I was delighted and surprised to receive a response within the first week of my posting the books out. It came from Professor Cary Cooper's Secretary at the Manchester School of Management who was asking me to give Professor Cooper a call. However this also presented a problem as recorded in my diary at the time...
'I'm shitting myself... I've just got an email from Prof. Cooper's Secretary telling me to call him... my voice!! [it's that of a child]. Why couldn't he email me? I'll have to go for a cuppa and a think. I know I should've planned for this but I haven't'.
22.01.2002 (Taken from audio diary)
'I got over it and phoned but Professor Cooper was out. Anyway he kept calling me back until he was able to get hold of me. When he did he was so approachable and helpful, giving me critical feedback on my book. He explained how business schools were really busy running one year courses and that it would be difficult to fit my presentation into such short courses. He kindly passed me the contact details of an academic who he thought may be interested in participating with my research project'. I then made another book to send to this person.