Kirjahaku

Polly Marie was fostered eight times in her first year of life, the last time so abusive she had to spend a week in hospital. This left baby Polly withdrawn and deeply unhappy. A couple, wanting a sister for their three-year-old daughter, adopted Polly and slowly taught her to trust again . But all too soon her life fell apart again. And finding out during a playground argument that she was adopted added to her feelings of fear and insecurity. This book is a compellingly honest and open account of events in her life that had a major emotional impact. It is the story of her complicated relationships with her adoptive mother and her biological mother, whom she traced as an adult. Nothing was straightforward; she could never have predicted the outcome. "I was emotionally drained reading Polly's story. I was there with her every step. It's cruel that anyone would treat a human being in this way, especially a child. It's a miracle that she did survive." Helen Robinson, former Chief Executive, Lincoln MIND.

When Polly Fielding's son Nathan was diagnosed unexpectedly with severe haemophilia, the only thing she could recall about this blood disorder was "One scratch and you'll bleed to death".Based on the premise that knowledge eradicates fear, Polly thoroughly researched the subject, consulting with sufferers, haematologists and haemophilia nurse specialists.Polly takes us from the shock of diagnosis through the difficulties of coping with the reactions of Nathan's brothers and sister, who also have their say in this book.And she shows us how it is perfectly possible to live a normal, happy family life, with haemophilia receding into the background.This book is invaluable for any family where there is child with a disability. It has been recommended by both the London-based Haemophilia Society and the World Federation of Hemophilia. This is the just the kind of book that Polly would have wanted to read (if it had been available) when her small son was first diagnosed with haemophilia - empathic, informative and reassuring.The late Claire Rayner, writer, broadcaster and onetime chair of the Patients' Association, wrote about the paperback edition of this book: "Reading technical books about haemophilia is the easiest thing to do and the hardest way of learning what it is really like to have the disease in the family. This is the book you really need to get a rounded picture of what a very distressing genetic disorder can do to an average family. By all means read the technical books afterwards, but read this one first."

Polly Fielding has no idea what she is letting herself in for when, on impulse, she decides to blow her savings on a tiny apartment in Paris. She views it as an exciting adventure until, having paid the deposit, she comes face to face with reality. Struggling to use a rudimentary grasp of French, she tries to cope with situations rapidly spirally out of her control and grapples desperately with the infamous French bureaucracy in her attempts to settle into an alien environment. Through trial and error (mainly error) she discovers the importance of always observing French etiquette in shops, on public transport, in everyday life... We are introduced to a randy Italian plumber, a drunken French electrician, the Parisian from hell, Polly's all-too-English husband and wayward daughter, not to mention the best and worst of Parisian toilets.Polly's bewilderment at the variety of ways in which the French differ from their British neighbors is evident.Meanwhile, she attempts to transform a semi-derelict shell into a homely, peaceful oasis.If you are familiar with Paris you will enjoy an alternative view of this amazing city and if you have never been there yet you could find yourself rushing to book a holiday there.As for the title, read on to find out why it's more than just a corny pun..."Fielding's affection for Paris and all things French shine through and make for a thoroughly enjoyable read." French Property News

In A Mind To Be free the reader is drawn compellingly into Polly's daily struggle with relationships, work, bringing up a family ... until she can no longer fight the pain of her past experiences without expert help. Despite severe self loathing and several suicide attempts, she struggles through the minefield of the mental health system to get the appropriate help. "A Mind To Be Free highlights how extremely hard it is for a person whose complex difficulties do not fit into simple categories of mental illness to find effective treatment. The author has had to struggle not only with her own problems but also with the weaknesses of mental health care." Rai Turton, Chartered Clinical Psychologist.

Crossing the Borderline tells how Polly finds the courage to slowly and painfully let go of the past and learns to cope in constructive ways with her powerful negative emotions, her sense of rejection and feelings of worthlessness."A balanced account of the lived experience of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy. This should be read by clinicians and service users alike. The first book to bring Dialectical Behaviour Therapy to life, this is a must-read for anybody who has an interest in this novel treatment." Paul Barrett, Nurse Specialist (Community Personality Disorders Service), Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Trust. Polly expresses herself throughout in the present tense, which gives a striking immediacy to her writing.

