Much has been written about the posting addressed below. Earlier books included: "Games People Play" Eric Bernes, "I'm OK, You're OK" by Harris, et al. My personal experiences with the subject material prompted me to write this posting when I sat through a presentation by someone who treated the topic as a new and revolutionary discovery. The related thouht to be considered when you read the narrative below is that communicatio between "right-brain" dominated and "left-brain" dominated is a struggle and special consideration is necessary or succinct communication will not occur.
After facilitating and teaching management/executive training programs for many years during which it was always stressed that leadership skills (right-brain dominated) and management skills (left-brain dominated) are not the same. Some fortunate individuals possess a balance of the two, but most usually excel in one over the other. The spark of leadership is difficult to instill if not already present, but the skills of implementation can be taught. Management skills are the result of training and experience and can be more easily taught. One example we used to illustrate leadership versus management was Adolph Hitler. There is no doubt of his leadership (albeit misguided) as he "led" the populace of Germany to become the belligerent nation we saw in WWII. Had Hitler possessed equal management skills,(or had not tried to manage the war himself and left that task to others with better management skills) quite possibly much of the world would be speaking German.
Many of our presidents (and military officers) are/were dominant one skill or the other. Ronald Reagan is depicted by many to be the epitome of leadership, but weaker in management abilities. Others use Jimmy Carter as an example of a good manager, (smart, meticulous, member of Mensa, etc.) but lacking in leadership traits. Some political pundits tend to contrast the two present day Republican frontrunners in this light.
The identification of prime examples of either leaders or managers is not a precise science, but business executives have long paid a great deal of money toward evaluating and developing both disciplines, not necessarily at the same time or the same place.
Another tough question we tackled in the afore mentioned seminars was the difference (if any) between morals and ethics.(Just for fun consider that morals are learned as a child, usually from parents and remain essentially the same over our lifetime, while ethics are inculcated when we are adults and are subject to "situational" changes over time.) I've written papers on this murky subject. Interesting topic, but difficult to obtain concensus.
Earnest Mercer
Author: "Skivvy Girl: The Love of a Post WWII Japanese Pleasure Girl"
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Noblesse Oblige
I remember going to the SS office to initiate my social security payments.
The pompous (ignorant) clerk stated that I would use up all the money I'd
paid in between five and ten years. Why she told me this, I don't know,
probably it was on her teleprompter menu. I told her what she said was
nonsense, but saw no need to argue with a nitwit. The calculations below
are not mine, but they check out mathematically (if certain variables are
accepted) and this was why I told the clerk what she was spewing was
nonsense. Furthermore, those LWL's(a.k.a. Left Wing Loons) who rail against
changing SS rules to allow the option for partial investment in markets do
so under the NOBLESSE OBLIGE concept that individuals are not capable of
making their own decisions, but must have the omniscient nobles or
government bureaucrats to do so for them.
"Remember, not only did you contribute to Social Security but your employer
did too. It totaled 15% of your income before taxes. If you averaged only
$30K over your working life, that's close to $220,500. If you calculate the
future value of $4,500 per year (yours & your employer's contribution) at a
simple 5% (less than what the govt . pays on the money that it borrows),
after 49 years of working you'd have $892,919.98. If you took out only 3%
per year, you'd receive $26,787.60 per year and it would last better than 30
years (until you're 95 if you retire at age 65) and that's with no interest
paid on that final amount on deposit! If you bought an annuity and it paid
4% per year, you'd have a lifetime income of $2,976.40 per month.
Earnest
Author of "Skivvy Girl: The Love of a Post WWII Japanese Pleasure Girl"
www.earnestmercerbooks.com
The pompous (ignorant) clerk stated that I would use up all the money I'd
paid in between five and ten years. Why she told me this, I don't know,
probably it was on her teleprompter menu. I told her what she said was
nonsense, but saw no need to argue with a nitwit. The calculations below
are not mine, but they check out mathematically (if certain variables are
accepted) and this was why I told the clerk what she was spewing was
nonsense. Furthermore, those LWL's(a.k.a. Left Wing Loons) who rail against
changing SS rules to allow the option for partial investment in markets do
so under the NOBLESSE OBLIGE concept that individuals are not capable of
making their own decisions, but must have the omniscient nobles or
government bureaucrats to do so for them.
