Word: built
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 2000-2009
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Over nine volumes of the Botswana-set No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series (there are 14 planned), author Alexander McCall Smith has written of the simple, lighthearted mysteries solved by Precious Ramotswe (often addressed as Mma - pronounced "ma" - Ramotswe). His latest, Tea Time For the Traditionally Built, trods much of the same territory. McCall Smith spoke to TIME about why all fiction doesn't need to be sad, the public's obsession with the idea of a hopeless Africa, and why "real" mystery writers are cooler than...
This phrase you use as the title of your book is the way Mma Ramotswe has referred to herself, before. In other words, she's a little on the big side. When you were first conceiving the character, was she always going to be "traditionally built...
...insofar as I saw her - and when it comes to the character, I'm not a particularly visual writer in that I never see their faces, though I do see their general presence - as comfortably padded, well-padded. And that's where I came up with the expression "traditionally built." It sort of flowed from a discussion she had about traditional notions of beauty in Africa, which would tend to celebrate fleshiness. It indicates that she's not going to be swayed by passing fashion. Her build is traditional. It shows that she is comfortable with herself, and she will...
...most important, how to tell if baggage from your own distant past is weighing down your career. It's certainly possible to reach the top in business without ever facing your inner demons, and we've all seen some pretty loony CEOs. But Lafair contends that lasting success is built on self-knowledge. "It's an illusion to think you can be a stellar leader without introspection," she says. For a lot of stressed-out managers, Don't Bring It to Work might be a good place to start...
...developers and big-name hotels are trying to avoid chopping the prices of newly built units. They're offering sweeteners such as free spa memberships and extra hotel-reward points. But it's getting tougher for them to compete with the growing number of heavily discounted resale units...