I’m glad we did. We would have been chucked off the motor vehicle, and flung into the harbour, for using obscene language if we’d read this eBook to the Sydney Buses' passengers. We would have ended up in the courts; and I would have become the laughing stock of all my peers.

Sorry Eugene old boy, but you did your dash when you used the F word seven times in seven consecutive sentences. I'm not kidding you here people. Binx gets a sub-zero this time. He murdered what could have been a bit of light entertainment for me over the Easter weekend.

Binx needs to take a creative writing course. Then he’d learn that writers who repeat words, because they lack the skill to critically analyse their work, get the thumbs down from serious readers.

He'd also learn that profanity can never cover up bad writing. Trying to shock readers just doesn’t win brownie points; they expect more from authors. They expect quality writing, regardless of the genre. If Binx enrols in a good course, and works hard, he might eventually become a reasonably good author. He might even discover the richness of the English language and find a wealth of fantastic words to tell his stories with passion and style.

This You Tube video might help you Eugene: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBpetDxIEMU

The Norman character might have been strong enough to pull the story together, and save it, but Binx’s limited vocabulary sent it to the sin bin.

When I selected Zen & The Art of Stand Up Comedy by Eugene Binx, I didn’t expect it to fall into the big L, literature league. But I did expect it to engage me and keep me on the hook.

I read the whole book because I’m a ‘finisher’; not a 'quitter'. Take my advice people, if you want a good read, give Zen a miss and spend your time on something worthwhile.

Tess of the D’Urbervilles is listed in the Globusz OZ showcase. Why don’t you give that a go?

Of course, it won’t give you a good laugh; you’ll probably cry your eyes out, at the end. But at least the tears will spring from your soul, not your spleen. And by that I mean, they won’t be tears of frustration because Binx wasted your precious time.

Happy reading, and cheers,

Lindsay.

PS this might be my last post. I might be excommunicated from the club. Should I just say good-bye to you all now, or beg forgiveness?

Don't forget to check below for comments. Just click to read.

It looks like everyone is off to a flying start.

Ian is returning to The Isle of Enniskerry, while Alex and Lindsay have listed their choices below.

Thank you all for the excellent comments about the Riccardo Maffey work. I'm sure our readers enjoy your posts as much as we all do.

The Globusz International staff, in the New York office, said they love the site and they look forward to reading all the posts.

They sometimes ask me to translate from Australian to American; they didn't understand what Ian meant by the blue Mercedes.

Stefan told Suzanne, everyone enjoys Alex and Lindsay's posts, and the way they interact with each other, gives them all a good laugh.

Keep it up everyone.

Regards,

Christine

this is the link to the novel Ian is reading: http://www.globusz.com/ebooks/Enniskerry/index.asp

I think I'll head for the Scottish isles

Fascinating! I now know Sardarji jokes are the sub-continent's answer to Irish jokes. And the Best of Forwarded Emails has a whole section of them. Better not tell the thought police.

Wikipedia has a longish entry about Sardar/Sardarji which slips in this line: "Sardar is often used to refer to an intellectual imbecile from northern Indian frontiers."

G. Ram Kumar's book looks fun but I'm going to return to the Isle of Enniskerry. I read into it a few months ago, thought the intro was a bit leaden, but the yarn ahead looked interesting.

I haven't finished Sand yet, but will try to speed-read to the end. Does anything actually happen? I must find out!

Meanwhile, I've read Janette Turner Hospital's new novel, Orpheus Lost, for my No 1 Ladies Book Club. What is it about intros? It seems to take a really skilled or innovative writer to get the yarn moving along from the start. Some of the women thought Orpheus Lost plodded at the start, although I appreciated its surreal mood.

There'll be no such complaint with next month's book. Alice Sebold begins The Almost Moon with this sentence: "When all is said and done, killing my mother came easily." After that, the book becomes weird, but it's got a compelling quality and I'll read to the end.

Cheers.

I could do with a good laugh right now.

Hi Guys,

It looks like Lindsay's good to go, so I'll join her with one that sounds like it might be a bit of fun. And i might even learn something along the way: THE BEST OF FORWARDED EMAILS

I've never heard of G. Ram Kumar , but i flicked through a couple of the chapters and he seems to have a handle on humour. What the hell, a good laugh might be just the thing to de-stress after a dog of a week. And i mean a great Dane sort of dog. A big job i'm working on looks like turning into the shower scene from Psycho. With twice the blood!!

http://www.globusz.com/ebooks/TheBest/index.asp

I'll pick out the best bits and share the fun with you all.

