Emotional Support Through Breast Cancer: The Alternative Handbook. Dr Cordelia Galgut

Emotional Support through breast cancerAlthough I have been lucky to never have cancer myself, I have seen firsthand how devastating it can be. Those who get diagnosed can also feel isolated and need emotional support. Knowing about the experience of others definitely helps and that is where Emotional Support Through Breast Cancer shines; it is written not only by a psychologist, but one who is a breast cancer survivor. It is also concise and easy-to-read.

This is a compassionate guide and has many personal testimonies from women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, it shares practical ideas to help support sufferers at all stages, be it at diagnosis, during treatment or during life after the initial treatments are over.

The book has exercises to develop an acceptance of thoughts and feelings, whilst the individual accounts validate the multitude of emotions felt by sufferers. Emotional Support Through Breast Cancer has had glowing reviews and it is easy to see why; it has the tone of a good friend and the wisdom of a health care professional. Anything to get through the trauma of breast cancer is a must, and this book impressed me on many levels: An essential.

Emotional Support Through Breast Cancer can be bought here

Mini Eco: A Craft Book By Kate Lilley Review

Crafting has become huge in recent years, accumulating in a billion pound industry. The recession has only added to the craft industry, people want to be creative and want nice things without paying over the odds. Which is one of the reasons, other than her tremendous talent, that Kate Lilley’s craft blog www.minieco.co.uk has over 250,000 followers and is now a cult phenomenon in the craft industry.

Mini Eco craft book

MiniEco: A Craft Book has a selection of 31 craft projects. Kate’s crafting style is Japanese-influenced – lots of paper crafts and a clean, minimal aesthetic. The book has amazing photography and production effects. I love the cleanness of her designs; minimalism at it’s most beautiful.

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The 31 how-to projects are very clearly laid-out. This book makes crafting easy, even when the project looks hard. Craft projects include Hama bead candle holder, furoshiki cloths, and macrame samplers, as well as Kate’s infamous paper crafts – paper gems, crackers, banners and an incredible origami lampshade.

I love this craft book for a number of reasons; the craft projects are beautiful and original, the step-by-step guide makes it all very easy, and there is hours of fun to be had. Mini Eco would make a great Christmas present for the crafter in your life.

MiniEco: A Craft Book can be bought here

How To Keep Calm And Carry On Book Review

Keep calm and carry on bookHow to Keep Calm and Carry On: Inspiring Ways to Worry Less and Live a Happier Life by Professor Daniel Freeman and Jason Freeman is certainly a book for our age. With unemployment on the rise and the the effects of the recession still causing trouble it is no wonder anxiety and stress are on the rise.

The book starts with what anxiety actually is, then it goes into tackling your anxiety and how it can be done. Whilst reading about tackling anxious thoughts and reducing worry I learned a lot, mostly that I worry too much! About everything, even things that will probably never happen. The book also has great tables and exercises to do. A section on coping with nightmares is particularly helpful as I find when I am stressed I usually have bad dreams.

The chapter on relaxing body and mind was informative and interesting. I find that I never switch off and it is just not healthy for me. Some of the tips in this book are incredibly useful and I will be adding them to my life.

The chapter on eating and drinking your way to calmness reminded me to drink less caffeine (no wonder I can’t sleep!) and eat more pasta. All in all, an incredibly knowledgeable and fun book to help you keep calm and carry on. Highly recommended.

~ Worry and anxiety affects millions worldwide. How to Keep Calm and Carry On takes the latest scientific research and tested clinical techniques to show readers how to beat it ~

Britain is on the verge of a stress epidemic. One in five adults worry for at least 60 minutes every day. And more than seven million Brits are believed to have a certifiable anxiety disorder.

Even low-level worry can negatively impact work, home and quality of life. It’s a situation that costs the UK economy over £6.5billion each year.

But as new stress management guide How to Keep Calm and Carry On shows, anxiety need not be an issue in people’s lives any longer.

