Autobiography: philosophy and social sciences Books

Book SynopsisTHE GLOBAL PHENOMENON THAT HAS TOUCHED THE HEARTS OF OVER 9 MILLION READERS''Mitch Albom sees the magical in the ordinary'' Cecelia Ahern__________Maybe it was a grandparent, or a teacher or a colleague? Someone older, patient and wise, who understood you when you were young and searching, and gave you sound advice to help you make your way through it? For Mitch Albom, that person was Morrie Schwartz, his college professor from nearly twenty years ago.Maybe, like Mitch, you lost track of this mentor as you made your way, and the insights faded. Wouldn''t you like to see that person again, ask the bigger questions that still haunt you?Mitch Albom had that second chance. He rediscovered Morrie in the last months of the older man''s life. Knowing he was dying of ALS - or motor neurone disease - Mitch visited Morrie in his study every Tuesday, just as they used to back in college. Their rekindled relationship turned into one final ''class'': lessons in how to live.Tuesdays with Morrie is a magical chronicle of their time together, through which Mitch shares Morrie''s lasting gift with the world.Don''t miss Mitch''s uplifting new novel THE LITTLE LIAR, available to pre-order now.__________WHAT READERS SAY ABOUT TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE''You cannot put the book down until you reach the end . . . Too good to be missed. It is really an all-time hit''''One of the most beautiful books I''ve read in a long, long time . . . It will always be one of my favourite books''''This book moved me immensely and its teachings will stay with me''''A simple yet moving account of love and loss - but also hope for something better''''A book I will read and re-read''Trade ReviewMitch Albom sees the magical in the ordinary -- Cecilia AhernPowerful . . . Albom has touched the lives of a lot of people he never even knew * Time *Compelling and uplifting -- IndependentA writer with soul -- Los Angeles TimesAlbom breaks hearts with his stories -- Mirror

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Book SynopsisThis famous book, the inspiration behind Kate Bush's 1985 hit song 'Cloudbusting', is the extraordinary account of life as friend, confidant and child of the brilliant but persecuted psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich. Peter, his son, shared with his father the revolutionary concept of a world where dream and reality are virtually indistinguishable, and the sense of mission which set him and his followers apart from the rest of the human race. Here, Peter Reich writes vividly and movingly of the mysterious experiences he shared with his father: of flying saucers; the 'cloudbuster' rain-makers and the FDA narks; and of the final tragic realization of his father's death, which woke him up to the necessity of living out his life in an alien world. Already regarded as a modern classic, A Book of Dreams is not only a beautifully written narrative of a remarkable friendship and collaboration, but a loving son's heartfelt tribute to a loving father.

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Book SynopsisThe Girl Who Just Wanted To Be Loved is a heart wrenching true story from foster mum and Sunday Times bestseller Angela Hart.Eight-year-old Keeley looks like the sweetest little girl you could wish to meet, but demons from the past make her behaviour far from angelic. She takes foster carer Angela on a rocky and very demanding emotional ride as she fights daily battles against her deep-rooted psychological problems. Can the love and specialist care Angela and husband Jonathan provide help Keeley triumph against the odds?This is a true story that shares the tale of one of the many children Angela has fostered over the years. Angela's stories show the difference that quiet care, a watchful eye and sympathetic ear can make to children who have had more difficult upbringings than most.Trade ReviewI hope Angela Hart inspires many others to foster * Torey Hayden, Sunday Times bestselling author *Table of ContentsChapter - 1: 'I'm never lucky!' Chapter - 2: 'I've hurt myself' Chapter - 3: 'Can I come and stay again?' Chapter - 4: 'We can't keep any secrets' Chapter - 5: 'You're a total bastard' Chapter - 6: 'Let's hope it keeps her out of mischief' Chapter - 7: 'Mum went mad lots of times' Chapter - 8: 'I'm worried about those bruises' Chapter - 9: 'I'm afraid there's been an incident' Chapter - 10: 'It's like living with Jekyll and Hyde' Chapter - 11: 'I told you he was weird, didn't I?' Chapter - 12: 'Go on, stab him!' Chapter - 13: 'You all hate me!' Chapter - 14: 'Everything was fine until he came in!' Chapter - 15: 'Is this what is wrong with Keeley?' Chapter - 16: We are out of our depth with Keeley, aren't we?' Chapter - 17: 'Eric made me do things if I lost at cards' Chapter - 18: 'You and Jonathan are bullying me' Chapter - 19: 'You don't know the half of it Angela' Chapter - 20: 'You can't solve everything, you know' Chapter - 21: 'I don't want to give up on her...' Chapter - 22: 'Can I have another cuddle?' Chapter - 23: 'I wish I could just live with Angela' Chapter - 24: 'I'm not sure I can take much more' Chapter - 25: 'You BITCH! I'm gonna get you' Chapter - 26: 'Who is Jonathan?' Chapter - 27: 'Keep your nose out, you nosy old cow!' Chapter - 28: 'You mean you didn't read my report' Chapter - 29: 'Don't let her drag you down Angela' Chapter - 31: 'Let's all try to get along and enjoy the holiday' Chapter - 32: 'Help! you need to pull over right now!' Section - i: Epilogue

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Book Synopsis BE THE FIRST TO READ DAVID WILSON''S NEW TRUE CRIME BOOK A PLOT TO KILL BY PRE-ORDERING NOW ''Hugely insightful and thought provoking . . . I read it from cover to cover in one go'' - Emilia Fox''With characteristic brilliance and admirable sensitivity, Wilson illuminates the complex causes of their often horrific crimes'' - Professor Simon Winlow, Vice President of the British Society of CriminologyProfessor David Wilson has spent his professional life working with violent men - especially men who have committed murder. Aged twenty-nine he became, at that time, the UK''s youngest ever prison Governor in charge of a jail and his career since then has seen him sat across a table with all sorts of killers: sometimes in a tense interview; sometimes sharing a cup of tea (or something a little stronger); sometimes looking them in the eye to tell them thTrade ReviewA riveting exploration of the psychology of those who have committed unthinkable crimes. It's also hugely insightful and thought provoking about our justice system, I read it from cover to cover in one go. David's professional experiences make an absolutely compelling read for anyone who is interested in the criminal mind and its motivationsWilson's fascinating career brought him into contact with Britain's most violent criminals. In this gripping book, he moves beyond the usual media sensationalism to discuss in detail his life among our prison system's most notorious murderers, serial killers, sex offenders and hitmen. With characteristic brilliance and admirable sensitivity, Wilson illuminates the complex causes of their often horrific crimes. And in the background of Wilson's pitch-perfect central narrative, lies an accompanying account of a strained criminal justice system and the gradual disintegration of the rehabilitative ideal. Page-turning stuff. I'm sure this book will prove to be a great hit

