Books Monthly Non Fiction and Reference Book Reviews

RAY HARRYHAUSEN AND TONY DALTON: A CENTURY OF STOP MOTION ANIMATION (Watson-Guptill HB) A pioneer shares his memories and insights on the technique he defined

This lavishly illustrated tribute to the stop-motion animation—the technique behind special effects for more than half a century—traces the history of the genre through the eyes of the industry’s greatest pioneer. From crude model animations in the 1890s, through the first animated feature and into the computer age, Ray Harryhausen and his co-author, Tony Dalton, reveal the patience and ingenuity of animators and explain the development of the technology. The insights of Harryhausen, the pioneer whose name is indelibly linked with stop-motion, add a rich extra dimension to this history, packed with cinematic monsters, fantasy creatures, the imaginings of Tim Burton and Aardman, and much more. Never-before-published stills and photos of the artists at work, sketches and storyboards for projects both realized and abandoned, and a host of recently unearthed memorabilia make A Century of Stop-Motion Animation a must-have for all fans of animation and film. Ray Harryhausen is revered as the master of special effects in the pre-computer age. His timeless work includes Jason and the Argonauts and The Clash of the Titans. He received an honorary Oscar in 1992 and a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame in 2003. Many know his name from the elegant restaurant Harryhausen’s in the animated movie Monsters Inc.. He lives in London. Tony Dalton has known Harryhausen for more than thirty years. A film historian and writer, he runs his own archive research company. His previous book, also co-written with Harryhausen, is Ray Harryhausen: An Animated Life. He also lives in London. This is an amazing book, one that will captivate film-goers and animation aficionados alike. For decades Harryhausen was the genius behind every monster and dinosaur movie we went to see, and was a pioneering force in animation; there is no trickery or secrecy to what Harryhausen achieved, it was simply one frame at a time with small, barely discernible movement of joints etc., to create the illusion of motion. With the birth of CGI, the trickery and magic became more overt while the effects became more spectacular. But the concept of magic-making in the cinema originated with stop-go animation and continues to this day with such wonders as Wallace and Grommit. This is a book you will lovingly read and savour; a feast of visual effects that delighted generations of cinema goers, beautifully and painstakingly produced, written and printed, with a fantastic array of brilliantly detailed photographs. A true gem.

The festive fiefdom of QI follows last year's estimable 'E' Annual with a farrago of 'F'-themed fabulousness. Filled with the fabrications of Fry and friends, it's a feast of fascinating facts, from fish and frogs to ferrets and Freemasons, from the frozen fields of Finland to the fruit-fringed forests of Fiji, filled with flies, flags, flamingos, fleas, floods, flowers, fog, food, football, forests, fossils, fungi, fur and furniture ...You get the idea. It's the nearest you'll get to having the phenomenal BBC show live in your front room. It's often said that 96 per cent of the universe is missing, composed of so-called 'dark matter'. But isn't it interesting that the remaining 4 per cent can be compressed into just 96 pages of fabulous, free-wheeling fun? Everyone's favourite quiz programme - this is incredibly the fifth annual, and another fantastic compendium of all that's great about the best programme on the telly - apart from Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes!

Imagine not drinking a bottle of wine before making a pass; not moving in like a starving cat when someone is at the bar; not apologising for something you don't remember doing. Once upon a time, Tania Glyde couldn't imagine living any other way. She wondered whether she had a problem, but so many people drank more and as a clock-watching 6pm-er who hardly ever threw up in public, by general standards she was fine - despite the constant hangover and the bottle of vodka stashed in her handbag.At the end of a 23-year love affair with alcohol, Tania Glyde remembers her inner white wine witch. Exposing the culpability of the drinks industry, the enabling qualities of Class A's and our powerful sense of entitlement to drink until we fall over, "Cleaning Up" examines a moral panic of our time, exploring why women drink, how to stop and what life after alcohol is really like.

