Just announced is Syd Barrett Fund patron Symon Vegro's first book, "All That You Touch", which is described by the publishers as "an extraordinary and eccentric blend of middle aged musings on life's grand passions set to the exquisite beat of Pink Floyd".

With an original cover [click thumbnail, right] designed by the band's artist of choice, Storm Thorgerson (commissioned by Symon after they met at a charity event), and with much of the proceeds from sales of the book going to the Syd Barrett Fund, it certainly sounds an interesting proposition... 

When Symon Vegro decided to put pen to paper and review the highs and lows of his life so far, he knew that the only way to do justice to the 'lunatic' inside his head, was to focus on the soundtrack that had accompanied the best and worst parts of his journey into adulthood. The result is "All That You Touch", an account of Vegro's most poignant moments and memories, and a testament to his great infatuation with progressive rock super-group, Pink Floyd.

Symon says: "This is a book about how one band's music changed one man's life. From the moment that I first heard 'The Dark Side of the Moon' as a young boy, the music of Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett has been with me at every step of my journey through my teenage years in Essex, University in Nottingham, and what the grown-up world had in store for me - which was an awful long way from scarecrows with birds on their hats and straw everywhere. This book describes that journey, the role the music played (and still plays), and covers all of my grand passions from the poetry of John Keats through Leicester Tigers through my quest to find patterns in prime numbers and the exact whereabouts of an electron. This book will appeal to anyone who is deeply moved by music, anyone who ever suffered a crisis, and anyone who ever wondered why they grew up to be the person they became."

The book includes a substantial appendix of facts, anecdotes and listening guides dedicated to each Pink Floyd album, even recommending the consumption of certain cheeses in order to bring out the full musical flavour! Not only does the book softly trace Vegro's personality through his funniest, most profound or unusual events, "All That You Touch" captures the changing times, the social upheaval and the evolving trends of British life since Vegro was seventeen and Pink Floyd's debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn was released.

More information on the book can be found at www.allthatyoutouch.com. It can be ordered through Amazon UK, Amazon.com (US/International), Amazon Canada, Amazon Germany, or Amazon France, most of whom are offering a discount on the retail price, or indeed you can order direct from the publisher at www.Authorhouse.co.uk.