Voices Everywhere: The Mysterious Doris Stokes Effect

Linda Dearsley was Doris Stokes' ghost. Well, more accurately, she was the ghost-writer for Doris Stokes and worked with her for 10 years to produce 7 books, detailing the great lady's life. In Voices Everywhere, Linda shines a light on her time working with Doris, right from the very early days when Doris was doing private readings in her Fulham flat, to filling the London Palladium and Barbican night after night, to subsequent fame outside the UK. Throughout all this, Doris Stokes never became anyone other than who she was: a kind, generous, and down-to-earth woman with an extraordinary gift, and a fondness for a nice cup of tea. January 6th, 2020, would have been Doris' 100th birthday. Following Doris' death, Linda chronicles how cynics tried to torpedo the Stokes legacy with accusations of cheating and dishonesty, but how those closest to Doris never believed she was anything other than genuine. In turn, as the months and years rolled by, more and more intriguing people crossed Linda's path, each with their own unexplainable power, and Doris never seemed far away. From the palmist who saw pictures in people's hands, to the couple whose marriage was predicted by Doris, and the woman who believes she captures departed spirits on camera - the mysterious world of the paranormal, and Doris Stokes' place within it, continues to unfold.

Biographies & Memoirs

Dearsley, Linda

Leaders & Notable People

Dark River

The story, told for the first time from eyewitness accounts, of the world's largest manmade pre-nuclear explosion. It happened at R.A.F. Fauld bomb store on 27th November 1944 and killed 70 people. The author's family farm was damaged in the blast but the family survived. Neighbouring friends, and their farm, disappeared forever. Today, a massive crater survives as a lasting reminder of the nearly 4,000 tons of bombs and shells that blew up, registering on seismographs as far away as Casablanca. Six million gallons of reservoir water turned 90 feet of solid earth falling from the sky into mud, which engulfed a plaster works and its workers. In this fascinating and expertly researched book, author Valerie Hardy crafts a compelling and unforgettable read. Bringing eyewitness stories together, the tragedy is relived and provides an extraordinary insight into the disaster that unfolded that winter morning.

Voices from the Explosion: RAF Fauld, the World's Largest Accidental Blast, 1944 (History)

History

Hardy, Valerie

Europe

So you're having a baby! Congratulations! Have you started panicking yet? How to Have a Baby and Not Lose your Shit is for women who want to start a family but are not sure quite how 'into' babies they are. Women who have no intention of ever making their own Play-Doh (yes, that's a thing). Women who think that babies are a teeny, weeny bit boring. Appealing to new and expectant mums (as well as existing mothers who will identify with many of the experiences!) this is not a book about surviving parenting: having a baby is not an ordeal, it's a brilliant life-affirming experience. This book is about enjoying parenting but acknowledging its challenges, about how you can love your children to the moon and back but still not like having fingers that smell of poo. If you want to know how looking after a toddler is basically just like that time your mate got dumped and went on a six-month bender, or why holding a baby at a wedding and immediately wanting to swap it for a glass of champagne doesn't mean you're not ready for motherhood (it just means there is champagne) - this is the book for you. It answers the real questions modern women have about parenting. Can I wipe bottoms and still kick-ass? What if all the other mums are really, really boring? Is it okay to Google the answers to everything? Written by a mum of two who thinks her children are wonderful but wishes they could be wonderful in a quieter, tidier, less annoying way, this book is a funny, insightful, and honest account of being at home with babies and small children and all the wondrous things that entails: like carrying a pot of dead bees in your handbag and trying to source ice cubes that aren't 'too cold'. It won't make your baby sleep through the night, or cure colic, but it will make you laugh when you've been up all night... which is the next best thing. About the Author In her career as a TV Producer working in magic &amp; comedy, Kirsty Smith introduced Russell Brand to an erotic lady wrestler, locked two presenters in a cage with 60 chickens for a week, and was made to magically appear dressed as a Morris Dancer from a giant pair of underpants. Now at home with two small children, life is almost exactly the same but even funnier and with added rice cakes. Kirsty blogs as Eeh Bah Mum.

