Category Archives: Ideas

Learning to relax; the top 6 books to show you how

2022, How to Guide, Ideas, Inspiring, Learning, leisure time, Lifestyle, meditation, New Release, Recommended, Self Care, spare time, Top Books, , ,

Taking time out to relax sounds ridiculously straightforward, a little indulgent and often something we only do if we have spare time. What has emerged from research is that it is critical to make time to relax due to its compounding health benefits – especially in the busy times we are experiencing in the world today. 

We have looked over that latest books hitting the market on self care and have found 6 that are a mix of effective relaxation methods, the reasoning behind the importance of self care and also practical how to guides that we can adopt at home, or even at work. 

The Relaxation Solution: The Secret to Stress-Free Living by Stephen Diamond

The Relaxation Solution is a guidebook to discovering how the modern world has taught us to make ourselves tense, and how we can stop it, let it all go, and truly relax.

Our environment today is dominated by stressful situations. Family life, financial trouble, illness and job demands are all significant sources of stress. People learn to respond to stress by tensing up. Originally a valuable self-protection mechanism, this habitual response is now making them anxious and ill. The Relaxation Solution provides a new approach to mindfulness, a set of exercises and meditations that gently and effortlessly guide the reader to experiencing freedom from tension. When practiced, these exercises reverse the habitual, unconscious tension response and instil a new habit of relaxation.

As a bonus, this little solution includes online access to 35 minutes of guided meditation audios.

The Joy of Self-Care by Becca Anderson

Self-care ideas are unique, they aren’t formulaic, but are personal and ever-changing. The Joy of Self-Care provides space for rest, catharsis, and healing, and brings value back into your cultivation of joy and embracing the joy of being you. What do you miss about yourself? Maybe it’s how you used to easily calm down following stress or enjoy your own company. Gain solace in the midst of chaos by reconnecting with yourself. Self-care isn’t a chore, an obligation, or emotionally exhausting work. It should be a fulfilment of your needs, a safe space, an act of joy. Full of self-care ideas, The Joy of Self-Care has something for everybody. 

Finding a personalised self-care routine can be daunting. The perfect addition to any self-care kit, this de-stress book is full of self-care ideas to help you get started-with the help of an expert. Author Becca Anderson specialises in personal growth and shepherds readers to their better selves with positive thinking and other self-care ideas.

Inside The Joy of Self-Care, you’ll find; Self-care ideas to help you physically, emotionally, and mentally recharge, a spirit of self-care and self-love and how to value calm, comfort, and rest.

How to Implement Effective Relaxation Techniques by Michael Robertson

One thing that we should understand is that stress is something we cannot avoid. The only thing you can do is to learn how to cope with it. After all, life is all about overcoming the challenges you face. Stress can take a huge toll on your life. It can bring out the worst state in you. Instead of approaching life with a sense of optimism, stress can make you feel lost and hopeless. Worst, it extinguishes the little motivation that would have ensured you remain productive.

In How to Implement Effective Relaxation Techniques you’ll discover the root cause of your stress and anxiety, how to relax your mind and body, and let go of worry. It’s through this understanding that you will take the right steps towards developing healthy habits to manage your everyday stressors. At the end of the day, a relaxed state of mind and body will allow you to spend less time worrying. Once you master the relaxation techniques detailed in this manual, you will organise your life to continuously strive to achieve more of the things that add value to your life.

The Power of Breathing Techniques by Lutz Schneider

We can survive for weeks without food and days without water, but only a few minutes without air. Would it not be justified to presume that the air, which is more important for human survival than food or water, should live up to basic standards? How much air do we need for ideal breathing? And how should we breathe? The amount of air that you breathe has the potential to change everything you believe about your body, your health and your performance. In this book, you will discover the fundamental relationship between oxygen and your body. Increasing your oxygen supply is not only healthy, it enables an increase in the intensity of your training and also reduces breathlessness. In short, you will notice an improvement in your health and more relaxation in your everyday life.

Sanctuary Of Your Own: Create a Haven Anywhere for Relaxation and Self-Renewal by Caroline Dow

Bring a sense of the sacred to your environment so not matter where you are, you can connect with spirit. This book shares ideas and techniques for transforming any space into a haven designed to bring balance, serenity, and joy into your life. By engaging your five senses and working with the power of intention, you can create a sacred space almost anywhere. A Sanctuary of Your Own shows you how to carve out a mini sanctuary at work, in your car, or even in your hotel room when you’re traveling. Author Caroline Dow also shares tips for creating your own altar, getting rid of clutter, and designing spaces to share with family and friends. Whether you want to facilitate a meditation practice or express your personal interests and cultural background, this accessible guide helps you take small steps that get big results. With examples from cultures around the world and helpful ideas for incorporating colors, fragrances, botanicals, gemstones, textiles, and even special numbers, A Sanctuary of Your Own helps you create a perfect space where they can feel safe, relax, and find some peace. 

