- Hardcover: 304 pages
- Publisher: Macmillan New Writing (7 July 2006)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 023000136X
- ISBN-13: 978-0230001367
- Product Dimensions: 20.5 x 13.8 x 3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,741,699 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Three Things About Me
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
Seven potential customer service representatives start their training course under the professional guidance of Rob Church. From the start, he is disillusioned with the quality of his latest batch of trainees, but ever the professional and an inveterate optimist, he plunges into his routine. His worst fears are confirmed. Each of his charges, with one exception, is a loser. As he works his way through the embarrassingly formulaic training set-pieces with never a doubt about the value of his corporate objectives, the awful reality of the appalling quality of the human material he has to work with becomes clear. From failed actress to religious puritan, from would-be pop star to tarty young temptress, none is the trainee of choice - except, perhaps, the apparently sophisticated Charlotte, professional lady to her fingertips and romantic and professional hope of the slick and be-suited Church. Perhaps - but perhaps not. In parallel with the hilarious accounts of Church's attempts to instil a corporate culture in the team, we are treated to funny and sometimes moving stories of the individuals' private lives and their relationships with each other on and off the job. The threads of their lives are tangled and disentangled, and the course ends with some clever and satisfying events and conclusions.
About the Author
Aliya Whiteley is an accomplished short story writer and her experimental prose/poetry book, Mean Mode Median, was published in 2004. She has a lively and informative web site.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Great quirky, black humour that draws on every persons recollections of: Stupid questions I have answered in order to get a job!
How much do we give away of ourselves with our answers?
These characters evolve from our first impressions of 'weirdos' into full blown heroes(& heroines)who have survived the storms of life with absolutely no help from the crummy training course they have to endure. Good read.
How much do we give away of ourselves with our answers?
These characters evolve from our first impressions of 'weirdos' into full blown heroes(& heroines)who have survived the storms of life with absolutely no help from the crummy training course they have to endure. Good read.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
As seven students embark upon a management course, we are treated to their pasts, their present, and their expectations, hopes and plans for the future. As the course unfolds and the characters interact, subtle changes begin to take place within the group.
I have always supported the theory that we can learn how to deal with life's experiences through reading a good novel,and from the comfort and safety of our armchair. This novel is no exception, with its interesting characters, social interaction and plenty of problems to ponder and procrastinate over. It is very well written with a depth of characterisation that will stimulate plenty of discussion; it will go down extremely well with Reading Groups.
I have always supported the theory that we can learn how to deal with life's experiences through reading a good novel,and from the comfort and safety of our armchair. This novel is no exception, with its interesting characters, social interaction and plenty of problems to ponder and procrastinate over. It is very well written with a depth of characterisation that will stimulate plenty of discussion; it will go down extremely well with Reading Groups.
Format:Hardcover
I really enjoyed reading this book and I'm not easy to please! I didn't want it to end. This is a really interesting way to write: from the perspective of all the characters, on a day by day basis. It is very well written, clever and funny. It would suit someone looking for something to read on holiday just as much as someone like me who has limited time and will read it over a longer period. You will definitely have met people like some of those in the book! It made me laugh out loud at times.
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