According to Paul Carr, The Upgrade: A Cautionary Tale of a Life Without Reservations is a true story. According to an email received by his publisher shortly before publication of his previous work, Bringing Nothing to the Party (his book about trying and failing to become a dot-com billionaire), "Paul Carr is a pathological fantasist."
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Whatever the relationship between the story as the author tells it, and life as it happened, this is a hugely entertaining book.
Carr begins with a simple plan. Live in hotels for a year for no more than it costs to live off takeaway pizzas in a tiny flat in London and write about it. He then veers off this plan spectacularly.
This is an ego-driven tale told with self-deprecating humour. Carr offends the very people he needs to keep on side. He misses meetings, deadlines and, often, the point. He barrels through disasters, waking in situations whose explanation is lost in the previous night's excess.
In fact, this is such a regular occurrence that if this book is a true story, Carr probably had to make it up.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Hotel Silence
Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir
Pushkin Press
Company: Instabug
Founded: 2013
Based: Egypt, Cairo
Sector: IT
Employees: 100
Stage: Series A
Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors
