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...granted that todays society is the most progressive and reactionary that it has ever been. Protests, strikes, religious reform and the the move away from traditional ways are all taken for granted and seen as the result of a free society. There was a period in English history that was a time of radical moves against the establishment, a time when new ways of thinking were championed, a time of great change. Subtitled "Radical Ideas During The English ...
...and the years immediatly afterwards from the point of view of the changes in thought, normally a period that is studied for its action. The World Turned Upside Down is a book that charts the changes in the society brought about by a radical underground movement. The English Civil War is often regarded as a clear cut conflict between the monarchy and parliament over who ran the country. What this book does is lays out the complex range of reforms ... Read review

Advantages: Curmudgeonly cultural commentator criticises crass commercialism
Disadvantages: Can be crusty and cranky

...and loan sharks. The commercial mass media has a self-serving interest in keeping us on the ‘carousel’, rather than the ‘escalator’ of rising standards and expectations. In response, Hoggart calls for true public-service broadcasting, where programmes are made with quality, rather than audience figures, in mind. You feel here he is attempting to turn back an unstoppable tide: he clings to BBC4 and the Channel 4 News like a drowning man. But I couldn't ...
...people. Look at the success of writers like Lynne Truss and Michael Moore. That suggests we do want standards in language and politics. There is more hope than Hoggart realises: he may be pushing at an open door. Some of his other concerns may be unfounded too. For example, I don’t think all Sun readers take the paper seriously as a source of news. Sadly or not, there’ll always be a market for such ‘entertainment’. Just the evidence of the broad ... Read review

Advantages: Wonderful format, absolute godsend!
Disadvantages: NONE WHATSOEVER!

Since becoming a freelance writer, I've discovered how difficult it is to figure out where to submit your work. In 1999 I received a free copy of Writer's Market and at the time, I didn't have the skills to be able to put it to use and had no idea what a deal I had gotten. A year later, my skills have been advanced through various endeavors and I realized how needed that book really is. So the first thing I did was write it on my Christmas wish list ...
...did a jig when I realized that it was under my tree this year. This book is over 1,100 pages total and although it has a fifty dollar (US) price tag, it's well worth every penny, especially this year. Normally, this book costs about thirty dollars but this year comes with a wonderful CD-Rom that allows you to tap into their database through the internet. First off, the book itself is mind boggling. The first thirty pages are chock full of advice ... Read review

Advantages: hugely informative, overwhelming amounts of knowledge
Disadvantages: can be confusing at first, book is written in fragmented format

...the subject can change (by performing the change on you). Tricks Of The Mind is an incredibly enjoyable and informative education read and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in the world of the human mind, beliefs and expectation, hypnosis and NLP, body language and psychic abilities. ... Read review

Advantages: Everything you could ever want to know
Disadvantages: Slightly upsetting in places

This is quite a significant book to me. I grew up listening to Thin Lizzy and being Irish, my whole family was totally in love with their music. Phil Lynott was such a complex character I felt I owed it to him to read this book, just to prove that there was more to him than just the drugs. I learnt so much about him and the band that at points I felt I knew them. It was strange to think that if only Phil had stopped the drugs, he'd still be here. ...
...gives us all the gory details of his life, it tells tales of Phils hilariously flirtatious character, his obsession with music and showed us what a loving father he was and how much he loved being a father. Last year I had the privelige of meeting his son and I felt like I knew everything about his father and he knew so little (he had only just found otu Phil was his father due to Phil giving him away because of his religion). It was amazing, it ... Read review