You are fond of the music of Benjamin Britten; you also collect recordings of his music; you also collect scores, programs of Britten performances, other ephemera. You may even be asked to write or talk about the music in general, or about a specific work.

In short, you are a Britten buff. And it would be nice if there were a complete, detailed, chronological list of all his works, together with information about first performances, or other useful background notes on the composition and its performance.

You need wish no more. Here is your book, the only one you'll need. Complete, detailed, chronological, including an extensive bibliography, a list of recordings, even notes on incidental musical and occasional works. It is a thorough, no-nonsense catalog, lovingly compiled by John Evans, Philip Reed, and Paul Wilson, and published by the Pears-Britten Library in Aldeburgh, the seat of the annual Aldeburgh Festival.

It is hard to imagine a more useful book. No Britten-lover can afford to be without it.

Philips Evans and Thomas S. Wurster are vice presidents of the Boston Consulting Group. This article was published in the November-December 1999 issue of the Harvard Business Review.

Initially, electronic commerce has been a landgrab which took speed, a willingness to experiment, and a lot of cyberssavvy. But that phase has ended. However, in the second phase the key players have to defend and capture territory. In this article the authors offer practical advice to each player on competing in this 2nd generation of e-commerce. Companies are forced to focus on strategies to achieve competitive advantage. Success will go to the businesses closest to consumers. Navigation is the battlefield on which competitive advantage will be won or lost. There are three dimensions of navigation: (1) Reach is about access and connection; (2) Affiliation is about whose interests the business represents; and (3) Richness is the depth of the information that a business gives to or collects about its customers. The authors discuss the competition on each of these dimensions. In their opinion, navigators and e-retailers have the natural advantage in reach and affiliation, while traditional product suppliers and retailers have the edge in richness. The authors provide advise from the perspective of a navigator, electronic retailer, incumbent product manufacturer, and incumbent category killer retailer.

Good solid article on the second (latest?) phase of competition in electronic commerce. This article was adapted from the authors' bestseller 'Blown to Bits: How the New Economics of Information Transforms Strategy'. It shows the changes from the orginal landgrabbing strategies to focusing on competitive advantage and proper strategies. Highly recommended. The authors use simple US-English, although with some Internet/e-commerce jargon.

In the middle of World War II, 22-year old Katherine Lind, a refugee from Europe is frozen in time and tragedy. Her past is gone -- family, friends, college life -- and she is living moment by moment, in a humiliating temporary library job, among the unfriendly aliens, somewhere in England.

Six years before it was summer, and the world was at peace. On a lark, she's decided to take up her British pen pal's invitation to a three week stay in the Oxfordshire countryside. Robin Fennel puzzles and fasicinates her. The middle part of the book takes us back six years, to that idyllic time. Katherine and Robin's relationship does not fit into any standard romantic paradigm. It is all too subtle for that, and I'd love to see this exquisitely written novel turned into one of those wonderfully atmospheric films the British excell at.

Once again, it is good to read a World War II story, free of latter day cliches, and the teary-eyed romanticism typical of its own period. This book is rather more rewarding than Larkin's first effort, Jill, in that the lead character -- he does a wonderful job with a woman, by the way -- is more complex, mature and knowing than the hapless John Kemp of Jill.

There is also a hint towards a happy ending, though the ultimate outcome would depend on both characters surviving the war. A beautiful book and a pleasure.

I'd be hard pressed to find a more sincere, well executed, simply joyous cookbook than Helen Evans Brown's masterful tribute and celebration of West Coast cuisine. It was written over 40 years ago and, like a true classic often does, it remains as touching and relevant as ever. The recipes are most fabulous -- many often the most obscure, and once sought-after -- and here they have a comfortable home. If this were a perfect world, this would be a cooking staple.

Although recommended for 8-12 year olds, I found this book interesting and informative as an adult. Visually, this book is attractive with photographs of actual artifacts and drawings. Examples in today's hunter-gatherer civilizations are provided in addition to the historical and archeological information related to the Stone Age. The timelines included are easily read and informative, as are the maps. Most appealing for parents and schools is the inclusion of 15 step-by-step projects which demonstrate the creation of products used daily from this period in prehistory. An index and glossary are included, and chapter headings deal with a single aspect of life at that time, eg. "Shelter," "The Arts," "Warfare and Weapons," etc.

