Today's guest blog is written by Paul Vincent to commemorate International Men's Day and Movember
Having recently turned 50 I guess I am a bit more philosophical nowadays than I ever used to be and that includes towards my health. And I do notice the difference between the way people treat you and how society and attitudes have changed after emerging from your teens, through your 30s and 40s and I wonder what to expect in my 50s…
The 70s
Having grown up in the 70s there was definitely a more macho-man environment that boys and men were supposed to measure up to. And, at some level, we all felt some kind of pressure from that, I guess. We all developed an approach to ensure we didn’t look weak in any situation. And if you had scruples about anything you sure didn’t show it. Let alone tell anyone about it! And this way of life informed my behaviour in my teens which served to produce a punked up strutting, mouthy git that didn’t take any s**t from anyone! An egotistical loudmouth with an attitude to match. And a size 9s Doc Martens and 6” Mohican, to boot!
Portsmouth was pretty rough in those days with a rowdy mix of 657 crew [local football firm], gangs of skinheads, the townies not to mention the skates [navy guys] all vying for control of the pubs, clubs or even Portsmouth itself! Until the MOD police would come to break it all up… I still automatically sit with my chair facing towards the door when I go down the pub ready for whatever might come through that door! Seems crazy, but it is still a habit instilled from that time. [In the 80s we felt empowered by the punk movement and that it would herald a change in who held the power in society. It didn’t. And never could unless all law and monarchy was stripped of power and we started again. But even that wouldn’t work because another set of power-hungry greedy sociopaths would come along and invoke their power and law and we’d all be back in the same position as now… However, I digress...]
As I grew further up in my 20s [I say that as I feel that I am still growing up even though I am now 50!]. I rarely thought about my health as I abused my body out partying to all hours at least 4-5 times a week. Socialising and music was our life! Out to the pub, gig, party and club. No matter what. And never really having to recover before we did it all again the next night..! Occasionally stopping in to do a bit of coursework! We ate badly and drank far too much. Mind you all that dancing must have been good exercise. Not one, under those circumstances, the doctor would recommend!
As I grew further up in my 20s [I say that as I feel that I am still growing up even though I am now 50!]. I rarely thought about my health as I abused my body out partying to all hours at least 4-5 times a week. Socialising and music was our life! Out to the pub, gig, party and club. No matter what. And never really having to recover before we did it all again the next night..! Occasionally stopping in to do a bit of coursework! We ate badly and drank far too much. Mind you all that dancing must have been good exercise. Not one, under those circumstances, the doctor would recommend!
The 80s
But to be fair it did have a down side. After, I finished Uni I realised I hadn’t ever really given what I wanted to do any serious thought at all.
And realised I’d spent 6 years studying a profession I really had no interest of pursuing at all. So, I dropped out. I spent the next 5 years partying even harder and trying to make as a club promoter and DJ.
After all, music was my greatest love and partying was what I spent most of my time doing! And the dancing kept me fit! Lol.
And realised I’d spent 6 years studying a profession I really had no interest of pursuing at all. So, I dropped out. I spent the next 5 years partying even harder and trying to make as a club promoter and DJ.
After all, music was my greatest love and partying was what I spent most of my time doing! And the dancing kept me fit! Lol.
So, off to work. I hated it at first. All that loss of good partying time for goodness sake! But needs must. My degree was no longer worth the paper it was printed on 5 years down the line. So, I had to start, in an economic downturn [Er. Excuse me. But hasn’t this been going on for decades now? Personally, I think it’s been a socio-political device to get the people of this country used to a lower standard of living so we don’t cost the country too much and make last for so long nobody remembers the better standards of freedom and living... In the 80s we were promised the 3 day week! I still remember! However, I digress again...] from scratch working night-shift at a local factory.
The 90s
I, eventually, starting up my own business and put the proceeds to travelling to India to pursue my heritage and spiritual interests, bypassing the Goa party scene on purpose in an effort to get to the truth of life. And spent a few months at The Pyramid Meditation Centre in South India and ended up generally feeling happier with my lot knowing life is about learning lessons. ‘Meditate, don’t eat meat and read’ is a good template for life if you can spare the time to do it.
When, I returned I ended getting a job at the local council’s homeless and dry hostel which illustrated first hand to me just how badly wrong life can go. Many of these guys had started off partying and getting badly addicted and ended up losing everything and ended up being housed in the hostels and staging recovery. A long hard road.
From this opportunity, I ended up getting a post in Nottingham to work for a Police Consultation and Training company. So all change! I ended up working contracts and going back to college and Uni to bolster a potential future career. And ended up working in Rwanda training the police in Human Rights among other things. Things were beginning to look up.
The 00s
But, things were tough and money in short supply and I ended up becoming wheat-intolerant whose main cause is stress. I was also in the hospital for 5 years whilst they saw if they could relieve the pain from my trapped nerve, which they couldn’t. And ended up on strong painkillers which I became chemically addicted. But also gave up. I also slipped my disc which took 6 months of recovery and has had to be managed ever since. I gave up drinking due to all the medication I was being trialled on and my partying and social life was reduced to the minimum, which I missed. But I was swimming 2/3 times a week and cycling to work.So, hopefully I was doing something right! And then the work dried up and I ended up working in global company with unbearable management and despite helping them implement their new Quality Management Systems slowly got stonewalled from promotion for reasons still unknown. And, then split up with my girlfriend! And went into debt to the point I was under administration from the court, through no fault of my own… Perhaps, I hadn’t learned to supress that loud opinionated git sufficiently yet! I had to walk over a railway bridge to get to work and used hate it as I had the same thoughts how to end it all every day… God, I used to hate that bridge… I was in bad way. But ultimately knowing it would cause more pain than it would cure, if I did. But I didn’t have the guts anyway. Not surprisingly, I ended up going back to counselling to try and make sense of this disaster. More lessons to learn! No shame in that. I had after all learnt in India that life won’t throw more at you than you can take! That was my 30s! Chin up!
