 WHITE
LADDER PRESS
THE VOICE OF TOBACCO Richard
Craze,
£6.99, 095439142X
Something for the person within…
“I've dipped back into the book and the author guy,
Richard Craze, can be pretty funny. 'One year's smoking
deducts five years from your life', he writes on day six
of giving up. 'I have smoked for some 35 years. 35 x 5
= 175 years off my life, which means I died somewhere around
1825.' I think I will give the book to my boyfriend, who
still misses his fags quite a bit."
GUARDIAN Emily Wilson G2 Health
Sin and Be Damned
“
Toying with the idea of quitting smoking the New Year?
This laugh-out-loud diary of the journey down the road
of cold turkey chronicles Craze’s battle with the
cancer sticks. Such a heavy smoker that he refers to himself
as ‘Mr Smoking Man’, Craze details the demonic
voices in his head and takes us through the first 100 days
of quitting torment."
THE GOOD BOOK GUIDE
“This is one man’s quirky story of giving
up the evil weed, written by someone who truly loves his
cigs and calls himself a ‘proper smoker’. Craze
had his first taste of tobacco aged six, and by the age
of ten he was on a pack a day. If this guy can give it
up for good, anyone can.”
FRESH DIRECTION
“Richard Craze (who nicknamed himself “Mr
Smoking Man”) has spent over 100 days of his life
detailing an upfront diary of his quest to quit the smokes.
Humorously, it takes a parasite called Ribeiroia, he sees
squirted out of a frog’s anus on a nature documentary
to inspire him to begin his conquest. He worries his cigarettes
are becoming his personal parasite, prompting him to make
the change before it is too late. However, it’s a
far from easy task for Craze, as he battles against “the
voice of tobacco”, a hilariously scripted idiosyncratic
voice which continues to haunt him throughout. Witty and
well-researched. Top stuff.” * * * *
ICE For Men
“Richard Craze’s story is a light-hearted
account of kicking the habit. As we travel with Craze on
his journey to non-smokerdom we feel his tremendous aches
and pains of fag withdrawal. Along the way, he offers some
useful insights on how to convince your own brain of the
value of quitting. He acknowledges what all puffers know
deep down: smoking is cool and smokers are sophisticated,
but shows how when it’s time to quit, it is in fact
possible.
Smoking is a philosophy and a way of life. Craze discusses
how to cope with losing your religion and move on into
the uncharted and seemingly boring world of clean-living,
pro-oxygen weirdoes.”
INK The Ultimate Read
“Craze’s humour and sharp sardonic wit help
him to quit smoking and this enjoyable read will inspire
other smokers to do the same. It doesn’t preach to
smokers but instead simply describes how one day Craze
realised the parasitic nature of tobacco and didn’t
want to be a part of the proliferation of this deadly weed
any longer. From that moment this lifelong smoker put out
his last fag and became a smoker who doesn’t smoke.”
GASP Smoke Free Solutions
“RICHARD Craze is rather brave to have written such
a shockingly honest book. Thoughtfully billed as 'A dedicated
smoker's diary of not smoking' it's a record of the battle
between the author and his addicted self. His cravings
talk to him (hence the 'voice of tobacco') and try and
persuade him to get back on the fags. You can appreciate
that this comes across as something akin to schizophrenia
but it's an endearing and readable mental illness.
The Voice of Tobacco is an interesting, dare I say, illuminating
insight into how one smoker's mind works. It is not though
just the idiotic ramblings of someone trying to give up.
It is well researched, quoting some uncommon smoking anecdotes
as well as citing all the statistics you could want. Best
of all, the book never patronises or preaches, a danger
he is well aware of: 'God, I sound like a non-smoker and
that was something I promised I would never do,' he writes
at one point.”
FOREST (Forestonline.org)
“This simple and brief personal narrative provides
useful insight into a toiling ‘journey to health’.
It sympathises and motivates those that have failed, and
encourages those that are not even that far. Recommended
to smoking cessation teams, and those regretting their
new year’s resolutions!
