Strategies That Capitalize On An Organizations Strengths Marketing Essay

Procedures That Capitalize On An Organizations Strengths Marketing Essay A SWOT Analysis is utilized to create procedures that gain by an associations qualities, limit the impacts of any shortcomings, abuse accessible chances and safeguard against dangers. Actualizing these methodologies prompts accomplishing the associations destinations. SWOT examination takes a gander at your qualities and shortcomings, and the chances and dangers your business faces. By concentrating on the key components influencing your business, presently and later on, a SWOT investigation gives an unmistakable premise to looking at your business execution and possibilities. Presentation General Motors Corporation is the universes biggest automaker organization established in 1908 which Utilizes around 326, 999 individuals around the globe with its home office in Detroit, Michigan, USA. Established in Flint, Michigan as a holding organization for Buick, at that point constrained by William C. Durant and gained Oldsmobile soon thereafter. The next year, Durant got Cadillac, Elmore and Oakland. In 1909, General Motors procured the Rapid Motor Vehicle Company of Pontiac, Michigan, the antecedent of GMC Truck. A Rapid turned into the principal truck to vanquish Pikes Peak in 1909. Durant lost control of GM in 1910 to the companys investors, due to the enormous measure of obligation taken on in its acquisitions. GM holds the greatest offer in GM Daewoo Auto Technology Co. of South Korea and has item, powertrain and buying coordinated efforts with Suzuki Motor Corp. also, Isuzu Motors Ltd. of Japan. The organization likewise has cutting edge innovation association with Toyota Motor Corporation of Japan, DaimlerChrysler AG and BMW AG of Germany, and vehicle fabricating Ventures with a few automakers around the globe, including Toyota, Suzuki, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation of China, AVTOVAZ of Russia and Renault SA of France. GM alongside its key accomplices produces trucks vehicles in 31 nations, and the vehicles through these notable brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, FAW, GMC, Daewoo, Holden, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling. China is known to be the biggest national market, trailed by the U.S., Brazil, Germany, U.K., Canada, Italy. General Motors Company creates, delivers, and markets vehicles, trucks, and parts around the world. The organization offers its items under the brand names of Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Daewoo, Holden, Opel, Isuzu, Vauxhall, Jiefang, FAW, and Wuling. The companys vehicles, trucks, and parts are promoted through retail sellers in North America, and through wholesalers and vendors outside of North America. Notwithstanding the items it offers to its vendors for shopper retail deals, the organization likewise offers vehicles and trucks to armada clients, including day by day rental vehicle organizations, business armada clients, renting organizations, and governments. As of December 31, 2009, the organization had 5,619 vehicle sellers in the U.S.; 568 in Canada; and 263 in Mexico. Moreover, there were an aggregate of 14,317 circulation outlets all through the remainder of the world. Critical Events In February 2010, the organization finished the offer of Saab Automobile AB to Spyke r Cars NV. In September 2009, the organization chose to unwind the Saturn brand and vendor arrange. On August 18, 2010, General Motors Corporation is teaming up with SAIC Motor Corporation. The cooperation is focused at creating 1.0 liter and 1.5 liter motors for little vehicles. On August 26, 2010, General Motors Company has teamed up with Bright Automotive, Inc. The joint effort is focused at offering an electric business armada vehicle. In October 2010, General Motors Company had set up a trade-in vehicle joint endeavor with Shanghai Automation Instrumentation Co., Ltd. to venture into an undiscovered section of the universes greatest auto showcase. Crucial vision GM is one of the regarded auto organizations on the planet. It has an assortment of items that guarantee that the organization is faring admirably in the market. The companys home office is situated in New York, United States and anticipates setting up an outlet in each nation of the world. Item examinations The arranging procedure is looking on how the GM items are faring on the planet auto advertise. The presence of the organization in the market depends on a broad examination that was done in the European market which shows that there is still enormous undiscovered market potential in the car business in Europe and different pieces of the world. The GM Company represents considerable authority in Designing and creation of autos, trucks, trains, and related parts, for example, body, insides, drivetrains, and gadgets (Brandi, 2007). The organization representatives in excess of 205,000 individuals in each significant district of the world and works together in somewhere in the range of 157 nations. GM and its key accomplices fabricate vehicles and trucks in 31 nations of the world. The SWOT examination of General Motors is given beneath. Qualities 1. Enormous Market Share In spite of the fact that GMs piece of the overall industry in the US has dropped it is still especially serious at 26 percent. They additionally have an expanding share in the Chinese market. With the correct choices there is no purpose behind GM to not turn into the car chief it used to be. 2. Worldwide Experience As clarified above even with GMs late decay they despite everything have the piece of the overall industry and the experience to ricochet back. They have been an overall organization for about a century now and have built up themselves as the worldwide pioneer for the greater part of them. In the event that you review I referenced over that a current open door for GM is to extend comprehensively and as should be obvious they as of now have the experience to do as such. It is simply an issue of the right arranging and legitimate execution of those plans that will chose whether or not GMs objectives are accomplished. 