This book contains loads of really useful ideas on how you can recycle almost anything and save hundreds of pounds in the process. For those items that can’t be recycled easily, Kathy Stein shows you how to re-use them to save even more money.

The clear message here is “consume less, don’t just recycle more”. This 164-page book has 336 environment-friendly, money-saving ideas, from earning cash for mobiles to customizing and altering old clothes, you can learn how to save money whilst saving the planet in the process. Kathy Stein has a technical writing background and her passion for environmental issues is evident in the book; for example, she is a big supporter of the ‘WeCare’ dry-cleaning programme, which replaces those horrible plastic garment covers with re-usable fabric ones.

The book is easy to read with the information presented clearly and alphabetically. If you’re struggling to figure out how to keep old appliances out of landfill, Stein helps you by listing local businesses and non-profit organizations that will re-use, recycle or re-distribute your unwanted items. It’s a useful and comprehensive guide on how to save money sensibly whilst contributing to a sustainable and green lifestyle – highly recommended.

For a feeling of what life was like in the sixties underground rock culture, this book is hard to beat. Jenny Fabian takes you on a tour of the places to be seen, describing the sights, sounds and flavours of the era in delicious detail. She shows us the more shocking side to life in the late 60’s, with tales of orgies, lesbianism and drug abuse – each and every encounter described with an obvious lack of emotion or feeling. Her intimate role within the psychedelic scene gives her an excellent perspective from which to document the environment with detached authenticity.

Chronicling her adventures (as the fictional ‘Kate’) with various rock and pop stars of the day, Fabian leaves us guessing as to who her conquests actually were but it’s not difficult to work it out. Ben from the Satin is Pink Floyd’s Syd Barrett, Joe, the Relation bassist, is Ric Grech from Family, and Dave in Transfer Project was Andy Somer, (the Police’s Andy Summers).

Her naivety shows, a young girl of 19 lost amongst the excitement and anarchy of the era; at times it’s painful to read. Highlighting the fragility of human relationships, we get a real feeling that the 60s was nothing more than a chew-it up and spit-it-out culture, where the constantly changing trends left emotions out of the equation and significant others were replaced as soon as something better came along.

Since writing Groupie, Fabian has written articles for Harpers and Queen, Tatler, and Time Out, as well as a second novel, ‘A Chemical Romance’. Now married with two children, it’s rumoured that she is collaborating once more with Johnny Byrne on a third novel.

In the introduction to the 1997 reprint, Jonathon Green reveals that it gets 22 mentions in the Oxford English Dictionary, not bad for a girl written off as superficial and shallow!

With the recent introduction of Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and Home Information Packs (HIPs) the responsibility of the homeowner or landlord has increased. By law you must inform potential buyers or tenants of the current energy efficiency performance of your property so that they can make intelligent and informed decisions on whether to rent or buy. It places increased pressure on owners and landlords to improve the efficiency where possible in order to positively impact the environment. With practical and affordable ideas such as underfloor heating or solar panels there’s something in here for all budgets and circumstances.

There are hundreds of books on building your own eco-home but if you’re not in a position to build your own pad, the next best thing is to refurbish what you’ve got. This book shows exactly what you can do to renovate your current home in an environmentally friendly way, with everything you need in one handy reference guide. It’s an extremely practical text with a useful case study to show us exactly how it’s done.

In its simplest form, massage is defined as the kneading and stroking of the body’s soft tissues with varying degrees of pressure. Gentle massage affects the nervous system through nerve endings in the skin, stimulating the release of endorphins to help induce relaxation and a sense of well-being. Deeper massage stimulates blood circulation to improve the supply of oxygen and nutrients to tissues and helps the lymphatic system to flush away waste products – it can also ease tense and knotted muscles and stiff joints, improving mobility and flexibility.

Massage fulfils one of our most basic human needs – the desire to touch and be touched. Giving someone a massage is hugely rewarding, and receiving one is even better! Mumford’s best-selling book tells you everything you need to get started, from beginner through to more advanced techniques. Every method is illustrated and fully explained to help you move rapidly from simple massage to expert strokes. It’s the perfect companion for experienced therapists looking to further their skills and for beginners who are considering massage as a caring, sharing hobby.

It’s well-known that massage can induce physical, emotional, and physiological improvements to your health. Forget those expensive pills and treatments, a deep tissue massage, manual lymphatic drainage, or an Indian head massage can be so deliciously relaxing you’ll be hooked!  So, for anyone considering a massage in Manchester, Cardiff, Dublin or Edinburgh – save your money – buy this book for your significant other and let them practice on you!

For advice on decorating and furnishing your home, Terence Conran is the best man for the job. In 1964 he opened the first Habitat shop and his empire includes the Conran Shop, Benchmark Furniture and many restaurants. Heavily involved in architecture and interior design, he was instrumental in the regeneration of the Shad Thames area of London.

The photos in the book are wonderful; Conran has included in here some of the most beautiful rooms and homes in the world. Some of the ideas simply won’t equate to a 3-bed semi in Bradford though so don’t get any grand ideas. As a reference guide it’s the perfect renovation companion but don’t imagine you’ll be able to get the Conran look on a budget – it’s high-end, fat-wallet stuff.

There are five main sections in the book, which discuss major structural work or smaller design improvements. Plus, there’s advice on the best decorating and furnishing options, a checklist of maintenance tips, and an index of useful addresses including advisory bodies, architects, designers, suppliers and shops (note that older versions of this book might be a little outdated now).