Ciao, Alex.

PS: i like the way Lindsay added the synopsis of her book, so i've done a double take. Hope you don't mind L.

The Best of Forwarded emails, by G. Ram Kumar. Ram’s work as a spam buster during the course of work gave him ample opportunities to come across spam – fun email. Collecting avidly such emails over a period of time culminated in the concept, design & content of this book.

It contains a blend of fun & value-added articles that are informative & thought-provoking from eminent authors and business leaders. In that way, this book goes beyond remaining a mere fun book.

Names, characters, places & incidents are used fictitiously or just for fun and any resemblance to any actual person living or dead or locales is entirely coincidental. Remember, this book aims at spreading fun and no malicious motives should be read with this work. Just enjoy reading & have a merry laugh! That’s it!

Lindsay's Round Two Choice

Hey guys,

I've decided to read Zen & The Art of Stand Up Comed by Eugene Binx

I've had my eye on it for a while now and keen to get started. I haven't spoken with Frances yet, so I don't know if we'll do round two of the travelling theatre. I'll keep you posted on that one.

Can't wait to see what the other BLs grab off the bookshelf this month. It's all a bit revealing isn't it? There's an old saying, 'show me your book case and I'll know all about you.'

Zen & The Art of Stand-up Comed by Eugene Binx Nineteen-year-old Norman Smith arrives in the East End of London in the summer of 2002. The well educated Art College drop out from Birmingham is to lodge and work with his Uncle Ernest and Auntie Katie. Norman is an indecisive directionless gentle giant of a young man. Having settled at once into the role of the Son that Ernest and Katie never managed, he continues to drift through life. Within 36 hours of arriving he is seduced by Nancy Trollop, Katie’s best friend. She is twice Norman’s age and their relationship will be the cause of all that happens to him in London and perhaps even thereafter. Through this relationship, Norman is taken on as the Doorman at a new Stand-up comedy venue in the area, “The Two Buttocks.” His life continues still without him making any decisions and he goes on to become Compare, Comedian and Manager at the venue, all by default.

I've already downloaded the eBook to my laptop. Gotta get me one of those digital reader thingys. I think the ATO will agree it's a ligit work related expense. I read a bloody truckload of stuff each day; so why not?

Don't wait too long guys. I've worked it out that it will take us around 10.45 years to get through the current eBooks Globusz has in its library. And that's if we read two books every month. No time out!

So get to it guys!

Cheers, Lindsay.

A video isn't such a bad idea

Hi Guys!

I think the You Tube idea is a great way for us to promote the book club. However, I understand that not many of us want to put ourselves out there in a movie. SOOOOO how about this as a way to promote the club, without having to display our faces across the Internet.

We each create a movie, using movie maker, and then add narration. That way we can use an avatar as the face visitors see. I'm happy to make the movies, if you send me an audio file of your recorded book comment. Audacity is a great recorder. It's free, and easy to use. http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

I rather like the idea of trying to capture the essence of the books we review in 10 words. We still write our articles, but we add the 10 word Essence Capture as well.
What are your thoughts on this?

Cheers, Suzanne.

PS Christine is in Melbourne until Friday March 7. She is still checking her emails though, so please write to her, or to me, and let us know your thoughts on this idea.

If you want to view more Nerd Fighters Book Club videos, just go to You Tube and search for nerdfighters book club - they have published loads.

Just a reminder. When you create a narration audio file you need a decent microphone. The computer's internal one just isn't good enough. A headset is great and they reduce around sound pickup.

A competition? I'll have to throw in the towel

Oh dear! I can't compete with Lindsay's image of a Blue Mercedes full of passengers, all putting aside their Daily Telegraphs as they strain to hear the next riveting chapters of Riccardo's story.

Although, come to think of it, Sand may be just right for a daily half-hour bus trip. Its fast-paced action (after a ponderous start) would break down well into a daily serial. A bit like those Jungle Jim serials my generation used to cheer at the Satdee matinees. Or like the Da Vinci Code.

And for the bus commuters, Sand may be much more nourishing fare than the Daily Terror.