3. Assortment of Brand Names GM as I referenced has been the car chief for most of the only remaining century. An enormous explanation behind that is the wide assortment of value brand names that intrigue to all objective markets. The current GM brands include: Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac, Buick, Pontiac, Saturn, Hummer, Saab, Daewoo, Opel, and Holden. 4. GMAC Customer Financing Program Since its foundation in 1919 it has demonstrated to be GMs most dependable wellspring of income. 5. OnStar Satellite Technology Created in 1996 OnStar as of now has more than 3 million endorsers and is standard on all GM vehicles. This innovation permits the vehicles to be followed in case of a crisis or burglary. It likewise permits the driver as well as travelers the capacity to speak with OnStar work force at the snap of a catch. Shortcomings 1. Behind on Alternative Energy Movement This is GMs greatest shortcoming. The elective vitality/cross breed pattern has started to happen in the car business and GM has been one stage behind the opposition as far as elective vitality vehicles. This has prompted numerous issues remembering loss of piece of the overall industry and a decline for organization benefit. All together for any car organization to be effective starting now and into the foreseeable future they should be Hybrid benevolent and eco-friendly. 2. Poor Organizational Structure As should be obvious in display 1 of the case GMs hierarchical structure is by all accounts excessively vertically incorporated. This causes an absence of correspondence between workers start to finish and may have had an influence in GM falling behind on the elective vitality development. 3. Stale Profitability Seeing GMs benefit we see that they are absolutely battling as for the size of their organization. Their overall revenue was about 1.5% and the ROE has drastically diminished over the ongoing years dropping to 10% in 2004. This is a circumstance that investors won't be satisfied with. 4. Excessively Dependent on US showcase GM has gotten excessively reliant on the US advertise and should make the most of the chance to grow universally. The opposition is getting too solid to even consider focusing on only one nation. 5. Excessively Dependent on General Motors Acceptance Corporation (GMAC) Financing GM has gotten excessively reliant on its financing program. Conceded it is an incredible quality for GM, anyway they by and by can't depend entirely on financing so as to turn benefit, particularly on the off chance that they need to contend with Honda and Toyota who are quickly developing. 6. Poor Credit Status GMs credit status has like everything else has been consistently declining. Their present proportion is scarcely over 1 and their basic analysis is even lower. In spite of the fact that, I dont see them getting denied dependent on their credit now, the earnestness of the issue is surely evident. Openings Produce eco-friendly, littler, and more excellent models that can draw in the customers. Chinese government dense car burdens so as to support declining deals. In February 2009; refering to declining fabricating numbers, the State Bank of India diminished financing costs on car advances. Build up or Equip offices to produce cutting edge innovation vehicles that would get together certain efficiency and emanations guidelines. One of the huge open doors is to move assembling to different luxuries so as to create sought after vehicles. Assembling should be possible in those nations where the work just as material expense is low. Enhancement in other related and irrelevant items or moving to the crossover electric motors. The buying intensity of purchasers is expanding because of end of monetary emergency 2007-10. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢ ¢ The firm can utilize the information that it picked up from Toyota Nummi joint endeavor and Saturn experience. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢ ¢ It should manufacture its picture and increase more offer in the market with its recently assemble certainty in regards to the clients. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢ ¢ New vehicle models and plans ought to be presented remembering the client inclinations, in light of the fact that in the car business, the requirements of the client are the substantial cut focuses that will give productivity whenever concerned gently. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢ ¢ Expansion of their business forms, yet in addition remembering the particular impact of

Strategies for Risk Management in Construction

