Science, nature, technical and medical

Please visit our Book Bulletin 2019 crowdfunding project at CrowdPatch to buy recommendations for our Winter 2019 catalogue and to volunteer your skills, experience and contacts. All funds raised will support not-for-profit Jolabokaflod CIC’s forthcoming programme of events.

Supernormal: Childhood Adversity and the Untold Story of Resilience
Meg Jay
(UK: Canongate Books, @canongatebooks, 2018; USA: Twelve Books, @twelvebooks, 2019)

Whether it is the loss of a parent to death or divorce; bullying; alcoholism or drug abuse in the home; mental illness in a parent or a sibling; neglect; emotional, physical or sexual abuse; having a parent in jail; or growing up alongside domestic violence, nearly 75% of us experience adversity by the age of 20. But these experiences are often kept secret, as are our courageous battles to overcome them.

Drawing on nearly two decades of work with clients and students, Meg Jay tells the tale of ordinary people made extraordinary by these all-too-common experiences, everyday superheroes who have made a life out of dodging bullets and leaping over obstacles, even as they hide in plain sight as doctors, artists, entrepreneurs, lawyers, parents, activists, teachers, students and readers. She gives a voice to the supernormals among us as they reveal not only ‘How do they do it?’ but also ‘How does it feel?’

Recommended by:
Twelve Books: at BookExpo America

Hachette imprint Twelve strives to publish singular books, by authors who have unique perspectives and compelling authority. Books that explain the imprint’s culture; that illuminate, inspire, provoke, and entertain. Its mission is to provide a consummate publishing experience for its authors, one truly devoted to thoughtful partnership and cutting-edge promotional sophistication that reaches as many readers as possible. For readers, Twelve aims to spark that rare reading experience – one that opens doors, transports and possibly changes their outlook on our ever-changing world. In addition, Twelve makes 12 promises to its community of authors and readers: 12 things to remember about Twelve.

Autopoiesis and Cognition: The Realization of the Living
Humbert R Maturana and Francisco J Varela
(USA: D Reidel, @Springernomics, 1980)

This bold, brilliant, provocative and puzzling work demands a radical shift in standpoint, an almost paradoxical posture in which living systems are described in terms of what lies outside the domain of descriptions. The authors undertook the construction of a systematic theoretical biology that attempts to define living systems not as they are objects of observation and description, nor even as interacting systems, but as self-contained unities whose only reference is to themselves.

So, descriptions of such unities from the ‘outside’ (i.e. by an observer) already seem to violate the fundamental requirement that the authors posit for the characterisation of such systems – namely, that they are autonomous, self-referring, self-constructing and closed – in short, autopoietic systems in their terms.

Yet, on the basis of such a conceptual method – and such a theory of living systems – the authors define cognition as a biological phenomenon: as the very nature of all living systems, which generates the very domains of interaction among such systems, which constitute language, description and thinking.

Recommended by:
K Spellman, Amnesty International: at London Book Fair

At the time of making this recommendation, K Spellman did not send Book Bulletin any information about himself or his projects, so we are unable to promote his interests and/or causes.

Healing Happens: Stories of Healing Against All Odds
Avital Miller
(USA: APG Publishing, @AvitalMiller, 2018)

Imagine healing a chronic condition or terminal illness against all odds by making one simple change. Healing Happens brings you insight and inspiration from health and healing experts who cured themselves and others despite dire medical prognoses from over twenty illnesses. Enhance the power to heal yourself through natural healing techniques and awareness in order to comfortably, energetically, and joyfully live your passions.

Avital Miller discovered there are many stories of healing against all odds and she saw the importance of collecting such testimonials to inform people about their potential for overcoming seemingly insurmountable health challenges. The result is this book.

Recommended by:
Jill Lubin, Author | Author website: Jill Lublin | Book website: The Profit of Kindness: at London Book Fair

With four international bestselling books, Jill is acknowledged as the go-to person for building success through influence marketing, networking, and publicity. With over 200 speaking engagements each year, master publicity strategist and consultant, and bestselling author, Jill Lublin, consistently wows audiences worldwide with her entertaining and interactive keynotes, seminars, and training programs on publicity, networking, kindness and influence marketing. In addition to her speaking engagements, Jill trains and consults with executives, sales teams and marketing departments in Fortune 500 companies, as well as in small-to-medium-sized companies. Her innovative influence marketing and publicity techniques consistently increase bottom line results for her clients.

Feral
George Monbiot
(UK: Penguin, @PenguinUKBooks, 2014; USA: University of Chicago Press, @UChicagoPress, 2017)

How many of us sometimes feel that we are scratching at the walls of this life, seeking to find our way into a wider space beyond? That our mild, polite existence sometimes seems to crush the breath out of us? … Feral is the lyrical and gripping story of George Monbiot’s efforts to re-engage with nature and discover a new way of living. He shows how, by restoring and rewilding our damaged ecosystems on land and at sea, we can bring wonder back into our lives. Making use of some remarkable scientific discoveries, Feral lays out a new, positive environmentalism, in which nature is allowed to find its own way.

Recommended by:
Leena Normington, Digital Content Producer | Social Media Producer, Vintage Books; YouTube: Creator for Change Fellow 2017, and Vlogger: Leena Norms (also known as ‘Just Kiss My Frog’)

Leena is an experienced producer of podcasts and online video, media presenter, social media consultant, copywriter and workshop leader. She is one of five winners of the Trailblazer Award in 2019, which celebrates young talent under the age of 30 in publishing. Leena creates content that suits the Vintage PRH imprint’s social platforms. On any given day she’ll be editing a podcast, creating a YouTube video, plotting a thread of tweets or building a fun reading list for the Vintage website. Leena also manages the imprint’s social channels so that it has a constant stream of content being uploaded on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, iTunes, YouTube and more. She makes sure everything is scheduled and looking good; and that Vintage responds to readers’ questions and suggestions.

The Four Tendencies
Gretchen Rubin
(UK: Two Roads, @TwoRoadsBooks, 2017; USA: Harmony, @CrownPublishing, 2017)

During her multi-book investigation into understanding human nature, Gretchen Rubin realised that by asking the seemingly dry question ‘How do I respond to expectations?’ we gain explosive self-knowledge. She discovered that based on their respective answers, people fit into Four Tendencies: ‘Upholders’, ‘Questioners’, ‘Obligers’ and ‘Rebels’. Our Tendency shapes every aspect of our behaviour, so using this framework allows us to make better decisions, meet deadlines, suffer less stress and engage more effectively.

More than 600,000 visitors have taken the author’s online quiz and now use the framework it provides to help people to make significant, lasting change. With sharp insight, compelling research, and hilarious examples, The Four Tendencies will help you get happier, healthier, more productive and more creative. It’s far easier to succeed when you know what works for you.

Recommended by:
Harmony: at BookExpo America

Crown Publishing imprint Harmony Books is dedicated to inspiring and helping readers to achieve personal transformation and well-being in all facets of their lives. Publishing books that offer unique approaches to health and wellness, lifestyle, diet, self-improvement, relationships, parenting and spirituality, Harmony guides readers to become their best selves both inside and out.

	Christopher Norris on Secret Santa 2022
	Bronwyn on Secret Santa 2022
	Richard on Let’s get the Icelanders…

Please visit our Book Bulletin 2019 crowdfunding project at CrowdPatch to buy recommendations for our Winter 2019 catalogue and to volunteer your skills, experience and contacts. All funds raised will support not-for-profit Jolabokaflod CIC’s forthcoming programme of events.

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