Alex Johnson

At a time when it feels like every year buildings get larger and more impersonal, sheds remain a beacon of ergonomic simplicity. Maybe it's the nostalgia of the ancient huts from which humanity evolved, or the sense of focused calm produced by shutting yourself away in one, but around the world and across generations we have found comfort in our sheds. They are wooden repositories for our inner lives: cheap, multifunctional spaces ready to be filled with the passions, tools and ideas of the individual. In these pages you'll find rotating sheds, sheds on wheels and holy sheds, as Alex Johnson uncovers the universal lure of these tiny structures. Also detailed are some of the big ideas these little huts have birthed, from inventions and philosophies to literature, art and increasingly eccentric answers to the question: what exactly can a shed be? The Philosophy of Sheds also includes a gazetteer of famous and unique sheds of the world and is illustrated with archival imagery from the British Library collections.

The literary life isn't just about curling up with a good book and a cuppa, it's also a world where Lord Byron calls John Keats' work "p**s-a-bed poetry", spaniels eat the first drafts of masterpieces and gung-ho Ben Jonson shows he's more than happy to prove the sword is mightier than the pen. The Book of Literary Scandals shows that behind the jaunty covers and feelgood memoirs is a dingier world of personal insults, physical blows, and publishing errors. It's one where books suffer bad endings and libraries impose bizarre sanctions. It's a story of writers behaving badly since Sophocles clashed quills with Euripedes, defacing books, abandoning spouses, and regretting choosing Dylan Thomas to be the Best Man at their wedding. Elsewhere it looks at hot take reviews, sniffy dedications, publishers' rejection letters, literary friendships gone sour and why you should never lick a book with a green cover.

‘What should I read next?’ Alex Johnson invites you to join him on his year of reading Welshly on a warm and witty journey through 52 books from Wales and about Wales. From novels to poetry to non-fiction, Alex explores a rich and eclectic spread of books. Covering famous favourites such as Dylan Thomas’s Under Milk Wood and Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin’s Ivor the Engine, through to contemporary hits such as Manon Steffan Ros’s The Blue Book of Nebo and Tiffany Murray’s My Family and Other Rock Stars, Alex’s ‘Reading Welshly’ list spans decades and genres. It’s not just about mines and farming (though there are plenty of those), but a window onto Welsh culture in all its complexity and diversity. Discover with Alex how Welsh books both reveal modern Wales and speak to universal themes of love, social struggle and identity. Complete with discussion questions about each book and space to chart your own Reading Welshly progress, this is the ideal companion for readers and book groups to discover Wales through its rich and varied literature.

During the long years of the Second World War, tea remained the cornerstone of British hospitality, drunk and enjoyed by civilians and members of the armed forces alike.

Studios of Their Own travels around the world examining the unique spaces, habits and rituals of over 50 famous artists.From Picasso, to Hockney, to Caravaggio, discover the eclectic creative spaces used by artistic visionaries, brought to life with evocative illustrations.Crossing centuries, continents and genres, Alex Johnson explores these artists’ workspaces and habits. How do they practise their craft? What do they look for in a studio? Do they work in silence or with music… in a shared space or in solitude? How do they harness the light? And how do their physical spaces affect and inspire their output?This striking collection focuses on more than 50 international artists, including:Claude Monet, who created an inspirational garden in which to work en plein air and paint his famous water liliesFrida Kahlo, forced to work from her bed, inspired by the lucky talismans she surrounded herself withJean-Michel Basquiat, working in an old stable, could turn anything into canvas, walking and lying on his works as he created themLee Krasner’s art dramatically changed when she moved from her small studio into the larger, light-filled one that she took over when her husband, Jackson Pollock, diedIn looking at the working lives of our favourite artists, readers will be transported to other worlds, as well as gaining a deeper insight into the creative process.Also in the series: Rooms of Their Own: Where Great Writers Write.