Small Habits for a Big Life by Rebecca Ray

Change is not about grand statements and sweeping gestures. It is about chipping away, a bit at a time, at the edifices that hold us back. Dr Rebecca Ray knows about the power of small habits to make big changes. She has turned herself from regular clinical psychologist into one of Australia’s most effective communicators on matters of the mind by introducing small changes into her life. Rebecca has helped many members of her large online community and her clients do the same. In Small Habits for a Big Life Rebecca Ray breaks down the process for her reader. She explains how we can override the part of the brain that seeks pleasure and comfort (ice cream and wine) and activate the parts that tolerate some discomfort for the sake of long-term goals (an hour of study instead of an hour of Netflix). Small Habits for a Big Life clears the way for readers to embark on their own path to change and provides exactly the right amount of support along the way.

Enjoy!

The best six books exploring how exercise helps the mind.

2022, Change, Eating, Exercise, Fitness, Food, General Knowledge, Goals, Hobby, Ideas, life stories, Lifestyle, meditation, New Release, Personal development, Self Care, Sport, Top Books, Wellbeing, , , , , , , ,

We all know that exercise is good for us both mentally and physically and has numerous health benefits. That said, there are still days where we really don’t feel like getting out of bed and heading into the cold for a run (hello Melbourne Winter’s we’re talking about you). Thankfully, there are a growing  number of indoor options for those days we can’ face the cold but want still to get moving. For those that need a little more convincing, we have found six great books that not only explain what we can do, but why we need to. 

Brace yourself, you’ll be lacing up your runners at the end of this blog and reaching for your drink bottle as we know these are going to inspire you to get moving. 

Eat Like a Pig, Run Like a Horse by Anastacia Marx de Salcedo

There is no pill. There is no diet. Could it be that our underlying assumption, that what we’re eating is making us fat and sick, is just plain wrong? To address the nation’s bulging waistline and the disease states associated with it, scientists have conducted a whopping 500,000 studies of diet and 300,000 of obesity. Journalists have written 223,000,000 and 15,600,000 news articles respectively about the topics. Yet nothing seems to halt the epidemic. It’s clear a new approach is needed. Anastacia Marx de Salcedo’s Eat Like a Pig, Run Like a Horse, looks not just to data-driven science, but to animals and the natural world around us. What she finds will transform the national debate about the root causes of our most pervasive diseases and offer hope of dramatically reducing the number who suffer from these, no matter what we eat. She starts by chronicling her own medical miracle. She has multiple sclerosis, but discovered that daily exercise keeps it from progressing. And now, new research backs up her own experience. This revelation prompted her to ask what would happen if people with lifestyle illness put physical activity front and centre in their daily lives instead of diet? In a fascinating journey divided between personal profiles of patients, mad(ish) scientists, and beguiling animal stories (bats, who fly hundreds of miles weekly, are incredibly disease resistant, much like how aerobic exercise boosts our own immune system), Anastacia shows we need to move beyond our current diet-focused model to a new, dynamic concept of metabolism as regulated by exercise. Suddenly the answer to global good health is embarrassingly simple. Don’t worry about what you eat. Worry about how much you move.

Sweat: A History of Exercise by Bill Hayes

Exercise is our modern obsession, and we have the fancy workout gear and fads to prove it. Exercise, a form of physical activity distinct from sports, play, or athletics, was an ancient obsession, too, but as a chapter in human history, it’s been largely overlooked. In Sweat, Bill Hayes runs, jogs, swims, spins, walks, bikes, boxes, lifts, sweats, and downward-dogs his way through the origins of different forms of exercise, chronicling how they have evolved over time, and dissecting the dynamics of human movement. Hippocrates, Plato, Galen, Susan B. Anthony, Jack LaLanne, and Jane Fonda, among many others, make appearances in Sweat, but chief among the historical figures is Girolamo Mercuriale, a Renaissance-era Italian physician who aimed singlehandedly to revive the ancient Greek “art of exercising” through his 1569 book De arte gymnastica. In the pages of Sweat, Mercuriale and his illustrated treatise are vividly brought back to life. As Hayes ties his own personal experience to the cultural and scientific history of exercise, from ancient times to the present day, he gives us a new way to understand its place in our lives in the 21st century.

Yoga Happy: Simple Tools and Practices for Everyday Calm & Strength by Hannah Barrett

Yoga Happy is an essential companion to help you through life, whether you’re a complete yoga beginner or wanting to deepen your home practice. In this beautiful, full-colour book you will find everything you need to build your inner strength and resilience, enhance your yoga practice, and help you find calm, happiness and the resilience to navigate the modern world. Written by yoga and meditation teacher Hannah Barrett, who has helped hundreds of thousands of people both online and through her workshops and classes, Yoga Happy encourages you to incorporate key disciplines, thoughts and actions into your everyday life. No matter how little time or space you have, Hannah shows how you can find your energy, reduce stress at home or at work, get a good night’s sleep and learn to cope better with whatever life throws at you. This inspiring handbook will also guide you through short, illustrated yoga sequences adapted for all abilities, plus give you breathing techniques, meditations and other proven mindful practices that will help to nourish and support your mind and body.