I grabbed the opportunity to move back to London on the back of a redundancy package offered after a company restructure. Turning 40, I still hadn’t achieved the ‘Choose Life’ lifestyle from the film! After, trying to break into Quality Management in London via interview for around 18 months, I [gladly!] kind of accidently ended up in the Library Service after gaining a job in Quality and was waiting to start for 6 months[!], which then was deleted before I started it! Life! I started to volunteer in the Library next door as I had some spare time and was no longer technically looking for a job.
Then an opportunity for an Apprenticeship came up after the other job had just been pulled from underneath my feet. So I decided to apply as I’d just been told by an agency in the know that Quality positions were rarely recruited from the outside missing out to internal candidates every time and I really couldn’t face doing another 800 applications! And to my surprise, out of 400 applicants I got the job! And really enjoyed it. More lessons to learn about small steps, I believe.
Then an opportunity for an Apprenticeship came up after the other job had just been pulled from underneath my feet. So I decided to apply as I’d just been told by an agency in the know that Quality positions were rarely recruited from the outside missing out to internal candidates every time and I really couldn’t face doing another 800 applications! And to my surprise, out of 400 applicants I got the job! And really enjoyed it. More lessons to learn about small steps, I believe.
The 10s
So here I am. Long term girlfriend. A promotion. Ready to buy a house. And just celebrated my 50th birthday with a trip of a lifetime to Istanbul… So, I am kinda looking forward to my 50s already!- Admit you need help when you need it – There’s no shame in it – Life is not always a straight line.
- Always cook from fresh – Those minerals and vitamins are so important especially when you are feeling down and not feeling hungry.
- Get a good balance in your social life – Not too much partying – But enough to enjoy your social needs.
- Always cover your bills and always save a bit of money towards a) your education b) having a good time. And never borrow money you can’t 100% afford to pay back.
- Reduce your cholesterol by reducing your meat intake and serve the planet better, to boot.
- Do what you enjoy – both at work [the more you do it the better you’ll become and get recognised for it!] and outside – I never left my music and still love it.
- Stay positive – Easier said than done – Try and see the good/ lesson in any situation – Life is relentless. Be relentless back!
- Allow people to love you! You have to do all the loving yourself!! “Love is wanting to be loved.” – John Lennon.
- And never give up!!
Though no single book can change your life, as good mental health is a continuous process of discovery, I have taken inspiration form a wide variety of sources including Buddhist texts for philosophy and approaches to life , Tony Robbins, Carlos Castaneda ,Lobsang Rampa and Carl Jung.
Here are a few books available through Lewisham Libraries that helped me understand myself better.
Books
With your library card you have access to over 13,000 digital books including eaudiobooks and comics. You can access these through a computer as well as through apps you can download to your phone or tablet.
The good guys : 50 heroes who changed the world with kindness
By Rob Kemp and Paul Blow, 2018.
A life-changing book that shows kids it's cool to be kind. A gloriously illustrated celebration of heroes who have changed the world with kindness and compassion, from David Attenborough to Nelson Mandela, Oskar Schindler to Usain Bolt. What if we celebrated boys for their kindness as well their strength? For their generosity as well as their success? For their loyal friendship as well as their charm? The Good Guys introduces us to 50 heroes who have showed that changing the world doesn't require a sword or a corporate jet. Readers will find stories of extraordinary men including Muhammad Ali, Professor Green, Patrick Stewart and Lionel Messi, as well as unsung heroes such as James Harrison, who has spent fifty years donating his rare blood to save millions of babies. There's even a section celebrating ten boys who didn't let their young age stop them from helping others, such as Matthew Kaplan, who responded to his brother's bullies by setting up an anti-bullying programme for schools. The Good Guys celebrates the feats of heroes and everyday men, and will show kids that it really is cool to be kind.
By Rob Kemp and Paul Blow, 2018.
A life-changing book that shows kids it's cool to be kind. A gloriously illustrated celebration of heroes who have changed the world with kindness and compassion, from David Attenborough to Nelson Mandela, Oskar Schindler to Usain Bolt. What if we celebrated boys for their kindness as well their strength? For their generosity as well as their success? For their loyal friendship as well as their charm? The Good Guys introduces us to 50 heroes who have showed that changing the world doesn't require a sword or a corporate jet. Readers will find stories of extraordinary men including Muhammad Ali, Professor Green, Patrick Stewart and Lionel Messi, as well as unsung heroes such as James Harrison, who has spent fifty years donating his rare blood to save millions of babies. There's even a section celebrating ten boys who didn't let their young age stop them from helping others, such as Matthew Kaplan, who responded to his brother's bullies by setting up an anti-bullying programme for schools. The Good Guys celebrates the feats of heroes and everyday men, and will show kids that it really is cool to be kind.
Copies
Search the Library Catalogue
Search the Library Catalogue
Man up: surviving modern masculinity
Jack Urwin, 2017.
WHAT DOES MASCULINITY ADD UP TO IN THE 21ST CENTURY?
Jack Urwin traces modern ideas of masculinity from the inability of older generations to deal with the horrors of war, to the mob mentality of football terraces or Fight Club and the disturbing rise of mental health problems among men - especially young men - today.
While we struggle with the idea that there is a single version of masculinity worth aspiring to, depression and suicide among men have reached unprecedented levels. Man Up looks at the challenges and pressures on men today, and suggests ways to survive.
