The sleepyheads bedside companion by Sean Coughlan

March 6, 2009 learning No Comments

This book is a fascinating look at the world of sleep, it’s very funny and very interesting, packed full of amazing facts about sleep!

It takes a look at the history, and folklore of sleep and the science. It’s full of fascinating facts that you probably never knew like the siesta was once a British tradition. It answers all the questions that any sleep lover has always wanted to know, does counting sheep really work?  Who was it that invented pyjamas? And why do dogs yawn so much when they get so much sleep. It looks back through the history of sleep and answers questions like did Edwardian children have more sleep than today’s children?

Sleep is many people’s favourite part of the day, most people can’t wait to get to bed or to have a power hour, it’s not just a pleasure but also essential to our health.

We have all experienced good and bad dreams or nightmares as they are better known, but where did the word nightmare come from? Why do we have recurring dreams?  And what do Freud, Bugs Bunny, and the surrealists have to do with dreams.

Teach yourself complete Spanish

February 15, 2009 learning No Comments

Teach yourself ;complete Spanish is an excellent book for anyone wanting to learn to speak and write in Spanish, whether your a complete beginer or a bit dusty and just wanting to brush up on the language its a really good place to start.

The book guides you through the basics of Spanish, from greeting people to shopping it will provide you with all the tools that you need to write and speak confidently. The book is full of excercises to practice and make sure you are picking iy up ok. There is also  4 cd’s that come with the book, which are an essential part of the course. The cd’s help you to understand how to prounounce words the correct way. Once you’ve read a section in the book you must listen to the same section on CD to ensure you understand.

There are many activities in the work book to keep you learning, and you can check you answers in the back of the book. The best way to learn is to have someone to study with so you can test and converse with each other.

I would definatley reccomend this book, great for beginers or even just for someone who wants to learn the basics for a holiday.