The Chinese Massage Manual: The Healing Art of Tui Na by Sarah Pritchard is a great introduction to the art of Tui Na (a form of Chinese manipulative therapy). This 144 page paperback gives a clear overview of various parts of Traditional Chinese Medicine including the Eight Principles, Five Elements and the Yin/Yang Theory.

Detailed throughout the book are 20 Tui Na hand techniques with helpful diagrams, some of which you can easily pick up and other you will have to practise. There is also section on making your own rice bag to practise on instead of your unwitting friends and family.

At the end of the book the author gives some helpful Tui Na techniques for various common ailments such as muscle pain and headaches and a list of recommended reading for those who want a more in-depth look into Traditional Chinese Medicine.

The Chinese Massage Manual is a great beginner’s guide to Tui Na techniques and gives you an insight into this traditional form of healing.

This fictionalization of Brian Clough’s legendary 44 days at the helm of the most famous and notorious football club in the land takes us on a journey through the tormented mind of a man wrestling with his demons. It’s an extraordinary tale of Clough’s inner angst.

Switching rapidly from real-life to the meandering emotions in Clough’s head playing back his time at Derby County, taking the manager’s job at Leeds United A.F.C in July 1974 was clearly the worst decision he could have made. Instantly alienating the players, branding them cheats at the very first training session, the relationship between both parties rapidly deteriorated.

His deep disdain for Don Revie, who had left Leeds United to become England manager, was no secret, before and after his appointment. This was at odds with the players, who regarded Revie as a God and who would remain loyal to him throughout Clough’s brief reign; with Revie, Leeds were regarded as one of the finest teams in the world and that side is still regarded to have been one of the best sides ever to play football.

David Peace, who describes his work as “fiction based on a fact”, has been criticized for his portrayal of events – with Johnny Giles successfully suing the publishers, Faber, for libel.  Faber subsequently made changes to the book and paid Giles substantial damages. This didn’t stop the making of the film though, which was released in 2009 much to the dismay of Clough’s family.

Overall, the book leaves you with a sad, painful feeling in the pit of your stomach. Clough, clearly a genius in the world of football management, comes across as a paranoid, drunken fool whose love of drink turned him into a deceitful and confrontational monster; his subsequent brilliance and achievements with Nottingham Forest almost overshadowed by his inept handling of the First Division champions, resulting in his sacking on 12 September, 1974. For many Leeds fans Clough would never be forgiven.

Salesforce.com For Dummies is a great tool to help any business, large or small, solve the challenges of running a business by using Customer Relationship Management software. Salesforce.com helps your sales team, customer service representatives, and marketing agents by providing fast, up to the minute, and relevant information in a format that streamlines productivity and helps these team members focus on getting the job done. Salesforce.com For Dummies provides information about all the latest updates and enhancements to the latest Salesforce.com CRM system, so you can stay on top of ways to maximize your CRM software to benefit your business.

Salesforce.com For Dummies helps you choose the CRM edition of Salesforce.com that best suits your business, and it explains the features of the software. Learn how to develop contacts, calculate forecasts, and manage your accounts, so you stay on top of your accounts but don’t waste a lot of time taking care of administrative projects. Keep your data updated and analyze it as necessary by running reports to present to your team members. Salesforce.com For Dummies even teaches you the advantages of tracking customer service issues, and it helps you generate additional sales leads to help you expand your business even further.

Another advantage to this book is the marketing benefits. Using Salesforce.com along with Google AdWords will help you beef up your online presence, so anyone on the Internet can easily find you. This book also teaches you how to maximize free social networking opportunities, such as Twitter and Facebook, to spread the word about your business to your existing customers and build relationships with potential customers.

Salesforce.com uses cloud computing to connect all authorized users to the system, so everyone can update from where they are and everyone can read the latest updates from where they are. Salesforce.com eliminates the need to come back to the office and input data; Salesforce.com For Dummies will show you how to integrate mobile devices, such as a BlackBerry or an iPhone, so it syncs up with the CRM and maximizes worker productivity.

Whether you run a large business, a small business, or something in between, competition among businesses is fierce, and your competitors are fighting for your customers. Keep them satisfied with an efficient system that helps you take care of their needs in a way that allows your employees to remain productive. Salesforce.com For Dummies is a worthwhile investment because it will help you maximize the profit you make in your business by teaching you how to efficiently use the CRM system. Get the most bang for your buck and use Salesforce.com For Dummies to improve customer relationships today.  You can buy it on Amazon here.

