“[A] hilarious page-turner...Weldon’s diabolically clever satire of greed, fashion, sex, and age is smart entertainment of the highest order.”—Booklist Grace has just been released from prison, where she was sent for trying to run over her ex-husband’s new wife with her Jaguar in a supermarket parking lot. It may make things a little awkward when all three of them attend a glittering charity ball in London together... From the Booker Prize-nominated author of The Life and Loves of a She-Devil, this “piquant social comedy” (New York Daily News) is a tale of passion, spite, romance, and revenge, set in the world of the rich, the stylish, the famous—and the infamous. “Playful, sharp, and funny.”—Los Angeles Times “Swift and amusing.”—The New York Times

How to master the power of buzz Trendspotters and bestselling authors Marian Salzman and Ira Matathia demystify buzz and show how marketers can create and leverage it for the success of their products and services. The world we inhabit is in constant flux, and the captive audience on which advertisers relied for years no longer exists. Branding today requires a flexibility and creativity that have thus far eluded many traditional practitioners. When there is no clear forum for communicating your brand message to the audience, you must have your audience do it for you. The authors show how and why buzz works, examining case studies like Kate Spade, Madonna, Bulgari, Ford, Nokia, and French Connection. They explore the role specific consumer groups play in setting trends, show how influence works, reveal the efficacy of shock ads, and explain how to manage brand momentum. This book is a dynamic guide that sheds new light on the topic of buzz using real-world examples and case studies that show how marketers can manufacture the seemingly authentic word-of-mouth to which today's cynical consumer responds.

Multiple personality disorder gets a modern makeover in Fay Weldon’s wickedly subversive, hilarious send-up of English traditions and divorce Lady Angelica Rice used to be a teenage rock sensation called Kinky Virgin. She gave it up to marry fat, lazy, near-destitute Sir Edwin Rice—and that’s when Angelica’s “splitting” began: a chorus of four women in her head, each one demanding to be heard. Now, after eleven years—during which she spent all her money restoring Edwin’s crumbling ancestral manse to its former glory—he’s suing her for divorce. He accuses Angelica of making excessive sexual demands, refusing to bear children, taking drugs, and failing to provide proper food for his guests—all of which are lies. But what’s worse is that she still loves him. Egged on by her avenging alter egos—meek Jelly, shattered Lady Rice, sexually insatiable Angel, and practical Angelica—she gets her revenge in this seminal novel about marriage, divorce, and one woman’s liberating leap into free fall.

Bvlgari’s new high jewelry collection pays tribute to the pioneering visions of indomitable women who blazed their own paths, broke boundaries, or shattered cultural norms. In keeping with the inspiration for the jewelry collec-tion, this book is an ode to women, as suggested by the female name “Magnifica.” This launch marks the start of a new chapter in a history filled with energy, impact, and daring creativity, with a collection of outstanding pieces at the height of High Jewelry, creativity, and artisanship, conveyed through exper-tise and craftsmanship. In a male-dominated world, Bvlgari’s muses have helped forge a new perception of women thanks to their courage, resilience, and talent. Whether they may be artists, art patrons, or intellectuals, they have shared the same ability to think outside the box, reimagining their future in an unapologetic way. Based on the three pillars of stunning gems, inspiring muses, and the gifted hands of artisans and designers, Bvlgari’s Magnifica book is divided into three sections—Head, Heart, and Hands—and outlines Bvlgari’s new jewelry ecosystem. In addition to gorgeous photographs of jewels, the voices of the contributors to this volume, who are all women, will trace a path of encouragement and provide an example for today’s women to pursue their intuitions and cultivate their talent.

Fay Weldon, Feminism, and British Culture: Challenging Cultural and Literary Conventions offers a critical analysis of British author Fay Weldon’s major novels from 1967 to the present and addresses how Weldon’s fiction engages with controversial moral, social, and political issues. This book provides an in-depth examination of the relationship between Weldon’s fiction and the contemporary feminist, cultural, and literary movements in Britain. Representative works from each decade speak to the multiple controversies and challenges to convention in which Weldon and her books played key roles. Drawing on Weldon’s personal history, fiction, and nonfiction as well as on historical, sociological, and literary documents, this book builds a cultural framework in which to understand Weldon’s work and the critical response to it. It shows that although Weldon’s battleground may change with the times, her ability and desire to provoke controversy remain constant as she continues to question and upset social, literary, and cultural conventions.

