Recent Releases | Featured Bestsellers | Events at OffTheShelf
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Recent Releases
Spinoza problem (Irvin Yalom)
Published March 2012
When sixteen-year-old Alfred Rosenberg is called into his headmaster's office for anti-Semitic remarks he made during a school speech, he is forced, as punishment, to memorize passages about Spinoza from the autobiography of the German poet Goethe. Rosenberg is stunned to discover that Goethe, his idol, was a great admirer of the Jewish Seventeenth-century philosopher Baruch Spinoza. Long after graduation, Rosenberg remains haunted by this "Spinoza problem" how could the German genius Goethe have been inspired by a member of a race Rosenberg considers so inferior to his own, a race he was determined to destroy? Over the years, Rosenberg rose through the ranks to become an outspoken Nazi ideologue, a faithful servant of Hitler, and the main author of racial policy for the Third Reich. Still, his Spinoza obsession lingered. By imagining the unexpected intersection of Spinoza's life with Rosenberg's, internationally bestselling novelist Irvin D. Yalom explores the mindsets of two men separated by 300 years. Using his skills as a psychiatrist, he explores the inner lives of Spinoza, the saintly secular philosopher, and of Rosenberg, the godless mass murderer.
> order online
Published March 2012
When sixteen-year-old Alfred Rosenberg is called into his headmaster's office for anti-Semitic remarks he made during a school speech, he is forced, as punishment, to memorize passages about Spinoza from the autobiography of the German poet Goethe. Rosenberg is stunned to discover that Goethe, his idol, was a great admirer of the Jewish Seventeenth-century philosopher Baruch Spinoza. Long after graduation, Rosenberg remains haunted by this "Spinoza problem" how could the German genius Goethe have been inspired by a member of a race Rosenberg considers so inferior to his own, a race he was determined to destroy? Over the years, Rosenberg rose through the ranks to become an outspoken Nazi ideologue, a faithful servant of Hitler, and the main author of racial policy for the Third Reich. Still, his Spinoza obsession lingered. By imagining the unexpected intersection of Spinoza's life with Rosenberg's, internationally bestselling novelist Irvin D. Yalom explores the mindsets of two men separated by 300 years. Using his skills as a psychiatrist, he explores the inner lives of Spinoza, the saintly secular philosopher, and of Rosenberg, the godless mass murderer.
> order online
Featured Bestsellers
Imagine: How creativity works (Jonah Lehrer)
Published March 2012
New York Times best-selling author Jonah Lehrer shows us how we can all learn to be more creative. Did you know that the most creative companies have centralized bathrooms? That brainstorming meetings are a terrible idea? That the color blue can help you double your creative output? From the best-selling author of "How We Decide" comes a sparkling and revelatory look at the new science of creativity. Shattering the myth of muses, higher powers, even creative "types", Jonah Lehrer demonstrates that creativity is not a single gift possessed by the lucky few. It's a variety of distinct thought processes that we can all learn to use more effectively. You'll see why Elizabethan England experienced a creative explosion, and how Pixar's office space is designed to spark the next big leap in animation. Collapsing the layers separating the neuron from the finished symphony, "Imagine "reveals the deep inventiveness of the human mind, and its essential role in our increasingly complex world.
> order online
Published March 2012
New York Times best-selling author Jonah Lehrer shows us how we can all learn to be more creative. Did you know that the most creative companies have centralized bathrooms? That brainstorming meetings are a terrible idea? That the color blue can help you double your creative output? From the best-selling author of "How We Decide" comes a sparkling and revelatory look at the new science of creativity. Shattering the myth of muses, higher powers, even creative "types", Jonah Lehrer demonstrates that creativity is not a single gift possessed by the lucky few. It's a variety of distinct thought processes that we can all learn to use more effectively. You'll see why Elizabethan England experienced a creative explosion, and how Pixar's office space is designed to spark the next big leap in animation. Collapsing the layers separating the neuron from the finished symphony, "Imagine "reveals the deep inventiveness of the human mind, and its essential role in our increasingly complex world.