Calling upon the latest cutting-edge clinical research and proven-to-work techniques, leading British clinical psychologist Professor Daniel Freeman and psychology writer Jason Freeman offer a simple, straightforward roadmap to enjoying a happy and worry-free life.

Throughout the 176-page book, the Freeman brothers — dubbed the UK’s “Worry Tzars” — put the ‘How To’ into the world-famous “Keep Calm” mantra, offering friendly guidance, exercises and

motivating ‘quick wins’ to allow readers to build a realistic and highly-practical programme to keep fears in check and anxieties under control.

Refreshingly and reassuringly, Keep Calm and Carry On is science-based without being technical — something which, ironically, could cause reader anxiety in itself. There’s no jargon or scary psychobabble to be found across its 12 guaranteed stuffiness-free chapters.

Instead, the book — which has just been released by leading educational publisher Pearson —provides an effortlessly accessible manual to feeling more calm, composed and centred.

Speaking about the book, Daniel Freeman — Professor of Clinical Psychology at Oxford University — said: “Our aim is to take the very best psychological research and make it accessible so people can effectively deal with stress and anxiety.”

Whatever life throws at you, the Freeman brothers can show how best to keep calm and carry on.

How to Keep Calm and Carry On: Inspiring Ways to Worry Less and Live a Happier Life by Daniel & Jason Freeman (Pearson) is out now, priced £10.99, from Amazon and all good book shops

Reasons My Kid Is Crying by Greg Pembroke Review

20131101-144258.jpg Every now and then we get sent something at Frost Magazine that changes our way of thinking. For me Reasons My Kid is Crying was one of those things. I don’t have any children, and, boy, did this make me happy about that.

Ingenious and hilarious, possibly inappropriately so. This is the funniest book I have read since ‘Who Moved My Blackberry?” which was YEARS ago. Buy someone this for Christmas, they will love you forever.

It all started when busy father Greg Pembroke posted a few pictures online of his three-year-old son, mid-tantrum, alongside the reason his son was crying: He had broken his bit of cheese in half. This book collects together photos sent to Greg from parents around the world, documenting the many, completely logical reasons why small children cry. (‘I let him play on the grass’ . . . ‘We told him the pig says “oink”’ . . . ‘The neighbour’s dog isn’t outside’). Together, they are both a fond portrait of the universal, baffling logic of toddlers – and a reminder for burned-out parents everywhere that they are not alone.

I love this book and I if I never procreate, this is why. Check out Greg’s Tumblr here.

Buy Reasons My Kid is Crying here.

Investment Trusts by John Baron | Book Review

investmenttrustsWhen I first saw the title of this book, ‘Investment Trusts’. I thought that it would be quite a dry read. I was very wrong. This is a well written and easy to read guide to investment trusts. A must read for investors and financial advisers.

John Baron presents an extremely compelling case for investing in investment trusts instead of the more common and traditional unit trusts/ mutual funds.

As a very basic overview.

Unit trusts are open ended (except  funds from new investors) and trade at their net asset value

Investment trusts trade like shares on an exchange. They are closed ended (don’t accept new investor funds) and can trade at a discount or premium to their actual net asset values.

The book does a much better job of explaining the differences and goes into a lot more detail. Baron examines the factors which explain why unit trusts/OEICs under perform investment trusts. He clearly presents the opportunities which many investors may be missing out on.

The book is well researched (Baron has worked in the industry for many years). It is clear easy to understand, jargon free and well structured. It is difficult to argue with any of the authors conclusions. The book also has extra tips for successful investing and information on how to construct and monitor a trust portfolio. This is a must read for any investor who currently only invests in mutual funds. I’m not surprised it has a flawless record of 5 star reviews on Amazon.

5/5

Financial Times Guide to Investment Trusts: Unlocking the City’s Best Kept Secret is available here.

