Since software programs have come to dominate offices & studios the pencil has become a symbol for creative freedom In other words the work you do on the computer is what you do for work to pay the rent whereas the stuff you do with your pencil is the stuff you do for fun Apart from stimulating the world&s most important creative minds the pencil has become the modern creative&s ultimate fetish This book presents a unique collection of close-up pictures of pencils from some of our foremost artists designers writers architects & musicians What makes these pictures compelling is the fact that they somehow reflect the creative personalities of their owners Philippe Starck&s is a stylish black & red Paul Smith&s is a classic jewel-like thing worth GBP3000 (a present from Jonathan Ive) while Anish Kapoor&s is sculpted into a mini Arcelor Mittal Orbital tower The pictures are complemented by material such as sketches"es & brief interviews giving a further insight into the workings of these great creative minds ...

Colin Tudge's The Secret Life of Trees How they Live & Why they Matter explores the hidden role of trees in our everyday lives
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For over 60 years spanning from his childhood to the Cold War to the current day former Israeli paratrooper & Six Day War veteran Uri Geller has been a major enigma Is he merely one of the most convincing stage magicians in history a multimillionaire entertainer courted by presidents & rock stars? Or is the now 67 year-old UK resident the possessor of genuine paranormal powers which have not only been tested & verified by the most demanding scientific laboratories in the US but employed by the US & other western powers in secret operations? In July a sensational new BBC2 documentary by Oscar-winning director Vikram Jayanti aired bringing to light the most convincing testimony ever heard
- much from retired CIA chiefs
- that Geller alongside being one of the most famous people in the world in his day was as late as post-911 operated as a psychic spy by the US military spymasters & those of other governments But the revelations in the BBC film are merely the tip of the spooky iceberg according to FT & Observer technology writer Jonathan Margolis who wrote Geller's biography in the late 1990s Much weirder scientist-documented paranormal phenomena manifested around Uri Geller in secret US government facilities throughout the 1970s & 80s In The Secret Life of Uri Geller the always sceptical Margolis tells the full story of how a poor boy from a broken family in the back streets of Tel Aviv went from being a playground sensation whom friends recall as baffling hapless teachers with his strange powers
- to a bizarre player in the Cold War superpower mind games of the 1970s later reactivated for the war on terrorism in this century To those who remember Geller in his heyday to younger people who have barely heard of him it is one of the strangest true stories ever told


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Walter Mitty is an ordinary man living an ordinary life But he has dreams
- vivid extraordinary day dreams
- in which the life

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Please note this is a region 2 DVD & will require a region 2 (Europe) or region Free DVD Player in order to play Ben Stiller directs & stars in The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty James Thurber&s classic story of a day-dreamer who escapes his anonymous life by disappearing into a world of fantasies filled with heroism romance & action When his job along with that of his co-worker (Kristen Wiig) are threatened Walter takes action in the real world embarking on a global journey that turns into an adventure more extraordinary than anything he could have ever imagined Actors Ben Stiller Kristin Wiig Adam Scott Kathryn Hahn Terence Bernie Hines & Jon Daly Director Ben Stiller Certificate PGYear 2013 Languages English Duration 1 hour & 54 minutes (approx) ...

The unforgettable history of colours & the vivid stories behind them in a beautiful multi-coloured volume 336 pages St Clair Kassia ...

An introvert guide & manifesto for all the quiet ones-and the people who love them Is there a hidden part of you that no one else sees? Do you have a vivid inner world of thoughts & emotions that your peers & loved ones can't seem to access? Have you ever been told you're too quiet" shy" boring" or awkward"? Are your habits & comfort zones questioned by a society that doesn't seem to get the real you? If so you might be an introvert On behalf of those who have long been misunderstood rejected or ignored fellow introvert Jenn Granneman writes a compassionate vindication exploring discovering & celebrating the secret inner world of introverts that only until recently has begun to peek out & emerge into the larger social narrative Drawing from scientific research in-depth interviews with experts & other introverts & her personal story Granneman reveals the clockwork behind the introvert's mind & why so many people get it wrong initially Whether you are a bona fide introvert an extrovert anxious to learn how we tick or a curious ambivert these revelations will answer the questions you've always had What's going on when introverts go quiet? What do introvert lovers need to flourish in a relationship? How can introverts find their own brand of fulfillment in the workplace? Do introverts really have a lot to say & how do we draw it out? How can introverts mine their rich inner worlds of creativity & insight? Why might introverts party on a Friday night but stay home alone all Saturday? How can introverts speak out to defend their needs? With other myths debunked & truths revealed The Secret Lives of Introverts is an empowering manifesto that guides you toward owning your introversion by working with your nature rather than against it in a world where you deserve to be heard ...

For nearly sixty years Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) was one of the most famous writers in the world An enormously successful playwright & the author of over a hundred short stories & twenty-one novels
- several of which are now established classics
- Maugham expertly concealed a private life Predominantly homosexual & deeply in love with the charming but dissolute Gerald Haxton he made a disastrous marriage to Syrie Wellcome which he would escape by travelling & writing extensively in the Far East A talented linguist during both world wars Maugham worked for British Intelligence In between he moved in literary & theatrical circles in London New York & Hollywood & entertained lavishly at his luxurious villa in the south of France Outwardly his life was richly rewarding but privately he suffered anguish from an unrequited love affair & a shocking final betrayal Acclaimed biographer Selina Hastings has had access to Maugham's extensive private correspondence as well as to important family testimony which sheds a fascinating new light on this complex & extraordinary man

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A moving & heart-warming modern British Muslim take on Little Women from growing star brand & former Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain The four Amir sisters
- Fatima Farah Bubblee & Mae
- are the only young Muslims in the quaint English village of Wyvernage On the outside despite not quite fitting in with their neighbours the Amirs are happy But on the inside each sister is secretly struggling Fatima is trying to find out who she really is
- & after fifteen attempts finally pass her driving test Farah is happy being a wife but longs to be a mother Bubblee is determined to be an artist in London away from family tradition & Mae is coping with burgeoning You Tube stardom Yet when family tragedy strikes it brings the Amir sisters closer together & forces them to learn more about life love faith & each other than they ever thought possible


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With a foreword by Iain Sinclair London is an ancient city whose foundation dates back literally thousands of years into the legendary prehistory of these islands Not surprisingly it has accumulated a large number of stories both historic & mythical during this period many of which though faithfully recorded at the time have lain almost forgotten in dusty libraries throughout the city The Secret Lore of London is a guide to the legends including a discussion of their importance as part of the oral tradition of Britain combining Prehistoric Celtic Arthurian Roman Saxon & Norman levels
- each of which has contributed to the many-layered life of the city The first part contains a unique selection of essays (some printed here for the first time) by experts in their fields each of whom possesses a unique interest in the legends of these islands & who have written widely on associated themes The second part of the book will consist of a Gazetteer of the sites mentioned which are still in existence together with various other sites of associated interest compiled by the Editor the contributors & members of the London Earth Mysteries Group This part will be fully updated & extended to include many more sites The result is a wide ranging & wholly fascinating book with wide sales application possible A series of appendixes will include William Stukley's extraordinary document The Brill which relates to the ancient prehistoric sites around the area of present day St Pancras & excerpts from some of the best known 19th & early 20th century works on Legendary London by Lewis Spence & Harold Bayley Contributors to the book are Nigel Pennick John Matthews Caroline Wise Caitlin Matthews Carol Clancy RJ Stewart Bernard Nesfield-Cookson Gareth Knight Robert Stephenson Geraldine Beskin Chesca Potter William Stukeley Lewis Spence Harold Bayley Alan V Insole Ross Nichols
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