Tag Archives: #Backtoschool

The clever way to buy school textbooks with Booko

This week school students all over Australia have headed back to the classroom. Buying school exercise books and covering them was one of the joys of our childhood. Another is that satisfying crack of a spine when you open a brand new textbook. Team Booko waved off a few students to school this week, and one thing that never stops surprising us when you start school is the enormous size of the backpack – especially when it is filled with textbooks. 

Textbooks have always been a popular purchase via Booko.  The beauty of Booko is that textbooks can be sourced either new or second-hand as cheaply as possible. If you have a student in need of some specified textbooks, this blog post is for you! Here are a few of the best ways to use Booko to make sure you can source everything on your child’s reading list as cheaply, and quickly, as possible. And if you happen to know which books will be needed in the following school terms, you can even set alerts now to help you buy at the best price. 

Step One: Create an Account 

We treat data very seriously at Booko and want to give you ultimate control of all of your data too. Creating an account allows you to make wish lists, set price alerts and view your search history along with deleting said history, and disabling Booko from keeping track of your history altogether. Just so you know, we don’t actually use your history for anything at all; it’s housed just for your entertainment and reading pleasure.

Click on the ‘sign in’ button at the top of the page and follow the prompts to enter your name, email address and password. If you already have an account, welcome back, just pop in your password and proceed to the next step.

Step Two: Make a List

Once you have a Booko account, you can set up lists to keep track of textbooks on your required reading list or lists. 

Want to know how much all of the books on your reading list will cost? Booko will take your list, find the shop that sells the whole lot for the best price and calculate shipping for the entire list.

What’s best is you can have multiple lists which is great if you like keeping your subjects and classes seperate. The list feature allows you to check the prices for used books as well as new, if you wish. 

To add a textbook to your list, simply search up your book by entering either the ISBN or the title of the book into the search bar and when the search populates click the little orange box ‘Add to a list’. (Please note that searching by ISBN is the best way to ensure you have the edition your teacher wants, and you should always check before finalising the purchase that the edition in your shopping cart is the correct one.)

Step Three: Set Price Alerts

Booko has a price alert feature (which is a super handy set-and-forget tool) that emails you as soon as the price of a book falls below the current price, or a price specified by you.

To set an alert, you need to be logged into your account (because we need to know which email to send the notifications to). Just click the ‘Add an Alert’ button directly below the book’s cover image on the left side of the page. Nominate a price you are happy to pay, type in your email and the Alert is set. Now all you need to do is wait for the Good News email!

The Booko alert function is really handy when you have a little extra time up your sleeve (like buying textbooks for courses next term). You can have multiple alerts on each book too. 

You can also specify a separate price alert for new and used books. This function is loved by many of the students that use Booko – because let’s be honest, not all courses ask for a brand new textbook nor do they need one. Academic textbooks can be breathtakingly expensive – a single title can be over a hundred dollars, so imagine how much your entire reading list will cost! Booko is great for searching for specialist or academic texts. All you need to do is type a book’s ISBN into the main search box (this ensures you are searching for the correct edition) and away you go. Booko can find most books, whether they are e-Books, Reference books, Fiction or Non-Fiction. And since Booko can locate used copies, you may be able to save even more by buying second-hand!

To set a price alert for a textbook, simply search up your book by entering either the ISBN or the title of the book into the search bar and when the search populates click the little orange box ‘Add an alert’.

Once the ‘Add an alert’ button is pressed, a box will appear asking for you to enter a price for a new and a used version of the book. Enter the price you would like to pay for either and click ‘Add’. The alert will be created and and email will be sent to you when the book has been sourced at the prices you have set.

Step Four: Create shop Filters

Have some shops you’re not a fan of? Now you can filter them out of Booko’s price table and remove them from triggering your alerts. Simply edit them at the filters page.

Enjoy!

Starting School with Booko

Children all over the country are preparing to begin the new school year next week and we are all hoping that it will be a year that has far fewer interruptions than the last two years.

