All posts by Team Booko

How to save money on your tax and get your finances in shape

June 9, 2016Personal development, Uncategorized#Finance, #Nonfiction, #SelfhelpTeam Booko

Making the most of your personal finances is something you don’t need a degree for. Some of the world’s best and brightest (and most successful) have never been to University. Once you have a clear financial goal, it’s possible to greatly improve your financial situation with the help of a book that can give you practical, first-hand knowledge of how to make the most of your savings, investment strategy and making the most of tax time. Here are our recommended reads on books to improve your financial literacy:

101 Ways to Save Money on your Tax – Legally by Adrian Raftery

Raftery has featured on a range of media as this topic is of interest to anyone earning a wage. Updated each year, Rafferty’s book is a guide to making the most of your money at tax time. Known as Mr Taxman, Raftery is one of Australia’s leading Taxation experts and his guides provide tips and tricks that enable you to get the deductions you are entitled to. Also included is information related to tax-effective investments, tax planning and tips on how to find a great accountant.

The Richest man in Babylon by George C. Classon

Read by millions, this timeless book holds that the key to success lies in the secrets of the ancients. Based on the famous “Babylonian principles,” it’s been hailed as the greatest of all inspirational works on the subject of thrift and financial planning. In a nutshell, the lessons in the book could be summarised as the following:

1. Save 10% of everything you earn
2. Be smart with your money
3. Invest the money you save.

Think and Grow Rich! by Napoleon Hill

In the early 1900s Napoleon Hill wanted to find out how successful people became…successful. After interviewing 500 of the most successful people of the time (such as Henry Ford, Edison and Andrew Carnegie), he wrote ‘Think and Grow Rich!’. One of the most influential books on self development, “Think and Grow Rich!” has sold 20 million copies. This edition restores Napoleon Hill’s masterpiece to its original form and intent. While Hill hints at the secret to success in the book, it is not made explicit, nor are instructions provided on how to achieve success, which would increase the usability of the book.

Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki

In this book, Kiyosaki compares the financial philosophies of the author’s two fathers: his biological father – the poor dad – and the father of his childhood best friend, Mike – the rich dad. Throughout the book the author compares both fathers, and how his real father, the poor and struggling but highly educated man, paled against his rich dad in terms of asset building and business acumen. The ‘Rich Dad Poor Dad’ series is incredibly popular but it’s philosophy isn’t readily available to everyone. If you want to become financially free, you need passive sources of income that are greater than your living expenses. These strategies are not always feasible and can require serious capital. The parable-nature of the story, however, is entertaining and easy to follow.

The Millionaire Next Door: Surprising Secrets of America’s Wealthy by Thomas Stanley and William Danko

What sort of life does your average millionaire live? How did they become wealthy? How do they shop? In most cases, the millionaires that are studied by Stanley and Danko are self employed, first generation millionaires who spend wisely and are committed to leading a frugal lifestyle. This is a lot less glamorous than the imagined variety but offers readers some insights on what it takes to become financially free.

Creating Real Wealth by Mike Kemp

Mike Kemp is one of the financial advisors that the ‘Barefoot Investor’ Scott Pape calls on to analyse investments. Author Michael Kemp encourages readers to first define their perception of wealth before they set out on their journey to achieve financial security. The vague goal of “becoming wealthy” is unachievable if the more you earn the more you spend. He warns against measuring financial goals and achievements against those of the Joneses’ or the stars of the screen and entertainment worlds. A well-researched and practical guide to planning your wealth.

Great books for Father’s Day

June 2, 2016Fiction, Uncategorized#Fathersday, #Fiction, #NonfictionTeam Booko

Father’s Day is fast approaching on the 19th June for our dads in the US and UK. It’s pretty much universally accepted that dads can be especially tricky to buy for. If you haven’t bought a gift for dad yet, there is enough time to order online and have it shipped in time for Father’s Day (just check the shipping times when you click through to purchase). Here are some gift ideas for all different sorts of dads:

Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight

In this candid memoir, Nike founder Phil Knight shares the story behind the evolution of one of the world’s most popular brands. Graduating Business school, Knight had a vision of importing high-quality, low-cost running shoes from Japan. Borrowing $50 from his father, he sold running shoes from his car boot in his first year of operation, way back in 1963. With annual sales of $30 billion, Nike is now one of the most iconic brands developed. A great read from an aspiring business leader.

