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Find out moreLooking to change your life? Whether it’s physical, emotional or spiritual change you seek, these books may have some answers. If you’re seeking to enlighten, enlarge or explore your mind, check out our Mind & Body section for a more comprehensive range of books.
Katherine Rundell’s brief introduction which explains why hope is so important and why we should look for it in stories and illustrations sets a context for the wonderful range of very short stories, poems, thoughts and illustrations which will certainly give hope as well as laughs and surprises to readers of all ages. Perfect for dipping into, the anthology is a treasure trove of story treats starting with Michael Morpurgo’s uplifting ‘A Song of Gladness’ and ending with Rundell’s own ‘The Young Bird-Catcher’. Lauren Child, Axel Scheffler, Chris Riddell and Jackie Morris are just some of the wonderful artists whose black and white illustrations light up the pages of this hand this handsome volume. Dedicated to all the workers in the NHS and with proceeds going to NHS Charities Together, The Book of Hopes will certainly bring hope to all.
Cambridge University Press’s first venture into mass market publishing is certainly worth a place in any school library. Authored by a Professor in Psychology, whose research specialises in body image issues, the reader can have every confidence that the contents are backed up by authoritative evidence, but this is no dry academic tome. As she states in her introduction, Dr Mackey is a mother of 12 and 14-year-old girls so she really cares about girls having the information they need to make the right decisions and to develop healthy habits. When young girls are bombarded with images of airbrushed celebrities and social media pressures it is no wonder that most girls are dissatisfied with some aspect of their bodies and this can lead to anxiety, depression and worse. With an estimated 1.25 million people in the UK having an eating disorder there can be no doubt that there is a real need for a book like this to counter the misinformation out there. The ten chapters cover very clearly and concisely an enormous amount of information ranging from puberty and body changes to self-care, mental health, basic nutritional science, healthy eating habits and making food fun, physical activity and loving our bodies for what they do (not how they look)and how to handle social media and challenging fat shaming language. Each chapter has My Story sections with real life experiences, myth busting boxes, Q&A and a valuable concluding summary of the key points. Combined with an excellent glossary and helpful illustrations the reader can quickly find the information that they need at any given time. But the unpatronizing and non-didactive tone also makes this an enjoyable and engaging read likely to be read from cover to cover. Highly recommended for age nine upwards to the many adults who would benefit from its wisdom too!
As Tough Women’s subtitle declares, these are “stories of grit, courage and determination”. True tales from twenty-two tough women from around the globe who undertake awe-inspiring adventures across the globe, from canoeing the Canadian wilderness, to hiking Pakistan, to cycling South America. Its editor is the intrepid Jenny Tough, a Canadian mountaineering expert who notes in her introduction that “the outdoor industry is actually fully of women, but when it comes to the highest level of media…the demographic dwindles to one”. Fortunately, this sexist state of affairs could be on the verge of changing - through giving voice to the “badass outdoorswomen” who here tell their extraordinary stories, this book might just change that narrow narrative and inspire new generations of female adventuresses. Each account enthrals like the best kind of travel writing. There are dazzling evocations of, for example, rugged Himalayan mountain-scapes, lush South American jungles, and howling Norwegian glacial valleys. Many of the women’s stories reveal monumental physical and emotional challenges - challenges tackled and overcome with super-human strength and resilience - and all of them underpinned by a joyously life-affirming spirit of curiosity.
Zen doodlers come in many different guises; some hide their passion for zen doodling under a bushel whilst others are happy to tell the world. But, if you're new to this ever more popular activity (it's not a craze as we know people who have been zen doodling for a while now), then why not surprise yourself with how vibrant and exciting the results can be. You need nothing more than a pen, pencil, some paper and depending on your design perhaps a ruler. Packed with inspirational designs and ideas to get you going as well as tips and projects, this book shows how to create beautiful drawings that reflect innovation, brilliance and infinite possibilities. And, for those worrying about their artistic abilities then worry not, for this step by step guide together with its sister publication, Zen Doodle Mandalas. **We are giving away a Limited Edition Zen Doodling Mandalas print on Lovereading4kids - click here for more details!
Zen Doodling not only releases creativity, the repetitive nature of the designs focus one’s mind and encourages a sense of inner calm and tranquillity, thereby aiding meditation. This book is full of inspiration and ideas to take your doodles further and turn them into marvellous mandalas and works of art, using different tools and techniques. **We are giving away a Limited Edition Zen Doodling Mandalas print on Lovereading4kids - click here for more details!