Starting school is such an exciting time and while it’s fun to shop for new shoes, pencil cases and lunch boxes, there is always a little trepidation at the thought of a new routine, new friends to make and new teachers to meet.

We have found six wonderful books that all aim to help the smallest students have a smooth start to their schooling. 

The Wild Guide to Starting School by Laura and Philip Bunting

The familiar and much loved animals from previous Bunting tales—Mopoke, Kookaburra, Liarbird, Koala, Quokka, and a few new friends—guide you from starting the day just right (mmm, GumFlakes) to first day jitters, meeting teachers, making friends, lunch time, home time and all the things in between. It is time to get set for your wildest adventure yet. Follow this simple guide and you’ll learn everything you need to know.

All The Ways to Be Smart by Davina Bell

This book has been out for a few years, and it remains a firm favourite in bookshelves all around the country.

Smart is not just ticks and crosses, smart is building boats from boxes. Painting patterns, wheeling wagons, being mermaids, riding dragons. From the award-winning creators of The Underwater Fancy-dress Parade and Under the Love Umbrella comes this joyful ode to all the unique and wonderful qualities that make children who they are.

Ally-saurus and the first day of school by Richard Torrey

When Ally roars off to her first day at school, she hopes she’ll meet lots of other dinosaur-mad kids in class. Instead, she’s the only one chomping her food with fierce dino teeth and drawing dinosaurs on her nameplate. Even worse, a group of would-be “princesses” snubs her! Will Ally ever make new friends? With its humorous art, appealing heroine and surprise ending, this fun board book celebrates children’s boundless imagination.

You can read more of Ally’s adventures here

Let’s Get Ready for School by Jane Porter

Starting school can be a great adventure, but it can make you feel a bit nervous too. Let’s Get Ready for School is a perfect book to reassure any new school-starter. Jane Porter answers all of these questions and more in this warm, witty and reassuring book for young children that explores everything they’ll need to know before starting school. Marley, Maya, Theo, Akiko, Ella and Zakir are all getting ready to start school. Why not come along with them and see what it’s like? Illustrated with charming characters by Carolina Rabei, this is the perfect introduction to joining a new class.

Old Friends, New Friends by Andrew Daddo

What do you do when none of your old friends are in your new class? From the team who brought you First Day and When I Grow Up comes an empowering and relatable picture book about making friends and being yourself.

Hello World by Kelly Corrigan

From New York Times bestselling author Kelly Corrigan comes a book that celebrates the people in our lives and the meaningful connections we make that come from asking each other questions. Hello World! is the perfect reminder that the journeys we take through life are all about the people we will meet along the way, people who will make us smarter, stronger, and more amazing than we ever thought possible. With her trademark inspirational wisdom, Kelly Corrigan writes the perfect book for anyone about to embark on a new adventure.

Enjoy!

The clever way to buy cheap textbooks with Booko

Thousands of people a day are using Booko to find the best price for their books and that’s just here in Australia not even counting the other 22 countries we are in. One group that uses Booko more than ever are students. Whether they are at school, University, studying for professional development or hobbyists, textbooks are always popular.  The beauty of Booko is that textbooks can be sourced either new or second-hand as cheaply as possible. Here are a few of the best ways to use Booko to make sure you can source everything on your reading list as cheaply and quickly as possible. 

Step One: Create an account 

We treat data very seriously at Booko and want to give you ultimate control of all of your data too. Creating an account allows you to make wish lists, set price alerts and view your search history along with deleting said history, and disabling Booko from keeping track of your history altogether. Just so you know, we don’t actually use your history for anything at all; it’s housed just for your entertainment and reading pleasure.

Click on the ‘sign in’ button at the top of the page and follow the prompts to enter your name, email address and password. If you already have an account, welcome back, just pop in your password and proceed to the next step.

Step Two: Make a List

Once you have a Booko account, you can set up lists to keep track of textbooks on your required reading list or lists. 

Want to know how much all of the books on your reading list will cost? Booko will take your list, find the shop that sells the whole lot for the best price and calculate shipping for the entire list.

