David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell

Malcolm Gladwell's "David and Goliath" is about perceived advantages and disadvantages, and how they may not be all that they seem. The points are brought to life using stories of real-life people.

For example the introduction discusses Goliath the giant and how he was felled by the tiny shepherd boy David. We assume Goliath, because he is big and dressed as a warrior, will win the battle but really the weapons used, plus other things, put him at a disadvantage, as evident from the outcome of the bout.

Then we get into the book proper with a chapter looking at a youth basketball coach doing things unconventionally to great effect despite the fact the team has not the best players.

Other chapters of the book look at:

• whether smaller class sizes are better
• whether being a small fish in a big pond, e.g. a great institution like a top university, is better than being a big fish in a smaller pond
• whether dyslexia is a disadvantage or a desirable difficulty
• how losing a parent at a young age, a traumatic experience, can lead to a different, possibly advantageous outlook in life later
• how when you have nothing to lose you can have unexpected power
• and so on.

All the while this is told through people's real stories, some of which are really touching like the way leukemia used to mean certain death for the kids who had it, but thanks to pioneers is now a treatable cancer.

Overall then this is a readable book that gets you thinking about things differently, although the focus is on the positive attributes rather than the negative, e.g. dyslexia and how one third of entrepreneurs are dyslexic with only a brief mention how kids with dyslexia are more likely to end up in the juvenile system. Also at the end the same idea seems to be presented multiple times. But a good read nonetheless.

Amazon UK link: David and Goliath

Publication date: 8 May 2014

Life Stinks! (Knightmare) by Peter Bently

My 7-year-old daughter read this and rates it 4 out of 5.

She told me the basic story which sees Sir Percy going into a fight with Sir Roland the Rotten. She showed me the drawings of the main characters at the beginning of the book, both those on the good side and those on the bad side. She told me about the journey through the woods to Sir Roland's and how a final fight takes place in front of the king and queen despite the good guy not being able to see through the armour.

Her favourite bit involved painting a mouse black, although the rain washed it off later.

Overall this was an appropriate read for her with a few black and white drawings along the way too, and a story she enjoyed.

Amazon UK link: Life Stinks!

Publication date: 7 April 2014

Always Managing: My Autobiography by Harry Redknapp

I read the John Crace biography of Harry Redknapp "Harry's Games: Inside the Mind of Harry Redknapp" so thought I'd read this, the autobiography too. Needless to say this is better as it comes straight from the horse's mouth and isn't just someone else's interpretation of the man.

The opening chapter is great. It focuses on Harry's very public 2012 tax evasion trial and shows real vulnerability. A moving chapter indeed.

Other bits of the book allow Redknapp to address other things that have been said about him in the past, e.g. as in the aforementioned John Crace book, like accusations he took bungs, how he likes to hire "yes men" as assistant managers, how he financially crippled Portsmouth and how he is "tactically naive." Harry says, "I know I wouldn't have lasted as long as this in the game if I didn't know how to set up and organise a team, and improve players." You have to agree with Harry.

The book obviously takes you through his career too, right from youth teams Burdett Boys, East London Boys, training with Spurs twice a week around 1960-61, signing for West Ham, "a place where I felt I would get a chance," then Bournemouth, Seattle Sounders, Phoenix Fire before management first with Bobby Moore at Oxford City, then assistant and manager at Bournemouth winning the Associate Members Cup and promotion, "the highest up the league that Bournemouth had ever been," then West Ham winning the Intertoto Cup, Portsmouth winning the Championship, then Southampton and the abuse, back to Portsmouth and winning the FA Cup before Spurs and the Champion's League and his first season at QPR.

There are plenty of anecdotes along the way too on the characters Harry has met. There is Bobby Moore who Harry thinks should have been treated better. "Seeing him struggle confirmed to me that nobody in this game really gives a monkey's about you once you'be served your purpose." And then there are the stories about the players he's managed like Paolo di Canio for example, as well as various relationships with chairmen and other managers.

So overall an enjoyable read about one of the game's most colourful and likeable characters.

