Friends I have talked to have found it almost impossible to understand that books are given away.  They are not chosen fromyour own bookshelf but provided by the individuals, publishers and sponsors who want to spread a love of reading.

Here is a list of World Book Night sponsors:

Patrons

The Patrons of World Book Night are:

• Damon Albarn
• Margaret Atwood
• Sir Richard Branson
• Nick Cave
• Tracy Chevalier
• Roddy Doyle
• Carol Ann Duffy
• Dave Eggers
• Sir Richard Eyre
• Colin Firth
• Richard Flanagan
• David Gilmour
• Antony Gormley
• Seamus Heaney
• Damien Hirst
• Lewis Hyde
• Howard Jacobson
• Nigella Lawson
• Andrew Motion
• Mary Portas
• Philip Pullman
• Dame Gail Rebuck
• JK Rowling
• Polly Samson
• Gil Scott-Heron
• Ali Smith
• Sir Tom Stoppard
• Tilda Swinton
• Dominic West

Sponsors & Supporters

World Book Night are grateful for the support of the following in making World Book Night happen in 2011

Apple
BBC
Booksellers’ Association
Clays
FMcM
Foyles
FSC
Google
HiBrow
Holman Paper
Innocent
National Express
Nielsen Bookscan & Bookdata
Publishers’ Association
Redbox Digital
Sony
Stora Enso Publication Paper
The Book People
Waterstone’s

The Publishers
Our thanks go to the publishing houses that have supported World Book Night, and especially to those who provided the titles for World Book Night 2011

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Sir Richard Branson will speak at business 2012

How is your business going to develop in 2012?

Learning from experts like Sir Richard Branson who have created great success is one of the best ways to get inspired about taking your business forward.

Business 2012 is a free conference with over 500 events where you can listen to business gurus such as Sir Richard Branson,  Lord Sugar and many many others.  All topics are covered and are aimed at areas that are of vital importance whether you are a start up, and sme (small to medium sized business) or a medium sized business.

This is an important event for the UK.  It is sponsored by Blackberry, (smartphones) Regus (serviced offices) and the Daily Telegraph Business Club (inspiration and how-to for smaller businesses).  Take advantage of what is offered and plan a trip to the O2 from Sunday 18th – Tuesday 20th March.

You can listen to keynote speeches, attend seminars and go to workshops.  The website is a joy – simple and well laid out, and you are encouraged to plan your visit.  This is of course best practise and ensures you get to hear the people who interest you.  The other aspect that is important is to be clear what you hope to gain from being present.

Tactics are most likely to be covered in practical workshops where you can take what you learn and apply it to your business. Strategies for the direction of your business may be more likely to be revealed in seminars, and inspiration and motivation from keynote speeches.  The other gain from listening to well-respected experts is that you will gain credibility with your clients.  You can pass on ideas in newsletters and blog posts, and position yourself more strongly simply by mentioning in conversations that you heard them speak.  Your name becomes associated with the well-nown name in the mind of your client or prospect.

I have heard quite a number of the speakers and am looking forward to hearing what they have to say for 2012.  the economy is unlikely to improve quickly, so it is our responsibility to make our own economy as good as possible.

Secure your tickets for Business 2012 now. When planning your visit bear in mind that the first day – 18th March – is Mother’s Day.

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More givers are needed to give away their favourite books and help to spread a love of reading and books – but you have to sign up by 1st February.

Books selected for World Book Night 2012 are:

Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen

The Player of Games – Iain Banks

Sleepyhead – Mark Billingham

Notes from a Small Island – Bill Bryson

The Alchemist – Paolo Coelho

The Take – Martina cole

Harlequin – Bernard Cornwell

Someone Like You – Roald Dahl

A Tale of Two Cities – Charles Dickens

Room – Emma Donaghue

Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier

The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro

Misery – Stephen King

The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic – Sophie Kinsella

Small Island – Andrea Levy

Let The Right One in – John Ajvide Lindqvist

On the Road – Cormac McCarthy

The Time Traveler’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger

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The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox – Maggie O’Farrell

The Dammed Utd – David Pearce

Good Omens – Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

How I live Now – Meg Rosoff

Touching the Void – Joe Simpson

I Capture the Castle – Dodie Smith

The Book Thief -  Markus Zusak

Choose your favourite and apply to World Book Night to be a giver.  You can do this in the UK, USA and Germany.

