Ben Marcus's books The Age of Wire and String and Notable American Women were considered "experimental" fiction because of his unconventional use of...
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This copy is from the personal library of the legendary author. View the entire collection here.
Synopses & Reviews
Review:
"A business fable in the tradition of Who Moved My Cheese?, but more closely akin to Alice in Wonderland, this work from pharmaceuticals CEO Emmens and poet-novelist-journalist Kephart (Flow: The Life and Times of Philadelphia's Schuylkill River) concerns a topsy-turvy organization which should prove oddly familiar for anyone who's worked in a corporate environment. Our heroine, Moira, is a newcomer to the once-respected Zenobia company, now in physical and psychological disrepair. Without signs or helpers, Moira must navigate the bizarre office layout ('countless drab-green cubicles, like so many Brussels sprouts attached to a stalk'), overcome the entrenched mindset ('We excel at the familiar') and find the elusive Room 133A, where she's been summoned to help the flagging enterprise. Emphasizing the power of imagination, innovation, people and possibility, Emmens and Kephart's tale of against-the-system heroism illustrates well the intangible human resources that business-as-usual can squelch. Though it may initially strike serious-minded readers silly, this tale makes an enchanting and worthwhile trip into the rabbit hole of nonsensical corporate culture, drawing out plenty of X-ray insight into the modern workplace. Whimsical line drawings from Sulit complete what could be the most enjoyable, readable business book in recent memory." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
Synopsis:
Zenobia--a former industry giant that is bedeviled by paralyzing hierarchies, grossly inadequate communications, and distrust--is a broken place. Zenobia is a fortress doomed to collapse upon itself. Enter Moira, who has responded to a help wanted ad and seeks to find a given office, Room 133A. As she moves through the Zenobian maze, Moira makes some surprising discoveries about the power of teamwork, the role of the imagination, and the qualities that define true leaders. Her story is complemented and deepened by the story of a long-time Zenobia employee named Gallagher, the man who issued the help wanted ad and who watches, and comments, as Moira makes her way to the ever-elusive Room 133A. This unusual book will move readers to take a fresh and fearless look at their own organizations and imagine what they could be, always keeping in mind that, as the want ad Moira answers puts it, creative persistence a prerequisite.
"Publishers Weekly Review"
by Publishers Weekly,
"A business fable in the tradition of Who Moved My Cheese?, but more closely akin to Alice in Wonderland, this work from pharmaceuticals CEO Emmens and poet-novelist-journalist Kephart (Flow: The Life and Times of Philadelphia's Schuylkill River) concerns a topsy-turvy organization which should prove oddly familiar for anyone who's worked in a corporate environment. Our heroine, Moira, is a newcomer to the once-respected Zenobia company, now in physical and psychological disrepair. Without signs or helpers, Moira must navigate the bizarre office layout ('countless drab-green cubicles, like so many Brussels sprouts attached to a stalk'), overcome the entrenched mindset ('We excel at the familiar') and find the elusive Room 133A, where she's been summoned to help the flagging enterprise. Emphasizing the power of imagination, innovation, people and possibility, Emmens and Kephart's tale of against-the-system heroism illustrates well the intangible human resources that business-as-usual can squelch. Though it may initially strike serious-minded readers silly, this tale makes an enchanting and worthwhile trip into the rabbit hole of nonsensical corporate culture, drawing out plenty of X-ray insight into the modern workplace. Whimsical line drawings from Sulit complete what could be the most enjoyable, readable business book in recent memory." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
"Synopsis"
by Ingram,
Zenobia--a former industry giant that is bedeviled by paralyzing hierarchies, grossly inadequate communications, and distrust--is a broken place. Zenobia is a fortress doomed to collapse upon itself. Enter Moira, who has responded to a help wanted ad and seeks to find a given office, Room 133A. As she moves through the Zenobian maze, Moira makes some surprising discoveries about the power of teamwork, the role of the imagination, and the qualities that define true leaders. Her story is complemented and deepened by the story of a long-time Zenobia employee named Gallagher, the man who issued the help wanted ad and who watches, and comments, as Moira makes her way to the ever-elusive Room 133A. This unusual book will move readers to take a fresh and fearless look at their own organizations and imagine what they could be, always keeping in mind that, as the want ad Moira answers puts it, creative persistence a prerequisite.
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