I love this feature, although I have to let you into a secret - I read more than one book a month, so I pick my favourite and share it with you! This month, I've had the pleasure of reading Daring Greatly by Brene Brown. Brene Brown is a lecturer at the University of Houston, Texas and rose to prominence after her Ted Talk on The Power of Vulnerability went viral in 2010. Her ideas are absolutely revolutionary and she challenges us to re-think the relationship we have with shame and vulnerability. In Daring Greatly she encourages us to see vulnerability as a necessary strength, and anything but a weakness. Although it would be placed in the 'Self-Help' category of...
Did you know that Ross has published a book about volunteering in Africa? You can download it from Amazon here. The book is a result of much of the research that Ross carried out over a two year period into the world of ‘Voluntourism.’ He also reflects on the time that he spent in Uganda as a voluntourist and tries to encourage young people to avoid placements in developing countries that often, inadvertently, do more harm than good. To download Tie Up The Lion as an e-book, or to buy a copy for yourself, you can do so via Amazon. A full description of the book can be found below: Thinking of traveling the world or volunteering abroad? You might...
From Belsen to Buckingham Palace, By Paul Oppenheimer As a Silhillian myself, reading this book was extra special. Paul Oppenheimer, MBE, was born in Berlin, but lived the majority of his adult life in Birmingham, specifically in Solihull and Dorridge. Paul actually came to speak to us at Arden Academy when I was a student there, and I bought a signed copy of his book that he personalised with my name. I'm ashamed to say that it's taken me 15 years to get round to reading it, but I'm so pleased that I finally did. As the name of the book suggests, Paul's story is one that takes him from the depths of despair at the hands of the Nazis...
Long Walk To Freedom By Nelson Mandela A book that needs little introduction. If I could sum it up in a short quotation from the author himself, it would be the following: "I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." At just over 750 pages, it's a long read, but it's an incredibly important one. During this COVID-19 lock down, I've had a good opportunity to read literature that's been crying out to be read for a long time. Madiba's book...