As well as being a reminder of books read and enjoyed,  the list has brought books to my attention that I meant to read and have not yet opened.  This year is a good opportunity to read (or re-read) Dickens as it is his anniversary year.  In my book group we have decided to go for Bleak House which I have never read.  I have been meaning to read The Book Thief, and was halfway through The Road but for some reason gave up.  Better get back to it!

I think my favourite on the list is The Time Traveler’s Wife although I did love Pride and Prejudice and Rebecca when I read them a long time ago.  Touching the Void is amazingly inspirational – even though i have never been mountain climbing.

I am a big fan of reading.  I used to work in a publishing company and it was next step to being in heaven!  Good writing is inspirational, and helps you with your own writing.  Reading is also a great way to unwind from work.  It is more relaxing than TV I find, and  time immersed in another world gives me a greater sense of clarity when I come back to the everyday.

What about you?

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Are you wowing your customers? 

Do you keep your customers interested as you learn new skills and approaches?

The new judges on X Factor this year added a whole extra dimension.  Unjaded by previous years they were passionate about “their” people, and in some ways the vote was for the judge as well as performer.  Little Mix were voted the winners because their voices were better, but they had an excellent story as they were created into a band on the show.  In addition Tulisa was a passionate champion of “ordinary” girls, and – the final boost – no band has ever one, so it was a chance to make history.  (Remember Obama’s victory? Same impulse.)

Do you have a good story?  

Is working with you a chance for them to redress an imbalance and make history?

The Masterchef series was for professional chefs.  We knew the result in the final programme before we were told.  When Michel Roux and Gregg tasted the first mouthful of the 3 dishes from Ash, the winner, their eyes lit up and they looked at each other and smiled.  They were surprised, and utterly delighted.  The other contestants were excellent both technically and in terms of presentation, but there was something more than excellent which wowed them about Ash’s food.  They had found unexpected magic.

Do you delight (and surprise) your customers – beyond reason?

 Sometimes the contestants have no previous interest like Harry Webb the drummer from McFly who won Strictly.  He appeared in the studio pigeon-toed and with no particular interest in dance.  His dance partner Aliona, provided the choreography which would help him shine, trained him, and created a bond.  He had moments of not being sure he wanted to be on the show, but once he decided he did, he began to enjoy it and worked hard.  His dancing was technically good enough, but – more importantly for the final count – his looks, his unassuming and warm personality, and his drumming wowed the public who voted for him.  As Len, the “senior” judge said at the end that, like the rest of the nation, he had fallen in love with him.

Do you look good to your customers.  Not in terms of a six pack, but is your appearance pleasing?

Do you have a personality that they warm to? 

Do you have flair?

In your own business can you find new ways in 2012 to provide solutions to these opportunities?

1. How are you wowing your customers? 
2. What new skills and approaches are you excited about now – which will interest your customers.
3. Your Story.  Look again at where you have come from.  It will probably be a story that your customers can relate to even if it is not rags to riches.  From hopeless to confident and assured, inadequate to fulfilled and generous will be more than good enough.   Don’t be ashamed of the bad stuff ….
4. Is working with you a chance for them to redress an imbalance and make history?
5. Do you delight (and surprise) your customers – beyond reason?
6. Do you look good to your customers.  Not in terms of a six pack, but is your appearance pleasing? Do you get compliments about your jewellery, your clothes, your emails?
7. Do you have a personality that they warm to? 
8. Do you have flair?
9. Are they “in love” with you? (think you are great, tell other people about you, pay up and show up.)

As long as your technical knowledge is good enough, you should make the most of your magic.  The chances are that is what they are buying. And that is especially important in this economy.

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Doing what you love so much that it doesn’t feel like work is the ultimate dream for any business owner or employee.  It is what provides the inspiration to keep on going.

This week’s Biz Buzz programme featured guests who are both making a transition into doing what they really love.

Diane Owen was a highly successful and well-paid banker in the City (in the days whe bankers were highly regarded>) She  particularly enjoyed working internationally, both for the travel and the contacts and also for the intellectual interest.    Gradually she realised she did not want to go back to the office when she had been outside at lunch time, and the whisper of discontent became a roar until she handed in her notice in order to be outside more in the open air.  She then trained as a fitness instructor and subsequently had her family.

Mary Fraser my other guest was (quite coincdentally) part of Diane’s dance class when she was gaining her qualifications.  She attested to the fact that Diane is a skilful dance leader, but Diane’s journey towards what will fulfill her more is still continuing.  She is now determined to become a mountain leader and is improving fitness in order to take the qualifications.  Not all parts of the plan are tied down due to family responsibilites but – as you would expect from a successful corporate performer – she has a very clear goal and action steps to get there! She is blogging about her physical and metaphoric journey to the mountains.

