‘I took the job in a panic as my life hit the buffers and the money ran out.’ This might not sound like an auspicious beginning, but as ‘The Volunteers’ beautifully records, Carol’s decision to take on a new role within wildlife conservation, and specifically the group of volunteers she learns to manage as a […]
My daughter once asked me if I wished her brother wasn’t autistic. My instinctive response was no, because his autism is inextricable from him and it is impossible to imagine who he would be without his neurological differences. I’m fairly sure that this was not the answer my daughter expected to hear, as she views […]
‘You may not be aware of this…but you do not control what you eat.’ We don’t tend to think of ourselves as being part of systems, but in this fascinating book, Dimbleby explains how the global and, specifically, UK food system is simultaneously supporting us, manipulating us and even killing us. What’s it about? In […]
‘Medicine was harder to leave than O2 or Virgin Active gyms.’ Adam Kay is back with his second memoir, reflecting on his experiences not just as a student and doctor within the NHS but with his own mental and physical health. What’s it about? Kay’s adult debut, ‘This is going to hurt’, was sad and […]
‘It’s a bit like butchers telling you they’re taking good care of animals.’ Ouch. Peter Wohlleben is not pulling any punches in his discussion of ‘clear cuts’ in forestry, (removing all the trees) but then, why would he when he considers “traditional forestry” to be the very definition of madness – “doing the same thing […]
Do you feel happy? Sad? Or do you mostly just feel – blah. Flat emotions may not be a sign that someone is experiencing depression, but it can be a precursor to it. After all, we might desire a life without sadness, fear and anger, but no one wants a life devoid of joy, excitement […]
Did you know that lions no longer live in prides? It makes sense when you think about it: of course, as available territory has reduced and can’t sustain large groups, lions must necessarily live and hunt in smaller groups. This was one of the many thought provoking pieces of information my daughters and I discovered […]
Everyone knows that we should eat 5 fruits / vegetables a day to protect our health – but that’s not true. The real figure, arrived at through considerable research, is 9, but public health messengers decided that the public didn’t want to hear that – it wasn’t a figure they would consider realistic or achievable […]
Did you know that you may legally access only 3% of England’s rivers? The remaining 97% are privately owned. How did that come about? Should England’s citizens be restricted in this way? What is the history behind our segregation from our own land and what are the consequences? Nick Hayes’ explores these issues – and […]
As a parent / guardian, you want your children to be happy. More than that, you want them to be able to create their own secure, inner happiness that isn’t dependent upon treats and toys – lovely though a well-timed ice cream can be! How can we do this? The authors believe they have some […]