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The Selected Writings of William Hazlitt Vol 5
by Duncan Wu Tom Paulin David Bromwich Stanley Jones Roy ParkWilliam Hazlitt is viewed by many as one of the most distinguished of the non-fiction prose writers to emerge from the Romantic period. This nine-volume edition collects all his major works in complete form.
Selective Memory: An Autobiography
by Katharine WhitehornOn her husband's choice of neckwear:Did you buy that tie?' 'Of course I did - how do you think I got it?''I assumed it had been given away free with something.'Katharine Whitehorn pioneered the first of the personal columns. She told us how it really was. She was funny - and smart. The Observer's star columnist for 40 years, she is also famous for COOKING IN A BEDSITTER. Much loved for her frankness and honesty, her autobiography is about family, studying at Roedean, work on Fleet Street and about her long marriage to the recently deceased crime writer Gavin Lyall. 'Marriage is the water in which you swim, the land you live in . . . once a widow you have to learn to live in another country in which you are an unwelcome refugee.
Selena Gomez (EDGE: Teen Stars #1)
by Jenny VaughanWelcome to Teen Stars! Whether you're already a fan, or just want to find out more, this series has something for everyone who's into the teen celebrity scene.
Self Belief: How To Be A Success On Your Own Terms
by Jamal EdwardsForeword by pioneering international entrepreneur, Sir Richard Branson.At the age of 15, Jamal Edwards was starting to build a social media empire. Using a hand-held camera, he filmed his mates rapping, giving them a platform to showcase their skills. The response the videos received was phenomenal. With so much demand for his videos, Jamal quit his part-time job and by the age of 20 had signed a deal with Sony RCA to become CEO of his own record label, Just Jam Records. Now 22, Jamal Edwards is CEO of SB.TV, the UK's most successful online youth broadcaster with over 150 million views. So you want to know how Jamal beat the system and made it big in business his own way? Self Belief: The Vision will help you learn how: a mix of inspirational business book, memoir and game, these 6 ebooks (each of which are a Level) will teach the reader how Jamal overcame obstacles on the way to success, as he shares his tips for getting to the top. But the reader has to be up for the challenge. In each of the six downloadable 'Levels', the reader will find out how to make their dream idea a reality, using Jamal's life as an inspiration. There are crunch decision points where the reader has to choose which path they'll take on their business journey. Each ebook works via links, so the reader has to follow their chosen route, where they'll have to do tasks set by Jamal and ultimately learn how to build up their self-belief.Level 1 is 'Take Control' - where you'll do tasks to help you find your strengths and weakness, step outside your comfort zone and start to focus on what idea it is you want to make happen.
Self Belief: How To Be A Success On Your Own Terms
by Jamal EdwardsForeword by multi-platinum-selling recording artist, Emeli SandéAt the age of 15, Jamal Edwards was starting to build a social media empire. Using a hand-held camera, he filmed his mates rapping, giving them a platform to showcase their skills. The response the videos received was phenomenal. With so much demand for his videos, Jamal quit his part-time job and by the age of 20 had signed a deal with Sony RCA to become CEO of his own record label, Just Jam Records. Now 22, Jamal Edwards is CEO of SB.TV, the UK's most successful online youth broadcaster with over 150 million views. So you want to know how Jamal beat the system and made it big in business his own way? Self Belief: The Vision will help you learn how: a mix of inspirational business book, memoir and game, these 6 ebooks (each of which are a Level) will teach the reader how Jamal overcame obstacles on the way to success, as he shares his tips for getting to the top. But the reader has to be up for the challenge. In each of the six downloadable 'Levels', the reader will find out how to make their dream idea a reality, using Jamal's life as an inspiration. There are crunch decision points where the reader has to choose which path they'll take on their business journey. Each ebook works via links, so the reader has to follow their chosen route, where they'll have to do tasks set by Jamal and ultimately learn how to build up their self-belief.Level 2 is 'The Knowledge' - where you'll start getting your ideas down and find out what you need to know about whatever area it is you want to get into; whether that's music, running a caf, or just getting an idea off the ground at college or work.
