Books

Available now … Freedom of Information: A practical guidebook

Available from Amazon here or direct via Rhododendron Publishing here.

• A thorough and accessible account of how to use the Freedom of Information Act and other access laws

• An essential practical guide for anyone who wants to obtain information from public authorities

• Clear and comprehensive explanations of your rights and how the system operates in practice, including for central government, local councils and public services

• Full of tested and detailed advice for all stages of the process, from writing effective FOI requests to understanding the exemptions and challenging refusals to supply information

• Describes a wide range of techniques and tactics for using FOI productively, based on extensive practical experience

• Includes templates for requests and sections on specific rules for environmental information, personal data and Scotland

This book will be a highly valuable resource for journalists, researchers, campaigners, charities, lawyers, businesses, academics and concerned citizens – or anyone else who wants to be better informed about the activities of government, councils and the public sector.

Reviews

“an invaluable guide … full of useful tips on how to make the most effective requests … essential reading for FOI requestors” – Andrew Lownie, historian

an essential book on the topic … if you’re new to FOI you’d be silly not to read it, and even if you’re experienced in it, it will tell you things of value” – Jon Baines, Chair, National Association of Data Protection and FOI Officers

“excellent … clear, readable and straightforward … replete with concrete dos and don’ts … journalists and other requesters will find it very valuable” – Robin Hopkins, leading information rights lawyer

“a great resource on the field, helpfully organised into sections on requests, replies, appeals, and alternatives such as EIR” – Paul Bradshaw, lecturer in journalism, Birmingham City University

“lots of useful advice … a well-written book by someone who knows their subject inside and out” – Tim Turner, information rights trainer and consultant

“suggests tactics for using FOI effectively” – The Journalist, magazine of the National Union of Journalists

Rosenbaum’s Book of Impractical Politicians

A collection of witty and humorous satirical poems about politics and politicians, which is also a carefully crafted literary parody.

You can buy it from Amazon here or direct via Rhododendron Publishing here.

Front and rear covers

The book, a pastiche of TS Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, also features Keir Starmer as The Old Gumbie Cat, Dominic Cummings as Macavity, and so on, through a wide range of current political characters, to not least Larry the Cat as Cat Morgan.