"Remember, not only did you contribute to Social Security but your employer
did too. It totaled 15% of your income before taxes. If you averaged only
$30K over your working life, that's close to $220,500. If you calculate the
future value of $4,500 per year (yours & your employer's contribution) at a
simple 5% (less than what the govt . pays on the money that it borrows),
after 49 years of working you'd have $892,919.98. If you took out only 3%
per year, you'd receive $26,787.60 per year and it would last better than 30
years (until you're 95 if you retire at age 65) and that's with no interest
paid on that final amount on deposit! If you bought an annuity and it paid
4% per year, you'd have a lifetime income of $2,976.40 per month.
Earnest
Author of "Skivvy Girl: The Love of a Post WWII Japanese Pleasure Girl"
www.earnestmercerbooks.com
Wednesday, December 07, 2011
How to Shine in the Job Interview
How to Shine in the Job Interview
By Earnest Mercer
The author earned a Bachelor of Professional Studies and a Master of Business Administration from Pace University of New York. His career spanned 30 years with IBM Corporation with assignments in several U. S. locations as well as Japan, Hong Kong and South Africa. After retiring, he worked as a human resources consultant to U. S. companies in South Africa, Hong Kong, China, Korea and the Czech Republic. After serving in various community and civic organizations, he took a position as an adjunct instructor with Webber International University in the Graduate School of Business. He was conferred an honorary Doctor of Business Administration for his innovative work there. He has written numerous essays, white papers and training modules, and has collaborated on books related to personal training and development. He has conducted hundreds of interviews with job applicants for many different companies in many parts of the world.
The following interviewing tips have been accumulated from years of experience.
I. First Impressions
First and often lasting impressions are formed during the first few minutes of an interview. Studies have indicated that within a mere ten seconds interviewers begin to make judgments about the interviewee’s professionalism, social status, intelligence, and even morals. (Yes, I know that it isn’t supposed to be this way, but it is.)
II. Focus
Interviewers tend to focus on what they see (dress, eye contact, body language) on what they hear (grammar, syntax, tone of voice) than on actual content of the interviewee's delivery, at least at first.
III. Assessments
Interviewers tend to believe that those who care about themselves (as demonstrated by their personal presentation} are more likely to care about the performance on the job. Make those crucial four minutes count: Look your best. Clothing consciousness is seen to indicate one’s self esteem and one’s level of professionalism. Avoid faddish style of dress, extreme hair styles, non-standard faddish speech. (Don't try to make a "statement" of your personal views) Your personal presentation must convey the message that you are competent, reliable and authoritative, not a person easily swayed by passing temporary fashions. It is wise to obtain a copy of a company’s annual report and pay attention to how the employees featured in the document present themselves. It is a good idea to dress for the job you want. Remember, nothing succeeds like the appearance of success.
IV. Work on your body language.
Numerous studies indicate that about seven percent of any message about our feelings and attitudes comes from words we use, 38 percent from our voice and a startling 55 percent from our body language. Don't let your body language emphasize what you think is important as it may be insignificant to the interviewer. It is a well-known fact among interviewers that when body language conflicts with oral communication, trust the body language. Practice tempering your tone of voice, facial expressions, posture, eye contact and gestures. You must not seem too desperate for the job, or too eager to please. Eye contact is important, but don’t stare and don’t make it an issue rather than a supportive factor.