> order online
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Uninvited guests (Sadie Jones)
Published March 2012
This is a sinister tale of haunting beauty, from "The Outcast" author Sadie Jones. She was obeying a prompt, an instinct: the instinct that makes a dog lying by the fire tremble of a sudden, and whimper, when there is no one near to see. The cake is iced. The wine decanted. The house gleams invitingly. But as Sterne prepares for Emerald Torrington's birthday supper, who are the pale strangers struggling silently up the drive? A supernatural comedy and spellbinding thriller, "The Uninvited Guests" strips away the respectable layers of Edwardian society to reveal the dark secrets beneath.
"What a delicious read! Like something written by a wicked Jane Austen. Passing like a spring fever, here is a fairy tale that stays with you long after it is gone." (Sarah Blake, author of "The Postmistress").
> order online
Published March 2012
This is a sinister tale of haunting beauty, from "The Outcast" author Sadie Jones. She was obeying a prompt, an instinct: the instinct that makes a dog lying by the fire tremble of a sudden, and whimper, when there is no one near to see. The cake is iced. The wine decanted. The house gleams invitingly. But as Sterne prepares for Emerald Torrington's birthday supper, who are the pale strangers struggling silently up the drive? A supernatural comedy and spellbinding thriller, "The Uninvited Guests" strips away the respectable layers of Edwardian society to reveal the dark secrets beneath.
"What a delicious read! Like something written by a wicked Jane Austen. Passing like a spring fever, here is a fairy tale that stays with you long after it is gone." (Sarah Blake, author of "The Postmistress").
> order online
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Spider king's daughter (Chibundu Onuzo)
Published March 2012
A modern-day Romeo and Juliet set against the backdrop of a changing Lagos, a city torn between tradition and modernity, corruption and truth, love and family loyalty. 17-year-old Abike Johnson is the favourite child of her wealthy father. She lives in a sprawling mansion in Lagos, protected by armed guards and ferried everywhere in a huge black jeep. But being her father's favourite comes with uncomfortable duties, and she is often lonely behind the high walls of her house. A world away from Abike's mansion, in the city's slums, lives a 17-year-old hawker struggling to make sense of the world. His family lost everything after his father's death and now he runs after cars on the roadside selling ice cream to support his mother and sister. When Abike buys ice cream from the hawker one day, they strike up an unlikely and tentative romance, defying the prejudices of Nigerian society. But as they grow closer, revelations from the past threaten their relationship and both Abike and the hawker must decide where their loyalties lie.
> order online
Published March 2012
A modern-day Romeo and Juliet set against the backdrop of a changing Lagos, a city torn between tradition and modernity, corruption and truth, love and family loyalty. 17-year-old Abike Johnson is the favourite child of her wealthy father. She lives in a sprawling mansion in Lagos, protected by armed guards and ferried everywhere in a huge black jeep. But being her father's favourite comes with uncomfortable duties, and she is often lonely behind the high walls of her house. A world away from Abike's mansion, in the city's slums, lives a 17-year-old hawker struggling to make sense of the world. His family lost everything after his father's death and now he runs after cars on the roadside selling ice cream to support his mother and sister. When Abike buys ice cream from the hawker one day, they strike up an unlikely and tentative romance, defying the prejudices of Nigerian society. But as they grow closer, revelations from the past threaten their relationship and both Abike and the hawker must decide where their loyalties lie.
> order online
::
Why nations fail: The origins of power, prosperity and poverty (Daron Acemoglu & James Robinson)
Published March 2012
Brilliant and engagingly written, "Why Nations Fail" answers the question that has stumped the experts for centuries: Why are some nations rich and others poor, divided by wealth and poverty, health and sickness, food and famine? Is it culture, the weather, geography? Perhaps ignorance of what the right policies are? Simply, no. None of these factors is either definitive or destiny. Otherwise, how to explain why Botswana has become one of the fastest growing countries in the world, while other African nations, such as Zimbabwe, the Congo, and Sierra Leone, are mired in poverty and violence? Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson conclusively show that it is man-made political and economic institutions that underlie economic success (or lack of it). Based on fifteen years of original research Acemoglu and Robinson marshall extraordinary historical evidence from the Roman Empire, the Mayan city-states, medieval Venice, the Soviet Union, Latin America, England, Europe, the United States, and Africa to build a new theory of political economy with great relevance for the big questions of today.
