Good Reading

My recommendations for some good reading probably will not appeal to everyone so check out the synopsis and you can decide for yourself if my review encourages you to read the book itself.

I have been an avid reader as far back as I can remember. My enthusiasm for it enabled me to master the basics of reading before I went to school. I learned nursery rhymes my mother read to me off by heart. They were my first favourites and poetry has remained a passion of mine. The world of mystery and imagination came next awakened by Enid Blyton's "The Magic Far-away Tree" and the Famous Five!

The years have rushed by. With the demands of a busy life, I developed a saying "Life's too short to read fiction"! I used to take light reading on holidays for relaxation but when time was at a premium, I liked to read something that to me was worth the effort. Now I'm retired and belong to a bookclub and I've been able to read a great deal of fiction. However, I constantly find that the books I return to, that I want to read again are invariably, non-fiction. So alot of my "good reading" recommendations here are and will be (in the future)mostly non-fiction.

“To read without reflecting is like eating without digesting."
Edmund Burke

For those of you who live outside of South Africa, the books below (and more) can be purchased at my on-line bookstore with Amazon.com

Then there is also the 21st Century "Kindle" option which I think is just fantastic! Could we have imagined even 10 years ago being able to carry around up to 3500 books that would fit into a modest bag in a slither of a capsule thinner than a diary. Think of all the trees we can save (this technology hasn't arrived a moment too soon for our planet) and the convenience of such a device. For a lover of reading like me its blissful. One need never run out of something to read because another book is just a 60 second download away! So please pay a visit to my Discover Sedgefield-Amazon Store.com

Note that if you buy any of the books at my Amazon Store or from Loot, you don't pay more but I receive a small commission from the on-line stores.

How are you handling change? Many changes are occurring now in the lives of all of us, but does 'change' have to equal 'crisis'? No! Not if you have the means with which you can change your experience of change-and that is what this book is about. However, it's more than a book about change. It's about how life itself works. It is about the very nature of change-why it happens, how to deal with it, and how to make it be 'for the better'. On these pages are Nine Changes That Can Change Everything. Is it possible that what you are about to read has come to you at the right and perfect time...? The author of the Conversations with God series presents a fresh and startling perspective on something that will never change: Change.

When a book seems to jump into your hand and you cannot release your grasp, you know it's meant for you - and reading this book was just what I needed, what I needed to remember and that I really already knew deep down inside myself. "When everything changes..." has Neale's same personal intimate style as his "Conversation with God" books. This time though its just the author and the reader. I felt like he was sitting across from me, talking just to me explaining the mysteries of life in his endearing simplistic way. And I got it...I really got it! That the topic is current and that God is current - is undeniable. Neale's explanations of the mechanics of the mind and the system of the soul takes us to the deepest places in our spirit. To comprehend the depths, breadth and heights of our eternal existence gives perspective on how that enables and empowers us in the here and now.

Published in 1951, The Sea Around Us is one of the most remarkably successful books ever written about the natural world. Rachel Carson's rare ability to combine scientific insight with moving, poetic prose catapulted her book to first place on The New York Times best-seller list, where it enjoyed wide attention for thirty-one consecutive weeks. It remained on the list for more than a year and a half and ultimately sold well over a million copies, has been translated into 28 languages, inspired an Academy Award-winning documentary, and won both the 1952 National Book Award and the John Burroughs Medal. This classic work remains as fresh today as when it first appeared. Carson's writing teems with stunning, memorable images-the newly formed Earth cooling beneath an endlessly overcast sky; the centuries of nonstop rain that created the oceans; giant squids battling sperm whales hundreds of fathoms below the surface; and incredibly powerful tides moving 100 billion tons of water daily in the Bay of Fundy. Quite simply, she captures the mystery and allure of the ocean with a compelling blend of imagination and expertise.

Reintroducing a classic work to a whole new generation of readers, this Special Edition features a new chapter written by Jeffrey Levinton, a leading expert in marine ecology, that brings the scientific side of The Sea Around Us completely up to date. Levinton incorporates the most recent thinking on continental drift, coral reefs, the spread of the ocean floor, the deterioration of the oceans, mass extinction of sea life, and many other topics. In addition, acclaimed nature writer Ann Zwinger has contributed a brief foreword.