Amazon UK link: Always Managing: My Autobiography by Harry Redknapp

Publication date: 22 May 2014

Zebra Crossing by Meg Vandermerwe

Zebra Crossing" is about a Zimbabwean albino girl, 17, called Chipo, making her way across the border to a new life in South Africa with her older brother George (hence the title with it's black and white zebra crossing reference).

"In South Africa there are plenty of jobs. We won't have to crawl on our hands and knees to earn a pittance," says George.

But South Africa is not quite the promised land they were hoping for, even with the World Cup seven months away. "Certain nationalities, certain jobs." You need to start from the bottom.

Then the trouble starts. "Just you wait. When the World Cup is finished we will drive all you foreigners out! If you stay, you will burn!"

So there is a deadline, July 11, to make as much money as possible before fleeing.

This is when Doctor Ongani - an enterprising witchdoctor/conman - gets involved. With his "real live albino" he can give you "special extra powerful muti to improve your luck," even when it comes to gambling on the World Cup.

Money is good but the consequences are disastrous leading to the unexpected ending.

Overall a well-written story that really puts you into the lives of immigrants starting from the bottom in South Africa. If you like this book also try "Now is the Time for Running" which is about two Zimbabwean brothers, one disabled, making a similar journey to South Africa with the theme of football also running through it.

Amazon UK link: Zebra Crossing

Publication date: 6 Mar 2014

Harry's Games: Inside the mind of Harry Redknapp by John Crace

Whatever Harry Redknapp is, "football genius or wheeler dealer", there is no denying he is one of football's most colourful characters, ideal material for a biography. So what of this one?

Well the book obviously takes you through Harry's long football career but breaks it up a bit with every second chapter looking at Harry's 2012 tax evasion trial and the subsequent period where he was a shoe-in to take over as England manager. The other bit of controversy (again not guilty) looks at bung allegations relating to transfers of Rio Ferdinand and Amdy Faye, although these are just mentions really.

The career chapters take Redknapp from "working-class boy in post-war London" through to his appointment as QPR manager with all the rest in between:

- a quick summary of his playing career where he was unlucky to emerge as a winger when "wingers began to go out of fashion"

- a quick mention of his time as assistant manager to Bobby Moore at Oxford City

- moving to Bournemouth as asssistant to David Webb and Don Megson with a caretaker spell in between (first game a 9-0 loss) before becoming permanent manager

- subsequent managerial spells at West Ham, Portsmouth, Southampton, Portsmouth again, Spurs then that appointment at QPR

Along the way the author tries to bring some insight into the real Harry (the strapline for the book being "inside the mind of Harry Redknapp") but I don't think there is anything here you won't know. There is the talk about how Redknapp "knew a decent footballer when he saw one" and how "some players described him as tactically naive", more about how Harry was in it for himself ("money had always been more attractive to Redknapp than prestige"), and how "when people are caught in his warmth, he makes them feel like world-beaters; but when the light goes out, they feel hurt and a bit lost."

So no new insights here but an interesting book, although I don't know how it compares to the other Harry Redknapp books out there, on a guy who "over the years, has acquired the status of national teasure. Football writers like because he gives 'good quote' and the fans like him because his teams generally play entertaining football."

Amazon UK link: Harry's Games

Publication date: 18 April 2013

Asterix Omnibus 2 by Goscinny and Uderzo

This book combines the fourth to sixth Asterix adventures into one volume. 

The fourth Asterix adventure is Asterix the Gladiator. Odius Asparagus, the Prefect of Gaul, is going on leave to Rome and wants to take a present for Caesar. "I have a brilliant idea! Why not take Caesar one of the invincible Gauls?"

The least intimidating of the indomitable Gauls is Cacofonix the bard so he is the one kidnapped and taken to Rome. Asterix and Obelix are hot on their heels though to tryand get their bard back. While in Rome they find out that Caesar wants to throw him to the lions at the next games in Circus Maximus, and "only condemned men, lions and gladiators get into the circus," so they train to be gladiators.

The book features fights galore, at which Obelix collects helmets of the people (mainly Romans) he beats as part of a competition wqace with the liberating Roman Army, except this one little village of dissidents."