How to Have a Baby and Not Lose Your Shit (Parenting)

Humor & Entertainment

Smith, Kirsty

Humor

Wolfram - also known as Tungsten - is about more than electric light bulbs. Its more deadly claim-to-fame rests in its armour-piercing qualities. During WWII, Wolfram was in great demand with both the Allies and Axis powers who scoured the globe for the precious material; indeed, they deployed huge resources to secure supplies whilst simultaneously doing their best to sabotage and undermine one another. The greatest beneficiary from these shadowy dealings was Portugal, a neutral country, under the control of the mercurial António de Oliveira Salazar. The sudden surge in demand created great wealth and bustling 'gold rush towns' deep in Portugal's remote mountainous interior, but threatened to undermine Salazar's grand vision for his country. Wolfram Wars examines the role of Portugal in the Wolfram trade, alongside the exploits of its British, American and German customers. It takes in the glitz and glamour of wartime Lisbon, the mischievous dealings of intelligence services, and includes some of WWII's most interesting spies - spies with code names such as Garbo, Tricycle, and Treasure. A certain young intelligence officer and creator of James Bond - Ian Fleming - also has a role to play. Appealing to connoisseurs of WWII history, Wolfram Wars is a story that offers adventure, intrigue and espionage, and a fascinating insight into this little-known but hugely important aspect to the war.

Wolfram Wars: Exposing The Secret Battle in Portugal (History)

Ashley, Rod

Military

Gary Marson's world collapsed in seconds when he returned home from work to find his wife - Louise - a gifted and much-loved doctor, had taken her life at the age of just 40. Just Carry On Breathing is a powerful, raw, touching and insightful account of Gary's subsequent journey through the first year of widowhood. It follows his attempts to deal with his overwhelming grief, adjust to the daily realities of his loss, make sense of the tragedy of suicide, and begin the task of rebuilding his life. The book explores the universal emotions and issues facing widows and widowers and suicide survivors, including confusion, exhaustion, guilt, numbness, and anger. As the year progresses, Gary touches on topics ranging from faith, remembrance, his changing sense of self, mental illness and the bravery of suicide to the practical aspects of bereavement such as the empty bed, the loss of sex, dealing with his wife's possessions, and holidaying alone. It bears witness to a story which is as much about love and hope as grief and mourning; a story of the resilience of the human spirit in the face of tragedy and loss and, ultimately, one which holds open the possibility of adjustment, recovery, and new life. Inspired by Gary's acclaimed blog, and incorporating new and expanded material, unique to the book, Just Carry On Breathing is an essential read for anybody who has lost their partner, particularly at a young age, or been bereaved by suicide, and for those who want to understand the experience of others in these positions. All the author's royalties will be donated to the Louise Tebboth Foundation and WAY Widowed and Young.

Just Carry On Breathing: A Year Surviving Suicide and Widowhood

Marson, Gary

Parenting & Relationships

Cycling is one of the world’s great sports. From The Tour de France to the Paris-Roubaix to velodromes across the globe, it encompasses many disciplines: from climbing mountains to massed sprints to the loneliness of the time trial. But what separates race winners from the nearly men? Top cyclists are physically similar, train the right way, eat the right things, and yet there is something that separates them. It’s their hidden engine – not a secret mechanical aid - but what’s between their ears that makes the difference. In this superbly-researched and accessible book for fans of cycling, psychologist and cycling author Martijn Veltkamp gets to the heart of the supremely demanding and challenging sport of professional cycling, and the mental side of performance that drives success. He addresses fundamental questions in an easy-to-read way, including: what motivates riders and how does motivation affect performance? Where does a rider’s fear of descending originate from, and how do you get rid of it? Why do some cyclists succumb under pressure, whilst others do not? Why is cycling on your own mentally more challenging than when in a group? Written for connoisseurs of cycling, but equally rewarding for general readers, the book examines cycling from the viewpoint of classic psychological studies, and stage and race histories, as well as interviews with former professional riders. The Hidden Motor is a must-read book for anyone who wants to know all about this most exceptional of sports. This book is the English language translation of De Verborgen Motor, originally published in The Netherlands in 2015. About the Author Martijn Veltkamp is a psychologist based in The Netherlands. He graduated from the University of Utrecht in 2009, and specializes in motivation and behaviour. He is a passionate cyclist, writer, and follower of cycling. Praise for the original Dutch version of the book “Fun and informative for cyclists and those interested in pro-cycling. All scientific theories are explained brilliantly with examples and anecdotes from practice. Recommended!” HetisKoers “An original, interesting view of the peloton. One that forces you to look beyond merely the results.” WielerRevue “An accessible, clear and entertaining story on the most important mental aspects of cycling.” Fiets magazine “Clearly structured with nice examples from practice, all supported with scientific evidence or otherwise strong arguments. This is material that the peloton can take advantage of. Very impressive when you can achieve that on paper.” ProCycling “To get a good impression of what is going on in the peloton one might want to read “De verborgen motor” by psychologist Martijn Veltkamp. It sharpens the senses, refreshes your memory, and awakes the cycling fever.” Trouw “The most surprising Tour de France book of the year. Veltkamp shows himself not only a cycling connoisseur, but a good writer as well. With clear argumentation and good examples from practice he explains how there are multiple sources of motivation or how to deal with the fear of descending. Interesting, informative, entertaining.” De Volkskrant

