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Off the Deep End: A History of Madness at Sea
by Nic ComptonConfined in a small space for months on end, subject to ship's discipline and living on limited food supplies, many sailors of old lost their minds – and no wonder. Many still do. The result in some instances was bloodthirsty mutinies, such as the whaleboat Sharon whose captain was butchered and fed to the ship's pigs in a crazed attack in the Pacific. Or mob violence, such as the 147 survivors on the raft of the Medusa, who slaughtered each other in a two-week orgy of violence. So serious was the problem that the Royal Navy's own physician claimed sailors were seven times more likely to go mad than the rest of the population. Historic figures such as Christopher Columbus, George Vancouver, Fletcher Christian (leader of the munity of the Bounty) and Robert FitzRoy (founder of the Met Office) have all had their sanity questioned. More recently, sailors in today's round-the-world races often experience disturbing hallucinations, including seeing elephants floating in the sea and strangers taking the helm, or suffer complete psychological breakdown, like Donald Crowhurst. Others become hypnotised by the sea and jump to their deaths. Off the Deep End looks at the sea's physical character, how it confuses our senses and makes rational thought difficult. It explores the long history of madness at sea and how that is echoed in many of today's yacht races. It looks at the often-marginal behaviour of sailors living both figuratively and literally outside society's usual rules. And it also looks at the sea's power to heal, as well as cause, madness.
Off the Deep End: A History of Madness at Sea
by Nic ComptonConfined in a small space for months on end, subject to ship's discipline and living on limited food supplies, many sailors of old lost their minds – and no wonder. Many still do. The result in some instances was bloodthirsty mutinies, such as the whaleboat Sharon whose captain was butchered and fed to the ship's pigs in a crazed attack in the Pacific. Or mob violence, such as the 147 survivors on the raft of the Medusa, who slaughtered each other in a two-week orgy of violence. So serious was the problem that the Royal Navy's own physician claimed sailors were seven times more likely to go mad than the rest of the population. Historic figures such as Christopher Columbus, George Vancouver, Fletcher Christian (leader of the munity of the Bounty) and Robert FitzRoy (founder of the Met Office) have all had their sanity questioned. More recently, sailors in today's round-the-world races often experience disturbing hallucinations, including seeing elephants floating in the sea and strangers taking the helm, or suffer complete psychological breakdown, like Donald Crowhurst. Others become hypnotised by the sea and jump to their deaths. Off the Deep End looks at the sea's physical character, how it confuses our senses and makes rational thought difficult. It explores the long history of madness at sea and how that is echoed in many of today's yacht races. It looks at the often-marginal behaviour of sailors living both figuratively and literally outside society's usual rules. And it also looks at the sea's power to heal, as well as cause, madness.
Offence Paralleling Behaviour: A Case Formulation Approach to Offender Assessment and Intervention (Wiley Series in Forensic Clinical Psychology #48)
by Michael Daffern Lawrence Jones John ShineNew to the Wiley Series in Forensic Clinical Psychology, Offence Paralleling Behaviour presents an original framework of individualised assessment and treatment methods for clinicians working in the forensic environment. Provides a framework that helps practitioners to identify and work with offence-relevant behaviour and evidence pro-social change Describes how Offence Paralleling Behaviour (OPB) can be successfully identified and used in risk assessment and treatment planning Brings together leading academics and frontline clinicians, including psychiatric nurses, psychologists, psychiatrists, occupational therapists, drug and alcohol specialists, and correctional officers, as well as featuring the views of prisoners on OPB Presents methods which allow staff to identify and use OPB in clinical practice
Offender Rehabilitation and Treatment: Effective Programmes and Policies to Reduce Re-offending (Wiley Series in Forensic Clinical Psychology)
by James McGuireCriminal behaviour continues to be a matter of major publicconcern. How society should respond to it and what should be donewith those who repeatedly offend remain hotly disputed topics ofconversation. Offender Rehabilitation and Treatment draws togetherinternationally renowned experts from the United Kingdom, Europe,North America and Australia. Chapters summarise some of the mostrecent and exciting developments in this field and offer asystematic, knowledge-based approach to the effective reduction ofcriminal behaviour. * Offers coverage of a wide range of key topics in this area * Links theory, research and practice in a coherent and accessiblestyle * International focus with examples and authors from a number ofcountries
Offender Rehabilitation in Practice: Implementing and Evaluating Effective Programs