This brilliant book from award-winning freelance journalist and photographer David Anderson contains everything you need to know about skiing and ski holidays. He comprehensively covers all types of skiing, as well as the essential equipment you’ll need to get started, basic techniques and turns, advanced skills and importantly, how to interpret snow conditions. If you’re looking for the fundamentals of pre-holiday fitness, he also includes tips on how to stretch and warm up before hitting the slopes.

It’s beautifully illustrated with full-colour photos that really make you wish you were there. If you’re on a budget then Anderson gives advice on travel and popular resorts in both Europe and North America (did you know you can actually ski in Iran and Morocco?). He focuses fully on the skiing experience as a whole and gives you everything you need to enjoy your holiday.

Anderson knows his stuff. He’s written articles for newspapers and magazines in the UK, USA, Canada and Australia as well as contributing to both the Rough Guide to Skiing and Snowboarding in North America and the Rough Guide to the Rocky Mountains.

If we take his advice, David Anderson believes that “modern equipment and techniques can have you skiing competently in a matter of days”, which is a relief as I need all the help I can get! The chapter on ‘Techniques’ really helped me with the basic skiing skills – if you know how to fall properly and avoid collisions, this can really help with your confidence the first time you go. This book is a great place to start if you’re considering booking a ski holiday for the first time and for me, it’s been well worth the money.

The peculiarly titled “Tender: Volume I – A Cook and His Vegetable Patch” is not the name of an overly elaborate novel, but is in fact a cookery book filled with tasty recipes, all of which come straight from the vegetables in the garden. Often overlooked on the dinner plate, vegetables are usually less important than meat, but with this book, it becomes apparent that there is so much that can be done to make them far more in-demand on the family dinner table.

Anyone who has browsed through the cookery section of their local bookshop will know that the author of this book, Nigel Slater, is one of the most popular names out there. As well as being a writer for The Observer newspaper, he has an almost countless number of titles to his name, such as “The Kitchen Diaries: Over 300 New Recipes from Britain’s Best-loved Food Writer” and, something of a sequel to this book, “Tender: v. 2: A Cook’s Guide to the Fruit Garden”.

Here Slater has compiled an impressive 400 recipes all based around vegetables, and there are as many green-only meals as there are accompaniments to meat dishes. Of course, with 400 different recipes, there are going to be some pretty original ones included, and among the highlights would have to be his chocolate beetroot cake. Whether you are a vegetarian looking for inspiration or simply want something to complement your fish or poultry, this is a highly recommended read.

If you’re a regular player of online poker, you might think you’re doing ok. It would be great to win more money of course but you’re plodding along quite nicely. Well, read this book! Using Paul Mendelson’s techniques, your luck will change; you’ll transform from being a losing player to becoming a winning player and you’ll be amazed at how easy winning is! Learn how to win regularly and consistently by analysing your opponents and discover how to change your game to adapt to the different styles that other players use against you.

This book is highly recommended if you’re a beginner and want to learn the basics, or if you’re an established (intermediate) player who isn’t winning much at the moment. It’s well written and easy to read – Paul Mendelson was the Bridge Correspondent for the Times newspaper – and at 120 pages, it won’t take you long. Be aware that this book is tailored to playing online poker; it’s not about the basics of playing Texas Hold’em. And, if you’re looking for advice on outs, pot odds and implied odds, betting patterns or chip management then buy another book.

It might sound obvious but Mendelson also points out that when playing online poker, it pays to be alert to take advantage of others who are at the other side of the world and in a different time-zone. You can learn to avoid expensive mistakes by reading your opponents accurately and making the right decisions. The section on ‘Bad Beats and Developing a Poker Temperament’ is a must-read for novice online poker players.

Read this book and you’ll be winning regularly, which means it will pay for itself in no time. Admittedly, if you’re a serious online poker player you’ll need other reference material but this is a great place to start.

Ian Brown once of acclaimed indie band the Stone Roses, has become a successful solo artist and self-proclaimed ‘King Monkey’. This biography by Michael O’Connell traces Brown’s life from growing up on the outskirts of Manchester to his current highly successful solo career, with a big chunk of ‘Madchester’ thrown in.

Concentrating on the Stone Roses era, O’Connell seeks to place Ian Brown as the most significant member of the band, citing the huge success of his solo work as the yardstick (only Mani has gone on to achieve a credible music career with Primal Scream – John Squire’s Seahorses floundered in early 1999 after only one album and Reni disappeared from the scene after leaving the band in 1995). Squire’s drug taking was a constant cause of upset within the group, Brown being adamantly against Class A narcotics.  Squire left on 1 April 1996, describing his departure as “the inevitable conclusion to the gradual social and musical separation we have undergone in the past few years”.