Procedures for Risk Management in Construction 1.1 Introduction Hazard the board is one of the subfields on nine information zone in venture the executives. Hazard the executives is tied in with overseeing vulnerability that innate in many activities that require formal venture the board, utilizing ‘uncertainty in the plain English ‘lack of conviction sense. Hazard the board additionally allude to a progression of procedures which are required for the recognizable proof, investigation, and response towards the activities chance so as to boost the impacts of positive vulnerability even and limit the results of negative vulnerability even. Hazard the board likewise been arrange in evolved nations. This because of the hazard the board is better applied in the created nations. Contrasting and different nations with different circumstances, Malaysia is a creating nation which the politic, economy, social and innovation have distraught explicit dangers particularly related. Tragically, in Malaysia, the administration of hazard isn't so methodical and requires more innovative work. Malaysia is by all accounts creating nations on the grounds that the interest for establishing frameworks is profoundly expanding. At present, the administration is implementing the improvement plan. National financial will be trouble if the arrangement is falling behind. This implies it is imperative to perceive the dangers that imperil the arrangement. A great deal of financial plan was spent on interest in the development business. The use of hazard the board will bring about taking right, managed, and brief choice through being educated about the earth in spite of the confusion and changes in the development ventures. 1.2 Problem Statement Knowing the earth and be fit in dynamic in a brief and right way is the way to accomplishment in overseeing todays challenge and hazard fast approaching. If there should arise an occurrence of not perceive both interior and outside dangers factor of the venture, the administrative dynamic mistake will happen. In addition, it will mess up time and cost appraisal determining. Through hazard the board, it can distinguish the hazard producing variable and control or evacuate such hazard factors through investigating and picking the appropriate activity. As one of the subfields in the nine information region of task the executives, chance administration is as yet being given less consideration in Malaysia. In not many associations, bosses or contractual workers can be seen who have a legitimate understanding into chance administration. There are no any commonsense rules to be appropriately actualized for chance administration in this industry. Besides, because of absence of restricting guidelines, current guidelines can't constrain development gatherings to embrace chance administration. In this way, by embracing logical way to deal with chance administration, presenting its procedure and in the long run its consistence with existing real factors being developed plans, especially in venture are a need. The issue of hazard the board was just because brought up in mid-1990s in the United States. Laws and guidelines for applying hazard the board in ventures have now been embraced. Since chance administration is another field, with the exception of a few courses and colleges inquire about undertaking, applied research has not occurred in hazard the executives in Malaysia. 1.3 Research Questions I. What sort of dangers happens in the development ventures and what are their elements? ii. What are the systems that been applied in managing hazard? 1.4 Research Objectives I. To recognize chance factors in development industry. ii. To distinguish methodologies of hazard the board applied in development industry. 1.5 Scope of Study This examination is centers around the execution of hazard the executives in the Malaysia development industry. Along these lines, the extent of this examination is just constrained in Pahang where respondents have been picked arbitrarily out of this region. Besides, the respondents involved temporary workers enlisting in Grade 7. The explanations behind being such is that the order of the evaluation of contractual workers reflect, all things considered, the size of venture that being executed in the organization and the size of the organization. Evaluation 7 of temporary workers is viewed as large organizations with huge size undertakings. Contingent upon their size of venture and their organization, the hazard that they experience will contrast. Subsequently, to ensure the information got could be solid, its important to restrict the respondents dependent on the size of venture and friends. 1.6 Expected Findings This examination will accomplish some valuable favorable circumstances. First is to upgrade the cognizance of various key staff of venture bringing about playing out the undertaking dependably while considering issues like hazard the executives as a rule the board venture. To achieve this, its basic to execute hypothetical ideas referenced in various written works in actuality. This can ensure a well venture the board through endeavoring to keep from typical issues in ventures like low quality of items, cost invade, and delays. Part 2 Writing REVIEW 2.1 Introduction Hazard will welcome impact on the task cost, time, and extension. This section covers the development venture dangers. All the dangers will be perceived and classes into various gathering. At that point, the ebb and flow pattern in chance administration examines would be thought of. So as to meet the principal target, distinguishing proof and order the techniques utilized by the venture administrator used to evade the hazard in their undertaking. The subsequent target will satisfy through distinguishing proof and grouping of hazard factor in development ventures. 