by Gary A. Bernfeld David P. Farrington Alan W. LeschiedDocumented evidence suggests that community safety is best achievedthrough policies promoting human services rather than relyingtotally on prisons and that promoting intervention in anindividual's own environment (known as 'ecological integrity') isclosely associated with effective intervention. This is the first book to focus on the transfer of knowledge ofworldwide effective offender rehabilitation programs. Prominentresearchers and practitioners in the criminal justice field havecontributed their extensive knowledge of what it takes to implementeffective correctional practices with ecological integrity. * Reviews "real world" challenges of program effectiveness andsurvival * Offers effective, evidence based, innovative alternatives toimprisonment of offenders * Offers a common multi-level systems perspective as a frameworkfor the international case studies featured * The first book to focus on the transfer of knowledge and bestpractice through the concept of "technology transfer"
Offender Rehabilitation Programmes: The Role of the Prison Officer (Routledge Frontiers of Criminal Justice)
by Laura M. Small Paul M.W. HackettThis book shows how prison officers may be able to significantly influence extra-programmatic conditions, to enhance rehabilitation outcomes and contribute to reducing reoffending. It does so through a detailed review of the literature relating to prison-based rehabilitation programmes, examining factors influencing their outcomes and the effects of the prison officer role. Firstly the book explores current understandings about the role of the prison and effective offender rehabilitation programmes. It then describes the processes of the integrative review of how prison officers can support rehabilitation programmes in prisons. Review findings suggest three main routes by which prison officers can contribute to enhancing rehabilitation outcomes: influencing prison social environments, enhancing prisoner treatment readiness and programme engagement and identifying and supporting prisoners’ wider needs. This book also explores avenues for further research in this area using a declarative sentence mapping approach. Bridging two previously distinct areas of research - prison officers and their role; and prison rehabilitation interventions – this book offers new understanding in the real-world context of prisons and their staff as to how we can enhance rehabilitation outcomes. It will be of great interest to academics in penology, forensic psychology, probation, and offender rehabilitation fields. The book is also valuable to postgraduate students and professionals working on prison policy.
Offender Rehabilitation Programmes: The Role of the Prison Officer (Routledge Frontiers of Criminal Justice)
by Laura M. Small Paul M.W. HackettThis book shows how prison officers may be able to significantly influence extra-programmatic conditions, to enhance rehabilitation outcomes and contribute to reducing reoffending. It does so through a detailed review of the literature relating to prison-based rehabilitation programmes, examining factors influencing their outcomes and the effects of the prison officer role. Firstly the book explores current understandings about the role of the prison and effective offender rehabilitation programmes. It then describes the processes of the integrative review of how prison officers can support rehabilitation programmes in prisons. Review findings suggest three main routes by which prison officers can contribute to enhancing rehabilitation outcomes: influencing prison social environments, enhancing prisoner treatment readiness and programme engagement and identifying and supporting prisoners’ wider needs. This book also explores avenues for further research in this area using a declarative sentence mapping approach. Bridging two previously distinct areas of research - prison officers and their role; and prison rehabilitation interventions – this book offers new understanding in the real-world context of prisons and their staff as to how we can enhance rehabilitation outcomes. It will be of great interest to academics in penology, forensic psychology, probation, and offender rehabilitation fields. The book is also valuable to postgraduate students and professionals working on prison policy.
Offenders, Deviants or Patients?: An introduction to clinical criminology
by Herschel PrinsOffenders, Deviants or Patients? provides a practical approach to understanding both the social context and treatment of mentally disordered offenders. Taking into account the current public concern, often heightened by media sensationalism; it addresses issues such as sex and ‘historic sex offending, ‘hate’ crime, homicide and other acts of serious bodily harm. This fifth edition is fully updated and incorporates the latest research and reflects recent changes in law, policy and practice, including: DSM-V criteria groundbreaking work on neuro-physiological aspects of psychopathy the Coroners and Justice Act Using new case examples, Herschel Prins draws on his own expertise and experience to examine the relationship between mental disorders and crime and looks at the ways in which it should be dealt with by the mental health care and criminal justice systems. Offenders, Deviants or Patients? is unique in its multidisciplinary approach and will be invaluable to all those who come into contact with serious offenders or those who study crime and criminal behaviour.
