Buyers' Choice
April 2008
The title-underlined links will take you directly to our catalogue.
Some featured items are linked via a book cover to enable you to read more reviews.
Physics of the impossible by Michio Kaku.
"Physics of the Impossible takes us on a journey to the frontiers of science and beyond, giving us an exhilarating insight into what we can really hope to achieve in the future. Everyday we see that what was once declared 'impossible' by scientists has become part of our everyday lives: fax machines, glass sky-scrapers, gas-powered automobiles, a worldwide communications network and high-speed elevated trains. Here internationally bestselling author Micho Kaku confidently hurdles today's frontier of science, presenting the first truly authoritative exploration of the real science of tomorrow; a field normally left to writers of science fiction. He reveals the actual possibilities of perpetual motion, force fields, invisibility, ray guns, anti-gravity and anti-matter, teleportation, telepathy, psychokinesis, robots and cyborgs, faster than light travel, time travel, zero-point energy, extraterrestrial life, even clairvoyance. And he shows how few of these ideas actually violate the laws of physics. The real differences between the impossible, the unlikely and the imminent have never been so clear. Where does the realm of science fiction end? What can we really hope to achieve?" (Synopsis, Amazon UK)
Clutter clinic: organise your home in 7 days by Romaine Lowery.
"The Clutter Clinic offers room by room guidance on how to reorganise your home and 'love the home you are in' again. Strong before and after visuals together with Romaine's easily achievable suggestions will make a seemingly overwhelming task become simple. Includes lots of useful tips and shortcuts to ditching clutter and choosing the right storage solutions. There is an extensive shopping directory of retailers, mail order companies and websites who sell everything you need to get organised from great storage solutions to dual purpose furniture by new young designer makers. Soon the room is transformed beneath her magical touch. So much so, I almost weep with gratitude. Verdict: brilliant. I wish I had done it years ago." (Synopsis, Amazon UK)
Building green : a complete how-to guide to alternative building methods by Clarke Snell.
"This manual doesn't just talk about eco-friendly building techniques, but actually shows every step. More than 1,200 close-up photographs, along with in-depth descriptions, follow the real construction of an alternative house from site selection to the final-touch interior details. The authors provide: discussions of the fundamental concepts of construction; earth-friendly alternatives to conventional approaches and materials; plans for a home that is comfortable, beautiful, and environmentally responsible; and a practical demonstration of a house in construction using alternative methods. The images show every move: how the site is cleared, the basic structure put together, the cob wall sculpted, the bales and cordwood stacked, a living roof created. Most important, the manual conveys the real-world challenges and processes, and offers dozens of sidebars with invaluable advice." (Synopsis, Amazon UK)
Raw food life force energy : enter a totally new stratosphere of weight loss, beauty, and health by Natalia Rose.
"Raw Food Life Force Energy is entirely compatible with the principles laid out in Rose's previous book, The Raw Food Detox Diet, but presents her diet-lifestyle in an excitingly progressive framework that reminds us that we are not just physical bodies, but dynamic beings who thrive on harmonious high vibrations and Life Force Energy. Rose presents four fundamental energy principles and practical applications, leading us to the best sources of natural energy - such as raw fruits and vegetables, sunlight, and fresh air, to name a few. These principles lay the groundwork for Rose's comprehensive 21-day program, followed by more than seventy original, mouthwatering recipes that range from healthful cooked fish dishes to raw vegetarian soups, entrees, and desserts to accommodate all levels of raw food energy dieters." (Book Description, Amazon US)
Diamonds and bars : the art of the Amish people by Florian Hufnagl.
"Abstraction and colour. Those are the buzzwords designating the salient charactistics of Amish quilts, which remind anyone looking at them of modern painting, be it Josef Albers, Barnett Newman or Frank Stella. With their stringent geometry, broad colour fields and astringent composition, Amish quilts are startlingly close to Concrete art, Hard-Edge painting and Minimalism. However, the modern appearance of these patchwork quilts stemmed from the design intention of an 18th-century Anabaptist Christian denomination that has chosen to live without the benefit of modern technology in relative isolation. Although the Amish quilts in the collection date from the reign of Queen Victoria and the Jugendstil/Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods, they represent the diametric opposite of synchronous European-inspired American art yet prefigure the design principles of Modernism. Europeans began to discover." (Book Description, Amazon US)
Great hair: elegant styles by Davis Biton.