V. Speak in a positive vein.
Avoid negatives of all kinds unless it is absolutely necessary to the point you are trying to make. Generally, people do not like to hear negatives and the frequent use of non-affirmative language may be interpreted as pessimistic and arrogant. Say what you mean and make sure that both your choice of words and body language project a positive attitude. If you have been fired from your last job, don’t try to place the blame on someone else or factors you couldn’t control. While your termination may have come about because of circumstances you couldn’t alter, it does little good to dwell on these causes. Simply state the facts and move on to your next point.
VI. Social Skills.
Interviewers look for people who are comfortable in different social settings—people who are likely to “fit in” the social environment of the company. An important aspect of exercising one’s social skills is stay abreast of current events; read at least one daily newspaper, a weekly magazine so you can hold your own in topics of the day. But, don’t set yourself up as an expert based on limited knowledge or other false analogies. (Just because you are Japanese, doesn’t make you an expert on Japan or its culture and business.) It is advisable to read the sports page even if you are not a sports enthusiast as (at least in the U. S.) the brief discussion of sports current events is frequently used as an icebreaker. If you are from a different culture than that of your interviewer, you must make a special effort to avoid cultural traits that may be commonplace in your culture, but unpleasant or even insulting in a different environment.
Summary:
Don’t:
Make the application of the above rules of interviewing an affectation. Practice until they become natural.
Assume that what you think is important is important to the interviewer.
Blame others.
Attempt to become “friends” with the interviewer, be friendly, but stick to
the business at hand.
Appear to be desperate or overly eager. Focus on the mutual advantage to
the company and yourself if employed.
Do:
Leave your fads, extreme apparel, and personal accouterments at home. Be on time and dress professionally.
Make sure that your words and body language agree. Practice in front of a mirror. (Good public speakers practice thusly for hours and hours.)
Remember that first impressions are formed in the first three or four minutes and are hard to change.
Start with a firm handshake (don't try to show how strong you are) establish eye contact(don't stare) and project friendliness, but avoid over familiarity.
Use the interviewer’s last name during the interview preceded with the appropriate honorific, Mr., Mrs., Ms., or Dr., until asked to do otherwise.
Ask questions about the job and the company, but stay away from questions on personal issues (yours or the interviewer's). Avoid rhetorical questions meant to impress the interviewer.
Final Note:
During my interviews with dozens of applicants, I looked for a "real" person, free from artifices and pretense; one who focused on their achievements that relate to the position for which they are applying.
By Earnest Mercer
The author earned a Bachelor of Professional Studies and a Master of Business Administration from Pace University of New York. His career spanned 30 years with IBM Corporation with assignments in several U. S. locations as well as Japan, Hong Kong and South Africa. After retiring, he worked as a human resources consultant to U. S. companies in South Africa, Hong Kong, China, Korea and the Czech Republic. After serving in various community and civic organizations, he took a position as an adjunct instructor with Webber International University in the Graduate School of Business. He was conferred an honorary Doctor of Business Administration for his innovative work there. He has written numerous essays, white papers and training modules, and has collaborated on books related to personal training and development. He has conducted hundreds of interviews with job applicants for many different companies in many parts of the world.
The following interviewing tips have been accumulated from years of experience.
I. First Impressions
First and often lasting impressions are formed during the first few minutes of an interview. Studies have indicated that within a mere ten seconds interviewers begin to make judgments about the interviewee’s professionalism, social status, intelligence, and even morals. (Yes, I know that it isn’t supposed to be this way, but it is.)
II. Focus
Interviewers tend to focus on what they see (dress, eye contact, body language) on what they hear (grammar, syntax, tone of voice) than on actual content of the interviewee's delivery, at least at first.
III. Assessments
Interviewers tend to believe that those who care about themselves (as demonstrated by their personal presentation} are more likely to care about the performance on the job. Make those crucial four minutes count: Look your best. Clothing consciousness is seen to indicate one’s self esteem and one’s level of professionalism. Avoid faddish style of dress, extreme hair styles, non-standard faddish speech. (Don't try to make a "statement" of your personal views) Your personal presentation must convey the message that you are competent, reliable and authoritative, not a person easily swayed by passing temporary fashions. It is wise to obtain a copy of a company’s annual report and pay attention to how the employees featured in the document present themselves. It is a good idea to dress for the job you want. Remember, nothing succeeds like the appearance of success.
