Enterprise Books

Learning how to reach an IPO is a dream, every entrepreneur would like to get to the top, not all them arrive. Dave Smith explains in an easy and understandable way, how building a company becomes a journey, some time with pleasure some time with pain, in any condition you always reach an end. From Zero to IPO is a reading material to know in advance how the roadmap for this journey is. You must read this material before you start the journey, then you will be aware of the different situations that you can face, potential dangerous situations can be avoided.

I am helping tenths of companies to reach their dream, this book has been an excellent reading to our companies in the TechBA portfolio to easy their journey

I've worked in several dozen Silicon Valley startups and I'm currently the co-founder and director of a startup. David's book is an excellent explanation of the startup-to-IPO process, incl. all the possible traps and problems. He explains many things that VCs will never tell you. If you're doing a startup, you must have this book.

Here is a book that is extremely useful, creative, fun and informative. It will give you a real insight on what it is like to start a high tech company in Silicon Valley.
It puts what I know from years of experience into a visual road map for the inexperienced. If you buy it, it will be your road map on what to do and expect.

Richard H Kraus
H&K Venture Partners

David's insight into the issues related to starting a high tech business is profound. His experience and real life examples make this complex process easy to understand and appreciate. I have personally worked with David and find his ability to verbalize the strengths for a startup is extraordinary. His book reflects the same abilities.

Whether you are an energized brainiac out to invent the millenium's next greatest thing, or a staid businessman wanting to monetize a new opportunity, David Smith's "Zero-to-IPO" book is your source of knowledge to make you successful. From the arcane to the mundane, this book guides you with alternative entrepreneurial paths. It is at once captivating, with exciting real-world examples, and detailed with a treasure trove of technical and financial minutiae. A must-read for budding and experienced entrepreneurs alike.

So you've been a director for 20 years and you think you've read it all. Think again. As he opens "21st Century Board," Ralph Ward sets the stage for adventure. "In editing a national magazine for the past six years, I've had a ringside seat for the wildest era of corporate governance change since the New Deal," Ward begins...and proceeds to bring the era to life in 350+ comprehensive pages. It's all here--the issues, the players, the research, the war stories, the trends--from Archer Daniels Midland to Westinghouse--in a tome so comprehensive that any reader is guaranteed to find something new (even this reviewer, who has spent nearly two decades covering the governance scene). But beyond information, this book offers unbiased, well-reasoned, and fair-minded opinions on the most important governance controversies of our day. Readers joining Ward will soon find that their companion is no mere ticket-holder, but a narrative ringmaster who can put even the "wildest" things in their proper place.

Ralph Ward grabs the reader from page one with a Barbarians at the Gate style tale of the board revolution at General Motors. For the first six chapters I kept wondering if I could somehow buy into the movie rights. By chapter 7, however, he is shifting gears into a history of boards of directors and their function. The likelihood of a movie faded but the book never looses its lively pace through 60 informative chapters with headings like "How to Launch a Board Revolt," "Q: Why is Board Education like Sex Education," and "Take Me to Your Lead Director."

Ward tells the familiar tale, chronicled by Berle and Means and updated by Mark Roe, of how owners were usurped by managers. The recent era of corporate raiders and rubber stamp boards is fading into history as shareholders and their board representatives gain an equal footing with CEOs. Ward draws on his years of experience as editor of The Corporate Board to inform the reader of current trends and to speculate on the future.

For example, Ward tells us that new boards are looking for skills in telecommunications and technology, marketing, international markets, finance, restructuring, entrepreneurial skills, and service industries, as well as for demographic diversity. Ward devotes several chapters to describing the work of audit, compensation, and nominating committees. He also looks examines emerging committees in corporate governance and compliance as well as more specialized committees. He sees the likelihood that small board secretariats will strengthen the board's hand in working with management by helping them dig through the data.

Looking at the chair/CEO controversy, Ward concludes that in most cases the independent outside chair "would not have enough muscle yet to make a difference." "This does not mean we should give up on the idea of a separate chair, but rather that supporters may have been too early with the idea for it yet to be effective." Ward sees lead directors as a "fallback" position that is likely to take hold sooner but on a less formal basis.

