“[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.

Emma - I know it sounds crazy. You (and Mum!) will be wondering where I've been disappearing to, and when I'll be back. That's why I'm leaving you all this evidence - in case something happens and I DON'T come back. Look at everything in my book. Call the phone numbers. Check out the websites. But, you can't tell ANYBODY about it, unless you want to end up in over your head, like me. But don't worry, I'll be OK (I think). Hey, maybe this is the beginning of a new life for me. For sure it's the end of the old one. Call me. Love, Cathy This book reaches beyond the written word to interact with teenage girls in ways they are quite familiar with in other areas of their lives. From instant-messaging to text-messaging, from surfing the web to having their own sites, the age-old story of 'boy dumps girl and girl wins boy back' is lifted from the page to our three-dimensional, 21st-century world.