IV. Work on your body language.
Numerous studies indicate that about seven percent of any message about our feelings and attitudes comes from words we use, 38 percent from our voice and a startling 55 percent from our body language. Don't let your body language emphasize what you think is important as it may be insignificant to the interviewer. It is a well-known fact among interviewers that when body language conflicts with oral communication, trust the body language. Practice tempering your tone of voice, facial expressions, posture, eye contact and gestures. You must not seem too desperate for the job, or too eager to please. Eye contact is important, but don’t stare and don’t make it an issue rather than a supportive factor.
V. Speak in a positive vein.
Avoid negatives of all kinds unless it is absolutely necessary to the point you are trying to make. Generally, people do not like to hear negatives and the frequent use of non-affirmative language may be interpreted as pessimistic and arrogant. Say what you mean and make sure that both your choice of words and body language project a positive attitude. If you have been fired from your last job, don’t try to place the blame on someone else or factors you couldn’t control. While your termination may have come about because of circumstances you couldn’t alter, it does little good to dwell on these causes. Simply state the facts and move on to your next point.
VI. Social Skills.
Interviewers look for people who are comfortable in different social settings—people who are likely to “fit in” the social environment of the company. An important aspect of exercising one’s social skills is stay abreast of current events; read at least one daily newspaper, a weekly magazine so you can hold your own in topics of the day. But, don’t set yourself up as an expert based on limited knowledge or other false analogies. (Just because you are Japanese, doesn’t make you an expert on Japan or its culture and business.) It is advisable to read the sports page even if you are not a sports enthusiast as (at least in the U. S.) the brief discussion of sports current events is frequently used as an icebreaker. If you are from a different culture than that of your interviewer, you must make a special effort to avoid cultural traits that may be commonplace in your culture, but unpleasant or even insulting in a different environment.
Summary:
Don’t:
Make the application of the above rules of interviewing an affectation. Practice until they become natural.
Assume that what you think is important is important to the interviewer.
Blame others.
Attempt to become “friends” with the interviewer, be friendly, but stick to
the business at hand.
Appear to be desperate or overly eager. Focus on the mutual advantage to
the company and yourself if employed.
Do:
Leave your fads, extreme apparel, and personal accouterments at home. Be on time and dress professionally.
Make sure that your words and body language agree. Practice in front of a mirror. (Good public speakers practice thusly for hours and hours.)
Remember that first impressions are formed in the first three or four minutes and are hard to change.
Start with a firm handshake (don't try to show how strong you are) establish eye contact(don't stare) and project friendliness, but avoid over familiarity.
Use the interviewer’s last name during the interview preceded with the appropriate honorific, Mr., Mrs., Ms., or Dr., until asked to do otherwise.
Ask questions about the job and the company, but stay away from questions on personal issues (yours or the interviewer's). Avoid rhetorical questions meant to impress the interviewer.
Final Note:
During my interviews with dozens of applicants, I looked for a "real" person, free from artifices and pretense; one who focused on their achievements that relate to the position for which they are applying.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
National Budget
I doubt if many will argue that the only way to handle the excessive spending and massive debt facing the U. S. is to establish a finite budget that is stringent enough to achieve the goal. Now, if this is done the next task is to decide how the finite "pie" is to be divided. How much will we spend on defense, public welfare, education infrastructure, environmental pursuits, developing alternative energy etc.
Each time there are demands by those seeking to either maintain or increase their allotment, they must also advocate which other segment of the pie should be reduced in order to accommodate their demands. So when teachers, for example, bemoan the slashing of education funds, they should then advocate the reduction of, say, environmental protection, military spending, endowment of the arts or some other piece of the pie. Likewise, for those who are adamantly opposed to funding the growing piece of the pie, e.g., Medicad, must be willing to take cuts in other areas.
