Looking For Smoke Characters

The Joy of Smoking: The Light-Hearted Look at Lighting Up

Tired of being told to quit, put it out, stand outside, have some consideration, think about your health ...? The list of complaints against smokers would take much longer than a fag break to read out, and many of us (even those who don't smoke) have had just about enough of it! The passive whingeing we endure from the self-righteous is enough to have anyone gasping for another ciggie! Leaping to the defence of the smoker, The Daily Mirror's favourite columnist Sue Carroll and non-smoker Sue Brealey take a hilarious and irreverent look at the humble cigarette, its history and its place in life and death, love and sex, fiction and the silver screen, and champions its survival in the face of a modern tide of persecution from the health police. I knew a man who gave up smoking, drinking, sex and rich food. He was healthy, right up to the day he killed himself.' Johnny Carson 'I just hate being a non-smoker, because I always find smokers the most interesting people on the table.' Michelle Pfeiffer

Let's Clear the Air

(ages 9 - 12) This collection of stories and interviews is the result of a simple question: "Why won't you start smoking?" Readers won't feel like they are being preached to, because the anti-tobacco message is being delivered by kids just like them. The stories, based on life experiences and observations, are diverse, personal, and smart – sometimes painful, sometimes funny. The ten reasons include the poor health of parents who smoke, addiction, self-image, the environment, and relationships. Our young contributors also bring up issues that kids might not consider, such as how cigarettes affect one's personal appearance, athletic performance, and bank account. The media's portrayal of smoking and the unscrupulous marketing tactics used by tobacco companies are also discussed. The stories are complemented by edgy illustrations, examples of anti-tobacco activism, quotes from nonsmoking celebrities, a foreword by Christy Turlington, important health facts, "instant history facts," and other sidebars which present the ugly truth about cigarettes.

Dictionary of 6,500 Chinese characters (simplified) with fast look-up