THE LITERATURE KEEPS GROWING

Pamela Laird of the University of Colorado, Denver, who was a panelist at this year's Marketing History Conference, has published a book entitled Advertising Progress - American Business and the Rise of Consumer Marketing, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998.

Newsweek cites John Taliaferro'sTarzan Forever, (New York: Scribner's) as authority for the statement that the Tarzan movies were the first to engage in the sale of subsidiary rights and merchandise licensing agreements.

Both Robert Tamilia of the University of Quebec of Montreal and Ranger Roger at almost the other end of the North American continent, University of Texas Arlington have directed our attention to the April 1999 issue of The International Review of Retail Distribution and Consumer Research, a British publication which devoted the issue to historical analyses. Contents were Kathy Hart, The Retail Accordion and Assortment Strategies: A Exploratory Study; Harman Burné, Jose M. Múgica, Marta Pedraja and Pilar Rivera, The Use of a Consumer's Price Information Search Behavior for Pricing Differentiation in Retailing; John Cader and Robert W. Hudginson, The Impact of Accounting Reporting Techniques on Earning Enhancement in the U.K. Retailing Sector; Steve Burk and Shiona Davis, Follow My Leader? Lookalike Retailing Band and Non-Manufacturer-Dominated Produce Markets in the U.K.; Norman E. Marr and W. (Art) Thomas, The Acceptance/Rejection of New Products in the Retail Grocery Industry: The Influence of Background Elemancy; John Stobard and Alan G. Halsworth, Change and Stability Structure and Agency in Retailing: The Case of Stoke-on Trent.

Richard J. Varey provides a detailed retrospective evaluation of Marshal McLuhan's seminal work in communications. Varey notes many criticisms of McLuhan's supposed lack of scientific rigger, etc. But concludes that his path-breaking reanalysis of communication's impact is "must read" material for marketers today. See Journal of Marketing, July 1999, pp. 148-153.

Reflections on Commercial Life: an Anthology of Classic Text from Plato to Present, edited by Patrick Murray, New York: Routledge, 1997, 486 pp., $24.95 receives a favorable review in JM, July 1999 from Tomascz Lenartowicz.

Ranger Roger has not ridden off to the west even though his corner is missing from this issue. The Ranger has been looking so far ahead in the vast stream of photocopies he has sent the editor this semester, we have not had time to sift out the historical gems. Just assume that if it's been published, the Ranger has read it (unless he wrote it.)

WITH SYMPATHY

Those who attended the Ninth Conference in East Lansing in May met Bob LaMoreaux, the conference liaison officer for the MSU School of Packaging. Bob and his wife Carol, were driving east for a family gathering on June 13 when, Carol at the wheel, their car suddenly left the road and turned over several times. Carol may have lost control because of a heart attack, although medical tests were inconclusive. Carol, one of their daughters, Hilda and a grandchild, Chris were killed. Bob suffered minor injuries but was reported in "satisfactory" condition after the accident. We all extend our condolences and sympathy to Bob at this terrible time.

      

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