> order online
Published March 2012
Brilliant and engagingly written, "Why Nations Fail" answers the question that has stumped the experts for centuries: Why are some nations rich and others poor, divided by wealth and poverty, health and sickness, food and famine? Is it culture, the weather, geography? Perhaps ignorance of what the right policies are? Simply, no. None of these factors is either definitive or destiny. Otherwise, how to explain why Botswana has become one of the fastest growing countries in the world, while other African nations, such as Zimbabwe, the Congo, and Sierra Leone, are mired in poverty and violence? Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson conclusively show that it is man-made political and economic institutions that underlie economic success (or lack of it). Based on fifteen years of original research Acemoglu and Robinson marshall extraordinary historical evidence from the Roman Empire, the Mayan city-states, medieval Venice, the Soviet Union, Latin America, England, Europe, the United States, and Africa to build a new theory of political economy with great relevance for the big questions of today.
> order online
Events at OffTheShelf
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Thursday 10 May 2012, 18:30 - 19:30
Carolina Rodriguez-Barros: Workshop based on Kim Johnson Gross's "What to wear for the rest of your life"
We are very pleased to welcome back Dare To Glow's Carolina Rodriguez-Barros, who hosted a very successful workshop last year and this time will use Kim Johnson Gross's "What to wear for the rest of your life" as a foundation for helping you re-organise your wardrobe. The book takes a humorous look at that point in a woman's life when you realize you can no longer wear many of the clothes you thought were your staples, because they no longer fit or even suit you! Using commonly-occurring situations as a starting point ("What to wear when meeting your ex's new girlfriend"...), the book guides you towards a new wardrobe that fits the new (older) you, without making you look frumpy or out of fashion. Carolina will distill and explain the book's message, to help us grasp the basics of what to wear and what not.
We are very pleased to welcome back Dare To Glow's Carolina Rodriguez-Barros, who hosted a very successful workshop last year and this time will use Kim Johnson Gross's "What to wear for the rest of your life" as a foundation for helping you re-organise your wardrobe. The book takes a humorous look at that point in a woman's life when you realize you can no longer wear many of the clothes you thought were your staples, because they no longer fit or even suit you! Using commonly-occurring situations as a starting point ("What to wear when meeting your ex's new girlfriend"...), the book guides you towards a new wardrobe that fits the new (older) you, without making you look frumpy or out of fashion. Carolina will distill and explain the book's message, to help us grasp the basics of what to wear and what not.
Thursday 24 May, 18:30 - 20:00
Anne Korkeakivi "Unexpected guest"
In "An unexpected guest", Anne's first novel, the American wife of a high-ranking diplomat in Paris arranges an official dinner crucial to her husband's career but her day is complicated by the unexpected arrival of her son and a random encounter with a Turkish man, whom she discovers is a suspected terrorist. As she continues outwardly to appear as organised and restrained as ever, she begins to unravel into a woman of dangerous passions and moral dilemmas.
Anne Korkeakivi was born in New York City. Her short fiction and non-fiction have been published by the Atlantic, the Yale Review, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, The Times, and others. Her husband works for an international organization and they currently live in Switzerland. Come and hear excerpts from her novel, which has been compared to the likes of Virginia Woolf and Kazuo Ishiguro, and meet the author herself at a reading to be held in the bookshop in May, just after the book has been published.
In "An unexpected guest", Anne's first novel, the American wife of a high-ranking diplomat in Paris arranges an official dinner crucial to her husband's career but her day is complicated by the unexpected arrival of her son and a random encounter with a Turkish man, whom she discovers is a suspected terrorist. As she continues outwardly to appear as organised and restrained as ever, she begins to unravel into a woman of dangerous passions and moral dilemmas.
Anne Korkeakivi was born in New York City. Her short fiction and non-fiction have been published by the Atlantic, the Yale Review, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, The Times, and others. Her husband works for an international organization and they currently live in Switzerland. Come and hear excerpts from her novel, which has been compared to the likes of Virginia Woolf and Kazuo Ishiguro, and meet the author herself at a reading to be held in the bookshop in May, just after the book has been published.
Wednesday 13 June, 18:30 - 20:00
Denis Hirson "The dancing and the death on Lemon Street" - shortlisted for the 2012 Commonwealth Writer's Book Prize!