One Man’s Everest: The Autobiography of Kenton Cool by Kenton Cool

Kenton Cool is the finest alpine climber of this generation. His accomplishments are staggering. He has summited Everest eleven times. He is the first person in history to climb the three Everest peaks, the so-called Triple Crown in one climb: a feat previously thought impossible. He was nominated for the prestigious piolet d’Or in 2004 for climbing a previously unclimbed route on Annapurna III. In 2012 he fulfilled the Olympic Games pledge of placing a 1924 gold medal on the Everest summit. After an accident in 1996, he is still in pain yet he still climbs. An unquestionably inspiring read.

Golden Lion by Wilbur Smith and Giles Kristian

Set off the East African Coast in 1670, this is a sweeping adventure full of action and mystery. It takes Smith fans back to the start of the Courteney family saga. When the Bough of the boat is boarded, the crew of The Golden Bough must go hand to hand to defend their ship and their lives.

Made by Dad: 67 Blueprints for Making Cool Stuff by Scott Bedford

This is a really cute idea: blueprint instructions for inventions and gadgets that will make even the least DIY-prone dad a hero in the eyes of his children. Provides instructions for projects, including an earthquake coat hook, blazing volcano, and a bunk bed communicator.

Fall of Man in Wilmslow by David Lagercrantz

June 8, 1954. Alan Turing, the visionary mathematician, is found dead at his home in sleepy Wilmslow, dispatched by a poisoned apple. Taking the case, Detective Constable Leonard Corell quickly learns Turing is a convicted homosexual. Confident it’s a suicide, he is nonetheless confounded by official secrecy over Turing’s war record. What is more, Turing’s sexuality appears to be causing alarm among the intelligence services – could he have been blackmailed by Soviet spies? Stumbling across evidence of Turing’s genius, and sensing an escape from a narrow life, Corell soon becomes captivated by Turing’s brilliant and revolutionary work, and begins to dig deeper. But in the paranoid, febrile atmosphere of the Cold War, loose cannons cannot be tolerated. As his innocent curiosity fast takes him far out of his depth, Corell realises he has much to learn about the dangers of forbidden knowledge.

Something to Food About: Inside the Minds of America’s Best Chefs by Questlove

Quest love is an American musician, DJ, music journalist, record producer, and actor. If this wasn’t enough, he has written ‘Something to Food About’ – a book that explores the work of notable chefs such as Ludo Lefebvre (Trois Mec/The Taste), Dominique Crenn (Atelier Crenn), and Nathan Myhrvold (Modernist Cuisine). The chefs share their different creative processes, how their philosophies have evolved, and how they work within the space of their restaurant–both physically and conceptually – to create experiences.

Understanding the natural world through books

May 31, 2016Blog, Uncategorized#naturalworldTeam Booko

In the flurry of modern life, it’s easy to forget our connection to the natural world. The lessons we can learn from nature don’t simply stop when we leave school. Understanding how seasons, weather patterns and plant and animal lifecycles are all connected helps us to live a richer and more engaged life and understand our role in the natural flow of things. Here are our recommendations for understanding the natural world through books.

The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert

Colbert’s book investigates the sixth great extinction to threaten the earth in the last half billion years. While the others were caused by unnatural events such as asteroid impacts, the biggest threat to the earth is the impact that humans have made by living extravagantly. Colbert writes: “One-third of all reef-building corals, a third of all fresh-water molluscs, a third of sharks and rays, a quarter of all mammals, a fifth of all reptiles, and a sixth of all birds are headed toward oblivion.”

Undeniable: Evolution and the Science of Creation by Bill Nye

‘Undeniable’ is a fantastic book in defence of science and the theory of evolution. Bill Nye was the host of ‘The Science Guy’: a Science show that ran in the US in the 1990’s. In this book he provides a compelling argument for the scientific unviability of creationism and insists that creationism’s place in the science classroom is harmful not only to our children, but to the future of the greater world as well.

Nature Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of the Natural World by Julia Rothman

Nature Anatomy is for anyone who appreciates and wants to explore the curiosities and beauty of the natural world in a new way. With whimsically hip illustrations by acclaimed illustrator Julia Rothman, every page is an extraordinary look at all kinds of subjects, including mineral formation, the inside of a volcano, what makes sunsets and much more. Exploring has never been so fun and easy.

