Trading can be intensely rewarding. But it is also one of the most mentally and emotionally challenging activities anyone can pursue. As in other high-performance domains, those who are serious about mastering their craft and staying in the game spend serious time working on their game, including training their mind and body.Steve Ward has spent the last 15 years working as a performance coach with financial traders and investors at some of the biggest and most successful investmen...

Situated only 4 miles southeast of the bustling cosmopolitan city of Leeds lies a jewel in the crown of British stately homes. Set in 1,200 acres of rolling parkland and woods is Temple Newsam House, once described as the Hampton Court of the North.The estate has survived almost 900 years of history. Although first mentioned in the Domesday Book, it was the Knights Templar who gave the name to the land. The house that now stands on the site was begun in 1518 and has witnessed many events: ...

The true story of a larger-than-life man who changed the world of entertainment in eighteenth-century England.The world of the circus has a long and colorful history, but it was with a man named Philip Astley that the modern circus was founded. In April 1768, Astley pegged out a circular ride on the banks of the river Thames and gave performances of trick riding to a paying audience. He was an accomplished horseman, a military hero, and an instinctive showman. Abov...

"A valuable and illuminating read, shedding a lot of light on the political, economic and technological factors that have driven circus evolution" ( The Circus Diaries).Beneath the Big Top is a social history of the circus, from its ancient roots to the rise of the "modern" tented travelling shows. A performer and founder of a circus group, Steve Ward draws on eyewitness accounts and contemporary interviews to explore the triumphs and disasters of...

On a cold February day in 1844, a small group of travellers disembarked their ship at the port of Liverpool in England. There was no welcoming party; no bands and banners and the visitors slipped silently away to their hotel. Amongst them was the American showman P. T. Barnum and his protégé Charles S. Stratton, known as General Tom Thumb. Both were little known in England at that time. But this would mark the beginning of a three-year long tour of the United Kingdom and continental Europe...

Since the foundation of the 'modern' circus in the eighteenth century, the circus has been presented in defined spaces. Initially, performances were given in the open air and, over a period of time, these spaces first became enclosed and then later roofed. Temporary wooden structures often became semi-permanent until, in the nineteenth century, many permanent stone-built buildings were erected solely for the purpose of presenting circus. This phenomenon spread from the UK across Europe and...

We live in a society that places an increasing value in ethnic diversity and cultural identity. However, the contribution that performers from a variety of ethnic backgrounds made to the development of the circus in the nineteenth century is very often overlooked and largely forgotten. Pablo Fanque and Miss La La may be notable names of the period but there were many others besides. Using contemporary records and images, this book explores the wealth and depth of talented black and other e...

Thinking, and betting, like the pros"Most people in sports betting are looking at things the wrong way."- Peter Webb, founder of Bet Angel"Some people only ever seem to want to hit the sexy six, and not take the singles"- Compton Hellyer, founder of Sporting IndexThis is a book that teaches you how to bet on sports with the same discipline and mindset as the professionals.Lots of books and websites give advice on profitable strategies – and tip...

High Performance Trading provides proven practical techniques and strategies to help traders of all abilities, experience levels and styles to enhance their trading performance and psychology.Based on practical coaching and training interventions, personal experiences, the latest research and feedback, and advice from leading traders, trading coaches and trading psychologists, this book offers something for everyone who wants to become a better trader.- Discover ho...

Finding Your Positives is a refreshing, inspirational way to learn to cope with life changing events along with lifes daily challenges. The struggle is the day-to-day coping to begin to heal to a path of recovery. Learn to control your mind instead of your mind controlling you with confusing; conflicting emotions putting at risk your well-being and balance.Your life changing events creates the choice of which path to choose to manage the struggle of your event. The illustr...

Author Steve Ward is all too familiar with overcoming obstacles and challenges, having experienced a diagnosis of cancer along with subsequent treatment and then suffering a heart attack requiring rehabilitation a year later. The combination of these two life-threatening challenges caused him to view life from a perspective of greater awareness and consciousness and to appreciate the good both within and surrounding him.In Lifes Notes, his second book, Ward shares a collec...

Period newspaper reports give an insight into how the role of women in the circus developed across the ages Intriguing individual female performers involved in the circus, their public and private lives A ringside seat at the greatest show on earth! ‘This book fulfils a great need in our sector, explaining and celebrating the immense contribution women have had in the circus arts. By illuminating major artists in a range of disciplines...