The Ladybird Book of the Meeting (Ladybirds for Grown-Ups)

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The authors begin by informing us that 'People at work spend a lot of the day in meetings', which can be true on occasions but I often found that meetings went on far too long as idle chit chat wasted so much time. And an interesting comment is that the refreshments provided can tell a lot about a meeting; fruit, for instance, can mean 'the meeting is very serious' [I must confess I have never been to a meeting where fruit was provided - sorry I have just remembered that is not quite true, I once went to a meeting at The Dorchester Hotel in Wimbledon fortnight and the organisers provided strawberries and cream - I think they wanted some concessions from HM Treasury!] while biscuits suggests 'it is a happy meeting'. I must confess when I chaired meetings in my office I never provided refreshments (other than carafes of water), it generally kept the meeting short. But it was the Key Words Reading Scheme, which brought siblings Peter and Jane to primary schools in the 1960s, that opened the floodgates to the new retro spoofs – and it wasn’t the idea of Ladybird’s own publisher, Penguin Random House, but of an artist provocateur, Miriam Elia. Wills & Hepworth produced the very first Ladybird book titles during the First World War, including Tiny Tots Travels and Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales The company has also had to adapt its titles as attitudes have changed - In the 'People at Work' series - popular in the 1960s - men did nearly all the jobs It’s a practical text, using various scenarios to illustrate each point. These insights can’t be learned in a classroom. They’re the culmination of extensive experience in real world environments over many years.

The large clear script, the careful choice of words, the frequent repetition and the thoughtful matching of text with pictures all enable grown-ups to think they have taught themselves to cope. For what it's worth, the books in this series are published in the U.K. as "Ladybirds for Grown-Ups". The "Fireside Grown-Up Guides" are now starting to be published in the U.S. by Simon & Schuster, and are fairly faithful adaptations. Either way you can find them, as Ladybirds or as Fireside Grown-Up Guides, these books are a hoot. This book explores 'The Meeting'. Those never ending sessions at work where you all sit round a table, maybe on a regular basis, listening to someone go on about something that actually isnt really important. Whilst some of the jokes here are not dissimilar to the ones you may find on Facebook memes in groups about work, there are some unexpected gems here. The jokes about the cupboard and the cement were amusing in their surprise, being slightly out of place amongst some of the more standard jokes, but there are other lines that caught me by surprise. In today's dynamic, with the paradigm of equilibrium thrown out for that of entropic change, and the need for a forward looking, sustainable vision of progress management leading to clear structural differentiation, this book is just what the budding leader and meeting attendee needs to read.This delightful book is the latest in the series of Ladybird books which have been specially planned to help grown-ups with the world about them. And by the time they get home, Jonathan's father might have finished being racist and fallen asleep in his liquorice allsorts.' Although read in about ten minutes this was thereby granted more attention than many gifts presented to my husband over the years. The Climate Change book has a rather different purpose, to campaign for change in a politically treacherous area. “It is the result,” according to co-author Prince Charles, “of a conversation I had with a friend following my return from having spoken at the opening session of the Paris Climate Change Summit that took place in December 2015.” With a comic pomposity that could pass for a spoof itself, Climate Change not only has three authors but declares itself to have been peer-reviewed by eight learned meteorologists. It’s quite remarkable how much information is contained in one small book. As well as the above, this book delves into the impact of different meeting spaces, appropriate catering, workplace diversity and the importance of structure to achieve the best results from a meeting.

To make this eccentric behaviour seem less like a cry for help or the beginnings of a substantial personal crisis, the do-gooder does it for charity. Whilst I can empathise with much in 'The Ladybird Book of the Meeting' I do not find it terrifically humorous - very factual in parts but humorous, no; it is probably me who appreciates the old fashioned Ladybird books much more than these modern offerings. Why aren't I at home? Am I running away from home? Am I scared of home? Why is my brain full of weird, horrible thoughts? Is it because running is so very, very boring? THE PERFECT GIFT for anyone who likes a glass of red. And a double gin. And a vodka shot. And a flaming tequila. And a candy floss caipirinha . . . and a small Bahama Mama. The journey from educational mind-expanders to dinner party conversation-starters arguably began many decades ago when comedians began to poke fun at the earnestness of the stout little tugbooks that had pride of place in homes and classrooms across the UK. Even the prat-falling Frank Spencer of the 70s TV sitcom Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em, had a book called Learn to Fly with Ladybird.

From the people who gave you classics such as The Ladybird Book of The Hangover and The Ladybird Book of The Mid-Life Crisis, they bring you this collection of what could have been. Imagine a world where there aren't just the thirty-two Ladybird Books for Grown-Ups you've seen in your local bookshop or downstairs toilet but hundreds and hundreds more . . . The series pokes fun at issues that we as adults take so seriously and it says things that we all think but which we are much too polite or proper to say out loud. Of course some work meetings are vital and crucial for business, others are an utter waste of time. The Learnabout books of the 1960s helped children to develop new interests, but Ladybird's focus on non-fiction brought some unusual results. How it Works: The Motor Car (published in 1965) was used by Thames Valley police driving school as a general guide. In this coffee-table book you don't have to, with never before seen covers, excerpts and paraphernalia from the archives, colourfully presented and helpfully divided into the following chapters:

And you sit there trying not to sleep, thinking about all the things you could have been doing with your time. Indeed, there is so much information captured in so few words, it’s entirely possible this review has a higher word count than the book. Arguably, this makes the book one of the most fact-rich business texts available today, a powerhouse of business knowledge that punches well above its weight, which is exactly 127 grams.They present the podcast Rule of Three ( Guardian Guide Best 50 Podcasts 2018 - is that an award?) and divide their time between their office, where they keep their awards, and an award-winning pub. The essential guide for those looking to reinvent themselves starting next week, next month or next year . . . The large clear script, the careful choice of words, the frequent repetition and the thoughtful matching of text with pictures all enable grown-ups to think they have taught themselves to cope. Featuring original Ladybird artwork alongside brilliantly funny, brand new text. Furthermore, it doesn’t just look at these topics from a standard business point of view. It also includes these dynamics for remote workers participating in meetings by conference calls, meetings for self-employed people and the effect on profit and loss when people are unable to attend a meeting for any reason. It even includes this analysis for other organisations with a captivating case study about The Worshipful Company of Victorian Time Travellers.