 

 

12 Books To Read In 2012

Peter James Dead Man’s Time

Peter James Dead man's time review

Few things in life are as fun as a hardback crime thriller in your hands and a few hours of spare time. This well-researched and fast paced book is an exciting roller-coaster of a book. I found it really hard to put this book down. Peter James is obviously a brilliant crime writer. Prepare to be blown away. Peter James is also a film producer, producing the Merchant Of Venice which starred Al Pacino and has worked as a screenwriter. Talented man. The hardback edition is an interactive book.

SOME WILL WAIT A LIFETIME TO TAKE THEIR REVENGE . . . A vicious robbery at a secluded Brighton mansion leaves its elderly occupant dying. And millions of pounds’ worth of valuables have been taken. But, as Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, heading the enquiry, rapidly learns, there is one priceless item of sentimental value that the old woman’s powerful family cherish above all else. And they are fully prepared to take the law into their own hands, and will do anything, absolutely anything, to get it back. Within days, Grace is racing against the clock, following a murderous trail that leads him from the shady antiques world of Brighton, across Europe, and all the way back to the New York waterfront gang struggles of 1922, chasing a killer driven by the force of one man’s greed and another man’s fury.

Jim Pinnells Saturn’s Daughters: The Birth of Terrorism

Saturn’s Daughters Author Jim Pinnells Interview: On Russia, Pussy Riots And The Birth Of Terrorism, terrorism, Jim Pinnells, pussy riots,

I really loved this book. We interviewed Jim Pinnells so have a read. This book is a great insight into terrorism and revolutionaries. It mingles real and fictional characters brilliantly and really draws you into the world of 19th century Russia. Pinnells is a Russian Historian and it really shows. A brilliant book which will keep you gripped until the end, whilst giving you a fun history lesson. What more could you want?

Claire Garber Love is a Thief

love is a thief

An entertaining book which comes with a smart premise: what has love stolen from you? Heartwarming, smart, addictive and very, very funny. I also love Claire’s bio, ‘Claire did nothing remotely of interest until aged 26, when she visited the French Alps and fell in love with every single French man she met’.

Kate Winters is an ordinary girl, with a not-so-ordinary mission: take back what love stole!

Kate Winters might just be ‘that’ girl. You know the one. The girl who, for no particular reason, doesn’t get the guy, doesn’t have children, doesn’t get the romantic happy ever after. So she needs a plan. What does she like doing? What didn’t she get to do because she fell in love? What would she be happy spending the rest of her life doing if love never showed up again?

This is one girl’s journey to take back what love stole and maybe find love again along the way Feel-good, witty and addictive; Love is a Thief is the book everyone’s talking about.

Daron Sheehan The Socrates Project

Daron Sheehan The Socrates Project

An eco-thriller. Yes, en eco-thriller. Described as ‘Michael Crichton meets George Orwell’. The smart thing about this book is that it takes entertainment and combines it with the very real problem of the damage to our environment and global warming. We went to the launch and had a chat with Daron and adventurer Mark Beaumont. Daron went through quite a few drafts of The Socrates Project and you can tell his friends didn’t hold back as the novel is not a brilliant read which has started its own genre in literature.

The Socrates Project is a secret attempt by the United Nations to avert the predicted collapse of our civilisations. Simon Oceandis heads up the sicads, who must blend modern science and ancient wisdom to find the solutions before time runs out.

Not everybody welcomes the Project. An influential secret society plots to discredit and destroy the sicads. Torn between the love of a beautiful scientist and a fiery tribeswoman, Simon discovers an exotic world of adventure and wonder. To find the answers to save humanity, he must undergo a deep inner journey, yet his life becomes a frantic race for survival…

Is it happening? Could it happen? Should it happen? Decide for yourself! Live the story…

Charles Dubow Indiscretion

Charles Dubow Indiscretion

If you want a glamourous book about love and betrayal, desire and deceit, then Indiscretion is the book for you. Indiscretion is the first novel from Charles Dubow but it is a confident and powerful debut.