Offenders, Deviants or Patients?: An introduction to clinical criminology
by Herschel PrinsOffenders, Deviants or Patients? provides a practical approach to understanding both the social context and treatment of mentally disordered offenders. Taking into account the current public concern, often heightened by media sensationalism; it addresses issues such as sex and ‘historic sex offending, ‘hate’ crime, homicide and other acts of serious bodily harm. This fifth edition is fully updated and incorporates the latest research and reflects recent changes in law, policy and practice, including: DSM-V criteria groundbreaking work on neuro-physiological aspects of psychopathy the Coroners and Justice Act Using new case examples, Herschel Prins draws on his own expertise and experience to examine the relationship between mental disorders and crime and looks at the ways in which it should be dealt with by the mental health care and criminal justice systems. Offenders, Deviants or Patients? is unique in its multidisciplinary approach and will be invaluable to all those who come into contact with serious offenders or those who study crime and criminal behaviour.
Offenders' Memories of Violent Crimes (Wiley Series in Psychology of Crime, Policing and Law)
by Sven A. Christianson Sven ChristiansonClaims of amnesia for violent and sexual crimes are common as guilty suspects allege memory loss to avoid punishment. The key issue then becomes whether the memory loss is genuine or feigned. Offenders’ Memories of Violent Crimes takes a new approach to the subject by focusing not on eyewitness or bystander testimonies, but on the testimonies of the offenders themselves - or, more specifically, on the way they remember and relate their violent crimes. Under the guidance of Sven Christianson, expert contributors explore offenders’ memories with particular emphasis on theory and empirical research across areas such as memorial patterns, instrumental and reactive offenders, crime-related amnesia, crime-related brain activation, detecting lies and deceit and interviewing techniques.
Offenders with Developmental Disabilities (Wiley Series in Forensic Clinical Psychology)
by William R. Lindsay John L. Taylor Peter SturmeyFor over a century, developmental disabilities have been associatedwith crime in prejudicial and pejorative contexts. Offenders with Developmental Disabilities provides a balanced,comprehensive review of the prevalence, nature and development ofoffending by those with intellectual disabilities. Not only doesthis volume include coverage of evidence-based assessment andtreatment ideas, strategies and plans, but also places the field ina historical, legal and ethical context. William Lindsay, John Taylor and Peter Sturmey have broughttogether a wealth of contributors from differing backgrounds toshare new material and knowledge of assessments, treatment, andservice issues in a single volume. Divided into five parts, Part Iopens with theoretical issues; Part II deals with legal andservices contexts including ethical concerns; Part III considersrisk assessment, general assessment and approaches to evaluation;Part IV addresses specific issues of sexual offending, anger andaggression, fire raising, dual diagnosis, female offenders andpersonality disorder; Part V concludes with service development,professional and research issues. Forensic practitioners and students from psychology and psychiatry,lawyers and advocates, nurses and social workers will all find thiscomprehensive and practical book an inspiration in taking thisfield forward.
Offending Behaviour Programmes: Development, Application and Controversies (Wiley Series in Forensic Clinical Psychology)
by Emma J. PalmerPart of the Wiley Series in Forensic Clinical Psychology, Offending Behaviour Programmes: Development, Application and Controversies explores the subject at two levels: the technical issues associated with designing and implementing programs and the broader issues surrounding programs such as the impact on practitioners. Each chapter covers theory, research, practice, and evaluation.
Offending from Childhood to Young Adulthood: Recent Results from the Pittsburgh Youth Study (SpringerBriefs in Criminology)
by Wesley G. Jennings Rolf Loeber Dustin A. Pardini Alex R. Piquero David P. FarringtonThis Brief examines criminal careers by providing the most extensive and comprehensive investigation to date on the official offending, self-reported offending, and trajectories of offending of the Pittsburgh Youth Study (PYS) participants. The PYS is a longitudinal study, which was initiated in 1987, and involves repeated follow-ups on several community cohorts (starting in grades 1, 4, and 7) of inner-city boys in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This Brief covers the Youngest and Oldest PYS cohorts (which had the most follow-up and most data available) from ages 10-30. It provides the most complete descriptive analyses of the criminal careers of these males to date. The three cohorts are commonly referred to as the Youngest, Middle, and Oldest cohorts, respectively. Consistent with several prior publications with the PYS data (Loeber et al., 2008), this book focuses only on data from the Youngest and Oldest cohorts as these cohorts were followed up the most frequently and have the longest time window of data available. It will be of interest to researchers in Criminology and Criminal Justice, as well as related fields like Sociology, Developmental Psychology, Social Policy, and Education.