What’s best is you can have multiple lists which is great if you like keeping your subjects and classes seperate. The list feature allows you to check the prices for used books as well as new, if you wish. 

To add a textbook to your list, simply search up your book by entering either the ISBN or the title of the book into the search bar and when the search populates click the little orange box ‘Add to a list’. (Please note that searching by ISBN is the best way to ensure you have the edition your lecturer wants, and you should always check before finalising the purchase that the edition in your shopping cart is the correct one.)

Step Three: Set Price Alerts

Booko has a price alert feature (which is a super handy set-and-forget tool) that emails you as soon as the price of a book falls below the current price, or a price specified by you.

To set an alert, you need to be logged into your account (because we need to know which email to send the notifications to). Just click the ‘Add an Alert’ button directly below the book’s cover image on the left side of the page. Nominate a price you are happy to pay, type in your email and the Alert is set. Now all you need to do is wait for the Good News email!

The Booko alert function is really handy when you have a little extra time up your sleeve (like buying textbooks for courses next semester). You can have multiple alerts on each book too. 

You can also specify a separate price alert for new and used books. This function is loved by many of the students that use Booko – because let’s be honest, not all courses ask for a brand new textbook… nor do they need one. Academic textbooks can be breathtakingly expensive – a single title can be over a hundred dollars, so imagine how much your entire reading list will cost! Booko is great for searching for specialist or academic texts. All you need to do is type a book’s ISBN into the main search box (this ensures you are searching for the correct edition) and away you go. Booko can find most books, whether they are e-Books, Reference books, Fiction or Non-Fiction. And since Booko can locate used copies, you may be able to save even more by buying second-hand!

To set a price alert for a textbook, simply search up your book by entering either the ISBN or the title of the book into the search bar and when the search populates click the little orange box ‘Add an alert’.

Once the ‘Add an alert’ button is pressed, a box will appear asking for you to enter a price for a new and a used version of the book. Enter the price you would like to pay for either and click ‘Add’. The alert will be created and and email will be sent to you when the book has been sourced at the prices you have set.

Step Four: Create shop filters

Have some shops you’re not a fan of? Now you can filter them out of Booko’s price table and remove them from triggering your alerts. Simply edit them at the filters page.

Finally, shopping clever means being one step ahead. Did you know we now have a newsletter? It’s super low volume and we don’t email you every week, or even every month, just when we have something exciting to share. We’d love you to subscribe (oh, and you can unsubscribe at any time – it’s okay we won’t bug you or make you feel guilty, we know inboxes can get a little overwhelming). 

Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.

Enjoy!

Top Books for Back To School

It’s the start of a new school year for our readers in the UK and US. This can be an exciting but often uncertain time for children (not to the mention parents who are sending children off to school for the first time). We thought we’d share our top picks for back to school reading. These stories are perfect to read cuddled up with your child as they aim to warm your heart, put aside any anxieties and make you laugh as you prepare to start a year of packing school lunchboxes. 

The Pigeon Has To Go To School by Mo Willems

Mo Willems’ Pigeon is back in a hilarious story perfect for those about to start school or nursery. The Pigeon is about to get schooled. Do you think he should go? Why does the Pigeon have to go to school? He already knows everything! Well … almost everything. And what if he doesn’t like it? What if the teacher doesn’t like him? I mean, what if he learns too much!?!

School’s First Day of School by Adam Rex and Christian Robinson

A New York Times bestselling author (The True Meaning of Smekday) and illustrator (Last Stop on Market Street) team bring you a fresh look at the first day of school, this time from the school’s perspective. It’s the first day of school at Frederick Douglass Elementary and everyone’s just a little bit nervous, especially the school itself. What will the children do once they come? Will they like the school? Will they be nice to him? The school has a rough start, but as the day goes on, he soon recovers when he sees that he’s not the only one going through first-day jitters.

Pirates Don’t Go to Kindergarten by Lisa Robinson

Yo, ho, ho! It’s a mutiny against kindergarten!

