Murder most horrid

A really engrossing country house murder told with all the suspense and horror that the nation felt on reading the accounts in the press. Summerscale weaves the developments in detection, and how the social scandals of the time were influencing and shaping the definition of the novel itself.<br />Unlike other reviewers, and having never experienced lsd (pounds, shillings and pence btw), I was amazed at just how many pennies were in a pound and what a shilling could buy!<br /><br />It isn't perfect: for example there is a theory left to the very end which never gets a proper consideration in the rest of the text.<br />Also I wonder whilst highlighting the social realities of the time, that some discussion about the huge social restraint placed on women, both the lady of the house and the maid, might have added extra depth.<br /><br />Still highly recommended.

Apologia for the Status Quo...

Although this book likes to present itself as a libertarian tract against the tyranny of the 'green menace', it is essentially the work of an establishment figure chiding anyone with the audacity to try and restructure the world order that has served him and his ilk so well. Like it or not, the climate issue has been politisized and big business is starting to get hot under the collar as more and more people become aware of the irreversible damage the current model is wreaking on the planet. So expect to see more books like this, enlisting 'authority figues' and payrolled scientists to repudiate fact and defend unending growth and rapacious consumption in the name of 'reason' and 'common sense'. Sceptisism is a healthy and laudable trait, but it must have some basis in reality to avoid sounding like reactionary bluster.

McMafia - powered by illegal drugs

McMafia is an argument for the legalisation of drugs. Without explicitly demanding such a thing, it gives the best possible argument for legalising all narcotics; that drug money is the engine of the McMafia.<br />Misha Glenny covers many more McMafia activities; cigarette smuggling, investment scams, slavery, fake goods, intimidation etc, but behind them all lies drugs and the massive profits they engender.<br />He points out that we in the west are largely to blame. We buy the fake DVDs, hire the slaves and turn a blind eye to the sweatshops. Mainly, we buy the drugs.<br />The author's point is that so long as the drug barons grow fat on human misery, so will the McMafia thrive.<br />A riveting read.<br />

It can't be true but it is

Everyone should read this book before voting this coming week. The numbers are eye-popping and it's our money we no longer have, thanks to the complete ineptitude of the present government.<br /><br />Everyone should read it but, if you do, you'll wish you hadn't! It's pointless to quote from the book. some of the figures are so huge, mere mortal taxpayers couldn't grasp what the government has done, followed by a perfect attempt to confuse the public into believing we should be grateful.<br /><br />Someone I know recommended this book. I wish he hadn't. I should have nightmares thinking this lot might be re-elected.

Looks is deceiving

What impressed me as much as anything about Neil Strauss' lifting of the lid on the world of PUA's (pick up artists) is the quality of the writing. This is so much more than a how to manual (which it isn't really although along the way you learn a bunch of the techniques used by these guys). It's funny as hell, genuinely fascinating and above all a morality tale that is often dismissed by people who haven't read it as being some chauvinistic tract on how to use women to your own ends. It's much more complex that that even if it does paint a portrait of what it often a pretty seedy and vacuous world. Strauss knows this whilst at the same time finding it hard to resist - his reinvention himself as Style, ladies man extraordinaire and general guru to a whole bunch of desperate men, is something that he does not do without misgivings and this is what makes the book interesting and well worth a read. <br /><br />

Enough already....!

Sure there's an ego-trip, and the book could be edited down, and... and... and..., but Mr Taleb presents a set of points that is unarguably rarely presented, and does it with style, humour, accuracy, and effectiveness.<br /><br />So read it for yourself!

Forgotten Way

Half way through and thoroughly enjoying the book and results. <br /><br />I remember watching a nature program about big cats hunting mountain goats in some far outreach of Northern Asia. In one shot they showed a mountain goat resting on an outledge surveying the valley. In it's state it made me think we humans have lost something about being in touch with nature and what it is to be human. The power to be, not being distracted by the seemingly never ending stream of attempted assaults on our awareness that come at us throughout the day. Adverts, TV, radio, peer pressure, addiction - noticing rather than reacting to!<br /><br />This book shows you the way to a more natural state of being imho. One of being calm and aware and leaves you with a feeling of general clarity!<br /><br />

Why are Newspapers so Cheap?

