Our best books for Christmas reading

BIOGRAPHY FLOURISHING By Maureen Gaffney Penguin €15   I'M not a great fan of the literary snake oil salesmen and women who churn out self-help tosh to exploit a gullible public. But cynic that I am, I'm very impressed with Flourishing by Maureen Gaffney. Gaffney is a well-known psychologist who never seems to be off the airwaves, but she's definitely someone who has a lot to say that is relevant to the predicament we now find ourselves in. Working on the premise that serious research has whittled out the dross over the years, she delves in detail into what methods have been found to work when it comes to promoting confidence, optimism and the 'flourishing' of the title. This book may be a little academic for some addicted to the quick-fix, feel-good factor peddled by the merchant princes of the self-help industry, but if you can stay with it you'll find plenty of solace here. A rational approach that serves as an antidote to the all-pervasive pessimism and gloom we are engulfed in. VERY SPECIAL ATLAS OF THE IRISH RURAL LANDSCAPE Cork University Press €59   THIS is something very special, which I hope Santy will have room for this year. The controversial reference in it to the phenomenon of 'muck mansions' that spread like a fungus over the countryside during the Celtic Tiger years has drawn a lot of media comment, which was possibly the intention. I haven't come across any travel book that I really covet this year, a very unusual situation for me, so I'll opt for this beautiful and informative book instead. This is a major update of this bestselling work on the Irish landscape. When it appeared in 1997, it was hailed as a pioneering work aimed at increasing appreciation of the Irish landscape as a crucial component of our national heritage. For those with any interest in the landscape, or indeed the evolving social history of this country, this volume is a treasure trove of information and knowledge. It's not cheap, but it's a collector's item, and the quality of the publication is second to none. Happy Christmas reading to you all.