Pirate Emma is about to start kindergarten! But Emma’s not so sure she’s ready for a new captain and crew. Especially since Cap’n Chu, the roughest, toughest, awesomest preschool cap’n ever, is right down the hall. So Emma decides to head back to the preschool ship to see if she can stir up a mutiny against kindergarten! Is that what she really wants? Or does she just miss her beloved Cap’n Chu? Batten down the hatches, mateys, because the first day of school is going to be stormy!

We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins

It’s the first day of school for Penelope Rex, and she can’t wait to meet her classmates. But it’s hard to make human friends when they’re so darn delicious! That is, until Penelope gets a taste of her own medicine and finds she may not be at the top of the food chain after all. Readers will gobble up this hilarious new story from award-winning author-illustrator Ryan T. Higgins.

1 2 3 With The Notorious B.I.G by Jessica Chiha

Biggie, Biggie, Biggie One, Two, Three – Sometimes These Numbers Just Hypnotize Me!

1 2 3 with the Notorious B.I.G. is packed full of our most loved Hip Hop, Rap and RnB artists from then and now, with plenty of tongue in cheek references that even the bigs are sure to get a giggle from. This hip-hop inspired book is designed to pump up your child’s number game. Let Biggie Smalls, Jay-Z, Kanye, Nicki Minaj, Kelis and more, teach your little homie their 123s. Relive some of the greatest Rap, Hip Hop, and R&B musicians of our time, while teaching your children where it’s at. 1 2 3 with the Notorious B.I.G. is here to make learning dope, because education isn’t meant to be boring!

Inside My Heart by Jo Witek

This is a charming book where a young girl explores what different emotions feel like, such as happiness which makes her want to twirl, or sadness which feels as heavy as an elephant.

In My Heart explores emotions; happiness, sadness, bravery, anger, shyness and more. Unlike other feelings books that tend to oversimplify, In My Heart lyrically explains what an emotion feels like, physically, inside. For example: “When I get really angry, my heart feels like it’s going to explode! Don’t come near me! My heart is yelling, hot and loud. This is when my heart is mad.” Children will be empowered by this new vocabulary and able to practice articulating and identifying their own emotions.

Enjoy!

How to buy cheap textbooks for uni

It’s Back to School and Back to Uni for many students around the world and with that comes a new list of specified books for course reading. A reading list can be pretty expensive, so we thought we’d focus this week’s blog on how Booko can help find the cheapest version of your textbooks. 

Booko is great for searching for specialist or academic texts. All you need to do is type a book’s ISBN into the main search box (this ensures you are searching for the correct edition) and away you go. Booko can find most books, whether they are e-Books, Reference books, Fiction or Non-Fiction. And since Booko can locate used copies, you may be able to save even more by buying second-hand!

Booko’s standard search finds you the best prices for right now in both new and used condition. We recommend this for anyone who needs their book sooner rather than later. But if you happen to know ahead of time what books you need then we’d definitely point you in the direction of our handy alert function. 

Set Price Alerts

Booko’s price alert feature (which is a super handy set-and-forget tool) emails you as soon as the price of a book falls below the current price, or a price specified by you. Oh yes, you read that right, the alert function not only lets you know when a book you want is on sale, but you can also set the price you want to pay for a book. 

To set an alert, you need to be logged into your account (because we need to know which email to send the notifications to). Just click the ‘Add an Alert’ button directly below the book’s cover image on the left side of the page. Nominate a price you are happy to pay, type in your email and the Alert is set. Now all you need to do is wait for the Good News email!

Great thing to note is that you can have multiple alerts on books too. 

With our latest round of updates, you can also now specify a separate price alert for new and used books. This function is loved by many of the students that use Booko… because let’s be honest, not all courses ask for a brand new textbook… nor do they need one. Academic textbooks can be breathtakingly expensive – a single title can be over a hundred dollars, so imagine how much your entire reading list will cost! 

If you fancy a little more detail have a look at this blog post.

Here are a few of the most clicked on University textbooks here in Melbourne. 

Financial Accounting: Accounting, Reporting, Analysis and Decision Making, 6th Edition by Shirley Carlon et al.