Mary Fraser has a successful HR business but although loving working with her clients her deeper satisfaction comes from helping children.  She has set up the Poppyfields project which gives children going through problems the space to talk, paint and  express what they may find difficult to say at home.  She quoted the example of a boy from a loving family who found it difficult to talk about his mother’s illness, and that the mother appreciated that he had a space away from the family to be heard.  Mary works in conjuction with schools,  so that all aspects of a child’s life are integrated.

We talked about the importance of saying Yes to the thing you really want, and letting go of what may be safe or comfortable.  In terms of building their existing business, both Diane and Mary are continuing to work with existing clients but their energy is with the new project and the new opportunities.

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Hosted by me, Jean Wolfe, usually on a Friday we interview interesting local business people in Marlow Bucks and the surrounding area.

Carol Hill of the health food shop Healthy Stuff in Liston Court off Marlow High Street was my guest.  Her view on the health of the nation is that a lot of people are stressed and worried – partly due to the uncertain economic situation. This situation is bad whether you are an employee or run your own business.

Carol’s tips for supporting health and combating stress.

1.  Breathe.  When we get stressed we tend to breathe in a more shallow way which does no good.  Slow down, breathe more deeply from the abdomen which helps to get oxygen round the body, and to combat all the stress .  This is a simple way to fight the continous state of alertness which can be so damaging.

2.  Take exercise.  It doesn’t have to be in a dance class or gym, simply getting out and walking in the open air is good for all aspects of your life: mind body and spirit. Gentle exercise may be better than something very strenuous.

3.  Carol’s third tip could sound controversial.  It is to be outside in the sunshine until your skin feels warm.  Carol said that there has been a lot of research demonstrating that lack of sunshine (either from an indoor life or being permanently swathed in suncream) inhibits the production of Vitamin D which is leading to a large number of diseases.   The best source of Vitamin D is through sunlight.  Obviously it is important not to burn, – particularly for fair-skinned people – but a short time in the mid-day sun has tremendous benefits.

Ian Souch was my other guest.  As an acupuncturist and Tai Chi teacher he agreed with Carol’s top tips and also added that it is important to be happy.  As someone who is committed to a holistic view of health, he realises the health benefits of having outside interests.  He is a professional magician, has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe  and will be performing at the Camden Fringe later in August.  Ian has always been facinated by magic and is a member of the Magic Circle.  For the first time we had magic in the studio!  He used a blend of showmanship and keen perception to tell Carol what colour she had chosen from a coloured cube he happened to have in his pocket. Yes, we were amazed and could not work out how he did it.

There was a lot of laughter in the studio which is probably the best health benefit of all!

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In the Marlow Bucks (UK) area you can listen in on 97.5 FM or through the internet from elsewhere in Buckinghamshire, the Uk and anywhere in the world.

It is a community radio station spearheaded by Tim Ashburner using volunteers. So as a presenter you have to handle the technology.

My first programme was all about how to learn more easily.

Improving memory

Lysette Offley explained her business which helps independent financial advisors to cope with the pressures of having a full-time job and having exams to pass.  Passing these exams will shortly become a legal requirement in order to stay practising as an advisor, so stress can become an additional adverse factor.

Lysette’s background in NLP and hypnotherapy means that she can help individuals discover their own learning style.  In her 20 years of teaching she found that if something was not understood it was her responsibility to re-present the information in a variety of different ways.  Then learning itself becomes easier.

Her top tips for learning were

1. To do some study each day rather than take, say, a week off .

2. To look again the following day – after sleeping – at the information

3. To only record 10% of the information.

My other guest was Alison Sellers who is an independent financial advisor.  I asked Alison whether she had any problems with passing the exams and she “confessed” that she loves learning and has been taking all the exams in her stride.

We discovered that her natural learning style as someone who relishes new information very closely fitted the tips that Lysette gave.  Alison is an authority on many areas of financial advice including inheritance planning, wills, mortgages and she has personally invested a great deal of time and money acquiring the relevant information.  But it has all been a pleasure!

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No – me neither.  After all how many royal weddings have turned into good marriages? The track record is fairly dire.

But I love celebrations so planned to watch it with a group of friends and go to two street parties afterwards.

The wedding turned out to be inspirational.  Not just for me but for the sceptics in the room using it as an excuse for a glass or two of bubbly. (and for every one else as well)

So what made the Wedding magical? It was a combination of what is at the heart of any good business.