The Truth of Yoga: A Comprehensive Guide to Yoga’s History, Texts, Philosophy, and Practices by Daniel Simpson

A succinct, approachable guide to the origins, development, key texts, concepts, and practices of yoga. Yoga is practiced by many millions of people worldwide and is celebrated for its mental, physical, and spiritual benefits. And yet, as Daniel Simpson reveals in The Truth of Yoga , much of what is said about yoga is misleading. For example, the word “yoga” does not always mean union. In fact, in perhaps the discipline’s most famous text, the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, its aim is described as separation: isolating consciousness from everything else. And yoga is not five thousand years old, as is commonly claimed; the earliest evidence of practice dates back about twenty-five hundred years. (Yoga may well be older, but no one can prove it.) The Truth of Yoga is a clear, concise, and accessible handbook for the lay reader that draws upon abundant recent scholarship. It outlines these new findings with practitioners in mind, highlighting ways to keep traditions alive in the twenty-first century.

Caged Lion: Joseph Pilates and His Legacy by John Howard Steel

Caged Kion is the surprising story of Pilates, the man and the method.

Part biography, part history, and part memoir, Caged Lion untangles for the first time Joseph Pilates’s opaque life story and the perilous journey of his exercise program known the world over as Pilates.

This is the story of Joseph Pilates, a gifted man who immigrated to the United States at forty-three with no assets or credentials. He not only invented an exercise regimen which today is practiced by more than ten million people, but in the process, reinvented himself.

John Howard Steel brings Joseph Pilates and his eponymous exercise regime to life from his unique perspective as a student, friend, and confidant. Joe’s influence profoundly changed Steel’s life; in turn, Steel was crucial for the survival of the Pilates Method and Joe’s legacy. Steel’s vivid account traces the expansion of Pilates from a small cadre of dedicated adherents, through two periods of near extinction, to the global sensation it is today. Steel describes Joseph Pilates’s years as a prisoner during World War I, Joe’s motivation to discover his system of exercises, his inspirational teaching technique, and the unique attraction of the Pilates Method. It’s quite a story.

Just Breathe by Dan Brule

Hailed by Tony Robbins as the “definitive breathwork handbook,” Just Breathe will teach you how to harness your breath to reduce stress, increase productivity, balance your health, and find the path to spiritual awakening. Big meeting jitters? Anxiety over a test or taxes? Hard time focusing? What if you could control your outcomes and change results simply by regulating your breath? In this simple and revolutionary guide, world-renowned pioneer of breathwork Dan Brul shares the Breath Mastery technique that has helped people in more than fifty countries reduce anxiety, improve their health, and tap infinite stores of energy. Just Breathe reveals the truth that elite athletes, champion martial artists, Navy SEAL warriors, first responders, and spiritual yogis have always known; when you regulate your breathing, you can moderate your state of well-being. So if you want to clear and calm your mind and spark peak performance, the secret is just a breath away. Breathwork gives you the tools to achieve benefits in a wide range of issues including: managing acute/chronic pain; helping with insomnia, weight loss, attention deficit, anxiety, depression, trauma, and grief; improving intuition, creativity, mindfulness, self-esteem, and leadership; and much more. Just Breathe will help you utilise your breath to benefit your body, mind, and spirit.

Enjoy!

Top six books for those who want to learn to meditate

2022, Change, Clean Living, Community, Environment, Exercise, Goals, How to Guide, Ideas, Inspiring, Learning, Lifestyle, meditation, New authors, New Release, new skill, Non-fiction, Personal development, Philosophy, Self Care, Top Tips, , , , , , , , ,

Meditation is known and followed by many who delight in the calm and clarity it brings them when they need it most, though others can find it lacking in science and complete woo-woo. In these crazy times we are living in with a climate crisis, global pandemics, spring inflation and even a war, Team Booko has found six amazing books that want to help ease your mind and may even change the mind of the strongest sceptic. Whether you are looking for quick suggestions to relax during the day or answers to deeper questions about the direction of your life, these books each aim to work towards a positive impact on your life while drawing on science and practice. 

Finding Peace: Meditation and Wisdom for Modern Times by Lama Yeshe Losal Rinpoche

Finding Peace is a practical guide to the life-changing benefits of meditation from leading Buddhist master Lama Yeshe Losal Rinpoche. Rinpoche is the leading Buddhist monk in the UK, who shares his collected wisdom on how we can all overcome negative thoughts and calm our minds with simple meditation practices. His teachings have transformed the lives of people all over the world and, in our modern chaotic world, have never been more pertinent.

He teaches us that our minds are infinite like the sky, which can easily become clouded with stress and emotions, but with meditation we are able to clear away these clouds. By freeing our minds of those obstacles we can find peace in every moment and live a truly fulfilled life. With practical steps on breathing, posture, forgiveness, relationships and routine, this is the definitive guide for beginners and experienced meditators alike to learn from the wisdom of a globally revered meditation master.

