What I'm reading ...

I have started Gut: the inside story of our body's most under-rated organ by Giulia Enders. It was time for some more non-fiction and this book was recommended to me. Here’s the blurb:

Our gut is almost as important to us as our brain or our heart, yet we know very little about how it works. In Gut, Giulia Enders shows that rather than the utilitarian and — let’s be honest — somewhat embarrassing body part we imagine it to be, it is one of the most complex, important, and even miraculous parts of our anatomy. And scientists are only just discovering quite how much it has to offer; new research shows that gut bacteria can play a role in everything from obesity and allergies to Alzheimer’s.
Beginning with the personal experience of illness that inspired her research, and going on to explain everything from the basics of nutrient absorption to the latest science linking bowel bacteria with depression, Enders has written an entertaining, informative health handbook. Gut definitely shows that we can all benefit from getting to know the wondrous world of our inner workings.
In this charming book, young scientist Giulia Enders takes us on a fascinating tour of our insides. Her message is simple — if we treat our gut well, it will treat us well in return. But how do we do that? And why do we need to? Find out in this surprising, and surprisingly funny, exploration of the least understood of our organs.

Restless - by William Boyd

Another book that was an enjoyable read. An interestingly complex story, with two timelines that always made sense. I felt that I learned something about history - particularly in the US just prior to their joining in to WW2 - even though the book is purely fiction. If I have any reservation about the book, it is that the two main characters, from whose viewpoint it is written, are female, but the author is male, and I think that shows from time to time. However, this is another author to whom I will return.

What I'm reading ...

I have started Restless by William Boyd. Time for fiction gain and I have not read anything by this author for quite a while. Here’s the blurb:

What happens to your life when everything you thought you knew about your mother turns out to be an elaborate lie? Ruth Gilmartin discovers the strange and haunting truth about her mother, Sally, during the long hot summer of 1976. For Sally Gilmartin is not what she seems at all. Russian by birth, she was recruited into the British Secret Service in Paris in 1939 and spent the war years as a spy. But once a spy, always a spy. Sally Gilmartin has far too many dangerous secrets, and she has no one to trust. Before it is too late, she must confront the demons of her past. This time though she can't do it alone, she needs Ruth's help. "Restless" is yet another tour de force from William Boyd. Exploring the devastating consequences of duplicity and betrayal, it is a thrilling novel that captures the drama of the Second World War and a remarkable portrait of a female spy.

Business for Punks: Break All the Rules - the BrewDog Way - by James Watt

Here's the blurb for this book:

Don't waste your time on bullshit business plans. Forget sales. Ignore advice. Put everything on the line for what you believe in.

These mantras have turned BrewDog into one of the world's fastest-growing drinks brands, famous for beers, bars and crowdfunding.

Founded by a pair of young Scots with a passion for great beer, BrewDog has catalysed the craft beer revolution, rewritten the record books and inadvertently forged a whole new approach to business.

In BUSINESS FOR PUNKS, BrewDog co-founder James Watt bottles the essence of this success. From finances ('chase down every cent, pimp every pound') to marketing ('lead with the crusade, not the product') this is an anarchic, indispensable guide to thriving on your own terms.

---

I got this book because I am a fan of Brewdog's products and I am one of the numerous investors in the company. I have no plans to start and run a business, but I am always interested in views on this topic and people who take radical new approaches are always interesting. 

I read this book very quickly. It has a fast-paced style that keeps the pages turning. The author has very strong opinions and is not afraid to share them. He is very sure that his way is right and that confidence, to the point of arrogance, oozes from the book. He cites his success with Brewdog for the rightness of his ideas and advice. Who am I to say he's wrong?

The book is full of good quotes and one-liners:

"Your brand is the collated gut instinct of the world at large towards your company and everything you do."

"Attitude is the difference between a setback and an adventure."

"Start a revolution, not a business."

And from Estée Lauder:

"I love reading fashion magazines, they show me exactly what I shouldn't be doing."

By then end of the book, I was so caught up in his enthusiasm, that I thought that I should go out and start a business ... 

The Last Anniversary - by Liane Moriarty

Another book by this author has delivered. The story is complex, with multiple threads. Some do not lead anywhere much, but they intertwine to give the whole story breadth as well as depth. At the end, when all the surprises are over and all of the interesting twists and turns are complete, the loose ends are mostly tied up too.

I would not claim that this book is a great work of literature, but it is a darned good read, that could be hard to put down. I will be returning to this author's work.