Supported by the National TrustQuirky and fascinating facts about Britain’s favourite subject – the weather.Includes all sorts of weird and wonderful weather words from around the country.Supercharge your small talk, never be stuck for something to say. Have you ever saved up for a rainy day, had your head in the clouds or generally felt under the weather? The British obsession with weather and the words we use to describe it have come to define us. We talk about it endlessly ­– five whole months of our lives to be precise. We use it to start conversations with complete strangers. It affects our moods, shopping habits and even how we vote. This book is packed with information you’ll want to share about this most important subject – quirky history, surprising facts, folklore, strange words and even stranger people.

Enjoy daily distraction with this engaging Almanac. Each date is assigned one or more literary connections. Book lovers will find extracts from authors’ diaries and letters, chance upon the narrative twists and transformative moments in their favourite novels, discover the winners of prestigious awards and losers of creative squabbles, and the delivery of manuscript, first publication and performance. The book draws on the incredible collections of the British Library to find new, surprising and entertaining ways to celebrate every day of the year. Each month opens with a list of significant births and closes with a selection of pertinent last words, while entries roam across history from the great classics to modern authors.

The Book Lover's Joke Book is the funniest book about books you'll ever read. You'll find jokes about writers, agents, publishers, librarians, grammar, poetry, bookcases, and lightbulbs. There are rib-ticklers for typographers, crackers for critics, and badly foxed quips about antiquarian bookshops. Here too are the best literary April Fool's (the joke's on you), rejection letters (the joke's on the publisher), cookbook jests (the joke's a bit crumby) and wardrobe puns (the joke's Narnia business). This delightful literary celebration will make every bibliophile laugh out loud, even in the library. I love telling people spoilers about The Picture of Dorian Gray. Never gets old. Why does Wally always wear a stripey shirt? Because he doesn't want to be spotted. What's the difference between Romeo and Juliet and COVID-19? One's a coronavirus and the other's a Verona crisis. Who was JRR Tolkien's favourite singer? Elvish Presley "Your diary is really good," said his wife. "My thoughts exactly," replied Samuel Pepys.

There is a growing interest in creating gardens for wildlife, but this is often accompanied by a tendency to equate naturalness with messiness. The idea that wildlife gardens need to be untidy and unkempt persists. Understanding the needs of plants and how they interact establishes some parameters for design, stimulates ideas and reminds us of appropriate association of plants and materials. Far from limiting creativity, it reinforces a sense of place. Written by two experienced garden designers, this book uses the language of design to frame garden habitats, uniting design principles with an ecological perspective to create beautiful wildlife havens.

Rooms of Their Own travels around the world examining the unique spaces, habits and rituals in which famous writers created their most notable works. The perennial question asked of all authors is, 'How do you write?'. What do they require of their room or desk? Do they have favourite pens, paper or typewriters? And have they found the perfect daily routine to channel their creativity? Crossing centuries, continents and genres, Alex Johnson has pooled 50 of the best writers and transports you to the heart of their writing rooms – from attics and studies to billiard rooms and bathtubs.Discover the ins and outs of how each great writer penned their famous texts, and the routines and habits they perfected. Meet authors who rely on silence and seclusion and those who need people, music and whisky. Meet novelists who travel half-way across the world to a luxury writing retreat, and others who just need an empty shed at the bottom of the garden. Some are particular about pencils, inks, paper and typewriters, and some will scribble on anything – including the furniture. But whether they write in the library or in cars, under trees, private islands, hotel rooms or towers – each of these stories confirms that there is no 'best way' to write.From James Baldwin, writing in the small hours of the morning in his Paris apartment, to DH Lawrence writing at the foot of a towering Ponderosa pine tree, to the Brontë sisters managing in a crowded co-working space, this book takes us into the lives of some of history's greatest ever writers, with each writing space illustrated in evocative watercolour by James Oses.In looking at the working lives of our favourite authors, bibliophiles will be transported to other worlds, aspiring writers will find inspiration and literature fans will gain deeper insight into their most-loved authors.

Poisonous Thoughts is the first book of poems by spoken word artist Alex 'PoeticSoul' Johnson of Lafayette, Louisiana. Poisonous Thoughts explores the ups and downs of the author's psyche, covering feelings of isolation, fear, love, and hope. The poems in Poisonous Thoughts discuss the experiences of Black men and women in the United States, especially in the Acadiana region of Louisiana.