Lemon Street runs down-slope through a leafy, peaceful suburb of Johannesburg. It is early 1960. One resident of the street, a young widow, believes she has finally met the new man of her life. In a narrow room at the back of the garden, her maid impatiently awaits the arrival of her lover. Across the street, while his parents engage in yet another heated argument, a schoolboy dreams of a girl. And down past the willow trees at the bottom of the street this girl’s mother prepares a party to celebrate her twentieth wedding anniversary, which will hardly turn out as she expected. This beautifully crafted, musical story is as much about seeing how people lived at that time as it is about desire, loneliness and the desperate, blind need for revenge.
Denis Hirson lived in South Africa until the age of 22. He is a graduate of the University of the Witwatersrand, and since 1975 he has lived in France, where he works as a teacher and writer. He has published five books, all of them concerned with the memory of the apartheid years in South Africa, all of them crossing the frontier between prose and poetry. He is the joint editor of The Heinemann Book of South African Short Stories (Heinemann, 1994), and editor of The Lava of this Land, South African Poetry 1960-1996 (Northwestern University Press, 1997).
Lemon Street runs down-slope through a leafy, peaceful suburb of Johannesburg. It is early 1960. One resident of the street, a young widow, believes she has finally met the new man of her life. In a narrow room at the back of the garden, her maid impatiently awaits the arrival of her lover. Across the street, while his parents engage in yet another heated argument, a schoolboy dreams of a girl. And down past the willow trees at the bottom of the street this girl’s mother prepares a party to celebrate her twentieth wedding anniversary, which will hardly turn out as she expected. This beautifully crafted, musical story is as much about seeing how people lived at that time as it is about desire, loneliness and the desperate, blind need for revenge.
Denis Hirson lived in South Africa until the age of 22. He is a graduate of the University of the Witwatersrand, and since 1975 he has lived in France, where he works as a teacher and writer. He has published five books, all of them concerned with the memory of the apartheid years in South Africa, all of them crossing the frontier between prose and poetry. He is the joint editor of The Heinemann Book of South African Short Stories (Heinemann, 1994), and editor of The Lava of this Land, South African Poetry 1960-1996 (Northwestern University Press, 1997).
Thursday 21 June, 18:30 - 20:00
Debra Spark "Pretty girl: Novella & stories"
From Victorian toy theatres to a graphic novelist's battle with the schizophrenia which causes her cartoon characters to march off the page, the novella and six stories in Debra Spark's fourth work of fiction, The Pretty Girl, revolve around artists, artistry, and the magical deceptions they create. With settings that traverse New York's Lower East Side, Victorian London, Paris and Switzerland, Spark's stories twist and turn in mesmerizing ways as they reflect on the fictions we fabricate about and for friends, family, and strangers. The author will be making an experience at OffTheShelf as part of an extensive promotional tour of Europe and the US, to read excerpts and talk about her writing. She is an experienced MFA Professor teaching at Colby College and lives in Maine. Her writing has appeared in numerous publications, including the New York Times and Washington Post.
"Ms Spark has a knack for the unpredictable that makes reading her novel a process of incremental discovery… the openness of her mind, the generosity of her narrative spirit, bring life to the book in, well, a magical way". (New York Times book review)
From Victorian toy theatres to a graphic novelist's battle with the schizophrenia which causes her cartoon characters to march off the page, the novella and six stories in Debra Spark's fourth work of fiction, The Pretty Girl, revolve around artists, artistry, and the magical deceptions they create. With settings that traverse New York's Lower East Side, Victorian London, Paris and Switzerland, Spark's stories twist and turn in mesmerizing ways as they reflect on the fictions we fabricate about and for friends, family, and strangers. The author will be making an experience at OffTheShelf as part of an extensive promotional tour of Europe and the US, to read excerpts and talk about her writing. She is an experienced MFA Professor teaching at Colby College and lives in Maine. Her writing has appeared in numerous publications, including the New York Times and Washington Post.
"Ms Spark has a knack for the unpredictable that makes reading her novel a process of incremental discovery… the openness of her mind, the generosity of her narrative spirit, bring life to the book in, well, a magical way". (New York Times book review)
Past Events:
Tuesday 20 March 2012, 18:30 - 19:30
Kamy Lavanchy: Workshop based on Louise Hay's "You can heal your life"
To celebrate the first day of Spring, we are hosting a workshop with Kamy Lavanchy, who will use Louise Hay's "You can heal your life" as a foundation for helping you re-orient your life and enjoy it to the full. Kamy is a certified Heal Your Life® Facilitator, Heal Your Life® Coach, massage therapist and reiki practitioner, and the previous workshop she gave at OffTheShelf was a resounding success! Don't miss this chance to give yourself a new lease of life starting in 2012!
