Thomas Teal Books

An elderly artist and her six-year-old grand-daughter while away a summer together on a tiny island in the gulf of Finland. As the two learn to adjust to each other's fears, whims and yearnings, a fierce yet understated love emerges - one that encompasses not only the summer inhabitants but the very island itself.Written in a clear, unsentimental style, full of brusque humour, and wisdom, The Summer Book is a profoundly life-affirming story.Tove Janssoncaptured much of her own life and spirit in the book, which was her favourite of her adult novels. This new edition, with a Foreword by Esther Freud, sees the return of a European literary gem - fresh, authentic and deeply humane.

"The business world seems to have given up on loyalty: many major corporations now lose - and have to replace - half their customers in five years, half their employees in four, and half their investors in less than one. This book shows why companies that ignore these skyrocketing defections face a dismal future of low growth, weak profits, and shortened life expectancy." "In The Loyalty Effect Fred Reichheld demonstrates the power of loyalty-based management as a highly profitable alternative to the economics of perpetual churn. He lays out the principles that connect value creation, loyalty, growth, and profits and shows how great companies like State Farm, Toyota/Lexus, MBNA, John Deere, and the Leo Burnett advertising agency have used these principles to build unassailable franchises of loyal customers, loyal employees, and loyal owners. He describes the key business philosophies that underlie the remarkable results of these loyalty leaders." "The Loyalty Effect will provide your company with an effective approach to sustained value creation and change the way you think about loyalty, profits, and the nature of business. Reichheld makes the powerful economic case for loyalty - and takes you through the numbers to prove it. His startling conclusions show how even a small improvement in customer retention can double profits for your company."--Jacket