Self Belief: How To Be A Success On Your Own Terms
by Jamal EdwardsForeword by chart-topping singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran.At the age of 15, Jamal Edwards was starting to build a social media empire. Using a hand-held camera, he filmed his mates rapping, giving them a platform to showcase their skills. The response the videos received was phenomenal. With so much demand for his videos, Jamal quit his part-time job and by the age of 20 had signed a deal with Sony RCA to become CEO of his own record label, Just Jam Records. Now 22, Jamal Edwards is CEO of SB.TV, the UK's most successful online youth broadcaster with over 150 million views. So you want to know how Jamal beat the system and made it big in business his own way? Self Belief: The Vision will help you learn how: a mix of inspirational business book, memoir and game, these 6 ebooks (each of which are a Level) will teach the reader how Jamal overcame obstacles on the way to success, as he shares his tips for getting to the top. But the reader has to be up for the challenge. In each of the six downloadable 'Levels', the reader will find out how to make their dream idea a reality, using Jamal's life as an inspiration. There are crunch decision points where the reader has to choose which path they'll take on their business journey. Each ebook works via links, so the reader has to follow their chosen route, where they'll have to do tasks set by Jamal and ultimately learn how to build up their self-belief.Level 4 is 'Launch Time' - where you'll be making sure everything's in place to get your idea off the ground in a public arena, whether you're selling a product or putting on a show if you're a performer, or pitching your idea to your company.
Self Belief: How To Be A Success On Your Own Terms
by Jamal EdwardsForeword by YouTube stars Finn and Jack Harries of JacksGap.At the age of 15, Jamal Edwards was starting to build a social media empire. Using a hand-held camera, he filmed his mates rapping, giving them a platform to showcase their skills. The response the videos received was phenomenal. With so much demand for his videos, Jamal quit his part-time job and by the age of 20 had signed a deal with Sony RCA to become CEO of his own record label, Just Jam Records. Now 22, Jamal Edwards is CEO of SB.TV, the UK's most successful online youth broadcaster with over 150 million views. So you want to know how Jamal beat the system and made it big in business his own way? Self Belief: The Vision will help you learn how: a mix of inspirational business book, memoir and game, these 6 ebooks (each of which are a Level) will teach the reader how Jamal overcame obstacles on the way to success, as he shares his tips for getting to the top. But the reader has to be up for the challenge. In each of the six downloadable 'Levels', the reader will find out how to make their dream idea a reality, using Jamal's life as an inspiration. There are crunch decision points where the reader has to choose which path they'll take on their business journey. Each ebook works via links, so the reader has to follow their chosen route, where they'll have to do tasks set by Jamal and ultimately learn how to build up their self-belief.Level 3 is 'Building the Foundations'. This is when you'll find out how to get people to support you, learn some skills for marketing your ideas, and get some tips on how to promote yourself.
Self Belief: The Vision, Level 5: Going Large
by Jamal EdwardsForeword by popstar and one of the coaches on The Voice UK, Jessie J.At the age of 15, Jamal Edwards was starting to build a social media empire. Using a hand-held camera, he filmed his mates rapping, giving them a platform to showcase their skills. The response the videos received was phenomenal. With so much demand for his videos, Jamal quit his part-time job and by the age of 20 had signed a deal with Sony RCA to become CEO of his own record label, Just Jam Records. Now 22, Jamal Edwards is CEO of SB.TV, the UK's most successful online youth broadcaster with over 150 million views. So you want to know how Jamal beat the system and made it big in business his own way? Self Belief: The Vision will help you learn how: a mix of inspirational business book, memoir and game, these 6 ebooks (each of which are a Level) will teach the reader how Jamal overcame obstacles on the way to success, as he shares his tips for getting to the top. But the reader has to be up for the challenge. In each of the six downloadable 'Levels', the reader will find out how to make their dream idea a reality, using Jamal's life as an inspiration. There are crunch decision points where the reader has to choose which path they'll take on their business journey. Each ebook works via links, so the reader has to follow their chosen route, where they'll have to do tasks set by Jamal and ultimately learn how to build up their self-belief.Level 5 is 'Going Large'. Now your idea is off the ground and you've got people buying into it, this is the stage where you'll learn how to keep the momentum going, keep your self-belief up, and make sure you stay on your game.