The other alternative to robbing Peter to pay Paul is, of course, to raise taxes to produce more revenue or make the pie larger. But I think all will agree that this approach has serious limitations. Taxing the rich at a much greater rate than the middle and lower income people is not a viable alternative. There are simply not enough rich people to offset the exponentially increasing spending. And since almost one half of our citizens in the lower tax brackets pay no taxes, those in the middle income bracket will necessarily be taxed at a greater rate. Bear in mind, that the top two percent of the rich already generate 75 - 80 percent of tax revenue; there is a limit to the positive effect to the reduction of the debt. Remember, the basic premise of socialism/communism is to take from the rich and spread the wealth among all the people. (Including the 47% of the population that pay no taxes now?)
Therefore, it seems clear to me that the only real way of attacking the problem of ever escalating national debt is through establishing finite limits to the size of the pie. Now go back to the first paragraph.
Each time there are demands by those seeking to either maintain or increase their allotment, they must also advocate which other segment of the pie should be reduced in order to accommodate their demands. So when teachers, for example, bemoan the slashing of education funds, they should then advocate the reduction of, say, environmental protection, military spending, endowment of the arts or some other piece of the pie. Likewise, for those who are adamantly opposed to funding the growing piece of the pie, e.g., Medicad, must be willing to take cuts in other areas.
The other alternative to robbing Peter to pay Paul is, of course, to raise taxes to produce more revenue or make the pie larger. But I think all will agree that this approach has serious limitations. Taxing the rich at a much greater rate than the middle and lower income people is not a viable alternative. There are simply not enough rich people to offset the exponentially increasing spending. And since almost one half of our citizens in the lower tax brackets pay no taxes, those in the middle income bracket will necessarily be taxed at a greater rate. Bear in mind, that the top two percent of the rich already generate 75 - 80 percent of tax revenue; there is a limit to the positive effect to the reduction of the debt. Remember, the basic premise of socialism/communism is to take from the rich and spread the wealth among all the people. (Including the 47% of the population that pay no taxes now?)
Therefore, it seems clear to me that the only real way of attacking the problem of ever escalating national debt is through establishing finite limits to the size of the pie. Now go back to the first paragraph.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Skivvy Girl: The Love of a Post WWII Japanese Pleasure Girl
I have just published my latest book, Skivvy Girl, on Creative Space and Kindle. I'm working on providing access via other ebook platforms. I will be posting comments on my email: emercer2@tampabay.rr.com, my WEB site: www.earnestmercerbooks.com, Facebook, and Twitter.
Skivvy Girl is a poignant story of a Matsuyama Yoshiko, a seventeen-year-old that turns to prostitution for sustenance after be left destitute by the death of her father on Iwo Jima. She undergoes an initiation that will bring tears to your eyes, but survives to eventually meet a kindly young American sailor with whom she forms a relationship that lasts for the duration of the sailor's assignment in Japan. They face incredible odds for a lasting romance, enduring language problems, cultural differences, military regulations, and natural calamities. In the end, their karma cannot protect them from the ultimate disaster.
Readers can purchase the book from Creative Space, Amazon, Kindle, and directly from me via email or telephone (863-967-2077). Ordering directly from me will save postal expense and tax.
Skivvy Girl is a poignant story of a Matsuyama Yoshiko, a seventeen-year-old that turns to prostitution for sustenance after be left destitute by the death of her father on Iwo Jima. She undergoes an initiation that will bring tears to your eyes, but survives to eventually meet a kindly young American sailor with whom she forms a relationship that lasts for the duration of the sailor's assignment in Japan. They face incredible odds for a lasting romance, enduring language problems, cultural differences, military regulations, and natural calamities. In the end, their karma cannot protect them from the ultimate disaster.
