Tag Archives: #Nonfiction

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.

Understanding our minds, understanding ourselves

June 22, 2016Personal development, Uncategorized#neuroscience, #Nonfiction, #psychology, #SelfhelpKaren Seligman

Have you ever wondered why we do things the way we do, or why other people behave differently? Human and societal behaviour can be endlessly fascinating because we still don’t fully understand how the human brains work. Luckily, there are now many popular titles that explain the latest scientific findings. Enjoy these engaging (and useful!) books, that discuss a mix of psychology, sociology, neuroscience, and even offer some self-help tips.

The Tipping Point: How Little Things can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell

The Tipping Point is about social epidemics – previously little-known items or actions that suddenly attract enormous, inexplicable attention. Malcolm Gladwell suggests how even small events can develop into an epidemic if they reach a “tipping point” – a threshold for exponential propagation, a moment when everything can change at once. The Tipping Point presents engaging explanations of the sociology and psychology behind social epidemics and tipping points, illustrated by examples including Sesame Street, “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” game, and the fall in New York City’s crime rate. Although The Tipping Point was first published in 2000, the use of virus and epidemic analogies make this book even more relevant now, in our social-media-dominated, hyper-connected society.

The Teenage Brain: a Neuroscientist’s Survival Guide to Raising Adolescents and Young Adults by Frances E. Jensen and Amy Ellis Nutt

Teenagers: they might look like adults, but they sure don’t behave like them. Recent research points to neurological reasons – the teenage brain is not fully developed, and not the “adult brain with less miles on it” that it was previously assumed to be. The last areas to become fully developed are those that control judgment, decision making, and empathy – explaining why teens seem such impulsive risk-takers. Neurologist Frances E. Jensen and science writer Amy Ellis Nutt bring both scientific expertise and parenting experience to The Teenage Brain, a book that translates an understanding of brain development into parenting strategies. This very readable book is worth including in everyone’s parenting toolkit.

Flourish: a Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being by Martin Seligman

Martin Seligman is a psychologist and educator who is both respected by fellow researchers and popular with readers. He is a pioneer of positive psychology, which focusses on improving mental health and thus preventing mental illness. His work on resilience and happiness – including the bestselling Authentic Happiness – continues to spearhead societal interest in wellbeing. In Flourish, his latest book, Martin Seligman zooms out from a focus on happiness, to look at the broader concept of wellbeing. His extensive research points to five key elements to wellbeing – positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning and achievement – that allow both individuals and societies to flourish.

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do, and How to Change by Charles Duhigg

Booko featured The Power of Habit earlier this year, in our blog entry on developing great habits. However, The Power of Habit is not only a self-help book, it is also an engaging example of popular science, and of business literature. The Power of Habit explains how and why habits occur, based on research in psychology and neuroscience, and illustrated by a collection of interesting and often surprising case histories. Award-winning journalist Charles Duhigg also explains how understanding habit formation can help both people and companies to change and improve unwanted behaviours, unlocking many potential benefits.

When to Rob a Bank: the Freakopedia by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

Kudos to Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, who have turned economics – a topic that may seem dry, the domain of politicians and bankers – into something witty and compulsively readable. When to Rob a Bank is a “best-of” collection from the Freakonomics blog, published to mark the 10th anniversary of the original book. You will find economic analyses on diverse and quirky topics such as what people lie about, reintroducing conscription, and when to rob a bank (short answer: never, the ROI is terrible). The pieces are shorter than the essays in the earlier books, so When to Rob a Bank makes a great introduction to the world of Freakonomics (if you are not already a fan).

Life Skills 101: The best books to teach you everything

June 20, 2016Personal development, Uncategorized#Howtoguides, #Nonfiction, #SelfhelpTeam Booko

Want to get fitter? Learn that language? Learn how to do your tax yourself or even just think smarter? One of the most interesting genres of books is the ‘Self Help’ category. Agreed, it’s not as sexy as glossy coffee table books about architecture and fashion or as socially accepted as the latest James Patterson mystery. But damn, are they useful?!? If you are in a rut or just have New Year’s Resolutions that you want to nail, here are our recommended reads for the best books to teach you everything:

Tax for Australians for Dummies by Jimmy B Prince

If you want to tackle your tax with confidence, this is a great resource. Designed to help you take advantage of the rebates related to investments, having children or business, ‘Tax for Australians For Dummies’ tells you everything you need to know to maximise your tax refund. Whether you’re an employee, investor, small business owner, retiree, or even student, this easy-to-follow guide answers all your tax questions. All changes to tax legislation are incorporated.

The First 20 Minutes by Gretchen Reynolds

Tired muscles? Use chocolate milk! Think it’s a good idea to stretch before a run? Think again! This New York Times Bestseller is an innovative guide to getting fit using cutting-edge science. Perfect for optimising your workout, this workout ‘bible’ is the perfect guide for making the most of your exercise regime. Even better news is how even just 20 minutes of regular exercise can transform your health.

Love Yourself like your Life depends on it by Kamal Ravikant

The premise of this book is simple: love yourself and your life will love you back. During a particularly dark time in his life involving a great deal of stress and depression, the author kept repeating to himself “I love myself.” The beauty of the book is its simplicity and that the single premise of loving yourself can unlock freedom and clarity of thought that can have hugely beneficial effects in our busy lives. A great book for anyone feeling anxious or overwhelmed.

Think Like a Freak: How to Think Smarter than almost Everyone by Steven Levitt & Stephen Dubner

The Freakonomics books have come to stand for challenging conventional wisdom; using data rather than emotion to answer questions. Now Levitt and Dubner have turned what they’ve learned into a readable and practical toolkit for thinking smarter, harder, and different – thinking, that is, like a Freak. Think Like a Freak offers rules like ‘Put Your Moral Compass in Your Pocket,’ ‘The Upside of Quitting,’ ‘Just Because You’re Great at Something Doesn’t Mean You’re Good at Everything,’ and ‘If You Have No Talent, Follow Levitt’s Path to Success.’

Philosophy for Life by Jules Evans

In his engaging new book, Jules Evans explains how philosophy quite literally saved his life and shows how we can make use of it everyday in our own. Co-founder of the London Philosophy Club, visiting research fellow at Queen Mary University, columnist for the School of Life and journalist and blogger, Jules imagines his dream school, with a rowdy faculty that includes 15 of the greatest and most colourful philosophers the world has ever known. Each of them teaches a technique we can use to transform ourselves and live better lives. These practical techniques are animated by the extraordinary stories of real people who are using them today; from soldiers and firemen, to gangsters and astronauts. This is philosophy for the street, for the workplace, for the battlefield, for love, for life.

Fluent in 3 Months by Benny Lewis

Upon leaving College at 21, Benny only knew how to speak English and found learning languages challenging. Through discovering a system to quickly master languages, it’s possible to have confident conversations in your new language in a matter of weeks. Now fluent in 7 languages, Benny is a full-time globe-trotter who makes the mission of learning any language possible.

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 save money on your tax and get your finances in shape

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

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

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

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

The Richest man in Babylon by George C. Classon

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

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

Think and Grow Rich! by Napoleon Hill

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

Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki

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

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

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

Creating Real Wealth by Mike Kemp

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

Great books for Father’s Day

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

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

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

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

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

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

Golden Lion by Wilbur Smith and Giles Kristian

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

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

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

Fall of Man in Wilmslow by David Lagercrantz

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

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

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

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.

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