May 2020
An eclectic mix of fact, fiction and research from six alumni authors.
1.
| Author |
Richard G Ford |
| Degree | Pyschology |
| Book |
How Leadership Reputations are Won and Lost: How to Build a Successful Reputation and Create a Personal Brand to Fast-Track Career Success |
In a crowded market of books on leadership, this book stands out by providing a fresh original perspective on how and why careers are successful or falter or plateau. Contrary to what most people think, their career will be shaped not by what they achieve but what other people say about them when they are not in the room, that is – their reputation. This book tells you what happens in the real organisational world, how these reputations are built and how they are lost. Reputation is a consequence of everything you say or do, it is what people say about you in your absence, and no other tangible or intangible asset is worth as much or has such a positive or detrimental impact on your career.
How Leadership Reputations are Won and Lost
2.
| Author | James MacPherson |
| Degree |
Biological Sciences, PhD Genetics |
| Book | The SDH Nature Guide: Wildlife of Salisbury District Hospital and surrounding area |
This charming book, which contains some excellent wildlife photography, was sponsored by the Salisbury Hospital League of Friends and is intended to be sold in their shop once Covid-19 restrictions are lifted. However, a limited number of copies are available from ArtCare UK - email lesley.self3@nhs.net for more information.
3.
| Author | Joel McIver |
| Degree |
German |
| Books |
Blues from Laurel Canyon: My Life as a Bluesman I Am Morbid: Ten Lessons Learned From Extreme Metal, Outlaw Country, And The Power Of Self-Determination |
Blues from Laurel Canyon: My Life as a Bluesman:
John Mayall's story is like no other in the annals of rock and blues. Born in the UK in 1933, he laid the foundations of British blues, nurtured a generation of future superstars and then took the music back to the land of its birth.
This extraordinary autobiography offers a vivid glimpse of Britain well before the rock revolution of the sixties, at a time when young men like John found themselves conscripted for national service that, in his case, included eighteen months in Korea. What followed when he returned was an odyssey of musical trail-blazing.
Blues from Laurel Canyon: My Life as a Bluesman
I Am Morbid: Ten Lessons Learned From Extreme Metal, Outlaw Country, And The Power Of Self-Determination:
I Am Morbid tells the astounding story of David Vincent, former bassist and singer with Morbid Angel, and now outlaw-country performer and leader of the I Am Morbid supergroup. Written with the bestselling author Joel McIver, it s an autobiography that transcends the heavy metal category by its very nature. Much more than a mere memoir, I Am Morbid is an instruction manual for life at the sharp end; a gathering of wisdom distilled into ten acute lessons for anyone interested in furthering their fortunes in life. Morbid Angel redefined the term pioneers. A band of heavy-metal-loving kids from all over America who broke through a host of music industry prejudices and went on to scale huge commercial heights, they introduced a whole new form of extreme music to the world. Formed in 1984, and breaking into the limelight in 1989 with their devastating first album, Altars Of Madness, the Florida death-metal legends became the first band of their genre to sign to a major label, from which point they came to dominate the worldwide metal scene for two decades and beyond. David left Morbid Angel in 1996, and again, following a reunion, in 2015. For the first time, I Am Morbid explores the reasons behind his departure, and the transformation of his life, career, and music in the years since. This is a classic but never predictable tale of a man who has fought convention every step of the way . . . and won.
Joel has also written a post for the Sharing things blog - a place where Edinburgh alumni are sharing their unique stories and experiences.
Read Joel's blog post for Sharing things
4.
| Author | Abigail Melton |
| Degree |
English Literature |
| Book |
Gears for Queers |
Co-written with Lilith Cooper. Keen to see some of Europe, queer couple Lilith and Abigail get on their old bikes and start pedalling. Along flat fens and up Swiss Alps, they will meet new friends and exorcise old demons as they push their bodies – and their relationship – to the limit.
5.
| Author | R. Conrad Speer |
| Degree |
Creative Writing |
| Book |
Saint Lazarus Day and Other Stories Paperback |
Wholesome but gullible weekend market goers from the city face chaos and trauma at the organic strawberry u-pick farm. A student illegally backpacks through Cuba, attends a Santería party, and wakes up with a horrible, mysterious illness and paralysis, uncertain of the true current state. Cowboy cousins kill an endangered bear and must figure out how best to dispose of the huge corpse and its tracking collar before officials can pin it on them. An old locomotive engineer recounts his experiences in the train to police, including the struck and killed animals and people, and the unforeseen, bizarre outcome of his most recent trip. A soldier from the prairies writes home from the war, describing the deadly German gas attacks launched against the allied troops in France, even if sometimes with savoury aromas.
Saint Lazarus Day and Other Stories Paperback
6.
| Author | Sean Michael Wilson |
| Degree |
Social Anthropology |
| Book |
The Garden |
With Fumio Obata. 'The Garden' is a soothing and uplifting graphic novel about healing and growth through zen meditation and gardening. Joanna is a finance consultant who is signed off work following a nervous breakdown. She travels to Kyoto to immerse herself in mindfulness and Japanese gardening, which helps her find healing and peace.
Your book
If you are a member of the alumni community and have recently published a book, we would be delighted to include it in the Alumni Bookshelf. Email the editor, Brian Campbell, with the following information:
- your name
- degree details
- book details, including a link for further information
Please note
Books are added to the bookshelf in order of submission. All of the further information links listed are the external websites of the book publisher, the author, or the bookseller. The University of Edinburgh is not responsible for the content and functionality of these sites. We reserve the right to not publish all submissions we receive.