Let's fix it

I was going to RANT about eco-things but I've been distracted after reading this. Sometimes the internet is beautiful...

#87 Complete A-Z reading challenge - titles

The Experience economy : work is theatre & every business a stage by B. Joseph Pine II, James H. Gilmore.
Discusses how businesses should be looking to create experiences for customers that are valued and obvious, because that's what will distinguish them from their competitors rather than the commodities they have.

What did I think? Excellent and tied in nicely with the plea for us to become polypan multinarrans from "Darwin's Watch: the Science of Discworld III" by Terry Pratchett, Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen. It's all about the stories people. Think about it. When you go into an over priced cafe and get excellent service do you wonder why it's so crowded? No. You think to yourself "this place has an atmosphere, it has something different about it" - it's creating an experience that is more than just about what you are getting. For example. There is a cafe that I used to frequent in my previous work incarnation. Yes, it was a bit pricey, but I felt it was worth the price because it gave me more than just coffee and a friand. It gave me the chance to imagine that I had a cooler lifestyle where lingering over morning tea was a given. I can't take my boyfriend there because he complains about the price. Loudly. For him there isn't a lifestyle/experience pay-off. Another example. A deli down the road that sells imported cheeses and foods. Slow service, terrible parking but I will go back. Why? Apart from the imported French camembert, it's run by a guy who thought he'd just start a deli business. He cooks in front of you. There are often samples and delicious smells in the shop. The service is slow forcing you to slow yourself down. It's in a village style area with a butcher, fruit shop, wine shop etc. He's found a niche market. It's gourmet living NZ style. (Or English I guess 'cause that's where he's from.) Both these places give me the chance to live a different story. Romanticising? Maybe. Now I'm not saying that everything should be 'experiencentalised' (my word). Personally it would drive me crazy. But it's nice to have those places to go to that let you live in the moment and pretend to be someone else.
The book is hard work for a few chapters then it gets going. Read it.

#24 Find a food balance between the 'good' and the 'bad' foods. I had a piece of rich chocolate cake and 3 mandarins plus 1 apple today. I think that's a balance baby.