I bought the Philips juicer 4 weeks ago, and I'm a convert.
You can put in whole apples, carrots, cucumbers, even ginger, and it extracts a huge amount of juice - the pulp may not be completely dry, but you don't waste much. The only exception so far is broccoli, which doesn't produce much juice - but let's face it, broccoli is a pretty dry vegetable...
And, so long as you wash it up straight away (with the brush included) it takes less than 2 minutes to clean - I don't even use washing up liquid.
Great piece of kit - sturdy, effective and attractive in the kitchen. Well done Philips.

An interior designer friend of mine recommended votive candles to have around my apartment at parties.
They're fantastic - they carry on burning all night, and they look elegant and lovely.
Well worth it.

Delightful tales of life at the start of the Silicon Valley tech boom. Tom Perkins comes across as the ultimate "decent guy" - sound judgment, solid values, good at giving credit to others, good fun.
I found the chapters about sailing a little slow (I'm not a sailing man), but his rise up the ranks and boardroom shenanigans were gripping.
A great read for any tech VC or entrepreneur.

I had assumed that all headphones came with cables that were long enough so you could listen to music whilst your iPod is in your pocket. However, these come with a cable so short that you have to hold your iPod right next to your head. Which is really really annoying.
I also tried to use them on a transatlantic flight: I had to hold my head way forward and duck my head so that the headphones would stretch to the headphone socket in the arm-rest.
I don't understand why the lead is so absurdly short, and why this isn't made clearer on the description.
I'm throwing mine away - anyone want them?

I love this book. It's not just a really useful, clear and practical guide to herbal medicine by one of Britain's most respected herbal practitioners. (Andrew used to be president of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists).

It's also a stunning celebration of the beauty of these plants. There must be 40 double-page photographs, each one breathtaking... Because herbs like Calendula, Dandelionand artichoke aren't just brown tinctures with medical benefits: they're also stunning plants, many of which you can grow at home or gather in the wild.

This book inspires you to be more in touch with the plants around you and what they can do for you - rather than depending on synthetic pharmaceuticals.

For those of you like me worried that the Conservative party has become the "nasty" party, Nick Boys Smith's new pamphlet is a breath of fresh air.
Nick starts with some intriguing findings about the "Gap generation" - those born between 1965 and 1977 who are statistically LESS likely to vote Conservative than younger people - even though they're at that age of mortgages and schools when traditionally people have become more Conservative.

The reason is clear: the Conservative party is seen as the nasty party - however sound their policies may be, they tend to look like a bunch of rich people who only care about making themselves and their friends richer. A bit like the British view of the American Republicans.

Nick Boys Smith's latest pamphlet has an over-arching theme: with every policy, we should first ask "What would be the effect of this policy on the poorest in society". The Conservatives should care as much (or more) about ending povery as Labour - they just have better ways of achieving it. "Fair conservatism".

The pamphlet is well written, with nice anecdotes, thorough statistics, and the main points highlighted in italics. The one question it doesn't answer is what to do with all those tories in the party who frankly don't care that much about the poor in society, and are much more interested in giving the market free rein regardless of the impact on those left behind. But it remains essential reading for anyone fed up with the Conservative party's rants on immigration and keeping the pound, and, let's hope, Cameron's new team...