Today, with the oceans endangered by the dumping of medical waste and ecological disasters such as the Exxon oil spill in Alaska, this illuminating volume provides a timely reminder of both the fragility and the importance of the ocean and the life that abounds within it. Anyone who loves the sea, or who is concerned about our natural environment, will want to read this classic work.

This was good reading - no excellent reading, more captivating than any novel I have read in the last year and I will be reading it again. I live by the sea now but I didn't grow up by it and my knowledge of it is minimal so this book was an eye-opener, an education and an inspiration. The insights it gives and the depth of understanding with which it is written makes it a must-read for anyone who wants to grasp the fundamentals of life on our planet.

Rachel clearly puts forth that all creatures are dependent upon each other for their own survival. They and therefore we, are all links in the chain of life. We will usher in our own demise if we do not embrace this simple truth. It's such a pity that Rachel's talent was lost to the world when she died in 1964 of cancer. She was only 57.

When Alice Howland finds herself in the rapidly downward spiral of Alzheimer's Disease she is just 49 years old. As a Harvard psychology professor she exchanges the role of high-achieving teacher, wife and mother of three for that of a disoriented, inarticulate, forgetful shell of her former self. Stricken much earlier than most by this progressive, degenerative disease for which there is no cure, Alice loses her profession, independence, clarity and contact with the world. She still has so much more to do - books to write, places to see, grandchildren to meet. But when she can't remember how to make her famous Christmas pudding, when she gets lost in her own back yard, when she fails to recognise her actress daughter after a superb performance, she comes up with a desperate plan. But can she see it through? Should she see it through? Losing her yesterdays, living for each day, her short-term memory is hanging on by a couple of frayed threads. But she is still Alice.

This was good reading because it poignantly reflected my own family's experience as we watched our active and capable father shrink to a shadow in the clutches of an affliction he could not tame or control. It ably articulates for him what he could not express himself. For anyone who lives with or knows someone who has Alzheimers, 'Still Alice" will give you insights into how these people experience the indignities of this illness as they decend into frightening helpessness through debilitating memory loss. Hopefully it will encourage you to support them on their lonely irreversible journey into exile and isolation with compassion and understanding.

Raised in a desperately poor village during the height of China's Cultural Revolution, Li Cunxin's childhood revolved around the commune, his family and Chairman Mao's Little Red Book. Until, that is, Madame Mao's cultural delegates came in search of young peasants to study ballet at the academy in Beijing and he was thrust into a completely unfamiliar world. When a trip to Texas as part of a rare cultural exchange opened his eyes to life and love beyond China's borders, he defected to the United States in an extraordinary and dramatic tale of Cold War intrigue. Told in his own distinctive voice, this is Li's inspirational story of how he came to be Mao's last dancer, and one of the world's greatest ballet dancers.

This good reading is truly inspirational. Told in straight forward simple English it conveys Li Cunxin's earnest desire to make the most of his unique opportunity to escape a life of servitude and poverty. Devoid of parental guidance he bears the weight of responsibility to bring honour and benefit to his family and make his country proud. He physically pushes himself beyond the limits of endurance whilst struggling with self doubt and many other many internal conflicts. Always striving to do the right thing, he buries his homesickness by developing an immense commitment to his craft. As he becomes a master, his talent opens the world to him. A simple country Chinese boy becomes a famous international ballet dancer. 1 in a population of 1 billion people - what are the odds of such a person escaping from impoverished circumstances to make a name for himself on an international stage? His gratitude is palpable and how his life pans out will be an inspiration to everyone who reads the book.

When South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony was asked to accept a herd of 'rogue' elephants on his reserve at Thula Thula, his commonsense told him to refuse. But he was the herd's last chance of survival - notorious escape artists, they would all be killed if Lawrence wouldn't take them. He agreed, but before arrangements for the move could be completed the animals broke out again and the matriarch and her baby were shot. The remaining elephants were traumatised and very angry.

As soon as they arrived at Thula Thula they started planning their escape...As Lawrence battled to create a bond with the elephants and save them from execution, he came to realise that they had a lot to teach him about love, loyalty and freedom. Set against the background of life on the reserve, with unforgettable characters and exotic wildlife, this is a delightful book that will appeal to animal lovers everywhere.

