Mtb: 35 books

What is happiness? The truth is, nobody really knows. It’s a word without a clear definition, yet we are all engaged in the pursuit of happiness (a phrase immortalised, though never defined, in the constitution of the United States). For each one of us it means something unique and yet few can even...

There is probably no comedian so instantly recognisable, either by voice or appearance, than Billy Connolly. His heavy Glaswegian accent, which might have made him a regional figure, has added to the appeal of this multi-talented performer. For over forty years he has both entertained and scandalised...

Former KGB agent Vladimir Putin is one of the world’s most enigmatic leaders. Fiercely protective of his private life, yet at the same time projecting his image at every opportunity, he is scrutinized and analysed constantly by the media, in an attempt to build up a picture of what makes him tick. Certainly...

A New Year, a New You..? Do you try, year after year, to make resolutions that you honestly believe you can stick to, only to see them tumble by the wayside before January is out? Or have you actually managed to achieve something through this annual ritual? Are your resolutions truly realistic...

For many people in the English-speaking world, Victor Hugo’s name immediately brings up his novels The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Les Misérables. Their enduring success has overshadowed his many other achievements: he was a playwright, poet, politician and philosopher. And above all, he was a...

Ellen G. White was, among other things, the co-founder of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. During her long life she claimed to have had over two hundred visions, regarded by her church as divine revelations and which formed the basis of her teachings and much of her writing. She was also a...

How well do we truly know the members of the British Monarchy? Although their faces are well-known from frequent media exposure, the individuals themselves are, generally speaking, fairly elusive as real personalities, understandably protected as they are by massive security. The Queen herself,...

In his own day, Henry David Thoreau was not a highly influential personality, more a minor irritation to the Establishment with his views that were regarded as akin to advocating anarchy and his anti-slavery sentiments. He was one of the first to put forward the concept of civil disobedience as a...

Jeremy Kyle is a very silly man who should be hit over the head with a brick. At least that’s what some people think. Others see the outspoken talk show host as a beacon of light in an otherwise mundane daytime TV schedule. This difference in opinion has perhaps helped to fuel Jeremy Kyle’s...

Over the years, Boris Johnson has become one of the best known faces in British politics, with his unorthodox style and regular blunders. To some he is a loveable buffoon who can’t help but keep putting his foot in it; to others he is an evil genius, strategically playing the fool in an effort to...

In a long and productive life, Lord Richard Attenborough (‘Lord Dickie’as he was affectionately known) was notable for many achievements. As an actor his face became familiar in such films as Private's Progress, The Great Escape and Jurassic Park. As a director he achieved widespread acclaim for...

Benjamin Franklin led an astonishing life. His work as a scientist would in itself have preserved his name for posterity. But add to that his genius as an inventor (he invented, among other things, bifocal glasses) and his fame as a diplomat, writer , political leader and philanthropist, and you have...

Abraham Lincoln was without doubt one of the world’s greatest statesmen. His words are as relevant now as they were in the nineteenth century; he was ahead of his time. Indeed, among the quotes contained in this book there are numerous nuggets of wisdom that apply as much to present-day life as...

Everyone has a dream of how they would like their life to be. Some actually make it happen for them. That, in a nutshell, is what success is all about. But what defines success for one person may be very different for another. And how do you decide when you’ve achieved it? Does it have an end point...