We recently reviewed this title on our website and much to our surprise discovered that it wasn't as controversial as we were expecting... in fact, Walliams managed to make the notion of a boy dressing up in girl's dresses seem normal - and maybe that is as it should be.
Let us know your thoughts (especially if you are parents) on how you feel about a book that highlights cross-dressing.
Meanwhile, you can read the book review
The OFFICIAL Blog for The Truth About Books - Honest Reviews of Real Books
Thursday, 30 October 2008
Wednesday, 15 October 2008
Belching Out the Devil by Mark Thomas
Does the image of a young child struggling in sugercane fields and that of Coca Cola seem at odds to you? How about the fact that 7-8 trade unionists were murdered in Columbia, more have been kidnapped, tortured or falsely imprisoned - and they all worked at a Coca Cola bottling plant.
Belching Out the Devil starts out as a rueful look at how the corporate giant achieved its global domination; from the Coca Cola museum in Atlanta (I've been - it IS a rip off), to the eye-catching snuggly fuzziness of their adverts. But the tone quickly sours as journalist, Mark Thomas, details horror after horror.
If, like us, you feel that corporations as big as Coke have a moral and social obligation to ensure that they not only talk the talk but walk the walk, you can do a few things:
1 - Read this book for yourself (although unfortunately, I don't think any proceeds go towards any given campaign)
2- Visit Killer Coke and give a donation
3 - Stop buying Coke (and all its derivatives)
4 - Pass the message on
Don't Forget About Our MONTHLY Competition!
All you have to do is click on the 'Current Competition' and then select one of the three available titles that you'd like to see WIN our Readers' Choice for the month - then sit back and see if you are our lucky winner!
You can vote as many times as you like, for any title that you want. It's free to enter the competition and you won't have to pay a thing to get your book if you are our winner. FREE BOOK ANYONE?
Go on - enter our competition NOW
You can vote as many times as you like, for any title that you want. It's free to enter the competition and you won't have to pay a thing to get your book if you are our winner. FREE BOOK ANYONE?
Go on - enter our competition NOW
Tuesday, 22 July 2008
Positive Ways to Deal with Negativity - article by the author of No Complaining Rule - Jon Gordon
We're going to be reviewing this book on our website in the not too distant future - in the meantime, enjoy a short article by the author as a kind of taster - it will probably resonate with you no matter where you live... and be sure to let us know what you think!
Positive Ways to Deal with Negativity
With the mortgage meltdown, floods in the Midwest, $4 a gallon for gas, food prices, the economy, famine, war in Iraq, etc., many would agree that there is a lot of negativity in the world and certainly a lot to complain about. And yet, while traveling the country this past month, ironically for the No Complaining Rule Tour, I met a number of people who inspired me with the positive ways they were dealing with the negativity in their life. In spite of their circumstances they chose to view their situation with a positive perspective… which so often makes all the difference. Since we all could benefit from their example, here are 5 positive ways to deal with negativity.
1. Find the Gift - Richard Bach said every problem has a gift for you in its hands. One woman came up to me and said that because of the cost of gas her family is driving less and as a result they are spending more time at home and having dinner together more often. She said this “negative” situation has been very “positive” for her family. Another person said he is taking the bus to work instead of driving and as a result he has met a lot of interesting people.
2. Look at the Bright Side - One gentlemen joked that because of the cost of gas he now has a great excuse to not drive and see his negative relatives.
3. Zoom Focus - It doesn’t matter what the pundits say on television. It doesn’t matter what Joe and Sally in your office are doing. It doesn’t matter who is playing office politics. All that matters is what you do every day to grow yourself and your business. Focus on being positive and taking positive action every day. Be like the real estate agent who told me that he doesn’t focus on what the news and newspapers say. He focuses on what he can do every day to be successful. He focuses on marketing his business, taking care of his clients, and building loyal relationships. What things do you need to Zoom Focus on?
4. Focus on the Opportunity Not the Challenge - Behind every innovation and solution is a story about someone who said there has to be a better way. I bet Henry Ford was walking behind a horse when he had the idea for his automobile. History shows us that a lot of people and a lot of companies make a lot of money during recessions. The key is to find the opportunity. Where is the market heading? What do people want and need? What will they want in the future? Now is a great time to build a positive team with great talent. Now is the time to gain market share while so many give up. Now is a great time to determine who is on your bus and who is off your bus. Now is the time to be indispensable to your company and demonstrate how valuable you are.
