Title: All That's Good
Author: Pamela Lerner Jaccarino
Reviewer: Mel Cooke
Publisher: Sandow Media Corp.
THE MAIN title on the glossy cover from which Gordon Arthur 'Butch' Stewart smiles against the background of a hotel in his famous Sandals chain is correct, but the sub-title is not.
The story which unfolds in words but even more so in utterly fantastic pictures in the over 300 glossy, full colour pages in the 12 chapters between hard covers is really 'All That's Good', but it is certainly not 'the story of 'Butch' Stewart, the man behind Sandals Resorts'.
There is very little about Stewart, beyond his business acumen, appetite and approach, the book concentrating on his business life. It makes for an interesting story of derring do and innovation, but it does not give us much of a picture of the man.
A little comes out in actual pictures, one of two boys sitting on a Benz with 'Fedders' (an air-conditioning unit brand) on the door named as "Stewart's late son, Jonathan". Another black and white picture shows Stewart, a large fish in each hand and cigarette jutting from the left corner of his lips, "with former wife PJ". And a few pages before the book ends there is a picture of Stewart with three of his children, the text informing us that Jonathan died in 1990.
PICTURES OF 'BUTCH'
And there are many, many, many pictures of Stewart, from sitting on a bike in younger, leaner days to receiving national honours from two generations of G-Gs (there is always the third...)
We do learn that the name 'Butch' did not come from a haircut or a shortened form of an earlier, bloody profession, but from his father. "Little Gordon was loveable, with a rough and tumble nature to him. He reminded us of this playful bulldog called 'Butch' on a popular cartoon at the time. So we decided to call him 'Butch' and the name has stuck ever since," the late Gordon L. Stewart is quoted as saying.
So 'Butch' Stewart got his nickname from a dog and, in the Jamaican sense of plugging away determinedly around the clock, worked like one, and is now top dog (or so close it really, really does not matter).
As the tale of the man born on July 6, 1941, in Kingston begins, there is another blurring of definitions which bears some correction. The book reads "his professional, working-class parents". Professional, yes. Working class, hell no. When your great-great grandfather was a custos of St. Ann and there is a picture of him along with your great-grandfather and grandfather at Ramble Estate where they grew tea and other crops and you go to England to finish schooling (unless it is on scholarship), working class simply does not apply. So this is not the quintessential rags to riches story (although I do not get the impression that it was riches to more riches either 'rambling' to riches, maybe?)
MONEY, MONEY, MONEY
From its weight to its paper quality to its oodles of pictures on all colour pages, 'All That's Good' screams money, money, money. If that is not enough, there is a foreword by Sir Richard Branson of Virgin (the record label and the airline, you naughty people) fame.
The story of entrepreneurship begins with an act that would make the lords of the MBAs cringe - Stewart dropping out of school at 14 and shortly after using a 12-foot boat to go up to the Plantation Inn Hotel and offer rides for a price (these days they would probably call that tourist harassment and send out the blue suits).
In 12 chapters, from 'The Trader King' to 'Love Is All You Need', the story of gung-ho, gusto and guts, leading to growth and glory, the story of 'Butch' Stewart's development from (take a deep breath) drop-out to sales manager for Curacao Trading Company to air-conditioning salesperson, then light manufacturer, to a single hotel to a few, then a Sandals, then a few then many then an airline then save the dollar then enviro-friendly businessman is beautifully laid out. Interspersed in the Sandals story are the tales of the businesses which give 'All That's Good' is 'money, money, money' screech. There are over 100 sponsors, divided into four categories.
What is extremely interesting is the role that Michael Manley played in Stewart's early business life and not in a particularly positive way, although the outcome was good. First, in the mid-1970s air-conditioning was deemed a cool luxury in warm socialist climes and was taxed accordingly, prompting Stewart to move into manufacturing. Then as 1980 rolled its bloody way around and many pulled out of Jamaica, Stewart plunked his cash into a run-down hotel going on the cheap in Montego Bay, Bay Roc, the foundation of Sandals. (You could say that 'Butch' got his Sandals from the socialist boot kicking some rich folks where it really hurt.)
SERVICE
The same attitude of service, service, service from the Fedders days, where air-conditioning units were installed within eight hours was taken towards the hotel industry, with king-sized beds, clock radios and hair-dryers in the rooms - and many a smile all around.
Oh, the Sandals name came from Adrian Robinson.
There are tons of testimonials from long-term Sandals personnel such as Merrick Fray, as well as a structural look behind by architect Evan Williams, including the conceptualisation of swim-up bars.
Each chapter of 'All That's Good' turns a new leaf on entrepreneurship. 'Growing Strong' covers the miraculous recovery from a devastating Hurricane Gilbert as well as the growth into the Caribbean, starting with Antigua; 'The World's Best' covers the soaring of Air Jamaica and the knotty matter of wedding vacations. 'Community Works' does just what it says.
As polished a tome as it is, tough, 'All That's Good' skirts some that's not so good, such as Air Jamaica's debt, although the first printing May 2005 publication date would bring it into the book's timeline.
And hey, guess which is the first sponsor on the alphabetically ordered list in the premium platinum category? If you said Air Jamaica, grab a pair of headphones, sit back and enjoy your flight ("this voyage takes us over water...).
'All That's Good' is written by Pamela Lerner Jaccarino and published by the Florida, U.S.-based Sandow Media Corporation.
