Category: Books

An overlooked and undervalued benefit of reading old books

One of the pleasures of reading books that are described as ‘classic’ is the reintroduction of words that have fallen out of common, everyday use. I am reading “The End of the Affair” by Graham Greene at the moment and the writing is beautiful in a particularly British voice. Little words like ‘odd’ and ‘queer’… Continue reading An overlooked and undervalued benefit of reading old books

Online courses on the Teachable platform-a throwaway remark prompts a change of direction

I watched a video yesterday from one of the few persons I hold in high regard and trust when it comes to online/digital marketing: Ian Brodie. It was part of a series of videos he has done about creating and selling your own online course, regardless of what industry you are in. Ian’s content is… Continue reading Online courses on the Teachable platform-a throwaway remark prompts a change of direction

A Rage in Harlem audiobook-if you have never listened to an audiobook, listen to this

I am just finishing up an audiobook narrated by Samuel L. Jackson and I would recommend it highly. Not only is it superbly well narrated by Jackson it is beautifully written by a man who spent over 7 years in prison for armed robbery. The characters in the novel are predominately ‘coloured’ and it is… Continue reading A Rage in Harlem audiobook-if you have never listened to an audiobook, listen to this

Gypsy girls, dead bodies and smoking guns

In “The Brothers Karamazov” one of the brothers Dmitri Fyodorovich is described as spending a great deal of time engaged in acts of debauchery and dissipation. He is often said to have spent his money on liquor and gypsy girls. I had a consultation during the time I was reading this book by Dostoevsky with… Continue reading Gypsy girls, dead bodies and smoking guns

I have just finished “The Brothers Karamazov”

I have just finished Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novel, “The Brothers Karamazov”. I think it is Dostoevsky’s last novel, and it is widely regarded as his best. It is a remarkable book driven by the dialogue of the characters and the forensic insight into the psychology of the characters. Yes, there are events and happenings, most notably… Continue reading I have just finished “The Brothers Karamazov”

Updating my books-the dilemma

My books on employment law, property and digital marketing for small service providers sell well on Amazon. All formats-paperback, Kindle and audiobook-perform well. In fact, sales appear to have increased in the last year or two. Which is great for it is nice to think work I have done a few years ago still bears… Continue reading Updating my books-the dilemma

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One of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s favourite words?What does it mean?

I am listening to “The Brothers Karamazov” at the moment and there is a word that pops up in the novel with a great deal of frequency. It is a word that you will not hear much nowadays in normal, everyday conversation. In fact, you may not come across it at all. The word is… Continue reading One of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s favourite words?What does it mean?

How did Russia give us Tolstoy, Dostoevsky and then Putin?

I am reading “War and Peace” at the moment and listening to “The Brothers Karamazov” on audiobook. And it is hard to believe that a country like Russia can produce such men as Fyodor Dostoevsky and Leo Tolstoy and then give us the sneering, psychopath Putin some 200 years later. The sensitivity of Dostoevsky’s writing,… Continue reading How did Russia give us Tolstoy, Dostoevsky and then Putin?

Extracting the maximum from reading non-fiction books-Smart note taking

If you are anything like me and read a lot of books-fiction and non fiction-you will find that even though you understand and agree and nod along when you are reading you may struggle to retain or recall much of the material later on. This is a real shame. It means that you may well… Continue reading Extracting the maximum from reading non-fiction books-Smart note taking