Self Belief: The Vision, Level 6: Keep It Fresh
by Jamal EdwardsForeword by British TV and film actor, Idris Elba.At the age of 15, Jamal Edwards was starting to build a social media empire. Using a hand-held camera, he filmed his mates rapping, giving them a platform to showcase their skills. The response the videos received was phenomenal. With so much demand for his videos, Jamal quit his part-time job and by the age of 20 had signed a deal with Sony RCA to become CEO of his own record label, Just Jam Records. Now 22, Jamal Edwards is CEO of SB.TV, the UK's most successful online youth broadcaster with over 150 million views. So you want to know how Jamal beat the system and made it big in business his own way? Self Belief: The Vision will help you learn how: a mix of inspirational business book, memoir and game, these 6 ebooks (each of which are a Level) will teach the reader how Jamal overcame obstacles on the way to success, as he shares his tips for getting to the top. But the reader has to be up for the challenge. In each of the six downloadable 'Levels', the reader will find out how to make their dream idea a reality, using Jamal's life as an inspiration. There are crunch decision points where the reader has to choose which path they'll take on their business journey. Each ebook works via links, so the reader has to follow their chosen route, where they'll have to do tasks set by Jamal and ultimately learn how to build up their self-belief.Level 6 is 'Keep It Fresh', where Jamal keeps pushing you to stretch yourself and find out just how much you're capable of. You'll look at improving on your initial idea or product, look at things you might be worrying about, check in with the competition and make sure you're keeping your focus.
Self-Contained: Scenes from a single life
by Emma JohnThere is a piece of cod-wisdom regularly dispensed to single women: romance will arrive when you least expect it. I had assumed it would also make its own travel arrangements too. Emma John is in her 40s; she is neither married, nor partnered, with child or planning to be.In her hilarious and unflinching memoir, Self-Contained, she asks why the world only views a woman as complete when she is no longer a single figure and addresses what it means to be alone when everyone else isn't.In her book, she captures what it is to be single in your forties, from sharing a twin room with someone you've never met on a group holiday (because the couples have all the doubles with ensuite) to coming to the realisation that maybe your singleness isn't a temporary arrangement, that maybe you aren't pre-married at all, and in fact you are self-contained.The book is an exploration of being lifelong single and what happens if you don't meet the right person, don't settle down with the wrong person and realise the biggest commitment is to yourself.