PRIMARY CARE MENTAL HEALTH James Fisher
Something for the person within…
“
As with all self help books, but more so, one on stopping
smoking, I was sorely tempted to put the kettle on and
settle down with a fresh cup of tea and a cigarette to
read it. I chose, instead, to check it out on a flight
to the US with absolutely no chance of lighting up on the
plane or at my final destination. In fact, the book is
so digestible and friendly that I finished it in a couple
of hours and that, in itself, is a plus, when there’s
never enough time to read for personal gain.
The book closes at 100 successful days of no smoking, and
in that time we have heard all the little messages from
the inner voice persuading us to give in and light up,
but Craze dutifully resists. This is an amusing and human
tale, and by keeping the book by your side for a few weeks
you will probably gain the strength to resist the evil
parasite yourself and remember that you’re not alone.”
PHARMACEUTICAL PHYSICIAN
Sian Hingston Project Manager GSK
“
Now along with the patches and nicotine gum comes this
new aid; a 100 page book charting the highs and lows of
one ex smoker giving up. ‘I wrote the book because
I gave up smoking and I gave up smoking because I watched
a nature programme and it was all about parasites. And
I started to look at tobacco in a slightly different way
than I had ever looked at it before’.
His book has already grabbed the attention of desperate
readers from up and down the country. Journalist Nigel
Canham was a 20 a day man. When he was given a copy to
review it prompted him to kick the habit: ‘I felt
I had been given a big wake up call. Richard had put a
mirror up in front of me and I realised that I wasn’t
enjoying a fag, a fag was enjoying me’.
Richard hasn’t reached for a cigarette in over a
year though he accepts a major crisis could test his resistance.
Thankfully life is treating him kindly and its never smelt
so sweet.”
ITV WEST COUNTRY NEWS
“
Richard Craze’s guide gives it to you straight: what
it’s really like to give up smoking.”
WHAT MEDICINE? Your Guide To Good health naturally!
Pick of the month:
“
If you’ve got a smoker on your Christmas gift list.
Especially one who really wants to give up but who has
failed so far and won’t respond to nagging, a copy
of The Voice of Tobacco might be much appreciated. This ‘dedicated
smoker’s diary of not smoking’ has great style
and humour but more importantly, is highly persuasive.”
GOODTIMES
“The Voice of Tobacco is a new book which is, as
it says on the cover, ‘a dedicated smoker’s
diary of not smoking’. It is a refreshingly open,
honest and humorous account of one man’s fight with
the dreaded weed.
People who successfully give up things are usually patronising,
over-zealous, dictatorial and, let’s face it, boring.
The author has avoided being any of these by writing an
honest and often funny account of his successful attempt
to give up smoking. He doesn’t moralise, he understands
all the problems and he has included some wonderful quotes
about smoking. Both for and against.
It’s an unusual approach, and one which does without
pictures of lungs, too many statistics (and indeed one
of the memorable quotes is ‘cigarette smoking is
a major cause of statistics’) or the leaden voice
of guilt.
Richard Craze was, by his own admission, a very dedicated
smoker indeed.
He smoked everywhere he shouldn’t, he smoked when
he came round from a general anaesthetic after surgery,
he smoked at his mother’s cremation and she died
of lung cancer.
He even considered moving to France because they had a
more liberal attitude to smoking.
He doesn’t know if he’ll go back to smoking.
He still hears the Voice. ‘You will’, it says. ‘I
won’t’, he says, in slightly more colourful
language.
So, for less than the price of a couple of packets of king
sized filters, you can buy a book which may help you laugh
your way to being a non-smoker.”
PRIME OF LIFE
“One of the most popular New Year’s resolutions
is to give up smoking. Really. For good this time. Bookshops
are awash with earnest tomes purporting to help you kick
the habit. The only problem is that most of these books
are so tedious that you find yourself reaching for the
ciggies just to help you get through them.
Which is why we rather liked a new book called The Voice
of Tobacco, ‘A dedicated smoker’s diary of
not smoking,’ by one Richard Craze. Richard has developed
his own unusual and humorous theory of addiction to cigarettes,
which he says has helped him combat the lure of the weed.
He hypothesises that tobacco is in fact a parasite, preying
on its human hosts, and talking to them (he claims that
tobacco sounds uncannily like Leslie Phillips), trying
to persuade them to give up giving up and return to the
weed in order to propagate its own existence. The Voice
of Tobacco is available from White ladder Press.”