To celebrate the first day of Spring, we are hosting a workshop with Kamy Lavanchy, who will use Louise Hay's "You can heal your life" as a foundation for helping you re-orient your life and enjoy it to the full. Kamy is a certified Heal Your Life® Facilitator, Heal Your Life® Coach, massage therapist and reiki practitioner, and the previous workshop she gave at OffTheShelf was a resounding success! Don't miss this chance to give yourself a new lease of life starting in 2012!
Tuesday 6 December
Sue Style "Cheese: Slices of Swiss culture"
Discover the exciting range of great cheese being made in Switzerland, learn how it's made, what makes it so special, and what to look for to treat your taste buds. Sue Style's brand new book explores the world of Swiss cheeses, including many delicious, easy-to-make recipes. To celebrate the launch of this gorgeous new book we welcomed the author to the bookshop to tell us a bit more about Switzerland's cheeses and stories about the people who make them, and the evening was accompanied by an enjoyable cheese and wine tasting!
Discover the exciting range of great cheese being made in Switzerland, learn how it's made, what makes it so special, and what to look for to treat your taste buds. Sue Style's brand new book explores the world of Swiss cheeses, including many delicious, easy-to-make recipes. To celebrate the launch of this gorgeous new book we welcomed the author to the bookshop to tell us a bit more about Switzerland's cheeses and stories about the people who make them, and the evening was accompanied by an enjoyable cheese and wine tasting!
Wednesday 30 November
Jonathan Leighton "The battle for compassion: Ethics in an apathetic universe"
Jonathan, a highly-qualified research scientist, discusses ethics from a scientific point of view in his book "The battle for compassion", just published. Synthesizing current thinking from science and philosophy with his own reflections on freedom, identity and morality, Jonathan writes in a clear, lively style for a general readership while deeply exploring key philosophical issues. He was in the bookshop to read excerpts, answer questions, sign copies of his book, and initiate an animated discussion!
Jonathan, a highly-qualified research scientist, discusses ethics from a scientific point of view in his book "The battle for compassion", just published. Synthesizing current thinking from science and philosophy with his own reflections on freedom, identity and morality, Jonathan writes in a clear, lively style for a general readership while deeply exploring key philosophical issues. He was in the bookshop to read excerpts, answer questions, sign copies of his book, and initiate an animated discussion!
Wednesday 16 November
Jon Steele "The Watchers"
Jon Steele grew up in the US but moved to London and had a long and successful career as a news cameraman for ITN, reporting from war zones around the world. Before long, he was living for the rush which comes as bullets fly past your head and bombs explode at your feet. In Georgia, Jon filmed on the last flight out of the besieged airport at Sokhumi. In Rwanda, he filmed the horrific aftermath to the most brutal massacre of modern times - and his own neck got far too close to the edge of a machete for comfort. In 2003, while in Baghdad at the start of the Iraq war, he became disillusioned with television news, put his camera on the ground and quit, and the subsequent account of his experiences, "War junkie", became a classic of war reportage. This year he published his first novel, "The Watchers", with major worldwide publishing house Transworld. Set in and around Lausanne, it weaves a chilling, supernatural tale of three characters drawn together by events and forces more powerful than all of them... Jon read extracts in the bookshop and talked about his writing and experiences, as well as signing copies.
Jon Steele grew up in the US but moved to London and had a long and successful career as a news cameraman for ITN, reporting from war zones around the world. Before long, he was living for the rush which comes as bullets fly past your head and bombs explode at your feet. In Georgia, Jon filmed on the last flight out of the besieged airport at Sokhumi. In Rwanda, he filmed the horrific aftermath to the most brutal massacre of modern times - and his own neck got far too close to the edge of a machete for comfort. In 2003, while in Baghdad at the start of the Iraq war, he became disillusioned with television news, put his camera on the ground and quit, and the subsequent account of his experiences, "War junkie", became a classic of war reportage. This year he published his first novel, "The Watchers", with major worldwide publishing house Transworld. Set in and around Lausanne, it weaves a chilling, supernatural tale of three characters drawn together by events and forces more powerful than all of them... Jon read extracts in the bookshop and talked about his writing and experiences, as well as signing copies.