Breathe Like a Badass by Hannah Jane Thompson

Breathe Like a Badass is a practical handbook that shows you how to harness the power of meditation, covering everything from comparison and office politics to body image and relationships. This practical handbook teaches you how to start and stick to a non-woo-woo, scientifically based, zero-BS meditation habit that you can turn to again and again when life and work gets tough. Qualified meditation teacher and certified life coach Hannah Jane Thompson has been practising meditation for over 11 years, after discovering the difference it made to her own life. As an ambitious but chronically anxious journalist, Hannah suppressed all feelings of not being ‘good enough’ until one day she was hit with chronic depression, anxiety, and panic attacks. At her absolute lowest point, she discovered meditation, and it quite literally saved her life. Breath by breath, meditation taught her to stop, breathe, accept who she was, and question those negative thoughts and transform them into something a little more kind, positive, and mindfully productive. Drawing on her own story, her teaching practice and experiences of her clients, Hannah shows you how to harness the power of meditation. Breathe Like a Badass is your no-BS guide to creating a life-changing, burnout-busting emotional toolbox of your own.

Total Meditation: Stress Free Living Starts Here by Deepak Chopra

Times are hard. Meditation doesn’t have to be. Meditation leads to transformation. It affects every aspect of your wellbeing and can bring about positive change in your body, affect your mental outlook, increase your decision-making ability and eliminate worry and anxiety. The master of modern meditation Deepak Chopra draws on his 30 years of practice and reveals how to achieve blissful awareness by waking up to who you really are. Perfect for beginners, sceptics or those looking for a new approach to stillness, his simple 7-day programme offers a life-changing path to a quiet mind.

The No-Nonsense Meditation Book by Steven Laureys

Rigorously researched and deeply illuminating, world-leading neurologist Dr Steven Laureys works with celebrated meditators to scientifically prove the positive impact meditation has on our brains.

Dr Steven Laureys has conducted ground-breaking research into human consciousness for more than 20 years. For this bestselling book, he explores the effect of meditation on the brain. He uses hard science to explain the benefits of a practice that was once thought of as purely spiritual. The result is a highly accessible, scientifically questioning guide to meditation, designed to open the practice to a broader audience. A mix of fascinating science, inspiring anecdote and practical exercises, this accessible book offers scientific evidence that meditation can have a positive impact on all our lives.

Strong, Calm and Free: A modern guide to yoga, meditation and mindful living by Nicola Jane Hobbs

Heartfelt and deeply practical, Strong, Calm and Free brings alive the possibility of a life of inner peace, compassion and joy. Grounded in both modern science and ancient wisdom, this beautiful and inspiring book demystifies the philosophy and psychology of yoga, making the 4000-year old practice accessible for modern life. Whether you’ve never stepped foot on a yoga mat before or want to deepen your home practice, this beautifully-illustrated book is suitable for all abilities, gently guiding you through a ten-week journey of yoga sequences, meditations and mindful living practices that will build strength, bring insight and offer a path to healing and freedom. Written by holistic counsellor and international yoga and meditation teacher Nicola Jane Hobbs, Strong, Calm and Free shares the tools to help you navigate the peaks and valleys of modern life, to dispel the “I’m not good enough” myth that holds so many of us back and to experience the miracle of being yourself. By sharing her gentle wisdom alongside simple, practical exercises, Nicola invites you on a path of inner transformation. A mindful adventure of self-discovery. A journey towards health, happiness and wholeness. Towards strength, peace and freedom. Towards becoming fully and fearlessly who you are.

A Monk’s Guide to Happiness: Meditation in the 21st century by Gelong Thubten

We’re all on a search for happiness, but we’re looking in the wrong places. Everyone looks externally to find contentment, we think material possessions will unlock our happiness. A Monk’s Guide to Happiness  explains how and why we need to look within, and connect to our true essence, in order to find peace. Everyone has the potential to be happy, after all, we’re all ‘hardwired’ for happiness. But how do we get there? By meditating. Not just in the morning, but throughout the day by introducing micro moments so we never drop the mindfulness ball, even when we’re busy. Meditation is more than just a stress-reduction tool or a relaxation therapy, it is the key to finding long-lasting happiness. Gelong Thubten, a Buddhist monk who has worked with everyone from Silicon Valley entrepreneurs to Ruby Wax and Benedict Cumberbatch, explores the theme of happiness in his debut book and explains how to bring meditation into our busy 21st century lives with simple exercises.

Enjoy!

So you want to be a painter? Six books to help you on your way.

2022, Craft, Hobby, How to Guide, Ideas, Illustration, Inspiring, Learning, leisure time, new skill, something new, spare time, Top Tips

Painting is something we all started off in life adoring and thinking we were amazing at. Then somewhere along the way we started doubting our skills. The wonderful Ken Done in his book A Life Coloured In (psst you can also read his newest book Art, Design, Life here) rightly pointed out that it’s around the time we start injecting rational thought into our work that the belief in our creativity starts to wane. While this is such a shame, it is heartening to see that so many adults are picking the paint brush up once again in an effort to spark painting’s original joy. 


If you happen to be one of those creative individuals, then you are in luck! We have scoured the internet and have found six books to help you on your way. 

