Author:Margaret Durrell,Polly Edsell,Roy McMillan
Brought to you by Penguin.
*With a foreword from Gerald Durrell*
In 1947, returning to the UK with two young children to support, Margaret Durrell starts a boarding house in Bournemouth. But any hopes of respectability are dashed as the tenants reveal themselves to be a host of eccentrics: from a painter of nudes to a pair of glamorous young nurses whose late-night shifts combined with an ever-revolving roster of gentleman callers leading to a neighbourhood rumour that Margo is running a brothel. Margo's own two sons, Gerry and Nicholas, prove to be every bit as mischievous as their famous Uncle Gerald - and he himself returns periodically with weird and wonderful animals, from marmosets to monkeys, that are quite unsuitable for life in a Bournemouth garden.
©1995 Margaret Durrell (P)2023 Penguin Audio
In the year that David Bowie died, Brexit shocked us, 'Hiddleswift' was a thing and Trump trumped, we are all asking ourselves was 2016 really the worst year ever?
Find out in this special commemorative, badly illustrated book.
Smartly illustrated with original cover artwork-ideal for glancing over dearly loved literary companions, as well as for discovering gaps to fill . . . This is a fascinating survey of how our nation's literary tastes have altered over the years and makes us wonder anew at what constitutes a 'classic'.
—— Emily Rhodes , Country LifeThe perfect gift for bibliophiles
—— The Arts Society UKI can't imagine a better or more beautifully presented reference for a book-lover
—— Waterstones.com reviewWhy Information Grows shows us how humans infuse information into matter, making it more valuable than gold. Hidalgo's work brilliantly spotlights the true alchemy of the twenty-first century and its impact from economic complexity to national competitiveness
—— Albert-Laszlo Barabasi, Distinguished Professor and Director of Northeastern University's Center for Complex Network Research, and author of LinkedA gorgeous confection . . . How do I love this book? Let me list the ways . . .
—— Chris RiddellBrimful of piquant and scrumptious surprises
—— John LloydHours of innocent snacking
—— Iain SinclairVery entertaining and sprightly
—— Ian McKellenThoroughly enjoyable... As amusing as it is informing
—— Michael PortilloBuried deep in the etymology of the word 'list' is the notion of pleasure. Mr Eliot's marvellous vade mecum reminds us why
—— John MitchinsonI loved Eliot's book for its wit, learning, eccentricity and unrepentant bookishness
—— Alan TaylorA magnificent labyrinth of literary trivia to get lost in . . . fun and fascinating things on every page
—— Edward Brooke-HitchingA trove of treasures from start to finish
—— Dennis DuncanDeliciously idiosyncratic
—— Rachel Cooke , ObserverReading this book is like going on a literary Grand Tour . . . Essential for the pub quiz
—— Country LifeEliot's books have been my equivalent of big game almanacs. This book is half a delight and half a gauntlet
—— Stuart Kelly , ScotsmanThe ultimate book for lovers of lists and literature . . . surprising, inspiring and amusing
—— Denise O'Donoghue , Irish ExaminerAs well-reported, and at times as emotionally wrenching, as Amy Goldstein’s Janesville . . . In facing . . . the fraying of the social contract between employer and employee, Sarah Kessler's work in Gigged makes one thing increasingly clear: we must get busy building a new one that benefits all sides of that relationship, and the society around it.
—— Editor’s Choice , 800 CEO ReadGoes under the bonnet of the gig economy.
—— What CEOs Are Reading , Management TodayKessler’s recent book Gigged is all about [the] desire for independence . . . Kessler investigates the liberating ethos and terrible trade-offs of this new economy by following several people working in such positions. She discovers why the revolution in “independent contractor” work – which comes without guarantees for minimum wages, paid vacation, or health benefits – is paradise for one slice of the population, but has been disappointing, and in some cases devastating, for others.
—— QuartzFor those interested in inquiries into modern (and future) work, there’s Gigged by Sarah Kessler, an analysis of the gig economy.
—— Books of the Year , Buzzfeed NewsLooks at the potential of the gig economy and ultimately the problems it bears.
—— Books of the Year , Fast Company