Redefine what confidence looks like at home and at work. Everyone wants to be able to face challenging situations without feeling daunted, intimidated or stressed. But no-one wants to be labelled over-confident, arrogant or smarmy, or to get caught up in their own hype. So how can you feel authentically confident - without the cringe, and without pretending to be something you're not? Happy high status is a new way of thinking about confidence and how you relate to yourself. It's how actors and comedians enhance their presence on stage and screen. It lends strength and energy to your interactions, big and small, and is a way of projecting status, minimising self-doubt and moving effortlessly through life. Drawing on research, practical tips and lessons from the worlds of comedy, film, television, politics and sport, Viv Groskop offers a masterclass in how you can access this new form of confidence at any time. All, crucially, with no risk of anyone thinking that you are your own biggest fan. "Viv always makes me feel more confident. Get the magic now in book form" - Katy Brand "I recommend Viv Groskop to anyone wanting more self-confidence" - Philippa Perry "Reassuring, inspiring and wise - a practical handbook for anyone held back by self-doubt" - Julia Samuel

A powerful guide for every woman looking to find—or amplify—her voice Most books about public speaking don’t tell you what to do when you open your mouth and nothing comes out. And they don’t tell you how to get over the performance anxiety that most people naturally have. They don’t tell you what to do in the moments when you are made, as a woman, to feel small. They don’t tell you how to own the room. This book does. From the way Michelle Obama projects “happy high status,” and the power of J.K.Rowling’s understated speaking style, to Virginia Woolf’s leisurely pacing and Oprah Winfrey’s mastery of inner conviction, what is it that our heroines do to make us sit up and listen - really listen - to their every word? And how can you achieve that impact in your own life? How to Own the Room will show you exactly how.

When he was twenty-three, Jason Capital woke up one morning with only twenty-three dollars to his name, feeling stuck and overwhelmed. He realized that he wasn't going to win the game of life based on what he learned at school and from his parents. But Capital turned it around in less than a year by applying High Status techniques. He's now the World's #1 Success Trainer, and with the guidance he provides in this invaluable volume, you too can harness this cutting-edge technology, take control of your own destiny, and become a person of power, influence, and remarkable achievement.

A globe-trotting, eye-opening exploration of how cities can—and do—make us happier people Charles Montgomery's Happy City will revolutionize the way we think about urban life. After decades of unchecked sprawl, more people than ever are moving back to the city. Dense urban living has been prescribed as a panacea for the environmental and resource crises of our time. But is it better or worse for our happiness? Are subways, sidewalks, and tower dwelling an improvement on the car-dependence of sprawl? The award-winning journalist Charles Montgomery finds answers to such questions at the intersection between urban design and the emerging science of happiness, and during an exhilarating journey through some of the world's most dynamic cities. He meets the visionary mayor who introduced a "sexy" lipstick-red bus to ease status anxiety in Bogotá; the architect who brought the lessons of medieval Tuscan hill towns to modern-day New York City; the activist who turned Paris's urban freeways into beaches; and an army of American suburbanites who have transformed their lives by hacking the design of their streets and neighborhoods. Full of rich historical detail and new insights from psychologists and Montgomery's own urban experiments, Happy City is an essential tool for understanding and improving our own communities. The message is as surprising as it is hopeful: by retrofitting our cities for happiness, we can tackle the urgent challenges of our age. The happy city, the green city, and the low-carbon city are the same place, and we can all help build it.

'Micromastery is a triumph. I read it with delight, and instantly vowed to put more conviction into the latest thing I'm trying, which is using a plectrum when I play the guitar' Philip Pullman Want to learn how to cook? Start by making an omelette. Want to able to dance? First learn the Tango Walk. Want to be more creative, smarter and happier? Read this book. Micromastery is the inspiring new way to approach any kind of challenge or skill. With this simple, accessible technique you can get a grip on new subjects quickly, then experiment and grow. Whether it's making a perfect soufflé, painting a door or lighting a fire -- just three of the thirty nine little skills this book will teach you -- you'll find that cultivating micro areas of expertise is life-changing. Become a fearless learner, spot more creative opportunities, and improve your brain health and wellbeing. Start small. Start specific. But start - and you'll be on the path to mastery. 'A brilliantly smart, cunningly simple idea. Conquering every skill, talent, and life hack in seconds is what the modern man yearns for' Jim Allen, MD, RDF Television 'Robert Twigger is an inspiring author. Read this book!' Nick Hodgson, Kaiser Chiefs 'Brilliant. . . . mastering a series of small tasks has created pockets of perfection through my day, and made me calmer and happier in the process' Rachel Kelly, author of Walking on Sunshine: 52 Small Steps to Happiness Robert Twigger is an author, adventure traveller and apprentice micromaster. His first book, Angry White Pyjamas, about a year spent in a Japanese martial arts dojo, won the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award and the Somerset Maugham Award. He has lectured on risk management, polymathics and leadership at Oxford Brookes Business School, Oxford University, the Royal College of Art, and to companies including P&G, Maersk shipping, Oracle computing and SAB Miller.