THE OLDIE
“It is, without doubt, the most original book on
the subject of smoking – and, more pertinently, what
happens when you try to stop – ever published.
This is not a self-help book, nor is it a guide to giving
up smoking, but it is, in its own way, inspirational and
undoubtedly will be the most unusual book you’ll
read this year.”
SUNDAY EXPRESS
“The Voice of Tobacco, Richard Craze, White Ladder
press is a smoker’s diary of not smoking.”
GOOD HEALTH Lifestyle and Beauty magazine
“Craze just tells it as it is, warts and all – it’s
a bloody spectacle at times, but at least we know for whose
corner we are cheering. For those of us who still arrogantly
rebel against the antiseptic anti-smoking message espoused
by a thousand well manicured professionals and worried
looking do-gooders, The Voice of Tobacco is a godsend.
It’s a lifeline. It’s a revelation. It’s
without equal. I think we’re witnessing the birth
of a biggie here.”
MID-DEVON ADVERTISER
“The New You? Resolution angst? Here’s how
to keep going when you just want to give up on giving up.
Quit smoking. ‘Drink lots of water to flush out the
nicotine,’ says Richard Craze, author of The Voice
of Tobacco (White Ladder Press, £6.99). Rest of January?
Keep yourself busy. ‘Nothing makes us light up more
quickly than boredom,’ warns Craze. Rest of your
life? ‘Smoking takes place in your head, not your
body,’ says Craze, ‘You need to find your own
motivation.’ We have 10 copies of Richard Craze’s
book to give away. For your chance to win….”
RED Magazine
THE BIG QUESTION ; Should cigarette-breaks at work be
banned?
RICHARD CRAZE Author of The Voice of Tobacco, currently
a non- smoker
“
No. People smoke, and whether we approve or not, it is
their choice. Others have tea and coffee breaks - both
also addictive substances. We only go to work for the gossip,
and it all takes place outside, on the pavement, where
all the cool dudes hang out. Fag breaks are a necessary
relaxation and a chance to get a breath of fresh air.”
THE INDEPENDENT Sept 2003
“The blagger’s guide to giving up smoking.
This guy has got your number. He’s telling me everything
I need to know.”
SUNDAY BUSINESS POST
“The end is nigh. Now don’t choke on your
cheroot, but apparently, cigarettes are bad for your health.
So if you want to stamp out the habit, Richard Craze, the
author of The Voice of Tobacco, has some alternatives to
traditional nicotine patches and gum.”
MAXIM
“I really identify with what Richard is saying.
I like the cool thin rock and roll look. Richard is right.
What we need to do is get you to read The Voice of Tobacco.
That is brilliant. He has found his own way to stop.”
BBC Radio Scotland
“This is not all he has said in his excellent book.
He points out that it’s not the craving for nicotine
that keeps us gasping, coughing and reaching for the fags
and lighter, it’s the seductive, insinuative voice
of temptation that encourages us to reach for the neatly
packaged cancer sticks.
Reading this book made the coughing seem worthwhile, and
that was just the introduction!
Okay, this book is not exactly War and Peace, not at a
mere 128 pages, but what do you want for a lousy seven
quid? It’s a sight funnier than War and Peace and
a long way nearer to real life. Wish I’d thought
of the idea of writing it though!
This book would be the perfect read on a medium-length
plane flight (or train delay) because other passengers
will see you laughing and feel inferior because they didn’t
choose the same book at the bookstall.
Finally, even if this book does not actually inspire the
fag devourer to pack in coughing and save a few quid, it
will be good for a laugh. Let’s face it, £6.99
(cheaper than a couple of packets of fags) for a really
good laugh is well worth it any day!”