Financial Accounting, 6th Edition presents accounting in a cutting-edge interactive digital format designed to motivate students by taking the road blocks out of self-study and to facilitate mastery though drill-and-skill practice. Available as a full-colour printed textbook with an interactive eBook code, this text enables every student to master concepts and succeed in assessment, and supports lecturers with an extensive and easy-to-use teaching and learning package.

First Principles of Business Law 10th Edition by Michael Lambiris and Laura Griffin

The First Principles of Business Law 10th edition textbook and eStudy modules offer a blend of technologies and resources to help students learn business law. This new edition has been fully updated to reflect relevant changes to the law, including coverage of the Australian Consumer Law provisions in relation to small businesses, and also includes a new section on the importance of ethics in business law. The textbook contains clear, authoritative and concise statements of the law, amplified and illustrated by over 200 summaries of decided cases and selected extracts from legislation. The law is arranged in logical sequence under descriptive headings. The updated eStudy modules provide an additional opportunity for students to enhance their learning. The modules are designed to help students gain a proper understanding of how the law applies in everyday situations, and to develop their ability to apply the law realistically and appropriately.

Biology: An Australian Focus, 5th Edition by Bruce Knox et al.

Biology: An Australian focus reflects on worldwide biological research and knowledge to provide a global outlook with Australian examples and cases woven throughout. Students are able to connect with what they’re learning and better understand Australian flora/fauna and most importantly ecology and ecosystems, using this accessible and engaging learning resource. 

Integrated Marketing Communication: A balanced approach by Maxwell Winchester et al.

Integrated Marketing Communication: A Balanced Approach is your students’ guide to integrated marketing communication (IMC), introducing them to the principles that underpin its practice. This text considers the different theories of how IMC works, taking the empirical evidence available into account, and illustrating its real-world application with relevant industry examples.With expert commentary supported by contemporary case studies, this text explores communication theory, strategy and planning, and develops your students’ understanding of consumer behaviour. Equipped with this knowledge, your students will learn how they can balance IMC strategies with marketing needs in order to change attitudes and reinforce behaviour

Management, 6th Edition (with Student Resource Access 12 Months) by Danny Samson et al.

Management is a robust foundation text providing a balance of broad, theoretical content with an engaging, easy-to-understand writing style. It covers the four key management functions – planning, organising, leading and controlling – conveying to students the elements of a manager’s working day. Along with current management theory and practice, the authors integrate coverage of innovation, entrepreneurship, agile workplaces, social media and new technology throughout. This sixth edition features a new author on the team and contains updates to content based on recent research. Real-life local and international examples showcase the ongoing changes in the management world. Focusing on a ‘skills approach’, they bring concepts to life for students, supporting motivation, confidence and mastery. Each part concludes with a contemporary continuing case study, focusing on car company Toyota as it faces managerial challenges and opportunities in the region.

Project Management: The Managerial Process by Erik W. Larson et al.

As the market-leading textbook on the subject, Project Management: The Managerial Process is distinguished by its balanced treatment of both the technical and behavioural issues in project management as well as by its coverage of a broad range of industries to which project management principles can be applied. It focuses on how project management is integral to the organisation as a whole. The text not only delivers the tools and processes is essential to successful project management but also an understanding that the effectiveness of these tools and methods are shaped and determined by the prevailing culture of the organisation and interpersonal dynamics of the people involved.

Statistics for Behavioural Sciences, 10th Edition by Frederick J. Gravetter and Larry B. Wallnau

This field-leading introduction to statistics text for students in the behavioural and social sciences continues to offer straightforward instruction, accuracy, built-in learning aids, and real-world examples. The goals are to teach the methods of statistics and convey the basic principles of objectivity and logic that are essential for science and valuable in everyday life. Authors Frederick Gravetter and Larry Wallnau help students understand statistical procedures through a conceptual context that explains why the procedures were developed and when they should be used. Students have numerous opportunities to practice statistical techniques through learning checks, examples, step-by-step demonstrations, and problems.

Happy reading!

