Joe Laredo

Living and Working in Ireland by Joe Laredo (London: Survival Books, 3rd ed. 2009), £14.95.

A guide to the regions of (the Republic of) Ireland and to all aspects of making a living there, including obtaining permits, renting or buying property, finding a job, educating your children, paying taxes, getting around, shopping and enjoying yourself – plus a light-hearted look at what makes the Irish Irish.

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The Best Places to Buy a Home in France by Joe Laredo (London: Survival Books, 2007), £12.95.

A round-up of the attractions and distractions of the 22 regions of France for foreigners planning to buy a home there – whether for holidays or for permanent living. Includes climate and price guides, estate agent recommendations and testimonials from people who have made the move.

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Culture Wise France: The essential guide to culture, customs and business etiquette by Joe Laredo (London: Survival Books, 2007), £9.95.

An honest but light-hearted guide to French manners, customs, values and taboos, covering the vagaries of the language, the mysteries of the business world, the labyrinthine workings of the administration, the efficiency of the transport system and, of course, the delights of shopping, eating and drinking à la française.

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Renovating and Maintaining Your French Home by Joe Laredo (London: Survival Books, 3rd ed. 2007), available second-hand from Amazon.

A guide to buying and doing up an old French property, covering pre-purchase checks, budgeting, permissions, using architects and builders, and doing the work yourself: from roofing and stonework to plumbing and electrical installation. Also includes information on security systems, swimming pool installation and maintenance, and creating a French garden.

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Making a Living in France by Joe Laredo (London: Survival Books, 2005), available second-hand from Amazon.

A guide to finding work in France, whether as an employee or on your own account, in catering, healthcare, retailing, teaching, tourism or other fields. Includes a regional guide and legal advice. Living France magazine wrote: 'Joe Laredo's easy writing style comfortably combines positive thinking and cautionary wisdom; he is business-like and direct.'

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Foreigners in France: Triumphs and disasters by Joe Laredo (London: Survival Books, 2004), £9.95.

The 'warts and all' experiences of miscellaneous foreigners – from Americans to Asians – of life in France, told in their own words. Builds up a kaleidoscopic picture of the country and its people – their good points and their bad – and provides insights into what makes living abroad a success or a failure.

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Celestial Treasury: From the music of the spheres to the conquest of space Marc Lachiéze-Rey and Jean-Pierre Luminet, translatedby Joe Laredo (Cambridget: Cambridge University Press, 2001), available second-hand from Amazon.

A sumptuously illustrated coffee-table book tracing the evolution of astronomical and astrological theories and instruments and comparing ancient and modern ideas and practices: from Greek verse, medieval manuscripts and Victorian poetry to photographs of deep space and computer-generated star charts. A verbal and visual exploration of the origin and meaning of the universe.

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The Rubbish on Our Plates by Fabien Perucca and Gérard Pouradier, translatedby Joe Laredo (London: Prion Books, 1996), available second-hand from Amazon.

An investigation into the effects on human health of today's agricultural and food-processing industries by two French journalists, whose black humour is directed at such practices as testing lethal dosages on guinea-pigs, injecting animals with steroids and other growth-inducers, diluting food with gum and, of course, genetic modification and biotechnology.

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The Outsider by Albert Camus, translated by Joe Laredo (London: Hamish Hamilton/Penguin Books/Penguin Classics, 1981/1983/2000), £8.99.

Camus's classic 1942 tale, whose protagonist was described by the Listener as 'undoubtedly the best achieved of all the central figures of the existentialist novel'. Of this 1981 translation, the Spectator wrote: 'He catches perfectly the flatness and the sparkle of Camus … Joseph Laredo has made a masterpiece read like a masterpiece'.

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