Dancing By The Light of The Moon: Over 250 poems to read, relish and recite

Cover and content both are cute. Make me smile after long.

I bought this as a traditional book with paper pages and hardboard covers. So it is heavy. But I think this format is good for poetry so I can easily go from poem to poem several pages or chapters away in the oldfashioned traditional manner. And as well as the poems there is a huge amount of information about learning by heart and how it keeps the brain in good order whether it is a time before you are born or at the other end of life, I am finding this book very entertaining with far more variety of content than I ever imagined.

This beautiful book serves well as a simple anthology of poems you may want to learn by heart or not. However, this delightful tome is so much more than merely an anthology of much loved poetry and prose. It is a book packed with hints and tricks to help you remember poems. It examines the meaning of memory too, exploring how we can exercise and improve our memory. I've always thought of the library as a sort of gymnasium for the mind. I do voluntary work with a scheme using bibliotherapy (books and reading as therapy NOT 'bible therapy' as it was hilariously mis-labelled as at one meeting). We work with people with mental health issues and as a former service user myself I know how books and my love of reading helped me when I was in a very dark place. I am so lucky to be able to pass on this to others. We also deal with dementia which is where this book is extra relevant. So often a person who has difficulty remembering every day things will suddenly light up at the mention of a favourite book or poem from long ago, it can spark memories and conversation allowing the person living with dementia to be a part of the group. I love that I am able to 'share' this book in this way. I really recommend it. Oh and Gyles Brandreth is an engaging and captivating writer - even if he is a terrible name-dropper!

Bought sight unseen after a radio interview best money I've ever spent

A brilliant poetry anthology to rival Wavell's "Other Men's Flowers". All the best familiar poems (and some new ones) and the most quotable speeches from Shakespeare as well as advice on learning poetry by heart to help ward off dementia. Highly recommended.

What did I use this product for you ask!! Well what one usually does with a book is read it! Actually this is a wonderful book for dipping in and out of. A very dear friend gave it to me and I have just purchased this one to pass on to another friend. It is Gyles Brandreth's choice of poems - poems old and new - funny and sad. All sort of poems. I keep it by my bed and dip in and out. It is a joy!