#tuesdaychat

Looking for a textbook? Booko scans the world for both new and used books and let’s you know which store has it the cheapest.

Let us know if you’re looking for a specific book and we’ll try to find the cheapest for you. Just pop the title and edition in the comments below.

Monday Inspo

Students all over the world are heading back to school and university for either the start of their school year or returning from a semester break. This week on the blog we’ll be sharing our top tips for getting the cheapest text books online because we know you’re clever and like to shop smarter.

But for today, we have this little gem to start your week.


Our top audiobooks and podcasts for when you don’t have time to sit and read

Some days it doesn’t seem as though there are enough hours left for relaxing with a book. Which is why we love a good podcast or an audio book. They make commuting so much more entertaining or educational (depending on the genre you like). 

We have had a dig around the internet and have made a list of the top trending audiobooks and podcasts that we know you’ll really enjoy, in fact many are on high rotation for us. If you have any others that you recommend, be sure to either comment below or jump onto instagram or facebook and let us know.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

The Tattooist of Auschwitz is based on the true story of Lale and Gita Sokolov, two Slovakian Jews who survived Auschwitz and eventually made their home in Australia. In that terrible place, Lale was given the job of tattooing the prisoners marked for survival – literally scratching numbers into his fellow victims’ arms in indelible ink to create what would become one of the most potent symbols of the Holocaust. Lale used the infinitesimal freedom of movement that this position awarded him to exchange jewels and money taken from murdered Jews for food to keep others alive. If he had been caught, he would have been killed; many owed him their survival. 

There have been many books about the Holocaust – and there will be many more. What makes this one so memorable is Lale Sokolov’s incredible zest for life. He understood exactly what was in store for him and his fellow prisoners, and he was determined to survive – not just to survive but to leave the camp with his dignity and integrity intact, to live his life to the full. Terrible though this story is, it is also a story of hope and of courage. It is also – almost unbelievably – a love story. Waiting in line to be tattooed, terrified and shaking, was a young girl. For Lale – a dandy, a jack-the-lad, a bit of a chancer – it was love at first sight, and he determined not only to survive himself but to ensure that Gita did, too. His story – their story – will make you weep, but you will also find it uplifting. It shows the very best of humanity in the very worst of circumstances. 

Like many survivors, Lale and Gita told few people their story after the war. They eventually made their way to Australia, where they raised a son and had a successful life. But when Gita died, Lale felt he could no longer carry the burden of their past alone. He chose to tell his story. 

How to be a Champion by Sarah Millican

Part autobiography, part self help, part confession, part celebration of being a common-or-garden woman, part collection of synonyms for nunny, Sarah Millican’s debut book delves into her super normal life with daft stories, funny tales and proper advice on how to get past life’s blips – like being good at school but not good at friends, the excitement of IBS and how to blossom post divorce. If you’ve ever worn glasses at the age of six, worn an off-the-shoulder gown with no confidence, been contacted by an old school bully, lived in your childhood bedroom in your thirties, been gloriously dumped in a Frankie and Benny’s, cried so much you felt great, been for a romantic walk with a dog, worn leggings two days in a row even though they smelt of wee from a distance, then this is your book. If you haven’t done those things but wish you had, this is your book. If you just want to laugh on a train/sofa/toilet or under your desk at work, this is your book.

12 Rules for Life by Jordan B. Peterson

Jordan Peterson’s work as a clinical psychologist has reshaped the modern understanding of personality, and now he has become one of the world’s most popular public thinkers, with his lectures on topics ranging from the Bible to romantic relationships drawing tens of millions of viewers. In an era of polarising politics, echo chambers and trigger warnings, his startling message about the value of personal responsibility and the dangers of ideology has resonated around the world. In this book, well actually this is the audiobook version, he combines ancient wisdom with decades of experience to provide twelve profound and challenging principles for how to live a meaningful life, from setting your house in order before criticising others to comparing yourself to who you were yesterday, not someone else today. Gripping, thought-provoking and deeply rewarding, 12 Rules for Life offers an antidote to the chaos in our lives: eternal truths applied to our modern problems.

