Maureen Anderson

Between 1900 and 1958, 55 men were hanged at Durham Gaol. This fascinating little book gives a brief description of the crimes of each of the condemned their trial and conviction and how they faced their end, along with descriptions of the gaol itself and the men who performed the executions. Most of the crimes are domestic, overwhelmingly involving men murdering their wives or paramours for perceived infidelity, but also some shocking sex crimes and murders of children. This book will interest anyone interested in the history of social history, crime and punishment and how the ultimate penalty was carried out in regional Britain in the period immediately before its abolition. Highly recommended.… (altro)

This isn't so much a guide to finding your career as it is a collection of stories and essays on the topic from a wide range of people; the "8 simple rules" are just an attempt to impose structure on the essays by grouping them vaguely according to the message they contain.

There are some wise people among those whose contributions are featured, including people like Richard Bolles and Marshall Goldsmith who have made names for themselves helping people with their careers. There are also plenty of fairly ordinary people doing fairly ordinary jobs after extraordinary career changes.

While the editor has obviously made an effort to bring in people with a wide range of experiences, truth be told the stories get a bit samey. Most follow the pattern of "I was making six figures in the brillo-pad industry, but I wasn't happy, so I gave it all up to sell window boxes hand made from my husband's toenail clippings and now I couldn't be happier."

I suspect different stories will inspire different people, which probably justifies their inclusion. Though some of them border on rambling or self-promotion none are inappropriately long, so even if you find a few of them dull it doesn't spoil the book too much.

Probably the best way to enjoy this book is not to rush it, and to read the stories a few at a time. All in all not a bad book if you need career inspiration, but it's not a how-to manual.… (altro)