Drawing and Painting Beautiful Flowers by Kyehyun Park

Learn how to draw beautiful flowers and add breathtaking watercolour with the easy step-by-step instructions in Drawing and Painting Beautiful Flowers. Drawing and painting realistic flowers is achievable! Create a wide variety of blooms and greenery using an easy step-by-step method, then add watercolour for gorgeous effects. In Drawing and Painting Beautiful Flowers, discover how to draw flowers such as roses, cosmos, daffodils, tulips, hydrangeas, lilies, daisies, and more from various angles, and learn about perspective and shading. Once you have the skills to draw a single flower, learn how to draw groupings, bouquets, and wreaths. Mix in grasses and wildflowers to create a variety of looks and dynamic scenes. Then, learn simple techniques to add luscious watercolour, using shading, blending, and gradient techniques for eye-catching results. Popular Instagram artist Kate Kyehyun Park shares her secrets for capturing realistic flower, leaf, and plant shapes. Artists of all levels love drawing and painting nature, and with these techniques they’ll confidently render lifelike botanicals in an array of lovely palettes.

Master Oils : Painting Techniques Inspired by Influential Artists by Selwyn Leamy

Learn how to paint in one of the modern artist’s favourite medium: oil. Taking inspiration from iconic paintings in the London Tate Collection, discover the techniques of the masters and improve your own painting skills with 30 guided projects. Master brushwork and form with Cezanne; thin and blend with Turner and Whistler; and play with texture with Richter and Riley.

The Beginner’s Guide to Oil Painting by Craig Stephens

Craig Stephens has a simple motto for painting: With a brush, some paints and a willingness to learn, anyone can do it. With that mindset, Craig takes his most essential lessons, boils them down to their basics and teaches you everything you need to know to start oil painting, without any fuss or highbrow. Thanks to his experience teaching painting to high school students for over two decades, Craig is an expert at helping those with no experience pick up a brush and make beautiful art they are proud of. With his direction, you’ll create dynamic, vivid paintings and learn to capture your world in ways you never thought possible. Each project in this book is designed to highlight the important elements of using oil paints, helping you to practice new skills and get comfortable with the medium. And thanks to Craig’s helpful step-by-step directions that pair a picture with each stroke, you’ll get great results. Hone your colour-mixing eye as you blend the vibrant greens and subtle yellows in the Freshly Cut Avocado piece. Practice painting unique textures, like the small craters in the Simplified Strawberry or the glossy skin on the Smooth and Shiny Plum. Learn all the ways to capture natural light, like transparency in a glass of Refreshing Lemon Water or dazzling reflections on a Chrome Coffee Creamer. Oil painting is a timeless art form, and with Craig as your teacher, you’ll create 22 beautiful pieces for your walls and learn all the foundational skills you need to enjoy this hobby for years to come.

Modern Japanese Painting Techniques by Shinichi Fukui

This book makes it easy to create and admire wonderful Japanese-style paintings and portraits. Modern Japanese-style paintings are recognisable by their restrained use of three-dimensionality and perspective, reliance upon expressive lines, and the bold use of colour to direct the viewer’s eye. There are other ways that artists imbue their work with Japanese-inspired attributes, including through the skilful use of shape, texture, and facial expression. Author Shinichi Fukui introduces readers to 7 notable modern Japanese artists who specialise in shin hanga-style portraiture of Japanese women. He then presents instructions to create 21 different original paintings — from sketching models, preparing and mixing paints, blocking in colour, and rendering fine details. Using these techniques, and a bit of acrylic paint, readers will be able to create eye-catching works of art that express a timeless Japanese aesthetic.

Painting Happiness: Creativity with Watercolours by Terry Runyan

Painting Happiness offers playful, expressive watercolour painting techniques and projects that will help you find your calm. Combat stress and anxiety and release your own inner creative with this beautiful mindful watercolour book. In this simple and vibrant guide, hugely popular Instagram muse @TerryRunyan explores the art of watercolour through the lens of mindfulness, presenting activities and projects which you can paint along with as you allow your creative side to flourish. This watercolour guide is easy and accessible for beginners, as Runyan gently delves into the basics of the artform, starting with simple techniques which you can follow along with, as well as presenting some fun projects ideas for painters to explore. Alongside beautiful examples of the techniques and styles explored in the book, Runyan also encourages readers to practice mindfulness as they paint, and explores the ways in which art can be used to help improve mental health. Exploring the idea of perfectly imperfect watercolours, Runyan places emphasis on self-expression and allowing yourself to make mistakes.

Watercolour Painting at Home by Bley Hack

With Watercolour Painting at Home, artists can learn to find painting inspiration around their homes and gardens, and then paint beautiful, homey art. Easy-to-follow watercolour techniques and projects help you find inspiration at home and paint what you see around you, from seasonal decor to favourite recipes and the flowers in your garden. As we all spend more time at home, you may find yourself looking for a creative outlet that doesn’t require you to get out and about. That’s where Watercolour Painting at Home comes in, with ideas and inspiration for painting from your couch, front porch, backyard, and more. Painting your favourite things will make your home look more beautiful to you, and it will help you appreciate where you live and what you have. It’s easy to find inspiration at home; just look to your holiday decor, favourite recipes, plants, office, and more. Expertly written and illustrated by a professional artist, this beautiful book is filled with inviting and colourful large-scale art accompanied by instructions that are clear and easy to follow for any skill level.

Enjoy!