Self & I: A Memoir of Literary Ambition
by Matthew De AbaituaA unique, remarkable and hilarious portrait of one our most talked-about and controversial literary figures. 1994. Matthew De Abaitua, fresh out of university, is being interviewed for a job. The interview involves discussing literature, honking on a special cigarette and shooting at empty whisky bottles with an air rifle. The job in question is that of amanuensis, or live-in personal assistant. The employer is Will Self, the enfant terrible of the literary scene. For the next six months, De Abaitua and Self share a remote cottage in Suffolk, working on their literary ambitions. They are distracted by hikes to Sizewell nuclear power station, opium tea and the allure of Soho. Thanks to Self and his library of bad influences, from JG Ballard to William Burroughs, De Abaitua undergoes a rite of passage that changes him forever. Caught up in vital threads of the early Nineties, from the rise of New Labour to the slow decline of the literary establishment and the emergence of the internet, Self & I is set in a time that burns brightest in its final hour. It is a frank and very funny account of a young, hopeful writer who finds himself alongside one of his heroes only to discover that literary ambition comes at a price. 'If you love Withnail & I, you must read this.' Caroline Sanderson, The Bookseller 'I love the perfectly wry balance Matthew De Abaitua achieves between innocence and knowingness, between apprenticeship and ambition. It&’s a delicious peek into the "Will Self industry" and the vanished publishing world of the Nineties, but it&’s also a wonderful, highly readable book about love and dedication, and coming of age as a process of learning to be honest with ourselves.' Lauren Elkin, author of Flâneuse Self & I ups the stakes on both U&I and Withnail and I to offer an utterly compelling account of what it means to read, write, live and breathe literature. Anyone interested in the world of letters will devour this book with delight.' Matt Thorne'Very funny but with an undertow of melancholy, Self & I is at root a hymn to the vocation of writing and, as such, sings to all us nearly-writers, wannabe-writers and sometime-writers (i.e. all writers) with the ecstasy of scripture.'Will Ashon, author of Strange Labyrinth
Self in the World: Connecting Life's Extremes
by Keith HartEminent anthropologist Keith Hart draws on the humanities, popular culture and his own experiences to help readers explore their own place in history. We each embark on two life journeys – one out into the world, the other inward to the self. With these journeys in mind, anthropologist, amateur economist and globetrotter Keith Hart reflects on a life of learning, sharing and remembering to offer readers the means of connecting life’s extremes – individual and society, local and global, personal and impersonal dimensions of existence and explores what it is that makes us fully human. “This is a work of great originality. Keith Hart has had an unorthodox academic career and it has liberated him in many ways from academic pieties. His background in African ethnography gives him a fascinating angle on all sorts of things, not least the possibility of a more African-influenced global future. The book is full of surprises and mind-shifting observations. I actually couldn't put it down.”—Sherry B. Ortner, UCLA From the introduction: People have many sides, but I will focus here on two. Each of us is a biological organism with a historical personality that together make us a unique individual. But we cannot live outside society which shapes us in unfathomable ways. Human beings must learn to be self-reliant (not self-interested) in small and large ways: no-one will brush your teeth for you or save you from being run over while crossing the street. We each must also learn to belong to others, merging personal identity in a plethora of social relations and categories. Modern ideology insists that being individual and mutual is problematic. The culture of capitalist societies anticipates a conflict between them. Yet they are inseparable aspects of human nature.
Self in the World: Connecting Life's Extremes
by Keith HartEminent anthropologist Keith Hart draws on the humanities, popular culture and his own experiences to help readers explore their own place in history. We each embark on two life journeys – one out into the world, the other inward to the self. With these journeys in mind, anthropologist, amateur economist and globetrotter Keith Hart reflects on a life of learning, sharing and remembering to offer readers the means of connecting life’s extremes – individual and society, local and global, personal and impersonal dimensions of existence and explores what it is that makes us fully human. “This is a work of great originality. Keith Hart has had an unorthodox academic career and it has liberated him in many ways from academic pieties. His background in African ethnography gives him a fascinating angle on all sorts of things, not least the possibility of a more African-influenced global future. The book is full of surprises and mind-shifting observations. I actually couldn't put it down.”—Sherry B. Ortner, UCLA From the introduction: People have many sides, but I will focus here on two. Each of us is a biological organism with a historical personality that together make us a unique individual. But we cannot live outside society which shapes us in unfathomable ways. Human beings must learn to be self-reliant (not self-interested) in small and large ways: no-one will brush your teeth for you or save you from being run over while crossing the street. We each must also learn to belong to others, merging personal identity in a plethora of social relations and categories. Modern ideology insists that being individual and mutual is problematic. The culture of capitalist societies anticipates a conflict between them. Yet they are inseparable aspects of human nature.
