In the final lines of this inspiring book Turok says, “What a privilege it is to be alive. Truly, we are faced with the opportunity of all time.” Which sums up the entire work very thoroughly as a deep appreciation of what has gone before in the establishment of the world as we know it today and the tremendous scope that lies before us all to move into the future, but always to be reminded that the future holds on guarantees: the only guarantee if you like, is that it will be whatever we choose to make of it.

Granny just loves to help – a little bit of magic always speeds things along – and she’s happy to whizz out her ‘helping kit’ at the drop of a pointy hat. However, sometimes all her granddaughter wants is to do things under her own steam, and to spend some quality time – well, normal(ish) time – with her beloved granny.

This is truly a book of words and a word on books – do pardon the pun - but what a joy to open the pages of book that states (at least the Author does) this book is not to be taken seriously and should not, definitely not, be read at one sitting.

Not even two sittings, but many sittings so you can truly digest the finesse of the English language; Or at least words that have long gone out of fashionable use but still have the delicious, full bodied sumptuousness of words which mean something a whole lot more than the ordinary.

In his journey through many, many dictionaries Mark Forsyth has gathered together an enormous collection of words which are simply fascinating in their sounds as well as their meanings.

In order to present these in a setting which will not only re-introduce them into modern language but do complete justice to their meaning he has created, in his words “a day’s jaunt through the lost words of the English language.”

Commencing with Dawn the chapter deals with washing and waking; something everyone has done since time immemorial but the words used then are not the words used now, leaving the language of the 20^th century that much less colourful.

It has long been said that a dog is man’s/woman’s best friend but it is not until you hear tell the myriad of stories that underline just that and often more, that you feel the love, given unconditionally to their humans by all the doggy characters who share in the pages of this book.

Love, laughter, joy and happiness, all given in a timely manner are illustrated in story after heart-warming story about people, dogs, life and the difference a little furry character called a dog can make in a life.