Thursday 6 October
Book launch: "Offshoots XI", Geneva Writers' Group
We were pleased to host a book launch, in the presence of several of the contributing authors, of the new collection of short stories published by the Geneva Writer's Group. An array of remarkably talented writers have contributed their work to this anthology, and many of them read excerpts and talked about their writing.
We were pleased to host a book launch, in the presence of several of the contributing authors, of the new collection of short stories published by the Geneva Writer's Group. An array of remarkably talented writers have contributed their work to this anthology, and many of them read excerpts and talked about their writing.
Friday 17 June 2011
Lucy Morgan Edwards "The Afghan solution: The inside story of Abdul Haq, the CIA and how Western hubris lost Afghanistan"
Lucy Morgan Edwards spent six years in Afghanistan. She arrived in Kandahar at the height of the Taliban regime to work for UN Habitat, living within metres of Mullah Omar’s compound. She was an election monitor at the 2002 Emergency Loya Jirga and then a freelance journalist, writing for The Economist and The Daily Telegraph, among others. From 2004 - 5 she was Political Advisor to the EU Ambassador in Kabul and then Country Expert for the Chief observer of the 2005 Afghan parliamentary elections. Her book exposes how Western intelligence agencies deliberately lost their only chance to rout the Taliban, and uncovers important information that affects our understanding of the Afghan situation and the strategy we should be following there. Lucy was interviewed on BBC Radio 4's Excess Baggage programme talking about her book - listen here.
Lucy Morgan Edwards spent six years in Afghanistan. She arrived in Kandahar at the height of the Taliban regime to work for UN Habitat, living within metres of Mullah Omar’s compound. She was an election monitor at the 2002 Emergency Loya Jirga and then a freelance journalist, writing for The Economist and The Daily Telegraph, among others. From 2004 - 5 she was Political Advisor to the EU Ambassador in Kabul and then Country Expert for the Chief observer of the 2005 Afghan parliamentary elections. Her book exposes how Western intelligence agencies deliberately lost their only chance to rout the Taliban, and uncovers important information that affects our understanding of the Afghan situation and the strategy we should be following there. Lucy was interviewed on BBC Radio 4's Excess Baggage programme talking about her book - listen here.
Tuesday 7 June 2011
Beatrice Bressan "Origin: Poems"
Beatrice Bressan, of Italian origin and currently outreach coordinator at CERN, was in the bookshop to read from and talk about her poetry collection "The Origin". The book was created for the itinerant exhibition, The Origin: A Journey between Science and Art, which started its tour last year in Frascati (Rome) and will soon be in Geneva. The aim of the exhibition is to create an Art School at Rapale (Nampula) in Northern Mozambique. Beatrice is one of several artists and scientists who decided to support this goal through their voluntary contribution. Like the exhibition, the book is composed of three sections: from the origin of the Universe, to the origin of humankind and the origin in art and myths. It represents an example of how creative thinking belongs to many domains and goes towards a multidisciplinary approach. Beatrice has a highly scientific background and professional career, and her poems are all the more beautiful for sitting at the crossroads of artistic endeavour and scientific enquiry.
Beatrice Bressan, of Italian origin and currently outreach coordinator at CERN, was in the bookshop to read from and talk about her poetry collection "The Origin". The book was created for the itinerant exhibition, The Origin: A Journey between Science and Art, which started its tour last year in Frascati (Rome) and will soon be in Geneva. The aim of the exhibition is to create an Art School at Rapale (Nampula) in Northern Mozambique. Beatrice is one of several artists and scientists who decided to support this goal through their voluntary contribution. Like the exhibition, the book is composed of three sections: from the origin of the Universe, to the origin of humankind and the origin in art and myths. It represents an example of how creative thinking belongs to many domains and goes towards a multidisciplinary approach. Beatrice has a highly scientific background and professional career, and her poems are all the more beautiful for sitting at the crossroads of artistic endeavour and scientific enquiry.