Self Leadership and the One Minute Manager: Gain The Mindset And Skill Set For Getting What You Need To Succeed
by Ken BlanchardTwenty years after creating the phenomenal bestselling classic The One Minute Manager, Ken Blanchard returns to its roots with the most powerful and essential title in the series as he explores the skills needed to empower yourself to success.
Self Made: The Life and Times of Madam C. J. Walker
by A’Lelia BundlesThe book behind the new Netflix series, starring Octavia Spencer'One of the most fabulous African-American figures of the twentieth century' Ishmael ReedMadam Walker was the first free-born child in her family, growing up in abject poverty in post-Civil War America. From humble beginnings, she overcame societal prejudice, family betrayals and epic business rivalries to pioneer cosmetics that revolutionised black hair care, build a beauty empire, and become one of the wealthiest self-made women in America. Not only an astute businesswoman, but a passionate activist and philanthropist, Madam Walker provided jobs and training for thousands of African American women across the country, and used her wealth to fight for equality, forming friendships with important civil rights voices such as W. E. B. Du Bois, Booker T. Washington and Ida B. Wells-Barnett along the way. Drawn from more than two decades of research by her great-great-granddaughter, journalist and historian A'Lelia Bundles, Self Made is the definitive biography of Madam Walker's inspirational life and an illuminating insight into the larger African American struggle in the early twentieth century.'An important piece of history' Washington Post'A fascinating portrait of an astonishing woman' Kirkus ReviewsPreviously published as On Her Own Ground
Self-Portrait
by Celia PaulI’m not a portrait painter. If I’m anything, I have always been an autobiographer.Self-Portrait reveals a life truly lived through art. In this short, intimate memoir, Celia Paul moves effortlessly through time in words and images, folding in her past and present selves. From her move to the Slade School of Fine Art at sixteen, through a profound and intense affair with the older and better-known artist Lucian Freud, to the practices of her present-day studio, she meticulously assembles the surprising, beautiful, haunting scenes of a life. Paul brings to her prose the same qualities that she brings to her art: a brutal honesty, a delicate but powerful intensity, and an acute eye for visual detail. At its heart, this is a book about a young woman becoming an artist, with all the sacrifices and complications that entails. As she moves out of Freud’s shadow, and navigates a path to artistic freedom, Paul’s power and identity as an artist emerge from the page. Self-Portrait is a uniquely arresting, poignant book, and a work of art and literature by a singular talent.
Self-Portrait in Words: Collected Writings and Statements, 1903-1950
by Max BeckmannOne of the most important German artists of the twentieth century, Max Beckmann is known for the depth and sensuous force of his works, but little is known about his personal life. Self-Portrait in Words reveals Beckmann's experience of life from the first years of his career in Berlin and Paris through his final years in the United States. This collection of Beckmann's writings serves as a companion to his art and a testament to the complexities of his life. "Barbara Copeland Buenger . . . has done an excellent job of editing and annotating Beckmann's voluminous private and public writings."—Andrea Barnet, New York Times Book Review
Self-Sacrifice: Life with the Iranian Mojahedin
by Struan Stevenson'There is much we can learn from Stevenson's disturbing account of mistakes, duplicities and blunders that have led directly to the rise of ISIS and the catastrophic events that now engulf the Middle East.' - From the Foreword by Patrick J. Kennedy Struan Stevenson served as a Conservative MEP for Scotland from 1999 to 2014. During those years he became an active supporter of the People's Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI-MeK), despite the fact that they were at the time listed as a terrorist organisation in the UK, the European Union and the United States. The PMOI, the only effective democratic opposition to the brutal regime of Iran, have been savagely hunted and persecuted by the Mullahs both within Iran and wherever they have sought refuge, in particular Iraq. Working with them in their campaign for regime change in Iran, Struan has fought tirelessly, both in the European Parliament and elsewhere, to expose the fallacy of the West's appeasement policy towards the Iranian theocracy. Tehran spent a great deal of time and resources aimed at keeping the PMOI on international terrorist blacklists through the manipulation of political leaders in Iraq and elsewhere and a black propaganda campaign, which Struan decided actively to expose. In 2009 he was elected President of the European Parliament's Delegation for Relations with Iraq and used that position to intensify his attacks on Tehran's meddling in Iraq, while giving a voice to its beleaguered people. Self-Sacrifice: Life with the Iranian Mojahedin is an account of those years, and of the extraordinary struggle and huge personal self-sacrifice of the members of this movement.