While the battle for the compensation of Thalidomide victims was raging in the 1970s, former Labour MP Jack Ashley asked in a parliamentary debate how Louise, then 11 years old, could look forward to 'laughing and loving with no hand to hold and no legs to dance on'.Louise was born Louise Mason, a victim of the devastating drug Thalidomide. Born without arms and legs, she is the daughter of David Mason, who single-handedly held out against the drug company, the legal establishment and all the other parents of Thalidomide victims in the high-profile fight for proper compensation for the victims. As she was photographed with her family and appeared on television meeting celebrities during the battle, few people realised that she did not live with her wealthy parents and three siblings at their spacious North London home but was being brought up in an institution, Chailey Heritage in Sussex. In fact, Louise had never gone home from hospital and, for the first five weeks of her life, her mother didn't even see her.This is a survivor's story, a triumph of the human spirit over adversity. Louise married John, a partially sighted man, and had two beautiful children. She was devastated when she discovered that he was having an affair with their carer. She also had to undergo a kidney transplant, the first Thalidomide victim to do so. She has worked, been an active disability rights campaigner and has now found new love, with Darren, a fellow Thalidomide victim who was born without arms.

The final word on music's greatest legend, in which Philip Norman reveals a John Lennon the world has never seen. With ground-breaking insight into the pain, beauty and frustration that shaped the genius of modern music, John Lennon: The Life redefines a legend. John Lennon - the iconic songwriter, composer and one quarter of The Beatles - was a giant of the twentieth century. As the founding member of the world's most successful group ever, he changed lives. Now, the bestselling author of Shout!, recognised for over 25 years as the ultimate Beatles biography, turns his formidable talent to the Beatle for whom belonging to the world's most beloved pop group was never enough. Drawing on previously untapped sources, and with unprecedented access to all the major characters, Philip Norman presents the most complete and revealing portrait of John Lennon ever written. The book's hundreds of key informants and interviewees include Sir Paul McCartney, Sir George Martin, Neil Aspinall, Sean Lennon, whose moving reminiscence reveals his father as never before, and Yoko Ono, who speaks with sometimes shocking candour about the inner workings of her marriage to John.This masterpiece of biography takes a fresh look at every aspect of Lennon's much-chronicled life as Norman shows us the whole man from Lennon's schooldays to his death outside his New York apartment building on December 8, 1980. Honest and unflinching and featuring previously unseen photographs this truly is the definitive John Lennon. A superb, insightful treatise on Lennon; comprehensive and thoroughly readable. My only problem is the total absence from Norman's account of Lennon's sister, Julia Baird, but otherwise it's unmissable, and almost perfect. Incidentally, I recently watched the film of the making of John Lennon's Imagine album - a totally different picture to that you'd expect emerged - John was self-assured, the consummate musician, swearing at the people making the recording and generally asserting himself. I wasn't expecting him to be anything like that. But there you go. The legend lives on in this magnificent book. One of the few people who can really sing (just listen to the Beatles' exquisite harmonies) and one of my top five voices of the twentieth century, along with Randy Newman, Jeff Lynne, Harry Nilsson and Frank Sinatra. I don't watch X Factor (I do watch Strictly, though) but I know without watching it that all of the contestants will never match up to the singing that those five produced - three of them are dead, only Newman and Lynne are still alive, but Lennon was always my favourite. This is a massive book, and will keep you enraptured for hours. It was last month's book of the month, and I could well have been justified in holding it over for this month too. You have to read it.

F IN EXAMS - Published by Summersdale Publishers and available from all good bookshops

What happens to a boy when he reaches puberty? He says goodbye to childhood and enters adultery. How can you prevent milk turning sour? Keep it in the cow.We've all been there. You've been studying hard, the day of the Big test arrives, you turn over the paper, and 'what the *& per cent @ does that mean?!' Not a clue.Some students, rather than admit defeat, choose to adopt a more creative approach to answering those particularly awkward exam questions.Packed full of hilarious examples, this book will bring a smile to the face of teachers, parents and students alike - and anyone who's ever had to sit a test. We've all seen them on the web and before that on typed sheets of paper handed round the office. Now they've been collected up into a priceless little book and published in time to make a first-rate stocking filler for Christmas. Hilarious, and excellent value.

