Buyers' Choice
July 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.
Gordon Ramsay's healthy appetite by Gordon Ramsay.
"What you are is what you eat - and everyone wants to be healthy and look their best. Gordon Ramsay - super-fit chef, marathon runner and high-energy television presenter - is a great advertisement for eating well and staying in the peak of good health. For this third series of "The F Word", he has put together over 100 dishes thatare completely in tune with the way we want to eat today - packed with fresh, vital ingredients cooked in the most healthy way to achieve maximum flavour. Geared around our daily lives he gives ideas and recipes for healthy breakfasts, lunches, barbecues, suppers, desserts, kids and entertaining, demonstrates healthy cooking methods that guarantee optimum flavour, and tells us which are his favourite healthy ingredients. With its fresh, colourful photographs and clean modern design, this is a worthy follower to his hugely successful Fast Food and Sunday Lunch." (Synopsis, Amazon UK)
The sisters who would be queen : Katherine, Mary and Lady Jane Grey - a Tudor tragedy by Leanda De Lisle.
"The dramatic untold story of the Grey sisters, heirs to the Tudor throne. Lady Jane Grey is an iconic figure in English history. Misremembered as the 'Nine Days Queen', she has been mythologized as a child-woman destroyed on the altar of political expediency. Behind the legend, however, was an opinionated and often rebellious adolescent who died a passionate leader, not merely a victim. Growing up in Jane's shadow, her sisters Katherine and Mary would have to tread carefully to survive. The dramatic lives of the younger Grey sisters remain little known, but under English law they were the heirs - and rivals - to the Tudor monarchs Mary and Elizabeth I. The beautiful Katherine ignored Jane's dying request that she remain faithful to her beliefs, changing her religion to retain Queen Mary's favour only to then risk life and freedom in a secret marriage that threatened Queen Elizabeth's throne. While Elizabeth's closest adviser fought to save Katherine, her younger sister Mary remained at court as the queen's Maid of Honour. Too plain to be considered significant, it seemed that Lady Mary Grey, at least, would escape the burden of her royal blood. But then she too fell in love, and incurred the queen's fury." (Synopsis, Amazon UK)
Easy green living : the ultimate guide to simple eco-friendly choices for you and your home by Renee Loux.
"We are what we eat, but we also are what we use to clean our homes, pamper our skin, and decorate our rooms, according to Renee Loux, accomplished raw food chef, and award-winning author. In her new book, Easy Green Living, she applies her whole-foods philosophy to home, garden, and beauty routines. Renee Loux demonstrates that being green at home is easy, affordable, and better in every sense of the word. She discusses the daily choices we face that can keep the home, personal care, and beauty routines free of toxins. She exposes the dirt on cleaning products and common hazardous ingredients and reveals her recommendations for greener options, including her Green Thumb Guides for choosing non-toxic, eco-smart, and human-friendly products. Peppered with compelling and inspiring facts, Easy Green Living is full of 5 Step lists, products and recipes for green cleaning, helpful charts, safer choices for every room, and inspirational advice so we can save the planet - one cleaning spritz at a time." (Synopsis, Amazon UK)
Around the world in 80 dinners the ultimate cullinary adventure by Bill Jamison.
"In the fall of 2005, Cheryl and Bill Jamison went on an exciting global odyssey, using their frequent flyer miles to get from here to there. But first, they had to wrangle with the airlines and make reservations at hotels at their many destinations. They also had to shop for clothes that wouldn't immediately brand them as Americans and that would last for three long and arduous months' and also that would have elastic waistbands, since this jaunt was to focus on lots of yummy food. So off they went. First to Bali, where they ignored the tourist haunts of coastal Bali in search of the simple authentic flavors found in the central highlands. This stop was also a second honeymoon for the two. Then to Australia, to taste its foods and wines, and on to the sensuous South Pacific, where they traveled to the relatively unknown French territory of New Caledonia and its small capital, Noumea, called 'the Paris of the Pacific.' Singapore for street food. Thailand for luscious contrasts in textures and flavors. China's Chiu Chow cuisine. The spicy cooking of Southern India. South Africa and a safari cookout, plus wild animals on the roam." (Synopsis, Amazon UK)
1001 books you must read before you die by Peter Boxall.