Office Gossip and Minority Employees in the South African Workplace
by Nasima M. H. CarrimThis book examines how employees from marginalized communities handle office gossip and provides recommendations to corporate leaders regarding on how to support their marginalized employees better. Office gossip is a phenomenon that is omnipresent in the workplace and experienced by minority employees at all levels within the organization in different ways. Gossip is felt more acutely by minority employees compared to their majority counterparts at certain occupational levels and this book provides an empirical basis for understanding this phenomenon in organizational settings based on the experiences of marginalized workers. The chapters use a variety of research methods to examine various aspects of the experience of office gossip among marginalized employees including: perceptions of diverse groups regarding workplace gossip, workplace gossip within teams, intersectional experiences of employees from racial minority and LGBTQ+ communities and foreign nationals, experiences of managers from racial minority backgrounds, and experiences in specific fields such as sport and healthcare. This book is of interest to students and researchers of diversity studies, organization research, human resource management, and industrial psychology as well as an important resource for corporate leadership and human resource and DEI departments in corporate organizations.
Office Politics: How to Thrive in a World of Lying, Backstabbing and Dirty Tricks
by Oliver JamesA fascinating exposé of office culture, in the style of the bestselling Affluenza, from popular psychologist Oliver JamesThe modern working world is a dangerous place, where game-playing, duplicity and sheer malevolence are rife. Do talent and hard work count for nothing? Is politics everything?In this fascinating exposé, Oliver James reveals the murky underside of modern office life. With cutting-edge research and eye-opening interviews, he highlights the nasty practices that propel people to the top and shows how industries and cultures are fostering this behaviour.He then divulges strategies and techniques for not only surviving but thriving in these difficult environments. With the right mindset, you can distinguish and deal with toxic and overpromoted colleagues, charm your way through interviews and use office politics to your advantage.Office Politics will overthrow your perceptions of office life and set you on a new path to success.Oliver James trained and practised as a child clinical psychologist and, since 1988, has worked as a writer, journalist and television documentary producer and presenter. His books include Juvenile Violence in a Winner-Loser Culture, the bestselling They F*** You Up, Affluenza and Contented Dementia. He is a trustee of two children's charities: the National Family and Parenting Institute and Homestart.www.oliver-james-books.com
The Official Dopamine Nation Workbook: A Practical Guide to Overcoming Addiction in the Age of Indulgence
by Dr Anna LembkeA practical companion to the international bestseller Dopamine Nation, for individuals, families, counsellors, teachers, and anyone who wants to go beyond the narrative and engage in practices that will reset reward pathways for a more flourishing life.In Dopamine Nation, Dr. Lembke introduced readers to her ground-breaking research that demonstrates how abundance itself is a stressor, contributing to rising rates of addiction, depression, and anxiety. Now, she's written the workbook that we've all been waiting for. Full of specific exercises, fill-in tables, and inspiring examples, readers will be able to more clearly identify the substances and behaviors they struggle to moderate. With the warm, authoritative voice we know and love, Dr. Lembke will share her valuable advice on how to undertake your own dopamine fast, reset your own pathways, and live a happier and more fulfilling life.Praise for Dopamine Nation:'Anna Lembke's stories of guiding people to find a healthy balance between pleasure and pain have the power to transform your life' - Lori Gottlieb, bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone'Brilliant . . . riveting, scary, cogent, and cleverly argued. Lembke weaves patient stories with research, in a voice that's as empathetic as it is clear-eyed' - Beth Macy, bestselling author of Dopesick'Radically changes the way we think about mental illness, pleasure, pain, reward, and stress. Turn toward it. You'll be happy you did' - Daniel Levitin, bestselling author of The Organized Mind
The Official History of Britain: Our Story In Numbers As Told By The Office For National Statistics
by Boris Starling‘Entertaining and absorbing’ – The Sunday Times A wonderfully written and entertaining book which places Britain under the microscope and asks who we are today and how we’ve changed as a nation.
Öffnung von Hochschulen: Impulse zur Weiterentwicklung von Studienangeboten
by Imke Buß Manfred Erbsland Peter Rahn Philipp PohlenzDie Autorinnen und Autoren beleuchten die Anforderungen an die Gestaltung von Studium und Lehre insbesondere für nicht-traditionelle Studierende aus den Blickwinkeln der Didaktik und der Studienstruktur, wie z.B. E-Learning, der zeitlichen Gestaltung etc. Es werden Impulse gegeben, wie in grundständigen und konsekutiven Studiengängen deren Belange berücksichtigt werden können.