Now, that we have arrived in the future, and we're not wearing silver space suits to work or eating pills instead of food, we can look back with some amusement on Tomorrow's World. Illustrated throughout and structured by theme, this book will recall the best of TW's occasional successes and frequent failures. Kieran Prenderville was demonstrating cds as early as 1981, but more true to TW form was 'Hissing Sid', a snooker-playing robotic arm which, when challenged by Prenderville on the baize, combined the temperament of Rod Hull's emu with the ineptitude of Clouseau.We were promised miracle chopping boards, but they never made it to retail, and giant, Prisoner-like bubbles inside which commuters could traipse across the Thames haven't arrived to solve inner-city congestion. We're still waiting for holographic videophones, cybernautic sheep-shearing devices and flying cars, too. With profiles of the main presenters dropped in throughout, critiquing their presenting skills, sartorial statements and science credentials, this trip back to the future has the irresistible pull of nostalgia, but is also a glorious celebration of a very British tradition in Heath Robinson-esque solutions to life's little problems. A fascinating insight into what was reported in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s as to what our future societies might look like, be using etc. Some of the gadgets and gizmos were in the right area, others were way off. Very entertaining

Jack is back at school and still enjoying lessons with Miss Stretchberry. But he doesn't agree with everything about her, for example Miss Stretchberry likes cats, and Jack hates them. Or does he? A delicious book perfect for reading alone, or aloud, that displays once again Sharon Creech's incredible skill as a writer of fiction for young readers.

With 90 million of the band’s records sold worldwide since 1987, Guns N’ Roses prolonged rock music past its sell by date with controversial albums and immense, often riotous world tours. But the band’s complete story has never been fully told – until now. In his sixth major rock biography, Stephen Davis – author of the legendary Hammer of the Gods – details the riveting story of a band that originated in the gutters of Sunset Strip and went on to become the biggest, baddest band on the planet. Davis brilliantly captures the birth of Guns’ raw power, which – despite rape charges, drug-induced rampages, and a general appetite for destruction – launched the band into the pantheon of rock gods such as Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones. With a wealth of detail, Davis looks at Axl’s unrelenting quest to release the long-awaited, mystery shrouded Chinese Democracy album, as well as the further adventures of some of the Gunners under the banner of the hard-rocking band Velvet Revolver. In Watch You Bleed, for the first time, millions of Guns N’ Roses fans will learn the whole truth – sometime funny, sometimes tragic – about the last of the great rock bands. Two biographies of two of the biggest rock bands of the last few decades. I'm not a Roses fan personally but the book is fascinating and insightful. Some great photos of band members with the likes of Aerosmith, and the story of how Roses came to join that elect band of super-rock groups is really well written and readable. Described as the last of the great rock bands, but I'm not sure about that - there are some great rock bands still performing, such as Aerosmith, of course. Chinese Democracy, of course, will be on every Roses' fan's Christmas list this year, and so should this book be. It's a terrific read even if you're not a fan, and one of the best rock band exposés of recent times. Brilliant.

Forty years since their formation in a grubby Chinatown basement comes the first truly definitive biography of the world's most legendary rock band - Led Zeppelin. They were 'the last great band of the sixties; the first great band of the seventies'; they rose, somewhat unpromisingly, from the ashes of the Yardbirds to become one of the biggest-selling rock bands of all time. Mick Wall, respected rock writer and former confidant of both Page and Plant, unflinchingly tells the story of the band that wrote the rulebook for on-the-road excess - and eventually paid the price for it, with disaster, drug addiction and death. When Giants Walked the Earth reveals for the first time the true extent of band leader Jimmy Page's longstanding interest in the occult, and goes behind the scenes to expose the truth behind their much-hyped yet spectacularly contrived comeback at London's O2 arena last year, and how Jimmy Page plans to bring the band back permanently - if only his former protege, now part-time nemesis, Robert Plant will allow him to. And Wall also recounts, in a series of flashbacks, the life stories of the five individuals that made the dream of Led Zeppelin into an even more incredible and hard-to-swallow reality: Page, Plant, John Paul Jones, John Bonham, and their infamous manager, Peter Grant. Above all, a book that tells the full, shocking story of Led Zeppelin from the inside, written by someone who has known Jimmy Page for over twenty years, When Giants Walked the Earth is the culmination of several years research. It is based not just on the individual interviews with every member of the band that author Mick Wall has conducted over the years - as well as those who knew and worked with them - but on the insight that only thirty years working in the music business alongside its biggest artists can bring. The other great rock band (apart from Roses and Aerosmith) have been in the press lately, threatening to go back on the road, with or without Plant, who seems to have found a new career duetting with Alison Krauss. Again, though I love Aerosmith, I never liked Zeppelin, and try as they might, my two sons have failed to persuade me that, musically, they're any good. I know that Jimmy Page is cited regularly as the greatest ever rock guitar player, but if what he plays is not music, what's the point? I never liked Plant's singing, and his use of "ooh, yeah" repeatedly is simply inane and unmusical. Now he's singing with Krauss, I like him, but Zeppelin as a band are not for me. The book, like the Guns n' Roses book above, is packed with fascinating insights that even the most ardent Zep fans will not know.

