Lunchmeat & Life Lessons: Sharing a Butcher's Wisdom [Paperback]

Mary B. Lucas (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

PRIME CUT ADVICE.

John Bichelmeyer dispensed much more than ground beef and bacon to his customers. A man with only an eighth-grade education and father of 10 children, he offered rare wisdom and compassion to his clientele, friends and family that came from the heart.

Now his daughter, Mary B. Lucas, B.D., tells the story of how she earned her B.D. (which stands for "butcher's daughter") by spending hours at the butcher-block table in the family kitchen, listening to her father's stories about how he achieved success by making deep connections with the people around him. In turn, Mary used her father's advice to find the passion and perseverance to rise to the top of the staffing industry.

As John used to say, "Remember to put the `comeback sauce' on everyone you meet." In Lunch Meat & Life Lessons: Sharing a Butcher's Wisdom, Mary offers a healthy dose of that sauce, which will empower everyone who reads this book to reach their full potential.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: MBL Press (December 7, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979123402
• ISBN-13: 978-0979123405
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #390,912 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A moving cross between The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and Tuesdays With Morrie, June 20, 2007

By	Z. Freeman "Zach" (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Lunchmeat & Life Lessons: Sharing a Butcher's Wisdom (Paperback)

Although Mary B. Lucas worked her way up the corporate ladder with a 25-year career in a billion dollar staffing corporation and is currently president and principal founder of a major consulting firm, she counts her B.D. as her most important accomplishment. That stands for Butcher's Daughter, for those unfamiliar with current degree programs, and Lucas says she earned it "by listening to my father's stories about how he achieved success in making deep connections with the people around him." In her new novel, Lunchmeat & Life Lessons: Sharing a Butcher's Wisdom, Lucas sets out to share the knowledge her father imparted on her with as large an audience as possible.

Traversing 25 years of the author's life, the book is organized into twelve quick chapters, preceded by an informative foreword, and followed by a touching epilogue. Each chapter includes a bite of wisdom summarized into a few quotes, which are all helpfully listed in the back of the book for quick reference. These tidbits include such gems as "The first hunk of meat you sell is yourself", "If you don't like someone then they don't like you", and "It's not the pursuit of happiness, but the happiness of pursuit that inspires." Each chapter covers a section of the author's life in which she found herself struggling with a specific issue. Ranging from starting a new job to dealing with difficult clients to addressing negative feelings, Lucas finds herself having a lunchtime discussion with her father in order to resolve the situation. John Bichelmeyer, the quiet, thoughtful butcher, never fails to impress with his motivational suggestions.

In the brief 101 pages, Lunchmeat & Life Lessons - a title taken from one of Lucas's nieces commenting on how she helped solve her problems: by going to her grandfather for the titular helpful treats - Lucas manages to impart her father's unique sensibility: a strong business mind crossed with superbly sympathetic people skills. Throughout the book, the reader can feel both Lucas's love and respect for her father, as well as her upbeat outlook on life and desire to help share his message with the world.

In a moving cross between The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and Tuesdays With Morrie, Lucas blends a memoir and tribute to her father with effective business management skills and self-help motivation. "I'm hoping that business owners and managers will read my book and realize that its wisdom can transform the working relationships they have with their staffs." This may seem like a tall order for a book full of simple philosophy from a humble butcher, but with Lucas's reverant writing style, and her father's ample wisdom, Lunchmeat & Life Lessons has the ability to do just that.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you liked Tuesdays With Morrie, you'll love this book!, December 19, 2006

By	A. Bingham - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Lunchmeat & Life Lessons: Sharing a Butcher's Wisdom (Paperback)

This quick read is a must for anyone grappling with how to hit the curve balls life throws at us, and is ideal for those seeking successful careers. The author takes us on a sentimental journey from young, fresh-faced college grad, to accomplished senior executive. She credits her father with enabling her success by imparting simple, no-nonsense snippets of "Butcher's Wisdom" around the kitchen table. These ordinary principles will have you nodding your head in violent agreement as you contemplate how living by them will make a tremendous difference in your own life!!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I couldn't put this book down, March 13, 2007

By	Brian Murer (Bloomington, IN) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Lunchmeat & Life Lessons: Sharing a Butcher's Wisdom (Paperback)

This wonderfully crafted book makes you want more of John Bichelmeyer's wisdom and philosophy. It also made me wish that I'd got to know him personally.

After reading this book, I found that I kept thinking that I had spent quality time doing something that would expand the scope of my business and personal life.

Warning: This book should not be read on a plane. I read the last chapters on a plane to Dallas last week and shed plenty of tears in front of strangers.

Great job Mary!