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Book Synopsis'One of the best written works on self-awareness.' - Mo GawdatFOREWORD BY NEALE DONALD WALSH_____________The greatest relationship we have in life is with ourselves. On the journey to discovering our full potential, embracing self-love is the most powerful step to building self-esteem, confidence and finding happiness.Dorota is a Polish transformation artist, international speaker and wellbeing creator and in her first book she sets us on the path to greater self-awareness, by sharing her life story and her teachings.Full of insight, Dorota shows how we can recognise and unravel our limiting beliefs, dispel overthinking and release feelings of guilt and shame, all of which contribute to our sense of not being enough. Reading this book takes you on a journey of self-discovery, proving that with work, any trauma can be healed. Dorota's encouragement and warmth shines through on every page awakening you to the power of self-compassion, self-care and deep self-love.'Dorota is a talented creative who knows how to inspire. Whether its film, photography or video, she's amazing at creating beautiful art and speaking on the topic of creativity and inspiration.' - Vishen Lakhiani, NYT Bestselling author, Founder of MindvalleyTrade ReviewA true masterpiece on self-love and self awareness that are the keys to unlock your true gifts and to create fulfilling relationships. A must read to access with ease your true inner power. -- Dame Marie Diamond, Feng Shui Master, starring in The SecretIf you care deeply about your relationships and seek long-term happiness then put this book on your required reading list. You will learn to empower yourself, speak your truth, become more confident but mostly you will be guided on how to connect to your needs, desires and dreams and how to fulfil them. This book will give you the boost you need to believe in yourself. -- Jason Goldberg, author of Prison BreakThere are many books on love, but not so many books on self-love. This book is about the art of accepting yourself unapologetically, no matter where you are, who you are and what you are. It teaches you to understand yourself and your relationships better so you can live a more joyful, fulfilling and peaceful life. -- Russel Simmons, record executive, writer, and film producerIt's not without pain that our path through life is charted. It's not without hardship that our insight shines to deliver us to enlightenment. Of pain, Dorota has had her fair share. Of hardship, she has had enough to tread the path of the spiritual beings that have come to teach us what we today call happiness. Dorota's path to healing her wounds came in her ability to love her scars. In this book, she has distilled the essence of what she learned along the way, to help guide you through the process of accepting yourself unconditionally and, in doing so, to learn how self-love is the key to personal growth and a life of fulfilment. Love is a feeling and self-love is the most elusive of all love. Page by page you will meet yourself, perhaps for the first time, and you will like the one you will meet. Life is a journey, you should take it with those you love and learn to love the one that's always traveling with you - yourself. It will be the biggest gift you will ever receive. -- Mo Gawdat, chief business officer for Google X and author of Solve for HappyDorota is one of the powerful, creatively nuanced and compassionate voices of our generation. She has a way of translating relevant and complex philosophies and making them accessible and tangible. Take the time to engage with her work. We need visionaries of the New Earth like Dorota to cultivate and develop cultures and ways of being for the future of humanity. -- Nicole Gibson, Founder of Love Out Loud and Former Australian Federal Commissioner of Mental HealthDorota's journey is not only inspiring but also empowering. Her openness, honesty and boldness to reveal the most vulnerable parts of herself and her journey allow us to do the same for ourselves. This book teaches us to love, to accept, to own and to transform. I highly recommend it! -- Jim Kwik, author of Limitless: Upgrade Your Brain, Learn Anything Faster, and Unlock Your Exceptional LifeIt's difficult to describe this book in one word, but I'll give it a shot: transformational. Each section, exercise and story is intended to move you though degrees of self-reflection that allow you to understand both yourself and your relationships better. The outcome is greater peace of mind coupled with a more fulfilling, peaceful and joyful life. Indeed, you're transformed into a more authentic and sincere you. From the poetic to the sublime and practical, this is an enriching, inspiring book. Dive into it for a terrific read. I simply love it. -- Oz Garcia, pioneer nutritionist, biohacker and author

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Book SynopsisTHE GLOBAL PHENOMENON THAT HAS TOUCHED THE HEARTS OF OVER 9 MILLION READERS''Mitch Albom sees the magical in the ordinary'' Cecelia Ahern__________Maybe it was a grandparent, or a teacher or a colleague? Someone older, patient and wise, who understood you when you were young and searching, and gave you sound advice to help you make your way through it? For Mitch Albom, that person was Morrie Schwartz, his college professor from nearly twenty years ago.Maybe, like Mitch, you lost track of this mentor as you made your way, and the insights faded. Wouldn''t you like to see that person again, ask the bigger questions that still haunt you?Mitch Albom had that second chance. He rediscovered Morrie in the last months of the older man''s life. Knowing he was dying of ALS - or motor neurone disease - Mitch visited Morrie in his study every Tuesday, just as they used to back in college. Their rekindled relationship turned Trade ReviewMitch Albom sees the magical in the ordinary -- Cecilia AhernPowerful . . . Albom has touched the lives of a lot of people he never even knew * Time *Compelling and uplifting -- IndependentA writer with soul -- Los Angeles TimesAlbom breaks hearts with his stories -- MirrorA beautifully written book of great clarity and wisdom that lovingly captures the simplicity beyond life's complexities * M Scott Peck, author of THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED. *This is a true story that shines and leaves you forever warmed by its afterglow * Amy Tan, author of THE JOY LUCK CLUB *A moving tribute to embracing life. * GLASGOW HERALD *Albom is naturally a colourful writer... Morrie Schwartz stands out as inspiring. * IRELAND SUNDAY TRIBUNE *