In 1998, Ian was sentenced to four months imprisonment for an air-rage incident while flying back from Paris. His time in Strangeways is fully documented here and there are some shocking tales of violence. Brown was looked after inside; the Governor ordering him to “get writing”, but the episode clearly affected him and this is reflected in his subsequent album, ‘Golden Greats’.

The book chronicles the life of Ian Brown so far, complete with pictures. The break-up of the Stone Roses after only two albums was a crime – for many reasons, the band were destined to split and the contractual and legal fiasco certainly didn’t help matters. The fact that Brown has gone on to have a thriving solo career shows that his musical influence is loved by the masses, with or without the Roses. Long live King Monkey.

Given the current financial climate, finding work is not easy. Jobs are hard to come by, especially those that offer reasonable rates of pay. This is why lots of people are now considering working overseas. For most, it’s a big step and research is key; the riches of the Middle East are too good an opportunity to miss and professionals are flocking in that direction for jobs in Saudi Arabia and beyond.

‘Living and Working in the Gulf States and Saudi Arabia’ is a mine of useful information. It takes you through the essentials of finding a job and the contractual processes involved. It discusses work permits, visas and immigration. The basics of accommodation and essential services, such as education, public transport, motoring, healthcare and insurance, are all covered in brilliant detail to help you figure out if the big move is what you want, before you go.

If you’re currently looking for jobs in the Middle East, this book is essential reading. It takes you though the ins-and-outs of self-employment, contract and freelance work, and how to deal with recruitment agencies. You’ll also learn what the consequences are of working illegally and guidelines for starting your own business.

If you’re planning on driving during your time living and working in the Gulf States then chapter 11 discusses motoring in detail. You’ll find out how road tax and insurance are handled and discover the characteristics of Arabian drivers. Chapter 15 tells you what you can do with your leisure time and, if you like a flutter, you’ll learn the rules and social etiquette of gambling.

Bob Hughes and Graeme Chesters write with undeniable knowledge and experience when it comes to advising on relocating to the Middle East. There are over 400 pages of excellent advice to help you decide whether emigrating for work in Saudi Arabia and the UAE is a good move.

“DIY and Home Maintenance for Dummies All-in-One” is exactly what its name suggests, a comprehensive home improvement guide for people with no prior DIY experience. Published by John Wiley and Sons in 2005, this book has received a wealth of positive reviews from publications such as ‘Good Woodworking’, ‘Traditional Woodworking’ and ‘Boys Toys’.

The book’s main author is Jeff Howell, who has a list of previous titles to his name, including “The ‘Sunday Telegraph’ Guide to Looking After Your Property 2004” and “The Rising Damp Myth”. Here, he is also joined by several other respected authors and experts in the DIY field.

From fine woodworking to installing underfloor heating, “DIY And Home Maintenance for Dummies” covers every aspect of home improvement. There is also plenty of helpful advice on fitting bathroom furniture, bathroom sinks and shower enclosures. Plumbing is explained clearly and in a simple way that anyone could understand.

A point of caution however, this book, as the title suggests, really is for someone with little or no knowledge of DIY. Every task is described at the most basic level possible, so anyone with even a smattering of expertise would do better to look elsewhere.

Having said that, “DIY and Home Maintenance for Dummies” has been a welcome addition to the ‘Home-Improvement Manual’ market, as there are very few, if any, other titles that have as much appeal to the complete beginner. The informal and accessible style of the content makes this book an enjoyable read for anyone interested in carrying out their own home improvements.

Have you heard the phrase “No Win No Fee” lately? Personal injury claims are big news at the moment with current TV advertisements asking “Have you been in an accident that wasn’t your fault…” For many it’s a way of getting easy money and the industry is tarnished with daily news of fraudulent claims and scams.

However, if you have been in a genuine accident that has caused you trauma or injury then you could be in a position to claim. This book, written by a leading US Attorney, Joseph Matthews seeks to help you handle, process and settle your claim – sometimes without even needing a lawyer. Since becoming an attorney in 1971, Matthews taught at the law school of the University of California, Berkeley from 1975 to 1977 and, having written numerous books, now concentrates on law for seniors.

The main issues, such as how legal responsibility is determined and how much your claim is worth, are covered in detail.  Particularly interesting is the section on understanding your liability in specific types of accidents. Protecting your rights within the first 72 hours of the accident is vital and Matthews explains just how to do it. In many cases, you simply don’t need a lawyer to be awarded full compensation, as long as you do your research and are prepared to negotiate your award yourself. If this seems too much for you to take on then this book will help you understand why and when you need to obtain professional legal advice.

So, before you hook up with a company that promises No Win No Fee, read this fascinating book. It’s very well written with clear and informative advice. If nothing else it will make you take steps to protect yourself and should the worst happen, you’ll be prepared.