Books

De ambtenaar die er werk van maakte (The Bureaucrat Who Came to Life)
(SDU, 2008)
Management novel and workbook about the art of transfer management for innovations in local government, written in cooperation with the senior partners of Zenc, a consultancy for the public sector. The book was well reviewed by ‘VNG Magazine’ and ‘Binnenlands Bestuur’. Several mayors and other high-ranking local officials have ordered hundreds of copies for their offices as “must read”.

Dat hoort u mij niet zeggen: Hoe politici u de werkelijkheid voorspiegelen (You Never Heard Me Say So: How Politicians Craft Realities)
(Bert Bakker, 2007)
An accessible and systematic explanation of framing in political communication. The book explains how politicians frame their message by using words and pictures; theory and anecdote go hand in hand. A “delicious book,” according one of the leading national newspapers, ‘Trouw’.

Hoe word ik politicus? (How Do I Become a Politician?)
(Podium, 2006)
A communal product of the editorial staff of Stemhok.nl, a satirical political website about the Dutch elections, for which Cels was Editor-in-Chief. “A truly distorting mirror of the Dutch political institution,” wrote one of the leading national newspapers, ‘Volkskrant’; “an extremely amusing booklet,” according to the most prominent political radio program, ‘Met het oog op morgen’.

Wat jij wilt, schat (Anything You Say, Honey)
(Prometheus, 2006)
A novel about a young, highly educated woman who voluntarily transforms herself into the ideal partner of a rich, powerful man. The book was a humorous criticism of women who, in fact, make this choice in life. “Hilarious,” according daily paper “Metro,” “Avantgarde”, and “Opium Radio.”

De keukenprinses: Kookboek voor bevrijde vrouwen' (The Kitchen Princess: Cookbook for Liberated Women)
(Prometheus, 2003)
A parody of cookbooks of the fifties with tongue-in-cheek columns. According to “De Telegraaf,” the Netherlands’s biggest newspaper, this book is “the Dutch answer to Bridget Jones.” Grrls! (Prometheus, 1999) Pamphlet about the emancipation of young women in the nineties. The book was a starting point for heavy debate amongst feminists about the contribution of new generations to the emancipation process. For nine months, Cels was a nearly full-time participant in this debate through panels, interviews, and lecturess. “Volkskrant” described the book as a “fresh contribution” to the feminist debate.