The Great Gatsby meets The Secret History in this torrid novel of love, lust and deception.

Harry and Madeleine Winslow are blessed with talent, money, and charm. Harry is an award–winning author on the cusp of greatness. Madeleine is a woman of sublime beauty and grace whose elemental goodness belies a privileged upbringing. Bonded by deep devotion, their marriage is both envied and admired by friends who spend summers at their East Hampton idyll.

When a holiday fling turns disastrously wrong, 26-year-old Claire falls into the Winslows’ welcoming orbit. They are enchanted by her youth and intelligence. In turn, Claire is entranced by Harry and Maddy. The love that exists between them is something of which, until now, she could only dream.

Seen through the omniscient eyes of Maddy’s childhood friend Walter, Indiscretion is a story about the complexities of love, the dangerous nature of desire and how obsession can tear apart even the most perfect of worlds.

This ebook edition also contains an extended extract from Maggie Shipstead’s award-winning, New York Times bestseller, Seating Arrangements.


Brigitte Cobb Make it Fly!: The step by step guide to make ANY idea, project or goal take off

Brigitte Cobb Make it Fly!: The step by step guide to make ANY idea, project or goal take off

I love how this book is layed out. It has exercises, tables, steps and a Do it! summary at the end of each chapter. Perfect for motivation and to get you started on your goals, whatever they may be. The tone is positive without being annoying and it is impossible to not feel inspired reading it. It is no nonsense, firm but fair and does the important thing of telling you to look after yourself. If you have an idea, project or even just a vague dream, buy it and you are on your way. I loved it.

Whether it’s a project at work or a dream for life, Make it Fly! is the ultimate success plan
for making things happen.

Its proven, step-by-step approach will make even the biggest goal achievable, giving you that vital first push and all the know-how, inspiration and practical techniques you need to see things through.

Discover how to:

Appraise your idea to make sure if it’s really ready to fly
Get the planning right so you know what’s happening now and what you’re doing next
Hurdle all the annoying obstacles that will try to put you off course
Stay motivated focused by taking every step in the right way and at the right time

Stop talking about what you’re going to do, and start doing what you’re talking about. It’s time to make it fly!

Dr Patrizia Collard Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy For Dummies

MindfulnessBasedCognitiveTherapyFD

With the stigma of mental health problems being eroded all the time, mindfulness and cognitive therapy are both huge topics and if this book shows anything, it is how mainstream mental health issues are now, which can only be a good thing as people who are ill are not suffering in silence. With this great book you can also download audio files. Like any ‘For Dummies’ Book, it is easy to read and understand. With great programmes and chapters on stopping the cycle of depression and breaking free from addiction, this is a very good book; if you have any problems or or just having a hard time, this book has a large amount of knowledge that can you put your life back on track.

It has a complete eight-week MBCT course, mindfulness exercises and even meditation practices. A must buy to get you over any bumps in the road.

Break the mental chains that keep you stuck in the past and start living a fuller, happier life If you suffer from depression you know how it feels to be dragged down by past hurts, regrets and disappointments. In this book you’ll learn an amazingly simple, yet highly effective, approach to breaking free of past woes (and future worries) and beating negative ways of thinking. Therapist Dr Patrizia Collard takes you on an eight–week journey of self–discovery, arming you with powerful tools for warding off future depression and related problems, such as anxiety, addiction and low self–esteem. Make room for peace of mind – learn to prepare a physical (and mental) space conducive to meditation practice Take a good look at what’s hurting you – find the courage to confront your demons, face–to–face, rather than pushing them away Break those mental chains – become aware of the background noise and static that’s distracting you from clarity and purpose Pay attention to the here and now – master mindfulness techniques for living in the present moment, rather than fixating on the past or worrying about what the future may bring Expand your focus – apply what you learn to beating an array of specific problems from addiction to depression, including eating disorders, pain, anxiety and more Audio download includes Seven guided meditations, including the sitting with difficult thoughts meditation and mindful breathing meditation Step–by–step advice to prepare yourself for effective meditation

Tiffany Reisz The Mistress

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Perfect for people who have read 50 Shades of Grey and are now not only huge fans of erotic fiction, but want to go further. Reisz’s writing really draws you in. Perfect for fans of erotic fiction. Is the latest book in the Original Sinners series. Hot, spicy, sweet and well-written.