A sociologist and former fashion model takes readers inside the elite global party circuit of "models and bottles" to reveal how beautiful young women are used to boost the status of men Million-dollar birthday parties, megayachts on the French Riviera, and $40,000 bottles of champagne. In today's New Gilded Age, the world's moneyed classes have taken conspicuous consumption to new extremes. In Very Important People, sociologist, author, and former fashion model Ashley Mears takes readers inside the exclusive global nightclub and party circuit—from New York City and the Hamptons to Miami and Saint-Tropez—to reveal the intricate economy of beauty, status, and money that lies behind these spectacular displays of wealth and leisure. Mears spent eighteen months in this world of "models and bottles" to write this captivating, sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking narrative. She describes how clubs and restaurants pay promoters to recruit beautiful young women to their venues in order to attract men and get them to spend huge sums in the ritual of bottle service. These "girls" enhance the status of the men and enrich club owners, exchanging their bodily capital for as little as free drinks and a chance to party with men who are rich or aspire to be. Though they are priceless assets in the party circuit, these women are regarded as worthless as long-term relationship prospects, and their bodies are constantly assessed against men's money. A story of extreme gender inequality in a seductive world, Very Important People unveils troubling realities behind moneyed leisure in an age of record economic disparity.

The most comprehensive, smart, helpful and inspiring guide to improve available today. Applicable to comedians, actors, public speakers and anyone who needs to think on their toes. From The Improv Handbook: The problem for improvisers is anxiety. faced with a lot of nameless eyes staring at us, and feeling more than anything else like prey, we are likely to want to display very consistent behavior, so that anyone who looks at us, looks away and then looks back sees the same thing. Thus we become boring, we fade into the background, and we cease to be of interest. The Improv Handbook provides everything someone interested in improvisational comedy needs to know, as written by a husband and wife comedy duo with years of experience and teaching in the field. in addition to providing a comprehensive history of improvisational theater as a backdrop, it also looks at modern theories and practices of improvisation on a global scale, including how the form of comedy has evolved differently in different parts of the world, from Europe to the UK to the Chicago scene. The Improv Handbook also contains an essential performance segment that details different formats of improvisation. Chapter topics include Theatresports, Micetro, Gorilla Theatre, and the inventions of Keith Johnstone and Del Close as well as other popular forms of improv, like those on "Whose Line is it Anyway." The core section of the book is called simply, "How to Improvise" and delves into issues of spontaneity, the fundamentals of storytelling, working together, upping the ante, and character development. The book concludes with sections on how to improvise in front of an audience and- just as crucially- how to attract an audience in the first place.

The Working Voice is an accessible, go-to resource to help readers get to know, take care of, and develop their voice. An essential guide for anyone whose voice acts as an integral part of their professional role, this highly practical yet informative book provides the necessary insights to achieve real results, drawing on the experience of an expert speech and language therapist, and an accomplished actor and voice and communication coach. Each chapter offers a wealth of information on a key element of voice, including posture, tension release, breathing, resonance, volume, intonation and effective communication, alongside advice and exercises to maintain your vocal health and empower your communication in the workplace. The book includes self-assessment checklists, questionnaires and thought-provoking prompts to help you understand your voice better, identify the challenges you face as a professional voice user. It also contains exercises to enhance your vocal ability. Expert advice on what to embrace and what to avoid ensures a safe and structured path towards vocal health, quality and authentic presence. This crucial introduction to voice in the professional workplace will benefit anyone who speaks as part of their job, including education, law, media, health, entertainment and corporate professionals, whether communicating in person, online or to a large audience.

Leadership, teamwork, creativity and storytelling are hot topics in contemporary training and management. They are also an integral part of applied improvisation, which as a result gives us a valuable stock of exercises and methods to impart these skills. In Applied Improvisation for Coaches and Leaders: A Practical Guide for Creative Collaboration, Schinko-Fischli provides a complete introduction to applying the principles and techniques of improvisational theatre to working life. Schinko-Fischli uses her wealth of experience to illuminate how trainers and managers can add new stimuli to their work through applied improvisation. The book begins with a general introduction to the development of improvisational theatre and to applied improvisation, defining the foundations of improvisation and how we can usefully apply these methods to teamwork. It then focuses on how we can use creativity, with a particular focus on co-creativity, to pave the way for new visions of the future and innovative solutions, and explores how storytelling can be applied to teamwork and presentations. Finally, Schinko-Fischli examines status, examining how we present ourselves and appear to others, and how we can influence and control this. This unique book takes a fresh and nuanced look at many soft skills and presents a complete overview of the areas in which applied improvisation may be used by coaches and managers. It contains practical exercises throughout and clearly explains relevant theory and terminology. Applied Improvisation for Coaches and Leaders: A Practical Guide for Creative Collaboration will be essential reading for coaches in practice and in training, particularly executive coaches, and those who work with leaders in teams and organisations. It will also be a key text for leaders, trainers and managers seeking to enhance and expand their soft skills and make learning gainful and enjoyable.