British holidaymakers spend more time sorting out digital entertainment for a trip than they do on packing their suitcase, a survey shows.

If, like your correspondent, you suffer even a little from vertigo, then Everest (12A) should either be avoided entirely or watched from the front row.

To celebrate the release of A Walk in the Woods in cinemas now, we’re giving you the chance to one of five ’Full Moon Walks’ in Glendalough with Hilltop Treks!

MUSIC NEWS: Netflix subscribers now have access to two worthwhile music documentaries: Keith Richards: Under the Influence, in which the Rolling Stones guitarist talks about his new solo album and the sounds that have inspired him over the years; and Time Is Illmatic, the film that tells of Nas’s classic 1994 album, and his background in New York that gave rise to it. 

Bill Bryson isn’t too put out that Robert Redford took a few liberties in the film version of his travelogue, writes Ed Power

Everest is a big budget story of survival with a great cast and some stupendous images and there's also comedy and drama in the mix.

James Ward

This week's reviews in brief

US: The cameras were rolling even though the Kardashians were not filming their reality show.

Charity Norman

Oscar-winner Russell Crowe flew thousands of miles to give his first acting class to a group of students in England today.

The Garden in the Clouds: Confessions of a Hopeless Romantic

AS I eye the copious vittles being prepared for Christmas, I remember reading that our jaw muscles are much weaker than those of our ancestors.

CHARITY givers donated more Dan Brown books to Oxfam than any other author but he was only number 10 on the list for most books sold, the charity’s annual survey revealed yesterday.

Flamboyant comedian Dame Edna Everage will receive a prestigious Irish award tomorrow in recognition of the entertainer's career.

SALMAN RUSHDIE was last night honoured by one of Ireland’s oldest universities with an award in memory of writer James Joyce, his greatest inspiration.

A 385-year-old volume of Shakespeare stolen in England a decade ago, valued $30 million (€18.86m), has been recovered after a man walked into a library in Washington and asked to have it authenticated.

ONE of the world’s best-loved travel writers, Redmond O’Hanlon, is guest speaker at the Immrama Literary Breakfast taking place next Sunday in Lismore, Co Waterford.

Robert Redford has finally committed to making new movie 'A Walk In The Woods', after the project was put on hold when Paul Newman announced his retirement.

WRITING about so-called waste generation, Bill Bryson once observed that it takes the equivalent of five nuclear power plants to feed all the appliances left running unnecessarily.

AUDIO book publishers are rushing in to get their slice of the billion dollar global iPod market.

Best-selling author Bill Bryson has promised his next book will be a “complete change” from his award-winning science work, A Short History of Nearly Everything.

Ageing screen icons Paul Newman and Robert Redford have confirmed they are determined to reunite in a screen version of Bill Bryson's novel A Walk in the Woods.

Ageing movie legend Paul Newman has hinted he may not retire from acting after all, because his busy life keeps him happy.

British Foreign Secretary David Blunkett’s former lover intervened in a second immigration application, it emerged today.

COMPUTER giant Apple launched the long-awaited version of its iTunes online music store in Britain, France and Germany yesterday, allowing users to download a song for just €0.99.

Computer giant Apple launched the long-awaited UK version of its iTunes on-line music store today, allowing users to download a song for just 79p (€1.18).

American travel writer Bill Bryson became the unlikely winner of the world’s most prestigious science book award.

Author Mark Haddon was celebrating today after his novel The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night-Time scooped the Whitbread Book of The Year award.

JK Rowling’s fifth Harry Potter book has been shortlisted for the adult fiction prize at this year’s WHSmith Book Awards.

REGULAR readers of the Irish Examiner's weekly television sports column - a big hello to Brendan and Irene Blennerhasset, Old Youghal Road, Cork - are doubtless both suffering intense withdrawal symptoms, what with its author obviously being entirely preoccupied with dossing around the Far East, under the pretence of "covering" the 2002 World Cup.

Football bosses are hoping to inspire the England squad to victory with Posh Spice CDs, it was disclosed today.