Nora Sutherlin, Dominatrix-turned-literary-star, is held prisoner by two dangerous men. Under different circumstances she would enjoy this immensely. These men aren’t lovers, however, but tools of vengeance from an old adversary. Possessor of the hearts of two men, she plays her hardest hand. But her captor isn’t interested in play. Or pity.

In Nora’s world, however, no one is ever truly powerless. Her friends and lovers will do anything to save her – even if the only certainty seems to be sacrifice and heartbreak. The stakes are high in a dangerous game of love, lust and passion

Lucy Cruickshanks The Trader of Saigon

Lucy Cruickshanks The Trader of Saigon

The Trader of Saigon is a book you can really sink your teeth into. Cruickshanks really brings post-civil war Vietnam to life. You can almost smell and taste it. With a clever plot and characters that you really care for, this book is well-researched that is atmospheric and thought-provoking. An amazing debut novel.

From Hanoi to Saigon, a tale of one woman’s search for a better life – and a thriller that strikes to the merciless heart of post-civil war Vietnam. In the chaos and corruption of 1980s’ Vietnam, three seemingly unconnected lives are brought together by greed, fear and hope.

As a US Army deserter, Alexander is a man without country; trapped in a life he no longer controls and embroiled in the dark business of trading women. His latest victim is Hanh, a rural girl who moved to Hanoi to escape inevitable poverty and who sees Alexander’s arrival as the answer to her prayers. Neither of them has ever met Phuc – a Vietnamese businessman who backed the wrong side in the war and is now unable to pay his financial and political debts to the Party. But his struggles are about to change both their lives.

From a society torn apart by war comes a tale of redemption and salvation; a thrilling saga and an explosive debut novel.

Anouska Knight Since You’ve Been Gone

 

This is a beautiful story that you can really lose yourself in. It is a slow burner and a heartwarming, witty and funny read.

How do you learn to love again?

In one tragic moment, Holly Jefferson s life as she knows it changes for ever. Now to the external world, at least she s finally getting back on her feet, running her business, Cake. Then she meets Ciaran Argyll.

His rich and charmed life feels a million miles from her own. However, there s more to Ciaran than the superficial world that surrounds him, and he too is wrestling with his own ghosts. Will Holly find the missing ingredient that allows her to live again and embrace an unknown and unexpected tomorrow

Victoria Fox Wicked Ambition

Victoria Fox Wicked Ambition

Victoria Fox is single-highhandedly bringing the bonkbuster genre back. We interviewed Victoria a while ago and her books are pure escapism. You get the feeling that she is not making it all up, but is a Hollywood insider who really knows her stuff and is spilling secrets. Fox is a brilliant writer and this is another great book from her. Believable fantasy.

If not victory, revenge!
Some will do anything for fame.
Others will do anything to bring the famous down.
Three superstars. Three secrets.

For Robin, Turquoise and Kristin, the spotlight shines brightly. They’ve reached the glittering heights of stardom, and are adored the world over. But in the shadows lies the truth… An expose could be their end.
Because not everyone is happy about their success. Not everyone wants the best for them. Some people want to reveal the real stories behind the luxury parties and gorgeous men, and bring their dazzling worlds crashing to the ground.
Who will fall first

Cathy Kelly The Honey Queen

Cathy Kelly The Honey Queen

A very talented writer. Her books are beautifully written. A wonderful book about life and friendship and all of the trials that come with it that will warm your heart. A gripping book to get lost in and a joy to read.

Can she find the strength to help the family she never knew she had?

