Just finished reading Blossom by Lesley Riddoch. It’s an account of Lesley’s investigations into various aspects of Scottish life over the years and her analysis of what needs to happen to allow the people of Scotland to flourish. The topics that she covers could easily have dragged the book down into the “worthy but dull” category but everything is tackled with pace and verve. bringing the subjects to life. There’s a gaping hole in the book where a discussion of finance should be, but otherwise it’s enlightening and thought-provoking. Anyone with any interest in the debate about Scottish independence should read this book because it gets to the nitty gritty of politics – what’s happening to people in their local communities.