literally and in spirit, unless. Well... : 24 Apr 2011 8:30:25pm Sounds like the result of "pester power", BB. Adults will buy a lot of stuff if kids pester them enough for it. For this reason a lot of marketing material is aimed at children, when in fact the target purchaser will be the adult with money to spend. Sometimes kids don't even need to pester now, especially if a product becomes desirable enough among other children. Kind grandparents or older siblings, aunts and uncles will buy the products for kids near them simply because they know its the kind of thing that most other kids are supposed to like. Sometimes marketing material can be subtly aimed at adults who purchase for children, to enhance this effect. Black Bile : 22 Apr 2011 5:44:23pm Hello Becky T Are you saying it doesn't mean much, if a women is better than males in her chosen field? If as Alison suggests the dice is loaded in favour of men, then I feel female authors should lift their eyes above 'the wide bottom of the writing world', for inspiration of what is possible. PS : Alison Croggon : 21 Apr 2011 10:04:55am I've read through all the comments now (I think). Some random responses follow. Thanks for all the 2c. Especially thanks to those who corrected my bad maths. There's a reason I am a writer and not a physicist... I wish I had got it right, as 400 per cent is so