Showing Up: how to make a greater impact at work – Tim Robson (Capstone, £14.99) Although this book is written in an easy-to-read style, at first I found it hard to engage with the subject. I’m not sure I would have continued to read it under ordinary circumstances, but I’m glad I persevered. The idea […]

The UnAmericans – Molly Antopol (HarperCollins, £12.99) People have strong feelings towards short stories: they’re enjoyable because you can read them in one sitting, but frustrating because they leave you wanting more. I have always been in the latter camp, but reading this collection has convinced me that fully developed plots are not solely the […]

Boy, Snow, Bird – Helen Oyeyemi (Picador, £12.99) This is an intriguing tale of a mother, her stepdaughter and her daughter, their relationships with each other and their past. It is 1950s America and Boy Novak runs away from home and her abusive father. She ends up in Flax Hill, Massachusetts.   It is here […]

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 […]

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 […]

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. […]

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 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 […]

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 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. […]

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 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 […]

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 […]

In a competitive job market, standing out from other applicants is not an easy task, so former high-profile celebrity personal assistant Brian Daniel has set out to help PAs land elite roles. Brian’s book, How to Find the Best Jobs: secrets to working with the high-net-worth, outlines tips for PAs on writing a fantastic CV […]

Katie Piper’s path from carefree young model to burns patient and later to charity campaigner is well documented (Katie is pictured far left in a Marks & Spencer ad). PA Life Editor Colette Doyle caught up with her at the recent Office show to hear her story first-hand. “Yesterday has gone, tomorrow has not yet come, […]

Heels of Steel: surviving & thriving in the corporate world – Vanessa Vallely (Panoma Press, £14.99) Intrigued by the title of this book, I am pleased to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. This is actually two books in one. The first is an entertaining autobiography of the author’s journey from council estate tearaway to COO […]

Clarity – Jamie Smart (Wiley, £10.99) Jamie Smart believes that when your mind is clear you can focus, solve problems and succeed – and he’s right. However, you need a lot of focus to get through his book. This is a true personal help book; at 265 pages it’s long and is written in the […]

Heroic Measures – Jo-Ann Power (The Wild Rose Press, £14.99) The story follows Gwen Spencer on her journey from student to World War I nurse, travelling from her home town to the battlefields of France. The tale is a powerful and accurate depiction of the struggles of the medical professionals who lived in the same […]