This life-changing book will transform your conversations forever. At work, we’re taught to lead the conversation. On social media, we shape our personal narratives. At parties, we talk over one another. So do our politicians. We’re not listening. And no one is listening to us. Now more than ever, we need to listen to those around us. New York Times contributor Kate Murphy draws on countless conversations she has had with everyone from priests to CIA interrogators, focus group moderators to bartenders, her great-great aunt to her friend's toddler, to show how only by listening well can we truly connect with others. Listening has the potential to transform our relationships and our working lives, improve our self-knowledge, and increase our creativity and happiness. While it may take some effort, it's a skill that can be learnt and perfected. When all we crave is to understand and be understood, You're Not Listening shows us how.
Bear Grylls is fitter, stronger and more ready than ever to take on the challenges of the wild, thanks to a revolutionary new fitness program. And at the beating heart of Bear's personal training regime are fast-paced, dynamic workouts that can be done anywhere by anyone - men and women, young and old - in just 30 minutes or less! Select your workout: choose from Kettlebell Resistance training, Bodyweight workouts or Primal Power stretch sessions. Try one of Bear's epic Hero workouts for his ultimate challenge of all three disciplines combined...Learn the moves: select your express workout based on the time you have available - be it 3 minutes or 30 - and, as Bear says, 'It's time to train!' Train hard but eat natural: follow Bear's simple and straightforward advice on fueling your body for maximum success and sustained health benefits. Train more efficiently with fast and achievable results - a fitter, stronger, healthier you is just around the corner. Go on, it's your life - train for it!
I wanted to be a unicorn. I wanted to be a lawyer. I wanted to be an astronaut. But the thing I really wanted to be, more than anything else, was a little less like me. It was only recently that I realised not wanting to be me was at the heart of every dumb decision I ever made. And so now I am writing this book containing all the life lessons I wish someone had taught me. A book for the teenage girl in me. And for every teenage girl out there. Because the most powerful thing you can be when you grow up is yourself. Frank and fearless, You Got This openly explores topics like self-respect, body image, masturbation and mental health, making it the perfect companion for young women.
Becky Walsh explains how interactions without ego-judgement affect us positively in friendship, business, relationships, family and community. This shift will change our world dramatically from both a personal and global perspective, as we realise that intuition is the key to the shift in consciousness that humanity needs to fix the problems we currently face.
Looking to make a positive change in your life? Maybe you've read a few self-help books and think you know what you need to do -- maybe some positive thinking, making a resolution or simply wishing for happiness? Well, here's some news: none of this is going to help; you simply don't get things in life just by wishing for them. In You Can Change Your Life top psychologist Rob Yeung investigates ways of making change stick. He offers the most up-to-date thinking on the skills, beliefs and methods that will help you to change your life. Rooted in evidence-based research and based on proven strategies and treatments, Rob offers a new perspective and new techniques to enable you to transform your life, or simply work out what's stopping you from achieving your goals. You can lose weight, feel more positive, give up a bad habit, get ahead at work or improve anything about yourself.
Elite trainer Mark Lauren has been at the front lines of preparing US Special Operations soldiers for action, getting them lean and strong in record time. Now, he shares the secrets to his simple, yet amazingly effective regimen to get you into the best shape of your life. Features: rapid results with minimum time commitment - work out for only 30-minutes a day, four times a week; no gym or equipment required - simple bodyweight resistance exercises you can do anywhere; build muscle and burn fat - get more effective results than weightlifting and aerobics; suitable for men, women and all abilities - choose your level from Basic, 1st Class, Master Class and Chief Class; and safe and effective - develop balance, stability and prevent injuries. With 125 clear exercises to work every muscle in your body, motivation techniques and nutritional advice, Mark Lauren's method will get you the body you want simply by using the body you have.