Vibrant and warm, Frankie manages people as a career – so her husband’s silence on redundancy comes as a shock. Suddenly both their dream house project in pretty Redstone and their marriage are under terrible strain.

Only twenty-seven, Peggy is opening her own knitting shop in town but her past threatens to unravel any prospect of love and a family of her own.

Lillie is the friend they both need. Newly arrived in the small Irish town from Australia, she’s no stranger to secrets and heartache. Wrapped in the warmth of the community, Lillie must help herself and her new friends rediscover the joy in life…

 What book will you read?

Inbound Marketing And SEO: Insights From The Moz Blog | Book Review

Inbound Marketing & SEO: Insights From The Moz Blog      , Rand Fishkin ,Thomas Høgenhaven, book, book review, SEO, I am sure some readers will have no idea what this book is about. Nor even care. But for those with blogs, online magazines, websites or digital companies, Inbound Marketing and SEO: Insights from the Moz Blog By Rand Fishkin and Thomas Høgenhaven is essential reading.

This excellent book didn’t only teach me a lot of stuff I didn’t know, it also taught me stuff I didn’t know that I didn’t know. That is not to say it made my head hurt with esoteric talk, as well as being knowledgeable it is also easy to read and the knowledge sinks in. I love the graphs too.

If you are in the digital media business I think you should buy this book, read it as quickly as possible and then reevaluate your business. Great business advice in a humourous and enjoyably written book. Brilliant stuff.

The Moz blog is the go-to place for the latest thinking on Search Engine Optimization, and Inbound Marketing and SEO: Insights From The Moz Blog is an anthology of some of the finest writing on this topic.

Search engine optimization (SEO) has been a growing area for many years but industry professionals now recognise that they require a broader set of competencies. In order for SEO to be successful, a wide range of marketing channels need to be covered. In response, Inbound Marketing and SEO is split into sections encapsulating: Channels of Online Marketing; Search Engine Optimization; Content Marketing; Social Media; Outreach; Conversion Rate Optimization; and Analytics.

Aimed at both new and experienced marketers within each of these six sub-disciplines, it primarily focuses on leveraging existing products such as Google, Bing, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn as marketing platforms. While most of the book does not require advanced technical knowledge, it also contains articles which look at SEO from a more technical point of view – for example, focusing on how to implement schematic data in HTML or setting up advanced segments in Google Analytics.

Updating the The Moz blog’s most popular articles on the key SEO disciplines, this new title compiles them with brand new, purpose-written articles which are unavailable elsewhere.

Inbound Marketing & SEO: Insights From The Moz Blog is available here, Waterstones, WH Smith and wherever books and e-books are sold.

Playing With Fire By Kerry Wilkinson Book Review

Playing With Fire Kerry Wilkinson book reviewPlaying With Fire is the fifth book in the DC Jessica Daniel novels. The novels could not come at a better time, with TV shows like The Killing and Top of the Lake having female crime-busters, the story is definitely on trend.

DS Jessica Daniel is engaged and at the top of her field. She is a great character with many layers. Seven years ago Martin Chadwick set fire to a Manchester pub, not knowing a teenager was sleeping inside. Chadwick’s release from prison is imminent, with journalists gearing up for a good old-fashioned media lynching.

With the victim’s father telling the papers he is out for revenge, DS Jessica Daniel is left to keep an eye on Chadwick and his fiery eighteen-year-old son.

If that’s not enough to keep her occupied, a private investigator is doing a fine job sticking his oar in, it looks like there’s a schoolgirl suicide ring in operation, her car is working a little too well, and the endless rain continues to pound her northern home.

Jessica’s personal and professional life is in the balance – giving her barely enough time to focus on the person in her midst seemingly intent on burning everything to the ground.

Playing with Fire is an enjoyable crime drama book. Worth a read and, if you like it, there are plenty more books in the series to keep you entertained. Have a read if you like crime, drama or thrillers.