"Going to a hairstylist before every special occasion can be both expensive and time-consuming. Its much more convenient, and very easy, to create the perfect hairstyle right at home! Here are 100 classic, salon-quality styles that any non-professional can handle, all shown with full-colour photographs that detail every step, as well as information on essential supplies and basic techniques. There are dos for any length, mood, and occasion, from a night out at the hottest club to the fanciest wedding. Select from elegant chignons, waterfalls of curls that cascade down your back, or loose, playful tendrils that frame the face. Some have jewel or flower adornments, while others feature braids, twists, and hair weaves. Every look is beautiful and unique." (Product Description, Amazon UK)
Deer hunting with Jesus : dispatches from America's class war by Joe Bageant.
"Bageant mixes a reporter's keen analysis, a storyteller's color, and a native son's love of his roots in this absorbing dissection of America's working poor. Returning to his hometown of Winchester, Virginia, after 30 years of life among the elite journalistic class, Bageant sought to answer the question of why the working poor vote for Republicans in apparent opposition to their own interests. On a broader level, he examines issues of economic class distinctions as he drills below the middle-class claims of his hometown. The reality is that two of five residents do not have high-school diplomas and virtually everyone over 50 has serious health problems in a town & and nation with poor and failing schools and health systems. Still clinging to illusions of personal responsibility and the vain hope of someday achieving wealth, Winchester's residents fall deeper into debt, farther behind in ambitions beyond working in the local factory - if they're lucky -and, along with their children, subject to the de facto draft of economic conscription. Through the lives of his friends and family, Bageant explores the importance of hunting, religion, and redneck pride in what he describes as the American hologram. A wise, tender, and acerbic look at life among America's working poor." (Vanessa Bush, Booklist)
Dragon thunder by Diana J. Mukpo.
"It was not always easy to be the guru's wife, writes Diana Mukpo. But I must say, it was rarely boring. At the age of sixteen Diana broke with her upper-class English family and left school to marry Chogyam Trungpa, a young Tibetan lama who would go on to become a major figure in the transmission of Buddhism to the West. Trungpa attracted thousands of students in North America and is credited for introducing many key Buddhist concepts into the English language and psyche. During his lifetime he founded more than one hundred meditation centers and authored dozens of popular books on meditation and Buddhism. Among Asian masters living and teaching in the West, Trungpa was known for having an unorthodox and unpredictable teaching style - and for leading an unconventional personal life. In Dragon Thunder, the reader gets an intimate look at this compelling and enigmatic figure through the eyes of his wife of seventeen years." (Synopsis, Amazon UK)
Living with a Black Dog : how to take care of someone with depression while looking after yourself by Matthew Johnstone.
"Millions of people will suffer from depression at some stage in their life. When the Black Dog comes to live with them, it also moves in with their loved ones - who may not have the tools to help support the sufferer while looking after their own wellbeing. Living With a Black Dog is Matthew and Ainsley Johnstone's illustrated, must-have guide for the partners, family, friends and colleagues of depression sufferers. It includes practical advice about recognising the symptoms of depression in a loved one, living with a depressed person and helping them to tame their Black Dog. Matthew and Ainsley also provide tips on self-preservation for carers, so they don't come to adopt a Black Dog of their own. A companion book to I Had a Black Dog, Living With a Black Dog is a moving, thoughtful and often amusing guide for people living with someone who suffers from depression." (Synopsis, Globalbooksinprint.com)
Birth of the Beetle : the development of the Volkswagen by Ferdinand Porsche by Chris Barber.
"Here is a unique record of the Beetle's early evolution, chronicled by an English school teacher who spent 20 years digging through untapped sources, including archives he discovered at Porsche. Despite the plethora of books on this evergreen car, most of his material has never previously been published. The book - illustrated with over 300 photographs and designs, most of them not seen since origination - covers the period from the Porsche expose of 17 January 1934 until July 1945, with the final lists of experimental and test cars run by Porsche in Gmund, Austria." (Book Description, Amazon US)
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