Our current fav podcasts…

How to Curate Your Life with Lizzie Evans

SMUG founder Lizzie Evans launches her podcast ‘How to Curate Your Life – Work Life Balance for the Creative Entrepreneur’. After 10 years working as a creative entrepreneur in the design world, Lizzie has learnt a thing or two about setting up and running a creative business and managing a portfolio career. She has found that, if you’re in it for the long game, staying inspired and taking care of yourself both physically and emotionally is crucial. Lizzie has of course met lots of inspiring people along the way trying to do the same. This podcast aims to celebrate the creativity and entrepreneurial endeavours of inspiring individuals and get down into the nitty gritty of how people ‘Curate Their Lives’ so that work and other elements of their lives that are important to them, can all feel prioritised, nourishing and ultimately a success. We really enjoy this podcast…so much so that we are currently one of its sponsors.

The High Low with Dolly Alderton and Pandora Sykes 

The High Low is a weekly news, pop-culture and current affairs podcast which launched in February 2017.

Inspired by Vanity Fair editor Tina Brown, (a guest on the podcast, in fact) who coined the term ‘high low journalism’ in the 80s to denote an amalgamation of water-cooler gossip and hard-hitting cultural happenings, The High Low covers both the trivial and the political, from errant chin hair to Trumpian politics. The founding mantra is that there is no shame in asking questions – but reading (a lot) can help inform you.

How To Fail with Elizabeth Day

How To Fail With Elizabeth Day is a podcast that celebrates the things that haven’t gone right. Every week, a new interviewee explores what their failures taught them about how to succeed better.

It is also a book. A book for anyone who has ever failed. Which means it’s a book for everyone. Part memoir, part manifesto, and including chapters on dating, work, sport, babies, families, anger and friendship, it is based on the simple premise that understanding why we fail ultimately makes us stronger. It’s a book about learning from our mistakes and about not being afraid. Uplifting, inspiring and rich in stories from Elizabeth’s own life, How to Fail reveals that failure is not what defines us; rather it is how we respond to it that shapes us as individuals. Because learning how to fail is actually learning how to succeed better. And everyone needs a bit of that.

Table Manners with Jessie Ware

Jessie Ware hosts a podcast about food, family, and the beautiful art of having a chat, direct from her very own dinner table. With a little bit of help from her chef extraordinaire mum Lennie, each week guests from the worlds of music, culture and politics drop by for a bite and a bit of a natter. Usually Jessie’s mum cooks up a storm and while the guest is wined and dined, they share amusing and inspiring moments about food in their lives. They have cooked and chatted to Yotam Ottolenghi, Nigella Lawson and Sandi Toksvig…their line up of guests never fails to entertain. 

Desert Island Discs with Kirsty Young

The format is simple, a guest is invited to choose eight discs, a book and a luxury to take with them as they’re castaway on a mythical desert island. During the interview they explain their choices and discuss key moments in their lives, people and events that have influenced and inspired them and brought them to where they are today.

Journalist and broadcaster Kirsty Young opened her tenure as presenter by interviewing the illustrator Quentin Blake on 1st October 2006. Among her guests have been musicians Morrissey, Sir Tom Jones, Alice Cooper, and Barry Manilow, politicians Nick Clegg, Alex Salmond and Alan Johnson, actors Sir Michael Caine, Kathy Burke and June Spencer.

How I Built This with Guy Raz

Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world’s best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists and the movements they built. It’s one of the most inspiring and interesting podcasts and is on high rotation in our office. Interviewees include James Dyson, Ben Cohen And Jerry Greenfield (the masters behind Ben and Jerry’s), Joe Gebbia from Airbnb fame and Whitney Wolf from Bumble. 

Enjoy! 

Monday Inspo

Some days it is hard to find the time to sit and read a book, but with the increasing popularity of podcasts and audiobooks we can use our commute time and walking time to learn and be entertained. On the blog this week we will be sharing our top podcasts to listen to when your ‘spare time’ is a little elusive. But for today, we have a little gem of a reminder for you.