Jack Urwin, 2017.
WHAT DOES MASCULINITY ADD UP TO IN THE 21ST CENTURY?
Jack Urwin traces modern ideas of masculinity from the inability of older generations to deal with the horrors of war, to the mob mentality of football terraces or Fight Club and the disturbing rise of mental health problems among men - especially young men - today.
While we struggle with the idea that there is a single version of masculinity worth aspiring to, depression and suicide among men have reached unprecedented levels. Man Up looks at the challenges and pressures on men today, and suggests ways to survive.
Copies
Search the Library Catalogue
Search the Library Catalogue
Boys who made a difference
By Michelle Roehm McCann, 2018.
When it comes to making a difference, there's no such thing as too young! Get ready to meet some incredible young men who followed their dreams and changed the world for the better, often by taking the path less travelled and staying true to themselves.
From Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to Nelson Mandela, Vidal Sassoon to Bob Dylan, Tony Hawk to Matt Groening this collection, from the author of Girls Who Rocked the World, features young men from across history and around the globe who have all achieved remarkable things.
Also included are profiles of teenagers who are changing the world right now boys like John Collinson, the youngest person to climb the Seven Summits, and Alec Loorz, who founded the non-profit organisation Kids vs. Global Warming. Whatever your passion in life, you'll be inspired and motivated by these amazing real-life stories to believe in yourself and start making a difference right now!
By Michelle Roehm McCann, 2018.
When it comes to making a difference, there's no such thing as too young! Get ready to meet some incredible young men who followed their dreams and changed the world for the better, often by taking the path less travelled and staying true to themselves.
From Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to Nelson Mandela, Vidal Sassoon to Bob Dylan, Tony Hawk to Matt Groening this collection, from the author of Girls Who Rocked the World, features young men from across history and around the globe who have all achieved remarkable things.
Also included are profiles of teenagers who are changing the world right now boys like John Collinson, the youngest person to climb the Seven Summits, and Alec Loorz, who founded the non-profit organisation Kids vs. Global Warming. Whatever your passion in life, you'll be inspired and motivated by these amazing real-life stories to believe in yourself and start making a difference right now!
Copies
Search the Library Catalogue
Search the Library Catalogue
Cheer the f**k up : how to save your best friend
Jack Rooke,
This book will definitely make you laugh and might just make you cry, but it could also help save a life.
Cheer the F**K Up: How to Save Your Best Friend is a bold, brilliant and very personal account of a young comedian's experiences with mental health. Jack Rooke is on a mission to help us better understand the reasons why so many young men are acting in such desperate ways and to encourage more of us to understand the early signs of depression in our friends and family. Part memoir, part polemic, Cheer the F**K Up is a completely fresh and timely take on a huge issue, and one that is very close to Jack's heart - in 2015, while Jack was working an ambassador for a male mental health charity; he lost his best friend, Olly, to suicide.
This is a journey through Jack's life and experiences with Olly, coupled with frank and powerful advice on how to talk to your friends about their state of mind. Hilarious, heart-breaking, and empowering in turns, Cheer The F**K Up aims to shed a little light into the darkness, and help us start meaningful conversations about our mental health.
Jack Rooke,
This book will definitely make you laugh and might just make you cry, but it could also help save a life.
Cheer the F**K Up: How to Save Your Best Friend is a bold, brilliant and very personal account of a young comedian's experiences with mental health. Jack Rooke is on a mission to help us better understand the reasons why so many young men are acting in such desperate ways and to encourage more of us to understand the early signs of depression in our friends and family. Part memoir, part polemic, Cheer the F**K Up is a completely fresh and timely take on a huge issue, and one that is very close to Jack's heart - in 2015, while Jack was working an ambassador for a male mental health charity; he lost his best friend, Olly, to suicide.
This is a journey through Jack's life and experiences with Olly, coupled with frank and powerful advice on how to talk to your friends about their state of mind. Hilarious, heart-breaking, and empowering in turns, Cheer The F**K Up aims to shed a little light into the darkness, and help us start meaningful conversations about our mental health.
Copies
Search the Library Catalogue
Search the Library Catalogue
What We're Teaching Our Sons by Owen Booth, 2018.
Wise and funny, touching and true, What We're Teaching Our Sons is for anyone who has ever wondered how to be a grown up.
We're teaching our sons about money; about heartbreak, and mountains, and philosophy. We're teaching them about the big bang and the abominable snowman and what happens when you get struck by lightning. We're teaching them about the toughness of single mothers, and the importance of having friends who've known you longer than you've known yourself, and the difference between zombies and vampires.
We're teaching them about sex, although everyone would be a lot happier if the subject had never come up.
Meet the married Dads, the divorced Dads, the widowed Dads and the gay Dads; the gamblers, the firemen, the bankers, the nurses, the soldiers and the milkmen. They're trying to guide their sons through the foothills of childhood into the bewildering uplands of adulthood. But it's hard to know if they're doing it right.
Or what their sons' mothers think.Wise and funny, touching and true, What We're Teaching Our Sons is for anyone who has ever wondered how to be a grown up.
Wise and funny, touching and true, What We're Teaching Our Sons is for anyone who has ever wondered how to be a grown up.
We're teaching our sons about money; about heartbreak, and mountains, and philosophy. We're teaching them about the big bang and the abominable snowman and what happens when you get struck by lightning. We're teaching them about the toughness of single mothers, and the importance of having friends who've known you longer than you've known yourself, and the difference between zombies and vampires.
We're teaching them about sex, although everyone would be a lot happier if the subject had never come up.
