Category Archives: Non-fiction

Posts about non-fiction titles

6 books that will change how you see the world

August 4, 2016Non-fiction, Uncategorized#Nonfiction, #Reading, #readingtipsTeam Booko

Consider what words of advice, experiences or books you have read that have made a lasting impact on your life. The best thing about reading when you are going through a challenging time or even just a period of change, is that someone who has been there before can help, if only in a small way. Here are our recommendations of books that have changed our lives for the better, or tipped our perspective on its head for a moment in time.

The Invisible Gorilla and Other Ways our Intuitions Deceive Us by Christopher Chabris & Daniel Simons

The funny thing is, we feel like we have a reasonable understanding of how our mind works. The authors of ‘The Invisible Gorilla’ challenge this when they show just how our mind plays tricks on us and why people succumb to everyday illusions. The Invisible Gorilla shows how our intuition deceives us and how we can ‘train our brain’ to withstand it’s effects.

Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert

Why are lovers quicker to forgive their partners for infidelity than for leaving dirty dishes in the sink? Why does the line at the grocery store always slow down when we join it? In this book, Harvard psychologist Gilbert argues that our ability to remember past happiness is flawed. Added to this is that our ability to predict what will make us happy is not well developed. The net result is that our human minds are working against our own happiness. This book explores how we can best challenge ourselves to seek happiness.

Your Money or Your Life by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin

The premise of this book is that every day you go to work to trade the hours of your life for money. If you spend that money on things you don’t need, you are essentially trading your life for material possessions that don’t add value to your life. This is a classic financial self-help book that offers a nine-step program for how to live a more meaningful life, showing readers how to get out of debt, save money, reorder priorities, and convert problems into opportunities.

As a Man Thinketh by James Allen

“A person is limited only by the thoughts that he chooses.” A classic book that has helped thousands for over a century, “As a Man Thinketh” is based on the premise of ‘you are your thoughts’ and provides a guide on how to use your thoughts to the betterment of your life.

The Shallows by Nicholas Carr

This book explores the thinking that the internet, for all its instantaneous information, is making us stupid. We are losing the ability to think deeply due to the ease with which we can easily source the answers to just about any question we can think of. “The Net’s interactivity gives us powerful new tools for finding information, expressing ourselves, and conversing with others. It also turns us into lab rats constantly pressing levers to get tiny pellets of social or intellectual nourishment.”

Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets by Nassim Nicolas Taleb

From the author of international bestseller The Black Swan, Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s Fooled by Randomness is the bestselling account of the hidden role of chance in life and the markets.Everyone wants to succeed in life. But what causes some of us to be more successful than others? Is it really down to skill and strategy – or something altogether more unpredictable? This book is the word-of-mouth sensation that will change the way you think about business and the world.

What are the best books of all time?

July 11, 2016Fiction, Non-fiction, Uncategorized#BookReview, #Fiction, #Nonfiction, #PopularbooksTeam Booko

If you’re going to write a blog about the best books of all time, you’re not going to satisfy everyone, right? It’s also pretty important to separate out your personal favourites and get some perspective on how to calculate the ‘importance’ or significance of a book to a group of people. The other considerations are, of course, how the perceived importance of a book might change over time – many books and other creative outputs have become of increased significance after their creator has passed away. There are other things to bear in mind: Fiction/Non-Fiction? So finding the best books of all time is a bit of a challenge.

Based on all of this, I decided that I needed a bit of help in order to put this list together. A quick online search helped me discover a clever site called thegreatestbooks.org. This site feeds in 107 ‘Best of’ book lists from a range of trusted sources. Then, an algorithm (smacks of legitimacy!) is used to calculate a list based on how many lists a book might appear on. In the interests of fairness, I’ve decided to feature the top 3 books from both the Fiction and Non-Fiction categories.

So here it is…the most popular fiction book of all time is….

In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust.

Was that on your list? Nope, me neither. The significance of this book is both its length (it is a novel in seven volumes) and also its theme of involuntary memory. Involuntary memory is a subcomponent of your memory which means that everyday activities or ‘cues’ can evoke recollections of the past without actively trying to. The novel has had a significant impact on 20th Century literature with many writers seeking to emulate it. Edmund White said “[Proust] has supplied for the first time in literature an equivalent in the full scale for the new theory of modern physics.”

