(Nigel Marsh, Arena, $27.95 tpb, ISBN 9781741752274, November) ****

My dad and I are fans of Nigel Marsh’s first book, Fat, Forty and Fired, so I was excited to read his second and it didn’t disappoint. Observations of a Very Short Man was a fantastic read, and contained some pearls of wisdom that I have already incorporated into my life. Subtitled ‘an amateur’s guide to life,’ Marsh’s book often points out that what works for him may not work for others, but the author does seems to have most aspects of life pretty worked out. After being fired, Marsh took a year off, went back to work for three years, and then stopped again. In Observations of a Very Short Man, the author shares his philosophies and talks about life lessons he has learnt about ‘change, relationships, parenting, work-life balance, communication and happiness.’ Ideal for men and women of all ages, Observations of a Very Short Man will encourage you to take a look at your life and really think about what you are doing, to yourself, and to others. A fantastically funny read, which manages to give advice without being bossy, Observations of a Very Short Man should do very well as a Christmas gift.

Jessica Broadbent is a former bookseller

This review from Australian Bookseller & Publisher magazine is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2007, Thorpe-Bowker