'ONE OF OUR VERY BEST WRITERS' Sunday Times 'A tour de force' The Times 'Intoxicating' Daily Telegraph 'Devilishly delightful' New York Times Book Review 'Beautifully and compellingly written' Sunday Express 'Audacious' Times Literary Supplement The bestselling classic tale of a woman scorned, from a much-loved British author Ruth Patchett never thought of herself as particularly devilish. Rather the opposite in fact - simply a tall, not terribly attractive woman living a quiet life as a wife and mother in a respectable suburb. But when she discovers that her husband is having a passionate affair with the lovely romantic novelist Mary Fisher, she is so seized by envy that she becomes truly diabolic. Within weeks she has burnt down the family home, collected the insurance, made love to the local drunk and embarked on a course of destruction and revenge. A blackly comic satire of the war of the sexes, The Life and Loves of a She Devil is the fantasy of the wronged woman made real. PRAISE FOR FAY WELDON 'She's a Queen of Words' Caitlin Moran 'A national treasure' Literary Review 'The literary equivalent of a stiff drink, a dip in the Atlantic in January, a pep talk by a mildly sadistic coach' New York Times 'Times have changed and Weldon is one of the people who have changed them' The Times 'One of the great lionesses of modern English literature' Harper's Bazaar 'Fay Weldon's voice is as unmistakeable as her acerbic wit' Financial Times

A "cool" guide to Rome, with an emotional tour of the city's key historical sites and monuments revisited through the inspiration behind Bvlgari's jewelry. Since 1884, the majestic beauty of the Eternal City and its rich archaeological, artistic, and cultural heritage have represented an inexhaustible source of inspiration for Bvlgari. Yesterday as today, Rome's monuments and artistic details are gracefully evoked in the brand's jewelry creations. For example, the design of the iconic B-zero1 ring was inspired by the Colosseum, the ultimate symbol of the city, and likewise the recurrent octagonal geometries watch dial refers to the coffered ceiling of the Basilica of Maxentius. This handy, pocket-sized volume takes us on an unprecedented historical, artistic, and emotional tour of the city. In addition to an actual guide to the monuments, the narration is enriched by short stories by some of the best-known Roman authors from the world of contemporary Italian literature, inspired by the most iconic locations in the city. The book is further enhanced by contributions from figures linked to the city by birth or by adoption, including renowned names from fashion, cinema, sport, and music. The Bvlgari jewelry and the places in Rome that inspired it are photographed in stunning images with artistic direction by Jan Králícek.

Branded Entertainment explains how product placement, a long-time phenomenon in films, has gone beyond this to now embrace all media. Citing examples from film to music video, to computer games, the author explains the: history and development of product placement; advantages of this form of brand advertising; and methods employed by different brands Most importantly, Branded Entertainment discusses the future possibilities for using this form of promotion to recreate an emotional connection with customers and exploiting the opportunities afforded by advances in technology to spread the message across multimedia channels.

"An engaging, highly readable survey of the sophisticated methods of persuasion we encounter in various situations. From television to telemarketing and from self-deception to suicide cults, Levine takes a hard look at all the ways we attempt to persuade each other--and how and why they work (or don't). . . . The next time you wonder what possessed you to pay $50 for a medallion commemorating the series finale of Friends, you'll know where to turn." --Slashdot.org "If you're like most people, you think advertising and marketing work--just not on you. Robert Levine's The Power of Persuasion demonstrates how even the best-educated cynics among us can be victimized by sales pitches." --The Globe and Mail "Levine puts [his] analysis in the service of his real mission--to arm the reader against manipulation." --The Wall Street Journal "This wonderful book will change the way you think and act in many realms of your life." --Philip Zimbardo former president, American Psychological Association