A Book of Secrets: how to find comfort in a turbulent world (AJ)

In A Book of Secrets, internationally bestselling author Derren Brown considers the value and benefit of having pain in our lives, asking:

Is it in those moments that we are faced with adversity that we find the most lasting rewards?
Do we spend so much time trying to make sense of our lives that we forget what makes us wonderfully us?
What are the secrets that show us how to meet challenging moments head on?

In thirteen fascinating chapters, Derren takes us back to his own scenes of childhood humiliation, to lonely evenings on tour, to being paralysed by shyness at a dinner party hosted by famous guests, to navigating middle age and to finding love. By sharing his own moments of anger, frustration, loneliness and loss, Derren reveals how it's possible to find consolation and compassion in our most challenging times.

A Book of Secrets is a profound and practical guide to finding value in sadness and strength from what life throws at us - it is from the difficulty of life that we find meaning and grow.

Review
Enlightening, thought-provoking and illuminating. Derren Brown asks questions about the world, and his intelligent curiosity benefits us all. -- Elizabeth Day

About the Author

Derren began his UK television career in December 2000 with a series of specials called Mind Control. Since redefining the genre of magic for intelligent, modern audiences, he has become synonymous with the art of psychological manipulation. His TV shows have become must-see events. Amongst a varied and notorious career, Derren has played Russian Roulette on live television, convinced middle-managers to commit an armed robbery in the street, led the nation in a séance, stuck viewers to their sofas, successfully predicted the National Lottery, motivated a shy man to land a packed passenger plane at 30,000 feet, exposed psychic and faith-healing charlatans, and hypnotised a man to assassinate Stephen Fry. On top of this he tours the UK every year with a sell-out stage show and has recently finished a run on Broadway, NYC.

He has published five books: Tricks of the Mind, Confessions of a Conjuror, Happy, A Little Happier and a book of his caricatures, Portraits.