I brought this book after reading a few snippets in Private Eye. All I can say is that Nick Davis has written a fascinating insight into the journalism business in the UK. By writing a truly insightful book with an abundance of hard facts, Davis answers the question indirectly as to why newspapers are so cheap in the UK. The Sun can be purchased for 20p these days; I wonder why? Davis not only addresses why the UK media is so distorted; but how. <br /><br />As he mentions in the chapter `The Private Life of Public Relation', PR firms inject falsehood into the British media so surreptitiously which the weekly columnists are completely oblivious to. For instance, he cites the case of the Daily Mail columnist Melanie Phillips who wrote"a series of outspoken columns denouncing the whole concept of man-made climate change". Davis goes on to mention one of her articles in the Mail in February 2002 which said `The latest evidence is provided in a report published today by the European Science and Environmental Forum, in which a group of the most eminent scientists from Britain and America shed the theory'. Fair play to Phillips for doing her research, but was it researched enough? Davis gives us the pleasure of looking deeper into the roots of the story and writes"the forum whose work she {Phillips} was quoting was, in truth, yet another pseudo-group, created with the help of two PR agencies (APCO Worldwide and Burson-Marsteller) with the specific intent of campaigning against restrictions on corporate activity". He also mentions how the report"Phillips referred in such glowing terms was recycled work which had been funded by Exxon". <br /><br />This is just one of many fascinating examples on how the minds of ordinary British folk are distorted so unnoticeably that many people regard what they read as the truth. And its not just the tabloids. Davis cites many examples from the likes of the Times to the Guardian that have been proven guilty of misleading their readers on a mass scale. If there is one book I could recommend anyone it would be this. I have been reading papers for some time now, and this book will completely change the way you read and look at things. It can even be quite fun reading the papers and trying to pick out stories that have been influenced by PR; it's amusing to make a game out of it. <br /><br />Overall I would give this book 5 stars for its plethora of research and insights that can prove beneficial to anybody who likes to be informed.

A necessary evil

Here it is, the cure for insomnia!<br /><br />Given that one of the aims of the Life in the UK test is to test English literacy, you would think the official guide would be written in accessible English! Instead, we are handed this sloppy compilation of pointless statistics, useless abbreviations, dry facts with little context and advice that will make you slap your forehead and scowl: 'Well, OBVIOUSLY!' <br /><br />A blue box pops up every so often asking the reader 'check that you understand...', but oftentimes what is listed has NOT been explained or even mentioned in what you've just finished reading. I defy anyone to explain to me the differences between the Council of Europe, the Council of the EU, the EU, the EC and the European Parliament at the best of times, but especially after reading the few paragraphs in this book! <br /><br />Most sections have been plopped in at random, with lots of repitition. Then just when you get to the good bits...such as, what are my rights when dealing with the police...what are my rights as a consumer...and what IS Red Nose Day all about?? Well, by that point you no longer actually need to read any further because the test is only based on chapters 2-6! <br /><br />But you'll be thankful to have read this, because trust your luck the test will quiz you on some arcane statistic - something that no other Briton would know, but which is somehow meant to be an indication that you are ready to assimilate into UK society. <br /><br />It would have been far better if the book talked about cultural concepts and examples of British ideals, instead of repeating dull census figures and listing in detail when Welsh schoolchildren sit their exams. It's a shame the test does not cover any aspect of British history, literature or culture which would help someone to take pride in wanting to live here.<br /><br />So read it, because you have to. Then get out there and LIVE IT!

Captures The Spirit

A great little book is this and a must have for fans of the TV show. It's full of useful info that I'm sure would come in handy on an action packed Saturday night in town, and plenty of educational pictures as well. Not too demanding on the old brain cells to read and it's not overlong. An extremely funny book and after you have read it, its the sort that you can keep picking up and look at your favourite bits again. Don't lend it to anyone though, unless they give you a receipt or a returnable deposit, or you won't see it again. Very good overall, a good laff, highly recommended. Also have a look at Al Murray's 'Pub landlord' and 'The Post Box at the Crossroads' by Alan Bates.

A must read book !

Short but Sweet ! <br />Applicable theories even today !<br />Must Read, more than once !<br />

yes, but....

There are many good points in this book that were already mentioned by the other reviewers. I want to focus on the points that grated with me. First of all, the old out-dated 'research' that Biddulph cites that boys (and children in general according to his others books) are better off being raised at home. Negative research about day-care comes from the sixties when these institutions were little more than storage units for children (mind you, I only have very positive memories of the day-care in which I was raised in the sixties). <br />Newer research actually reveals that children who went early on into daycare are actually more popular and socially confident than their stay-at-home counterparts. This research comes from countries like Canada and Sweden where the majority of all children are raised in daycare and which extensively researched the well-being of their collective off-spring. <br />I am angry that yet another MALE child-expert who NEVER took off time his precious career to rear his children full-time adds to the guilt-inflicting bias against working mothers. I have seen so much suffering by new mothers who were made to believe that it was all their fault if they did not love their new role as a mother. In Britain today every fifth mother is diagnosed with post-natal depression - a mental health crisis of epidemic proportion. Yet, all of these mothers are told by their health-carers that it is their hormones (in other words their own fault) instead of seeing that the isolated way in which most of us live today puts so much pressure on the individual mother that depression is only a 'natural' outcome.<br />Isn't it time, Steve, that we care about boys, girls AND their mothers?<br />

Enjoyable and serious

This is a fluently written and interesting account of English's adoption of words from other languages - ranging from the obvious ones, like French, to the less obvious (Persian, Dutch, Portuguese). It is, as such, a history of English vocabulary, but also, more compellingly, a history of British relationships with other cultures. The subject matter might sound quite academic, but this is an engaging read, lit up by lots of memorable examples. It's a fascinating and thought-provoking take on history.

