Living on your own terms – the September Reading List.

1/ Felix Marquardt – The New Nomads

This book rocks! It is an exploration of and celebration of migrants. This is a subject often weaponised by politicians to create fear and division, whereas the reality is that humans are naturally nomadic. And the countries that encourage migration tend to be expansive, young and dynamic. You cannot fail to be moved by the stories contained in this book. It also fundamentally changes the way you see the World.

 

 

2/ Chris Guillebeau – The Art of Non Conformity

Cometh the hour, cometh the book. This was exactly what I needed to hear at exactly the right time. As the author says when you’re a kid your parents always say “if everyone jumps off a cliff it doesn’t mean you have to do it”. Yet when we get to adulthood, if you don’t jump off the cliff, you’re eyed with suspicion. If you want to take back control and walk the path less traveled, you could do much worse than start by reading this.

 

 

3/ Anthony Bourdain – Kitchen Confidential

There are few people I wish I had met but Anthony Bourdain is one of them. His anti vegan sentiments and toxic masculinity would have made for lively debate, but his love of travel and his stories would have more than made up for that. This is a no-holds barred book of his time as a rock-n-roll chef and is not for the faint-hearted. But life oozes off every page. And if you don’t fancy the book, check out his travel documentaries (Parts Unknown, for example, on Netflix) – they pretty much kept Alex and I alive during lockdown.

 

 

4/ Sarah Knight – The Life Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck

I must admit I haven’t read this – I’m quite good at not giving a f*ck naturally. I gave this as a present to Alex who is less gifted in that department and he loved it. We have subsequently gifted it to loads of friends who have all found it liberating. Stop worrying about things that aren’t important. Learn to say no to things you don’t want to do. Stop feeling guilty and instead spend your time on things that really matter.

 

 

5/ Tom Oliver – The Self Delusion

In my experience awareness of self is actually the realisation that what we consider self doesn’t really exist. It’s a jumble of labels, learned behaviours, unprocessed tension and trauma, how we want others to see us etc. Here is the science behind that. Additionally this shows how we are more connected to each other and nature, than we are separate. This is a timely book for our self obsessed world (check out Selfie too). We need to feel really strong connections to nature and others if we are to solve the current problems.