Oh Yes Oh No (Oberon Modern Plays)
by Louise OrwinSteady yourself to rethink desire, and then watch Louise Orwin smash it all to pieces. Oh Yes Oh No invites you on a surreal joyride through femme sexuality and violence. Made with the candid input of survivors of sexual trauma, this is a show about having sexual fantasies that don’t align with your politics. Join Louise as she interrogates identity, consent and power play. How can you reclaim your voice and your body when they have been stripped from you? And how do you navigate a landscape of hyper-sexuality and increasing sex positivity when asking for what you want can be the hardest thing?
OHB COMP & MATH PSYCH OLOP C (Oxford Library of Psychology)
by Jerome R. Busemeyer Zheng Wang James T. Townsend Ami EidelsThis Oxford Handbook offers a comprehensive and authoritative review of important developments in computational and mathematical psychology. With chapters written by leading scientists across a variety of subdisciplines, it examines the field's influence on related research areas such as cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, clinical psychology, and neuroscience. The Handbook emphasizes examples and applications of the latest research, and will appeal to readers possessing various levels of modeling experience. The Oxford Handbook of Computational and mathematical Psychology covers the key developments in elementary cognitive mechanisms (signal detection, information processing, reinforcement learning), basic cognitive skills (perceptual judgment, categorization, episodic memory), higher-level cognition (Bayesian cognition, decision making, semantic memory, shape perception), modeling tools (Bayesian estimation and other new model comparison methods), and emerging new directions in computation and mathematical psychology (neurocognitive modeling, applications to clinical psychology, quantum cognition). The Handbook would make an ideal graduate-level textbook for courses in computational and mathematical psychology. Readers ranging from advanced undergraduates to experienced faculty members and researchers in virtually any area of psychology--including cognitive science and related social and behavioral sciences such as consumer behavior and communication--will find the text useful.
OHB DEAF STUDIES IN LANG OLOP C (Oxford Library of Psychology)
by Marc Marschark and Patricia Elizabeth SpencerLanguage development, and the challenges it can present for individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, have long been a focus of research, theory, and practice in D/deaf studies and deaf education. Over the past 150 years, but most especially near the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st century, advances in the acquisition and development of language competencies and skills have been increasing rapidly. This volume addresses many of those accomplishments as well as remaining challenges and new questions that have arisen from multiple perspectives: theoretical, linguistic, social-emotional, neuro-biological, and socio-cultural. Contributors comprise an international group of prominent scholars and practitioners from a variety of academic and clinical backgrounds. The result is a volume that addresses, in detail, current knowledge, emerging questions, and innovative educational practice in a variety of contexts. The volume takes on topics such as discussion of the transformation of efforts to identify a "best" language approach (the "sign" versus "speech" debate) to a stronger focus on individual strengths, potentials, and choices for selecting and even combining approaches; the effects of language on other areas of development as well as effects from other domains on language itself; and how neurological, socio-cognitive, and linguistic bases of learning are leading to more specialized approaches to instruction that address the challenges that remain for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. This volume both complements and extends The Oxford Handbook of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, Volumes 1 and 2, going further into the unique challenges and demands for deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals than any other text and providing not only compilations of what is known but setting the course for investigating what is still to be learned.
OHB MULT & MIX METH RES INQ OLOP C (Oxford Library of Psychology)
by Sharlene Nagy Hesse-Biber R. Burke JohnsonOffering a variety of innovative methods and tools, The Oxford Handbook of Multimethod and Mixed Methods Research Inquiry provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date presentation on multi- and mixed-methods research available. Written in clear and concise language by leading scholars in the field, it enhances and disrupts traditional ways of asking and addressing complex research questions. Topics include an overview of theory, paradigms, and scientific inquiry; a guide to conducting a multi- and mixed-methods research study from start to finish; current uses of multi- and mixed-methods research across academic disciplines and research fields; the latest technologies and how they can be incorporated into study design; and a presentation of multiple perspectives on the key remaining debates. Each chapter in the volume is structured to include state-of-the-art research examples that cross a range of disciplines and interdisciplinary research settings. In addition, the Handbook offers multiple quantitative and qualitative theoretical and interdisciplinary visions and praxis. Researchers, faculty, graduate students, and policy makers will appreciate the exceptional, timely, and critical coverage in this Handbook, which deftly addresses the interdisciplinary and complex questions that a diverse set of research communities are facing today.