Biggest pile of bull on the market

I have never written a review on here before but make an exception in this case simply to say that this book is absolutely awful. It makes the man seem so shallow and pathetic. If he ever reads these reviews, which I am sure he won't because he'll be too busy thinking how wonderful he is, he would be very well advised to take seriously the negative comments before writing the sequel.<br />

a great introduction to NLP

This book does exactly what is say on the cover: introducing you to Neuro-Linguistic Programming. i am quite a visual learner and was disappointed by not seeing many pictures in it but i found that the authors have excelled at making the techniques accessible to all. I have read the book in about 4/5 hours and have made notes along the way of techniques to use in my own life. Just a week in, I can already see changes in myself and the way I deal with others.<br />The only reproach I would make to the book is that it is packed with a lot of information and that ALL the techniques look interesting. I feel that as a reader I did not have enought time to take them in and try them before moving to another aspect of NLP: pace was too fast (hence the note taking in my journal).<br />I have also purchased NLP workbook by O'Connor (on of the author of Introducing NLP programming) and I like the fact that it has"guided" exercises, on the other hand i found its pace a little too slow for a book for my liking but great for a seminar.<br />i would thoroughly recommend this book to start NLP but you may need to combine it with a more practical guide for excellent results.

Not satisfied

I am not satisfied with this buy. It is not value for money especially when it is priced up by the postage.

The Tipping Point

'The Tipping Point' is another entertaining, yet laboured book from Malcolm Gladwell. Like 'Blink' you get an interesting premise, explained very well at the beginning of the book, followed by 150 pages going over the same ground in greater depth. Once you've grasped the initial concept and had it proven with a few examples, you don't really need to go over it much more. Saying that, this book is an entertaining read and has some wonderful examples to illustrate the various points. I particularly enjoyed the chapter exploring the benefits, and tipping point of, sesame street and blues clues. Other chapters though, like the one on suicide and smoking, are pretty aimless and take a long time to make a very minor, insignificant point. This book is worth a read if you liked 'Blink' and it has some interesting ideas explored in it. If you like this I'd recommend 'Predictably irrational' which has similar experiments and is more coherent and focused. In fact, I'd probably recommend that book before this one. This is a good read, but not a great read.

Well written and useful too

I found my son reading Neil Strauss's book and he told me he thought I'd enjoy it. Essentially a how-to guide to landing the woman of your dreams, I also found it a lot of help in improving my self-esteem and general sociability. Strauss has a fine prose style too. I may be a happily married man but there's lots here to enjoy.

Style Battles Content

In NOTHING TO BE FRIGHTENED OF, Julian Barnes uses the history of his immediate family and the comments of many writers--who he considers his"true bloodline"--to examine death, as well as its connection to God. Rest assured that this book, like A HISTORY OF THE WORLD IN 10½ CHAPTERS, is a primarily an essayist's intellectual journey. The book is never morbid or creepy. <br /><br />For me, NtbFo was best when Barnes was writing about his biological family. When writing about the death of his parents, for example, he conveyed the weakness and humiliation and rage of the dying, as well as the complex feelings of anger, pity, and responsibility in survivors. Likewise, the book was strong when Barnes wrote about his grandfather. Then, he pondered how little a person leaves after death, with mystery and a few random artifacts all that's left after, say, 50 years pass. These family-based musings are thoughtful and tender. And Barnes's brother, a philosopher who does not allow slack thinking, adds rigor to Julian's thoughts.<br /><br />On the other hand, the results are mixed when Barnes uses the comments of numerous writers to explore his subjects. Here, the ideas and anecdotes he presents are always interesting, ranging from consoling to depressed, from accepting death to dread. And, his work with this material is a pleasure to read when an essay--few are longer than five pages--starts with the adroit presentation of a concept, moves to a supporting or contrasting idea, and then finishes with revelation or connection. <br /><br />But occasionally, his short essays develop in an inscrutable and arbitrary fashion, with this reviewer finishing an essay in confusion, not insight. (How the heck did I get here?, was my not infrequent reaction.) Even after rereading, these particular essays struck me as brilliant babbling, not the achievement of sparkling or new connections. This has unfortunate consequences for NtbFo, since Barnes frequently circles back to ideas he has already explored, returning to them to layer or enrich meaning. But, this strategy doesn't work when an idea's original presentation, or new context, lacks clarity. <br /><br />Nonetheless, Barnes has a very interesting mind. He writes fine prose and this book renewed my interest in his work. Next: ARTHUR & GEORGE. <br />

Could not even finish it...

I have read several pop-economics/basic economics books, and this one is the worst by far. Perhaps, it is because I had really high expectations and it severely underwhelmed, but I could not even finish it. <br /><br />One quick aside, anyone who thinks (and a lot of the reviewers here seem to) the US health system represents a"free-market" system is sorely mistaken. There are some quasi-market components (e.g., insurance) but so many components that are not (e.g., FDA, Medicare/Medicaid, AMA) that it is erroneous (and for Mr. Harford, intellectually lazy) to say/imply the"system" is free-market. Just felt the need to opine on that...