Meet the married Dads, the divorced Dads, the widowed Dads and the gay Dads; the gamblers, the firemen, the bankers, the nurses, the soldiers and the milkmen. They're trying to guide their sons through the foothills of childhood into the bewildering uplands of adulthood. But it's hard to know if they're doing it right.
Or what their sons' mothers think.Wise and funny, touching and true, What We're Teaching Our Sons is for anyone who has ever wondered how to be a grown up.
How not to be a boy
Robert Webb, 2018.
RULES FOR BEING A MAN
Don't Cry; Love Sport; Play Rough; Drink Beer; Don't Talk About Feelings
But Robert Webb has been wondering for some time now: are those rules actually any use? To anyone?
Looking back over his life, from schoolboy crushes (on girls and boys) to discovering the power of making people laugh (in the Cambridge Footlights with David Mitchell), and from losing his beloved mother to becoming a husband and father, Robert Webb considers the absurd expectations boys and men have thrust upon them at every stage of life.
Hilarious and heartbreaking, How Not To Be a Boy explores the relationships that made Robert who he is as a man, the lessons we learn as sons and daughters, and the understanding that sometimes you aren't the Luke Skywalker of your life - you're actually Darth Vader.
Robert Webb, 2018.
RULES FOR BEING A MAN
Don't Cry; Love Sport; Play Rough; Drink Beer; Don't Talk About Feelings
But Robert Webb has been wondering for some time now: are those rules actually any use? To anyone?
Looking back over his life, from schoolboy crushes (on girls and boys) to discovering the power of making people laugh (in the Cambridge Footlights with David Mitchell), and from losing his beloved mother to becoming a husband and father, Robert Webb considers the absurd expectations boys and men have thrust upon them at every stage of life.
Hilarious and heartbreaking, How Not To Be a Boy explores the relationships that made Robert who he is as a man, the lessons we learn as sons and daughters, and the understanding that sometimes you aren't the Luke Skywalker of your life - you're actually Darth Vader.
Anvil: The Story of Anvil
by Steve 'lips' Kudlow
At fourteen, Toronto school friends Steve 'Lips' Kudlow and Robb Reiner made a pact to rock together forever. Forming their band 'Anvil' they went on to become the 'demi-gods of Canadian metal', releasing one of the heaviest albums in metal history, 1982'sMetal on Metal. The album influenced a musical generation including the world-dominating bands Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax, all of whom went on to sell millions of records. Anvil's career would take a different path, however, as they slipped straight into obscurity...
Almost thirty years later Lips and Robb, our unlikely musical heroes, are still chasing their dream.Anvil! The Story of Anvil, their autobiography, follows the ups and down of their career and their volatile friendship (which has now spanned almost four decades), reveals their dedication and unadulterated passion for their music, and carries us along on their last-ditch quest for fame and fortune. Based on Sacha Gervasi's award-winning film of the same name, and published to coincide with its worldwide release, this hilarious yet poignant book reminds us that if you believe in yourself, stick by your friends and never give up, you really can make your dreams come true. You cannot fail to be moved by this story. Anvil rock!
by Steve 'lips' Kudlow
At fourteen, Toronto school friends Steve 'Lips' Kudlow and Robb Reiner made a pact to rock together forever. Forming their band 'Anvil' they went on to become the 'demi-gods of Canadian metal', releasing one of the heaviest albums in metal history, 1982'sMetal on Metal. The album influenced a musical generation including the world-dominating bands Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax, all of whom went on to sell millions of records. Anvil's career would take a different path, however, as they slipped straight into obscurity...
Almost thirty years later Lips and Robb, our unlikely musical heroes, are still chasing their dream.Anvil! The Story of Anvil, their autobiography, follows the ups and down of their career and their volatile friendship (which has now spanned almost four decades), reveals their dedication and unadulterated passion for their music, and carries us along on their last-ditch quest for fame and fortune. Based on Sacha Gervasi's award-winning film of the same name, and published to coincide with its worldwide release, this hilarious yet poignant book reminds us that if you believe in yourself, stick by your friends and never give up, you really can make your dreams come true. You cannot fail to be moved by this story. Anvil rock!
Copies
Fit men cook: 100+ meal prep recipes for men and women - always healthy, never boring
By Kevin Curry, 2018.
The fitness influencer and creator of the bestselling Food & Drink app, FitMenCook, shares 100 easy, quick meal prep recipes that will save you time, money, and inches on your waistline - helping you to get healthy on your own terms. We like to be inspired when it comes to food. No one enjoys restrictive meal plans, bland recipes, or eating the same thing every day. Instead of worrying about what to eat and how it's going to affect our bodies, we should embrace food freedom - freedom to create delicious meals, but in a more calorie-conscious way; freedom to indulge occasionally while being mindful of portion size; and freedom to achieve wellness goals without breaking the bank. InFit Men Cook, Kevin Curry, fitness expert and social media sensation with millions of followers and hundreds of thousands of downloads on his app, shares everything you need to live a healthy life each day- from food shopping lists to common dieting pitfalls to his ten commandments of meal prep. Readers will also be inspired by Kevins personal story of overcoming depression and weight gain to start a successful business and fitness movement. This beautifully illustrated book also includes over 100 easy and delicious recipes including Quick Salmon Nicoise, Juicy AF Moroccan Chickenand Shrimp Chipotle Burrito Bowl, and many more to help you plan your week and eat something new and nutritious each day. WithFit Men Cook, you can create exciting, satisfying meals and get on your way to losing weight for good. After all, bodies may be sculpted at the gym, but they are built in the kitchen.
By Kevin Curry, 2018.
