Mark Palmer

Andrea Pirlo

Alessandro Alciato

Pirlo's profile could not be much higher, having competed in the Champions League final in May 2015 and then embarking on a new career signing with MLS side New York City FC in July 2015. The vibrancy, humor and vivid insight that carry Pirlo's autobiography along confounds his image as a dead-eyed assassin on the field of play. All the big names are in there: Lippi, Ancelotti, Conte, Maldini, Shevchenko, Seedorf, Buffon, Kaka, Nesta, Costacurta, Gattuso, Berlusconi and Ronaldo ("the real one"). But they're not always in their work clothes. We hear Berlusconi playing the piano and telling "various types" of joke at Milan's training ground. We see Pirlo and Daniele De Rossi drawing Nesta's ire as they take him on a mystery tour of the German countryside in a hire car days before a World Cup semi-final. And we smell the aftermath of Filippo Inzaghi's graphically described pre-match routine.

I Think Therefore I Play

Clarks' reach extends to all corners of the globe and yet it remains a family-owned business firmly rooted in its Quaker origins, (unlike other well known Quaker firms like Cadburys, now part of US giant Kraft.) Founded in 1825 by two brothers, Cyrus and James Clark, the company began as a rug-making operation in the then tiny village of Street, Somerset. One day, James Clark began making slippers from off-cuts of rugs and found that people wanted to buy them. Slippers became shoes and boots - and a business was born. Over the years it has had its ups and downs but it has always strived to remain true to its Quaker values in its commitment to the well-being of its workforce and the local community. Schools, libraries and recreation halls were built - and trade unions banned. As the sun set on the British Empire, Clarks opened up new frontiers across the world. Clarks brand logo became one of the most famous in the world. Every parent in the 1950s swore by Clarks shoes for their children as well as buying them for themselves. But increased competition from within the UK and overseas saw concerns for the future heightened during the 1980s. A hostile bid for the company in the early 1990s saw the board and the family split. Eventually, shareholders voted to reject the bid. The company was reorganised with all its lines made outside the country. This resulted in the closure of all its UK factories and the laying off of hundreds of Clarks employees. But the outcome has been a transformation in the company's fortunes. In 2010 its profits were over 100 million and its retro desert boots and other styles have become the height of fashion, especially in China and America.

The story of Britain's best-known shoe firm

Clarks: Made to Last

Scott Solder

Imagine how much easier your life could be if you could get people on your side instantly. If you had the skills of effortless persuasion that produced the results you wanted and needed, when you needed them. Like a How to Win Friends and Influence Peoplefor the 21stcentury, You Need This Bookis a powerful recipe for getting what you want in life, from a better job to how to get served quickly at a busy restaurant. Trained by Paul McKenna, Mark Palmer and Scott Solder are experts in interpersonal dynamics. Until now, their elite techniques have been available only to high-paying clients, who have seen fantastic results in performance after attending their 'You Need This' seminars. Bringing their infectious personalities and clear, accessible style to a wider audience, Palmer and Solder impart their in-depth knowledge of how to influence people - in business and in personal life - with humour and a very British voice. From getting rid of 'toxic autopilots', to learning how to read people's moods, the book is an invaluable tool for anyone who wants to get on in life and get the job, relationship and happiness they deserve.

... to get what you want

You Need This Book ...

With the removal of not only Saddam Hussein but also Jean-Betrand Aristide, as well as the ongoing civil war against Charles Taylor in Liberia, much has changed in the world of dictators since the first publication of this work less than a year ago. Drawing on his 25 years of extensive diplomatic experience, Ambassador Palmer asks us to embrace a bold vision of a world made safe by democracy. This is the story of the remaining dictators, the strategy and tactics to oust them, and the need to empower the people of every nation to control their own destinies.

Mark Palmer

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