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Book SynopsisIn 2004, bad boy Billy Fingers Cohen, a homeless small-time drug dealer and addict in a state of drug induced euphoria ran into a busy intersection and was killed instantly by a speeding automobile. He left behind a grieving sister. For weeks she struggled with grief and tried to make sense of Billy''s seemingly wasted life and tragic death.A few weeks after his death, William Cohen, aka Billy Fingers, woke his sister Annie at dawn. ''I''m drifting weightlessly through these glorious stars and galaxies and I feel a Divine Presence, a kind, loving beneficent presence, twinkling all around me.''Billy''s ongoing after-death communications take his sister on an unprecedented journey into the bliss and wonder of life beyond death. Billy''s profound, detailed description of the mystical realms he traverses, the Beings of Light that await him, and the wisdom he receives take the reader beyond the near-death experience. Billy is, indeed, as Dr. Raymond Moody points ouTrade ReviewA fresh, uplifting thoroughly modern account of life after death. I wholeheartedly recommend you read it. * Gordon Smith *The Afterlife of Billy Fingers is one of the best books I've read on the subject of life after death. Part of the book's premise is Annie's questioning whether her communication with Billy is real or her own craziness, and that mystery keeps us reading and seeking answers. We want to find out for ourselves what the source of this communication really is. Along the way, what Billy tells Annie is inspiring, enlightening, and insightful. * Hal Zina Bennett *...a work of transcendent wisdom, irreverent humour and sublime beaut * Mirabi Starr, author of 'Dark Night of the Soul' *The Afterlife of Billy Fingers is an extraordinary example of extended after-death communication. It's one of the most powerful, liberating and healing books on 'life after death' I've ever read. * Barry Guggenheim, Author of 'Hello From Heaven' *A fascinating book! * Dr Raymond Moody *

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Book SynopsisIn April 2019, Liam Konemann idly began work on what he thought of as the appendix' - a record of ongoing transphobia in the UK that he came across. But when his mental health began to spiral, he turned his attention to a different topic instead: how do we find beauty in transmasculinity? And how do we maintain it in a world stacked against us? The Appendix explores transphobia in UK media, as well as the trauma of living in a society constantly debating you. Liam explains his time spent stealth' after moving to the UK, his false belief that witnessing the transphobia by documenting it would lead people to change their behaviours - that if he could only show them the effects on people like him, it would all stop - and the peaks and troughs of anxiety. More so, he turns the focus to the more positive representations and experiences, capturing - as he sought - the beauty in transmasculinity.

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Book SynopsisAuthor of bestselling ‘Falling Leaves’ weaves together for the same audience her own personal experiences with the best of Chinese philosophy.

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewIt was the discovery of the essays celebrating his childhood and youth that altered my perception of him, from a thinker to a writer whose intellectual lucidity was a product of the wealth - the sensual immediacy and clarity - that had been heaped on his senses -- Geoff DyerProbably no European writer of his time left so deep a mark on the imagination -- Conor Cruise O'BrienWhat will strike many readers is the author's extraordinarily evocative language, his astonishing facility to create memorable phrases and take readers to places most have never been but where, because of his artistry, they feel immediately at home. Much eloquent-often lyrical-evidence that the author deserved his Nobel Prize. * Kirkus Reviews *

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Book SynopsisNamed one of the best nonfiction books of the year by The Washington Post“Tangled Up in Blue is a wonderfully insightful book that provides a lens to critically analyze urban policing and a road map for how our most dispossessed citizens may better relate to those sworn to protect and serve.” —The Washington Post “Remarkable . . . Brooks has produced an engaging page-turner that also outlines many broadly applicable lessons and sensible policy reforms.” —Foreign AffairsJournalist and law professor Rosa Brooks goes beyond the blue wall of silence in this radical inside examination of American policingIn her forties, with two children, a spouse, a dog, a mortgage, and a full-time job as a tenured law professor at Georgetown University, Rosa Brooks decided to become a cop. A liberal academic and journalist with an enduring interest in law''s troubled relationship with viol

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Book Synopsis''Reading it feels like slowing down to take a breath'' - EVENING STANDARD''Open-air theatre between two covers, powered by strength of character and beautiful writing.'' - NICHOLAS CRANE''A stunning book. Soulful and honest, it is a riveting, original story about friendship, freedom and the lives we share.'' - TIFFANY WATT SMITH*I'm not homeless: this is my home!'Nick points to the branches of the hornbeam under which we are standing, its leaves still glistening in the aftermath of the morning rain. On one of the lower branches sits a robin, joining our conversation. It seems to be saying: Why should anyone want to leave this place?Nick and Pascal live and sleep outside in central London. They are an unusual duo: Nick is an avid reader of history and philosophy able to converse on any topic; Pascal is quiet, spending much of his time lying still, communicating silently with birds and animals. They

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Book SynopsisA NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A memoir in essays about so many things—growing up in an abusive cult, coming of age as a lesbian in the military, forced out by homophobia, living on the margins as a working class woman and what it’s like to grow into the person you are meant to be. Hough’s writing will break your heart. —Roxane Gay, author of Bad FeministSearing and extremely personal essays, shot through with the darkest elements America can manifest, while discovering light and humor in unexpected corners.As an adult, Lauren Hough has had many identities: an airman in the U.S. Air Force, a cable guy, a bouncer at a gay club. As a child, however, she had none. Growing up as a member of the infamous cult The Children of God, Hough had her own self robbed from her. The cult took her all over the globe--to Germany, Japan, Texas, Chile—but it wasn't until she finally left for good that Lauren understoo

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Book SynopsisOne of NPR''s Best Books of the YearFrom the author of Nothing to Declare, a moving travel narrative examining healing, redemption, and what it means to be a solo woman on the road.In February 2008, a casual afternoon of ice skating derailed the trip of a lifetime. Mary Morris was on the verge of a well-earned sabbatical, but instead she endured three months in a wheelchair, two surgeries, and extensive rehabilitation. One morning, when she was supposed to be in Morocco, Morris was lying on the sofa reading Death in Venice, casting her eyes over these words again and again: “He would go on a journey. Not far. Not all the way to the tigers.” Disaster shifted to possibility and Morris made a decision. When she was well enough to walk again, she would go “all the way to the tigers.”  So begins a three-year odyssey that takes Morris to India on a tiger safari in search of the world’s most elusive apex predator. Written in over a hundred short chapters accompanied by the author’s photographs, this travel memoir offers an elegiac, wry, and wise look at a woman on the road and the glorious, elusive creature she seeks.

