Books published by publisher Austin Macauley

The author's grandfather (born 1832) was a farm worker and jobbing gardener who, unusually for the time, was a committed atheist. An autodidact, his education ended when he was eleven, but he became well enough read to be, from his soap box, a socialist scourge of Ayrshire aristocracy and to correspond regularly with Keir Hardie and George Bernard Shaw. His son, the author's father (born 1882), worked his way from poverty to Glasgow University and subsequent Training College to become a schoolteacher, but later decided to take a BD degree at Edinburgh University and was ordained as a Presbyterian minister. That did not find favour with his father, who told him never to darken the door of the family home in Girvan till he gave up ""that daft dog collar"". That he never did, but the author, his son (born 1930), eventually followed his grandfather's ways, rejecting his father's. In due course he came to write this ""apologia pro vita sua"" as an atheist humanist.The book presents the view that all human experience, behaviour, thought, understanding and productive activity are the products of or depend on healthy human brains, educated and trained, to some extent, in the arts, sciences and the scientific method. The book proposes that the concept of ""god"" is unnecessary and differences in understanding or using it are a source of conflict or even wars which continue to threaten human progress and indeed the species as a whole. There is no need to invoke gods as the creators of man, the cosmos and systems of morality. Evolution and history demonstrate that such systems would emerge naturally and progressively without any ""divine tutorials or interventions"". Rationality and the scientific method offer insightful and effective understanding and ameliorations of the human condition rather than dependence on supernatural and superstitious principles demanded by gods and their prophets. Humanists may sometimes adopt moral principles from religious precepts, but only if they can be validated by present human knowledge and experience.

Rowan was a normal boy living with his mum, struggling financially, until one day he discovers a book in a local charity shop. When reading it at home, he discovers it's unfinished. He reads the last written page and suddenly gets sucked into the book, landing in a forest. He meets a creature called Gunther, who explains that the book was written to protect a boy called Dominique who was left in it when he was just a boy by his grandfather, who promised he'd join him once the book had a happy ever after written. But the grandfather disappeared, leaving Dominique alone in the book. Can Rowan find the author of the story before it's too late, as a huge storm is coming that will destroy everyone and everything in the magical book forever? Can Rowan get his best friend, Jim, to believe him, and can they find the author in time?

Born and raised in Karachi, Pakistan, Niloufer's love for food combined with extensive world travel from a young age inspired her to experiment with world cuisines. Niloufer gave her first cooking class to a group of school girls at the age of 17; loving the opportunity to meet new people who share her passion for food, she has gone on to give many, many more cooking classes in Dubai, UK, and Canada - where she has lived for the past 15 years with her family. In 2013, Niloufer decided to start a recipe blog Niloufer's Kitchen where she loves to share old and new culinary creations to a following of 100,000 from around the world. Author of 10 e-cookbooks, she also writes for the Huffington Post, assorted magazines and journals from around the world.

Emily Fisher - Word Maven introduces an engaging and imaginative child who takes it upon herself to find out as much as she can about words and how to use them. Emily's fascination with words, how they sound, and what they mean, lead to her determination to pursue a career as a "word maven," a term she has invented from listening to those around her, most notably her grandmother. Determined and focused on the task at hand, Emily embarks on her quest with sometimes humorous and always delightful results.

Olives Where Are You? is an invitation to let go of what is familiar and try something different. It explores what happens when Emily decides that there is one and only one food she must have at each meal. Designed for young readers and their parents, Olives Where Are You? is a contemporary family account of a child's insistence and her parents' patient persistence. Emily rejects her parents' attempts to get her to experiment with new foods. In fact, she digs her heels in with any suggestion that she change her mind. Emily does eventually come around and accept an alternative to her beloved olives, but only through her own process of self-discovery.

Erin Rafanello Ferguson wrote this story about little Earl after becoming frustrated with the furry spiders that invaded her home when she cut down a living Christmas tree from a Christmas tree farm. She was shocked, but after a few years of having the same issue, she decided she didn't want herself or her family to be afraid of them any longer. She decided to name one of the spiders Earl, and her family giggled about him all throughout the Christmas season. A story was born and a tradition of accepting the spiders was found in Earl: The Christmas Tree Spider. This story takes you through Earl's journey from the forest to a loving home he gets to call his own. With Christmas cheer throughout, and even Santa Claus, this book brings the warmth of the season home to its readers.

Otis Paul loves being in the garden. He observes the flowers and butterflies. Unexpectedly, an unusual creature appears one day from under the garden leaves. It's Harry the Echidna, and he wants to make friends, but he is different. Otis Paul and Harry go on a journey to explore ways of making Harry look the same as other Echidnas and become firm friends along the way.Some children's reviews of the original draft: ""Dear Aunt Barb, Me and my brother enjoyed your book. Your book is good, it involved a good plot. I like how you make an interesting problem and solution. The illustrations are good too. Please write more books."" - Thirandu and Inuka""Dear Barbara, I thought the book was cute and interesting and I especially like the pictures. I also had fun colouring in."" - Aesha, aged 81/2 years""Dear Barbara, I really enjoyed reading the book, colouring in the pages and I also think it is a good idea having spare pages to draw your own pictures. I can't wait to read your next book. PS. Your pics look professionally done."" - Khadija, aged 11 years

Sterling was another soul lost to addiction. He was a schizophrenic plagued by the little devil man. Heroin saved him from that reality so many times. Most people aren't plagued by creatures, but what are they plagued by? What reality are they escaping? Sterling's story gives us some of the answers we seek. One thing is for certain, his story teaches us the importance of human connection and how to love. Not to love the addiction, but to love the person behind the addiction. It teaches us to the importance of helping others through dark times without judgment. This emotionally riveting story shows how good can triumph over evil in ways we never can anticipate. Expect to both cry and laugh. '""Living with the Little Devil Man"" introduces us to Sterling, a young man with searing blue eyes. The life Sterling was dealt: childhood cruelty, serious mental illness, and addiction, is woven into an energetic, funny, attractive young man that we come to care for as much as his adoptive mother who opened her home and family to him. Who does that? Who lets in addiction and mental illness, sleepless nights, and worry? This story is unaltered by resentment or judgment. It is a frank telling of one young life, lived with zest despite the terrible odds against him, and the woman who opens our hearts to let him in.' Dominique Simon-Levine PhD--Founder of AlliesinRecovery.net 'Reading ""Living with the Little Devil Man"" was like being on a train that I knew was going to be wrecked. I was on the train, I met all of the passengers and developed feelings for them and about them. I desperately wanted to be able to stop that train. I cried so many times while reading the book that I can...t count them. This book encompasses intimacy, compassion, and horror, but it also gives us a sense of hope, passion, and transcendence.' Eugene Isaak, J.D.--Author in Recovery '""Living with the Little Devil Man"" is a gripping story about the demons of addiction and the struggles with mental illness during the course of a young man`s life. ""Living with the Little Devil Man"" brings out the humanistic side of it all and teaches us to love unconditionally, especially those who struggle with addiction and mental illness.' J. Bruno - Narcotics Detective 20+ yea