'While
one of the keys to life may be in keeping the balance between the yin
and the yang, the pros and the cons, the plusses and the minuses; and
while there may always be three sides of a story – yours, mine and
the truth; there are only two sides of a ledger – the debit and the
credit. Or that's what we are told.......
Humorous
and intriguing accounts of office shenanigans, corruption and
ambition gone too far are expressed in vignettes based on many real
life experiences that are common part of office culture world wide.
Heavily laced with a good dose of tongue in cheek and wicked humour,
The Other Side of the Ledger will weave its magic spell and keep you
enthralled, amused and wanting more”
Initially
I wondered how I was going to handle this book. I had visions of
pages filled with the bitchiness of office gossip. The he said, she
said, they did world of female office staff with nothing better to
do. How wrong I was. The Other Side of the Ledger has a story
for everyone. Humorous at times yet thought provoking, it is an easy
entertaining read. The Other Side of the Ledger is full of
real life stories that take you on a different journey through the
corporate world and the thoughts and actions of the female staff that
keep the cogs turning. From office friends and affairs, to working
around family life, traveling abroad and the balance of life, love
and loss of employment, The
Other Side of the Ledger has it all. It speaks of the
reality of the day to day grind of office workers in a light hearted
and fun manner.
It
is obvious that Ruth Miller knows the world of the working
woman and the office. The Other Side of the Ledger is written
with professionalism, style and truths of the working world. Ruth has
not held back but allowed the reader to take a step in the door of
each individual office scenario, taking them through the motions,
emotions and hustle and bustle that each day brings. When reading The
Other Side of the Ledger I laughed and I related. Having worked
in an office myself I could all too well relate to the squabble, cat
scratching drama that embraced a group that too often competed
against each other. Of course there is also the love, friendship and
goal driven desires.
One
thing that did leave me wondering about this book is the use of a
subtitle underneath each chapter (short story) title. As I reached
each chapter I would scratch my head trying to work out the reason
why this was done, going back to the previous to see if I was missing
a link between the two. Have I missed something that may be a vital
part to the book? Each subtitle starts with the prefix 'un'. There is
undulating progressions, unintentional indiscretions, undiminished
services, undeniable ineptitude, unacceptable hypocrisy and the list
goes on. By the end of the book I was all 'un'ed out. These subtitles
set the mood for each chapter and as I became irritated by the 'un' I
became a little annoyed with the book. I found each story spoke for
itself, subtitle not needed.
Overall,
I was impressed with the feel and presentation of this book. The
cover is glossy and smooth, feeling soft to the touch and pleasant to
hold. The presentation is plain and simple but clearly gives a visual
cue of the topic within. It leaves one with enough information to set
the scene, invoking an inquisitive mind which leads to reading the
back blurb and turning the pages. If only all of life was as simple,
plain and entertaining as The Other Side of the Ledger.
ISBN: 978-064658982-4
RRP: $24.95
Available online: www.palmerhiggsbooks.com.au
Review: Jennifer Deaves
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