1. Connecting with one person.

Kate and William made their vows talking quietly to each other. It transformed a public event into a private wedding. .. which millions happened to watch.

Their connection to each other was communicated in the brief smiles and exchange of looks.  They could easily have been more formal as “befits” a royal occasion.

Connecting with one person is the key: This is just as true of a royal wedding as an email, a speech, a website, a blog post or any form of communication.  Don’t shout to be heard.  Talk to one person – the right person.  Speak in a conversation with a whole person.  We work with people not roles, job titles or companies.  People.

2. Know who you want to talk to / work with / attract / help.

Make choices about the type of client you do want to work with.  The “person” is unlikely to be a prince (or could be?) and may be a mix of real people you know or would like to know.

Imagine your client as one person and get to know everything about them. Their hopes, fears, problems and what they hope for and want.  (This can help you say No to the wrong people.)

3. Plan your environment to suit you.

The simplicity of Kate’s dress, the small size of her bouquet, the green and white flowers in Westminster Abbey, the trees going to Highgrove were all choices made to enhance the feeling of a genuine intimate wedding.

Choose your environment carefully to suit you.  If in doubt choose a place you really like to meet potential clients.  Dare to have your office in the colours that delight you.  The more you make choices that reflect the values of your business the more you will communicate to the right people.

We tend to think the business card and the website are all that matters but of course it is so much more.  Clients may choose to work with you for all kinds of reasons.  People have chosen to work with me because of my shoes.  Choose your shoes with care and be confident about the choice!

4. Be seen.

You are unlikely to travel in an open top horse-drawn carriage and wave at the crowds, but you can let people see you being happy!

Or being whatever the type of inspiration that comes naturally to you and is what your clients need. Don’t lock yourself away  we need to see you!

Being seen and remembered is more important than the precise details of your product or service.

5. Use technology

How many people would have known about the wedding at all without the media?  Help yourself with all the low cost and free internet-based media available today.  You can send your message round the world faster, and more effectively…and best of all you don’t have to shout or spend a lot of money doing it.

May the feel-good of the wedding remain long in your business!

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In addition to the horror of the situation you may know people who live there, or who have relatives there. Or you may have been there yourself.

In the case of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami it was my brother.  He went out to Japan last October, having been there years before. A few hours after the first big earthquake and tsunami he responded to my email and let me know he was fine.  Then the news of the radiation problems at the Fukushima plant broke.  His mailing address is Fukushima so I was really worried.

And there was silence.

Two days later he emailed again as the internet had been restored and we discussed him coming home.  He was reluctant to just abandon his plans.  He does not have a partner but has Japanese friends, and although he was due to leave his work, it was not for another week. So in the middle of the crisis I was trying to help him make the best assessment of the situation and effectively coaching him to make a decision.

Trains tracks had been destroyed, motorways were reserved for emergency vehicles or were impassable, so coming back to the UK was not an easy option.  However there was no food in the shops, and a day later he had been sent home from work and other families were leaving so it seemed to make sense.

He said goodbye to his Japanese boss and other friends, and after a long journey to Osaka arrived back in the UK. It was a great relief to see him as I had been the only family member in contact with him.  Our mother has Alzheimers, and our brother was out of the country.

What has this to do with work?
It has been a reminder of what is important.

Our work does not exist separate from life.

• Family matters – a lot.
• Emotional stress means you cannot concentrate.  So I took time off.  I had a book group meeting to go to, for example,  and said I couldn’t make it and just lay on the sofa.
• A potential life and death situation also brings up previous situations, and I suspect I was re-living some other experiences.

Despite the additional earthquakes and the fact that the power plant (and the information) is highly suspect, he has gone back to Japan.
I am proud that he wants to go back and start his new job and not just run away if times are difficult.  I imagine as a fluent
Japanese/English speaker he must be able to contribute to the enormous task of re-building.

He reported yesterday that the apartment is still standing and he has electricity (and internet).  His mobile and everyone else’s is constantly bleeping the mobile alert signal.  I hear it when we talk on Skype. His return bus journey of 8 hours was delayed by a further two hours because of earthquakes.

Yes I am worried but we we had a really good time together with my children while he was here, so feel more connected.

• The final thought is that coming through to the other side of a difficult situation helps to define what is important, and releases energy.  Life is full of risks – you have got to do what you have got to do.

We also had a good conversation about his experience working in a traditional Japanese business which I found fascinating and you
may, too.

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