Most readers will find that Ward takes a balanced and reasoned approach to SEC regulations, director liability, stakeholder influence, and the dozens of other issues which he covers in brief but informative discussions. Perhaps most controversial is his contention is that we may soon be seriously considering proposals for federal the chartering of corporations. Ward breezes through past proposals by James Madison, William Jennings Bryan, T. Roosevelt, Wilson, Taft, William O. Douglas, Ralph Nader, and more recent efforts. He points out that "the very Congress that gained power in 1994 by proclaiming a return of power to the states passed the Private Securities Litigation and Reform Act of 1995" which preempts state powers in shareholder suits and adds federal disclosure requirements.

Ward argues that several federal laws have defused the radical call for federal chartering while bringing us closer to a de facto federal system. "While federal chartering waves of the past century were stirred by politicians, jurists, and consumer advocates, a renewed effort would likely be led by shareholders." "If federal corporate certification could supersede state lawsuits, coordinate often contradictory federal regulations, and set clear standards for board behavior, it might well draw new fans from the business sector." I find his arguements compelling. If shareholders and businesses united around such a proposal now, we might avoid populist based demands, with confusing stakeholder provisions for constituent based boards, which are likely to resurface in an economic downturn.

http://www.corpgov.net

...

How to Build Better Boards

"The Family Circus", Bil Keane's winsome cartoon strip, focuses on the daily ups and downs of life in the often chaotic home of a young family.

Regular readers of the strip have learned that in addition to mother, father, four young children, and three pets, there are two other residents in the household who make regular, if furtive, appearances. Whenever the mother finds a broken dish, a piece missing from a birthday cake, or muddy footprints tracked through the house, we know that the ghostly characters "Ida Know" and "Not Me" are lurking nearby. All the mother has to do whenever she finds something broken, missing, or in disarray is confront her youngsters with the question, "Who is responsible for this?" to elicit the collective response, "Ida Know!" or "Not Me!"

These two troublemakers have apparently expanded their families and sent their children off to inhabit the most senior executive offices of many of the world's best known corporations. Their names are on the tongues of virtually every executive who has had to explain why his or her corporation has collapsed. Listen to the CEOs of Enron, Polaroid, Global Crossing, Warnaco, or Arthur Andersen, for example. The top executives of each of these companies have assured us that they themselves had nothing to do with the collapse of their companies, putting the blame squarely on "Ida Know" and "Not Me" in virtually every case.

Exasperated shareholders wonder whom ultimately to hold responsible for the collapse of these companies and their investments. Ever so slowly, the glare of the lights is shifting to the boards of directors, as questions are raised about board accountability and responsibility. The boards of these companies all seemed to have been napping as they waited for their options to vest.

For all the time, energy, and resources organizations put into training executives, it appears that they put considerably less into training directors and helping them to understand their responsibilities. Type the words "board of directors" or "corporate governance" into the search engine at Amazon.com and you will see a fraction of the number of books that you would find had you typed the word "leadership."

Among the books that stand out are two by Ralph D. Ward: The 21st Century Corporate Board and its follow-up, Improving Corporate Boards. Ward, the editor of Corporate Board magazine, has filled the pair with well-written and insightful case studies, along with specific recommendations for changes in practices and procedures. Together they make an excellent handbook both for companies and for individual directors. In fact, "required reading" is the term that best describes them.

The 21st Century Corporate Board focuses on the turbulent era of the early 1990s, which saw a series of sackings of CEOs at corporate giants GM, Kodak, IBM, and American Express, among others. The frenzied era of hostile takeovers and leverage buyouts in the 1980s was still fresh in the minds of corporate boards. If a CEO failed to keep his company's stock price high enough to ward off potential raiders, boards were not hesitant to send CEOs packing.

Ward divides the book into two sections - an examination of how things got so bad as boards grew increasingly somnolent, and then a prescriptive section, with specific recommendations for changes. Among his most powerful suggestions is that the board have its own office and staff within the organization. Typically most boards rely on assistance from the CEO's or corporate counsel's office. The board needs more independence and autonomy, especially as the prospect of increased government oversight grows.

