Death by Dementia

You have two extremely active individuals, mid-60s, looking to many more years of future travel, boating, loyal companionship and retirement. How things can change! Not feeling well in one instance, forgetting what one did with the car keys in the other.

A routine unconcerned visit to the GP, subsequent referral to a specialist and in 48 hours your life is in turmoil.

“You have dementia Mrs Mclean, it’s in the early stages and in your case the CT scans have identified Alzheimer’s. No, there is presently no cure.”

We then roll the dice once more. “You have a carcinoid tumour Mr Mclean. Its metastatic and barely noticeable. However, we have made an appointment for you to see a leading professor of oncology who may put you on trial for a new form of tumour suppressant.”

It’s the two words that everyone fears dementia and cancer.

This, therefore, is a deadly personal journey dealing with the many and varied implications of dementia. In this instance it meant caring for my best friend, confidant, advisor, lover and wife of 50 years, whilst fighting my own diagnosis.

Misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, misunderstood and often denied, this killer with no conscience, now mainstream, leaves but an empty shell as a memory.

If you know anyone with dementia, have been diagnosed in the early stages of dementia or if you are caring for a person with dementia, then you should definitely read this story of love, loyalty, passion and patience. A tale of never-ending belief in the future.

Ed’s Odyssey How I Met Buddha and the Aliens

As Ed's life took unexpected turns, he found himself on a journey towards a spiritual awakening. From his childhood in the West Country to adventures East, with challenges and triumphs over addiction, to encounters with angels, aliens, and mystical energies, Ed's story is a captivating tale of personal growth and transformation.

His experiences in the altered state and waking state, backed up by several neurological feedback sessions, made it a welcome truth, which would change his life forever. Follow Ed on his extraordinary journey as he chronicles it all in a journal, originally written, to be discovered by distant relatives in a dusty attic.

“Ed’s book bridges spiritual experience, neuroscience, and psychic phenomenon in a real-world, grounded way. I have seen Ed’s capacity to channel the psychic and it deserves the research Ed is leading” - Stuart Black, Managing Director of Brain Train UK

Fastovski's Tales of Hampstead

Imagine that Isaac Babel’s Cossacks wassail together with Runyonesque Liverpool Jews outside the plate-glass window of a Hampstead café where a Klezmer band is playing to a packed and tea-drinking congregation of jazzmen, Hasidic scholars, surrealists, old soldiers, and retired strippers; and you have the tone and temperature of this unique and unclassifiable memoir – no, not memoir, more a stream-of-consciousness novella – no, not a novella but a piece of autobiographical fiction – no, not autobiography but a picaresque drama conquered from the unreliable and fertile brain of the eponymous Fastovski.

And who is Fastovski? Is he real or invented? Is he perhaps the alter-ego of real-life jazz pianist, Klezmer swinger, big band leader and flaneur, Wallace Fields, who stares at us from the book’s frontispiece in shades, Diaghilev coat and moustache, over a cup of strong black coffee? Fastovski’s not telling and anyway, who cares.

This is a book to be devoured, disseminated, denounced, and delighted in. It belongs to all who think art and life are one and that the Arch-Savant of Canterbury, Issy Bonn, Rashid the Manic Berber Chef of NW3, and Mrs Karl Popper, have an equal claim on history. I haven’t had such a good time since I shared Sir Ralph Richardson’s motorbike with a parrot and a striking grandmother clock.

Piers Plowright
August 2008

Hard Luck Motty

You will not be able to put this book down once you start!

Hard Luck Motty has been through everything you can imagine.

See if you can find someone who can top my life adventures!

The famous people I have met and spent time with: Hollywood superstars, sporting greats.

The family tragedies along the way.

The excitement and thrills.

The silliness.

The lessons I have learnt the hard way, in my working, sporting and fun life.

You need to read this book.

Have Not Charity - Volume 1: Sins and Volume 2: Virtues

Have Not Charity is a fascinating and profound investigation into deep and important concepts which have become obscure in modern times: sin and virtue. Alexandr Korol examines what motivates people in their actions, how goals and behaviours align, and how these are all affected both for good and ill both by virtue and by sin. He seeks to show that many ‘good’ deeds are in fact motivated by sin.

This is a true modern work of ethics, in the classical sense, a guide for a better life. If you have ever hoped to gain a clearer and fuller understanding of how society and life work, this book will prove invaluable.

Hottentot Venus – The Story of Saartjie Baartman

How Have I Cheated Death? A Short and Merry Life With Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is one of the UK's most common life-threatening diseases, affecting over 10,000 people. There's currently no cure.

Not all that long ago, a CF diagnosis meant an early death. Tim Wotton is one such sufferer, who was told from an early age that he would not live beyond his 17th birthday. One of the oldest survivors of this crippling disease, How Have I Cheated Death? is a diary of his 39th year, a countdown to the illusive 40.
A story of triumph over adversity, this compelling chronicle, the first book written by a CF sufferer at 40, offers hope and inspiration, demonstrating what cannot be cured needs to be endured. Written with great honesty and humour with an enlightening Foreword by the actress Jenny Agutter, this profound account is a testament to the daily dedication required to deal with CF and recently diagnosed diabetes while managing a normal family life.