So you want to be a photographer? 6 books to help you on your way

2022, Books of the World, Goals, Hobby, How to Guide, Ideas, Illustration, Learning, New Release, new skill, Non-fiction, Personal development, Photography, Recommended, something new, spare time, Top Tips, , , , , , , , ,

Photography is often a skill to learn sitting on people’s hobby wish-lists and it is no secret that Team Booko loves taking photos too. We have scoured the internet looking for books to not only inspire you but to also offer tips and tricks for those who would like to take a plunge into this creative world. 

It would be remiss of us to share our favourite photography books and not include our very own photographic inspiration based here in Melbourne in the form of Chris Cincotta. Chris is behind the lens of the Humans In Melbourne facebook page (you can follow his work here) and @melbourneiloveyou on Instagram. Chris takes a photo each and shares it every day and, not surprisingly, has some wonderful coffee table books available on his website.

Understanding Street Photography: An Introduction to Shooting Compelling Images on the Street by Bryan Peterson

Discover the secrets to mastering street photography from an acclaimed international photographer, teacher, and best-selling author, Bryan Peterson. Street photography enables us to experience the world through a new lens. In Understanding Street Photography, readers will learn the techniques behind images taken around the globe, from the vibrant streets of Varanasi, India, to the crowded walkways of the Charles Bridge in Prague, and so many other corners of the world. In this master class, street photography is defined as images that convey evidence of human interaction, whether that’s a striking cityscape, an image of rush-hour foot traffic, the remains of a half-eaten sandwich, or a pedestrian portrait. Along the way, Peterson shares 120 “mini diaries” the story behind each image; the thought process; the arrangement of the composition; the psychology of the colours; and the lens, aperture, shutter speed, and ISO for readers to replicate his work. Professional and aspiring photographers alike will learn how to produce posed and candid compositions, capture light and movement, and work with shadows, weather, and architecture, and hone your craft. Through lessons, exercises, and anecdotes, Peterson shares his best tips for capturing the unpredictable world of urban life in motion.

Photographers on Photography by Henry Carroll

Think you know photography? Think again. Through a carefully curated selection of quotes and images, this book reveals what matters most to the masters of photography. With accompanying text by Henry Carroll, author of the internationally bestselling Read This If You Want To Take Great Photographs series, you’ll learn what photography actually means to the giants of the genres and how they developed their distinctive visual styles. Divided into clear sections, quotes offer intimate insights into “the camera”, “the photograph”, “taking pictures”, “style, subject matter and technique” and ultimately answer that all-important question-“what exactly is photography?” in wildlife.

Flora Photographica: The Flower in Contemporary Photography by William A. Ewing and Danaé Panchaud

Vivid, bold, spectacular and unexpected: a definitive overview of one of contemporary photography’s most innovative fields, showcasing flower imagery by more than 120 of the world’s leading practitioners. There has never been a period in photography’s long history – no school, no movement – when flowers have not been a central focus, whether in the form of the classic still life, the botanical study, incorporated into portraiture and studies of the human body, documented in street photography, or used subversively in surrealist collage and montage. Today, flower photography remains in full bloom, with photographers the world over depicting flowers and floral motifs in novel ways. Featuring works by more than 120 photographers, Flora Photographica links the very best of flower photography from the past thirty years with its predecessors. Vibrant and abundant with myriad species of flora, this stunning book is both a celebration of organic beauty and a keen look at the meaning of flowers in human culture – not to mention an insightful look at a key aspect of contemporary photography – making it a must-have publication for lovers of flowers and photography alike.

How I Make Photographs by David Yarrow

For over two decades, legendary British photographer David Yarrow has been putting himself in harm’s way to capture immersive and evocative photography of some of the world’s most revered and endangered animal species. With his images heightening awareness of endangered species and also raising huge sums for charity and conservation, he is one of the most relevant photographers in the world today. Featuring his 150 most iconic photographs, David Yarrow Photography offers a view of some of the world’s most compelling and threatened species. This collection of stunning images, paired with Yarrow’s first-person contextual narrative, offers an insight into a man who will not accept second best in the relentless pursuit of excellence.

Take Photographs, Not Snapshots: The Essential Elements of Photography by Cider Mill Press 

There is no reason to be intimidated by your camera, as this book is ideal for the beginner looking to learn more or the professional looking for a quick reference guide on location. Take your photos from so-so to stunning with techniques to help you understand aperture, depth of field, lighting, and composition. With guides for both digital and traditional cameras, as well as smartphones, upgrade your photography game on any platform with ease. Don’t just settle for a good enough picture, become a master photographer with Take Photos, Not Snapshots.

How Do I Photograph A Sunset? by Chris Gatcum

How do we learn? We learn by asking questions. But what if we don’t know what questions we should be asking? Thanks to the digital revolution, photography has never been so popular, and whether you shoot on a phone or a top-spec DSLR or CSC camera, the urge to improve is relentless. In this book, author Chris Gatcum asks the questions that every photographer will have in mind at some point in their image-making journey, and then answers them in a clear, concise, straightforward and inspirational manner. Laid out in intuitive sections, this book tackles the questions that are on every photographer’s mind, as well as those that they haven’t thought of yet. And with a clear progression through each chapter, from the simple to more complex, the book asks and answers questions to satisfy the complete novice as well as the advanced practitioner.

Enjoy!

