Constance L. Hays has worked as a reporter for The News and Observer in Raleigh, North Carolina, and, since 1986, for The New York Times, where she covered the food and beverage industry for three years. She lives in New York City with her husband, John A. Hays, and their three children.
"Tells the 130-year history of Coca-Cola with flair and gusto....
The Real Thing is also a primer on the perils that come with
decades of seemingly limitless growth."
-The Washington Post Book World
"[A] gripping account . . . [Hays] has a novelist's flair for
conveying her characters' thoughts. . . . She recounts Coca-Cola
history and lore in fascinating detail."
-The New York Times "Fascinating and revealing . . . This extremely
well researched, surprisingly entertaining saga is told almost like
a novel with a broad panorama and [a] memorable cast."
-The Miami Herald "Totally engaging . . . highly enjoyable . . . a
compelling, well-documented history of the drink that has refreshed
the world for 118 years."
-The Philadelphia Inquirer
"Before the Golden Arches, red-and-white Coca-Cola signs were the
most ubiquitous symbols of American consumerism on the planet.
Constance Hays tells the story of how Coke got its ?zz--and then
almost lost it--in sparkling prose that's both sweet and tart, just
like the pop."
--Sylvia Nasar, author of A Beautiful Mind "The Real Thing brings
the story of one of America's oldest commercial and cultural icons
up to date--a tale of power, ego, and money inside one of the
world's largest companies. With a journalist's investigative skills
and a strong narrative voice, Constance Hays puts the reader inside
the minds of Coca-Cola's top executives and fanatic consumers,
showing how the modern, ever-changing global business world works
through the simplest of products. Thoroughly researched and
compellingly written, taking you through incredible triumphs and
massive blunders, The Real Thing is a fascinating read."
--Joël Glenn Brenner, author of The Emperors of Chocolate: Inside
the Secret World of Hershey & Mars "[Hays] ably makes the point
that there's no comparison for the emotional connection that people
in America and around the world have with a Coke....She also
recounts with a proper sense of tragedy the sad blunders of the
last few years that have practically unmade the company....Gripping
material, dramatically told."
--Kirkus Reviews
Hays, who spent three years covering the food and beverage industry for the New York Times, focuses on the recent efforts by Coca-Cola not just to win the cola wars but to become the most dominant beverage of all. Early chapters effectively segue back and forth between Coke's modern global strategy and the company's first century of increasing dominance. Founder Asa Candler envisioned Coke as a fountain drink, and thought so little of other sales methods he gave two men bottling rights to nearly all of America in 1899, resulting in a patchwork of plants where the sodas was made and distributed. Hays deftly shows how these local bottlers were crucial in establishing Coke's public image, yet often possessed an independent streak that rankled the company's corporate leaders, who eventually sought to regain control over much of the operations, with mixed results. She clearly admires the ambition and dedication of executives like Roberto Goizeuta and Doug Ivester, allowing much of the story to unfold from their perspective, but doesn't flinch from chronicling missteps like the attempt to beat the Pepsi Challenge with New Coke. And even though the final chapters depict the shattering of the Coke myth and the onset of financial woes, it's sometimes difficult to tell whether Hays is simply reporting on the new management's belief in its ability to bounce back or buying into their vision. Readers won't uncover the secrets of Coca-Cola the drink, but they'll learn a lot about what lies behind Coca-Cola the world's most powerful brand. (Feb.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
"Tells the 130-year history of Coca-Cola with flair and
gusto.... The Real Thing is also a primer on the perils
that come with decades of seemingly limitless growth."
-The Washington Post Book World
"[A] gripping account . . . [Hays] has a novelist's flair for
conveying her characters' thoughts. . . . She recounts Coca-Cola
history and lore in fascinating detail."
-The New York Times "Fascinating and revealing . . . This
extremely well researched, surprisingly entertaining saga is told
almost like a novel with a broad panorama and [a] memorable
cast."
-The Miami Herald "Totally engaging . . . highly enjoyable . . .
a compelling, well-documented history of the drink that has
refreshed the world for 118 years."
-The Philadelphia Inquirer
"Before the Golden Arches,
red-and-white Coca-Cola signs were the most ubiquitous symbols of
American consumerism on the planet. Constance Hays tells the story
of how Coke got its ?zz--and then almost lost it--in sparkling
prose that's both sweet and tart, just like the pop."
--Sylvia Nasar, author of A Beautiful Mind "The Real Thing brings
the story of one of America's oldest commercial and cultural icons
up to date--a tale of power, ego, and money inside one of the
world's largest companies. With a journalist's investigative skills
and a strong narrative voice, Constance Hays puts the reader inside
the minds of Coca-Cola's top executives and fanatic consumers,
showing how the modern, ever-changing global business world works
through the simplest of products. Thoroughly researched and
compellingly written, taking you through incredible triumphs and
massive blunders, The Real Thing is a fascinating read."
--Joel Glenn Brenner, author of The Emperors of Chocolate: Inside
the Secret World of Hershey & Mars "[Hays] ably makes the point
that there's no comparison for the emotional connection that people
in America and around the world have with a Coke....She also
recounts with a proper sense of tragedy the sad blunders of the
last few years that have practically unmade the company....Gripping
material, dramatically told."
--Kirkus Reviews
 |
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