INSIDE TIMES
“I read a fab book called THE VOICE OF TOBACCO by
Richard Craze which explained all about the emotional and
psychological addiction. Lots of other books had told me
how to beat the physical addiction but this was the first
one to address these real problems. As Richard says I am
still a smoker, I'm just not smoking at the moment.” Jim
Vollar, 25 September 2003
GIVINGUPSMOKING.CO.UK
“This excellent little book describes itself as " a
dedicated smoker's diary of not smoking" and that
is exactly what it is. The author has smoked his chimney
off but secretly, or not so secretly, decided it was not
good for him. On the other hand does he believe another
warning on the front cover which expounds that "Giving
up smoking can seriously damage your relationship" and
if not smoking is bad, then smoking must be good. All is
revealed within this witty book. The author quotes the
advice of an anonymous quitter who said "The best
way to stop smoking is to carry wet matches" and the
inestimable Brooke Shields told the world the inarguable
fact "Smoking kills. If you're killed you've lost
an important part of your life". Then, again, Douglas
Adams told a friend "If we see you smoking we will
assume you are on fire and take appropriate action".
Craze's book is a light-hearted diary of his efforts to
forgo the weed interspersed with cynical comments from
himself as a hard smoker. Giving both sides of the story
the author firmly, but not without apparent regrets, firmly
comes down on the side of the non-addict. So, if you want
to stop smoking but don't want to be lectured to, shown
gory photographs and be bombarded with ugly statistics
- then this is the book for you, and it only costs slightly
more than 20 fags. ”
COUNTRY DOCTOR.COM
“It’s a book that has any smoker, active or
in remission, laughing, nodding in agreement and grateful
not to be the only nutter with a headful of demons and
a clutch of distractions to fill the terrible void. It
may not stop you smoking – YOU have to do that, I’m
afraid. But it might just break down any remaining denial
and ruin it for you forever.”
WESTERN MORNING NEWS Colleen Jordan
“Richard Craze has faced this challenge, and written
the first straight-talking guide that tells you what you
want to know; what it is really like to give up smoking.”
FARINGDON ADVERTISER
“If still in doubt, Richard Craze’s recent
book The Voice of Tobacco has a lot of good stuff in it.
The author loved his fags, then gave them up. His book
explains how. In his notes he says: “This is the
diary of a dedicated and happy smoker who is now not smoking.” Here’s
how he did it. “Here’s how to do it without
the trauma, the withdrawal symptoms, the twitching, the
bad temper. Yeah, right. In your dreams.”
1 HERALD EXPRESS
“….and their second book The Voice of Tobacco,
a witty and stylish account of the frustrating route to
giving up.”
2 HERALD EXPRESS Ian Rowden
Satisfied Readers who may or may not have stopped – but
they did seem to enjoy the book:
“Someone recommended this book to me and I was very
sceptical, because I hate the way all those giving up smoking
books patronise you. But this one is different. Not only
does it not patronise you, it's also extremely funny. The
author talks about admitting how cool it is to smoke, and
what fun it is, but sooner or later you decide you have
to stop. Most of us fail because we don't want to stop
enough, but this book is full of helpful ideas for motivating
yourself enough to give up successfully. And it worked!
I haven't had a fag in 6 weeks. As the author says, I don't
have to think of myself as a non-smoker. I'm just a smoker
who hasn't lit up for several weeks. And now that he's
exposed the persuasive voice in my head for what it is,
it has no power over me any more. Thanks for a great read,
a lot of laughs, and best of all for helping me finally
kick the habit!”
“I too, like the author, have been a fully committed
life long smoker. Now I'm not smoking at the moment thank
you. How? Read this happy smoker's guide and you'll find
out. You'll also laugh a lot - at fags and yourself. This
isn't just a give-up-smoking book although it does do that
as well; it is a well written and very funny account of
what tobacco does to all of us. This is a seriously funny
account of how the author himself stopped smoking - and
stopped for good and without all the usual angst he had
been through before. Smoke or not, have a good read. I
wish I could give it more than 5 stars.”
WHITE LADDER PRESS
OUT OF YOUR TOWNIE MIND Richard Craze 0954391446
Out of Your Townie Mind White Ladder Press 0954391446 £7.99
“Downshifting or taking a permanent step back from
the rat race is a growing trend. Every year thousands of
people move from the large cities and towns to the country.
So if you are enjoying the Bank Holiday sunshine and perhaps
thinking about making it your home, well, apparently you
might have to think again. Because sometimes the fantasy
doesn’t quite fit the reality.