Lonely Planet’s Wild World by Lonely Planet Publications

‘Wild World’ is the follow-up to the super-sized bestseller ‘Beautiful World’. It’s a vivid and compelling portrait of the world in which we live. Incredible and majestic wildlife spectacles and natural phenomena are spellbindingly on display in this beautiful, no-expense-spared hardback.

The Cabaret of Plants by Richard Mabey

The Cabaret of Plants explores plant species which have challenged our imaginations, awoken that clichéd but real human emotion of wonder, and upturned our ideas about history, science, beauty and belief. Picked from every walk of life, they encompass crops, weeds, medicines, religious gathering-places and a water lily named after a queen. Beginning with pagan cults and creation myths, the cultural significance of plants has burst upwards, sprouting into forms as diverse as the panacea (the cure-all plant ginseng, a single root of which can cost up to $10,000), Newton’s apple, the African ‘vegetable elephant’ or boabab, whose swollen trunks store thousands of litres of water – and the mystical, night-flowering Amazonian cactus, the moonflower.

How to jumpstart your journaling

May 24, 2016Blog, Non-fiction, Personal development, Writing#Nonfiction, #Selfhelp, #WritingTeam Booko

Journaling is said by some to be the mindfulness trend of the year (2015 belonged to colouring-in for grown-ups). It’s also widely referred to as the first place to start when you are thinking about moving forward with your writing. Journals are great places to jot down those seemingly innocuous thoughts and musings that some people choose to take a step further and get published. There are also a number of benefits associated with clearing your head and making sense of what can be an overwhelming world at times. Here are our recommendations for books to guide you on your journaling process:

Your Life as a Story by Tristane Rainer

Rainer is an expert in the autobiographical field. In this book, she shares her techniques for finding the appropriate story structure for the different events in your life. This book also touches on how to find important messages in the various events of your life and how to communicate these effectively in a narrative format.

Start where you are: A Journal for Self-Exploration by Meera Lee Patel

Start Where You Are is an interactive journal designed to help readers nurture their creativity, mindfulness, and self-motivation. It helps readers navigate the confusion and chaos of daily life with a simple reminder: that by taking the time to know ourselves and what those dreams are, we can appreciate the world around us and achieve our dreams. Featuring vibrant hand-lettering and images, this is a beautiful keepsake for your writing.

Life-Changing Magic: A Journal – Spark Joy Every day by Marie Kondo

This is a gratitude journal from Marie Kondo, the author of the ‘The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up’. Kondo encourages readers to ask what sparked joy for them each day. Instead of just feeling joy for objects, events, people and daily activities are reflected on and appreciated. Included are inspirational quotes from ‘The Life Changing Magic of Tidying up’ and covering 3 years, this journal is perfect for those wanting to focus on appreciating each day.

365 Journal Writing Ideas by Rossi Fox

This is perfect for when you’re staring at a blank page and have no idea what to write. The focus of the book is on guided journal writing. It’s split into weeks (and days) but numbered so you can literally pick it up and start at any time. There are daily writing prompts which encourage you to get into the habit of writing. This book services as a place to remember your daily activities, appreciate where you are and gain a sense of purpose with regards to achieving your goals. Included are short story writing ideas, light hearted questions and prompts to get your thinking cap on.

The Ultimate Guide to Journaling by Hannah Braime

In The Ultimate Guide to Journaling, you’ll find the tips, inspiration, and prompts you need to start and maintain a journaling practice for DIY self-discovery. This clear and concise handbook shares everything you need to know to deepen your relationship with yourself using this powerful personal development tool. This book covers topics like how to journal, which tools to use, and how to make it a regular habit, as well as over 30 different journaling techniques and useful prompts.

Writing for the Web: A Beginner’s Guide

May 16, 2016Blog, Non-fiction, Writing#Blogs, #Digitalmedia, #Nonfiction, #WritingTeam Booko

When we consider the virtues of published writing, we normally think of books, E-Books, White Papers etc. When you are writing in the digital age, the platforms for writing have invariably increased. If you are writing for social media, blogs or a website, one of the greatest influences will be WHERE the writing will be housed. This will influence your tone, style and most significantly, your word count. Depending on your comfort (and interest) levels, you could find yourself making a respectable income writing blogs. (Okay, okay, we chose a list of the uber-successful global bloggers as an example). However, if this is something you are interested in, this selection of books is a useful guide when you are starting out and beyond.