The fitness influencer and creator of the bestselling Food & Drink app, FitMenCook, shares 100 easy, quick meal prep recipes that will save you time, money, and inches on your waistline - helping you to get healthy on your own terms. We like to be inspired when it comes to food. No one enjoys restrictive meal plans, bland recipes, or eating the same thing every day. Instead of worrying about what to eat and how it's going to affect our bodies, we should embrace food freedom - freedom to create delicious meals, but in a more calorie-conscious way; freedom to indulge occasionally while being mindful of portion size; and freedom to achieve wellness goals without breaking the bank. InFit Men Cook, Kevin Curry, fitness expert and social media sensation with millions of followers and hundreds of thousands of downloads on his app, shares everything you need to live a healthy life each day- from food shopping lists to common dieting pitfalls to his ten commandments of meal prep. Readers will also be inspired by Kevins personal story of overcoming depression and weight gain to start a successful business and fitness movement. This beautifully illustrated book also includes over 100 easy and delicious recipes including Quick Salmon Nicoise, Juicy AF Moroccan Chickenand Shrimp Chipotle Burrito Bowl, and many more to help you plan your week and eat something new and nutritious each day. WithFit Men Cook, you can create exciting, satisfying meals and get on your way to losing weight for good. After all, bodies may be sculpted at the gym, but they are built in the kitchen.
Copies
Search the Library Catalogue
Search the Library Catalogue
Man food: the no-nonsense guide to improving your health and energy in your 40s and beyond
By Ian Marber, 2019.
If there was a way to eat that meant you could slow ageing, lose weight AND prevent illness, wouldn't you do it?
Genetics and family history combine with our lifestyles and contribute to overall health, and the results show that men have significantly increased chances of experiencing various diseases. There are of course multiple factors that contribute to the development of disease, but we do know that nutrition is a powerful ally in reducing the risk. Now is your chance to make simple changes to your diet to ensure a longer, healthier, happier life.
Drawing on the latest clinical research, award-winning nutritionist Ian Marber provides simple food swaps, myth-busting facts, and scientific evidence on how consuming certain foods can reduce your risk of prostate cancer, heart disease, diabetes, dementia and more.
ManFood makes eating well easy, so you can boost your health and feel energised.
By Ian Marber, 2019.
If there was a way to eat that meant you could slow ageing, lose weight AND prevent illness, wouldn't you do it?
Genetics and family history combine with our lifestyles and contribute to overall health, and the results show that men have significantly increased chances of experiencing various diseases. There are of course multiple factors that contribute to the development of disease, but we do know that nutrition is a powerful ally in reducing the risk. Now is your chance to make simple changes to your diet to ensure a longer, healthier, happier life.
Drawing on the latest clinical research, award-winning nutritionist Ian Marber provides simple food swaps, myth-busting facts, and scientific evidence on how consuming certain foods can reduce your risk of prostate cancer, heart disease, diabetes, dementia and more.
ManFood makes eating well easy, so you can boost your health and feel energised.
Copies
Search the Library Catalogue
Search the Library Catalogue
Punk : the whole story.
by Mark Blake, 2008.
Discover the definitive story of Punk with three decades worth of interviews, insider stories, amazing photographs and memorabilia. The full story of rock and roll's most rebellious offspring is told here - the gigs, the three-chord classics, the scandals, successes and fashions, in all their safety-pinned glory.
Eyewitness accounts from the people who were there, original features from Sounds magazine (the first to cover Punk), Kerrang! and the best music writers from Mojo relate how an underground scene in New York and London transformed the pompous, stale music of the 1970s, and inspired New Wave, Grunge and a whole generation of bands.
by Mark Blake, 2008.
Discover the definitive story of Punk with three decades worth of interviews, insider stories, amazing photographs and memorabilia. The full story of rock and roll's most rebellious offspring is told here - the gigs, the three-chord classics, the scandals, successes and fashions, in all their safety-pinned glory.
Eyewitness accounts from the people who were there, original features from Sounds magazine (the first to cover Punk), Kerrang! and the best music writers from Mojo relate how an underground scene in New York and London transformed the pompous, stale music of the 1970s, and inspired New Wave, Grunge and a whole generation of bands.
Punk and Rock Concerts through Quello
Thousands of quality punk concerts, music documentaries and shows for free with your library card.
Thousands of quality punk concerts, music documentaries and shows for free with your library card.
Copies
You can watch Quello through though the RB Digital app or on a PC to get a 7 day pass which can be renewed as often as you like
You can watch Quello through though the RB Digital app or on a PC to get a 7 day pass which can be renewed as often as you like
Chronicles, Volume One
by Bob Dylan, 2011.
"I'd come from a long ways off and had started a long ways down. But now destiny was about to manifest itself. I felt like it was looking right at me and nobody else." Bob Dylan's Chronicle: Volume One explores the critical junctions in his life and career. Through
Dylan's eyes and open mind, we see Greenwich Village, circa 1961, when he first arrives in Manhattan. Dylan's New York is a magical city of possibilities -- smoky, nightlong parties; literary awakenings; transient loves and unbreakable friendships. Elegiac observations are punctuated by jabs of memories, penetrating and tough. With side trips to New Orleans, Woodstock, Minnesota and points west, Chronicles: Volume One is an intimate and intensely personal recollection of extraordinary times. Revealing, poetical, passionate and witty, Chronicles: Volume One is a mesmerizing window on Bob Dylan's thoughts and influences. Dylan's voice is distinctively American: generous of spirit, engaged, fanciful and rhythmic. Utilizing his unparalleled gifts of storytelling and the exquisite expressiveness that are the hallmarks of his music, Bob Dylan turns Chronicles: Volume One into a poignant reflection on life, and the people and places that helped shape the man and the art.
by Bob Dylan, 2011.
