The Warmth of the Heart prevents your Body Rusting: Ageing without growing old

by Marie Hennezel. In this elequent meditation on ageing the author reveals a true 'art of growing old'. Through encounters with extraordinary people at the end of their lives she discovers how to embrace life at any age, how to avoid depression, how to stay happy and what it really means to grow…

The Gift of Adversity: The Unexpected Benefits of Life's Difficulties, Setbacks, and Imperfections

by Norman E Rosenthal.  Adversity is an irreducible fact of life. Although we can and, should, learn from all experiences, both positive and negative, bestselling author, Dr. Norman E. Rosenthal, believes that adversity is by far the best teacher most of us will ever encounter. Whether the…

Dark Night of the Soul: A guide to finding your way through life's ordeals

by Thomas Moore. 'A dark night of the soul need not be depressing.  Today we tend to think of all emotional negativity as depression, and so we imagine ourselves sometimes to be depressed when in fact it is only the world that is pressing down on us. You can be bright, thoughtful,…

Tuesdays With Morrie: An old man, a young man, and life's greatest lesson 2003

by Mitch Albom. "Maybe it was a grandparent, or a teacher or a colleague. Someone older, patient and wise, who understood you when you were young and searching, and gave you sound advice to help you make your way through it. For Mitch Albom, that person was Morrie Schwartz, his college professor…

Square Foot Gardening

by Mel Bartholomew. Gardening is one way to connect with nature and the seasons, grow food and flowers, spend time with oneself and with friends. Square Foot Gardening shows a method of getting results using the least effort and time. A method that is great for new gardeners and may challenge…

Sleeping with Dogs

by Brian Sewell. Definitely a book for dog lovers. I listened to the book by chance, and by the end I thought the book should be on the reading list for those training to be carers. The first half of the book recalls his memoirs of the dogs which were family pets. In 1986 when the author has no dog…

The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism

by Naoki Higashida.  Written when he was only thirteen, this remarkable book provides a rare insight into the often baffling behaviour of autistic children. Using a question and answer format, Naoki explains things like why he talks loudly or repeats the same questions, what causes him to…

When Fraser met Billy: How the love of a cat transformed my little boy's life

by Louise Booth.  Billy the cat was rescued from an abandoned house. Fraser was a two-year-old autistic child with a multitude of problems when he first met Billy at the cat protection shelter. A telepathic type bond grew between Fraser and Billy. This is a touching story of two years in…