A Record of Employment - The Kaiser Chiefs

Advantages: The Discovery of The Beauty of Fact
Disadvantages: The Discovery of The Void of Fiction

...The book is full of facts from front to back. Facts that are weird. Facts that are wonderful. But, one thing that all the facts have in common is that they are records… world records! You may already be convinced that the 2003 edition of this well-known saga is not for you. Afterall, you may not like fact books. If this is the case, it is not a problem. This is because GBOWR2003 (you must have expected me to abbreviate sometime!) is a book known in the book industry as a ‘coffee-table’ book. A ‘coffee-table’ book is a term used to describe a book that is far too big in size that it can neither fit into a handbag nor a briefcase and is a book that is far too heavy that it is unlikely to be carried around quite as easily as that Austen’s or Dicken’s novel that fits so snugly into your coat pocket. Instead, ‘coffee-table’ books... Read review

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Advantages: Excellent photography
Disadvantages: American bias, style over content

...It is always sad to watch the decline of a great institution, and regrettably this book does nothing to dispel the feeling that this is what we are witnessing in the case of the Guinness Book. Over the last few years, it has become increasingly obvious that the centre of gravity of the "Guinness world" has shifted across the Atlantic. Whether it is the phasing out of British records, the adoption of the dollar as the book's main currency, or, most obviously, the dropping of the proper title in favour (or should that be favor?) of the US one, it's quite clear that whereas this was once a British publication with a US edition, it is now simply a rather lazily localised British edition of an American publication. All this would be less of a problem if the breadth and detail of the records themselves had been maintained. But no - you... Read review

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Advantages: It's a warts-and-all account of a celebrity's life, not a polished up version
Disadvantages: A bit self-indulgent towards the end

...'Just for the Record' is so markedly different from her first autobiography in that she is less self-obssessed and more self-aware. this second book is more honest than her first one, although I can't say I'm convinced by her assertion that she and Robbie Williams were simply friends and not lovers. in her first book she wrote about the reason behind the decision to quit the Spice Girls, which is that her bandmates would not allow her to do an interview about breast cancer. Here she is more reflective and objective, and is honest enough to admit that while there was some truth in that claim, she used it as an excuse to get out of the band. then she explores the other reasons why she left. 'Just for the Record' takes the reader through the fascinating journey of Geri's self-discovery and it's refreshing and funny. I enjoyed... Read review

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