Alas, I've yet to finish Sand. Ill try, but life keeps getting in the way. I won't go into details, except to say that I'm now pushing against deadline for a Probus club newsletter (and I'm as bewildered as you may be that I find myself in an old men's club where my fellows decided their wives should be referred to as "the ladies").

Also, I have to read Janette Turner Hospital's new novel Orpheus Lost before my No 1 Ladies Book Club meets on Tuesday morning.

I'm the only bloke among the dozen women who meet once a month. They may look rather staid, but the illusion shattered last month when one of our number, a well-known theatre identity, came in a few minutes late, and with superb diction and a voice trained to carry across an auditorium, declaimed her lines from The Vagina Monologues.

Ah, but I do digress, don't I? We're here to discuss Riccardo Maffey's Sand Against the Wind. And I fear Maffey will suffer when I read him alongside the brilliant author of Due Preparations for the Plague. Except for that, Sand might stand up reasonably well.

[Sand is my first go at reading an e-novel, but I've found it no handicap except that I can't do it away from my PC. No laptop or e-reader, so no reading in bed or in an armchair. ]

Like the other guys, I found it hard to get started. The Prologue did seem a combination of Fellini's La Dolce Vita and Visconti's The Damned. As with the films, a disturbing blend of elegance and decadence, of mistresses and overdressed fops.

And with so many characters! I got a notebook to write down their names, with little arrows showing who was up who.

Setting the scene was also a bit confusing, with the "flash forward" to March 1944 before taking up the story in September 1943.

However, it all works out and from that point we're in a narrative which gathers pace and tension in a most satisfying way. So far I haven't got past Christina's involvement in a plot to rescue Carlo from a hospital under German guard (I presume she succeeds, because he struts the stage the following March), so I'm not far into the book.

I will return after I clear my desk, so I have to admit the narrative has got me in. Also, history interests me, so the events in the background lift my enjoyment of Sand.

At this stage, though, I'm hoping Maffey develops his characters more strongly. I still don't understand what makes Carlo tick, nor Christina. So far, the attraction seems to focus on perfect boobs.

So, guys, I apologise for falling behind. I will try to post another comment when I finish Sand and have time to weigh my responses. I'll also look forward to chatting about our next book, but perhaps I should let you choose it.

Get out Alex!!

As if I'm going to stick up a You Tube video of myself on the blog!!! But please don't let my lack of enthusiasm stop you from doing it.

I love You Tube; as long as I'm not in the movies.

I like your suggestion about us each choosing our own book to read next time.

Hey BLs don't let me sway you on either of Alex's suggestions. What do you guys want to do?

'Bye guys, Lindsay.

Alex knows there is no prize for 2nd place

I read Lindsay's comment at work today and posted a quick comment. The first thing I did when i got home was to fire up the laptop and log into the blog to finish off the draft i started on the 20th - here is the completed thing.

Hi everyone, I've finished the book. Actually i finished it last week!!! I just have to make that point. How immature is that?

I just want to make a couple of quick comments about it. As I've said before I had trouble getting into it at first, but I just kept ploughing on until I made a connection with the story. It's not a book I would normally read, but I did enjoy most of it. I think it's a bit too long, and a lot of the details could have been left out without losing the plot. I have to read a lot for my job, so for entertainment, I usually like to read something light and easy to get through. Sands Against the Wind was a bit too heavy for me. Not because the work was based on historical fact - well I think they were facts; I’ll have to take the authors word on that one - no the heavy bit was because the story was all over the shop at times. Now how's that for a literary comment? You know what i mean. it sort of shoots off in different directions a lot, and that made me work hard to get my head around it. It was an entertaining story in a GREAT coat. The author created some interesting drama, but on the whole i found the book made me work too hard, so it didn't fulfil my entertainment desires. I think Riccardo Maffey is a fine writer. He seems to have done his research well, and he sure knows a lot about his subject. I'd recommend his book to anyone who really enjoys history, with a human face. END OF COMMENT

MESSAGE TO MY FELLOW BOOK CLUB MEMBERS: Now we're done with this month's read, can we choose our own ebook please? i don't get much time to read for pleasure so i'd like the next book to be a bit of plain old light entertainment. What are you ideas on this?

