Aloe Vera (Nature's Legendary Healer) - Alasdair Barcroft

Advantages: A shorter read to Srephen king's books.
Disadvantages: none

...Vera has been for the past ten years almost totally bed-riden. Dolores tells her story with little patience for the police, an outspoken woman of sixty-five, with an endearing quality of telling her story in a manner of the elderly, talking down to people she has known all her life, she can make you laugh or cry. Vera was a wealthy woman, in her younger days, she and her family, had been summer visitors to the island of "Long Tall Island", her butterfly nature, the large parties she gave, were for Dolores a world away from her own life of poverty and degradation, beaten by her husband, Joe, looking after her three small children, her life was an endless round of making ends meet. Joe, a heavy drinker, spending most of his money on drink and gambling, forced Dolores to work as a maid to Vera during the summer months. Desperately in need... Read review

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Advantages: Great scientist and rationalist
Disadvantages: Want more of it

...in hardback and by Phoenix this year in paperback, A Devil's Chaplain is a collection of Dawkins' essays on a variety of topics. If science is a building, Dawkins is a perfect tour guide. On the ground floor, his essays on the nature and philosophy of science are a vivid and powerful statement of reason and rational inquiry. Out in the yard, Dawkins argues strongly against the crystal healers, homeopaths, alternative medicine quacks and creationists who leech off their scientific hosts. Back inside and up the stairs, the Devil's Chaplain provides us with some interesting articles on evolutionary biology. And Dawkins wraps the book up a few book reviews and eulogies. Throughout the book, Dawkins comes through as a reasonable, eloquent and caring man who does not suffer fools gladly. And it is people like Dawkins that we need more of. People who... Read review

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Advantages: easy to read, keeps the author interested
Disadvantages: None

...with Katie Carr, a doctor, and her family. She has just had an affair, and is contemplating divorcing her husband, David, as he is a pain to live with. But then David meets DJ Goodnews, a faith healer, who convinces David that all he needs to do is to be good. And this happens, but David becomes TOO good, with interesting consequences for his family. The thing that I found interesting about this book is the fact that David is transformed from "The Angriest Man in Holloway" - the title of his newspaper column - to "a liberal's worst nightmare". The book asks the question of just how well someone this good would get on in today's world, and Hornby makes a very good attempt at showing us. Giving away his children's toys, and inviting his doctor wife's most bizarre patient (Barmy Brian) round for a Sunday roast ensue, along with planning... Read review

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