"They're called the classics for good reason. Whether they're a work of wacky imagination, a piercing insight into social and cultural traditions at the time of writing, or simply a fantastically absorbing story, all the books featured in 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die have come about out of people's desires to communicate a story, a message or a lesson. From much loved tales to off-beat cult fiction and the timeless classics of the nineteenth century, discover the influences on the authors, plots and characters of the books that really should make up part, if not all, of your library. Battle orks with Frodo and Aragorn in Middle Earth, go on the road with Kerouac in search of freedom, get involved with questions of gender and androgyny with Orlando, immerse yourself into the full and expansive portrait of India created by Seth in A Suitable Boy and enter the world of Christoper Boone in his touching and amusing quest to find the killer of his neighbour's pet dog. All of these books, and many more are reviewed with fresh perspectives in terms of plot, the ideas that they bring out and why they deserve, above others, to be recommended and read." (Synopsis, Amazon UK)
Pirates : a history by Tim Travers.
"This book provides a world-wide history of piracy from ancient times to the present day. Most histories of piracy start with piracy in the Caribbean in the 1500's and move on to the 'golden age' of piracy from the 1660s to the 1720s, with chapters on the Barbary corsairs, Chinese piracy and a brief look at modern piracy. These areas cannot be overlooked, but "Pirates: A History" is a comprehensive history of piracy, starting with piracy in the ancient and classical periods, and then shifting to piracy in the Middle Ages and the Mediterranean, before treating the more traditional areas of the Caribbean, the 'golden age' of piracy in the west, the Barbary corsairs, Chinese and Eastern piracy, and finally, modern piracy." (Synopsis, Amazon UK)
Framing techniques and decorating ideas by Aaron Brothers.
"Framing a photograph, oil painting, watercolour, poster, calendar page, greeting card, or other artwork can be easy and inexpensive. The experts at Aaron Brothers, who have been offering custom framing since 1946, share their know-how in a presentation of the varied and wonderful ways of choosing, decorating, and using frames. Not only do snapshots get the royal treatment, but also artwork, textiles, jewellry, documents, and collectibles. Find out about the many fantastic styles available, from box and clip frames to closed-corner and float frames to shadow boxes and scrapbook frames. Consider what size is appropriate, which mats and glass work best, and what motifs suit your lifestyle and the showcased object. Every page offers beautiful ideas for arrangements, vignettes, and great groupings on the wall or table, as well as suggestions for unusual items to frame that really make a statement." (Synopsis, Amazon UK)
Angaza Afrika : African art now by Chris Spring.
"Africa's artistic landscape is immensely fertile. It has emerged from its colonial past, and is once again asserting its own identity. It is not only confined to the continent itself, but has spread throughout the world through the work of both those descended from the enforced migrations of the slave trade and also those who have more recently left their homes in Africa to take their place on an international stage. This book brings together 70 of Africa's most creative contemporary artists. Drawn from across the African continent as well as from Europe, North America, the Caribbean, and South America, the book illustrates the diversity and vitality of these artists, bringing it leaping off the page with over 350 colour images (many especially commissioned). In addition to painters, sculptors and photographers, there are a number of artists whose work embraces performance and installation. Many of the materials they use are as unorthodox as their imagery, with ready made and found objects." (Synopsis, Amazon UK)
Sufficient by Tom Petherick.
"Sufficient is a book to inspire, educate and encourage a process of change towards a simple, gentle and sustainable way of living. Many of us want to make a shift in our lives by slowing down and consuming less, embracing artisan foods and championing human-scale organic growing methods as safe, compassionate and pleasurable. This book is a guide to starting that process, however and
wherever you currently live in the world. "Sufficient" is a passionate approach to understanding why changes need to be made and how they can be achieved in a fun and life-enhancing way. It is a new concept, the central aim of which is to encourage the practice of sustainability, taking it from its niche following and bringing it into the mainstream consciousness via a practical every day manual." (Synopsis, Amazon UK)
Nursery style by Serena Dugan.
"Nursery Style is an inspirational guide to creating a baby's room that reflects your personal style. With over 150 color photos, baby bedding and furniture designers, Serena and Lily show parents how to identify the look and mood they want for their nursery and then how to implement those ideas through the use of color, fabrics, furniture, and accessories. Whether readers seek a traditional, modern, vintage, or eclectic look, Serena and Lily lead the way. Dozens of practical ideas for storage, comfort, and safety round out the book, making this the ultimate start-to-finish guide to baby's room." (Synopsis, Amazon UK)
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