A welcome retention from the first edition is the examination question at the end of each chapter, with tips on what the examiner is looking for and how to answer the question. This is an excellent and flexible resource for both teacher and student, providing an insight into the mind of the examiner. I have often used the examination questions and tips from the first edition as useful homework activities. The question can be used without the tips, with the guidance given later and used for peer assessment or to help students develop their action plans for improvement independently. The key facts and terms at the end of the chapter enable students to develop a summary of the essential points over the course of each module, and they provide a quick, easy reference point and revision resource. Overall the book is extremely well presented and is an enhancement of the first edition while retaining the best features. It should prove a valuable resource for getting to grips with the delivery of the new specification for OCR, while meeting its aim of providing excellent quality content that can be used for the delivery of a business studies curriculum in general. Diane Kutar is subject leader in business studies, at Oakmeeds Community College, Burgess Hill, West Sussex.
being conversational. The subject matter is comprehensively covered, with particularly good sections on pricing policy and tactics, and market research. Unfortunately, the reader will arguably find the book somewhat dull. And, perhaps, the lack of colour together with the hugely consistent layout throughout the 208 pages detracts from the interest factor buried within this publication. Consequently, some of the better commentary, such as the section on choosing the channel mix, could be easily missed by the average reader. User-friendliness An undoubted strength of this book is the impressively all-encompassing index. There is no doubt that, used as a quick reference guide, this aspect will endear itself to the time-starved teacher, let alone the short-cut-loving student. On occasions, this area tends to be a weakness of the traditional textbook, frustrating both teacher and student. This is not the case with this publication. It also has useful end-ofsection key points. How it might be used If you are looking for a book that will, by the end of its first year, appear well-thumbed, then this is not for you. As indicated, this is an occasional reference source, probably showing little signs of wear for the three or four weeks of the academic year that it will be relevant. Value for money As a single-topic publication, this lacks the wideranging content that teachers and students alike will undoubtedly prefer. It is therefore in competition with a vast array of books that better cater for the education market. Indeed, the revision guides produced by the likes of Letts and CGP would undoubtedly be preferred by teachers and students, and they cover the whole specification at prices that are probably cheaper by 25–50%. Recommend it? Unfortunately, no. While a single book does not amount to a great cost, the pressure on departmental budgets means that we have to be more selective in our choice of additional reading or reference material sitting on our shelves. This book is more appropriate for the commercial/corporate library than the business studies department. Jon Tuxford is head of social studies at Denstone College, Uttoxeter.
A LEVEL BUSINESS STUDIES
Marketing: A guide to the fundamentals, Patrick Forsyth, The Economist, Profile Books, 208 pages, £12.99, ISBN 978-1-84668-193 -6 It is important to note that this is not a textbook. As the title suggests, it is a guide to the fundamentals of what, in practice, is a particularly complex functional area. This is not a book that would be issued to students. More likely, it would be kept on the department shelves as another reference source. Format/style The book is written in the style of an A–Z of marketing, with language that is deliberately straightforward and aimed at non-marketing individuals. As a result, the format is more like an extended PowerPoint presentation, as opposed to 30
Teaching Business & Economics
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