Stuck in traffic. Crammed on a train. Surrounded by concrete. And then you
escape. Thousands do escape the rat race every year but for some expectations
just aren’t met. Richard Craze may look like the archetypal village squire
but his wellies haven’t always fitted so comfortably. Richard’s
new book is about how to make the move successfully and it’s all about
knowing what to expect. Do know what you want and what you don’t want,
and the dream could turn into reality.”
BBC TV Breakfast News
“ You’ve recently moved to the country and your old London friends
want to come for the weekend. Sunday roast, long walks, late nights by an open
fire. What could be better? Er, quite a lot actually, as Richard Craze explains.
Your dream of rural bliss can quickly turn into a nightmare if you misjudge the
realities of country life. Ex-townie Richard Craze offers some knowing words
of advice.”
SATURDAY TELEGRAPH Property Section Feature (Plus printed extract of introduction
and one chapter)
“Richard Craze yanks the rose-tinted spectacles
from the rural idyll and tramples them in the mud. The
result is cheeky but charming – a kind of Feel-the-Fear-But-Do-It-Anyway
for wannabe downshifters.”
HUGH FEARNLEY WHITTINGSTALL
"In these days when the rural voice is demanding
to be heard and 'town versus countryside' issues make headline
news, Richard Craze's perceptive examination of the townie
exodus into the green acres could not be more timely."
JOHN CRAVEN Presenter, BBC TV Country File
“Dreaming of wearing waxed jackets and growing your
own veg is often quite different from the reality. This
enterprising and helpful book intended for those who are
thinking of moving to the country has sprung from an extensive
survey the author carried out to discover what the top
fantasies of those wishing to move out are, as well as
what those who have made the transition think of it now – and
what they wish they had done differently, if anything.
The fantasies range unsurprisingly from health and safety issues to making
jam in an Aga-heated kitchen. Apparently, a good 40 per cent of people who
pursue those fantasies move back to the city. Craze offers extremely useful
advice aimed at enabling people to find the right approach to county living,
listing the downsides as well as the advantages, so they can avoid beating
a humiliating retreat when the mud overwhelms them.”
Carla McKay DAILY MAIL
“ So, you’re fed up of city living and have decided to head to the
rural idyll. Don’t do it until you’ve read this book! Richard Craze
promises to reveal the ‘reality behind the dream of country living,’ and
he certainly delivers.
Craze is qualified to talk to townie folk – he used to be one before
he plumped for a life in the country 10 years ago. His prose is light and breezy,
making the book an enjoyable read while giving you hard facts and encouraging
you to make sure you’ve asked all the little questions.
It seems that at some point we all romance about owning an Aga, a horse, a
cottage, making our own jam, stoking an open fire. But have you done it before?
asks Craze. If you don’t do these things now, what makes you think you’ll
do them in the country or be any good at it? You’re hardly going to go
from M&S ready meals to growing your own veggies overnight, if at all.
The book blows away the myths. It asks you to think precisely about what you
want to gain from the move. Time doesn’t grow on trees – that large
garden takes two days a week to tend, that drive to get milk once the corner
shop has closed takes 20 minutes, not two. It’s full of cautionary tales.
If you can tick all the boxes, then just maybe you really are suited to the
country life.”
GRAND DESIGNS
“ A very zeitgeist friendly title this tapping into the eternal middle
class urge to trade in the urban über pad for the 'cleaner', more 'honest'
life to be found out in the rural communities.
Succinctly, and with real wit Richard Craze jabs a dirty great hole in the
over-inflated collective fantasy. Not so much wake up and smell the coffee,
as wake up and realise there's nowhere to buy the coffee.
That he manages to do this while clearly still relishing the lifestyle himself
turns what might have been a simple 'here be dragons' warning into a read to
relish, while still prompting some serious self examination along the way.
Anyway, any book that manages to make mention of pierced nipples within the
first fifty pages gets my thumbs up, and unlike most books from the lifestyle
genre it actually has an attractive cover, one you won't mind keeping on your
shelves for the years after the deed is done.”
Channel4.com
LIVING THE DREAM
“ Anyone harbouring a secret desire t relocate to the country should read
this book. Richard Craze’s book Out Of Your Townie Mind looks at the reality
behind the dream of country living.
