Skip to content

Welcome To Tallai Books

Tallai Books is a boutique Australian publisher, aimed at making non-fiction books available to readers in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Established as a self-publishing enterprise, Tallai Books has gathered all the required skill sets that a traditional publishing house normally adds to an author’s skill of writing. Books are printed on demand and distributed globally through Ingram Publishing Services.

The Latest Release from John Holliday

Mission to China
The Life of Walter Henry Medhurst

The second edition has been revised with an additional chapter and new illustrations since its initial hardcover release by an English publishing house.

ISBN 9780648684848

OTHER BOOKS BY JOHN HOLLIDAY

Clara Colby: The International Suffragist

The remarkable life of Clara Colby, a publisher of The Woman’s Tribune, who was mentored by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and made significant contributions to the fight for women’s suffrage as well as being a founder of the International Congress of Women, has sadly
been overlooked. Her inspiring
story, documented in the book
“Clara Colby: The International Suffragist,” may restore her deserved recognition.

ISBN 9780648684800

Mission to China.

Chinese Edition

Published by Cosmic Light, Taiwan.

ISBN 9789577275585

Available from:

www.kingstone.com.tw

Toughing It Out Adventure Of A Global Entreprenuer

If you ever had a dream to own and run your business you will love this book. John Holiday started and built nine businesses, in a career which spanned three continents, with varying degrees of success.

This book describes each of these entrepreneurial adventures and the lessons he learned from them.

ISBN 9780648684831

eBook 9780648684824

Available as a paperback and as an
eBook at Amazon.com.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

John grew up in England, where he served in the Royal Air Force and later with IBM. After moving to Canada initially with IBM, John then started the first of many businesses, mostly in the IT industry. A business opportunity resulted in a move to Australia where he continued his entrepreneurial activities. His interest in writing arose when he decided to write a memoir of his business life. John lives with his wife Colleen on the Gold Coast, with three children and four grandchildren close by.

WHAT THE MEDIA SAYS ABOUT JOHN HOLLIDAY’S BOOKS

daily telegraph John Holliday Tallai Books

Another BookLife Review. This one on Toughing It Out

Entrepreneur John Holliday delivers a combination memoir and collection of advice about what he’s learned during decades of worldwide business ventures, from his first job as an 18-year-old to his 10th business endeavor. In his recounting, he displays a seemingly insatiable hunger for new projects and opportunities: regardless of risk, he frequently makes career shifts to avoid the boring life of what he terms an “office worker straight out of a Dickens novel.” In his own words, he “never stop[s] thinking about business opportunities, even those that might not be very realistic.” These experiences are the springboard for Holliday’s reflections on the pursuit of success, and he adds entertainment value for readers by sprinkling in stories of the colorful characters he has met along the way. To Holliday, “life is one, long networking event,” and every connection and idea is worth pursuing.

At times, Holliday’s intended audience becomes unclear: while those who know him will appreciate the attention to detail in personal stories, the average reader focused on learning about business could find them extraneous. These moments are saved, though, by the nuggets of wisdom and positivity peppered throughout his narrative, such as “I always think that every problem has the potential to be turned around into an opportunity.” Holliday also presents interesting reflections on corporate culture and the ways in which upbringing and status can hinder social mobility in certain countries (“IBM United Kingdom was modelled on the American way of doing business, creating a refreshing and motivating environment that was absent from the staid British organisations I had worked for. Hiring and advancement within the company was based on merit, and not on your accent or what school you had attended”).

Holliday does not take the stance of an untouchable billionaire hyperachiever; he willingly acknowledges his many failures, presenting them as helpful learning tools for readers. He accentuates the merit of “hard-knocks experience and working things out for oneself,” cautioning against procrastination as an enemy of business success. Though his guide drags in some areas, he ably regroups to enlighten his audience with fresh ideas, including the concept of building a business as “part science and part art.” Aspiring entrepreneurs will be inspired by this account of one man’s adventurous career.

MISSION TO CHINA: “It’s a terrific book and I can’t wait for the movie,”
Philip Adams, Late Night Live ABC Radio National.

learn more

Want to stay updated with the latest works?