The Hidden Motor: The Psychology of Cycling (Sport Psychology)

Sports & Outdoors

Veltkamp, Martijn

Individual Sports

Laurel and Hardy are one of the finest comedy acts to have graced our screens. From their Foreign Legion campaign in Beau Hunks to their improvised song and dance routines in Way Out West, their comic genius is known, loved, and celebrated by viewers of all ages across the world. In turn, their influence on other comedies has been profound. British sitcoms abound with Oliver-Hardy-like idiots – who don’t realise they’re idiots – such as: David Brent, Basil Fawlty, Harold Steptoe and Father Ted; as well as their Stan-Laurel-like sidekicks: Gareth Keenan, Manuel, Albert Steptoe and Dougal.  Many people in comedy today are heavily influenced by a black-and-white double-act who made their best films 80 years ago. The Laurel and Hardy Legacy traces the impact of Stan and Ollie, and offers reflective insights into fundamental comedy questions. Why were Laurel and Hardy’s features not as good as their shorts, and why are film versions of sitcoms never as good as the originals? Why do sitcoms have studio audiences and how did Laurel and Hardy fine-tune their films for the cinema audiences they couldn’t see? Why do actors like Oliver Hardy, not comedians, so often play the lead roles in sitcoms?  Based on a series of exclusive interviews with some of the top comic actors and writers of the last 30 years, this book looks at the immense comic legacy of Laurel and Hardy. Stephen Merchant, Richard Wilson, Bruce Forsyth, Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, Tony Robinson, Barry Cryer, Ardal O’Hanlon, Graham Linehan, John Dunsworth, Nigel Planer and Andrew Sachs all talk about their love of Laurel and Hardy and how they influenced their own work. From Blackadder and The Young Ones, to Hancock’s Half-Hour and One Foot in the Grave, The Laurel and Hardy Legacy is a fascinating insight into the hidden workings of comedy.

The Laurel and Hardy Legacy: Sitcom Stars Talk Stan and Ollie

Brophy, Barry

Arts & Literature

The selling environment and role of the sales professional have changed. Forever. Gone are the days when the organisation, the product, or the solutions provided the greatest opportunity for differentiation. Today is no longer about features and benefits, need-satisfaction, or solution selling; it’s about the role that the sales professional plays as the single biggest point of differentiation. The Credible Expert provides you, the sales professional, with the second installment of the GO NAKED series, this time with an even more thought-provoking and practical perspective on how to stand out, create more opportunities, and grow your business. It breaks down the steps required for securing opportunities and making sales so that – irrespective of your experience – you will be able to select the right customers, deliver compelling messages, learn how to create personal value and significance, and develop thought-provoking and change-enabling discussions. Everything is geared towards one thing: making you the most successful salesperson possible. Based on the inherent belief that it’s the salesperson that makes the biggest difference in delivering successful outcomes, this book will provide you with a step-by-step guide to becoming the Credible Expert in your market. By following its methodology, you will stand out, create more opportunities, and deliver business success. Testimonials ‘I wish I had adopted this process ten years ago.’ Niall Barry, Country Manager ‘Two pages in and I knew that this book was exactly what I was looking for.’ Ceire Rochford, Clinical Sales Specialist ‘Ultimately I want to implement these concepts into the sales teams I manage.' Jonathan Penny, Senior Director ‘This is a must have book in any sales professional’s armoury.' Matt Seago, Sales Specialist ‘An indispensable book for any sales person, business owner or thought leader who wants to attract more customers, followers and fans.' Dr. Isaiah Hankel, Best-Selling Author and Entrepreneur About the Author Michael Smith is co-founder of Developed Edge, a training and development organisation that works specifically with medical companies to help them identify the best way to sell to their customers and then create customised and competency based training programmes. He has previously served in numerous international sales and marketing roles, most recently as Director of Sales for Europe. He is a best-selling author and also works as a Coach, Speaker, and Advisor.