How do you create an active reader? Why is reading good for creativity? Why is it vital for teaching the next generation resilience and positive mental health? In the digital age of never-ending screen time you could argue that the power of books has diminished. But while screens have changed the act of reading, Alex Johnson believes reading is even more important, and that people value books more than ever. This is visible in the sales of printed special editions, the revival in reading aloud, the increased interest in poetry anthologies and the rescuing of 'lost words' from obscurity. But the problem is: with so many competing distractions, which are the best books for children to read and how can we access them? How do we get children to start reading? And how can we encourage them to be curious? How can we encourage their reading and maintain their interest? In this book of practical advice, Alex Johnson brings his tremendous enthusiasm and informed passion to answer these questions, and many more, to ensure a new generation of bookworms are whisked away to new worlds and essential discoveries.

The First Mapping of America tells the story of the General Survey. At the heart of the story lie the remarkable maps and the men who made them - the commanding and highly professional Samuel Holland, Surveyor-General in the North, and the brilliant but mercurial William Gerard De Brahm, Surveyor-General in the South. Battling both physical and political obstacles, Holland and De Brahm sought to establish their place in the firmament of the British hierarchy. Yet the reality in which they had to operate was largely controlled from afar, by Crown administrators in London and the colonies and by wealthy speculators, whose approval or opposition could make or break the best laid plans as they sought to use the Survey for their own ends.

Le interesa el mundo del comercio? No tiene el tiempo de un d a comerciante, ni los fondos de un inversor? Alguna vez has querido tomar el control de tus propias finanzas? Te gustar a ser independiente y responder a nadie?Si su respuesta a estas preguntas es "S ", entonces el comercio oscilante podr a ser justo lo que necesita. Esta primera entrega est dedicada a ponerlo al d a con el mundo del comercio oscilante y a ense arle c mo pasar de una peque a inversi n a un aumento anual del 20-30%. Puede que esto no parezca mucho, pero c mo te sentir as si tu fondo de jubilaci n se duplicara en los pr ximos 3 a os?Si eso suena como un sue o hecho realidad, d jame ayudarte a entrar en el mundo del comercio swing. Lleva menos tiempo que el comercio diario, es mucho m s flexible (puede operar despu s del horario de mercado) y requerir menos fondos que convertirse en inversionista.Si ha estado buscando un lugar para comenzar su carrera comercial de swing, este es el lugar. Repasaremos todos los aspectos b sicos, desde elegir un corredor hasta encontrar las mejores formas de analizar una empresa. Tambi n profundizaremos en los diferentes tipos de an lisis que existen, para que pueda encontrar su ajuste perfecto. A qui n le pregunto? Bueno, desafortunadamente, no soy Warren Buffet, no soy alguien que hizo algunas inversiones arriesgadas y gan millones. Quien soy es alguien que ha tomado lo que ten an y ha obtenido una ganancia considerable. Este no es un libro sobre hacerse rico, es un libro sobre tomar lo que tienes y crecerlo casualmente unos cientos por ciento. Perm teme ser tu mentor y usar mis a os de experiencia como trader de swing para darte la ventaja hoy

El trading intradiario es como los Ferrari, Bugattis y Lamborghinis de autom viles: son emocionantes, r pidos y sexys. Emocionante porque proporciona rendimientos relativamente altos al asumir riesgos relativamente altos. Son r pidos porque las posiciones de negociaci n se abren y cierran todo el mismo d a, muchas veces en cuesti n de horas o minutos solamente. Tambi n proporciona oportunidades para obtener ingresos comerciales significativos dentro de unas pocas horas de negociaci n. Sexy? Bueno, has escuchado muchas historias de riquezas comerciales diarias, verdad? No es eso sexy?Este libro se trata de ayudarlo, como novato, a aprender los conceptos b sicos del comercio diario. Al final del libro, contar con los conocimientos suficientes para comenzar su jornada comercial. Entonces, si est emocionado y listo, tome este libro ahora y comience con intradia