Their stories are remarkable - from the tale of Gregor McGregor the man who invented a fictional South American country, raised international loans on behalf of its 'government' and sold much of its non-existent land to would be settlers in the 1820s, to Peter Foster, the king of bogus slimming 'cures' and friend of page 3 models and a certain Prime Minster's wife. Roger Cook and Tim Tate - television investigators who have spent a lifetime exposing crooks across the world - tell the extraordinary stories of men and women who invented the most extravagant scams of all time, including: Eric Hebborn, the master forger who conned the art world into buying thousands of his fakes;Arthur Ferguson, who 'sold' Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and even the White House to gullible American investors; Michael Jeffery, the man behind the greatest rock 'n' roll rip off ever; John 'Goldfinger' Palmer, the man who was almost single-handedly responsible for the largest-ever-timeshare fraud: 17,000 victims in a con worth GBP100 million; and Frank Abagnale Jr, the real-life 'Catch Me if You Can' conman who successfully impersonated a pilot, a teacher, a lawyer and a paediatrician...and swindled $2.5m across 26 countries. Discover how they fooled countless individuals into handing over their cash, how their scams netted millions and how police battled to bring them to justice. This incredible book is the definitive guide to the world's most outrageous cons.

Leading Marxist thinker Negri is not afraid to ask the difficult questions of the post-Communist age: What should a new left agenda consist of? Where does globalization fit? How does the left make a valid political contribution in the face of centre politics? In "Goodbye Mr Socialism", he retraces the changes since 1989: the birth of Zapatism, the emergence of anti-globalization movements, employment crises and beyond.In these interviews witih Raf Valvolva Scelsi, Negri takes stock of leftist movements past and present. As the doctrines of traditional Marxism have been rendered obsolete, Negri attempts to address what it is to be leftwing today, and asks whether anything has changed to invalidate the need for a radical approach to society and politics. I honestly think you'd have to be a student of politics to get to grips with this

Following the success of the 2008 Annual, this brand-new fabulous guide will push your dancing know-how that one step further with more shakers, showstoppers and sequins than ever before. It will appeal to die-hard fans and families alike as a glitzy companion to an ever-growing TV brand phenomenon. This year's annual has a dazzling array of original features, including exclusive interviews with the 2007 celebrities, plus profiles of the other stars of the show - the professional dancers. We'll look back on Alesha Dixon's journey to victory, and we'll go behind the scenes to see what went on at the Strictly Live Tour.We'll be showing you some new Dancersize moves to keep you fit, and we'll cast a critical eye over series 5 to find the best hairstyles, the biggest arguments and the most beautiful outfits. And this time we'll also look into the history of the show, with a special report on Come Dancing and how this completely outdated format was miraculously re-invented to become the TV entertainment phenomenon of the decade. There'll also be quizzes, stats and never-before-seen photos of tears, tantrums and triumphs, a fun 'Be Your Own Judge' score sheet, a useful guide to dance schools around the country and much, much more. The surprise hit programme, now in its fifth year. I personally look forward to it every week and never miss any of the programmes. This is a lovely book, educational as regards dance steps, inspirational, and entertaining. First class, a brilliant Christmas present!