His more recent book, Improving Corporate Boards, provides more detailed and specific recommendations for improving each branch of a board's function. The audit committee of Enron's board might have spared themselves and the rest of the company more than a little trouble had they read Ward's pithy chapter entitled, "Smarter Audit Committees." Two suggestions seem especially on point: "Make sure the company is looking at the real numbers" and "Learn where right and wrong really are for the company's financials."

Polaroid CEO Gary DiCamillo managed to work the stock price of his company consistently down over his six-year tenure: from a high of ... per share to its recent value of pennies following the company's bankruptcy. Amazingly, near the end of DiCamillo's initial three-year contract, with the stock price at half of what it had been when he first took over as CEO, Polaroid's board paid him a ... cash bonus, extended his contract, and affirmed their support for him. DiCamillo banked the bonus and bankrupted the company. He is still CEO. We can only surmise what might have happened had Polaroid's board members read through Ward's two books and then acted on even a small number of Ward's sound suggestions. As it is, the board has no doubt provided Ward with an unfortunate but instructive case study for a future edition of either of these two solid handbooks. ...

Now that the capitalist/communist divide in eastern Europe has fallen, perhaps the greatest remaining human barrier is between those who have served as directors of public corporations and those who have not. From the inside, boards look like groups of honest, smart, hard-working earnest people trying to do a very difficult job with inadequate tools. From the outside, people automatically use words like "entrenched," "greedy," "co-opted" and "lazy." When the stock is going up, no one thinks of the board. When it goes down, everyone is disgruntled and everyone blames the board. Ralph Ward has bridged that gap with a book that brings the outsider into the boardroom, to see real day-to-day board operations. At the same time the book will show the insider the view from the stands. The author is neither a cheerleader for nor an enemy of boards. He shows how a board can add real value to a public company, but he does not hesitate to criticize bad practice. Any board member can use this book to improve their board. Any investor can use it to understand boards, and to encourage improvement. On top of that, it's actually fun to read.

Everyone needs to have a backup plan in case they need to earn more money.
This book will give you great ideas to do just that so that your financial situation will always be healthy.

This book is a sign of the times. Everyone needs a little bit of help making ends meet. With the rising gas prices, credit crush and the like, living only on one regular paycheck just isn't cutting it. These ideas are real, the resources are real and the fact that it is practically being given away reinforces Thornton/Craig's desire to help stimulate the economy by empowering everyone!

It is a great resource containing great resources.

This book is a gift! Buy it! It is packed full of tips and resources and websites and ideas and and and... It is really tough to tell you everything that is in here, but it is great!

I can do almost everything suggested and I will be increasing my bottom line and able to afford the ridiculously high price of gas again! Wow!

I really do recommend this book highly. Especially for the price! Oh my gosh, it is a gift!

* Anybody who need an extra income without needing to quit current job, this book is a must.
* Now I have 7 more ways to make extra income for my family. Thanks!
* With the increasing in gas petrol nowadays, I can feel secure as I have an extra income just to cover it.

70 Sticks is a unique collection of verse that truly provides something for everyone. Young and old alike will find a connection. Some of the offerings are light and entertaining, while others provide fodder for reflection. Great gift idea.

This is a great book to keep on your night stand. I read a little from it most nights before bed. It is thought provoking, yet relaxing. I liked this book so much that I also purchased one for my son who is leaving for college. It was a perfect gift for him and now he is sharing some of it with his friends. I recommend this book highly and it is a great gift idea!

It is inspiring that a father takes the time to not only notice his family and his faith, but publishes his thoughts in a book. It is the little things that he notices that is inspiring. The uniqueness of each child that he shares in the poems about his children. The passionate love that he has for his wife. His wonderful thoughts about faith and a life well lived. His passion for life, family & faith is reflected in each poem. The poems are thought provoking and inspiring for each of us to take the time and be grateful for this incredible gift of life that we share. To live out a life of love & faith. To share your love for wife, family & friends is the best way to live this life. I love the way that he has simply taken the time to notice the beauty of a life well lived.

70 Sticks is an outstanding book! Gatlin's wordsmithing, turning the right phrase at the right time, make this book of poetry a great read. It is heartfelt, emotional and passionate. The poems will cause you to reflect and think deeply about your own life. I highly recommend it!!!!