This good reading is unforgettable. I am always deeply moved by people's discovery of the meaningful relationships that can develop between humans and other animals. My husband read it too and loved it! If you appreciate Africa and its wildlife and wilderness places you will love this book.

Click here to find out how to have the Secret Elephants' Forest experience with Gareth Patterson

Spontaneous Evolution reveals how changing our understanding of biology and human history will help us navigate these turbulent times of economic meltdown, environmental crisis and seemingly endless warfare. Readers are invited to reconsider,

Spontaneous Evolution introduces the notion that a miraculous healing awaits this planet once we accept our new responsibility to collectively tend the Garden rather than fight over the turf! When a critical mass of people truly own this belief in their hearts and minds and begin living this truth, our world will emerge from the darkness in what will amount to a spontaneous evolution.

This good reading found me totally absorbed in the concepts expressed in this book. With science and history as its backbone, it is at its heart, a love story - a paradox - but tantalisingly possible - giving humans an opportunity to express their humanity.

Barbara Kingsolver and her family abandoned the industrial food pipeline to live a rural life - vowing that, for one year, they'd only buy food raised in their own neighbourhood, grow it themselves or learn to live without it.

Part memoir and part journalistic investigation, its about a family who revise their whole way of looking at food. Steven L. Hopp who contributes the more academic aspects of the book provides very interesting information about all aspects of food production, about its quality and what it really costs us and what it's costing the planet. Camille Kingsolver, Barabara's daughter, a university student at the time of writing, contributes the many original family recipes.

This good reading is recommended as a result of Sedgefield qualifying as a Slow Town. The concept developed from Slow Food, the aim of which is to support local farmers and get the freshest produce whilst fostering local traditions. I was delighted to come across this book when all these thoughts were new to me and to find a family doing it and documenting it so well, has helped me to understand the benefits of striving to live this way. We do after all, have a wonderful widely-acclaimed Wild Oats Farmers’ Market every Saturday in Sedgefield

Gareth Patterson has lived as a man among lions and as a "lion man" among modern people. Moving between these two worlds, he has observed the wholeness in lions and the disconnectedness in humans. His extraordinary experience with lions has shown him how lions can teach people Ubuntu -- the African sense of belonging. By understanding the author's profound experiences with lions, individuals can realize their place in nature and discover true spiritual fulfillment.

To Walk with Lions describes the seven spiritual principles of the lion: self-reliance, loyalty, fellowship, willingness to care, unconditional love, courage, and determination. By aspiring to these qualities, individuals can learn to live with a greater sense of purpose, community, and meaning.

This is good reading as it summarises all that Gareth has learned in his experiences with lions which are recorded in his previous books, Lion Legacy, Last of the Free and With my Soul amongst Lions. I find him to be a very lucid and moving writer, sensitive, courageous and practical. The immense love shared between him and his lions gives us an intimate view of what our relationships could be with other creatures. That all creatures have their own intrinsic value and were not just put on earth for humans to use and abuse as if its their sole purpose for being here. For mankind to grasp this, to my mind, would be a huge step forward in our evolution.

At the end of her bestselling memoir Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert fell in love with Felipe. The couple swore eternal fidelity to each other, but also swore to never, ever, under any circumstances get legally married. But when the U.S. government gave the couple a choice: they could either get married, or Felipe would never be allowed to enter the country again, they were effectively sentenced to wed, forcing Gilbert to tackle her fears of marriage.

The result is Committed – a witty and intelligent contemplation of marriage that suggests that sometimes even the most romantic of souls must trade in her amorous fantasies for the humbling responsibility of adulthood.

Gilbert's memoir is ultimately a celebration of love – with all the complexity and consequence that real love, in the real world, actually entails.

This is good reading as Elisabeth forrays into all the historical and cultural interpretations of marriage in her search to come to peace with the dreaded social custom. It is a thought-provoking dissertation especially for western women who have a romantic view of a man as a soulmate who will complete them and open the gate to a perfect life. It also encourages one to consider the practical reality of the traditional roles of women and men in the marriage relationship in today's world.

Watch this space for more "good reading" recommendations.......

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