5. Be a Positive Influence on Others - I received an email from Ruthanne in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She wrote: “As you are probably aware, we were recently hit with a 500 year flood. My neighborhood was impacted the worst and most of our homes, mine included, are a total loss. People tell me I have been the most positive person they know who was directly impacted by the flood. I don’t have a lot of time today (first day back at work in 2 wks) to tell you all the positive things that have been going on in our city and in my life, but I will be writing an article when this is all over with. I did want to say though that I have not complained throughout all the devastating catastrophe because of the knowledge I learned both from your seminar, books and newsletters.” Ruthanne could have chosen to wallow in self pity and negativity but instead she chose to deal with her negative situation by being a positive influence on others. Think about how many people she is positively impacting in her community. Now think about the positive influence you can have on people at work, in your community and at home.
Every day simply ask yourself “How can I be a positive influence where I am, right now?”
Stay Positive!
-Jon
For more information about Jon, please visit www.JonGordon.com or www.NoComplainingRule.com.
Positive Ways to Deal with Negativity
With the mortgage meltdown, floods in the Midwest, $4 a gallon for gas, food prices, the economy, famine, war in Iraq, etc., many would agree that there is a lot of negativity in the world and certainly a lot to complain about. And yet, while traveling the country this past month, ironically for the No Complaining Rule Tour, I met a number of people who inspired me with the positive ways they were dealing with the negativity in their life. In spite of their circumstances they chose to view their situation with a positive perspective… which so often makes all the difference. Since we all could benefit from their example, here are 5 positive ways to deal with negativity.
1. Find the Gift - Richard Bach said every problem has a gift for you in its hands. One woman came up to me and said that because of the cost of gas her family is driving less and as a result they are spending more time at home and having dinner together more often. She said this “negative” situation has been very “positive” for her family. Another person said he is taking the bus to work instead of driving and as a result he has met a lot of interesting people.
2. Look at the Bright Side - One gentlemen joked that because of the cost of gas he now has a great excuse to not drive and see his negative relatives.
3. Zoom Focus - It doesn’t matter what the pundits say on television. It doesn’t matter what Joe and Sally in your office are doing. It doesn’t matter who is playing office politics. All that matters is what you do every day to grow yourself and your business. Focus on being positive and taking positive action every day. Be like the real estate agent who told me that he doesn’t focus on what the news and newspapers say. He focuses on what he can do every day to be successful. He focuses on marketing his business, taking care of his clients, and building loyal relationships. What things do you need to Zoom Focus on?
4. Focus on the Opportunity Not the Challenge - Behind every innovation and solution is a story about someone who said there has to be a better way. I bet Henry Ford was walking behind a horse when he had the idea for his automobile. History shows us that a lot of people and a lot of companies make a lot of money during recessions. The key is to find the opportunity. Where is the market heading? What do people want and need? What will they want in the future? Now is a great time to build a positive team with great talent. Now is the time to gain market share while so many give up. Now is a great time to determine who is on your bus and who is off your bus. Now is the time to be indispensable to your company and demonstrate how valuable you are.
5. Be a Positive Influence on Others - I received an email from Ruthanne in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She wrote: “As you are probably aware, we were recently hit with a 500 year flood. My neighborhood was impacted the worst and most of our homes, mine included, are a total loss. People tell me I have been the most positive person they know who was directly impacted by the flood. I don’t have a lot of time today (first day back at work in 2 wks) to tell you all the positive things that have been going on in our city and in my life, but I will be writing an article when this is all over with. I did want to say though that I have not complained throughout all the devastating catastrophe because of the knowledge I learned both from your seminar, books and newsletters.” Ruthanne could have chosen to wallow in self pity and negativity but instead she chose to deal with her negative situation by being a positive influence on others. Think about how many people she is positively impacting in her community. Now think about the positive influence you can have on people at work, in your community and at home.
Every day simply ask yourself “How can I be a positive influence where I am, right now?”
Stay Positive!
-Jon
For more information about Jon, please visit www.JonGordon.com or www.NoComplainingRule.com.
Wednesday, 9 July 2008
Now everyone can read our book reviews!
From today, our book reviews are accessible to everyone, whether you're a registered member or not. You will still need to be a member to gain access to our exclusive author interviews and to enter some of competitions... but since it's free (and we have a strict policy of no spamming) we figured the few minutes it takes to do so shouldn't be so bad... and we're sure you'll let us know if it is!
Thursday, 3 July 2008
New COMPETITION coming soon...
We will be launching another competition soon.