Don’t Make Me Think by Steve Krug

I know people who, when recruiting for digital roles said: ‘If they haven’t read this book, don’t give them the job’. This seems a bit harsh but the underlying sentiment is: this is the fundamental book that digital teams need to read when they are starting out. It discusses how to design usable Web sites by exploring how users really use the Web and offers suggestions for streamlining navigation, creating a home page, and writing for Web sites.

The Digital Writing Workshop by Troy Hicks

Troy’s clean, clear writing style is useful when you are navigating countless new terms for the technology used in digital forums. Troy’s focus is firstly on the writer, then the writing and lastly the technology as he explains how new technologies can be harnessed to advance the writing medium. We love the easy-to-read style of this book.

How to Blog for Profit without Selling your Soul by Ruth Soukup

Do you want to earn a living doing what you love? Whether you have been blogging for years or just a few weeks, How to Blog For Profit (Without Selling Your Soul) offers solid advice and practical action plans for creating an authentic, successful, and profitable blog. With wit, wisdom, and the insight of someone who’s been there, Ruth Soukup shares how she grew her own blog, Living Well Spending Less, to over one million monthly visitors. We love the insights into Soukup’s own learnings along the way.

Letting Go of the Words: Writing Web Content that Works by Janice (Ginny) Redish

Ginny’s easy-to-read style will teach you how to plan, organize, write, design, and test your content. Learn how to have great conversations through your site or app. Meet your business goals while satisfying your site visitors’ needs. Learn how to create useful and usable content that your target market (or clients) will love.

The Yahoo Style Guide, edited by Chris Barr

WWW may be an acronym for the World Wide Web, but no one could fault you for thinking it stands for wild, wild West. The rapid growth of the Web has meant having to rely on style guides intended for print publishing, but these guides do not address the new challenges of communicating online. Enter The Yahoo! Style Guide. From Yahoo!, a leader in online content and one of the most visited Internet destinations in the world, comes the definitive reference on the essential elements of Web style.

Content Strategy for the Web by Kristina Halvorson and Melissa Rach

This book is essential reading: content strategy helps you plan your writing and ascertain which topics will be of most interest to your target markets. It also includes the tone, types of content you can use and which channels should be used. This book also describes the value of content strategy, discusses how to audit and analyze content, and looks at ways to maintain content over time.

Biographies of remarkable authors

May 10, 2016Blog, Non-fiction, Writing#Biography, #Nonfiction, #WritersTeam Booko

Part of celebrating our great writers is ‘lifting the hood’ and getting an understanding of why they write. Understanding the ‘back story’ of our favourite authors enables us to understand their motivation and their inspiration, which in turn inspires us. Here are our recommendations of biographies and autobiographies of some pretty remarkable authors.

I know why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

An autobiography like no other, Maya Angelou wrote it in seven volumes, ‘Caged Bird’ being the first. The book covers themes such as racism, discrimination, abuse and extreme poverty but also joy, hope, achievement and celebration. In the first volume of her autobiography, Angelou takes the reader on a journey of her childhood with her grandmother in the American south of the 1930’s. Here, she learns the power and prejudice of the white folks of the town. Years later, Maya learns that love of herself, the kindness of others and the inspiration of great authors could help set her free.

The Bradbury Chronicles: The Life of Ray Bradbury by Sam Weller

Accomplished journalist Sam Weller met Ray Bradbury while writing a cover story for the Chicago Tribune Magazine and spent hundreds of hours interviewing Bradbury, his editors, family members, and longtime friends. With unprecedented access to private archives, he uncovered never–before–published letters, documents, and photographs that help tell the story of this literary genius and his remarkable creative journey. The result is a richly textured, detailed biography that illuminates the origins and accomplishments of Bradbury’s fascinating mind.

Pimp: The Story of My Life by Iceberg Slim

This is the story of Iceberg Slim’s life as he saw, felt, tasted, and smelled it. A trip through hell by the one man who lived to tell the tale. The dangers of jail, addiction, and death that are still all too familiar. By telling the story of one man’s struggles and triumphs in an underground world, Pimp shows us the game doesn’t change, it just has a different swagger.

The Brontë Myth by Lucasta Miller

I wasn’t aware of any myths surrounding the lives of Emily, Charlotte and Anne during their lifetimes but apparently there was such a fascination with them that myths (or lies) abounded! Some examples included Charlotte being seen as a ‘sex-starved hysteric’, Emily being attracted to both sexes and there were those that denied her authorship of Wuthering Heights, attributing it to her brother Bramwell. Sounds much like our fascination with the Hollywood stars of current day! A great read for fans of the incredibly talented sisters.