Fran Harris has done an excellent job of isolating the essential requirements of starting a business. From how to develop a business plan to how to conduct yourself professionally in various social settings, she puts it all out there. I have met Fran and she is a truly dynamic young woman. She is confident, intelligent and knowledgable and it shows in this book. I would recommend this book to anyone who is serious about starting a 'successful' business. Fran believes and lives what she writes and there is nothing like first hand experience.

I love this book. It spoke to me as if I were talking to my sister. I first checked this book out of the library, but after reading it, I know it is the first book I want in my home entrepreneur library.

The book is written in a very nurturing style, has exercise pages for self reflection and motivates you to keep going despite obstacles.

Small enough to be read during break or while waiting for an appoinment.It has a bio of women from the past who over came odds and succeeded. A must have for your libary.

This book was absolutely the best. I have read several books on starting your business and/or consulting and never has one inspired me to the next level. This book spoke to the soul of the African-American women in me who has grown weary of Corporate America. Before I read this book I only wished that someone of Fran Harris's abiltiy could mentor me one on one. Little did I know this book could do just that. As I read I felt as if Fran was right in front of me guiding my way!! GOOD JOB FRAN!!!! The book was trully and will always serve as my inspiration and reminder that it can be done!

If you want to know about it, it's here.

And easy to use.

And splendid value.

What more could anyone want?

This book is Very helpful. It is easy to read and understand. It tells you everything you need to know and then some about WordPerfect.Another excelant job!

This book is terrific and is worth much more than the price of ordering it. The writing is easy-to-understand and yet the book is so thorough that it is appropriate for all user levels. The book is full of many tips and helpful illustrations --and doesn't weigh a ton either. I highly recommend this book to anyone thinking about using WordPerfect and even for those who have used it for years. Well done, Ms. Acklen!

What I like about the book is the useful Table of Contents and the great Index. Being an experienced user these help me to find the information that I need fast. I really like that.

When I get to the subject I am looking for, I find a step-by-step explanation as you would expect. What makes this book so easy to use is that these explanations are easy to read and to follow, no use of excessive or complicated words but still everything you need is there. The layout helps too, it is nice and balanced, with interesting tips and notes that add to the joy of using this book.

The title "Absolute Beginner's Guide" is correct, new users will find everything they need to start using WordPerfect. But it could also have had a subtitle like "Experienced Users Allowed". The detailed descriptions, notes and tips in the book have already learned me quite a few things even though I consider myself an advanced user. When I am using WordPerfect, this book is not far away!

This book is priceless! The information in chapter 2 on locking enabled me to set up and test a very troubling locking issue on a network jet Access 2003 application. It is still very relevant for Access 2003 and 2007 and will enable you to address locking issues that other authors only gloss over. It provides actual working code and identifies all the possible locking error messages you might encounter and shows you how to handle them. It also provides an example of a form that uses the timer object to handle errors and prevent locking due to a user sitting on a locked record. Again, absolutely priceless. I have spent many hours on the web, an no one has answered my questions like this book.

Just want to give props on this book as well as its companion, the Desktop Developer's Handbook!!!!

GREAT BUY...well worth the money.

If you develop databases for 10+ demanding users and your Access MBE databases slow down under load, this text is excellent to get you started in "Access Projects" and Client-Server design.

It has one chapter on building better MDEs and around 6 solid chapters on Access Projects, including connection to SQL Server & any ODBC Server.

I love this book as in one day I grasped most of the Client-Server content and now I'm preparing to convert my MBE to a ADP.

It also covers Internet issues such as ASP and XML and has a bit on .Net.

A fine resource, but am I expected to lug around a 1,000 page book? What if I want to search the text of the book? I hate books that don't come with an eBook copy! It's still a good resource book, but I want an electronic version, too.

In her book, Actors Die Hard In Hollywood, Millicent Terraine helps the new actor to LA (or those considering moving to LA to become an actor) quickly get oriented to the city and start making progress in their chosen career.

Her information can help save those new to the city months of trial-and-error mistakes and especially helps professional-actors-to-be with the recommended approach to survival job, acting classes, auditioning, and self-promotion that actors must learn to master in order to have staying power in this business.