EastEnders Annual 2009 (BBC Books HB)
Based entirely in the fictional world of Walford, the "EastEnders Annual" takes a sparky, gossip- magazine-style approach to the Square, focusing less on the public-service remit and more on Roxy's cocktail recipes. Packed with exclusive features, we'll be looking in depth at key themes, such as adultery and doomed romances. We'll also have a special report on the Square's Pyscho Women, including May, Clare and Stella, and we'll provide a study on the Pyscho Teens, too. A death map of Walford will remember the dearly departed, with a symbol indicating murder, car crash or natural causes. And our complete guide to throwing an EastEnders party - with a recipe for Ian Beale's vol-au-vents and some creative ideas with knock-off Christmas decorations - will offer the secrets of social success for the festive season.Also containing fun quizzes and games, including the 'Queen Vic Challenge', a riotous board game for all the family, plus a rivetting personality test to match you up with your ideal EastEnders date, this fantastic new Annual will be as much a part of Christmas as a knees-up in the Vic. Another terrific Christmas present, beautifully printed, with profiles, photo stories, quizzes, puzzles - everything a good annual should have. EastEnders is my favourite soap, and Stacey and Bradley are the best thing in it. Absolutely perfect.

Match of the Day Annual 2009 (BBC Books HB)
Who's the best striker in the Premier League? How can you dribble like Ronaldo, shoot like Drogba or Adebayor and pass like Gerrard? Who are the stars to watch out for in 2009? "The Match of the Day Annual 2009" answers all of these questions and more. This all-new annual is the first to be published in association with BBC's "Match of the Day Magazine", and is packed with fascinating stats & facts, brilliant action photos and absorbing features.A celebration of the year's biggest and best moments on the pitch, it also includes fantastic interviews with football's biggest Premier League & top Euro superstars, fun quizzes, posters & cartoons, and easy-to-follow 'Super Skills' guides to improving your game. Compiled by the magazine's staff, and including contributions by Gary Lineker, John Motson, Mark Lawrenson, Jake Humphrey and other top names, the "Match of the Day Annual 2009" is the must-have gift for the football fan on your list - and everything you would expect from the BBC's top sport magazine. The perfect Xmas present for the footie enthusiast. Packed with facts and figures from 2008, together with top 50 strikers, midfielders, goalies, etc., this is a dream of a book.

Better Late Than Never is the extraordinary story of how a man born into poverty in London's East End went on to find stardom late in life when he was chosen to be head judge on BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing. Len will be telling all about his new found fame, not only his experiences on Strictly Come Dancing, but also on the no.1 US show Dancing with Stars and his encounters with the likes of Heather Mills-McCartney. But the real story is in his East End roots. And Len's early life couldn't be more East End. The son of a Bethnal Green costermonger - he spent his formative years running the fruit and veg barrow and being bathed at night in the same water they used to cook the beetroot. There are echoes of Billy Elliot too. Though Len was a welder in the London Docks, he dreamt of being a professional footballer, and came close to making the grade had he not broken his foot on Hackney Marshes. The doctor recommended ballroom dancing as a light aid to his recovery. And Len, it turned out, was a natural. At first his family and work mates mocked, but soon he had made the final of a national competition and the welders descended on mass to the Albert hall to cheer him on. With his dance partner, and then wife Cheryl, Len won the British Championships in his late twenties and retired soon after. Funny and heart warming, Len's autobiography has all the honest East End charm of a Tommy Steele, Mike Reid or Roberta Taylor that we know works so well with book buyers. There was a time when Len thought he would be passed over for SCD, but in the end it all worked out rather well, didn't it? Strictly is one of the most entertaining programmes on TV, and it's nice to get an insight into the background of the show's most popular and knowledgeable star. A very entertaining autobiography. Plenty of home truths for dancers and ordinary punters alike, together with reminiscences of many hilarious escapades. Len is as readable as he is watchable.