Return Yourself to the Library these School Holidays 

2022, Activities, Children, Holiday, Ideas, Library, school holidays, , ,

Need some ideas for what to do during the school holidays ? Your public libraries can help! Libraries are a great source of low-cost and no-cost activities and educational and entertainment options for all ages. Whether you want to attend organised workshops and activities in-person, or borrow materials – including books, DVDs, even console/board games or robotics toys – to create your own activities at home, libraries have you covered.
In my home state of Victoria, public libraries are running a campaign called Return Yourself to Your Library. As libraries return to full services following disruptions caused by the pandemic, they would love to remind their members (past, present and future!) of the wide range of services they offer. Not only are they a great source of borrowable and/or downloadable materials, they can also support your entertainment and creativity needs, as well as being welcoming spaces where you can make new friends and feel part of a community.
In today’s blogpost I am highlighting some activities offered by libraries around and beyond Victoria, to show the diversity of events available. I hope this inspires you to contact your nearest library to see what they have to offer. From story times and craft workshops to robotics and dance sessions, library events can add some welcomed variety to your school holidays!

Image Source: City Of Melbourne

Treasure Hunt at the City of Melbourne Libraries
Whether you live in the City of Melbourne, or are visiting for the day, you can drop into one of their five branches (City Library on Flinders Lane, Southbank, Docklands, North Melbourne, East Melbourne, and Kathleen Syme in Carlton) for a treasure hunt! Follow the clues, discover some surprises, find the hidden pictures and collect your treasure! This is a self-guided activity available anytime during library opening hours – speak to a staff member for full details. Also look out for pop-up library spaces throughout the CBD – perfect for a bit of quiet downtime or free internet access.

Image Source: Yarra Plenty Regional Library

The Australian Ballet at Yarra Plenty Regional Libraries
One of the biggest library services in Melbourne, Yarra Plenty Regional Libraries is offering an extensive holiday program across its nine branches.  One highlight is its collaboration with The Australian Ballet – ballet storytime for young children (5 years and under) at Watsonia Library, and STEAM dance workshops for 5-12 year olds at Ivanhoe Library.  These workshops encourage and nurture movement, creativity as well as literacy. No dance experience required, bookings essential.  Other holiday activities include movie afternoons, Minecraft and coding.

Image Source: State Library Victoria

Little Warriors Yoga at the State Library of Victoria Every Wednesday, you and your preschooler can enjoy a fun and free 45-minute yoga class hosted by Little Warriors Yoga.  Help your little one grow into happy and confident beings with tips on stretching, calmness and wellbeing.  Two sessions available every Wednesday morning, bookings essential.  Part of the Playdate at the Library series of events suitable for 3-5 year olds. And while you are there, why not explore the beautiful spaces in this iconic building, including the famous Dome Reading Room, and the beautifully refurbished, dedicated Children’s Quarter?

Image Source: Geelong Regional Libraries

LEGO Club at the Geelong Libraries The popular LEGO Club at the Geelong Regional Libraries is running a bricktastic workshop as part of its school holiday program, where you can make new friends and explore your creativity.  These sessions are for parents and children to build together, and can suit diverse needs, especially for children on the autism spectrum.  Sessions are held at the Bannockburn Library and are suitable for 5-11 year olds.

Image Source: Goldfields Libraries

Make a seed bomb at the Goldfields Libraries
The Goldfields Libraries service a number of central Victorian towns including Bendigo, Castlemaine, Gisborne and Kyneton.  The current school holiday program has a Peter Rabbit theme and focusses on hands-on activities including craft, LEGO and robotics.  If you have young people who love gardening and/or messy play, drop into one of their branches and make a Seed Bomb.  Seed bombs are a tried-and-true method of providing an optimal environment for germinating seeds – great for home-use and also as gifts.  All materials supplied.

Image Source: What’s On – City of Sydney

Laser-cut Jewellery workshop for teens at the City of Sydney Library
Further afield, the City of Sydney Libraries are hosting a range of creative workshops at their Darling Square Library.  Many public libraries offer Maker Spaces with equipment that are free to use and help support your creativity – from sewing machines to 3D printers to design software and even sound studios.  The gorgeous new Darling Square Library is offering a jewellery-making session for adults and older teens.  Suitable for beginners, the workshop will show you how to use Adobe Illustrator software to create a design, that can then be turned into reality using a laser cutter on plywood or perspex.  Follow the link for booking and cost details.

Setting Goals in 2022

2022, Back to work, Backtoschool, Business, Change, Entrepreneur, Goals, Ideas, Inspiring, Learning, leisure time, Lifestyle, New authors, New Release, new skill, Non-fiction, Personal development, Recommended, Top Books, Top Tips,

It’s the start of a new year when we usually dive in with blind optimism with lists of things we dream of doing and challenging ourselves with for the year ahead. However, in these uncertain times, we face the start of another new year with a little trepidation, wondering if we will be able to actually get out and about to attempt to achieve these activities we have set ourselves. 

Fear not, we have rustled up a few great books that will give you the nudge you may need to give things a go; whether it is to expand your business, challenge your mind, learn to be less ’online’ or accept that you don’t have to ‘achieve’ things everyday. 

