The ‘body’ system
Throughout its history, the Body Shop has always prided itself as a retail concept with a conscience. The company’s late founder Anita Roddick set the framework for this fresh retailing outlook, and it is a mission-vision that continues to be part and parcel of what the brand stands for. Environmental protection, respect for human rights, being against animal testing in the cosmetics industry, these are just some of the cornerstones of the Body Shop’s philosophy. There are now over 2,000 stores spread over 50 markets worldwide, and the supply chain that these stores rely on is spread over 28 suppliers across 21 countries. It would seem that no stone is left unturned in ensuring that the quality products we find on the shelves are themselves sourced from like-minded manufacturers.
Recently, Body Shop opened its Glorietta 3 flagship store, and facing The Landmark, a number of the store’s worldwide executives made the trek to extol the virtues and standards of this new shop. With lumber that had been recycled and used for the flooring and shelves, the store is in itself a testament to what Anita had espoused during her illustrious business career. British Ambassador Peter Beckingham was on hand for the ribbon-cutting. Sharing the spotlight that day was the Spring Bloom Makeup Collection. Carla Humphries and Melissa Ricks of ABS-CBN’s Star Magic were among the beauties who were treated to a special make-over courtesy of Body Shop Asia’s development manager for makeup Muhammad bin Hussin. Yeng Constantino of PDA fame, Erich Gonzalez, Lauren and Megan Young, Empress Shuck, PBB housemates Bea Saw, Dionne Monsanto, Nene Tamayo and several other Star Magic talents were visibly excited over the displays and products that this new store had on offer.
That bottom line and profitability considerations can go hand-in-hand with conscience and social responsibility will always be one of the lasting legacies that Anita has bestowed on the contemporary corporate landscape.
The world as we’ll never know it
The great thing about some novels is how they transport us to a world where fabulous and/or fantastic scenarios become part of everyday life. These three score high in that arena; one is by a 90-year-old first time novelist, the second comes from an established master of his genre, and the third is from a comer, whose three novels have set a standard for sexy, mirth-filled misadventures.
Bowl of Cherries by Millard Kaufman (available at A Different Bookstore): Millard Kaufman was twice nominated for screenplay Oscars and is co-creator of the cartoon character Mr. Magoo, but at the ripe age of 90, he’s turned into a novelist, and Bowl of Cherries is one coming-of-age novel that brims with imagination and brio. There are shades of Kurt Vonnegut and T.C. Boyle in this story of Judd Breslau, a young man ruled, above all, by his hormones. The story opens with Judd in an Iraqi jail, awaiting execution. Then we’re given flashback chapters that have to do with Judd joining an unconventional think tank in the States, falling in love (or lust) with Valerie, daughter of the tank’s head. Among the coterie of Valerie’s admirers is one exchange student, Abby (short for Abdul), son of the ruler of a province in Iraq. You can connect the dots from that premise, and along the way, we’re treated to a plotline that borders on screwball comedy, peppered with CIA-type conglomerates, desert escapades, and sex in unusual settings and circumstances.
Spook Country by William Gibson (available at Fully Booked): Having garnered a stellar reputation for fusing science fiction with technology, Gibson’s last two novels have turned “today” into the setting for futuristic fiction. Pattern Recognition started this trend in his writing, and Spook Country extends this theme. It’s the post 9/11 world, and with elements such as the Global Positioning network playing a major role, we are given three narratives that blend sci-fi with crime fiction. A boutique operation of smugglers and facilitators are using a small crime family to flex their muscles and show how vulnerable, fragmented and paranoid today’s world is. It’s like the spies and spooks of yesteryear have found a new way of staying in business and being of use to the “powers” that pull the strings. Added to this mix is one musician/journalist named Hollis, writing about virtual reality art forms, and hired by a shadowy publisher who first made his appearance in the aforementioned Pattern Recognition. This is dense, but ultimately rewarding stuff.
Salty by Mark Haskell Smith (available at Fully Booked): It may be hard to imagine, but if you wanted a Carl Hiaasen with more sexy hijinks and lewd fun, and wanted to toss in a modicum of crime drama, like Grisham on crack — what you’d end up with are the novels of Mark Haskell Smith. After the hilarious Delicious and Moist, Salty is his latest, and the quality of his storytelling has not flagged at all. The premise is brilliant: aging rock star, Turk, is a recovering sex addict, and on holiday with his bikini model wife, he finds himself in Phuket’s topless beaches and Pathpong — great places for a recovering sex addict! The wife is kidnapped by Thai pirates while on an elephant ride, and we’re treated to a dizzying plot that includes corrupt US Embassy officers, a wife turned on by her captor, a talent manager who sees the resurrection of Turk’s career in this unfolding tragedy, and a myriad of other hilarious characters. You won’t find a better fun read this summer!