If for only containing all the survivng Beiderbecke letters, this book would be worth it. How much light they shed upon this enigmatic jazz musician is another story. After all would you write home: "Dear mom, am rinsing my mouth with gin every morning. Living in flop-house. Unemployed. Playing music which won't be appreciated for at least twenty years"? Letters to other musicians concern mainly pay scales, gig dates etc. All of the touring information and band personel is listed in great detail. Discography is exhaustive too although the inclusion of the songs appearances on LP "Sincerely, Bix Beiderbecke" and CD "Bix Restored" (there have been dozens if not hundreds of Bix LP and CD reissues over the years) along with original 78RPM issue information is kind of a mystery. Photos are of mixed quality even taking into account their age (better prints of some photos can be found in Frank Driggs' "Black Beauty White Heat")and are rather dark or "bleached out". However, this is most photos of Bix I've seen in a single book and many I've never seen before. Bix fans are sure to find out things (particularly with regard to set lists) that they didn't know before but for those seeking a warmer portrait I would reccomend Mezz Mezzrow's "Really the Blues" or Ralph Berton's "Remembering Bix".

This work is the result of decades of dedicated and exhaustive work by Phil Evans and his wife and will stand as the finest work on Bix. Phil's previous work was used extensively in the Sudhalter book, and this work is the result of all of that plus an extrordinary amount of newly discovered material, includeing many letters from Bix himself. Many previously unseen photos as well. Phil recently passed away, and I am eternally grateful to him for producing this excellent book on my great-uncle. If you could only have one book on Bix, this should be it!

If you love Bix, you'll love this book. It out classes all other efforts in the field. The research was exhaustive and directed toward getting the truest picture possible of our #1 jazz legend. The text is a bit broken up by the intrusion of quotations from sources, but that is the price of authenticity. For those who know and love Bix's music, the book is a must. For those who don't know his music, the book should make the reader curious enough to listen to him. I cannot recommedn it too highly.

This is a fun book to read, but inaccurate, despite the best intentions of one of the authors.

The more accurate biography of Bix is that by Phil and Linda Evans, which has a wealth of information and photography not included in this book by Evans and Sudhalter, and has been carefully compiled to have only facts, not anecdotal myths.

I have long been a fan of Bix Beiderbecke, and this book provided more information about his life than I would have thought possible. It showed what a genius he really was, and displayed many aspects of his sometimes sunny, sometimes dark disposition. The book was very detailed, and at times I could swear I had been there. The attitude of the times was well described, and you could almost see how Bix and the people around him lived and felt. I feel this book does great justice to Bix's tumultuous but short life. I loved this biography so much, I can't say enough about it.

In planning for Bix Beiderbecke museum exhibits, I read the book for historical background on the musician who has long been my favorite. I was enthralled by the depth AND breadth of the author's approach, and multiplied my previous knowledge of his life, times, compatriots, instruments, and, of course, the music. I would love to contact the author or publisher to get permission to use parts in the museum exhibits!

This is a story that for the most part has been ignored. JPB lead a life that can hardly be believed for all its variety and triumphs. His political role in the Civil War (Atty Gen, Sec'y of the Navy, & finally Sec'y of State) was overshadowed by that of Jeff Davis, a fact he never tried to alter. However, that chapter of his life was both preceded by and followed by enormous successes in other arenas. That much of this took place in societies and times not very tolerant of Jews is just a bit of what we (in New Orleans) call 'lagniappe', that 'little bit extra' you get in the bargain. The book tells this story well and makes a most pleasant read.

Without question, Benjamin was a man of keen intellect and an imposing presence on Jefferson Davis and confederate foreign policy. Very little has ever been written about him, and even less about his Jewish heritage, The common thread has been to note that he exhibited no external trappings of his religious roots, and therefore must have done what he could to divorce himself from his ancestry. The author takes a completely different turn by suggesting that his life, personality, and accomplishments were a result of his acceptance of who he was as a Jew, and that that acceptance strongly influenced his course in life. I for one, have been fascinated by Benjamin for years and was thrilled to find a well documented and researched book on this most intriguing character. And even more thrilling was having a new insight as the author presents his own dynamic as a Jewish attorney studying the life of a predecessor; A Jewish attorney who lived in an alien environment, isolated yet surviving, prospering yet an outcast. The author finally gives us a glimpse of his personal life and helps us see not just an historical figure, but a man with desires, frustrations, happiness and sadness. We are given a whole man to view. I for one believe it is one of the finest biographies I have ever read. Steve Reutter (sreutter@ncsa.com), Carlisle, Pa

Gripping biography of the Confederate Secretary of State, Judah P.Benjamin, whose Judiasm may have been the reason for his exclusion from the PBS Civil War documentary. This key Confederate not only was a brilliant strategist, but, after fleeing the Confederate States of America, left for England, where he wrote "Benjamin on Contracts"...the CURRENT text on Contract Law taught in every law school today ! The importance of this book is that Mr. Benjamin was extremely thorough to destroy every Confederate document which bore his name and position as Secretary of State of the Confederacy.

Harvard Business Review article, published in March-April 1992, by three Vice Presidents from management consultancy firm The Boston Consulting Group. Philip Evans is co-author from recent bestseller 'Blown to Bits' (2000).