Tuesday 17 May 2011
Carolina Rodriguez-Barros "Women, work and the art of savoir-faire"
Carolina from Dare To Glow hosted a great workshop for women using Mireille Guiliano's book "Women, work and the art of savoir-faire" as a starting point for exploring the difficulties of trying to lead a happy fulfilled life when you are working long hours. In the book, Mireille Guiliano talks about style, communication skills, risk taking, leadership and much more, all from a perspective of three decades in business. The book is about helping women (and perhaps a few men too...) feel good about themselves, being challenged and engaged in our working lives, and always looking for pleasure in every single day.
Carolina from Dare To Glow hosted a great workshop for women using Mireille Guiliano's book "Women, work and the art of savoir-faire" as a starting point for exploring the difficulties of trying to lead a happy fulfilled life when you are working long hours. In the book, Mireille Guiliano talks about style, communication skills, risk taking, leadership and much more, all from a perspective of three decades in business. The book is about helping women (and perhaps a few men too...) feel good about themselves, being challenged and engaged in our working lives, and always looking for pleasure in every single day.
Tuesday 10 May 2011
Michael Scammell "Koestler: The indispensable intellectual"
Michael Scammell has regularly contributed articles and criticism to the New York Review of Books, Harper’s, The Times Literary Supplement, The Observer, The Guardian, and other publications, and currently teaches nonfiction writing and translation at Columbia University. He has translated numerous books from Russian, and collaborated with Vladimir Nabokov in translating two of the latter’s novels, The Gift and The Defense. His last biography, "Solzhenitsyn: A Biography" won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for biography and English PEN’s Silver PEN Award for nonfiction. He read from and discussed his latest book, a biography of Koestler. Based upon over 100 interviews and a wealth of new sources, "Koestler" is a nuanced account of its subject’s turbulent public and private life: his drug use, manic depression, the frenetic womanizing and shocking suicide pact. It also makes the case for Koestler’s stature as a major autobiographer and essayist as well as novelist. The result is a complex and indelible portrait of a brilliant, unpredictable, and talented writer.
Michael Scammell has regularly contributed articles and criticism to the New York Review of Books, Harper’s, The Times Literary Supplement, The Observer, The Guardian, and other publications, and currently teaches nonfiction writing and translation at Columbia University. He has translated numerous books from Russian, and collaborated with Vladimir Nabokov in translating two of the latter’s novels, The Gift and The Defense. His last biography, "Solzhenitsyn: A Biography" won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for biography and English PEN’s Silver PEN Award for nonfiction. He read from and discussed his latest book, a biography of Koestler. Based upon over 100 interviews and a wealth of new sources, "Koestler" is a nuanced account of its subject’s turbulent public and private life: his drug use, manic depression, the frenetic womanizing and shocking suicide pact. It also makes the case for Koestler’s stature as a major autobiographer and essayist as well as novelist. The result is a complex and indelible portrait of a brilliant, unpredictable, and talented writer.
Wednesday 11 May 2011
Lord Digby Jones "Fixing Britain: The business of reshaping our nation"
Previously Director-General of the Confederation of British Industry (2000–06) and Minister of State for UK Trade & Investment (2007–08), Lord Jones is currently an active member of the House of Lords as well as Chairman of the International Business Advisory Board at HSBC. He will be addressing the British-Swiss Chamber of Commerce at a luncheon to be held on 11th May, and OffTheShelf will be present with copies of his book "Fixing Britain", to be published at the end of March, which he will sign at the event. (For more details, or to register for the luncheon - non-members are also welcome - please contact the BSCC).
Previously Director-General of the Confederation of British Industry (2000–06) and Minister of State for UK Trade & Investment (2007–08), Lord Jones is currently an active member of the House of Lords as well as Chairman of the International Business Advisory Board at HSBC. He will be addressing the British-Swiss Chamber of Commerce at a luncheon to be held on 11th May, and OffTheShelf will be present with copies of his book "Fixing Britain", to be published at the end of March, which he will sign at the event. (For more details, or to register for the luncheon - non-members are also welcome - please contact the BSCC).