Have you got any favourite books that help you reset each new year? Let us know in the comments below and we will compile them into a recommended list. 

Million Dollar Micro Business by Tina Tower

Tina Tower delivers a new and smarter way to do business that avoids huge overheads and large capital investments. Fuelled by recent innovations in technology and shifts in consumer behaviour, Tina shows you a new way to have a big impact with few resources. You’ll learn how to create a digital course based on expertise you’ve gained through your life, business, academic work, and career. The book is a practical and tangible guide to getting started and offers a proven framework and case studies of people who have scaled courses into seven-figure ventures and is perfect for entrepreneurs, seasoned professionals, educated experts, and anyone else interested in sharing their knowledge with the world around them.

Let Go by Hugh van Cuylenburg

From the bestselling author of The Resilience Project comes this deeply personal book about the power of letting go. If ever there was a time for us to be resilient it was when a deadly virus engulfed the planet. As death rates soared and crippling lockdowns kicked in, the Resilience Project founder Hugh Van Cuylenburg was one of the people Australia turned to in order to find out how to cope. Under pressure to deliver good news in a historic crisis, it didn’t take long for the Melbourne-based educator to realise he wasn’t coping. Like millions of people around the world, Hugh was forced to reassess life during the 2020-21 pandemic as Covid undermined our sense of safety, strangled our personal connections and saw levels of happiness plunge. After taking the time to address his own problems, Hugh recognised he was being hamstrung by the same powerful issues that undermine the lives of many- our feelings of shame, our quest for perfection and the toxicity of social media. In this follow-up to the best-selling The Resilience Project- Finding Happiness through Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness, Hugh combines powerful insight with research and his own disarming and candid storytelling to show how it is possible to let go of the things that are stopping us from feeling connected, safe and happy.

You’re Doing It Wrong by Kaz Cooke

You’re Doing it Wrong is an outrageous tour through the centuries of bonkers and bad advice handed down and foisted upon women, told as only Kaz Cooke can – with humour and rage, intelligence and wit. A fresh, funny and furious look at the terrible advice women have been told for centuries. Stroll with bestselling author Kaz Cooke through instructions on how to day-drink, wear a dress made of arsenic, pretend you’re an idiot, have sex with a billionaire biker, curtsey, get properly harassed at work, exercise your nose, oppress other women and frighten your uterus. Using hundreds of amazing photos and illustrations, and the experiences of generations of women in her own family, You’re Doing It Wrong shows how advice has been a weapon against us – and how by recognising it, we can ignore it. And totally cheer up. Warning- contains unbridled swearing about famous philosophers.

Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown

This major new work from the international bestselling author of Gifts of Imperfection and Dare to Lead examines the 87 emotions and experiences that define us, and provides a compelling framework to help us all become more emotionally fluent and connected. In her latest book Dr Brene Brown writes, “If we want to find the way back to ourselves and each other, we need language and the grounded confidence to both tell our stories, and to be stewards of the stories that we hear. This is the framework for meaningful connection.” In Atlas of the Heart, Brown takes us on a journey through the emotions and experiences that define what it means to be human. As she maps the necessary skills and lays out an actionable framework for meaningful connection, she gives us the language and tools to access a universe of new choices and second chances – a universe where we can share and steward the stories of our bravest and most heart-breaking moments with one another in a way that builds connection. Over the past two decades, Brown’s extensive research into the experiences that make us who we are has shaped the cultural conversation and helped define what it means to be courageous with our lives.

Cain’s Jawbone by Edward Powys Mathers

If James Joyce and Agatha Christie had a literary lovechild, this would be it. Cain’s Jawbone is a 100-page whodunnit in which six people die. 

In 1934, the Observer’s cryptic crossword compiler, Edward Powys Mathers (aka Torquemada), released a novel that was simultaneously a murder mystery and the most fiendishly difficult literary puzzle ever written. To find out who killed them, the reader must re-order the book’s pages. There is only one correct solution. To date, only three people have ever found it. The pages have been printed in an entirely haphazard order, but it is possible – through logic and intelligent reading – to sort the pages into the only correct order, revealing six murder victims and their respective murderers.

Please note: this puzzle is extremely difficult and not for the faint-hearted. Be sure to let us know on any of Booko’s social media channels if you attempt to take this challenge on and how you go. 

I Didn’t Do The Thing Today by Madeleine Dore

An antidote to our obsession with busyness, author Madeleine Dore explores the joys of releasing ourselves from the burden of productivity guilt. Curious about how people navigate their days, Madeleine Dore turned to interviewing hundreds of creative thinkers and experts to find the secret to productivity. What she discovered instead was far more enriching: there is more to value in each day than what we do – or don’t do. I Didn’t Do the Thing Today is the antidote to our doing-obsession. Madeleine explores the stumbles of productivity guilt, including comparison, perfectionism and indecision, and encourages us to focus less on our ‘to do’ list and more on stepping fully into every moment of our lives. For anyone who has ever thought they had to do more to do better, be better, be enough, I Didn’t Do the Thing Today is an inspiring call to take productivity off its pedestal and find more connection, creativity, and contentment in its place.

Enjoy!