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson

In this hilarious memoir, Bryson travels back to explore the kid he once was and the weird and wonderful world of 1950s America. He modestly claims that this is a book about not very much: about being small and getting much larger slowly. But, for the rest of us, it is a laugh-out-loud book that will speak volumes – especially to anyone who has ever been young.

My Years with Ayn Rand by Nathaniel Branden

I wasn’t 100% sure about reading this book as anything written by an ex-lover doesn’t seem particularly….fair. I’m not a huge fan of the kiss and tell. I am, however, a big fan of Rand’s work (The Fountainhead in particular). Branden is an American psychotherapist and this book charts their relationship but also details Rand’s philosophy of objectivism. Definitely an interesting read for fans for Rand’s work and gives an interesting perspective into her private life.

Make sure you’re following us on Pinterest. More biographies can be found on our Pinterest board: https://au.pinterest.com/officialbooko/autobiographies-biographies/

The joy of re-reading the classics

May 5, 2016Blog, Fiction#Classics, #Fiction, #LiteratureTeam Booko

Oh the joy of re-reading the classics! When you don’t have to be critically evaluated on your thoughts (whether it be an assignment, exam or an essay), you can appreciate the richness of the prose in new and different ways. Also, a more mature mind can pick up the minor references in the text that a student stressed out about exams can not. Finding one book from each of these authors was a trial: there were the drama plays, the books read in class and the movie adaptations. Here are our recommendations for re-reading the classics in your own sweet time.

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Enjoy the classic tale of adolescence, growth, and loyalty, all set in Victorian London. The cautionary tale of a young man raised high above his station by a mysterious benefactor has remarkable characters and a mysteriously compelling story. The orphaned boy Pip snobbishly abandons his friends for London society and ‘great expectations’, and grows through misfortune and suffering to maturity. This is one of Dickens’ most popular and best loved novels.

King Lear by William Shakespeare

Similarly themed, the story of King Lear beautifully illustrates the old saying ‘pride comes before a fall.’ I’ve always found this story the most heart-breaking of all of Shakespeare’s works. King Lear decides to step down and divide his kingdom between his three daughters. When his youngest and favorite daughter refuses to compete and perform her love for him, he is enraged and disowns her. She remains loyal to him, however, though he slides into madness and his other children betray him.

Emma by Jane Austen

Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, rich – and fiercely independent – is perfectly content with her life and sees no need for either love or marriage. Nothing, however, delights her more than interfering in the romantic lives of others. But when she ignores the advice of her good friend Mr Knightley and attempts to arrange a suitable match for the pretty, naïve Harriet Smith, her well-laid plans soon unravel and have consequences that she never expected.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Huck is a young, naive white boy fleeing from his drunken, dangerous Pa; and Jim is a runaway slave longing to be reunited with his family. Flung together by circumstance, they journey down the Mississippi together on a log raft, each in search of his own definition of freedom. Their daring adventures along the way provide both entertainment and a satirical look at the moral values of the Deep South of the 1800s.

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

Set in the Gulf Stream off the toast of Havana, Hemingway’s magnificent fable is the story of an old man, a young boy and a giant fish. In a perfectly crafted story, which won for Hemingway the Nobel Prize for Literature, is a unique and timeless vision of the beauty and grief of man’s challenge to the elements in which he lives.

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

‘Earnest’ is a witty and buoyant comedy of manners that has delighted millions in countless productions since its first performance in London’s St. James’ Theatre in 1895. Oscar Wilde’s brilliant play makes fun of the English upper classes with light-hearted satire and dazzling humour. It is 1890’s England and two young gentlemen are being somewhat limited with the truth. To inject some excitement into their lives, Mr Worthing invents a brother, Earnest, as an excuse to leave his dull country life behind him to pursue the object of his desire, the ravishing Gwendolyn.

So… you want to be a writer

May 2, 2016Blog, Non-fiction, Personal development, Writing#Guide, #Nonfiction, #Selfhelp, #WritingTeam Booko

I think just about everyone has flirted with this, haven’t they? I still have a screenplay for a TV series floating around in my head. I am POSITIVE it will be a huge hit, if only audiences weren’t so stuck on reality TV. One of my friends went on so many dates in one year that I convinced her to write a book about it. And on it goes…..