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Book Synopsis“As nourishing as a three-course Italian feast, this is a fierce, moving tribute to the ties that bind.”—People (Book of the Week)The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Sleepers offers a heartfelt homage to the women who taught him courage, kindness, and the power of storytelling: his mother, his grandmother, and his late wife.Standing with his children near his grandmother’s grave on a recent trip to Ischia, an island off the coast of Naples, Lorenzo Carcaterra realized how much of his life has been shaped by the women who taught him how to look for joy and overcome sorrow. This book is his tribute to them.Nonna Maria, his grandmother, gave him his first taste of a loving home during the summers he spent with her as a teenager on Ischia. With her kindness, her humor, and the same formidable strength she employed to make secret trips for food when the Nazis occupied Ischia during World War II, she instille

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Book SynopsisA stunning new book about the role of animals in our lives, by a popular and acclaimed writer From the time she is nine years old, biking to the farmland outside her suburban home, where she discovers a disquieting world of sleeping cows and a “Private Way” full of the wondrous and creepy creatures of the wild—spiders, deer, moles, chipmunks, and foxes—Lauren Slater finds in animals a refuge from her troubled life. As she matures, her attraction to animals strengthens and grows more complex and compelling even as her family is falling to pieces around her. Slater spends a summer at horse camp, where she witnesses the alternating horrific and loving behavior of her instructor toward the animals in her charge and comes to question the bond that so often develops between females and their equines. Slater’s questions follow her to a foster family, her own parents no longer able to care for her. A pet raccoon, rescued from a hole in the wall

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Book SynopsisWritten in limpid prose, these autobiographical essays provide an insight into the mind and personality of Roger Scruton. This is a quiet, witty but also serious and moving account of the ways in which life brought him to think what he thinks, and to be what he is. His moving vignettes of his childhood and later influences illuminate this book.Trade Review"A practised and elegant writer The Independant"

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Book Synopsis“If truth be told, and it always should, I was taken in by the view, as so many others, both before and since. For me, it wasn’t the sea which proved my downfall, but a pair of eyes.  Eyes, specifically, made to drown in.”Imagine thinking you had the ideal life.  The perfect partner, on whom you relied and trusted.  An infant child, newly adopted.  Then one day, you wake up, and the life you’ve been living has suddenly turned upside down.  Everything thought true becomes suspect.  And you learn, quite quickly, that you can never again trust the person sleeping beside you.If Kergan Edwards-Stout’s life was a Lifetime movie, surely he would be played by Valerie Bertinelli, and his husband played by some charming hunk. But life is far more subtle than that.  And even now, the truth is murkier, and even more disturbing.  For Kergan, that email proved to be only the beginning.Like

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Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling author of Sweetbitter, a memoir of growing up in a family shattered by lies and addiction, and of one woman's attempts to find a life beyond the limits of her past. After selling her first novel--a dream she'd worked long and hard for--Stephanie Danler knew she should be happy. Instead, she found herself driven to face the difficult past she'd left behind a decade ago: a mother disabled by years of alcoholism, further handicapped by a tragic brain aneurysm; a father who abandoned the family when she was three, now a meth addict in and out of recovery. After years in New York City she's pulled home to Southern California by forces she doesn't totally understand, haunted by questions of legacy and trauma. Here, she works toward answers, uncovering hard truths about her parents and herself as she explores whether it's possible to change the course of her history.Stray is a moving, sometimes devastating, brilliantly written and ulti

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Book SynopsisA compelling selection of Jonathan Sacks' writing and speeches with a foreword by HRH The Prince of WalesTrade ReviewBritain's most authentically prophetic voice * The Daily Telegraph *One of the most interesting thinkers, writers and speakers * The Spectator *Sacks has things to say that speak more directly to our present condition than anything in recent liberal thinking * New Statesman *One of the world's great voices for moral, spiritual, and historical awareness and for global peace * The John Templeton Foundation *One of the great moral thinkers of our time * Robert D. Putnam, author of Bowling Alone *

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Book SynopsisA compelling selection of Jonathan Sacks' writing and speeches with a foreword by HRH The Prince of WalesTrade ReviewBritain's most authentically prophetic voice * The Daily Telegraph *One of the most interesting thinkers, writers and speakers * The Spectator *Sacks has things to say that speak more directly to our present condition than anything in recent liberal thinking * New Statesman *One of the world's great voices for moral, spiritual, and historical awareness and for global peace * The John Templeton Foundation *One of the great moral thinkers of our time * Robert D. Putnam, author of Bowling Alone *

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Book Synopsis''If you carry on like this, you''ll do nothing but play football and cricket all your life.''These were the exasperated words of Mike Brearley''s mother, as he once again trod mud into the family home after a long day playing outdoors. They were also an unwitting but half-accurate prediction, for Brearley would become one of the most successful sportsmen of his generation by playing cricket for Cambridge, Middlesex and then becoming one of England''s finest captains. But for Brearley, cricket wasn''t just a physical activity, it was also an intellectual game, offering the chance to bring closer together body and mind. When his cricketing career came to end - during his playing days he had had a hiatus as a philosophy lecturer - he eschewed sporting commentary for a career as a psychoanalyst.In Turning Over the Pebbles, which he calls a ''memoir of the mind'', Brearley reviews his life with its attendant emotions, tensions and moves. It is also a book oTrade ReviewSunday Times 'Book of the Week'A superb book - much more than a traditional memoir . . . this is a sharp, witty and unashamedly learned meditation on art and music, literature and the Classics, philosophy, psychoanalysis, childhood and old age, families and feelings, illness and the imminence of death . . . And of course cricket. It is unlike any book you will read this year . . . This book is an inspiration, showing us how to live our best lives * Sunday Times *A Masterclass . . . [A] stimulating memoir . . . It is hard to think of any other sportsman - or come to it, any other philosopher or analyst - who makes for such agreeable, such stimulating , such warm, company * Daily Telegraph *Absolutely riveting -- Amol Rajan * BBC Radio 4 Today *Unexpected rewards to the reader on every page -- Simon Barnes * The Cricketer *Whether discussing philosophy, psychoanalysis, literature or cricket . . . Brearley is compelling company * Guardian *Turning Over the Pebbles sparkles with erudition and culture . . . rewarding and eye-opening * TLS *An enthralling memoir from the cricketing great * i Newspaper *This sharp memoir glides across [Brearley's] interests, featuring musings on ageing, music and strategy in sport. It's the ideal accompaniment to the Ashes. * The Times *Peppered with reflections on music, literature, philosophy and exchanges with legendary thinkers, it is as much if not more a book on the mind and a manual on the essence of a good life - and a good death; it will make readers pause * Financial Times *Brearley's prose is abundantly stylish * Tablet *A thoughtful and intriguing book * Methodist Recorder *Exceptionally carefully thought-through and most intriguingly written . . . This is a truly lovely book * Oldie *A beautifully crafted journey into the mind of a genius - both cricketing and otherwise * City AM *