Della Galton: How to Write and Sell Short Stories (Accent Press PB)
This is a must-have book for any new writer and a welcome addition to the library of established writers who are hoping to 'up their game'. Have you ever wondered why your short stories are rejected? What is the secret of selling your work? How do you make sure your characters are memorable, your plots realistic and your twists both satisfying and unpredictable? Della Galton answers these and many more questions using a format that will already be familiar to writers: What? Why? When? How? Where? and, Who? About the Author: Della Galton has been selling short stories for twenty years. She sells between 90 and 100 short stories a year to markets in the UK and abroad. She also teaches creative writing and is a popular speaker at writers' conferences across the UK. Dozens of her students have achieved success in the very competitive field of magazine fiction.Della is also the author of two published novels, Passing Shadows and Helter Skelter. A really useful book from someone who knows the trade inside out. Packed with practical advice, this book will set you on your way to short story writing sucess. How do I know? I'm going to try it out for myself! Easy to read, fantastic value, the perfect gift for the would-be writer.

Britain's best-loved comic genius Stephen Fry turns his celebrated wit and insight to unearthing the real America as he travels across the continent in his black taxicab. Stephen's account of his adventures is filled with his unique humour, insight and warmth in this beautifully illustrated book that accompanies his journey for the BBC1 series. 'Stephen Fry is a treasure of the British Empire.' - The Guardian Stephen Fry has always loved America, in fact he came very close to being born there. Here, his fascination for the country and its people sees him embarking on an epic journey across America, visiting each of its 50 states to discover how such a huge diversity of people, cultures, languages, beliefs and landscapes combine to create such a remarkable nation. Starting on the eastern seaboard, Stephen zig-zags across the country in his London taxicab, talking to its hospitable citizens, listening to its music, visiting its landmarks, viewing small-town life and America's breath-taking landscapes - following wherever his curiosity leads him. Stephen meets a collection of remarkable individuals - American icons and unsung local heroes alike.Stephen starts his epic journey on the east coast and zig-zags across America, stopping in every state from Maine to Hawaii. En route he discovers the South Side of Chicago with blues legend Buddy Guy, catches up with Morgan Freeman in Mississippi, strides around with Ted Turner on his Montana ranch, marches with Zulus in New Orleans' Mardi Gras, and drums with the Sioux Nation in South Dakota; joins a Georgia family for thanksgiving, 'picks' with Bluegrass hillbillies, and finds himself in a Tennessee garden full of dead bodies. Whether in a club for failed gangsters (yes, those are real bullet holes) or celebrating Halloween in Salem (is there anywhere better?), Stephen is welcomed by the people of America - mayors, sheriffs, newspaper editors, park rangers, teachers and hobos, bringing to life the oddities and splendours of each locale. A celebration of the magnificent and the eccentric, the beautiful and the strange, Stephen Fry in America is our author's homage to this extraordinary country. The UK's favourite presenter on a fantastic fifty-state tour of the USA, bringing his unique insight into the way the people live and behave. Not a "road" book, but rather a QI on the USA, and Fry is on top form. The book is as entertaining as the accompanying TV series.

Felicity Goodall: The People's War (Reader's Digest HB)

This is a fascinating and poignant collection of photographs and first-hand accounts documenting everyday life on Britain's home front during WWII.Collected here are the stories of the men, women and children left at home who dug for victory, knitted for victory, waved goodbye to loved ones, accommodated strangers, went out to work and who provided invaluable support to the troops on the frontline.Accounts of mass evacuations during the 'phoney war', blackouts and camaradarie in the shelters sit alongside heart-warming tales of personal victories, tragic stories of loss and confusion and detailed accounts of the destruction of major cities, towns and villages.Diary extracts, archive documents, letters, propaganda and personal memories are vividly brought to life with revealing and often breathtaking images, exposing the extraordinary lives of these ordinary citizens during the people's war. A sumptuous book of reminiscences, photos and adverts from the war years - the perfect Christmas gift for anyone who remembers the war, and probably for baby boomers too. The printing is second to none, and the accompanying text is excellent.