2.2 Definitions 2.2.1 Risk Hazard is a dubious occasion or condition that, on the off chance that it happens, it can welcome a positive or negative impact on a task objective (PMBOOK, 2000). Hazard likewise can be characterized as a questionable occasion or situation on the off chance that it happen, it will give impact on the accomplishment of the ventures goals (APM, 1997). This definition is broadly use and assemble inviting upside and unwanted drawback impacts. This definition works in principle however flops practically speaking. In this investigation, the impact of hazard in development venture is through the method of coordinated strategy, specifically size of outcomes and probabilities of happening have been estimated. In the development venture, there is a great deal of hazard in each stage. This is the standard of any task not just in development venture. Development firms need to have ventures at universal level. In each development venture, dangers are available. Dangers in global development ventu res are increasingly basic when contrasted with household extends particularly when creating nations are included. That is the explanation chance is attractive for worldwide development firms who need to do development extends in remote nation, to distinguish the dangers as right on time as could reasonably be expected, with the goal that appropriate techniques can be made for the infiltration in to the outside development advertise and to deal with these dangers before the real execution of tasks on global level. Hazard results in development tasks may arrive at a bothersome level in view of insufficient assets and absence of progressions in innovations, hence an intensive mindfulness and distinguishing proof of dangers is fundamental to plan appropriate methodologies. Worldwide development ventures have numerous dangers required because of the idea of their structure. There are more gatherings included and more stages are available in worldwide development ventures than an ordinar y development venture. Each gathering has its various goals. This distinction in the goals of gatherings prompts irreconcilable situation which is an underlying driver of dangers in global development ventures. 2.2.2 Risk Factor Development venture is isolated into discrete stages. Toward the finish of each stage, examination can be made and evaluation of hazard engaged with continuing with the undertaking. The administration of hazard subsequently a proceed with process and should traverse all the periods of the undertaking. Since venture dangers are dynamic, a hazard appraisal must be done toward the finish of each stage before continuing to the following stage. Truth be told, dynamic administration of hazard must proceed between the audit focuses until the undertaking is finished. Hazard can likewise change during a stage. The outcome is a finished re-evaluation may should be performed. There is a conventional affirmation that human components are the most significant component that influences the undertaking achievement. As indicated by (Lynch, 2002), human components carry influence to extend achievement. A progression of mistakes by a steel contractual worker lead to a close to miss at Canary Wharf whe n a two-ton pre-thrown flight of stairs tumbled from a crane and arrived on the ground meters from a packed side office. It was accounted for that the steps fell when the left side eyebolt lifting pin of the flight of stairs lifting gear came free. The heap was move to one side hand jolt, causing it ti shear. The report affirmed that the eyebolt was not accurately embedded. Free testing office Lloyds British inspected key pieces of the lifting hardware and presumes that the gear would be adequate had it been amassed accurately. Shortages in the organizations plan at the site were scrutinized. No hazard appraisal or technique proclamation had been drawn up explicitly for the lifting activity and key choice were left to administrators who were not prepared to utilize eyebolt. Every one of these deficiencies fall in circle of human factors as characterized before. 2.2.2 Risk Management Hazard the executives is generally use by the organizations or associations to guarantee the control of hazard in the business procedure. In this examination, the least difficult conceivable way to deal with depict the hazard the board procedure is picked because of the setting of the development part. As indicated by (Norman, 1993) chance administration is a framework use to distinguish and measure all hazard to a business or undertaking that is uncovered with the goal that cognizant choice can be taken en route to deal with the hazard. Hazard the board likewise been notice in the PMBOOK as one of the nine territories of undertaking manag

What Authors Are Reading This Summer

