About the Book

About the Authors

Marilyn Stone: An appreciation

Marilyn Stone, the principal author and guiding force behind this text, sadly died in late December 2006. Marilyn was senior lecturer at Heriot-Watt University where she spent most of her academic career. I recall receiving a phone call from Marilyn shortly after she had been diagnosed with leukaemia and admitted to hospital. She said that she needed a new project to ‘keep her busy’ and had decided to write another book — did I want to come on board? True to Marilyn's character, once she began with the book project which ultimately became Fundamentals of Marketing, she stuck with it, enduring a bone-marrow transplant, pneumonia and the loss of sight in one eye, in addition to a myriad of minor afflictions that she bore stoically, with never a hint of complaint. Marilyn was a member of that rare breed of academics who genuinely care for students. She wanted to produce a ‘no-nonsense’ book on marketing that would clearly communicate marketing concepts to its readership. While only you, the reader, can determine whether it has in fact succeeded in achieving this aim. I know that Marilyn was proud of this book. She will be sorely missed by all who knew her.

John Desmond

John Desmond is Reader at the University of St. Andrews. He teaches an introductory course on marketing and also in the area of consuming culture and behaviour. He is interested in seeking to learn more about the various ways in which consumer culture acts to enhance peoples' lives and also the extent to which it causes them trouble. Currently he is involved in writing a book on consumer desire. He is also conducting research about how marketing management is perceived in the wider society in which it is located. A related interest lies in seeking to know more about how marketing practitioners learn their trade and develop their skills, including ascertaining the extent to which they really need marketing academics. He also writes about the ethics of marketing practice.