Syrup by Max Barry
(Buy it at Amazon)

So I’ve finally gotten myself a copy of Syrup, Max Barry’s first book. Whilst Company was about office politics and Jennifer Government was about capitalism, Syrup is about the image-driven world of marketing. We follow Scat and 6 (yes, Barry loves screwing with the conventions of peoples names, just like in Jennifer Government) as they try and climb the corporate ladder at Coca-Cola.

Not surprisingly, the path to success is far from easy, nor guaranteed. There’s double-crossing and backstabbing galore, with twists and turns all the way. The pace is sharp and there’s heaps of laughs to be had. If you weren’t already cynical about marketing then you’re definitely going to be after reading this (and that’s probably not a bad thing I would say).

The screenplay for Syrup has just been finished. Make sure you read this before they start filming so you can say you were an original fan (!)

Another great Barry book. Given Company was only just released I’m guessing we’ll have to wait another few years for his next book. I can’t wait.