At PA Life we’re devoted to bringing you the very latest news, tips, advice and recommendations on a whole smorgasbord of topics that we hope are of interest to you in your professional lives. Since our most popular stories seem to be those that provide suggestions on how to engender a better working relationship with […]

The Shock of the Fall – Nathan Filer (HarperCollins, £12.99) This book is quite simply stunning and was a worthy winner of the 2013 Costa Book Prize. Nathan Filer, in addition to being a successful author, is also a mental health nurse and it is his experience of, and insight into, the private world of […]

The Athena Doctrine – John Gerzema and Michael D’Antonio (Jossey Bass, £18.99) The foundation of this book is a survey of 64,000 people across 13 countries, conducted in order to categorise leadership traits as either “feminine” (collaborative, supportive, empathetic) or “masculine” (competitive, analytical, decisive). The findings are detailed in the introduction, while the chapters provide […]

The Chamber of Celebrity PA Secrets – Donna Coulling (Ambassador International, £2.45 – eBook) PAs in all industries will find the advice in this quick read invaluable. Donna writes from experience, so everything comes across as reliable and her writing is accessible – there was never a moment when I felt out of my depth. […]

Warm Bodies – Isaac Marion (Vintage, £7.99) If you’re a fan of existential ramblings, you’ll love this book. It tells the story of R, a zombie living in an airport after a virus all but wipes out the human race. He lives a simple life, shuffling here and there and grunting at his undead companions. […]

The Girl’s Guide to Homelessness – Brianna Karp (Harlequin, £9.99) Who could fail to be moved by the heartbreaking memoir of Brianna Karp, a highly intelligent, resilient person from California. Brianna had an amazing, well-paid job, but during the recession in 2009 she found herself suddenly out of work and homeless. She takes advantage of […]

Strategic Partnering – Luc, Raphaël and Guillaume Bardin (Kogan Page, £24.99) Luc Bardin writes from experience – more than 35 years at some of the world’s foremost businesses ensures this book conveys both knowledge and gravitas. Bardin is committed to helping organisations build strategic value opportunities and his passion for doing so makes it an […]

The Book of Job – Dale Stafford (The Principal Department, £19.95) In the author’s own words, this is a book “packed with priceless perspicuity about the business of people for people in business”. It’s a handbag-sized book with a limited-edition run of 1,000 so it feels special and the enthusiasm of the writer is obvious. […]

Here’s an interesting tidbit of information for you: research shows that 96% of PAs say they are responsible for booking business travel. I know it’s a big part of my job, which is exactly why I couldn’t wait for this year’s Business Travel Show at Earl’s Court. I hope those of you who have slogged […]

Reasons She Goes to the Woods – Deborah Kay Davies (Oneworld Publications, £8.99) Pearl is a disturbed girl, growing up with all sorts of issues. The journey on which the reader is taken is dark and sinister as we are exposed to this little girl’s working mind. She sees her father as the sole person […]