Thursday 31 March 2011
Sreyashi Ghosh: "My soul on a platter"
Originally from Calcutta, India, Sreyashi has worked for several years in NGOs and UN agencies in India, Switzerland and the USA. Travelling to places such as Egypt, Kenya and Rwanda has led her to write her second collection of poems: "My soul on a platter", which also reflects the inspiration she draws from her experiences, as well as her ongoing interest in human rights and social issues. She has worked in India with children of sex workers and in prisons, seeing at first hand the impact art and music have on their lives. This book is an attempt to capture the varied human emotions one experiences in this journey of life, expressed through poetry. Sreyashi was in the bookshop to read from her poetry collection and talk about her writing, as well as exhibiting some of her paintings.
Originally from Calcutta, India, Sreyashi has worked for several years in NGOs and UN agencies in India, Switzerland and the USA. Travelling to places such as Egypt, Kenya and Rwanda has led her to write her second collection of poems: "My soul on a platter", which also reflects the inspiration she draws from her experiences, as well as her ongoing interest in human rights and social issues. She has worked in India with children of sex workers and in prisons, seeing at first hand the impact art and music have on their lives. This book is an attempt to capture the varied human emotions one experiences in this journey of life, expressed through poetry. Sreyashi was in the bookshop to read from her poetry collection and talk about her writing, as well as exhibiting some of her paintings.
18-30 January 2011
Martin Crimp: "City"
To tie in with the Grütli theatre's French-language production of Martin Crimp's play "City" from 18-30th January, OffTheShelf has the original English language version of his play available in-store. Martin Crimp will be making a personal appearance at the Grütli on Saturday 29th January, and another of his plays is being produced at Le Poche theatre from 17 January to 13 February.
> listen to WRS's feature on Martin Crimp (broadcast on 18th January 2011)
To tie in with the Grütli theatre's French-language production of Martin Crimp's play "City" from 18-30th January, OffTheShelf has the original English language version of his play available in-store. Martin Crimp will be making a personal appearance at the Grütli on Saturday 29th January, and another of his plays is being produced at Le Poche theatre from 17 January to 13 February.
> listen to WRS's feature on Martin Crimp (broadcast on 18th January 2011)
Tuesday 25 January 2011
Guy Pratt: "My bass and other animals"
The Bass player for Pink Floyd, Madonna, David Bowie, The Smiths, Jimmy Page, Michael Jackson, Bryan Ferry and many others returns to Switzerland to present his hilarious and revealing one man show about life with the world's Rock 'n' Roll Royalty. OffTheShelf was present at the 'Funny Laundry' show, selling copies of Guy's book that he signed after the show! Visit the Funny Laundry website for more details about the show.
The Bass player for Pink Floyd, Madonna, David Bowie, The Smiths, Jimmy Page, Michael Jackson, Bryan Ferry and many others returns to Switzerland to present his hilarious and revealing one man show about life with the world's Rock 'n' Roll Royalty. OffTheShelf was present at the 'Funny Laundry' show, selling copies of Guy's book that he signed after the show! Visit the Funny Laundry website for more details about the show.
Thursday 11 November 2010
Beatrice Bressan: "History of international research networking: The people who made it happen"
The first book written and edited by the people who developed the Internet, this book deals with the history of creating universal protocols and a global data transfer network. The result is 'the' authoritative source on the topic, providing a vast amount of insider knowledge unavailable elsewhere. Despite the huge number of contributors, the text is uniform in style and level, and of interest to every scientist and a must-have for all network developers as well as agencies dealing with the Net.
The first book written and edited by the people who developed the Internet, this book deals with the history of creating universal protocols and a global data transfer network. The result is 'the' authoritative source on the topic, providing a vast amount of insider knowledge unavailable elsewhere. Despite the huge number of contributors, the text is uniform in style and level, and of interest to every scientist and a must-have for all network developers as well as agencies dealing with the Net.
Friday 24 September 2010
Diccon Bewes: "Swiss watching: Inside Europe's landlocked island"
Swiss Watching is a light-hearted yet revealing journey around Europe's most individual country. From seeking Heidi and finding the best chocolate to reliving a bloody past and exploring an uncertain future, Swiss Watching proves that there's more to Switzerland than banks, skis, francs and cheese.
Swiss Watching is a light-hearted yet revealing journey around Europe's most individual country. From seeking Heidi and finding the best chocolate to reliving a bloody past and exploring an uncertain future, Swiss Watching proves that there's more to Switzerland than banks, skis, francs and cheese.