"I'd come from a long ways off and had started a long ways down. But now destiny was about to manifest itself. I felt like it was looking right at me and nobody else." Bob Dylan's Chronicle: Volume One explores the critical junctions in his life and career. Through
Dylan's eyes and open mind, we see Greenwich Village, circa 1961, when he first arrives in Manhattan. Dylan's New York is a magical city of possibilities -- smoky, nightlong parties; literary awakenings; transient loves and unbreakable friendships. Elegiac observations are punctuated by jabs of memories, penetrating and tough. With side trips to New Orleans, Woodstock, Minnesota and points west, Chronicles: Volume One is an intimate and intensely personal recollection of extraordinary times. Revealing, poetical, passionate and witty, Chronicles: Volume One is a mesmerizing window on Bob Dylan's thoughts and influences. Dylan's voice is distinctively American: generous of spirit, engaged, fanciful and rhythmic. Utilizing his unparalleled gifts of storytelling and the exquisite expressiveness that are the hallmarks of his music, Bob Dylan turns Chronicles: Volume One into a poignant reflection on life, and the people and places that helped shape the man and the art.
Good Cop, Bad War
By Neil Woods , J. S. Rafaeli, 2017.
Neil Woods spent fourteen years (1993-2007) infiltrating drug gangs as an undercover policeman, befriending and gaining the trust of some of the most violent, unpredictable criminals in Britain. But Neil was never your stereotypical gung-ho, tough-guy copper. This is the story of how a thoughtful, idealistic character learned to use his empathetic nature to master some of the roughest, most dangerous work in law enforcement. There was no training, no manual and no plan for when things went wrong; he was just dropped at a corner and told to make connections. But, inevitably, having swords thrust against his jugular, witnessing beatings, stabbings, and gangsters burning suspected rats with acid took its toll.
Drawing on Neil's experiences, with the insight that can only come from having fought on the front lines, GOOD COP, BAD WAR is at once a narrative-driven true crime read and a fascinating story of a character under pressure.
By Neil Woods , J. S. Rafaeli, 2017.
Neil Woods spent fourteen years (1993-2007) infiltrating drug gangs as an undercover policeman, befriending and gaining the trust of some of the most violent, unpredictable criminals in Britain. But Neil was never your stereotypical gung-ho, tough-guy copper. This is the story of how a thoughtful, idealistic character learned to use his empathetic nature to master some of the roughest, most dangerous work in law enforcement. There was no training, no manual and no plan for when things went wrong; he was just dropped at a corner and told to make connections. But, inevitably, having swords thrust against his jugular, witnessing beatings, stabbings, and gangsters burning suspected rats with acid took its toll.
Drawing on Neil's experiences, with the insight that can only come from having fought on the front lines, GOOD COP, BAD WAR is at once a narrative-driven true crime read and a fascinating story of a character under pressure.
Pain is Really Strange
by Steve Haines, 2015.
Answering questions such as 'how can I change my pain experience?', 'what is pain?', and 'how do nerves work?', this short research-based graphic book reveals just how strange pain is and explains how understanding it is often the key to relieving its effects.
Studies show that understanding how pain is created and maintained by the nervous system can significantly lessen the pain you experience. The narrator in this original, gently humorous book explains pain in an easy-to-understand, engaging graphic format and reveals how to change the mind's habits to transform pain.
by Steve Haines, 2015.
Answering questions such as 'how can I change my pain experience?', 'what is pain?', and 'how do nerves work?', this short research-based graphic book reveals just how strange pain is and explains how understanding it is often the key to relieving its effects.
Studies show that understanding how pain is created and maintained by the nervous system can significantly lessen the pain you experience. The narrator in this original, gently humorous book explains pain in an easy-to-understand, engaging graphic format and reveals how to change the mind's habits to transform pain.
Strangeways
Neil Samworth, 2018.
Neil 'Sam' Samworth spent eleven years working as a prison officer in HMP Manchester, aka Strangeways. A tough Yorkshireman with a soft heart, Sam had to deal with it all - gangsters and gangbangers, terrorists and psychopaths, addicts and the mentally ill. Men who should not be locked up and men who should never be let out. He tackles cell fires and self-harmers, and goes head to head with some of the most dangerous men in the country. He describes being attacked by prisoners, and reveals the problems caused by radicalization and the drugs flooding our prisons.
As staffing cuts saw Britain's prison system descend into crisis, the stress of the job - the suicides, the inhumanity of the system, and one assault too many - left Sam suffering from PTSD. Strangeways by Neil Samworth is a raw, searingly honest memoir that is a testament to the men and women of the prison service and the incredibly difficult job we ask them to do.
Neil Samworth, 2018.
Neil 'Sam' Samworth spent eleven years working as a prison officer in HMP Manchester, aka Strangeways. A tough Yorkshireman with a soft heart, Sam had to deal with it all - gangsters and gangbangers, terrorists and psychopaths, addicts and the mentally ill. Men who should not be locked up and men who should never be let out. He tackles cell fires and self-harmers, and goes head to head with some of the most dangerous men in the country. He describes being attacked by prisoners, and reveals the problems caused by radicalization and the drugs flooding our prisons.
As staffing cuts saw Britain's prison system descend into crisis, the stress of the job - the suicides, the inhumanity of the system, and one assault too many - left Sam suffering from PTSD. Strangeways by Neil Samworth is a raw, searingly honest memoir that is a testament to the men and women of the prison service and the incredibly difficult job we ask them to do.
Gut- the inside story of our body's most under-rated organ
by Giulia Enders, 2015.