If you have some great ideas for writing, whether it’s writing a blog, a novel or a TV series like me, there is a book to help inspire you and guide you. Some of my favourites in this list include hearing advice from some of the masters themselves. We need to start with a book that appeared on my bookshelf when I was about 10 (odd gift for a child) but it was pretty useful during creative writing classes:

The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr and E.B. White

This book is an essential part of your ‘books on writing’ collection. It contains the basics: grammar, writing in your active voice and omitting superfluous words. This book’s unique tone, wit and charm have conveyed the principles of English style to millions of readers. Use the fourth edition of “the little book” to make a big impact with your writing.

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

Part of what makes this book so entertaining is hearing about King’s own rags-to-riches story. Find out what books and films influenced the young writer, his first idea for a story and the true life tale that inspired Carrie. King gives an excellent masterclass on writing – how to use the tools of the trade from building characters to pace and plotting as well as practical advice on presentation.

The Writing Life by Annie Dillard

Largely accepted to be one of the best books about writing, The Writing Life is brutal in its honesty about the difficulty of the writing process. Dillard encourages you to carve up your most ‘perfect paragraphs’ if they don’t do their job, which is to communicate the entirety of the idea. “This writing that you do, that so thrills you, that so rocks and exhilarates you, as if you were dancing next to the band, is barely audible to anyone else.”

Mother Tongue: English and how it got that way by Bill Bryson

It’s crucial for any writer to understand their own language. Bryson steers us through why island, freight, and colonel are spelled in such unphonetic ways, why four has a u in it but forty doesn’t, plus bizarre and enlightening facts about some of the patriarchs of this peculiar language.

Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury

While there are plenty of books that talk to the challenges of writing, Bradbury’s enthusiasm for writing is infectious. That’s what makes this book such enjoyable reading. In a series of essays, Bradbury discusses his career and his compulsion to write. Nine essays discuss the joy of writing, the writing process, inspiration, creativity, and the circumstances surrounding the writing of several of his works. “Think of Shakespeare and Melville and you think of thunder, lightning, wind. They all knew the joy of creating in large or small forms, on unlimited or restricted canvasses. These are the children of the gods. They knew fun in their work. No matter if creation came hard here or there along the way, or what illnesses and tragedies touched their most private lives. … If you are writing without zest, without gusto, without love, without fun, you are only half a writer.” Brilliant.

The Writing Experiment by Hazel Smith

Finding inspiration to write creatively can be one of the most challenging aspects of the writing process. Experienced writing teacher Hazel Smith demystifies the process of creative writing, providing exercises and examples to show how it can be systematically learnt.

More tips for aspiring writers can be found on our Pinterest board, Tips for Writers!

Top titles released this month – April 2016

April 25, 2016Blog, Fiction, New authors, Top Books#HistoricalFiction, #Mystery, #Newrelease, #shortstoryTeam Booko

I don’t know about you, but I don’t sit and actually READ like I used to – It’s harder to find the time. Plus, if I do get the time, well – I want to read a book that’s worth it. So whether you’ve promised to read more or read more widely or more selectively in 2016, the good news is: there are some new releases worth checking out.

Here’s a selection that includes historical fiction, a collection of short stories and a non fiction book that’s sure to inspire.

The Accidental Entrepeneur: The Juicy Bits by Janine Allis

Learn the other secrets to success from the founder of Boost Juice In The Accidental Entrepreneur, author Janine Allis shares the secrets and skills that took her from housewife to entrepreneur to head of a multi-national corporation. As the founder of Boost Juice, Janine has journeyed from zero formal business training to leading a company with over 400 stores in 12 countries. This book takes you down the long road that she travelled, including some quirky stops along the way, and gives you valuable insight into taking the alternative road to business success.

The Bed Moved by Rebecca Schiff

This collection of stories features protagonists who reflect in frank and irreverent ways on the experiences of coming of age and seeking love, from a geology camper who has her first sexual experience to a daughter who watches the video of her Bah Mitzvah on the night of her father’s funeral.

Lazaretto by Diane McKinney-Whetstone

This historical novel is about a cast of nineteenth-century characters whose colorful lives intersect at the legendary Lazaretto—America’s first quarantine hospital. Isolated on an island where two rivers meet, the Lazaretto quarantine hospital is the first stop for immigrants who wish to begin new lives in Philadelphia. Diane McKinney-Whetstone seamlessly transports us to Philadelphia in the aftermath of the Civil War and Lincoln’s assassination, beautifully evoking powerful stories of love, friendship and humanity amid the vibrant black community that flourished amid the troubled times.