After he fails to battle them into submission he has another idea. "We shall isolate the Gaulish village from the outside world. You'll have to be self-sufficient and live on the produce of your own village! The outside world will forget you."

Asterix has other ideas though and makes a bet that he and Obelix will be able to escape, go on a tour of Gaul and return with all the local food specialties from all over Gaul as proof, serving them in a big banquet.

"And this is the start of the famous tour of Gaul."

The plot is a bit busy, I feel, and it would be most appreciated if you knew France and the stereotypes of its people. However there are still some good jokes in here, mainly relating to Obelix's weight and some of the character names, such as a guy they meet who betrays them called Unpatriotix, and two highwaymen they encounter, Villanus and Unscrupulus. The pirates feature again, and Dogmatix is introduced, although not by name.

Overall maybe not the best Asterix but that is because of the high standards of the other ones, including the next one: Asterix and Cleopatra which is one of the best.

Cleopatra makes a bet with Caesar to prove that Egypt is a great nation. “In three months’ time I’ll have a magnificent palace built for you in Alexandria!”

Cleopatra gets local architect Edifis to build it but three months is not enough time, although he has an idea. He can use the magic powers of his friend the druid Getafix.

So Asterix, Obelix and Getafix, or as Caesar describes them, “an old druid with a white beard, a cunning little one and a stupid great oaf” go to Egypt to help build the temple.

Of course things aren’t plain sailing with Edifis’s rival architect Artifis doing his best to scupper their efforts, and Caesar himself interfering, but in the end the job is done. 

There are lots of jokes in this one with clever use of hieroglyphics in speech bubbles for example. All-in-all this is one of the best Asterix stories. Trouble now is you'll want to read the others.

Amazon UK link: Asterix Omnibus 2

Urban Outlaws by Peter Jay Black

The Urban Outlaws are five kids, Jack, Charlie, Obi, Slink and Wren, each of whom bring different skills to the table. Their purpose is to seize "the financial assets of arms dealers, thugs, gangsters, and give it to hospitals, charities and carers" whilst avoiding the threat of being returned to children's homes. A modern day Robin Hood and his merry men if you like.

This is the first book in the series and the book takes you right into the action right from the beginning as they use their home-made James Bond style gadgetry to go on a raid. But there are no Union Jack parachutes here, just more sensible black ones. And the focus of their work is being clever with computers, although you don't need to be a computer geek to understand what is going on.

However this initial raid leads the kids into something bigger than they could have ever imagined, taking on the world's most advanced computer.

All in all a great book for teenagers and young adults alike, although the incompetence of the adults might seem a bit much. But this keeps the story moving along nicely with the suspense and action sure to keep you hooked.

Publication date: 13 March 2014

Amazon UK link: Urban Outlaws

Charlie Merrick's Misfits in Fouls' Friends' & Football by Dave Cousins

"FOOTBALL - it's all I ever think about" begins Charlie Merrick at the beginning of this book. And if that is you too then this is the book for you.

Charlie Merrick is captain of North Star Galaxy under-12s. Trouble is most of the team from the previous season has left to form a new team, and all the players left are "misfits". Charlie himself says his "feet are not quite as good at football as his brain" for example.

Charlie sees a competition - "Would your team like to take part in a pre-match tournament at this summer's world cup finals?" and enters North Star, which involves writing a diary about his team's season (essentially this book), complete with pictures throughout as he is also a budding cartoonist. This means things like player cards and statman facts based on real-life football facts appear along the way, plus bits of comic strip, which helps break up the text for young readers and leads to the comparisons between this book and the Tom Gates books for example. The text itself is in a child friendly font too.

Anyway the first match report sees an 11-0 loss, but as the manager says, "Remember lads, football's not just about winning" which is just as well for the misfits. Other clever things in the book include splitting it into two halves, just like a football match, and little details like that that will appeal to football fans.

Ultimately the story is about friendship and teamwork and has an excellent crescendo with funny moments along the way. It would suit children who love football but as a 33-year-old football fan I too found it unputdownable and finished it within the day.

Publication date: 1 May 2014

Amazon UK link:  Charlie Merrick's Misfits in Fouls, Friends, & Football