OHB PARENTING & MORAL DEVELOP OLOP C (Oxford Library of Psychology)
by Gustavo Carlo Deborah J. Laible Laura M. Padilla WalkerThe Oxford Handbook of Parenting and Moral Development provides a collection of state-of-the-art theories and research on the role that parents play in moral development. Contributors who are leaders in their fields take a comprehensive, yet nuanced approach to considering the complex links between parenting and moral development. The volume begins by providing an overview of traditional and contemporary perspectives on parenting and moral development, including perspectives related to parenting styles, domain theory, attachment theory, and evolutionary theory. In addition, there are several chapters that explore the genetic and biological influences related to parenting and moral development. The second section of the volume explores cultural and religious approaches to parenting and moral development and contributes examples of contemporary research with diverse populations such as Muslim cultures and US Latino/as. The last major section of the volume examines recent developments and approaches to parenting, including chapters on topics such as helicopter parenting, proactive parenting, parent-child conversations and disclosure, parental discipline, and other parenting practices designed to inhibit children's antisocial and aggressive behaviors. The volume draws together the most important work in the field; it is essential reading for anyone interested in parenting and moral development.
Ohne Dop(amin)e ist alles doof: Aktive Veränderungsarbeit im Persönlichkeitstraining nach Kokainmissbrauch
by Rainer BiesingerRainer Biesinger untersucht in seiner Masterarbeit, inwieweit das natürliche Gleichgewicht der Botenstoffe im Gehirn einst gesunder Menschen nach Rauschdrogenmissbrauch – durch die aktive Veränderungsarbeit im integrativen, erlebnis- und handlungsorientierten Persönlichkeitstraining – neu belebt werden kann. Die Wirkfaktoren verschiedener exogener Rauschdrogen – Schwerpunkt: Kokain und Amphetamin – werden den Eigenschaften endogener Neurotransmitter gegenübergestellt. Herausgearbeitet werden diejenigen Gehirnstrukturen und Neurotransmitter, vorwiegend Dopamin, die wesentlich an süchtigem Verhalten beteiligt sind. Zur Vorbeugung von Rückfällen werden Techniken zur Aktivierung der ‚körpereigenen Drogenapotheke‘ in ein möglichst langfristiges, vom Suchtdruck befreites, selbstermächtigtes Leben aufgezeigt.Der Autor Rainer Biesinger wurde vom Underdog zum bekannten Persönlichkeitstrainer, Vortragsredner und Schriftsteller. Als Heavy Metal Coach® belegt er in zahlreichen Trainings, Vorträgen und Büchern, dass es für eine aktive, erfolgreiche Veränderung niemals zu spät ist.
OK, Let's Do Your Stupid Idea
by Patrick Freyne'Funny, smart, soulful and sometimes devastating, this book shows life in all its shades. It made me laugh and cry.' Emilie Pine, author of Notes to Self'Hilariously, painfully, Freynefully brilliant' Joseph O'Connor Patrick Freyne has tried a lot of stupid ideas in his life. Now, in his scintillating debut, he is here to tell you about them: like the time (aged 5) he opened a gate and let a horse out of its field, just to see what would happen; or the time (aged 19) he jumped out of a plane for charity, even though he didn't much care about the charity and was sure he'd end up dead; or the time (aged old enough to know better) he used a magazine as a funnel for fuel when the petrol cap on his band's van broke.He has also learned a few things: about the power of group song; about the beauty of physically caring for another human being; about childlessness; about losing friends far too young. Life as seen through the eyes of Patrick Freyne is stranger, funnier and a lot more interesting than life as we generally know it. Like David Sedaris or Nora Ephron, he creates an environment all his own - fundamentally comic, sometimes moving, always deeply humane. OK, Let's Do Your Stupid Idea is a joyous reading experience from an instantly essential new writer.'Patrick Freyne is a comic genius' Marian Keyes 'Clever, lovely and great, great fun' Roddy Doyle'Full of humour and tenderness, this book is an absolute JOY' Sinéad Gleeson, author of Constellations'A cracking, sad, funny, honest, brave and hilarious read' Liz Nugent 'Guffaw-out-loud funny' Business Post'Patrick Freyne is a writer of rare humour, depth, and humanity. These essays are a delight' Mark O'Connell, author of To Be a Machine'Goosebumps! Guffaws! It's got it all. I love this book' Doireann Ní Ghríofa 'This book is truly gorgeous and deserves to be read' Eithne Shortall