I Do Not Want a Fish Finger Sandwich

Being shown the private convenience of the Queen of England in The House of Commons was not the career highlight that Viv had expected.  A dazzling profession as a Prima Ballerina had been her plan but having two legs of the same length and width would appear to be a pretty strong prerequisite for a successful livelihood in that arena, not to mention a couple of ballet lessons at least. 

What did happen along the way were a random selection of activities which were not anticipated either:

• Inter-store “It’s a Knockout” on Cable TV
• Jumping the queue at the Austria/Slovakian Border Control
• Attempted mugging in Bratislava
• A West Highland White disgrace on National TV
• Acquiring a temporary Iranian Bodyguard
• Drinking schnapps in an isolated house in Eskilstuna

LIFE IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU ARE MAKING PLANS

I Will Protect Her

The cover of this autobiography shows I.R. Dujon at the time of publication mothering her younger, 6-year-old self.

I Will Protect Her details the adolescent years in which Ingrid was subject to tragic child abuse, while the people in charge of her welfare and safety neglected their most basic responsibilities at every point possible. This led to a prolonged period of suffering for her and for so many others. After years of fighting, a full criminal investigation into the crimes was relaunched. Victims were able finally to expose the police and local authorities for their systematic failure to recognise, report, and act upon avoidable and life-altering abuse.

The collation of notes, factual evidence, dates and times as recorded by herself and supported by many others affected, led to the prosecution of one of London’s most notorious paedophiles, who was convicted and sentenced to 24 years in prison.

Only now, after years of counselling, therapy, and personal development, Ingrid has managed to finally close this chapter of her life for good. Today Dujon is a proud mother of five children, all now adults. Dujon’s goal is to share her story and inspire any and everyone who has ever been subject to any form of abuse. Ingrid hopes to educate a wider audience who may not be familiar with the patterns and signs of child abuse, and to paint a detailed picture of how people who are external to an abusive situation can still do so much to prevent or change things for the better.

If You Wake at Midnight

This is the story of the greatest scandal inflicted on British servicemen and women in modern times: drug-induced violence and suicide – and an officer determined to find the truth.

It was supposed to be a wonder drug that would save the world from malaria. But soon after Lariam was brought to international markets in the late 1980s, users of this handy, once-a-week pill began to experience shocking side-effects. Yet over the coming decades, as the drug became implicated in ever-increasing acts of unexplained violence, homicide and suicide, the Ministry of Defence continued to force Lariam on tens, or perhaps hundreds, of thousands of unsuspecting people deployed to some of the world’s most dangerous places.

Enduring years of Lariam-induced nightmares, former soldier Andrew Marriott realised something was horribly wrong; not just with the drug itself but with the institutions responsible for its use and safety. So began a journey towards the truth, a truth that vested interests in the United Kingdom and around the globe were determined to conceal.

In a unique exposé of an entirely preventable pharmaceutical disaster, Marriott turns a spotlight on the murky world of clandestine military and industrial research in the United States in which Lariam was developed. With other survivors, including some very courageous women, he undertakes a forensic examination of a scandal extending to the upper echelons of government and the armed forces. A culture of betrayal and dishonour had imperilled those defending our country to the most insidious and silent form of friendly fire.

Imperfect Recollections

Welcome to the fascinating world of general medical practice in Australia.

This book is a collection of stories from the author’s rich and varied career spanning over 40 years.

During that time, he has been a country GP, delivering babies and doing anaesthetics, a retrieval doctor with the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, worked in the emergency departments of various hospitals and followed his passion of motor sport medicine, especially internationally in the fields of Formula 1 and World Rallying.

The stories are both funny and poignantly sad. They are told in the style that invites the reader to sit down, share a glass of something with the author and tell a few tales, like old friends.

Many of us see ourselves or people we know in these pages… You may be right or you may be wrong, but then that would be telling!

In Demand, in Command

A comprehensive, insightful and practical guide to transforming your customer value and costs of service. Great, you're in demand! You have a brilliant product, excellent services, and competitive pricing. But that only gets you a seat at the table. If you really want to stay ahead of the game and be in command of a modern, always-connected world, you need a winning digital customer experience strategy. In Demand, in Command is essential to anyone that considers the growth, allegiance, and advocacy of customers at lower operating costs as paramount. Increasingly, there is a need to stand out from the crowd and not be easily imitated by others. This book gives you immediate access to shrewd, insightful and comprehensible advice on customer strategy, digital optimisation and organisational transformation. Packed with thought-leading expertise, proven 'how to' techniques, and real-life experiences, it enables you to accelerate improvements in your customer insight, service performance, business margins and competitiveness. In Demand, in Command is as much about the people and processes that drive your desired business growth, as it is about digital technologies. Put simply - if you sell to, or serve the public in any shape or form, this book is a must for you.