The article starts with a case study on the reversal of fortunes represented by Kmart and Wal-Mart from 1979 to 1989. This example serves to explain the four principles of capabilities-basded competition: (1) the building blocks of corporate strategy are business processes; (2) competitive success depends on providing superior value to the customer; (3) strategic investments in support infrastructure that links units and functions; and (4) the CEO is the champion of a capabilities-based strategy. The authors conclude that the key to competitive advantage has moved from strategic positioning to anticipation of market trends and quick response to customer needs. "The prize will be companies that combine scale and flexibility to outperform the competition along five dimensions: (1) speed; (2) consistency; (3) acuity; (4) agility; and (5) innovativeness." So the challenge is to become a capabilities-based competitor. This challenge requires managers to see their business in terms of strategic capabilities, then, to identify and link together essential business processes to serve customers, and, finally, reshape the organization to encourage the new kind of behavior. Thankfully the authors introduce a four-step guide for this process, using Medequip - the medical-equipment company - as an example. The main advantages of competing on capabilities is that it provides a way for companies to gain the benefits of both focus and diversification, it enables growth by transferring essential business processes, and advantages built on capabilities are easier to transfer georgraphically. The authors make greate use of examples, such Kmart vs. Wal-Mart, Wachovia vs. Banc One, and Honda.

Although the authors disagree, this article expands on Prahalad & Hamel's core competence-theory (1990): "But whereas core competence emphasizes technological and production expertise at specific points along the value chain, capabilities are more broadly based, encompassing the entire value chain." Strong point of this article is that it makes the core competennce-theory more practically understandable and provides good insights into the implementation of that theory into organizations. Although somewhat outdated it is a great, clear article which I recommend to managers and MBA-students. The authors use simple US-English.

The premise of the book seems like old news already: the Internet is changing the dynamics of business and organizational power. The models which the authors offer are helpful, but fairly elementary for those who have read other business books or articles about the Internet.

Yes, the economics of information is different from the economics of things (with physical inputs like capital, and labour) but most of the examples cited in the book are not new: Dell Computer, Charles Schwab, and Sabre on-line reservation systems.

As one of the other reviewers mentioned, it is perhaps better to scan it while in a bookstore.

This work revolves around the deconstruction (or "blowing up" into pieces) of organizations and value chains. It develops an interesting argument that traditional value chains combine the "economics of things" and the "economics of information" into a compromised model that will not survive deconstruction as superior economics of information are introduced. It is further argued that the change in the economics of information will come about as technology removes the tradeoff between the richness and the reach of information.

Although the ideas are perhaps not fundamentally new, the analysis is brilliant. The clarity of presentation is evidence of the authors' backgrounds as consultants and the work will certainly assist to clarify strategic thinking as organizations grapple with alternatives. It also demonstrates where future competition is likely to come from.

I have found this well worth the read. It is full of real life examples that increase understanding and allow comparisons to one's own ideas. I will recommend it to anyone interested or involved in business strategy.

Richness or reach? The trade-off used to be simple but absolute: your business strategy either could be focus on "rich" information-customized products and services tailored to a niche audience-or could reach out to a larger market, but with watered-down information that sacrificed richness in favour of a broad, general appeal. Much of business strategy as we know it today rests on this fundamental dilemma.

Now, say Evans and Wurster, the new economics of information is eliminating the trade off between richness and reach, blowing apart the foundations of traditional business strategy. Blown to Bits reveals how the spread of connectivity and common standards is redefining the information channels that link businesses with their customers, suppliers, and employees. Increasingly, your customers will have rich access to a universe of alternatives, your suppliers will exploit direct access to your customers, and your competitors will pick off the most profitable parts of your value chain. Your competitive advantage is up for grabs.

To prepare corporate executives and entrepreneurs alike for a fundamental change in business competition, Evans and Wurster expand and illuminate groundbreaking concepts first explored in their award-winning Harvard Business Review article "Strategy and the New Economics of Information", and present a practical guide for applying them.

Examples span the spectrum of industries-from financial services to health care, from consumer to industrial goods, and from media to retailing. Blown to Bits shows how to build new strategies that reflect a world in which richness and reach go hand in hand and how to make the most of the new forces shaping competitive advantage.

Philip Evans is a Senior Vice President of The Boston Consulting Group. Thomas S. Wurster is a Vice President of The Boston Consulting Group in Los Angeles. The authors are co-leaders of The Boston Consulting Group's Media and Convergence Practice.

Reviewed by Azlan Adnan. Formerly Business Development Manager with KPMG, Azlan is currently Managing Partner of Azlan & Koh Knowledge and Professional Management Group, an education and management consulting practice based in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysian Borneo. He holds a Master's degree in International Business and Management from the Westminster Business School in London.