Every year thousands of Hollywood hopefuls move to LA with little more than the dream of making it in TV or film. The harsh realities of LA can often cause financial and/or emotional ruin to those unprepared. In her book, Millicent strikes an excellent balance between helping actors keep their dream alive while addressing the challenging realities of being an actor in LA.

A quick read and easily approachable content, Actors Die Hard In Hollywood should be required reading for anyone considering an acting career in LA. Highly Recommend.

I found Ms. Terraine's book easy to read, informative, concise and enjoyable. As a native New Yorker moving to LA LA land to work in the entertainment industry I was like a fish out of water. I can tell you Ms. Terraine has done her homework and research. She provides practical advice, do's and don'ts, and information you need to avoid the typical pitfalls of being a newcomer in Tinsel town. What I found most helpful and refreshing is her comments on finding your own personal and private life and where to live.

If this is not part of your library, it is time you add it now. It's a great tool to use to empower and position yourself for success in Hollywood.

It was an entertaining, quick read. Easy to understand and relate to - coming from a non-actor/actress. Plenty of excellent information that can help make life simpler, less stressful for actors and the general public. I would certainly recommend this book as a valuable read for people in acting and those who are not in it.

Wow! What a power-packed book! Actors Die Hard In Hollywood is a book that not only takes the reader on a journey of what newcomers to the city and/or acting industry need as they begin their search for stardom, but it takes you on that journey with humor and style, consistently providing vital information needed to be ahead of the game and simply survive another day of pursuing that dream. As an actor that has lived in this town for a few years, I wish this book had been written when I came here. As Los Angeles/Hollywood is unique, this 86 page book in my view, covers more than any other book on this subject that I have ever read. It's actually like no other book I've read on the subject and leaves no stone unturned. Ms. Terraine's book reads very easily and the information provided not only is detailed but managed at times to strike a deep chord in me, causing certain reflection. I've read it three times in fact, and each time I discover something new that I overlooked before. One of my favorite chapters is chapter 3 which talks about transportation. Ms. Terraine states that people are physically as well as emotionally attached to their cars in Hollywood. The fact that she mentions the 'emotional'attachment is key for me because I found the geater Los Angeles area which includes Hollywood to be a city where a car is truly a MUST and you are non-existent in this business without one. My favorite chapter, however is chapter 10, 'Viewing An Actor'. For a long time, I've wanted to describe to friends and family not in the industry some of what we actors deal with and now I have found a 'gem' of a book with which to share this. The entire book is a God-sent for those in my life who would like to understand some of what I as a currently unknown-somebody-of-an-actor faces on a daily basis. However, as if Ms. Terraine read my mind, she has devoted a chapter specifically toward this subject in Chapter 10 whereby she explores and expresses some of the very thoughts I've so often tried to convey to significant others in my life. Finally, I can give this book to those I care about and who care for me and help them to realize and hopefully respect why "Actors Die Hard In Hollywood." A great book indeed. Bravo!!

Agility is a term that is ventilated for a long time in the academic and some business community. However, so far the question remains broadly unanswered on what it really is about and what difference Agility makes.

This book makes a difference, saying that agility is about managing dynamic change and what consequences this has for the entire company management.

Ted Goranson does a great job in giving the reader strong pictures and cases about Agility first. But he does not simply stay with some (war-)story telling. Instead he ventures to develop general concepts and models with scientific rigour.

Linking his models to existing mainstream theories and some innovative developments allows him to show, what agility is - and what it is not.

And it allows him to trace the consequences of becoming agile into such distinct management functions as corporate finance, human resource management, manufacturing and innovation or information systems.

A book invaluable for all, who plan to apply the concept of agility and even more for those who develop methods, tools and system to support agile enterprises.

Since 1994, at least nine books have been published dealing with the topic of agility or agile manufacturing. The first book, published in 1994 was my own, Agile Manufacturing: Forging New Frontiers (Addison-Wesley). The ninth, published in 1999, entitled The Agile Virtual Enterprise: Cases, Metrics and Tools (Quorum Books) is by Ted Goranson. I have all nine on my bookshelf and I have read them all! Books two through to eight (I won't mention them by name) all have one common specific feature - they are largely unrelated to each other. They are also not much related to the topic of agility either, but that's another story. Moreover, books two to eight are not much related to books one or nine. In fact there is a massive gap, nay gulf! However there is a common thread between the first and the ninth book.

