Expand Your Mind – read ‘Lonely Londoners’

Picked this up on the recommendation of a friend after discussing 1950’s calypso music, it’s a modern classic I hadn’t heard of telling the tale of a small group of (mainly) Trinidadian immigrants in London in the fifties.

Buy The Lonely Londoners by Sam Selvon on Amazon now

Sam Selvon eschews ‘Standard’ English and fuses the patois of the main characters into the language of the book – it is an interesting concept and challenges the reader to hear the characters much more clearly.

As the stories develop, the book exposes the pathos of an immigrants life in London, the colour bar, austerity Britain and a lack of jobs are in conflict with the natural indomitable spirit of Moses, Sir Galahad and Cap – the standout scene being a dance attended by all the key characters and hosted by a ‘lahdedah’ friend who tries to impress the white guests he has bought. Priceless images of calypso dances and ‘slackness’ ensue.

This is a marvellous book, that shows how cold and unforgiving London can be, and how the diversity of the city can also shine through.

Which digital distraction is biggest?

Getting Things Done has become an industry in its own right – as have the zillions of productivity blogs that have popped up to grab our interest. It is easy to become obsessed with getting productive, rather than actually doing the stuff in the first place.

However, it is actually quite simple – there is a hierarchy of distractions, where one channel trumps the next and evokes specific emotions.

(click to enlarge – original here)

This chart explains exactly what is at the top of the chart – a text message is only trumped by a loved one shutting the laptop on your fingers!

Found here – and a book – Visual Miscellaneum to accompany (I’ve ordered mine)

One to read – Defiant!

Everyone is facing into the challenges of the new economy – and we could all use some sage advice. Luckily there is lots to be found in ‘Defiant!’ – a fantastic e-book packed with great strategies and simple suggestions for dealing with tough times.

Written by Rajesh Setty (subscribe now – I’ll wait while you do), and featuring tips from some of the most inspirational writers around, including Seth Godin and Phil Gerbyshak.

I enjoyed every page of this e-book – and found some great suggestions, you can download ‘Defiant!’ for free by clicking here. Add it to your reading list today.

What other great resources have you found?