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Book Synopsis''A meditation on race, and class, and grief ... Uplifting, but just wrenching'' BARACK OBAMAONE OF BARACK OBAMA''S BEST BOOKS OF 2020AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERA NEW YORK TIMES BOOK OF THE YEARWINNER OF THE ANISFIELD-WOLF BOOK AWARDSHORTLISTED FOR THE 2021 CARNEGIE MEDAL IN NON-FICTION''This will be read for many, many years to come as a classic not just of the memoir genre but of contemporary writing'' Simon Schama''Astonishing'' Thandiwe NewtonAs gripping as any thriller' Mail on SundayA masterpiece' Elizabeth GilbertPowerful' The TimesAt age nineteen, Natasha Trethewey had her world turned upside down when her former stepfather shot and killed her mother.Heartbreakingly clear-eyed and tender, Memorial Drive is a daughter's act of love and an unflinching excavation of the wounds that never heal. For as Trethewey tells her story, and reclaims her mother's, sheTrade ReviewNatasha Trethewey has crafted an indelible memorial to her mother, sentence by crystalline sentence ... A journey through searing personal grief, its scope is broadened by sharp insights into domestic abuse and racism, and the power of storytelling * Mail on Sunday *This is so good … What an unforgettable and breathtaking privilege, to be drawn into the lived pain of losing a mother to murder. No longer is it unimaginable, thanks to the courage and wisdom of Natasha Trethewey … Astonishing -- Thandiwe NewtonBeautiful and devastating … Trethewey excavates her mother’s life, transforming her from tragic victim to luminous human being … This is a political book – the story of a woman cut down in her prime and the larger story of power in America * Washington Post *Stirring ... Trethewey was just nineteen years old when her former stepfather killed her mother in a fit of horrific rage. In Memorial Drive: A Daughter’s Memoir, Trethewey steps back from this moment to unveil all that came before it, combing through her mother’s history in lush and vivid prose * Time, 100 Must Read Books of 2020 *At the center of Trethewey’s memoir is the wrenching story of her mother’s murder, by her ex-husband, in 1985. But this haunting elegy by the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet is also a work of great beauty and tenderness, an atmospheric evocation of innocence and loss * New York Times, 100 Notable Books of 2020 *One of the most beautiful memoirs I have ever read ... A masterpiece ... A writer whom I admire with all my being -- Elizabeth GilbertI’ve not read an American memoir where more happens in the assemblage of language ... Memorial Drive forces the reader to think about how the sublime Southern conjurers of words, spaces, sounds and patterns protect themselves from trauma when trauma may be, in part, what nudged them down the dusty road to poetic mastery ...The more virtuosic our ability to use language to probe, the harder it becomes to protect ourselves from the secrets buried in our - and our nation’s - marrow. This is the conundrum and the blessing of the poet. This is the conundrum and blessing of Memorial Drive -- Dwight Garner * New York Times *There are moments when you pull yourself away from this work simply to admire its sheer artistry ... Trethewey’s masterpiece suggests that the greatest act of defiance a black person can do is to remember * Financial Times *Emotionally charged and exquisitely written, Memorial Drive is an unforgettable tribute to Trethewey’s mother, and a poignant portrait of her self-realisation as a writer * Tatler *Beautifully poetic but heartbreakingly sad … An intense, gut-wrenching act of remembrance * Sunday Express *Powerful * The Times *Powerful ... It's such a beautiful book to read, I can't tell you ... The timing of this book gives it a very powerful resonance * Front Row, BBC Radio 4 *Natasha Trethewey has composed a riveting memoir that reads like a detective story about her mother’s murder by a malevolent ex-husband. It reads with all the poise and clarity of Trethewey’s unforgettable poetry - heartrending without a trace of pathos, wise and smart at once, unforgettable. The short section her mother penned as she was trying to escape the marriage moved me to tears. I read the book in one gulp and expect to reread it more than once. A must-read classic -- Mary KarrShe brings tenderness, compassion, and forensic attention to language * BBC *A searing, moving memoir * Net-A-Porter, 12 Moving memoirs you should add to your reading list *Natasha Trethewey’s memoir is predicated on a brutal act, but there is nothing sensational about the way it reads. This memoir-cum-true-crime story from the two-time Poet Laureate and Pulitzer winner is a narrative about how her mother was murdered by her ex-stepfather, but it is also a coming-of-age story for a young artist ... This book may have been written by one of our most celebrated poets, but its lyricism is tethered to the author’s lived and deeply felt experience. * Vogue, The 22 Best Books to Read in Summer 2020 *In Memorial Drive, Natasha Trethewey has transformed unimaginable tragedy into a work of sublimity. There’s sorrow and heartbreak, yes, but also a beautiful portrait of a mother and her daughter’s enduring love. Trethewey writes elegantly, trenchantly, intimately as well about the fraught history of the south and what it means live at the intersection of America’s struggle between blackness and whiteness. And what, in our troubled republic, is a subject more evergreen? -- Mitchell S. JacksonHaunting, powerful, and painfully stunning, Memorial Drive is one of the best memoirs I've read in a long time. A brilliant storyteller, Trethewey writes the unimaginable truth with a clear-eyed courage that proves, once again, that she's one of the nation's best writers -- Ada Limón, author of Bright Dead Things and NBCC award-winner The CarryingA story that burrows deep in your emotional centre ...The work enraptures like a thriller, unraveling as it races against the inevitable * Esquire *A moving, poignant reflection on grief * Buzzfeed *A tragic tale, told with clarity and shattering insight * BBC *Natasha Trethewey’s forthcoming memoir Memorial Drive just bowled me over. Is it the best true crime memoir I’ve read? It’s certainly in my upper echelon now -- Sarah WeinmanHer exquisite and brutal lyricism as well as her commitment to truth makes Trethewey one of the most important American poets of our time ... A tremendously empathic and enthusiastic force in our nation’s bleak period. Her words settle with profound gravity * Paris Review *A glorious example of what results when one listens – and writes – brilliantly … Her work is loved because she refuses to forget those who’ve been lost and the struggles of those who remain * Washington Post *Trethewey has an insistent intellect and a gift for turning over rich soil * New York Times *Impassioned but clear-eyed … She is poised to build a powerful legacy … We can look forward to the fresh direction that Trethewey’s compass will, inevitably, point us * New Yorker *What a devastating story she has to tell; if it is at all like her Pulitzer Prize-winning poems, it will lift and mourn and make you think at the same time * Literary Hub *She reveals how keenly all of us are shaped by loss, and how much America, too, has been forged by the ever-present shard of grief * O Magazine *This is a black woman who has committed an entire life and career to holding a country accountable, despite the weight of her own grief * Buzzfeed *The wide scope of her interests and her adept handling of form have created an opus of classics both elegant and necessary -- Marilyn Nelson, 2016 Academy of American Poets Fellowship judgeA marker in America’s conversation on race and gender … A must-read for people interested in where America has been, where it’s headed, and how to traverse the crossroads of the country’s literature while also perhaps saving their soul at the beginning of this turbulent century -- Tyehimba Jess, Poetry Foundation

