JUST A SIMPLE PHARMACIST: THE STORY OF MURRAY KOFFLER, BUILDER OF THE SHOPPERS DRUG MART EMPIRE. Rasky, Frank. Toronto, McClelland and Stewart, 1988. 359pp. cloth, $29.95. ISBN 0-7710-7294-5. CIP Grades 12 and up Reviewed by Joan McGrath Volume 16 Number 5 1988 September It seems a contradiction in terms for a tycoon (although Koffler doesn't like the term) to be Mr. Nice Guy himself. This admiring biography of Murray Koffler, the man who "reshaped the image of the twentieth-century drugstore" into that of the glittering Shoppers Drug Mart and who was one of the founders of the world-class Four Seasons Hotels chain, seems to prove that if you are a truly unusual person, it just possibly can be done. Koffler's beginnings were small. The early death of his workaholic father left Koffler at the age of seventeen to complete his education while running the drugstore his father had established, as well as care for his widowed mother. Industry, inventiveness, adventurousness and a certain amount of inspiration got the Koffler bandwagon rolling, and it just never stopped. This account of Koffler's many successes (which were never at others' expense), his few failures, his passionate devotion to his family and friends, and his justly celebrated philanthropy is surprisingly readable for what amounts to a paean of praise. Koffler, who "dresses British, looks Irish, thinks Yiddish" just can't help sounding like a guy you'd like to know. Cheerfully inspirational reading matter for the would-be entrepreneur. Joan McGrath, Toronto Board of Education, Toronto, Ont.