O the city. This book shows you how, with a bit of forethought, you can get
the very best out of country living by avoiding the pitfalls other townies
stumble into.
The author’s own experiences and those of ex-townies make this book an
interesting and entertaining read. And for those who don’t share the
dream, a reminder why.
CAMPING AND CARAVANNING
The ultimate downshifters book that tells wannabe country
dwellers what it’s really like. Everyone who wants
to make the move has a dream, whether it’s going
for long walks, keeping chickens or sending the kids to
a better school. This book takes the top rural dreams that
townies have (based on a survey of over 100 aspiring country
dwellers) and explains the reality behind them. Country
living may still be a tempting option, but it’s not
all roses round the door. Out of Your Townie Mind sets
out the pitfalls and problems so that readers can prepare
themselves for the reality of country life.
FARMINGBOOKSANDVIDEOS.COM
TOWNIES SEDUCED BY GREAT RURAL LIE….
“ Downshifting, or the desire to move from the town to the country, is
becoming increasingly popular. Here Richard Craze, the West Country author of
Out Of Your Townie Mind: The Reality Behind The Dream Of Country Living, explains
why the idyllic dream of rural living can all to soon turn into a nightmare.
We who live in the country bear a heavy responsibility towards our cousins,
the townies – one we should give a little more thought to. We present
such an idyllic dream to them that they too long to live here…….How
do I know all this? I have to confess, I was a townie. I believed the Great
Lie. I moved. I suffered. I made mistakes. But I did stick it out and now I
am settled here….”
WESTERN DAILY PRESS
“If the thought of returning to work is filling
you with dread then it might be worth looking at a new
book released this week called Out of Your Townie Mind
by Richard Craze.
Now there are plenty of these downshifting books on the shelves already but
what really sets this one apart is the fact that Richard has been there and
done that. This book really tells it like it is. If you are seriously thinking
of upping sticks and living the country life. Having looked through it, it
is best described as a reality check; if you reckon that country life is all
roses round the door. Out of Your Townie Mind - the reality of country living
- is £7.99 and available in all good bookshops all over town, and probably
a few in the country as well.”
Garry Vincent MAGIC 105.4 RADIO LONDON
Rural reality bites for urbanites
“ Ah – the countryside! Lush meadows (mud); cosy country pubs (here
be bigots); and log fires (beware back injury from chopping wood). Out Of Your
Townie Mind exposes the myths of rural living and replaces them with the uncomfortable
reality: The countryside is cold and dirty, and ‘unless you are a white
heterosexual’ can be desperately unwelcoming.
Townie is a humorously indispensable guide that aims to smooth the passage
of city-dwellers relocating to the rural idyll by telling them exactly what
they are getting into. There’s a guide to worming your way into the local
community (make sure you shop locally even though the place is expensive and
poorly stocked), and don’t ‘wear fashion’ or eat guacamole.
If working from home, accept that there is no broadband, and beware friends ‘who
drop in for a coffee’.
Best of all is the section on playing host to ‘townie’ friends.
This bunch will drink your best wine, beg to be shown sights you’ve already
seen, and will ‘seem bright and fun and young while you realise that
living in the countryside has made you old fashioned, out of touch and drab’.
You have been warned.”
Ben Walker REGENERATION & RENEWAL
“A cautionary tale that tackles the idyll of rural
living and exposes the pit falls, which can be avoided
with a little planning – and the help of this book!”
PERIOD LIVING & TRADITIONAL
HOMES
“Contrary to what you might imagine, country living
is not all cream teas and roses round the door! Before
you make the move, identify the real pitfalls with ‘Out
Of Your Townie Mind’ and be prepared.”
PERIOD HOUSE August 2004
“ Out Of Your Townie Mind presents the reality behind the dream of country
living, based on a survey of people who moved out of the city in search of a
better life. This is a sensible and practical book, clearly and authoritatively
written.”
WESTERN MORNING NEWS Mark Hughes
How to…Move closer to country walks. The best practical advice you will
ever need Leave the urban sprawl behind to walk further and more often….
“Out Of Your Townie Mind exposes the pitfalls as
well as the pluses of moving to the country.”