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Book SynopsisAs Britain''s best-known headmaster, Sir Anthony famously introduced happiness, or well-being, lessons at his school, Wellington College. In 2011, he co-founded Action for Happiness, a body to raise awareness of the discovery of happiness and reduction of depression, whose influence is growing rapidly in Britain and across the world. In this book Anthony Seldon distinguishes between pleasure, happiness and joy, and offers an original 8-step approach on how to make our lives far more meaningful and rewarding. The pursuit of happiness can all too easily become a trap which seduces us into thinking there is no more to life than being happy. In fact, the author is highly critical of ''positive psychology'' and other dominant schools of thought.In fact, we need to reach beyond this if we are to access the deepest levels of human experience open to us, and find our own unique path in life. The author offers a further 5 steps, which point the way to accessing these deeper lTrade ReviewThis book is simply brilliant. Informative, moving and comprehensive, a A masterfully written exploration of the challenging road we all journey on as we seek a life of happiness * Tanya Byron *A beyond brilliant and important book. Seldon's exploration of how to move from superficial pleasure to happiness and ultimately joy gripped me from the first page. This is a book at once wise and passionate about making the most of your time on earth. I had a sense of peace and coming home when I finished: the book has been my constant companion since * Rachel Kelly, author of Black Rainbow *A brilliant plea for a happiness that goes beyond the self, from the remarkable co-founder of Action for Happiness * Richard Layard *

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Book Synopsis''I was torn. My best friend needed me. But little did I know then what the consequences of helping her would be...''In 2015, Gail O''Rorke stood trial on three counts of assisting in the suicide of her friend Bernadette Forde, who had taken her life in 2011 in the late stages of Multiple Sclerosis. Facing the possibility of fourteen years in prison for a crime she didn''t commit, Gail was also grieving for the friend she''d lost.Here in Crime or Compassion? she takes us on the journey behind the events that led to her arrest: from her remarkable early years - growing up with an abusive father and her escape to a better life - to her enduring friendship with Bernadette and the highs and lows of caring for someone you love, to the moment she was arrested by Garda officers, signalling three of the worst years of her life.This is a story of friendship and selflessness, of the rules of a society sometimes at odds with the nature of personal suffering, and a

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Book SynopsisA riveting account of what it meant to be a homosexual in 1950s Britain, by a central figure in the infamous Montagu Case - a landmark in the gay history of Britain.Trade ReviewA moving story of men who refused to feel ashamed * Telegraph *The noblest, and wittiest, and most appalling prison book of them all * New Statesman *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"An enjoyable back-to-the land memoir. " - Library Journal"An easy read with a warm tone, like hearing from an old friend, McGaha's memoir is touching, funny, and hard to put down." - Booklist"Flat Broke with Two Goats is a funny, moving and unflinchingly honest reckoning. Reduced by desperate circumstances, Jennifer and her husband find themselves living a life that echoes the hardscrabble Appalachian ways of their grandparents. This sweet miracle of a memoir tells the story of a struggling couple who have to lose their house, and just about everything else, to find home." - Tommy Hays, author of The Pleasure Was Mine"You'll be alarmed, breathless, and ultimately charmed by "Flat Broke with Two Goats" because yes, it could happen to you..." - Terri Schlichenmeyer, Bookworm Sez"Flat Broke with Two Goats is a brave book written in beautifully unflinching detail. McGaha lays bare the flaws in her marriage, the poor choices that led them to rock bottom and how they found their way to a new definition of home." - BookPage