What Authors Are Reading This Summer This summer has been jam-packed full of fantastic new  books by some pretty awesome writers that are relatively new on the scene. I have enjoyed getting to know them through their work, and just when I think I find a book that cant be topped, BAM. My mind blows again. With my TBR piles (yes, plural) growing exponentially by the hour, I wasnt sure what to pick up next and needed guidance. There is such a thing as too many choices. Whats the best way to find your next great read? Ask some authors of books youve loved what theyve been loving. LOGIC. Yall, get your Muppet arms ready for some serious Wocka Wocka Wocka! I could slap some peanut butter on a book and eat it for breakfast, so Im all about acquiring a few more. (Completely unrelated note: is there such a thing as book rehab?) Katy Simpson Smith,  The Story of Land and Sea (Harper, August 26) Right now Im about fifty pages into Smith Hendersons Fourth of July Creek the language keeps slowing me down because of its sheer awesomeness. Everything is so unusually precise, and its dark and funny in just the same ratio that real life is. (Okay, maybe its a little darker.) The books Ive read in the past month that Ive really loved: Edward P. Joness Lost in the City, a collection of D.C. stories where the characters walked right off the page and made me cry; Nikky Finneys Head Off Split, a book of beautiful poems that are political in the most immediate and non-didactic way; Joan Didions The White Album, a classic essay collection I just got around to; and Anne Carsons Red Doc, which is less poetry than it is a trip into someone elses perfectly phrased hallucination. I loved it. The book Im most looking forward to reading this fall is Matthew Thomass We Are Not Ourselves, the Irish-American epic that sounds like one of the rare books that deserves its length. Catherine Lacey,  Nobody is Ever Missing  (FSG Originals) Im reading Green Girl by Kate Zambreno and loving it. Also looking forward to Man V. Nature by Diane Cook, a debut collection of short stories out this October, and  Shelly Orias New York 1, Tel Aviv 0, another collection coming this fall. Mira Jacob,  The Sleepwalkers Guide to Dancing (Random House) Just finished reading: Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, am reading The Heaven of Animals by David James Poissant,  I Am Having So Much Fun Here Without You by Courtney Maum and The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes. Next up are Ted Thompsons The Land of Steady Habits and Marie Helene Bertinos 2 A.M. at the Cats Pajamas! Will Chancellor,  A Brave Man Seven Storeys Tall  (Harper) I just finished Green Girl  by Kate Zambreno.  I try to hold off from saying hyperbolic shit about a book until I have at least a few months perspective, butthis novel is astoundingly good. James Joyce good. Reminds me of the Stephen Dedalus sections of Ulysses. Im in the middle of  The Other Side  by Lacy M. Johnson.  You know how pebbles of shattered glass from a car window have an unexpected smoothness and this beautiful blue on the edges that you swear youve never seen before? That. I read 2/3 of this last night and woke up with glass pebbles under my pillow. Im also reading  High as the Horses Bridles  by Scott Cheshire.  This book begins with the boldest step Ive read in a long time, maybe ever. Picture Indiana Jones standing on the edge of a yawning canyon. He reads: Only in the leap from the lions head will he prove his worth. Theres nothing there, just vastness, but he kicks his leg high and trusts that an invisible bridge, The Path of God, will be there to catch him. Thats the first step of Cheshires novel. I promise your jaw will drop. Every day this summer, Im rereading Memorial  by Alice Oswald.  I was staying with an Irish friend who loves this book and I ended up copying the whole thing into a Moleskine. Technically, the poem is a lament. I keep rereading it, however, because it is so shatteringly beautiful on life. Its structured around the Iliad, but reminds me most of Malicks Thin Red Line. Heres a soul, one of many, leaving a body: Like fire with its loose hair flying rushes through the city The look of unmasked light shocks everything to rubble And flames howl through the gaps Cristina Henriquez,  The Book of Unknown Americans  (Knopf) I read Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill a few months ago and adored it. It was so fresh and brisk that I, who usually read slowly, gobbled up the whole thing in two sittings. I loved Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, too. It had such a natural novelistic stride, which I admired greatly, and I have to admit that I teared up at the end. Prayers for the Stolen by Jennifer Clement might have ruined me forever. The premise of the book, about trying to be a girl in certain Mexican towns, and the way it was written, so crisply, so poetically â€" I thought it was perfect. Right now Im reading lots of things at once, including The Last Illusion by Porochista Khakpour, Life Drawing by Robin Black, and The News from Spain by Joan Wickersham, all very different, and all very great. I read two galleys recently, also, that I am hugely excited about: Love Me Back by Merritt Tierce, which has the most unassuming plot â€" its about a waitress bouncing around to different jobs â€" but which acquires so much power by the time you get to the end that you feel you almost cant breathe. Or at least, I felt that way. And the other is Ugly Girls by Linsday Hunter, which is spectacular. The voices, in particular, and the subtle shifts of language she uses to embody each character, left me in awe. Edan Lepucki,  California  (Little, Brown and Company) I just talked about Sweetness #9 by Stephan Eirik Clark on Colbert. Its a wonderful novel coming out in August thats kind of like Don DeLillo crossed with AM Homesbut also a bit more earnest than either of those writers. Its a dark and funny novel about the food industry (its narrator is a food flavorist!) and family and, on a larger level, what it means to be an American. Its so smart and compelling! I highly recommend it. Celeste Ng,  Everything I Never Told You (The Penguin Press) I recently read A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra I picked this up in my local indie (Porter Square Books) on a booksellers enthusiastic recommendation. I always trust their recswho reads more books than a bookseller? Loved itone of the best books Ive read in years. Just masterfully done. Then  Americanah  by Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche Ive always been interested in issues of race and cultural clash, both personally and in my work. Many people recommended this to me, including a friend who said it was one of the few books shed read that looked at interracial relationships.  