Scientist Giulia Enders shows that rather than the utilitarian and - let's be honest - somewhat embarrassing body part we imagine it to be, the gut is one of the most complex, important, and even wondrous parts of our anatomy. Beginning with the personal experience of illness that inspired her research, and going on to explain everything from the basics of nutrient absorption to the latest science linking bowel bacteria with mental disorders, this is an entertaining handbook for those looking to improve their health and deepen their understanding of their body.
by Giulia Enders, 2015.
Scientist Giulia Enders shows that rather than the utilitarian and - let's be honest - somewhat embarrassing body part we imagine it to be, the gut is one of the most complex, important, and even wondrous parts of our anatomy. Beginning with the personal experience of illness that inspired her research, and going on to explain everything from the basics of nutrient absorption to the latest science linking bowel bacteria with mental disorders, this is an entertaining handbook for those looking to improve their health and deepen their understanding of their body.
How to Fail Everything I've Ever Learned From Things Going Wrong
by Elizabeth Day, 2019.
Inspired by her hugely popular podcast, How To Fail is Elizabeth Day's brilliantly funny, painfully honest and insightful celebration of things going wrong. This is a book for anyone who has ever failed. Which means it's a book for everyone. If I have learned one thing from this shockingly beautiful venture called life, it is this: failure has taught me lessons I would never otherwise have understood. I have evolved more as a result of things going wrong than when everything seemed to be going right. Out of crisis has come clarity, and sometimes even catharsis. Part memoir, part manifesto, and including chapters on dating, work, sport, babies, families, anger and friendship, it is based on the simple premise that understanding why we fail ultimately makes us stronger. It's a book about learning from our mistakes and about not being afraid. Uplifting, inspiring and rich in stories from Elizabeth's own life, How to Fail reveals that failure is not what defines us; rather it is how we respond to it that shapes us as individuals. Because learning how to fail is actually learning how to succeed better. And everyone needs a bit of that.
by Elizabeth Day, 2019.
Inspired by her hugely popular podcast, How To Fail is Elizabeth Day's brilliantly funny, painfully honest and insightful celebration of things going wrong. This is a book for anyone who has ever failed. Which means it's a book for everyone. If I have learned one thing from this shockingly beautiful venture called life, it is this: failure has taught me lessons I would never otherwise have understood. I have evolved more as a result of things going wrong than when everything seemed to be going right. Out of crisis has come clarity, and sometimes even catharsis. Part memoir, part manifesto, and including chapters on dating, work, sport, babies, families, anger and friendship, it is based on the simple premise that understanding why we fail ultimately makes us stronger. It's a book about learning from our mistakes and about not being afraid. Uplifting, inspiring and rich in stories from Elizabeth's own life, How to Fail reveals that failure is not what defines us; rather it is how we respond to it that shapes us as individuals. Because learning how to fail is actually learning how to succeed better. And everyone needs a bit of that.
Copies
Overdrive: How To Fail
Overdrive: How To Fail
Common People
An Anthology of Working-Class Writers
by Kit de Waal , Malorie Blackman, 2019.
Working-class stories are not always tales of the underprivileged and dispossessed.
Common People is a collection of essays, poems and memoir written in celebration, not apology: these are narratives rich in barbed humour, reflecting the depth and texture of working-class life, the joy and sorrow, the solidarity and the differences, the everyday wisdom and poetry of the woman at the bus stop, the waiter, the hairdresser.
Here, Kit de Waal brings together thirty-three established and emerging writers who invite you to experience the world through their eyes, their voices loud and clear as they reclaim and redefine what it means to be working class.
Features original pieces from Damian Barr, Malorie Blackman, Lisa Blower, Jill Dawson, Louise Doughty, Stuart Maconie, Chris McCrudden, Lisa McInerney, Paul McVeigh, Daljit Nagra, Dave O'Brien, Cathy Rentzenbrink, Anita Sethi, Tony Walsh, Alex Wheatle and more.
An Anthology of Working-Class Writers
by Kit de Waal , Malorie Blackman, 2019.
Working-class stories are not always tales of the underprivileged and dispossessed.
Common People is a collection of essays, poems and memoir written in celebration, not apology: these are narratives rich in barbed humour, reflecting the depth and texture of working-class life, the joy and sorrow, the solidarity and the differences, the everyday wisdom and poetry of the woman at the bus stop, the waiter, the hairdresser.
Here, Kit de Waal brings together thirty-three established and emerging writers who invite you to experience the world through their eyes, their voices loud and clear as they reclaim and redefine what it means to be working class.
Features original pieces from Damian Barr, Malorie Blackman, Lisa Blower, Jill Dawson, Louise Doughty, Stuart Maconie, Chris McCrudden, Lisa McInerney, Paul McVeigh, Daljit Nagra, Dave O'Brien, Cathy Rentzenbrink, Anita Sethi, Tony Walsh, Alex Wheatle and more.
Copies
Overdrive: Common People
Overdrive: Common People
Every Third Thought
On Life, Death and the Endgame
by Robert McCrum, 2017.
In 1995, at the age of forty-two, Robert McCrum suffered a dramatic and near-fatal stroke. Since that life-changing event, McCrum has lived in the shadow of death, unavoidably aware of his own mortality. And now, in his sixties, he is noticing a change: his friends are joining him there. Death has become his contemporaries' every third thought.
And so, with the words of McCrum's favourite authors as travel companions, Every Third Thought takes us on a journey towards death itself. This is a deeply personal book of reflection and conversation - with brain surgeons, psychologists, hospice workers and patients, writers and poets, and it confronts an existential question: in a world where we have learnt to live well at all costs, can we make peace with dying?
On Life, Death and the Endgame
by Robert McCrum, 2017.
In 1995, at the age of forty-two, Robert McCrum suffered a dramatic and near-fatal stroke. Since that life-changing event, McCrum has lived in the shadow of death, unavoidably aware of his own mortality. And now, in his sixties, he is noticing a change: his friends are joining him there. Death has become his contemporaries' every third thought.