After successfully losing weight on the 5:2 diet, Polly Fielding gives a comprehensive explanation of why and how this easy-to-follow diet works so well for her and shows you how to make it work for you.Her book contains 24 tasty and varied, one-person menu plans for your reduced calorie days. Each ingredient (measured both in imperial and metric), every meal and the day's total are calorie-counted. Polly spreads her 500 calorie allowance over three meals a day to avoid any uncomfortable energy dips.She explains how to easily overcome any difficulties you may initially encounter on this diet. And she explores a Mindful Approach which makes preparing and eating food much more satisfying enjoyable and losing weight even easier.This book also contains a helpful calorie counter and a calorie chart to enable you to mix and match meals to suit yourself. The food faces are for illustration only, they are not serving suggestions

Polly Marie was fostered eight times in her first year of life, the last time so abusive she had to spend a week in hospital. This left baby Polly withdrawn and deeply unhappy.A couple, wanting a sister for their three-year-old daughter, adopted Polly and slowly taught her to trust again. But all too soon her life fell apart again. And finding out during a playground argument that she was adopted added to her feelings of fear and insecurity. This first book in this trilogy is an honest and open account of traumatic events in her life. It is about the relationships with her adoptive mother and the biological mother she traced as an adult."I was emotionally drained reading Polly's story. I was there with her every step. It's cruel that anyone would treat a human being in this way, especially a child. It's a miracle that she did survive." Helen Robinson, former Chief Executive, Lincoln MIND. In the second book, despite severe self loathing and several suicide attempts, Polly battles through the minefield of the mental health system to get the appropriate help."A Mind To Be Free highlights how extremely hard it is for a person whose complex difficulties do not fit into simple categories of mental illness to find effective treatment. The author has had to struggle not only with her own problems but also with the weaknesses of mental health care." Rai Turton, Chartered Clinical Psychologist.Crossing the Borderline tells how Polly learns to cope in constructive ways with her powerful negative emotions, her sense of rejection and feelings of worthlessness."A balanced account of the lived experience of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy. This should be read by clinicians and service users alike. The first book to bring Dialectical Behaviour Therapy to life, this is a must-read for anybody who has an interest in this novel treatment." Paul Barrett, Nurse Specialist (Community Personality Disorders Service), Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Trust.

Mindfulness - the ability to live fully in each moment - is, in essence, a simple concept and one that is essential to really appreciate and live life to the full.Polly Fielding has found that practising it regularly has enabled her not only to cope effectively with anxiety, stress and depression but also to develop self compassion. With over 100 carefully chosen quotes from skilled practitioners she leads you bit by bit to understand the power of mindfulness in your everyday life. In the paperback version, every quote is accompanied by a variation on the little flower shown on the back of the book.This is a book to dip into mindfully: keep it by your bedside and choose a quote to meditate on as you drift off to sleep. Or select one in the morning to reflect on during your day.

This book encompasses many of the best moments of Jeremy Paxman's career to date as a journalist and presenter, including transcripts from his most memorable interviews, particularly the ones on BBC2 television's Newsnight.Although he avoids talking about his private life, there are quotations from Paxman about himself. And others give their opinions of him. Paxman's views on a variety of subjects and his frequent flashes of irreverent wit give further insight into what makes him tick. One thing is for sure, no-one can fail to admire his fearless, direct and persistent questioning to uncover the truth.

Have you tried to diet and found hunger interfering with your enjoyment of it, despite your perseverance? Polly Fielding combines a simple and effective approach to mindfulness with the popular 5:2 way of eating. Her personal experience motivated her to share with you how easy and enjoyable it can be to adapt to this healthy weight loss lifestyle. In practical steps, she shows you how to mindfully improve your relationship with yourself and others as well as altering your relationship with food.

