Book Reviews

We hadn't intended to have a Book Review theme, but in beta testing we discovered that several of you had gone hunting for it. With our whizbang new site it was quick work for us to make the changes so that you can now easily find both fresh and archived reviews.

Newcomers will find a number of reports on books relating to Positive Psychology, which remains an abiding interest of ours at Professionelle. We cover wider territory, too: women in governance, advice on redundancy and finance, and (Sarah's favourite) an anthology of essays on Pride & Prejudice. That review, you'll find, is liberally illustrated with images of Colin Firth. 'Cos we all need a little fluff sometimes...

Latest articles

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  • 17 April 2013 By Nicola Rowe Comments: 3
    Lean In: Ambition starts with alpha, and so does advice

    Nicola Rowe reviews Sheryl Sandberg's recent book "Lean In". Prompted by Nicola's recent experiences of gender pay disparity among the very highly educated, and the attitudes that seemed to underlie them, she found much to recommend in the book. She has selected some particularly juicy quotes which you will also enjoy!

  • 12 December 2012 By Sarah Wilshaw-Sparkes Comments: 0
    End of 2012 Reading Round-Up

    As the year winds to a close, it's time to share some of our favourite pieces of fresh research and also thought-provoking articles from the last 12 months.

  • 14 January 2012 By Sarah Wilshaw-Sparkes Comments: 5
    My Life with a Kindle

    If you're a late adopter of technology you too may not yet have experienced e-book readers. Sarah was driven to buy her Kindle by too little luggage space for her novel. This non-technical review is all about the books, the buying and the benefits of this e-book reader.

  • 24 April 2011 By Sarah Wilshaw-Sparkes Comments: 1
    Stress Less by Thea Singer - a Book Review

    Stress Less is based on ground breaking research into the links between human stress and the ageing in our cells. This fascinating read is about the science of stress and the ways we can slow - perhaps even reverse - that ageing process.

  • 07 April 2011 By Sarah Wilshaw-Sparkes Comments: 2
    Two Mindsets - Which is Yours?

    Do you think your abilities and intelligence are largely fixed? Or do you believe people have the potential to get better and better, with practice and training, even if they're not blessed with talent? Sarah reviews a book that explores how our beliefs about improvement impact on our achievements and happiness - and coaches us to a 'growth' mindset.

  • 22 February 2011 By Galia BarHava-Monteith Comments: 2
    Mistakes were Made (But Not by ME!)

    This book is all about cognitive dissonance. That's the almost physical discomfort we feel when we find ourselves holding a belief that conflicts with our behaviour. It leads to self justification and selective blindness about the fairness and wisdom of our actions.

  • 11 February 2011 By Rachel Fanshawe Comments: 3
    Bounce: How Champions Are Made

    Matthew Syed's book dispels the ‘talent myth’ with high profile examples across music, sport and business and challenges the widely held view that natural talent is the determinant of success and failure.

  • 29 December 2010 By Sarah Wilshaw-Sparkes Comments: 0
    Stumbling On Happiness - a Book Review

    Humans are pretty hopeless at predicting what will make them happy in the future. But the errors we all make are fascinatingly systematic and regular and that's because they reflect how our brains work. In a highly readable and often very funny way, Daniel Gilbert explains what's going on in our heads when we use our imagination to choose which future to steer for.

  • 08 December 2010 By Galia-BarHava-Monteith Comments: 2
    The Time Paradox by Philip Zimbardo and John Boyd

    Are you someone that can’t seem to let the past go? Or are you a person that is always living in their minds, forever planning the future? Our psychological time orientation is unconscious, yet influences just about everything we do. If this sounds intriguing, we strongly recommend Galia Barhava-Monteith’s review of Professor Zimbardo’s book – The Time Paradox. You’ll never view time in the same way again!

  • 24 November 2010 By Sarah Wilshaw-Sparkes Comments: 0
    '59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot'

    59 seconds: less than a minute to make research-backed changes that can improve your wellbeing. All quick and some quirky, the tips in this book cover ten topics ranging from happiness to creativity. A highly enjoyable read.