Hey it would be really great if we video ourselves talking about the next book, and post them to the blog. What do you think?

Smart Lindsay!

Being the highly competitive person that i am, it's driving me nuts that you've finished and written your review already. Humbug!!

I started a draft on the 20th but just didn't get to finish the post. What I had written is now obsolete so i will just have to accept the fact that you win; i lose, and get over it.

Seriously Lindsay, good work. Love your comments. Wish i caught the same bus. i'm on another route. Shame.

Must get going. Work awaits. When doesn't it hey?

Cheers, Alex.

Done and Dusted!!!!!

Hey guys. I finally finished the eBook and I have to say I'm glad.

Not that i hated the book, because I actually enjoyed it. So did my work colleague, Frances. And so did some of the Sydney buses passengers. Not that they actually said so, but we knew! We watched their expectant faces when we boarded at Neutral Bay. They were ready to hang on every word. And no wonder, Frances is a fantastic reader, and by the time we started the bus-theatre performance, we were nearly up to the good bits.

People bag out on Sydney buses all the time. It's unfair really. I've been using the buses since I was old enough to walk, and i think they're great. And they mostly run on time. Don't believe all the stuff you see on tv, most of it's sh*#. The drivers vary a little, but really, I've only ever struck one who needed a career change. Although the drivers we had during the Sands Against the Wind Travelling Show, did smile at us when we got off in Macquarie Street (The Queen Vic actually; we power walk to Mac. St.).

Sure, they might have been smiling because we were finally leaving; but that's a cynic’s point of view. I think they were smiling at two youngish women, who know that in Australia we do have great freedom. And as long as we don't abuse it (which we didn't) we're free to do almost anything we feel like; even reading out loud on Sydney buses is fine. Thanks to all the wonderful SB people. My job depends on you. Well getting to it does; driving isn't an option anymore. Well not if I want to get there in time to actually do some work before the courts close.

So here's to all of you at SB. We salute you. http://www.sydneybuses.info/ OK so what's that got to do with the book? A lot! Remember I read it, Frances read it, and a whole lot of Sydneysiders heard it on the 8am from Neutral Bay ferry wharf. So Maffey had quite an audience.

This book, while it isn't the greatest one I've ever read, it did end up being a good yarn. And the author, Maffey is a pretty good writer. Although I think he could cut down on details and maybe learn to tell his story, with far less characters in it. I think there are too many characters, and Maffey describes too many events. Readers don't need every detail; we have a brain and we have good imaginations; so trust us Maffey. And let us use them. You don't have to tell your story like you're talking to a group of English Lit, uni students. We get it! Well most of the time.

So would I recommend this book to anyone else. Well Frances would. She loved it. But then she's into history. In her job she has to check historical facts. She has to prove, or disprove, whether events actually happened as stated. Big task, and she's an expert. So for her to enjoy it, that says a lot. Although she was irritated a few times by Maffey's rambling. I could tell because she kept tapping her foot very quickly. She does that when she's upset. When we're in meetings I watch her foot all the time, so I know when I'm going on too much, or when I should call it a rap.

So Maffey old boy, well done. It's great you are a good writer who is willing to give away his work to eBook readers.

Thanks. Lindsay

Hey Suzanne. That's cool.

Adding the You Tube movies is so cool, Suzanne. Luv your work!

I'm really getting into the eBook now and I'm starting to enjoy it. It look a bit, but i think it's going to be a good book after all.

How are the other BLs going? Come you guys, we've got to get this finished so we can start a new book soon.

How will we decide on the next title? I was thinking it might be good if we just read anything we take a fancy to, and then tell the others what we thought about it.

What do you think of that idea guys? Back soon, Lindsay.

PS. I've been cheating a bit. I take the bus into the city and travel with a work colleague who loves reading. She's been reading it out loud on the bus. Is that ok? Or is that breaking the rules? Are there any rules? What the heck, rules or no rules, it's a great way to get through a book quickly. My friend is a bit of a thespian, so she'd making it fun. I think the other passengers are enjoying it too. A lot of them are regulars. Not sure the driver approves. Maybe it's a bit over the top: two women, a wireless laptop, reading out loud, on a bus. Maybe there's a law against reading out loud on public transport. I'll get back to you on that one.

I found this on Globusz Oz - looks interesting. We might find something for our next read here. http://www.globusz.com/cat_philosophy.asp

Cheers.

