Nedy Tantoco pours her heart into non-fiction

It is not surprising that Zenaida "Nedy" Tantoco’s choice of favorite tomes lies exclusively on the side of non-fiction. As the top honcho of the country’s most enduring and admired retail empire, ZRT, as she is known at Rustan’s and its subsidiaries, is both a boss and mother figure who her employees look up to for guidance and inspiration. Her passion for the arts goes beyond the literary, however. She’s been known to chair fundraising activities for local music talents, the last being for the first European tour of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra last year. She is co-chairman of a fundraising event featuring performances of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra at the Cultural Center of the Philippines this October.

I had the pleasure of ZRT’s company recently in New York City. Over dinner at an Italian restaurant in the swank Tribeca area, I asked her to share her favorite books with the Reading Club.

Nedy Tantoco’s Book List

1) Pour Your Heart Into It by Howard Schultz – It’s the story of the founder of Starbucks. For me, the best merchandising book I have ever read. A must-read for retailers at heart.

2) Diana, Closely Guarded Secret by Inspector Ken Wharfe – It was her protection officer who became a close friend and confidant. It contains many new facets of Diana’s lonely life which opened my eyes to what’s possibly the truth. There is a saying there are three sides to a story: His, Hers and the Truth. This is it!

3) Healing The Inner Child by Peggie McKurn, M.A. – A person’s vulnerable years are from one to seven. We all must process our troubled youth sometime in our lives to be able to achieve peace of mind. The earlier this happens, the better for us.

4) Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus by Dr. John Gray – The reason why men retreat to their "caves" when they have a problem and women will find or seek a friend who will listen, not necessarily to seek advice either. This is where we can learn to understand the differences between the psyche of men and women so we will fight less or not at all – with our mates.

5) The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield – One rare novel I truly enjoyed. It revolves around a philosophy of reincarnation, and that in this life there is no coincidence. Every person we meet has a purpose or role in our lives. We only need to be very aware of what’s going on around us so that we will know. It explains the reason why a whole city of the Incas in the mountains of Peru disappeared and where they went. Fascinating! Believable!

6) Conversations With God Book 1 by Neale Donald Walsch – It is a very different book, yet so human in perspective. It truly helps you to view God as a good and loving friend.

* * *

The Reading Club recommends this week Drowning Ruth by Christina Schwartz, one of Oprah’s recommended books. Available at all National Book Stores and Powerbooks.

The Reading Club recommends Veranda, distributed by Emerald Headway. Interesting home ideas.

* * *

Your comments and suggestions are always welcome at readclub@aol.com