Distractions

Deputy editor Ed Chamberlin brings you the latest music, books and cool stuff.

NEVER MIND THE POLLOCKS
Art: The Twentieth Century
Flaminio Gualdoni
If you’re afraid of talking about art in case you mix up Matisse with Magritte, or just want a quick reference to the past 150 years or so, this extensively illustrated block will bring you back up to speed, from Impressionism to Dadaism, all the way through to Damien Hirst’s sliced-up cows. €17.50

UNIVERSE CHALLENGE
You Are Here: A Portable History of the Universe
Christopher Potter
If you don’t know Uranus from your elbow, this is the book for you. Taking you on an easy-to-understand journey around the universe, back to the beginning of time and forward again to the present day, the book explains what we know, how we know it and, most importantly, how we fit into it all. €22

1 CLASSIC RECORD
Histoire de Melody Nelson
Serge Gainsbourg
Having just received its first official release in the US, now’s a good time to get acquainted with this deliciously sleazy masterpiece. Beck, Pulp, Portishead and Air have all cited Melody as an influence, and from the moment the bass line bleeds into the room followed by the funky drums and Serge’s trademark whisper, you’re hooked. And you don’t even need to understand French to know that Serge is being a very naughty boy throughout! €10

2 GET-FIT HELPERS
Ever since the dawn of the fitness room there have been those who preferred to exercise at home, away from the watchful eyes of the super-toned gods and goddesses of the treadmills. So, after trying out Jane Fonda workout videos and electric six-pack devices, we’ve found two of the best exercise aids – one ultra high-tech, the other super low-fi.

POCKETFIT PLAYING CARDS
Quite literally a deck of cards, but with individual floor exercises on each one and the perfect gift to guilt-trip your beer-swilling, poker-playing chums. Being a Motörhead fan, I headed straight for the ace of spades and was beseeched to perform 10 plyometric squat jumps. An ingenious way to inject some variety into your workouts and to wipe your friends’ poker faces off during a game of Texas hold ’em. Still not quite as much fun as strip poker, though. €9

EA ACTIVE PERSONAL TRAINER
Instantly superior to any workout video for two reasons: 1) It’s on Nintendo Wii, meaning people will actually use it. 2) You can tailor it to suit your fitness requirements. Having created your on-screen “you”, with hair colour, body type and skin tone, you get stuck in with exercises from the dreaded lunges to the dreaded crunches, via jogging, boxing and roller-blading. There’s even a fitness diary that you use to actually help you loose weight in front of the TV. €50