Go Naked: The Credible Expert: How to Stand Out In Medical Sales, Create More Opportunities, And Grow Your Business

Business & Money

Smith, Professor of European Politics Department of European Studies Michael

Management & Leadership

How many awful presentations have you attended? How many have you given?Awful presentations are too often the norm, with swathes of text on the screen, presenters speaking over everyone’s heads, little interaction, no stories, poor images, and a bored audience. Why?In this book, presentation specialist Barry Brophy explains why competent people give hapless presentations. And it’s not because of nerves. Most of what you thought you knew about presentations is wrong; successful presentations are not about speaking but listening. They are not about your knowledge but the audience’s needs. They are not about ditching PowerPoint but using it properly. They are not about overcoming fear when speaking but overcoming caution when preparing.The truth is you already have the skills to present – your conversational skills – and anyone can craft a spellbinding presentation. Conversations work whereas presentations invariably fail, and this book explains the hidden mental habits which can lead you to misuse your already-perfected speaking skills when presenting.You will learn to:> Make your presentations zing. A presentation is not facts, it’s an interpretation of facts. Your job as a presenter is to advise and guide your audience.> Communicate knowledge to an audience at any level. A presentation fits into a wider communication chain. Understanding this will help you to figure out what works in a presentation – stories, images, videos, examples, analogies, demonstrations, interaction – and, crucially, what should be left out.> Make your presentation audience-centred not presenter-centred. Don’t define your presentation based what you know but rather on what the audience needs to hear.> Connect with your audience. Content is the dominant factor in a presentation, not delivery. You already know how to deliver; you do it every time you open your mouth. The key is to tap into this conversational energy and fluency.> Embrace PowerPoint to make your presentations first class.About Barry BrophyBarry Brophy has nearly two decades of experience helping people make presentations in both the private sector and as a lecturer at University College Dublin. There he has developed specialist Masters Courses that run across all disciplines and has carried out research on how oral presentations work. He is also the author of The Natural Presenter – Turning Conversations into Presentations, which was published in 2007.

Awful Presentations: Why We Have Them and How to Put Them Right

Industries

Does unhelpful thinking influence your sporting performance, or the athletes you work with? Athletes of all levels experience barriers to performance beyond the physical challenges they face. These can range from, performance anxiety, overthinking, and lack of concentration, to issues of motivation or difficulties when dealing with team members. ACT - Acceptance and Commitment Training/Therapy - is a modern and effective psychological approach based on a scientific understanding of human thought and emotional processes. ACT uses a practical and easy-to-use framework for skill development through values-based action, commitment, defusion, mindfulness, and acceptance. By utilising ACT, athletes will flourish into their better selves and improve their performances across their sports and beyond. ACT in Sport is a practical workbook that provides a variety of simple strategies for athletes, sport psychologists, and coaches - regardless of their level of ability - for growing their skills. It is a manual for anyone wanting to become familiar with this increasingly popular but poorly understood approach to the psychology of sports performance. More than 20 practical exercises are included, and a free-to-download workbook accompanies the book. Foreword by Patrick Smith and Steven C. Hayes.

ACT in Sport: Improve Performance through Mindfulness, Acceptance, and Commitment (Sport Psychology)

Hegarty, James

Huelsmann, Christoph

Religion & Spirituality

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