In Agile Manufacturing: Forging New Frontiers I insisted (and I still do) that there were no agile firms. Also I was keen to point out that the notion that one could figure things out in advance and then design a strategy or an enterprise configuration based on this specification was, dead in the water. This approach simply does not work well when one is faced with significant change and uncertainty. In this kind of environment a whole new approach is needed. Ted Goranson's book makes a significant contribution to the development of this new way of working.

To be found in Ted's book are accounts of the development of virtual enterprise from the days of whaling and the importance of trust, lightweight agreements and case law in supporting the formation of agile virtual enterprises. Also to be found are discussions on what agility is and what agility is not, and why agility is important, along with comments about how agility relates to flexibility, electronic commerce and lean production. There is a detailed Agile Virtual Enterprise Reference Model and also descriptions of some agile virtual enterprise practices based on a number of case studies. From these case studies comes confirmation that agility tends to be isolated within specific parts of a firm and is often fortuitous and unplanned. These agile practices are not institutionalised and are not part of some grand agility strategy.

The book makes an important contribution to measuring agility. There is a detailed description of a modelling technique, based on communicative acts, that allows one to generate simple metrics that one can use to establish and compare the agility of different candidate processes that form part of the Agile Virtual Enterprise Reference Model. This is a novel and useful development.

This book contains a lot of substantial material and is very stimulating. The only minor point of criticism is that the description of flexibility does not make use of the frameworks and literature on that subject. I believe this would have helped to improve the positioning of agility in relation to flexibility. However, the theory of agility is still very much in the early stages of development, and this omission just highlights the fact that a significant amount of work still remains to be done on the development of agility theory.

I have no reservations about recommending this book. This is the first time that I have been able to do so, because quite frankly, most of the other books dealing with the topic of agility are embarrassments and do nothing at all to recommend the topic to industry managers. Ted Goranson's book is a milestone in the development of the topic and should help people to better understand the subject, as well as help them to deal with the real and pressing problem of unexpected change.

Paul T. Kidd

Goranson presents a clear and compelling case for the value of agility in the enterprise, complete with easily understood historical case studies. Unlike so many other works, he does not confuse 'agility' with speed, lean-ness, or the ability to cope with expected change, as do so many other authors writing about agility.

My one disappointment is the Tools section, which is most theories and algorithms, rather than reports on and references to software tools available in the marketplace. Given this work was published in 1999, I suspect this is because there were not tools for agility widely available- and not at all the author's shortcoming. It would great to see an update to this section, if in fact there are now tools that have been designed as "agility tools."

This book offers a impressive review and explanation of agility and virtualness, describing through the examples how these both concepts influenced our past, present and future.

I am personally using it as a reference for establishing in Brazil a Virtual Organization as well as for my under and post-graduation courses.

I highly recommend this book for people who really intend and need a strong basys for working with agility and virtualness.

Congratulations for Ted Goranson for this excellent work.

"What are you looking for in a man?" That's what Desmond Rucker, the owner of the newest restaurant Cush that's located in the worst part of Asbury Park, NJ, says to freelance columnist Cydney Williams. "A man I can look at 40 years down the line and still be in love with," she replies.

Cydney Williams found a chance to leave her hellish life behind her and never looks back. With a mother addicted to drugs, a stepfather trying to save her mother from addiction, and her infamous brother Shammond Slay (known in the hood simply as Slay,) who can blame her?

No one knows exactly what Slay does to earn a living. However, they definitely know it's not all good considering he is ridin' dirty in a black BMW with tinted window's and Nas blaring from the system. Slay just wants to protect the woman in his life. How far Slay goes to do this is where the problem lies.

Desmond Rucker can't figure out what his problem is with commitment until he meets Cydney. Together they help each other figure out how in 40 years they can share an Apple Brown Betty and stare into each other's eyes still in love.