Readers can purchase the book from Creative Space, Amazon, Kindle, and directly from me via email or telephone (863-967-2077). Ordering directly from me will save postal expense and tax.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Current Events
BLOG
My friends understand that my political views are generally to the conservative side. In order to cement that perception, I’ve listed my views on current events:
1. I support Governor Walker’s position in Wisconsin, as well as the governors of Ohio, Indiana, and Florida. Governor Scott of Florida summed up my bent thusly: People must understand that we can no longer support the entitlements they have become accustomed to. (Quotation marks not used as I am paraphrasing his remarks.) Retirement pensions should be paid into by all workers and not subsidized by tax revenue.
2. I think that people have lost much of the self-sufficiency of the early settlers and now depend on others far too much. This psychological shift from independency to dependency accounts for the growth in welfare rolls, the unsustainable costs of Medicaid, and unemployment compensation.
3. The Koran teaches violence and lack of tolerance. Much of the turmoil in today’s society has its roots in Islam. In my view, moderate Muslims do not stand up to the radical faction, therefore justifying the condemnation of the entire faith by many. This position may apply to the African-American bloc as well. Remember, incarceration from this group for exceeds its percentage of the total population. The position held by some in this group that descendants of slaves should be given special privileges has been obviated by actions of last four decades.
4. The hue and cry of many pundits and letter-to-the-editor writers denigrating the “rich” and bemoaning the treatment of the “poor, old, and sick” vis a vis the fair tax concept forget or deliberately ignore the fact that the top two percent of the rich pay almost 50 percent of the income tax revenue in the U. S. while 40 percent of the so-called oppressed group pay no income tax. They also tend to forget that most charities are supported by the rich.
5. I do not support the U. S. intervention in foreign affairs when that entails the use of American armed forces. The involvement in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan should not be halted abruptly, but disengagement should be implemented as soon as practical. Future engagements should only be instigated when the safety of the U. S. is threatened directly. These conflicts have become too costly in both lives and funds. The track record of success whenever the U. S. tries to intervene in other countries’ social conflict is poor to say the least. Case in point, Viet Nam. The United Nations was created to police threats to humanity and should be forced to assume that role or be disbanded.
6. Abortion laws should be re-worked to deter, not support indiscriminate aborting of viable fetuses. I do not ascribe to the overriding theme that women have a right to control what happens regarding their own body. After all few people I know support suicide. Above all, I do not support to abortion clinics, no matter what name they operate under, being supported with tax revenue.
7. I support raising the age for maximum benefits of Social Security, greater penalty to those who opt for earlier retirement, application of need analysis to wealthy recipients, and SS tax being applied to all levels of income. My position excludes deserving SSI recipients. I also support the voluntary privatization of Social Security.
My friends understand that my political views are generally to the conservative side. In order to cement that perception, I’ve listed my views on current events:
1. I support Governor Walker’s position in Wisconsin, as well as the governors of Ohio, Indiana, and Florida. Governor Scott of Florida summed up my bent thusly: People must understand that we can no longer support the entitlements they have become accustomed to. (Quotation marks not used as I am paraphrasing his remarks.) Retirement pensions should be paid into by all workers and not subsidized by tax revenue.
2. I think that people have lost much of the self-sufficiency of the early settlers and now depend on others far too much. This psychological shift from independency to dependency accounts for the growth in welfare rolls, the unsustainable costs of Medicaid, and unemployment compensation.
3. The Koran teaches violence and lack of tolerance. Much of the turmoil in today’s society has its roots in Islam. In my view, moderate Muslims do not stand up to the radical faction, therefore justifying the condemnation of the entire faith by many. This position may apply to the African-American bloc as well. Remember, incarceration from this group for exceeds its percentage of the total population. The position held by some in this group that descendants of slaves should be given special privileges has been obviated by actions of last four decades.
4. The hue and cry of many pundits and letter-to-the-editor writers denigrating the “rich” and bemoaning the treatment of the “poor, old, and sick” vis a vis the fair tax concept forget or deliberately ignore the fact that the top two percent of the rich pay almost 50 percent of the income tax revenue in the U. S. while 40 percent of the so-called oppressed group pay no income tax. They also tend to forget that most charities are supported by the rich.