The second most popular fiction book is:

Ulysses by James Joyce

Now, I’m not going to claim to have read this book but I did start it like so many other people. I did lug it around my Uni campus trying to look intelligent from time to time. Finish it? No, no I did not. Ulysses was written between 1914 to 1921 and has survived legal action and bitter controversy. An undisputed modernist classic, its verbal inventiveness and wide-ranging allusions confirm its standing as a monument to the human condition. Ulysses is the Latinised name of Odysseus, the hero of Homer’s poem ‘Odyssey’. The novel establishes a series of parallels between the poem and the novel. Its stream of consciousness technique, careful structuring and experimental prose make this book a testament to the Modernist movement.

Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes

Don Quixote is a Spanish novel by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. It is considered to be one of the most influential novels of the Spanish Golden Age. It features Mr Alonso Quixano, a member of the Spanish nobility. Alonso reads so many romance novels that he loses his sanity and sets out to revive chivalry and right wrongs, bringing justice to the world. Using the name Don Quixote de la Mancha, he recruits a farmer as his squire. The beauty of this novel is its use of humour and literary techniques of realism, metatheatre and intertextuality. Again, this work is hugely influential and is referenced in the works of ‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’ by Mark Twain and Alexandre Dumas’ ‘The Three Musketeers’, amongst others.

The most popular Non-Fiction book is:

Essays by Michel de Montaigne

In 1572 Montaigne retired to his estates in order to devote himself to leisure, reading and reflection. There he wrote his constantly expanding ‘essays’, inspired by the ideas he found in books from his library and his own experience. He discusses subjects as diverse as war-horses and cannibals, poetry and politics, sex and religion, love and friendship, ecstasy and experience. Above all, Montaigne studied himself to find his own inner nature and that of humanity.

Confessions by St. Augustine

The son of a pagan father and a Christian mother, Saint Augustine spent his early years torn between conflicting faiths and world views. His Confessions , written when he was in his forties, recount how, slowly and painfully, he came to turn away from his youthful ideas and licentious lifestyle, to become instead a stanch advocate of Christianity and one of its most influential thinkers.

The Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud

References to ‘The Interpretation of Dreams’ abound in modern life. Written in 1899 by psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, the book was first published in an edition of 600 copies which did not sell out for 8 years. Later gaining in popularity, seven more editions were published in Freud’s lifetime. The premise of the book is Freud’s theory of the unconscious with respect to dream interpretation. In it, he discusses what would later become the Oedipus complex. Freud said of this work, “Insight such as this falls to one’s lot but once in a lifetime.”

To see what other books made the list, visit thegreatestbooks.org.

The Great Wide World of Sport

June 30, 2016Non-fiction, Sport#Autobiography, #Nonfiction, #SportsTeam Booko

They say sport is a universal language: it bridges divides between race, religion and culture. The ability to achieve a goal through skill, persistence and team work is lauded in many modern societies. Here are our collection of new sporting titles to satiate the most fervent sporting fan.

The Game: A Collection of the best AFL Stories, edited by Dennis Cometti

If there is someone equipped to write about the best AFL stories (both on and off the field) over the past 10 years, it’s Dennis Cometti. As one of the most respected sports broadcasters in Australian history, Cometti and writers such as Greg Baum, Caroline Wilson, Martin Flanagan, Rohan Connolly, Emma Quayle and Jake Niall examine the characters, moments and champions that have impacted the game in modern history.

The Greatest – My Own Story by Muhammad Ali

The life and recent passing of boxing great Muhammad Ali has had an impact on sporting and non-sporting fans alike. However, while we all witnessed the glory of ‘The Rumble in the Jungle’ or ‘The Thrilla in Manila’ , only Muhammad Ali knew his life as he lived it. The Greatest is Ali’s own story. For six years he worked, traveled and talked with Richard Durham, a writer with a stunning talent, and the result is mesmerizing in its brilliance, drama, humanity and sheer entertainment.