This time, members can enter for the chance to win one of 5 free copies of a brilliant new crime/thriller novel by Robert Gregory Browne - Whisper in the Dark.
Competition entry is free and each winner will receive a free copy of Whisper in the Dark. For your chance to win, make sure you are a registered member (it's free to join) and check out our main website regularly for this amazing competition... not to be missed!!
You can also read our interview with the author (Robert Gregory Browne) and our book review to satiate your appetite in the meantime...
This time, members can enter for the chance to win one of 5 free copies of a brilliant new crime/thriller novel by Robert Gregory Browne - Whisper in the Dark.
Competition entry is free and each winner will receive a free copy of Whisper in the Dark. For your chance to win, make sure you are a registered member (it's free to join) and check out our main website regularly for this amazing competition... not to be missed!!
You can also read our interview with the author (Robert Gregory Browne) and our book review to satiate your appetite in the meantime...
Wednesday, 2 July 2008
New COMPETITION coming soon...
We are extremely pleased to let you know that we are planning a new competition whereby members can enter for free for a chance to win a signed first edition copy of The Enemy's Son by James Johnson.
This is a must have collector's item - especially for you SF fans out there!
The competition is not yet open, so keep your eyes peeled on our main website http://www.thetruthaboutbooks.com/ and of course, we'll let you know here FIRST!
This is a must have collector's item - especially for you SF fans out there!
The competition is not yet open, so keep your eyes peeled on our main website http://www.thetruthaboutbooks.com/ and of course, we'll let you know here FIRST!
Problem with main website
We're aware that some books on the website (we think we've found all affected titles) have been wrongly assigned the author Adrian Tchaikovsky. This is a minor database error, which we are hoping to rectify as soon as possible.
Apologies to any authors who are affected.
Apologies to any authors who are affected.
Tuesday, 1 July 2008
Did You Know....?
Every month, The Truth About Books runs a competition where readers are given the opportunity to win a free book.
We call this our 'Readers' Choice' competition - and all you have to do is select one of the three titles that you'd like to see win (or you would just like a free copy of), enter your name, email address (which we promise we won't spam or give out to anyone else) and if you're a UK resident you're eligible to win! Even if you're not in the UK, you can still vote.
So, if you quite fancy the idea of a free book - enter our competition and start voting today!
We call this our 'Readers' Choice' competition - and all you have to do is select one of the three titles that you'd like to see win (or you would just like a free copy of), enter your name, email address (which we promise we won't spam or give out to anyone else) and if you're a UK resident you're eligible to win! Even if you're not in the UK, you can still vote.
So, if you quite fancy the idea of a free book - enter our competition and start voting today!
Book of the Month - July 2008
Silk by Penny Jordan is primarily a love story; one that has a sweeping and gratuitous dialogue that exposes high society in the early 1900's of the Britain.
Not being overly keen on the romance novels that seem to fill our bookshelves, we were nonchalant about Silk - but we simply couldn't put it down and the story sticks in your head like gum on the underside of a table...
check out the book review!
Not being overly keen on the romance novels that seem to fill our bookshelves, we were nonchalant about Silk - but we simply couldn't put it down and the story sticks in your head like gum on the underside of a table...
check out the book review!
Wednesday, 2 January 2008
Flanimals: The Day of the Bletchling by Ricky Gervais (ISBN 978-0-571-23851-4)
Not being funny – I don’t really get Flanimals. I wish I had that sense of humour, but then, that would make me Ricky Gervais – which I’m not. I’m a little worm, but that still doesn’t make me Ricky Gervais.
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The Supernaturalist by Eoin Colfer (ISBN 978-0-14-131741-0)
I can appreciate that this is not a latest release, being first published back in 2004, but still, with all the furore surrounding the series Artemis Fowl, I was keen to establish whether or not the author had considerable talent in writing creative pieces or was merely the conduit of unearthly inspiration when it came to Artemis... so I stumbled across The Supernaturalist, and with my curiosity piqued, I reasoned that now was as good a time as any to review an alternative works by Colfer. Why this title – well, simply put – because a review stated bolded that it was “like The Matrix crossed with Oliver Twist” [1].
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Chronicles of Darkness: Outcast by Michelle Paver (ISBN 978-1-84255-173-8)
A quick, but not the easiest of reads. Let me explain myself (although the author and huge fans may not like it much) – the beginning starts well and I was gratefully carried along (I was having a bad wriggle day)... until around page 45, at that point it got a little cumbersome and heavy – like wading through treacle, which, I’m ready to admit is probably quite an appealing pastime to some...
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