You are Positively Awesome is a book that’s designed to be noticed, from the bright colourful illustrations that cheered me up instantly, the short snappy wording that made me think about my own needs and the self-empowering messages that left me glowing inside. This book could have been written just for me as, like many, I struggle with self-confidence and self-belief at times. It’s important to remember that so many other people – often people we least expect – do feel the same way too. Stacie Swift has written a clear, concise guide to taking care of the number one person in our life – ourselves. Because if we don’t do that properly, we may find it harder to take care of anyone else. It’s easy to forget the positives in our lives if we focus on the negatives, and easy to ignore the giant leaps forward when we dwell on each little step back. This is a perfect book to dip into when you need a boost of self-care; a book that you may want to add to over time, reminding yourself of what you’ve achieved and what you’ve overcome to achieve it. It’s also a lovely gift if you know someone is struggling to cope with life’s ups and downs. You are Positively Awesome made me reflect on the past, think about the present and dream of the future – that it’s okay to feel overwhelmed at times and focus on my own needs for a while. It made me smile, reminded me of my own strengths and achievements, gave me some valuable ‘me’ time and made me realise just how ‘positively awesome’ I really am!
Despite the strenuous efforts to give women equal status in the workplace over the last few decades, tension between the sexes in the workplace remains as rampant as ever: during exit interviews many women, often leaving to start their own businesses, cite feeling undervalued or unappreciated at the office. Despite countless company initiatives, equality protocols, and gender seminars we have made little significant advancement. So why can't the sexes work together? In this fresh exploration of the relationships between men and women in the office, world-renowned expert on gender issues in the workplace, Barbara Annis, and John Gray, author of the number one relationship book of all time, Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, team up to reveal the eight gender blindspots that create friction between the sexes at work. Annis and Gray use stories, science and research (including over 100,000 in-depth interviews of male and female executives in over 60 Fortune 500 companies) to expose the blindspots that cause misunderstandings, miscommunications, mistrust, resentment and frustrations.
Since her own personal breakthrough more than a decade ago, Alexandra Jamieson has dedicated her life to helping other women learn to listen to the wisdom of their cravings and make food their greatest ally as they step into their lives with authentic passion. In this powerfully feminine manifesto, Alexandra dares us to face our cravings head-on, to make the self-commitment to no longer hide out behind food, self-loathing or the limiting expectations of others. With love, deep compassion and fearless honesty, she calls upon all of us to boldly use food as a tool to cleanse ourselves of the nutritional, emotional, physical and mental blocks that limit our ability to live full, meaningful and joyful lives. In this book she'll show us how: * Our cravings are the gatekeepers of our deepest longings and desires * Transforming habits sets us free * Detoxing unclutters our bodies and minds so we may engage in our lives with more power and authenticity * Embracing our sexual selves makes us more powerful * Trusting ourselves and surrounding ourselves with a nurturing community is essential for a vital, healthy, hot life.
In Wilding, Isabella Tree tells the story of the 'Knepp experiment', a pioneering rewilding project in West Sussex, using free-roaming grazing animals to create new habitats for wildlife. Part gripping memoir, part fascinating account of the ecology of our countryside, Wilding is, above all, an inspiring story of hope. Forced to accept that intensive farming on the heavy clay of their land at Knepp was economically unsustainable, Isabella Tree and her husband Charlie Burrell made a spectacular leap of faith: they decided to step back and let nature take over. Thanks to the introduction of free-roaming cattle, ponies, pigs and deer - proxies of the large animals that once roamed Britain - the 3,500 acre project has seen extraordinary increases in wildlife numbers and diversity in little over a decade. Extremely rare species, including turtle doves, nightingales, peregrine falcons, lesser spotted woodpeckers and purple emperor butterflies, are now breeding at Knepp, and populations of other species are rocketing. The Burrells' degraded agricultural land has become a functioning ecosystem again, heaving with life - all by itself. Personal and inspirational, Wilding is an astonishing account of the beauty and strength of nature, when it is given as much freedom as possible.
We all need a little direction sometimes and this section is crammed full of great ideas for ways of improving your outlook, in all aspects of your wellbeing. Help from the shelf. From tips for good nutrition and taking care of your body (Optimism: Reflections on a Life of Action by Bob Brown) to coping with all the emotional situations in life, relationships, bereavements, stress, depression (Mind Whispering: A New Map to Freedom from Self-defeating Emotional Habits by Tara Bennett-Goleman). Discover the potential you have for being the ‘you’ you’ve always wanted to be or the ‘you’ you had no idea was in there.
Take a look at our monthly recommendations to find exactly what you’re looking for. Bear in mind though (and even ‘body and spirit’ too …), that just ‘reading’ them may not be enough. There’ll be homework!