My Fight/Your Fight by Ronda Rousey

“The fight is yours to win”. This is The Sunday Times and New York Times Bestseller. An Olympic medalist in Judo and #2 ranked UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion, Ronda Rousey had a difficult path to glory. A childhood marked with speech problems and loss, she pushed her mind and body to the limit in pursuit of victory. My Fight/Your Fight is about showing us all how we can turn our limitations into opportunities. An inspiring read.

This Road I Ride by Juliana Buhring

In December 2012, Juliana Buhring became the first woman to circumnavigate the world by bicycle. With only a few months of training and little sponsorship, support, or money she left from Naples on 23 July 2012. 18,060 miles, 152 days, 4 continents, 19 countries, 29 punctures, 4 breakdowns, 6 mountains, 1 desert and a cyclone later, she made it back just days before Christmas with a Guinness World Record, proving that anyone can achieve the extraordinary. Discover a story of adventure, blood, sweat and gears.

Life As I Know It by Michelle Payne
First put on a horse at age four and at 5 declaring she would win the Melbourne cup, Michelle Payne is no overnight success story. Riding into history as the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup, she and her 100-to-1 local horse Prince of Penzance took the international racing world by surprise. Michelle’s story is about hope triumphing over
adversity, and how resilience and character made a winner.

The Straight Dope (updated edition)The Inside Story of Sport’s Biggest Drug Scandal by Chip Le Grand

What happened at Essendon, what happened at Cronulla, is only part of the story. From the basement office of a suburban football club to the seedy corners of Peptide Alley to the polished corridors of Parliament House, The Straight Dope is an inside account of the politics, greed and personal feuds which fuelled an extraordinary saga. Clubs and coaches determined to win, a sports scientist who doesn’t play by the rules, a generation of footballers held hostage by scandal and injected with who knows what, sport administrators hell bent on control, an anti-doping authority out of its depth, an unpopular government that just wants it to enda for two tumultuous seasons this was the biggest game in Australia.

You can find more sporting books on our Pinterest boards Sporting Biographies and Sports Books.

Looking into the world’s greatest scandals

June 14, 2016Blog, Non-fiction#History, #Nonfiction, #TruestoryTeam Booko

One thing about scandals: they sell. We, as a society, take great pleasure in reading about how someone ‘got away’ with behaviour that breached social codes or pleasure at being caught. A scandal can pretty much guarantee a best seller, as most of these titles will attest to. Here are our recommendations for the best page-turning reads about some of the world’s greatest scandals:

The Residence: Inside the Private World of The White House by Kate Anderson Brower

132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, 28 fireplaces, three elevators, eight staircases. No-one knows the inner workings of the White House like the maids, butlers, florists and Chefs who work there. This book contains intimate accounts of life working with First families from the glamorous Kennedys, the conflict-ridden Clintons to Barack and Michelle Obama. Written by former White House Correspondent Kate Anderson Brower, the New York Times Bestseller was written based on hundreds of hours of interviewing staff who served the families who served America.

Why Waco? by James D. Tabor

In 1993, the Government launched an assault on a Branch Davidian religious cult near Waco, Texas that resulted in 80 deaths, including 17 children. Whether this tragedy was avoidable is still debated. The impact of this event, however, has had far-reaching implications for religious freedom in Texas.

Considered to be the most comprehensive account of the event, Tabor and Gallagher provide a detailed study of the Davidian movement and theology and uncover distorted media reports of the siege.

Helter Skelter by Vincent Buglioso

The true story behind the most infamous mass murder case ever and its perpetrator, the notorious criminal Charles Manson. On August 9th 1969, seven people were found shot, stabbed and bludgeoned to death in Los Angeles. America watched in fascinated horror as the killers were tried and convicted. But the real questions went unanswered. How did Manson make his ‘family’ kill for him? What made these young men and women kill again and again with no trace of remorse? Did the murders continue even after Manson’s imprisonment? No matter how much you think you know about this case, this book will still shock you.

All the President’s Men by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward

Possibly one of the biggest political scandals in history, Watergate was the break-in that occurred at the Democratic National Committee and Richard Nixon’s administration’s cover up of their involvement. Bernstein and Woodward were reporters at the Washington Post who uncovered the story. The book details the investigation by the authors and is a non-fiction account of one of the finest examples in political investigative journalism. The book reveals some of the murky aspects of the US Government and is an excellent, first hand insight into one of the most significant historic events in modern politics.