I am not sure how I felt about Apple Brown Betty. While the story was interesting and the author pulled you in, there was something that simply didn't click to me. I picked up that Slay really wasn't a thug, but rather he was misunderstood. But the premise of the story was for you to believe he was a thug and it just didn't fit. I didn't dislike the book; it just lost me some where in the middle. I think Phillip Thomas Duck gave you too much of this thug character, but when it came to the character that wasn't the case at all. I liked the title of story since that's what made me want to read it.

Reviewed by Angie
for Urban Reviews

I waited with bated breath for PTDs third full-length novel and I wasn't disappointed. Like fine wine, he only improves with age. This story kept me riveted to the very end. Buy it, you won't be disappointed! The down side is the wait for the next. Alas, I read too fast.

Apple Brown Betty, by Phillip Thomas Duck, is a read that I found myself not able to put down. The reader is introduced to Cydney Williams, a college student who also does work as a freelance journalist. She has a chance to review "Cush," a new and thriving restaurant, located in the middle of a crime-ridden community known as Asbury Park. There is an instant connection between Cydney and Desmond Rucker, the owner of the new and hip restaurant. The "love sparks" begin to erupt and so do other issues surrounding Cydney and Desmond.

Cydney has laid out a new life for herself and no one knows that this hardworking and successful woman was raised on the other side of the tracks known as Asbury Park. There are many bad memories in Asbury Park for Cydney and she is trying to leave them as just that--memories. A childhood riddled with complexities, such as the early death of her natural-born father and his best friend becoming her stepfather, a mother who has a drug problem and a brother, Shammond Slay, who often stayed in trouble as a youth and who is too overprotective to his sister's liking. An incident happened between them as kids that continues to plague Cydney and make her uncomfortable around her own brother. She would rather leave that part of her life behind her, but her brother Shammond, is determined to not let that happen--especially when Cydney informs him that she no longer wants him in her life.

Desmond, Cydney's new beau, also has issues. He seemingly cannot connect with a person and form a committed relationship. When he finally reaches the point that he feels he can be one hundred percent trustful and commit to the love of his life, secrets from Cydney's past shatters him and he wonders if he can ever trust her again. Will he be able to face the issues of adversity from Cydney's past and continue his relationship with her? And will he be able to share his own secret with her about his level of noncommitment? Will she be able to come to terms with her past and stop keeping them as a secret and move on with her life? Their love seems to be a parallel to the restaurant--a beauty caught up in the harshness of their surroundings.

So many heart-wrenching issues are dealt with in this story--drug abuse, possible sexual abuse, insecurity and attempted suicide. Yet at the same time, a very positive and learning experience is presented as we see Cydney and Desmond come to grips and come to see their issues for what they are. I highly recommend this book to others. The title of the novel is named after the highlighted dessert from the restaurant which is perfect because this read was certainly a sweet treat.

Reviewed by Coulee Eidos
APOOO BookClub

Asbury Park, New Jersey is in rapid decline. Thus freelance magazine writer Cydney Williams is elated that a new restaurant Cush is opening in her hometown when no one was taking a chance on this depressed place. She plans to write an article on it praying that it is as good as what she has heard about the chef-owner.

However, she finds herself biased when she meets the owner chef Desmond Rucker, whose desserts are mouthwatering, but his body is sinful to die for. However, as Cydney ponders a relationship with the dynamic restaurateur, she worries about the decline of her once vivacious mother into an addict. She is concerned about her brother Shammond, who lives the lifestyle of the affluent but shows no inclination of how he pays his bills, which makes her worried that he is trafficking. As Cydney falls deeper in love with Desmond, her family, who she has always been there for them, threatens to betray her by destroying her chance of a lifetime of APPLE BROWN BETTY.

The key to this insightful contemporary tale is Asbury Park, a dying city that gains a little life with the simple opening of a new restaurant. Readers will admire the courage of Desmond for doing this as every advisor and friend believes he is wasting money and his reputation on a losing locale. Cydney, abetted by her mother and brother, brings a deep look into a family in decline serving as a real microcosm of what is happening in many urban centers. Phillip Thomas Duck provides a powerful tale of modern day America though his strong cast including the run down city.

Harriet Klausner