Tony Palmer

The title of this book will probably put off some readers until it’s too late. Reading it would help to prevent you from getting into debt in the first place. The ideas are clearly set out - chapter by chapter – and I was able to read it cover-to-cover without becoming confused or falling asleep. The author starts by setting up three case studies and suggesting the lessons that can be learned from each case.

He then goes on to look at how to live with credit, mortgages, loans and credit show more cards. The next three chapters deal with how to cope if things go wrong: first, recognising that you have a problem, second, how to deal with your creditors and third, what to do if your creditors won’t or can’t be satisfied. There are useful appendices: example letters, loan interest tables and sample copies of County Court Claims.

As we have seen over the last year or two the financial situation can change dramatically in a short time so it makes sense to keep yourself well-informed. This book was published in 2005 and has not been updated in any way and the publication details include a warning that the laws and regulations are subject to change and that the reader should check with “the relevant authorities before making personal arrangements”. However it does provide a basis for making general plans and gives an idea of the financial aspects to be considered. show less

Despite the chatty, interview-based format of this book, it's a remarkably rewarding look inside the life and talent of one of the true greats of the classical guitar. Although the book is (apparently) divided into thematic sections, it's really more of a continuous meditation by the subject on all aspects of his life and work, with an obvious focus on the endless travel that was at the heart of Bream's performing career. Not surprisingly, Bream comes across as intelligent, opinionated, and show more more than a little impatient with life's imperfections and annoyances. Nonetheless, it's also clear that Bream is charming and erudite, and not as much of a snob as he might tend to portray himself as being. In any case, it's a fascinating, breezy read that gives a good account of the man and his many talents. show less

This is the book relating to the longest obscenity trial in British legal history (at the time).

Oz (as it's name suggests) started life as an Australian student magazine in 1963 that caught on to the growing trend of free speech and freedom of information which was gathering momentum during the 60s era. The paper flourished when it's founders began publishing the British version in 1967 - which created quite a stir with it's bold use of visuals from artists such as Stewart Mackinnon, Michael show more Leunig, Angelo Quattrocchi, Barney Bubbles and David Widgery.
Oz' eagerness to cover difficult subject matters such as sexuality (including homosexuality which at the time was criminalised in the UK as it was in much of the so called civilised world), recreational drug use, police brutality and political corruption, as well as many other youth issues (which the mainstream press ignored or refused to cover) made it a big success among the growing youth market.

Oz quickly became a target for many powerful and influential political groups who wanted to control how information was passed on to the general public and used every legal loophole they could find to prevent this unfiltered information from reaching the eyes of a public they felt needed to be protected. The offices suffered frequent police raids and investigations based on weak or non existent evidence.
Finally in 1970 the authorities grabbed the chance to destroy this thorn in their side by combined the much over used obscenity charge with an archaic charge of conspiring to corrupt public morals, which upped the stakes somewhat against the publishers Neville, Dennis, and Anderson carrying a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
What followed was a farce which cost the British tax payer a fortune and exposed the British criminal system as antiquated, out of touch with the modern world, and to a certain extent corrupt to the core.

Many of the court transcript are, unintentionally, laugh-out-loud funny and had me in stitches, at the same time as being cringe-worthy and disturbing. It is a very interesting book which exposes the rotten underbelly of Britain during the 1960s and casts an even longer shadow of doubt over much of this system today.
With defence witnesses including: comedian Marty Feldman, DJ John Peel, musician and writer George Melly, legal philosopher Ronald Dworkin, artist and drugs activist Caroline Coon, among others, it makes very interesting reading.

Edward de Bono spoke eloquently in court with many statements he made, but I like this one best because I think put the whole question into context:

"OZ serves a very useful purpose in the hippy subculture, because it provides a window into the minds of a significant section of society, whether one likes it or not. It is also a very effective way of trying to communicate with that subculture. It's a window ; and I don't think windows create scenes. They are merely something you look, through." show less

This biography of Yehudi Menuhin explores the background to Menuhin's story. Acclaimed as a "second Mozart" as a young boy, he toured the capitals of Europe and America, astounding audiences with his extraordinary playing. Yet, in the 1940s, after the collapse of his first marriage and the horrors of the war, Menuhin's playing seemed to lose its magic. His conducting showed that he was still a powerful interpreter, yet the violin was no longer his "friend". The author attempts to explain the show more painful loss of Menuhin's exceptional gift and reveals that far from being a "golden childhood", as Menuhin has claimed, his upbringing was stifling. He and his two sisters had few friends of their own age and were claustrophobically over-protected. Though hardly equipped to deal with adult life, marriage seemed their only escape, with devastating consequences for all three. Originally a Channel 4 documentary, this book draws on extensive interviews with Menuhin's family and presents a clear and sympathetic portrait of one of the most remarkable, but also one of the most misunderstood artists of the 20th century. show less