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Book SynopsisFull of unusual characters, mischief, camaraderie, and testosterone-fueled man gossip.Bering Sea Strong is a tale of adventure and self-discovery. The story portrays a young woman on a solo journey, pushed to the edge of the earth and further from the weight of family—marked by divorce, death, disability, and depression—and a life she desires on land. Locked at sea for ninety days as the lone female trying to tuck in tight alongside twenty-five rough-and-tumble commercial fishermen in Alaska, Laura Hartema offers a rare glimpse into the intertwining worlds of a fisheries observer and the crew she works beside. She graphically illustrates the challenges of daily life and relationships in a way few have seen before. Her story provides an unprecedented portrait of the bizarre and entertaining human dynamics aboard an at-sea catcher-processor vessel, where men battle dangerous working conditions, loneliness, and boredom while rivaling for the attention of the only woman. Between trough and crest, Laura ponders the trauma and tragedies of her Midwest childhood as her capabilities and resilience are regularly tested. She is often left deciding when to “blow it off” and when to “blow a gasket.” In the end, the tumultuous Bering Sea is where she finds the strength to overcome the wounds of her past, embrace life’s uncertainty, and steam ahead into the unchartered waters of her future. Bering Sea Strong demonstrates one woman’s determination to overcome obstacles in pursuit of a satisfying career and a better life.Trade Review“Laura Hartema is a woman made of steel navigating the rough waters of life on and off the Bering Sea. Good read.” —Edgar Hansen from the Discovery channel documentary series, Deadliest Catch, cocaptain, chief engineer, F/V Northwestern“Lock a beautiful, young woman up with a couple dozen of the most testosterone-burdened men on the planet for a few months and what could possibly go wrong? Apparently quite a lot. Over the years I’ve worked with a few female fishery observers, and I’ve often wondered what went through their heads; now I know. This book should be required reading for any woman thinking about shipping out to sea or living and working among a group of men.” —Jonathan Allen, captain of F/Vs Arctic V, Glacier Enterprise, Lilli Ann, and Blue North, author of The Big Bucks Guide to Commercial Fishing in Alaska“After working many years in the industry, I enjoy reading books about Alaskan commercial fishing. This is one of the good ones—informative and fun to read.” —Eric Dunn, deck boss, F/T Alaska Ocean“Laura Hartema found her strength on the Bering Sea. Through her beautifully written book, we can discover adventure and strength in our own lives.” —Barbara Oakley, New York Times bestselling author of A Mind for Numbers and Mindshift“It’s exciting to read a no-bullshit story that captures the genuine Alaska experience. Laura Hartema’s unique memoir is as engrossing as it is seaworthy.” —Chuck Thompson, author of Smile When You’re Lying and To Hellholes and Back“Bering Sea Strong is sure to become a favorite of all those who’ve challenged themselves to do more than they once believed they could and those who are preparing for such a challenge. Laura Hartema writes with honesty, wisdom, and not a small amount of humor.” —Theo Pauline Nestor, author of Writing Is My Drink“Bering Sea Strong is at once disarming and savvy, funny and hard-hitting, deep and wide. Laura’s story of being a female fisheries observer on a boat full of male fishermen at the far end of the earth is, finally, an intimate coming-of-age story, and a reckoning with her past: only by getting as far away from herself as she can will she ever really find herself. This is a wonderful read, vivid and heartbreaking.” —Bret Lott, author of Jewel“Bering Sea Strong is not only one woman’s grand, gritty, and sometimes absurd adventure among some of the fiercest waters and wildest men in the world, but it leads to the deep questions of who we are and how we find and make ourselves. Dive shallow or deep—either way, it’s a terrific read!” —Leslie Leyland Fields, author of Surviving the Island of Grace“Hartema’s personal account of her time at sea is thoughtful and packed full of fascinating details about the seafood we eat, and the lives of the men (and rare women) who bring them to our tables.” —Kalee Thompson, author of Deadliest Sea“This gripping odyssey through the Bering Sea is like no other. Along the way Hartema shares the ferocity of nature, fickle men, and her love of fish. She navigates the rough spots of life with humor and a big heart, showing us how to wring happiness from sorrow and hardship.” —Anne Biklé, author of The Hidden Half of Nature“Laura Hartema is a woman made of steel navigating the rough waters of life on and off the Bering Sea. Good read.” —Edgar Hansen from the Discovery channel documentary series, Deadliest Catch, cocaptain, chief engineer, F/V Northwestern“Lock a beautiful, young woman up with a couple dozen of the most testosterone-burdened men on the planet for a few months and what could possibly go wrong? Apparently quite a lot. Over the years I’ve worked with a few female fishery observers, and I’ve often wondered what went through their heads; now I know. This book should be required reading for any woman thinking about shipping out to sea or living and working among a group of men.” —Jonathan Allen, captain of F/Vs Arctic V, Glacier Enterprise, Lilli Ann, and Blue North, author of The Big Bucks Guide to Commercial Fishing in Alaska“After working many years in the industry, I enjoy reading books about Alaskan commercial fishing. This is one of the good ones—informative and fun to read.” —Eric Dunn, deck boss, F/T Alaska Ocean“Laura Hartema found her strength on the Bering Sea. Through her beautifully written book, we can discover adventure and strength in our own lives.” —Barbara Oakley, New York Times bestselling author of A Mind for Numbers and Mindshift“It’s exciting to read a no-bullshit story that captures the genuine Alaska experience. Laura Hartema’s unique memoir is as engrossing as it is seaworthy.” —Chuck Thompson, author of Smile When You’re Lying and To Hellholes and Back“Bering Sea Strong is sure to become a favorite of all those who’ve challenged themselves to do more than they once believed they could and those who are preparing for such a challenge. Laura Hartema writes with honesty, wisdom, and not a small amount of humor.” —Theo Pauline Nestor, author of Writing Is My Drink“Bering Sea Strong is at once disarming and savvy, funny and hard-hitting, deep and wide. Laura’s story of being a female fisheries observer on a boat full of male fishermen at the far end of the earth is, finally, an intimate coming-of-age story, and a reckoning with her past: only by getting as far away from herself as she can will she ever really find herself. This is a wonderful read, vivid and heartbreaking.” —Bret Lott, author of Jewel“Bering Sea Strong is not only one woman’s grand, gritty, and sometimes absurd adventure among some of the fiercest waters and wildest men in the world, but it leads to the deep questions of who we are and how we find and make ourselves. Dive shallow or deep—either way, it’s a terrific read!” —Leslie Leyland Fields, author of Surviving the Island of Grace“Hartema’s personal account of her time at sea is thoughtful and packed full of fascinating details about the seafood we eat, and the lives of the men (and rare women) who bring them to our tables.” —Kalee Thompson, author of Deadliest Sea“This gripping odyssey through the Bering Sea is like no other. Along the way Hartema shares the ferocity of nature, fickle men, and her love of fish. She navigates the rough spots of life with humor and a big heart, showing us how to wring happiness from sorrow and hardship.” —Anne Biklé, author of The Hidden Half of Nature

