Gerald Lewis-Azayaer makes a habit of doing crazy things. He has jumped out of a plane three times; run more than 20 marathons and 11 ultra marathons, and walked the length of Britain - twice.

Computer games developer Nat Marco has good reason to smile. She is one of the founders of Honeyslug, which develops games for the web, PC, consoles and iPhones.

Business consultant John Dembitz's debut book has been heralded a must-read for anyone who manages people.

The British self-styled Zionist rapper Samuel Green is doing his bit to promote English literacy among Israeli school children.

Last week, Mr Green, aka Antithesis, kicked off a one-month readathon with a performance at the Ma'ale Adumim Mall.

Veteran cookery writer Judy Jackson is becoming an online hit.

The recession has left many of us with low self-esteem, says life coach Sophia Davis.

Miss Davis, 31, is the newly-appointed resident life coach at woman's weekly Look, where she writes a column responding to reader concerns. She tells People: "Due to the difficult economy, people are feeling very unsettled. They are associating their value with money and people who are watching the pennies are struggling with their self-esteem.

British pony showjumper Jessica Mendoza has had a pretty good 12 months.

The 14-year-old has picked up many top awards, breaking records along the way. Last year, she won several Grand Prix, the British Open Showjumping Championship and Olympia - plus a number of European honours.

She holds the John Whitaker International Winter JA Classic title and is the British Showjumping Association's under-16 leading pony jumper of the year, for the second year running.

X Factor boy band One Direction could have competition on their hands.

Psychologist Stevan Hobfoll knows a thing or two about war.

A former officer in the Israel Defense Forces, he has spent the past few decades advising on terrorism and traumatic stress. He has written and edited more than 200 publications on the subjects.

Now, Dr Hobfoll, 59, has released his first work of fiction, The Imperfect Guardian, an historical novel set in Eastern Europe during WWI.

The adventure story is based loosely on his grandfather's early years in Poland and Russia between 1906 and 1921.

Newcastle's Alan Share is making a name for himself as a successful playwright at the age of 78.

The former barrister, who has dabbled in politics and spent time in the family furnishing company, is bringing his work to London next month for a stint at the New End Theatre.