5. I do not support the U. S. intervention in foreign affairs when that entails the use of American armed forces. The involvement in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan should not be halted abruptly, but disengagement should be implemented as soon as practical. Future engagements should only be instigated when the safety of the U. S. is threatened directly. These conflicts have become too costly in both lives and funds. The track record of success whenever the U. S. tries to intervene in other countries’ social conflict is poor to say the least. Case in point, Viet Nam. The United Nations was created to police threats to humanity and should be forced to assume that role or be disbanded.
6. Abortion laws should be re-worked to deter, not support indiscriminate aborting of viable fetuses. I do not ascribe to the overriding theme that women have a right to control what happens regarding their own body. After all few people I know support suicide. Above all, I do not support to abortion clinics, no matter what name they operate under, being supported with tax revenue.
7. I support raising the age for maximum benefits of Social Security, greater penalty to those who opt for earlier retirement, application of need analysis to wealthy recipients, and SS tax being applied to all levels of income. My position excludes deserving SSI recipients. I also support the voluntary privatization of Social Security.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Skivvy Girl
I copyrighted a historical novel about a young Japanese girl, who in post WWII, was forced into prostitution in the port city of Yokosuka. The book, entitled: Skivvy Girl: The Love of a Post WWII Japanese Pleasure Girl, will be available in March of this year. Matsuyama Yoshiko, the protagonist, is a composite of the young girls entering into prostitution during the 1950s. She abhorred the life of a prostitute, but after barely subsisting on the meager pay of a job sorting rotten vegetables, she reluctantly chose being a "skivvy girl", as the prostitutes were called in military jargon, over suicide. Arriving in Yokosuka, the site of the largest naval port in Japan, penniless and friendless, she was befriended by a skivvy girl who took her to a skivvy house. The mama-san agreed to take the naive country girl into her tutorage and train her how to "accommodate" customers. The training was rigorous and her initiation was horrendous. The seventeen-year-old virgin was beaten and violated in the most brutal manner. But she survived and began to accommodate her customers in such a way as to build up a substantial clientele. One day a young American sailor chanced to visit the skivvy house where Yoshiko worked. They formed a bond that lasted over the next two years. Their affair suffered from language problems, cultural conflicts, unplanned separations, and the vicissitudes of a violent nature. But the survived only to face unsurmountable odds when the sailor's assignment ended and he returned to America. Despondent and determined not to return to the sordid life of a skivvy girl, Yoshiko returned to her home village. Luckily, she found employment at a newly started ceramic plant. She prospered and when her lover returned to Japan eight years later, she agreed to resume their relationship. Their blissful life was ended when fate intervened and presented them with obstacles the could not overcome.
Skivvy Girl is a compassionate look at the life of thousands of young Japanese girls during and immediately after the military occupation in the 1950s. The reader of this new book will empathize with both the skivvy girl and her lover. It will be nearly impossible to put the book down before reading it in its entirety.
Go to my WEB site, www.earnestmercerbooks.com, and order the book for your infinite pleasure, whether or not you are of the age depicted in the storyline.
You may order the book from me directly by email: emercer2@tampabay.rr.com, or by telephone: 863 967-2077. I'll send you a copy postpaid for $15.95.
Skivvy Girl is a compassionate look at the life of thousands of young Japanese girls during and immediately after the military occupation in the 1950s. The reader of this new book will empathize with both the skivvy girl and her lover. It will be nearly impossible to put the book down before reading it in its entirety.
Go to my WEB site, www.earnestmercerbooks.com, and order the book for your infinite pleasure, whether or not you are of the age depicted in the storyline.
You may order the book from me directly by email: emercer2@tampabay.rr.com, or by telephone: 863 967-2077. I'll send you a copy postpaid for $15.95.
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