A short You Tube script writing video

FILM MAKING TIPS - part two by Rob Ager - SCRIPT WRITING

Hi from Suzanne - plus some You Tube stuff

Hi everyone,

I've been trying to find the time to read this month's eBook, but haven't had much luck with it. The start of a new academic year is always a busy time for me, but next week I think things will settle down a little and then I'll try to catch up.

Not that I'll be writing a review, or commenting on the eBooks, but I would like to be able to chat with you all about the work. I really want to share your journey too.

I think the 'getting to know you' process has started off well. Already personalities are starting to come through in your posts. I'm sure, like me, you feel as though friendships could soon develop. I hope so.

I agree with Ian that there is every indication this book club will be very successful. I'm already getting good vibes when I read the posts. You're all such interesting people. I'm impatient to read your comments, on the current eBook, and of course future ones.

I am looking forward to hearing from Joanne and Audrey, because I know they will have some great stuff to contribute. Please don't leave it too long before you add your ideas. Don't let Ian, Lindsay and Alex take all the spotlight. There is plenty of room for everyone on centre stage.

If I can help anyone, in any way, please leave a message on the blog and tell me how I can assist.

I'll be back soon.

Cheers for now, Suzanne.

Getting to know me - A couple of samples from my profile favourites list.

click centre arow to play viedo or use the play option on the controls

Hi Guys. This is Alex.

You've all been busy writing stuff and i bet you've nearly finished the book already. Can't trump that, sorry. I've read a bit. It took me ages to get into it. I couldn't keep track of the intro events. I thought it was just me being jet lagged, but i can see you guys are having the same problem.

Why does Maffey go on about food so much? Is he a frustrated chef? And what's with the way he keeps writing stuff in Italian? Is it to make me feel stupid because i don't speak italian? Who knows - i'm sure i don't. With a name like Ricardo i guess he's Italian. Maybe it's his way of making a statement and to remind us that English is/was about imperialism. Anyway i wish he wouldn't do it because he drives me crazy when he does.

My advice, for what it's worth, is this: stick with the first few chapters and don't try to work it out - because there's a heap of unnecessary information in the early bits. I'm up to a more interesting part now, so i guess it's been worth the hard work. And it was hard work.

I hope i get to pick the next book we read. After this i think i'll want a change of pace.

Cheers, Alex.

Ian has made a start!

Finally, I've sort of cleared my desk and begun Sands. My initial impression from the Prologue was similar to Lindsay's -- unimpressed. I tend to turn off authors who spend the first chapter or two introducing the cast of characters. You feel you need a pad to write down their names, and to draw looping arrows to show how they relate to one another.

However, I've dipped at random into some later chapters, and the story-telling seems to get better.

So far, it looks like the sweet life meets fascism. Or, like watching Fellini's La Dolce Vita and Visconti's The Damned at once (perhaps you have to be really, really old to remember them).

Now, a question for you other guys: Do you think it would be a good idea to exchange impressions as we read through our books? I like the idea, as shown by the lines above. Ongoing chat is something an online book discussion group can offer, a little extra pleasure not available to those who attend a monthly book club meeting.

It will work only if we all feel we'd like to chat along the way. Otherwise it will be like a book group where one or two members hog the discussion.

As for what we call ourselves -- don't worry about it. "You other guys" worked above (I think), but I promise not to use it too often.

Yeah, I know, I'm slack - Lindsay

Hi guys,

Looks like i'm last to reach home base. Sorry i haven't logged in before to say hi to you all. I've been busy moving into a new apartment and you know what that's like.

Still no pain, no gain. The move has taken me from a black hole to a great open plan place, and wait for it - with water views. Well if you can call seeing the harbour through a gap between two buildings, then I have water views. Works for me.

If I want a real harbour view, then I have to go up on the roof. It's worth the climb from the second level to the sixth. The view is great. Plus it will keep me fit.

I'm planning on having rooftop barbies, and will exercise my duty of care to the guests by banning drinking anything stronger than water on the roof. Good move don't you think?

I've been dipping into our assigned novel and so far I am not impressed. Perhaps I shouldn't say that because it might upset some of you who are enjoying it.