Selkirk's Island: The True And Strange Adventures Of The Real Robinson Crusoe (Voyages Ser.)
by Diana SouhamiWhen Alexander Selkirk was abandoned by his shipmates on the remote island of Juan Fernandez in 1704 he could not have know that he wouldn't see another human soul for four long years, could not have anticipated the lonely and fierce existence to which he had been condemned, nor could he have ever guessed that his plight - recreated in the form of Robinson Crusoe - would be immortalised by Daniel Defoe.In this startlingly original book, award-winning author Diana Souhami brings new life to this story, evoking the abandoned sailor's struggle with solitude, God and the savage new home into which he had been so brutally thrust.
Sell Us the Rope
by Stephen May“Sell Us the Rope is original, adept and confident, with the spry sardonic voice of the new historical fiction: it is entertaining and in the end, deeply moving.” -Hilary Mantel“A deeply satisfying novel. Incisive, inventive, frequently very funny.” -The Guardian In London in 1907, a decade before the revolution, young Stalin has yet to achieve the power, nor acted on the ruthlessness, that will define his legacy. Instead Koba, as he is known, arrives in London for the 5th Congress of the Russian Communist Part where he-and many of his fellow Bolsheviks-are only allowed to remain as a nonvoting witness. But his inability to vote does not limit his ability to act, and Stalin quickly begins forging alliances with the likes of Lenin, Trotsky, Rosa Luxemburg-and a vivacious Finnish activist named Elli Vuokko. As the Congress progresses, Koba begins to take daring risks-with the young Finnish idealist, with his past relationships to the Russian government, and with his future in the party. But as he manipulates those loyal to him and seeks to discover who he will remain loyal to in return, we see a great political mind in the works, and witness the development of a dictator.
Seller Beware: How not to sell your business
by Denise BarnesDenise Barnes was seven years old when she first realised she had a gift for selling. After a stellar career building her own business from the ground up Denise finally decided the time was ripe to enjoy her success and made plans to hand on her prospering company. But instead of settling her comfortably into an early retirement the decision to sell up plunged her into a nightmare spanning three years. Enter two charming gentlemen who sweet-talked Denise into signing everything over before miring her in legal battles ignoring financial obligations and causing her tens of thousands of pounds of unforeseen costs. Seller Beware tells with unsparing honesty Denise's horrifying yet often humorous story illustrating the myriad pitfalls involved in selling a business. With the gift of hindsight Denise reflects on how she would have handled things differently had she known the risks - and offers advice to others worried about being taken for a ride in commercial transactions. This illuminating and accessible book is not only a layman's guide on how not to sell your business but also a truly gripping tale of one woman's road to ruin.
Selling Ronald Reagan: The Emergence of a President
by Gerard DeGrootBefore 1966, the idea of Reagan in politics provoked widespread scorn. To most people, he seemed a has-been actor, a right-wing extremist and a 'dunce'. Journalists therefore ridiculed his aspirations to be governor of California. No one, however, doubted his incredible ability to communicate with a crowd. In order to succeed in his campaign, Reagan had to be packaged as an outsider - an antidote to politics as usual. A highly sophisticated team of marketers and ad-men turned the scary right-winger into a harmless moderate who could attract supporters from across the political spectrum. Researchers meanwhile provided the coaching that allowed Reagan to seem well-informed - all of which led to Reagan winning the California governorship by a landslide. Gerard DeGroot here explores how, in the decade of consumerism, Reagan was marketed as a product. While there is no doubting his natural abilities as a campaigner, Reagan won in 1966 because his team of advisers understood how to sell their candidate, and he, wisely, allowed himself to be sold.Selling Ronald Reagan tells the story of Reagan's first election, when the nature of campaigning was forever altered and a titan of modern American history emerged.