The Optimist's/Pessimist's Handbook

'We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.' (Oscar Wilde) 'I tell you, we're in a blessed drain-pipe, and we've got to crawl along it till we die.' (H.G. Wells) Are optimists just reckless dreamers? Are pessimists miserable doom-mongers or just erring on the side of caution? Is the glass half empty or half full? Brilliantly compiled and beautifully written, this is a rich anthology of evidence from both sides of any argument. Covering everything from Africa to Beauty, Happiness to Patriotism to Walking, it is sop to any disposition; the perfect tool for squabbling families, a counterbalance for arguing couples and a mine of detail for the quarrelsome. The Optimist on the Afterlife: My heaven will be filled with wonderful young men and dukes. (Dame Barbara Cartland ) And the Pessimist: 'That's what Hell will be like, small chat to the babbling of Lethe about the good old days when we wished we were dead (Samuel Beckett). From the Inside Flap: Humanity’s story is one long testimony to the truth that life is what you make it – and how! As pioneers, inventors and dreamers have always known, you can do anything you think you can. Since we hauled ourselves out of the swamp our history has been one of extraordinary cultural and technological progress, of beautiful discoveries and remarkable achievements, often against the odds. It is no coincidence that you see no statues of pessimists in town squares. The perfect bedside read, and the ideal Christmas present for someone who loves delving into a book to read quotations and thoughts for special occasions (which is just about all of us, I'd say). Even the quotes in the upside-down pessimist's bookI found inspiring. A truly brilliant book.

The Really Useful Grandparents' Book by Eleo Gordon and Tony Lacey (Penguin Books HB)

The Really Useful Grandparents' Book is the perfect book to share with your grandchildren and help you plan your time with them. Packed with information on the kinds of things a child will want to know about, from the world's most dangerous animals to Mount Everest and Alexander the Great, it also shows how together you can plan a camp in your garden, learn to do cross-stitch or make pop-up cards, do some basic carpentry, make your own fish fingers, play racing demon or learn chess, write a rap or a poem, make a curiosity box, decorate the table, create a special playlist on your iPod and many other activities which will truly enhance your relationship with your grandchild and leave both of you the richer for it. I sort of thought this was going to be a book about really useful grandparents... but in fact it's a colossal compendium of ideas to keep grandchildren amused whilst they're in the care of their grandparents. Stupendous fun without computers, gameboys, Wiis etc. Brilliant. And really useful...

Meet Mark and Jeremy: two very ordinary weirdos. Mark, a middle-aged man trapped in a twentysomething's body, is the sensible one - a loan manager with seven GCSEs ('back when a GCSE actually meant something') and an unhealthy obsession with the Second World War. His flatmate, Jeremy, is a grade-A, work-shy freeloader with dodgy mates. He dreams of being a world-class musician but can't seem to get out of bed in the morning...They hate themselves, each other and the world. This is their story. Uniquely filmed - shot from the characters' point of view and edited so the viewer hears their unspoken thoughts, as well as the dialogue between them - "Peep Show" has attracted both a cult following and critical acclaim. Now, Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong, the creators of the show, have pulled together and annotated the scripts of all five series and written hilarious extra material to take us even deeper into the minds of our socially inept and wonderfully weird heroes, and their slightly strange friends. A perfect example of British comedy writing at its very best, this book is the perfect present for quirky comedy fans everywhere. Britain's other favourite polymath and one of the funniest people alive (unlike Ricky Gervais, Steve Coogan, the entire cast of Little Britain, Gavin and Stacey et al), owes a lot to Monty Python and even Spike Milligan. Plenty of swear words, so don't give it to the kids. Adults will love it, though.

Simon Cowell: 'All my life I've searched for another Lassie and now I've found him!' What's that, Lassie? Worried about losing your title as the world's cleverest canine? Well, you should be because Kate Nicholas and her super-talented moon-walking dog Gin are the greatest team on British TV! There's no doubt Gin is a very smart Border Collie and this unique dog really is a girl's best friend. From cute puppy to star performer, this is the amazing story of an inspiring partnership that spans over six years. Together with handler Kate, 16, Gin wowed the nation with a series of breathtaking freestyle dance routines on ITV's primetime show Britain's Got Talent. In this practical guide Kate and Gin share their dog-training secrets that will help young handlers learn with their pet. Kate and Gin's experiences of competing at Crufts mean this easy-to-follow step-by-step handbook is jam-packed full of advice about how to get the most from your dog and have fun at the same time. Discover how Kate teaches Gin through a combination of rewards, timing, repetition and signals and exciting games. Through mind-boggling photographs of her and Gin in action, as well as cool instructional photos showing how you too can achieve their moves, Kate explains how training and dancing with your dog is a great way to exercise your pet and build up a great friendship. Eventually, you'll not only have a very happy companion but also a dog you are proud to take absolutely anywhere -- even on stage! I'm the proud owner of two Border Collies, but even if I wasn't, who could fail to be impressed by this young lady and her perfect pet partner? This is a terrific book, full of practical advice, beautiful photographs and a record of how Kate managed to train Gin to such a state of perfection. Wonderful.