The Run of His Life: The People Vs OJ Simpson by Jeffrey Toobin

Toobin was a lawyer turned reporter who covered the infamous trial based on leaks provided to him by the Simpson defence team. This is an eye-opening, behind-the-scenes look at the “crime of the century” and the legal proceedings that followed sheds new light on the arrest and trial of O. J. Simpson, the evidence in the case, and the role of the prosecution and defence teams.

It also shows how racial events in the years prior, such as the Rodney King beating and riots were used cleverly by Simpson’s team to lead to his acquittal.

Mommie Dearest by Christina Crawford

Christina Crawford was the adopted daughter of Box Office queen Joan Crawford. Yet, Christina’s anger at the discrepancies between Joan’s public vs private persona bubbled over a year after she died. ‘Mommie Dearest’ was scandalous to the Hollywood set due to it’s portrayal of Joan as an abusive, mentally ill and alcoholic mother. One of the first ‘tell-all’ stories, what it lacks in literary depth, it makes up for in its page-turning plot.

Want to explore great scientific thinking? Grab a book!

June 12, 2016Blog, Non-fiction#Nonfiction, #ScienceRich Bowden

Great science books are far more than just dry factual texts; they inspire, educate, delight, warn and provoke us as much as they inform. As the saying goes “truth is stranger than fiction” and the finest science reads entertain — even shock — as well as give us a deeper understanding of the world around us.

One of the most popular science books of our generation is Cosmos by the late Professor Carl Sagan. First published in 1980, this bestseller was a trailblazer in bringing science books to the attention of the general public and outlined the link between science and our civilisation.

Released in conjunction with a thirteen-part TV series, Cosmos retains its immense popularity even today. In 2013, the book was re-released with an essay by science guru Neil deGrasse Tyson.

Prof. Sagan had the rare gift of being able to communicate his love for physics and astronomy and his groundbreaking works remain some of the most wonderful books ever written in the science genre.

Sagan died in 1996 however the mantle of explaining science to the general public in an exciting and interesting way has been taken up by a host of younger science authors. One of the foremost amongst these has been Dr Brian Cox.

A physicist like Sagan, Dr Cox also shares a deft touch with the medium of television and has hosted a number of science programmes. These have been credited with the explosion of interest in physics in universities in the United Kingdom. He has co-written a number of science books that explain complex scientific ideas in accessible and informative language. One of the most popular is Why Does E=mc2?

One of the major scientific breakthroughs of this century was the detection of gravitational waves by scientists at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) in the United States. Predicted by Einstein in 1915, these are ripples in spacetime that are the “echo” of a Big Bang-type event.

But what exactly are gravitational waves? How important was their “discovery” in September 2015 and how exactly did it prove Einstein’s theory?

Science journalist and author Marcia Bartusiak explains the nature of Einstein’s work in her 2000 work Einstein’s Unfinished Symphony: Listening to the Sounds of Space-Time. The book delves into the complexities of relativity, yet does so in such a way as to make the subject interesting, stimulating and relevant.

Great science books can also change our thinking and alert us to impending disasters. Two examples are Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, — which alerted readers to the dangers of pesticides — and Tim Flannery’s The Weather Makers, which tackles climate change, one of the foremost environmental issues of our time.

Though written over forty years apart, both have the power to galvanise people into action and change the world. They inform us powerfully of the dangers of an impending environmental disaster and teach us what needs to be done to avert such catastrophes. Both act as a call to action as well as a guide to scientific thinking and will be talked about for generations to come as books that inspired environmental movements.

For a challenging and enriching explanation of important scientific thinking of our time, it’s hard to beat a well-written book. Whether for a lay person with an interest, or an academic in the field of science, books represent our link to the most important scientific breakthroughs of our time.

No review of these popular texts would be complete without mentioning one of the most fascinating glances into the mind of a genius. This was the slim volume A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking, and was, in essence, an exploration into some of the theories that underpin the concept of spacetime and the cosmos by one of our generation’s greatest minds.

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/

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!

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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