COUNTRY WALKING
“Every year, city-dwellers leave the big smoke to
start a new life in the countryside, but as many as 40%
return to the city after discovering that rural life isn’t
a bed of roses. Out Of Your Townie Mind by Richard Craze
aims to dispel the myths that surround living in the country
and help people avoid the potential pitfalls and get the
most out of rural life.”
MORTGAGE ADVISOR & HOME
BUYER
“With all this clean country living I must tell
you about a really good read it’s called Out of Your
Townie Mind by Richard Craze (published by White ladder
Press £7.99). I couldn’t put the book down – it’s
all about upping sticks and moving to the country. Each
chapter starts off with the ‘dream’ and then
goes on to the ‘reality’ – it is a must
for town and country mice.”
Amy Willcock THE SHOOTING GAZETTE
Travel - Ones to Watch
“… Not strictly travel, this is aimed at those contemplating exchanging
their city life for rural bliss, illustrating the realities and pit-falls. Expect
much media attention."
THE BOOKSELLER Celia Brayfield
“ Now, is life in the countryside all it’s cracked up to be? That’s
our talking point this week. Do newcomers find that rural idyll or are they badly
let down? And what do long term residents make of those newcomers? And joining
me now is Richard Craze who’s written a book about the reality of country
life called Out Of Your Townie Mind.”
COUNTRY FILE BBC1 John Craven
“ But that cottage with roses round the door may be more of a nightmare
than a dream. According to Richard Craze, author of Out of Your Townie Mind:
The Reality Behind the Dream of Country Living, many who head for sunlit fields
have unrealistic expectations. “People think that all the things that are
personally wrong will evaporate once they move to the country,” he said. “But
if you don’t go for long walks in the town – where there are plenty
of parks and green spaces – what makes you think you’re going to
go for long walks in the country? If you’re lazy in the town, you’ll
be just as lazy in the country. It won’t make you a better person.”
FINANCIAL TIMES
“Out of Your Townie Mind Book - (We think this is
hilarious) Everyone has their fantasy of what life in the
country will be like - keeping chickens, handknitting your
own yoghurt - but will the fantasy turn out to be more
of a nightmare? Will your house in the woods be a private
haven of wildlife.....or just a recipe for endless gutter
clearing? This book exposes the reality behind the dream
of country living. Enlightening for the townie, hilarious
for those already in the country.”
PRESENTFINDER.CO.UK
“If our ‘Changing Lives’ article on
moving to the country is Spark#36 whetted your appetite
for rural relocation, then a new book may be just what
you need. ‘Out Of Your Townie Mind’ by Richard
Craze (White Ladder Press), has everything you need to
know about the potential pitfalls so you can make your
bucolic dream a reality.”
SPARK
“We all have our own fantasy of what life will be
like. But are we right? Is it all roses round the door,
or are they brambles?
The answers to these questions are in Out Of Your Townie Mind, a new book by
Richard Craze. The book takes the most popular dreams of rural life that townies
have (based on a survey of aspiring country dwellers) and lays the real facts
on the line. Does a big garden really give you more space to enjoy the country,
or just create so much more work you never have time to enjoy it? Will a house
in the woods be a private haven of wildlife. Your own nature reserve on the
doorstep…or is it just dark, damp and a recipe for endless gutter clearing?
Richard Craze – an ex-townie himself – takes each of these dreams
in turn and investigates whether the reality matches up, and what you need
to do to ensure you aren’t disappointed.”
COUNTRY MARKET South West
Just finished reading this amusing, informative and interesting
book. As a bumpkin who became a townie it brings back memories
of how we used to sneer at townies. Now my townie friends
are migrating to the country this is going at the top of
my gift list to make sure they are prepared for what's
in store. Top marks to Mr Craze.
Reader’s review:
from LONDON United Kingdom
I was given this book as a gift by a friend because I have been on and on about
moving to the countryside for years but never done it. I laughed a lot. All
my dreams were in this book and all the reasons why they would go wrong. I
shall make the move one day - no really I shall - and this book will help me
a lot. As well as being useful it is also very funny indeed. I hadn't come
across this author before but I'm checking out his other books now as he can
obviously write. It is a very funny book.
A Reader from the city but dreaming of escape
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