And so, with the words of McCrum's favourite authors as travel companions, Every Third Thought takes us on a journey towards death itself. This is a deeply personal book of reflection and conversation - with brain surgeons, psychologists, hospice workers and patients, writers and poets, and it confronts an existential question: in a world where we have learnt to live well at all costs, can we make peace with dying?
Copies
Overdrive: Every third
Overdrive: Every third
Moneyland Why Thieves And Crooks Now Rule The World And How To Take It Back
Oliver Bullough, 2019.
You cannot understand power, wealth and poverty without knowing about Moneyland.' Simon Kuper, New Statesman 2019: democracy is eating itself, inequality is skyrocketing, the system is breaking apart. Why? Because in 1962, some bankers in London had an idea that changed the world. That idea was called 'offshore'. It meant that, for the first time, thieves could dream big.
They could take everything. Join investigative journalist Oliver Bullough on a journey into the hidden world of the new global kleptocrats. See the poor countries where public money is stolen and the rich ones where it is laundered and invested. Watch the crooks at work and at play, and meet their respectable, white-collar enablers. Learn how the new system works and begin to see how we can tackle it.
Oliver Bullough, 2019.
You cannot understand power, wealth and poverty without knowing about Moneyland.' Simon Kuper, New Statesman 2019: democracy is eating itself, inequality is skyrocketing, the system is breaking apart. Why? Because in 1962, some bankers in London had an idea that changed the world. That idea was called 'offshore'. It meant that, for the first time, thieves could dream big.
They could take everything. Join investigative journalist Oliver Bullough on a journey into the hidden world of the new global kleptocrats. See the poor countries where public money is stolen and the rich ones where it is laundered and invested. Watch the crooks at work and at play, and meet their respectable, white-collar enablers. Learn how the new system works and begin to see how we can tackle it.
Copies
RBdigital: MoneyLand
RBdigital: MoneyLand
Mind Over Money
Claudia Hammond, 2017.
A day doesn't go by without money coming into our interactions. But how much do we really understand it? We know we need money. We tend to want more of it. But why do we behave the way we do with it? And why does it have such a hold on us?
Award-winning BBC Radio 4 presenter Claudia Hammond delves into the surprising psychology of money to show us that our relationship with the stuff is more complex than we might think. Exploring the latest research in psychology, neuroscience, biology and behavioural economics, she also reveals some simple and effective tricks that will help you think about, use and save money better - from how being grumpy helps if you don't want to be ripped off to why you should opt for the more expensive pain relief, from how to shop for a new laptop to why you should never offer to pay your friends for favours.
An eye-opening and entertaining investigation into the power money holds over us, Mind Over Money will change the way you view the cash in your wallet and the figures in your bank account forever
Claudia Hammond, 2017.
A day doesn't go by without money coming into our interactions. But how much do we really understand it? We know we need money. We tend to want more of it. But why do we behave the way we do with it? And why does it have such a hold on us?
Award-winning BBC Radio 4 presenter Claudia Hammond delves into the surprising psychology of money to show us that our relationship with the stuff is more complex than we might think. Exploring the latest research in psychology, neuroscience, biology and behavioural economics, she also reveals some simple and effective tricks that will help you think about, use and save money better - from how being grumpy helps if you don't want to be ripped off to why you should opt for the more expensive pain relief, from how to shop for a new laptop to why you should never offer to pay your friends for favours.
An eye-opening and entertaining investigation into the power money holds over us, Mind Over Money will change the way you view the cash in your wallet and the figures in your bank account forever
Copies
RB Digital: Mind Over Money
RB Digital: Mind Over Money
Cooking on a Bootstrap
Over 100 Simple, Budget Recipes
by Jack Monroe, 2018.
Jack Monroe is a campaigner, food writer and activist, her first cookbook A Girl Called Jack, was a runaway bestseller. The sequel Cooking on a Bootstrap makes budget food fun and delicious, with 118 incredible recipes including Fluffy Berry Pancakes, Self-Love Stew, Marmite Mac 'n' Cheese and Hot Sardines with Herby Sauce.
Chapters include Bread, Breakfasts, A Bag of Pasta and a Packet of Rice, Spuds and Eat More Veg. There are vegan, sweet and what Jack calls 'contraband' dishes here, as well as nifty money-saving tips. With her trademark humour and wit, Jack shows us that affordable, authentic and creative recipes aren't just for those with fancy gadgets or premium ingredients.
Initially launching this book as a very limited black and white edition on Kickstarter, Jack reached the funding target in just one day. This beautiful edition contains illustrations and original full-colour photographs to really make your mouth water.
Over 100 Simple, Budget Recipes
by Jack Monroe, 2018.
Jack Monroe is a campaigner, food writer and activist, her first cookbook A Girl Called Jack, was a runaway bestseller. The sequel Cooking on a Bootstrap makes budget food fun and delicious, with 118 incredible recipes including Fluffy Berry Pancakes, Self-Love Stew, Marmite Mac 'n' Cheese and Hot Sardines with Herby Sauce.
Chapters include Bread, Breakfasts, A Bag of Pasta and a Packet of Rice, Spuds and Eat More Veg. There are vegan, sweet and what Jack calls 'contraband' dishes here, as well as nifty money-saving tips. With her trademark humour and wit, Jack shows us that affordable, authentic and creative recipes aren't just for those with fancy gadgets or premium ingredients.
Initially launching this book as a very limited black and white edition on Kickstarter, Jack reached the funding target in just one day. This beautiful edition contains illustrations and original full-colour photographs to really make your mouth water.
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