Courtesy of Andrew McGuigan, this near four hundred page tome tempts the reader with monetary gain, where success can be yours with just three pre-requisites: this book, moral shades of grey that would make E. L. James blush, and a functioning time machine.
As such technology is not yet an Argos Click and Collect away, you should prepare yourselves with thirty chapters of advice, hints, and tips on how on navigate the murky eddies of time travel and financial avarice. You may wish to enrich yourself culturally by observing historically significant events, meeting your favourite (or most hated) famous figure, or re-visiting Bob's Butty Van (RIP), and it's all for the better when there's a few quid in it. For those veering towards the darker side of self improvement there is that option too, but hey, you can't say you aren't warned before perusing that section's pages. And yes, there are limits even then.
Chapters are split via topics - war, tourism, food, the arts, betting, and the like. There is a light-hearted tone throughout, and cheeky little winks to the audience lift the presentation further. Numerous illustrations to break up the already well laid out text, as well as boxouts with snippets from past, present and future time travellers to illustrate the joys, and pitfalls, of chronological sojourns. Best of all, none of the chapters are overly long, meaning you're as much at ease dipping in and out as you are gorging yourself for hours on end.
Yet what makes TTGSSP a really cracking read is not just the deftness of the text, or the side eyes at the reader, but the fact that as you progress, you will learn things. Yep, this book is edutainment!
Wait, no, not that edutainment so beloved of 1990's software houses. No, this book will teach you about places, events, and peeps that may not have heard of before, and you'll have a damn good chuckle as you do so. More than once, I had to put down the guide and switch to online sources to find out more - the bon mots presented here creating an appetite for knowledge that demanded satiating. And that's not all, as the last couple of chapters detail literature and films that feature time travel and its consequences. Whilst not exhaustive (there's only so much room in the book), they're a bloody good starting point if you want to know more but don't fancy checking out the FedNet.
The true worth of TTGSSP lies in not only suggesting concepts of wealth accumulation that might be slightly more ethical than investment banking, but also in making learning about history fun in an almanac of who, how and when, wrapped up in the sassy pants that only a Heed Army veteran could wear. At one point, my good lady asked me to stop pointing out cool things in it because the interruptions were rather frequent, but who doesn't want to reconsider Genghis Kahn with the most glorious of English dialects?
Funny, informative and a downright fantastic read, the TTGSSP is a tome that you'll find yourself coming back to time and time again. It is one to fill your head with intriguing snippets that'll have you crowned in the local pub quiz, and one that when the day comes, might just provide the retirement funds suitable for the lifestyle you really want to live. Hopefully without careening around in a chunk of metal at 88 miles per hour! And if peregrinating through periods of history doesn't replace Jet2 for those sneaky little trips away, then at least you'll still have a bloody good read on your bookshelves. I enjoyed this one so much that although I have the (kindly received) pdf review copy on my Kindle, I've ordered a physical copy too. It really is that good!
You can pick up your own copy of The Time Traveller's Guide to Survival, Success, and Profit from Lulu.com using the following link: https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/ttgtssp.
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