Do you sometimes find yourself overwhelmed by the demands of daily life?Are you feeling stressed, exhausted and unhappy but unsure about how to change anything in order to feel better?Do you spend much of your day thinking about something that happened in the past or worrying about what might happen in future? Or are you someone who rarely takes time to even notice what you are thinking or how you are feeling?If your answer is

The act of compassion is one of the nobler qualities of the human race. It is defined as the ability to feel and respond sensitively to the suffering of another. When we show or receive compassion, we experience a sense of the interdependence of humanity. We see it demonstrated daily in many guises: in the volunteers who operate food banks or work in hospices, the doctors and nurses who work in dangerous conditions in war-ravaged areas, simple gestures of comfort for someone bereaved...However, showing compassion to others is only half the story: self-compassion. frequently in short supply and usually harder to practise, is also necessary. Yet, noticing when we feel hurt, appreciating when we are finding life difficult, being kind, self-soothing and attentive to ourselves is so often brushed aside in the misguided belief that we are being selfish. The reality is though that if we are able to be compassionate to ourselves, the compassion we are able to offer others will be even greater.This book contains quotations from a wide cross-section of people past and present, on the theme of this most precious of human attributes. Reading them will help you to understand the true nature of compassion and, undoubtedly, help to confirm or restore your faith in human nature.

Imagine being blamed for having cancer.It's unthinkable But whilst physical illness usually evokes a positive, sympathetic response, people frequently react to mental illness in a dismissive, alienating, even scornful manner.No-one who is mentally ill should ever feel the need to apologise for it. But too often, fear and ignorance lead to a sufferer being marginalised and ostracised by friends, neighbours, family and work colleagues. Despite mental health disorders being so common - one in four people will suffer from mental illness at some point in their life - it continues to carry a social stigma. The consequent loss of jobs, friendships and marriages compounds emotional pain, adds to the sense of shame, isolation and desperation and makes recovery more difficult. SANE (to which all profits from this book will be donated) and other charities worldwide are campaigning vigorously to change public attitudes, helping to inform about mental health issues and making it more acceptable to speak about them.Brazilian author, Paulo Coelho, wrote: 'Each person knows the extent of their own suffering...' In this book fifteen courageous people of varying ages, nationalities and backgrounds tell us insightfully, openly and honestly in their own words about the distressing, stark reality of living with mental illness. And their experiences reveal the immensely damaging impact of others' reactions.By the time you have finished reading these heartfelt and powerfully-expressed stories you will be better able to understand what it's like to have mental health difficulties.

What is diabetes? How is it treated?Does having this condition mean that I can never eat anything containing sugar? These are just some of the frequently asked questions about an often confusing subject. This book addresses them in a clear, concise and straightforward manner. The seventy-five single-serving, tasty recipes that follow have been carefully designed primarily for someone who is both diabetic and vegetarian. However, vegetarian or not, these breakfasts, lunches and dinners give you a balanced, healthy, colourful choice of diabetic-friendly meals to enjoy each day.

What is a healthy blood pressure? How can you prevent high blood pressure? How can you lower it if it

This book contains a variety of vegetarian recipes to alleviate the symptoms of arthritis using anti-inflammatory ingredients with no animal or fish content. Each meal contains ingredients to combat inflammation; for example, flax seeds, chia seeds and walnuts are rich sources of omega 3 oils which are renowned for their anti-inflammatory properties.These breakfasts, lunches and dinners are not only nutritious and beneficial for health but also colourful and delicious. The focus is specifically on meals for one person, though of course any recipe can be adjusted in quantity to provide for two or more people.Although basically giving the same sort of answers to frequently asked questions about arthritis as the non-vegetarian book by Polly, this one contains a completely new set of recipes for you to make and enjoy.

Arthritis causes painful inflammation in the body for millions of people.And whilst doctors can do much to lessen its symptoms, anyone living with its effects obviously wants to know what they personally can do to make daily life easier. The aim of this book is firstly, to give clear, uncomplicated answers to the sort of questions you might ask when given the diagnosis of arthritis and secondly, to enable you to make important, small changes to your lifestyle to alleviate the pain you experience. Diet is one of the areas where you can easily take some control, once you know which foods to avoid and which ones are helpful. So all the recipes within these pages contain ingredients that are known to be anti-inflammatory.Each breakfast, lunch and dinner is designed specifically for one person (though, of course, you can always double up if cooking for two).Not only are the recipes geared to soothing inflammation but they're also intended to be both tasty and enjoyable, resulting in a healthier, more contented you.