Who wrote the phrase "No man is an island"? John Donne? John Milton? John F. Kennedy? Jon Bon Jovi? Jon Bon Jovi. Too easy. And, if I may say so, a complete load of bollocks. In my opinion, all men are islands. And what's more, now's the time to be one. This is an island age. A hundred years ago, you had to depend on other people. No one had TV or CDs or DVDs or videos or home espresso makers. Actually, they didn't have anything cool. Whereas now, you see, you can make yourself a little island paradise.

The important thing in island living is to be your own activities director. I find the key is to think of a day as units of time each unit consisting of no more than 30 minutes. Full hours can be a little bit intimidating and most activities take about half an hour. Taking a bath: One unit. Watching Countdown: Okay, one unit. Web-based research: Two units. Exercising: Three units. Having my hair carefully disheveled: Four units. It's amazing how the day fills up.

De About a Boy.

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