By the way, what do we call ourselves? Club members? Groupies? Team members? How about BLs - for book lovers? I don't think I can deal with the formality of members and groupies sounds like we're all racing after a rock band star.

Great to meet you all. Back soon,

Lindsay

Hi, I'm Ian Skinner

This is my second book club, but I expect it to be just as enjoyable. In the first, I'm the only male among about a dozen intelligent and articulate women who meet every month to discuss a selected book, and I feel privileged to be among them. I expect to feel equally privileged as I chat online with a group I think will all be younger than me.

To learn more of my attitudes, I suggest you read the profile and some of the posts on my own blog, Grumpy Old Journo, but bear in mind that really I'm neither grumpy nor old in the way I think, nor in the way I relate to other people.

Today's the first chance I've had to download our book, so I'd better get into it and catch up with you all.

Something you might find interesting

I came across this articles and thought some of you might find it interesting.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/05/2154548.htm

Maybe someday Microsoft will make an offer to buy our book club.

Regards,

Christine

Hi I'm Alex

I've just joined the book club and thought I should drop in to say hi to you all.

I started to read the eBook, Sands Against the Wind on my flight home from Germany, where I've been working for a few weeks.

Got to say, it's proving a bit of a challenge, but it's too early to say much more at this point.

I hope you will all be posting your comments soon so i can see what you think of the novel.

Cheers,

Alex.

Good morning and hello

Hi, I have just joined your book club. I look forward to meeting you. You will have to be patient with me as I am classified as disabled so my grammar, spelling often is non exsistant. BUT, I have written a book which was published two years ago. If I can do it anyone can! Thank you to Christine for setting up the site and the club.
Joanne

A Message to all new members

Hi book club team,

I have just responded to the invitation to join the book club, and that means I now have access to post my comments about the current eBook that you're all reading.

I hope you're all enjoying the eBook and I can't wait to read all the articles you will soon post.

I'd like to welcome you all, and thank you for being part of our club.

I'd also like to think Christine for all her hard work. I'm sure you all agree that she is doing a great job. Well done, Christine.

Cheers for now and happy reading,

Suzanne.

THIS MONTH'S READING TITLE

Well it's been decided.

The votes are unanimous.

Sands Against the Wind by Riccardo Maffey,

is the title members have chosen to read this month.

Please come back soon to read what the book club members have to say about this eBook.

Cheers for now,


Christine
on behalf of the Globusz Oz team

Ever thought about becoming a mentor to an author?

We need new volunteers to provide mentor support to a number of our authors.

Please visit the Globusz OZ web site to read more and to register.

http://www.globuszoz.com.au/mentor.html


You might also take a look at the WRITER'S WORKSHOP page.

You might be interested in working with a new writer to help him refine his current work.

http://www.globuszoz.com.au/mentor.html


NOTE:
Writing is a tough business, and it's even harder if English is not your first language. We have identified an author who has potential, but he needs help to improve his current eNovel.

Welcome to the Globusz OZ Book Club

CURRENT READING LIST

HOW THE CLUB WORKS,

Members select ONE eBook from four titles displayed above.

The members read the work and then discuss it via emails. Once the members have discussed the work and shared their opinions, they each write a short piece and post it to Writer's Cafe 101.

Anyone can read the member's critiques and leave comments.

HOW TO JOIN
Becoming a Book Club member is easy. Just complete and submit the application form on the book club page of Globusz Oz website. www.GlobuszOz.com.au/club.html

Members decide how much time they give to club activities. They read and write as much as THEY want. There is obligation on members at all.

NOTE TO MEMBERS.

To download a copy of the eBooks just go to the Globusz OZ book club page and click on the book cover you want to download. http://www.globuszoz.com.au/club.html

You can read the synopsis of each eBook and download from the book club page.When you decided which title you would like to read and discuss, please email me at Globuszteam@bigpond.com and let me know the listed title you have selected.

The eBook receiving the highest number of first choice votes is then selected as the current month's reading title.

As soon as the current eBook has been chosen, I email all the members to advise them of the final selection and to provide each of you with the log-in information you need to access the blog site.

You can post your articles at your convenience and edit or change them at any time.

Thank you for participating in the GlobuszOZ book club. I do hope you enjoy being with us.

Cheers for now,

Christine,

for the Globusz Oz Team

PS: Don't forget to tell all your friends about the club and ask them to join.