Hystopia by David Means

A visionary first novel taking place in an alternate version of Vietnam-War-era America”. Means novel imagines what America might be like if President John F. Kennedy survived his assassination and the Vietnam War never really ended.

The Association of Small Bombs by Karan Mahajan

For readers of Mohsin Hamid, Dave Eggers, Arundhati Roy, and Teju Cole, The Association of Small Bombs is an expansive and deeply humane novel that is at once groundbreaking in its empathy, dazzling in its acuity, and ambitious in scope. When brothers Tushar and Nakul Khurana, two Delhi schoolboys, pick up their family’s television set at a repair shop with their friend Mansoor Ahmed one day in 1996, disaster strikes without warning.

If you’re looking for some more options, why not check out our pinterest board featuring the hot new releases of 2016.

Inspiring stories of great leaders

April 11, 2016Blog, Leadership, Non-fiction#Autobiography, #leadership, #NonfictionTeam Booko

It’s the first hand experiences of difficulties great leaders have faced and overcome that provide insight and inspiration that we can apply to our own lives. That’s often why autobiographies are so incredibly popular. By reading these books, we can gleam invaluable insights into the human condition that we can apply to our own situations. Here are some recommended reads of inspiring books about leadership.

The Story of my Experiments with Truth by Mahatma Ghandi

Mohandas K. Gandhi is one of the most inspiring figures of our time. In his classic autobiography he recounts the story of his life and how he developed his concept of active nonviolent resistance, which propelled the Indian struggle for independence and countless other nonviolent struggles of the twentieth century.

Leading on the Edge by Rachael Robertson

In Leading on the Edge, Rachael Robertson shares the lessons she learned as leader of a year-long expedition to the wilds of Antarctica. Leading eighteen strangers around the clock for a full year, through months of darkness and with no escape from the frigid cold, howling winds, and each other, Robertson learned powerful lessons about what real, authentic leadership is. Here, she offers a deeply honest and humorous account of what it takes to survive and lead in the harshest environment on Earth. What emerges from her graphic account is a series of powerful and practical lessons for business leaders and managers everywhere.

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

The Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (a.d. 121–180) embodied in his person that deeply cherished, ideal figure of antiquity, the philosopher-king. His “Meditations” are not only one of the most important expressions of the Stoic philosophy of his time but also an enduringly inspiring guide to living a good and just life. Written in moments snatched from military campaigns and the rigors of politics, these ethical and spiritual reflections reveal a mind of exceptional clarity and originality, and a spirit attuned to both the particulars of human destiny and the vast patterns that underlie it. A. S. L. Farquharson (1871–1942) spent a lifetime on his edition of the “Meditations,” which is one of the outstanding twentieth-century achievements of classical scholarship. All the notes to the Farquharson translation, amplifying the twelve books of the “Meditations,” are included in this volume.

Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela

The riveting memoirs of the outstanding moral and political leader of our time, A Long Walk to Freedom brilliantly re-creates the drama of the experiences that helped shape Nelson Mandela’s destiny. Emotive, compelling and uplifting, A Long Walk to Freedom is the exhilarating story of an epic life; a story of hardship, resilience and ultimate triumph told with the clarity and eloquence of a born leader.

Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh

Pay brand-new employees $2,000 to quit? Make customer service the responsibility of the entire company-not just a department? Focus on company culture as the #1 priority? Apply research from the science of happiness to running a business? Help employees grow-both personally and professionally? . . . Sound crazy? It’s all standard operating procedure at Zappos, the online retailer that’s doing over $1 billion in gross merchandise sales annually. After debuting as the highest-ranking newcomer in Fortune magazine’s annual “Best Companies to Work For” list in 2009, Zappos was acquired by Amazon in a deal valued at over $1.2 billion on the day of closing. In Delivering Happiness, Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh shares the different lessons he has learned in business and life, from starting a worm farm to running a pizza business, through LinkExchange, Zappos, and more. Fast-paced and down-to-earth, Delivering Happiness shows how a very different kind of corporate culture is a powerful model for achieving success-and how by concentrating on the happiness of those around you, you can dramatically increase your own.

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