Your best friend in the kitchen and bestselling author, Rachel Allen, is back with a collection of delicious and easy cakes and bakes, tarts and pies, quiches and casseroles from her brand new TV series. What could be better than the smell of freshly baked bread or the joy of eating warm cookies straight from the oven? Do you pine for the pleasures of gingerbread houses and holiday delights or the warming goodness of home baked casseroles? These are just some of the treats that await in Bake, which ties in with Rachel's brand new TV series. She shares both the sweet and the savoury sides of baking, whether quick snacks, wholesome breads and pies, exotic cakes and tarts or easy baked meals for friends and family. Fully illustrated with beautiful food photography including step-by-steps to take the mystery out of traditional baking and pastry making. Rachel also offers troubleshooting techniques for common problems and wheat or gluten-free recipes so nobody is left out of the fun! Rachel's friendly and expert tuition make this easy-to-use book the best friend to every home baker. Recipes include: / Cardamon bread / Crispy bacon and cheddar bread / Paper-thin cripbreads, cheese straws and pretzels / Pork, chorizo and spinach pie / Beef pasties with mint, ginger and peas / Baked cheese fondue in a pumpkin / Smoked salmon and leek gratin / Seville orange meringue pie / Cornish saffron cake / Lime and yoghurt cake with rosewater and pistachios. A cookery book to die for. Rachel Allen rocks! Sumptuously photographed with mouth-watering clarity - you'll want to follow the recipes and cook the stuff yourself!

John Parker: Ad Hoc, Ad Lib, Ad Nauseam (Summersdale Publishers HB)

Ad libitum (ad lib). At pleasure. In a stage play, a line or comment which does not appear in the script, but which the actor speaks at his own pleasure or that of the director. If you are offered something ad libitum, you are free to accept or reject as you see fit; written on a doctor's prescription, ad lib means 'to be taken freely'. About the Author: John Parker lives and writers in Cornwall, where he divides his spare time between teaching the revived Cornish language and devotion to his placens uxor (long-suffering wife). He is a member of the Classical Association and The Friends of Classics, and contributes to their magazines, and the author of Reading Latin Epitaphs (Exeter University Press). A fascinating compendium of Latin phrases - you'll know more than you thought you did!

Justin Scroggie: Tic Tac, Teddy Bears & Teardrop Tattoos (Hodder HB)

There is a world shrouded in secrecy that exists beyond the realms of conventional understanding. A world of coded languages, unsubstantiated rumour, incomprehensible handshakes, hidden meanings and red herrings that reveals itself only to the initiated, to the insiders, and for most of us remains tantalisingly out of reach. As you read this, it surrounds you, as you look up, it confronts you, as you wonder how you’ve missed it, you will continue to… But no longer. Tic-Tac, Teddy Bears and Teardrop Tattoos hands us the keys to understanding even the darkest corner of those closed-off, clandestine worlds. Here, you will learn how to go undetected within a Masonic lodge, why many Italians have an irrational fear of the number 17, and what a trucker means when he talks about his ‘running bobtail burning the hammer lane’. Discover the wonder of the everyday: did you know that the red and white pole outside the barbers refers to the trade’s gory history of bloodletting, or that when London Underground staff ask for ‘Inspector Sands’ over the tannoy, they’re actually reporting a fire, or that a pub named the Royal Oak has its origins back in a Civil War battle. We all need a guiding light to illuminate life’s darkened corners and obscure pathways – this book is just that beacon. A genuinely interesting collection of signs and symbols, secret languages etc. Something you can dip into or read right through as I did. Fascinating.