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Book SynopsisA young woman from Minnesota searches out the Colombian father she’s never known in this powerful exploration of what family really means He loved Colombia too much to leave it. The explanation from her Minnesotan mother was enough to satisfy a child’s curiosity about her missing father. But at twenty-one, Anika Fajardo wanted more. She wanted to know her father better and to know what kind of country could have such a hold on him. And so, in 1995, Fajardo boarded a plane and flew to Colombia to discover a birthplace that was foreign to her and a father who was a stranger. There she learns that sometimes, no matter how many pieces you find, fitting together a family history isn’t easy.With her tentative entry into her father’s world, Fajardo steps on a path that will take her in surprising directions, toward unsuspected secrets about her family and herself. Set against the changing backdrops of Colombia and the American Midwest, her journey carries her back to the 1970s and the beginnings of her parents’ broken marriage, and forward to the present day, where the magic and reality of love and heartache—and her own experience as a parent—await her. The way is strewn with obstacles, physical and metaphysical—from the perils encountered on a mountain road in Colombia to the death of a loved one to the birth of her own child—but the toughest to negotiate are the shifting place of memory and truth while coming to understand her place in her family and in the world.Vivid and heartfelt in the telling, Fajardo’s story is powerfully compelling in its bridging of time and place and in its moving depiction of self-transformation. Family, she comes to find, is where you find it and what you make of it.Trade Review"Incredibly well written and compelling, Anika Fajardo’s Magical Realism for Non-Believers is a remarkable memoir about the search for a father, a culture, a self. I felt like I was reading about my own life and the price I paid for assimilation and acculturation. I simply couldn’t put it down."—Pablo Medina, author of The Island Kingdom and Cubop City Blues"Bicultural experience is a dispassionate term for life lived across borders, identities, and even family trees. As Anika Fajardo makes clear in this searching and lyrical memoir, there is nothing dispassionate about flying back to one’s birthland, walking its soil again, or breaking bread with family who have become as good as strangers. Fajardo seeks to reconnect these missing and scattered pieces, and it is a privilege to journey beside her."—Lila Quintero Weaver, author of Darkroom: A Memoir in Black and White"A rare read, you know the kind: you don’t want it to end but you can’t put it down. Bewitching and beautiful, bound to move anyone who was ever a parent or a child, and just as compelling (and magical) the second time around."—Dinah Lenney, author of The Object Parade"A forthright and sensitive tale of a daughter's quest."—Kirkus Reviews"Fajardo revisits interactions and places with intricately remembered emotion, making for a delicious dive into the complicated, beautiful messes that love can make."—Booklist"Fajardo describes the pain of yearning for something you can't quite articulate, of getting what you thought you wanted and finding it less than satisfying. She dives into her family's past and continues her story into her own adulthood, laying bare the many complicated ways our family informs who we are and how we interact with the world."—BuzzFeed"Anika Fajardo’s beautifully written memoir is a full, satisfying read."—Star Tribune"Anika Fajardo has written a wonderful, sensitive and compelling memoir about her journey to forge a relationship with the father she never knew. She uses her talents to spin a tale that could have been fiction but is all the more special because it is all true."—I Am Book Minded"Magical Realism for Non-Believers is filled with honest and authentic truths about the complex relationship between children and their neglectful parents and the struggle to find one’s place between two cultures."—School Library Journal

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Book SynopsisFor the first time in English, a key work of critical geography Originally published in 1978 in Portuguese, For a New Geography is a milestone in the history of critical geography, and it marked the emergence of its author, Milton Santos (1926–2001), as a major interpreter of geographical thought, a prominent Afro-Brazilian public intellectual, and one of the foremost global theorists of space.Published in the midst of a crisis in geographical thought, For a New Geography functioned as a bridge between geography’s past and its future. In advancing his vision of a geography of action and liberation, Santos begins by turning to the roots of modern geography and its colonial legacies. Moving from a critique of the shortcomings of geography from the field’s foundations as a modern science to the outline of a new field of critical geography, he sets forth both an ontology of space and a methodology for geography. In so doing, he introduces novel theoretical categories to the analysis of space. It is, in short, both a critique of the Northern, Anglo-centric discipline from within and a systematic critique of its flaws and assumptions from outside.Critical geography has developed in the past four decades into a heterogenous and creative field of enquiry. Though accruing a set of theoretical touchstones in the process, it has become detached from a longer and broader history of geographical thought. For a New Geography reconciles these divergent histories. Arriving in English at a time of renewed interest in alternative geographical traditions and the history of radical geography, it takes its place in the canonical works of critical geography. Trade Review"For a New Geography presents an incisive critique of twentieth-century geography rooted in an anti-colonial, Third-Worldist perspective, and makes the case for a new geography linked to global social justice. As the perceptive translator’s introduction makes clear, this volume is an important historical text that continues to hold significant insights for today."—Ruth Craggs, King’s College London"It is great to see this commented translation of a key work by Milton Santos, one of the most iconic radical geographers from the Global South. This book anticipated several critical approaches to the philosophy and history of geography and is now available thanks to the commitment of Archie Davies, who is at the same time a great scholar and a great translator, two qualities that it is rare to see combined in today’s Anglophone scholarship."—Federico Ferretti, University of BolognaTable of ContentsContentsTranslator’s Introduction: The Newness of Geography Archie DaviesIntroduction: From a Critique of Geography to a Critical GeographyPart I. The Critique of Geography1. The Founders: Scientific Pretensions2. Philosophical Inheritance3. Postwar Renovation: “A New Geography”4. Quantitative Geography5. Models and Systems: The Ecosystems6. The Geography of Perception and Behavior7. The Triumph of Formalism and Ideology8. The Balance of the Crisis: Geography, Widow of SpacePart II. Geography, Society, Space9. A New Interdisciplinarity 10. An Attempt to Define Space11. Space: Reflection of Society or Social Fact?12. Space: A Factor?13. Space as Social OrderPart III. For a Critical Geography14. In Search of a Paradigm15. Total Space in Our Time16. State and Space: The Nation-State as a Geographical Unit of Study 17. The Ideas of Totality and Social Formation and the Renovation of Geography18. The Idea of Time in Geographical Studies Conclusion: Geography and the Future of Man AcknowledgmentsNotesBibliographyIndex

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