American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang My sister gave this to meshes particularly interested in Chinese American culture. So glad she didits introduced me to Yangs work.  Bellweather Rhapsody by Kate Racculia The description of the book reminded me of The Westing Game, one of my favorite novels from childhoodplus, it takes place in the 90s, when I was also a teenager, so how could I not be intri gued? It was darkly funny and I raced through it in about four days, then immediately recommended it to my husband. Kate is also a fellow instructor at Grub Street in Boston, but we only met for the first time recently. Im currently reading  Home Leave by Brittani Sonnenberg Brit and I are friendswe met in the MFA program at the University of Michigan, and Ive been a fan of her work ever sincebut Id have picked this up even if I didnt know her, as it touches on many themes dear to my heart: existing between cultures, alienation, how family relationships weather loss. Also,  Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel I loved Wolf Hall and have *finally* gotten around to starting book 2! Merritt Tierce,  Love Me Back (Doubleday, September 16) Heavy Petting by Gregory Sherl  Gregs poems are raw and real and hilarious and sad, a Song of Myself for the I Google Myself generation. Hes wise and playful and sexy and broken and true, and all that in a poem is magic.  Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit  Because they do, and they will, until we (meaning anyone whos not a mansplainer) can stop writing books claiming and proclaiming our humanity. Unfortunately, I dont feel like were all that close to such a reality, but in the meantime at least we have Solnits brilliance to keep us sane.  Escape from Camp 14 by Blaine Harden is the true story of Shin Dong-hyuk, the only person born inside a North Korean prison camp to have ever escaped, tells of a life made of one inhumane horror after another. To read the story of the human for whom death, starvation, torture, and hate are so routineâ€"from birthâ€"as to be perceived as the normal order is to touch the worth of writing, of calibrating life through storytelling. Josh Weil,  The Great Glass Sea  (Grove Press)  I’m currently reading Johanna Lane’s  Black Lake.  I read it many years ago, as a rough draft, but am only now getting a chance to read the final thing (it was published this past May).  It’s a rare joy to see a book grow like that, experience it early on and then see what it turned into after so much work, many years, many drafts, the assistance of editors…etc.  In this case the qualities that were there from the startâ€"careful attention to subtle nuances, a patience with unfolding moments so that they slowly gather weight and significance without seeming forced, that wonderful richness that comes from writing about deeply dramatic events with great control and restraintâ€"have been fine-tuned while some wholly new elements of storyline have been added that make the book even more powerful, and the characters have become more real on the page, more astutely observed and thoroughly explored.  I read the last pages sitting on a park bench in a misting rain, not wanting to get up until I was done.  The ending is moving in the way that only deeply explored character fiction can be, and only when there’s stuff going on down deep.  It’s quiet, contemplative, meaningful fiction at its best. A  jewel of a book. RECENTLY READ: Maybe a month and a half ago I finished Tom Barbash’s tremendous story collection, Stay Up With Me, and it has stuck with me ever since.  The stories in it are frank and honest and totally unpretentious even as they tackle fiction with as much subtlety and insight and sharply honed skill as any I’ve recently read.  More than anything, though, the characters that Barbash peels open (and sometimes begins to heal back up) feel real.  They feel alive.  And they feel like they are built from the particulars of their lives in a way that makes me close to them by each story’s end.  They’re people going through crises â€" crumbling in many ways â€" but doing so with a kind of integrity and effort to deal with it that makes them deeply sympathetic.  Barbash clearly feels for them and never, ever, mocks them, and that caring comes through in a way that makes these stories so moving and rewarding. WANT TO READ: Oh, man â€" so many.  But I’m most eager to crack open  Remember Me Like This  by Bret Anthony Johnston, because I read his first book years ago and it was one of the most tender and big-hearted things I’ve ever read.  And Anthony Doerr’s  All the Light We Cannot See,  because he’s one of the writers I most admire of anyone writing today.  And I’ve been wanting to read Tony Morrison’s  A Mercy  for years â€" and pretty dang soon I’m gonna clear the decks and just do it, dammit. How much did your TBR pile just grow? ____________________ Expand your literary horizons with New Books!, a weekly newsletter spotlighting 3-5 exciting new releases, hand-picked by our very own Liberty Hardy. Sign up now!   Save