If you’re after a minimalist and contemporary look for your home, this is the place to start. You have to admire Conran’s ethos – he knows home design and much of it is simply timeless. Heed his principles and mould the ideas to fit your own space and budget.

An autobiography, Brian Epstein wrote this book just before his 30th birthday.  As a young man of 27 he was working in ‘NEMS’, one of his family record stores, when a lad by the name of Raymond Jones asked him for a very specific record.  The record was “My Bonnie” by the Beatles and that random meeting would change his life.

Epstein’s description of his own childhood is detailed – it’s easy to see where his grit and determination to succeed came from. Expelled from school at 10 (he was exiled to Southport during the war with his family just four years before) his attitude toward formal education continued to decline until leaving Wrekin College aged 15, excelling in art and drama and, shockingly, with ambitions to become a fashion designer.  He left RADA and began working for the family business, soon running his own chain of record stores. By the time John, Paul, George and Pete Best came into his life the Liverpool music scene was thriving and Epstein knew he was onto something.

This concise tale is considered one of the essential texts about the Beatles. And for good reason – Epstein’s account is well-written and littered with important details. From The Cavern via Hamburg to the top of the US Billboard Charts, everything is covered and the dynamics of the band are evident (John was the dominant one – the leader, Paul was moody but loyal, George was “the business Beatle… generous but shrewd” and as for Ringo, he was “…uncomplicated, a very nice young man”.)

Epstein died of an accidental drug overdose in August 1967. Paul McCartney once said of Epstein: “If anyone was the Fifth Beatle, it was Brian.”  If you’re into the Beatles make sure you read this book.

The first chapter covers all the astrological signs in detail, including birthstones, colours, plants, trees and musical keys along with an overview of the sun sign. There’s an astonishing amount of information in this book and the authors researched the exact planet co-ordinates for each day going right back to the early 1900s. Information for each day of the year is presented in a two-page spread so you can see everything that happened on your day of birth.

Brilliant fun, it’s interesting to analyze and understand family, friends and work-mates – anyone whose birthday you know. This huge, hardcover book by Gary Goldschneider and Joost Elffers gives us over 800 pages of spookily accurate details on our friends and loved ones based on their unique date of birth. Dutch Goldschneider has researched astrology for over 40 years and this book is one of his ‘Secret Language’ trilogy along with ‘The Secret Language of Relationships’ and ‘The Secret Language of Destiny’.

This book is sadly now out of print, but you can easily get copies on the Internet. It’s one of those books you’ll want to keep forever and keep referring to when you meet new people. It makes a perfect gift for anyone with an interest in astrology, tarot or numerology – just make sure you get your own copy first!

Before you start though, it’s worth doing a broadband comparison to make sure you’re getting the best value for your money. Make sure you check the broadband speed and if there are any download limits imposed on the tariff. Most broadband tariffs are more than sufficient for everyday browsing and basic downloading – suppliers tend to be on a par with each other. If you’re a heavy user who downloads movies and music on a regular basis, this book will tell you which questions to ask before you sign-up.

Understanding wireless networking is crucial if you’re setting it up in your home. You’ll learn about routers and wireless adapters and how to configure an infrastructure or ad-hoc network.  Burns also explains about wireless on the move; how hotspots work, which gadgets support wi-fi and how to get online if you’re not in a hotspot zone.

Burns is Internet and eCommerce Marketing Manager for Waitrose (incidentally, Waitrose.com broadband is the UK’s only broadband service to give all its profits to charity.) He has also worked for Singapore Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, and ITN. If you’ve got broadband and want to know more about wireless networking, this is the book to buy.

Walsh has also turned his hand to interior decorating and building, but it’s out in the elements that he performs to his best strengths. His previous publications, such as “Bathroom DIY” and “DIY Survival”, have covered everything from shower cubicles to electric underfloor heating, but this book will give you all the know how you will need for completing jobs such as constructing patios and decking, repairing brickwork and cleaning drains.

Of course, as well as his impressive expertise it is Walsh’s charming personality that has made him such a favourite on television and in the book he comes across as engaging and considerate to the complete beginner. None of the content is patronising in any way and he knows that his readers will have at least some degree of common sense.

For each job, every step is clearly illustrated and every tool and material is listed, so you can rest assured that all aspects will be covered. This book would be perfectly suited to someone who feels they know a bit about DIY, but is missing out on some of the basics. Though everything is explained concisely, the banal and obvious has been omitted.

“Tommy Walsh Outdoor DIY” is published by Collins, who are renowned for their manuals and tutorial handbooks and is available in paperback. This is easily one of their bestsellers.

If you need help with enhancing usability, you’ll refer to this book often. From the ‘Expectation Effect’ – how user expectations affect perception and behaviour – to the ‘Rule of Thirds – creating aesthetic positions for the primary elements of design – there are 100 principles to guide you into making sensible and realistic design decisions. It will also help you to appreciate good design and see instantly where others have failed.

The authors certainly don’t tell you how to do your job; the value here is in understanding the principles of design and not the techniques. If you’re after a single point of reference for common design guidelines (that work!), this is the book to buy. Brilliantly indexed both alphabetically and by category, you’ll easily find the answers you’re looking for to solve that nasty usability issue. By understanding the key concepts you’ll find that the quality of your work improves and the feedback you receive is positive.

It’s essential reading for anyone who works in or is studying design.