Selling Ronald Reagan: The Emergence of a President
by Gerard DeGrootHow did Ronald Reagan go from being a washed-up Hollywood actor to the most powerful man in America? Running as a 'celebrity' candidate for the governorship of California in 1966, Ronald Reagan's hard-line republican campaign was faltering amongst the student riots in Berkeley and sixties counter-culture. Reagan's team, young. Hungry and inventive, including two Stanford psychologists, coached Reagan – teaching him to avoid getting caught up in policy detail and to refocus attention towards his natural ease in front of the camera and media-friendly charisma. In doing so Reagan and his team created the first 'modern' politician. With an emphasis on the importance of the sound-bite, the photo-op and Reagan's personality, they won the California governorship by a landslide, and went on to do the same in the US presidential elections.This is the untold story of Reagan's California campaign, which was to change the face of American politics, and sheds new light on one of the titans of modern American history.
Semi-Detached
by John BiffenImmensely respected on both sides of the House, John Biffen was a man of charm, wisdom and intelligence. Celebrated as one of the cleverest and nicest politicians around, he brought to the Conservative benches one of the most original economic minds of his generation. Biffen served as Chief Secretary to the Treasury and Secretary of State for Trade, but it was as Leader of the House of Commons that he really made his mark. Over time, he found himself increasingly at odds with the divisive nature and style of Margaret Thatcher's government. Thatcher was unreceptive and he was slowly frozen out. In sacking Biffen from her Cabinet, she lost one of the more human faces of her government. With its candid account of the subject's battle with depression, this fascinating autobiography, with extensive extracts from his unpublished diaries, is a portrait of great humanity and determination set against the backdrop of public life. Semi-Detached revisits dramatic and poignant moments from Biffen's personal life and from the corridors of power, presenting a moving and penetrating portrayal of one of the twentieth century's most remarkable politicians.
Semi-Detached
by Griff Rhys JonesSemi-detached Griff relives freezing bus journeys to school and the impulsive stealing of that half-a-crown from Charlie Hume’s money box; sitting outside Butlins at Clacton (longing to be inside and on the Waltzer instead of stranded on the pebbles with his dad); hazy summer afternoons spent with feral gangs in the woods, or storming the mud flats singing extracts from the Bonzo Dog Dooh Dah Band. The memories are like Mivvis, frozen and fuzzy at the edges, but a sweet jam of pure recollected goo at the centre.From birth to the BBC, this is a story of a confident middle child. Griff’s devoted parents Gwynneth and Elwyn gave him love, security and plenty of asparagus soup from a fake wicker vacuum flask with a plastic top. Griff’s father Elwyn, a retiring hospital doctor with a penchant for sweeties and ice-cream, loathed the tedium of English social ritual and hid behind his family and woodwork. From tree houses to boats, puppets to tables, he sawed and hammered his way into his family’s affections.Griff left the bosom of his loving, irascible, eccentric, solid, all engulfing family for the firm embrace of real life; via the Upminster Fun Gang, the Direct Grant System and Party Sevens, losing his virginity down the back of a bunk in a twenty nine foot yacht, discovering the romantic advantages of shared babysitting engagements and the drawbacks of infatuation with identical twins. If he hadn’t moved around so much as a child, would Griff have felt less like a voyeur, looking in on the lighted window across the square, the Georgian house glowing in the sun, the clink of glasses and the bray of public school certainties? Would he be able to tuck in his own shirt? Would he be fully detached? A laugh-aloud buffet of baby boomer Britain, Griff’s self-deprecating, elegant, affectionate prose reveals a little bit better how on earth you got from there to here.