No matter where you go on the planet you will find tales of the supernatural. Spirits, spooks and spectres are everywhere.  However, there is one reclusive mythical creature that particularly sparks fear in literary hearts – the ghostwriter.

They are the hired guns of the publishing world, paid to produce and then melt away unseen. Words for cash – no questions asked. The work is never-ending - there are the high profile celebrities who have not picked up a book since primary school but now need an autobiography and the estates of dead authors, like V.C. Andrews and Robert Ludlum, who wish to keep the novels coming.

Some ghostwriters have a place in history. Carolyn Keene is as fictional as the teen sleuth that she was supposed to have created, Nancy Drew.  In reality, Carolyn was a pseudonym for a series of ghostwriters who wrote book after book based on a template and an expected style.

James Patterson admits he is simply more proficient at dreaming up plots than crafting sentence after sentence.  He often credits his ghostwriters as “co-authors” on his covers.  Peter de Jonge is one author who used to ‘ghost’ for Patterson but has now published his novel, Shadows Still Remain.

Many ghostwriters sign non-disclosure agreements to ensure they stay in the shadows, but often the identity of the true author emerges. John F. Kennedy’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book Profiles in Courage was actually ghost-written by his speechwriter Theodore Sorenson.  This was denied for years but Sorenson admitted to writing large sections of the book in his 2009 autobiography, Counselor.

You might be surprised to see who else has been a ghostwriter.

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The UK Food Standards Agency 'Eat Well Plate'

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Healing With Foods

Food is the source of nutrition and energy to support the health of our body. Although not always considered an important part of many of the common diseases we see in our society today this section of our website helps you to understand how incorporating the World's Healthiest Foods as a regular part of your diet can help prevent or reduce the severity of the various diseases discussed.

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The George Mateljan Foundation, a not-for-profit foundation with no commercial interests, is a new force for change to help make a healthier you and a healthier world.

The World's Healthiest Foods

129 foods that can serve as the basis of your Healthiest Way of Eating. Links to the articles about these foods can be found below.

Of course, there are many other nutritious foods other than those that we have included on our list that we feel are wonderful, health-promoting foods; if there are other whole foods - such as fruits, vegetables, nuts/seeds, whole grains, etc - that you like, by all means enjoy them. Just because a food is not on our list doesn't mean that we don't think that it can be included in a diet geared towards the Healthiest Way of Eating as long as it is a whole, natural, nutrient-rich food.

To find out why some of your favorite nutritious foods are not included in our list, read The Criteria Used to Select the World's Healthiest Foods.

Click on link to read all about the top 100 plus a great deal more

Hirsute hero: David Beckham

Whether they are trying to prove their manliness, their style credentials, or it is just sheer laziness, there appears to be a rash of stubble among England's football stars.

No less than seven footballers have been sporting beards of late, ranging from young Theo Walcott's barely-there facial hair, to Michael Owen's carefully groomed stubble.

Naturally it is David Beckham who appears to have set the trend (Posh wouldn't have it any other way) - if only judging by the length of his beard. The newly hirsute 34-year-old showed off his new facial hair during Wednesday night's match against Belarus.

Whether the patchy result is intentional, or a stylist has carefully shaved around his cheekbones and chin is anyone's guess, but his look has clearly inspired his fellow players, with varying degrees of success.

Peter Crouch's smattering of bristles is unlikely to have found favour with girlfriend Abbey Clancy, while a heavily bearded David James is rivalling Beckham for the heaviest facial hair.

Joe Cole and Michael Owen have both got 'designer' stubble of the perfect length -we're sure it took far more effort than they'll ever let on. Theo Walcott and Ben Foster also appear to be in the early stages of achieving the trend.

But the football fraternity are not the first famous faces to try facial hair. Indeed the A-list have long been using beards as a means of masking their faces from the paparazzi.

Taking it on the chin: David James has a beard to rival Beckham's, while Peter Crouch's stubble is unlikely to find favour with girlfriend Abbey Clancy

Designer stubble: Joe Cole (left) and Michael Owen have both achieved the perfect length for facial hair

Many of Hollywood's most handsome faces have even used a beard in an attempt to shake of their 'pretty boy' tag - why else would Brad Pitt grow that awful beard? And whatever happened to the beautiful Joaquin Phoenix?

Are you for or against such hairiness?

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