In review: featured book

At first glance, this book’s title might be a little off-putting. How many of us genuinely harbour ambitions to write an article for a journal, let alone taking a much bigger leap by producing a book? Well, perhaps some of us do think about getting our name in print in an odd idle moment but then quickly extinguish the thought in the face of apparently relentless work pressures and the need to keep our everyday lives afloat.

 

Any one of us could come up with countless reasons for not putting pen to paper or finger to keyboard. All of us, to a greater or lesser extent, tend to procrastinate, and can find better things to do than sitting down and writing (even doing the ironing or washing up can seem a more attractive option at times, I’ve found).

 

Then there’s that devilish little voice telling us we aren’t clever enough and that no one could possibly find our words even remotely interesting. The vastly-experienced authors, who are on a mission to turn readers into writers, have devised some excellent ways to meet these demons head on. In a section near the beginning of the book, they stress that ‘we only learn to write by writing.’ One way to break the ice, they suggest, is to set an alarm to go off in 10 minutes and start writing quickly. Set yourself a series of questions, such as: Who am I? What am I? How is much research and writing developing? When can I write, and when do I need to publish? 

 

The key word in the title – and what sets it apart from its rivals  – is the word ‘inspirational’. This is not another dry textbook, setting out how to produce a PhD thesis and avoid the perils of plagiarism, shoddy references or grammatical errors. As the authors note, there are plenty of books addressing those needs on the market already. 

 

Public Health England’s resource aims to help practitioners address the major factors causing premature death, ill health and health inequalities. The resource includes tools and resources to support health and care professionals, with quick links to supportive evidence and top tips on what works. Thousands of professionals are said to be using All Our Health. 

 

This workbook aims to enable students and others working in health and social care to deepen their understanding of the values that underpin their practice. 

 

Business in the Community and Public Health England have produced what they says is the first sleep and recovery toolkit. This resource offers insights and advice on addressing the increasingly damaging sleep-loss epidemic affecting the nation. The effects of sleep loss is said to cost the UK £30 billion and 200,000 working days a year. The toolkit aims to help employees and employers to take steps to support sleep and recovery. 

 

This book offers a critical overview of established and emerging manifestations of domestic violence in European countries. 

 

People with chronic pain often seek help from manual therapists. The book’s author, Philip Austin, provides evidence-based, practical insights on pain mechanisms and how that knowledge can inform treatment approaches.