Biography: business and industry Books

Book SynopsisThe gripping and shocking story of three generations of the Sackler family and their roles in the stories of Valium, OxyContin and the opioid crisis. The inspiration behind the Netflix series Painkiller, starring Uzo Aduba and Matthew Broderick.The Sunday Times BestsellerWinner of the 2021 Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-FictionA BBC Radio 4 'Book of the Week'Shortlisted for the 2021 Financial Times/McKinsey Business Book of the Year AwardOne of Barack Obama’s Favorite Books of 2021Shortlisted for the Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction'I gobbled up Empire of Pain . . . a masterclass in compelling narrative nonfiction.' – Elizabeth Day, The Guardian '30 Best Summer Reads'‘You feel almost guilty for enjoying it so much’ – The TimesThe Sackler name adorns the walls of many storied institutions – Harvard; the Metropolitan Museum of Art; Oxford; the Louvre. They are one of the richest families in the world, known for their lavish donations in the arts and the sciences. The source of the family fortune was vague, however, until it emerged that the Sacklers were responsible for making and marketing Oxycontin, a blockbuster painkiller that was a catalyst for the opioid crisis – an international epidemic of drug addiction which has killed nearly half a million people.In this masterpiece of narrative reporting and writing, award-winning journalist and host of the Wind of Change podcast Patrick Radden Keefe exhaustively documents the jaw-dropping and ferociously compelling reality. Empire of Pain is the story of a dynasty: a parable of twenty-first-century greed.'There are so many "they did what?" moments in this book, when your jaw practically hits the page' – Sunday TimesTrade ReviewThere are so many "they did what?" moments in this book, when your jaw practically hits the page * Sunday Times *This is no dense medical tome, but a page-turner with a villainous family to rival the Roys in Succession, and one where every chapter ends with the perfect bombshell. * Esquire *The story of the Sacklers and OxyContin is a parable of the modern era of philanthropy being deployed to burnish the reputations of financiers and entrepreneurs . . . [A] tour-de-force * Financial Times *Put simply, this book will make your blood boil . . . a devastating portrait of a family consumed by greed and unwilling to take the slightest responsibility or show the least sympathy for what it wrought . . . a highly readable and disturbing narrative. -- John Carreyrou, author of Bad Blood * New York Times Book Review *An engrossing (and frequently enraging) tale of striving, secrecy and self-delusion . . . Even when detailing the most sordid episodes, Keefe’s narrative voice is calm and admirably restrained, allowing his prodigious reporting to speak for itself. His portrait of the family is all the more damning for its stark lucidity. -- Jennifer Szalai * New York Times *A true tragedy in multiple acts. It is the story of a family that lost its moorings and its morals . . . Written with novelistic family-dynasty and family-dynamic sweep, Empire of Pain is a pharmaceutical Forsythe Saga, a book that in its way is addictive, with a page-turning forward momentum. -- David M. Shribman * Boston Globe *Explosive . . . Keefe marshals a large pile of evidence and deploys it with prosecutorial precision . . . Keefe is a gifted storyteller who excels at capturing personalities. * Washington Post *An air-tight indictment of the family behind the opioid crisis . . . [an] impressive exposé -- Harriet Ryan * Los Angeles Times *A damning portrait of the Sacklers, the billionaire clan behind the OxyContin epidemic . . . [Keefe] has a knack for crafting lucid, readable descriptions of the sort of arcane business arrangements the Sacklers favored. -- Laura Miller * Slate *Keefe has a way of making the inaccessible incredibly digestible, of morphing complex stories into page-turning thrillers, and he's done it again with Empire of Pain . . . equal parts juicy society gossip and historical record. -- Seija Rankin * Entertainment Weekly *

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Book SynopsisA dramatic, gripping account of the life and death of the notorious British tech mogul, Mike Lynch.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisIn the age of big data, no company embodies its promise and its perils more than Palantir. This software firm sells some of the most powerful and dangerous technology in the world, ingesting huge quantities of data and spotting patterns, trends, and connections that would likely elude most people. Apart from Facebook, you’d be hard-pressed to find another tech company that’s making as big of a splash – or fraught with more potential pitfalls. Founded in 2003 to help the US government in the war on terror, Palantir now has more than thirty federal agencies as clients. From climate change and terrorism to poverty to immigration, money laundering, and the future of warfare, Palantir is at the nexus of the most critical issues of the 21st century. At its helm is cofounder and CEO Alex Karp, an atypical tech boss with a law degree from Stanford and a doctorate in social theory from Germany’s Goethe University, yet no background in either computer science

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Book SynopsisPOWERFUL WISDOM FROM THE ELDERS OF OUR COMMUNITIES In this rich and multilayered collection of interviews, conversations, and intimate photographs, over 100 trailblazing women describe the ups, downs, and lessons learned while forging their unique paths. Collective Wisdom celebrates the stories of those who have been there and know the road—from an Olympic athlete and a NASA team member to award-winning artists, activists, writers, and filmmakers, from women in their fifties to centenarians. It is also a tribute to the importance of intergenerational connections between women, with interviews conducted by daughters, friends, mentors, and colleagues. Collective Wisdom creates a living, breathing sense of community—a space where all of us can gather, listen, share, and learn.Trade Review“While it shares a similar layout and open spirit as In the Company of Women, this book enjoys a more expansive look at social engagement, shared responsibility, and the capacity for joy from the perspective of age and a diversity of backgrounds and experience. Over one hundred women from 27 states (urban, rural, Native reservations) were interviewed for the book. . . . It was Bonney’s intention to spotlight women who may not ordinarily enjoy the spotlight and celebrate their life’s achievements, endurance, and pride.” —Lauren LeBlanc, Observer “Grace Bonney is a force, she did it again. Her latest book, Collective Wisdom, celebrates . . . a richly diverse group of trailblazing women over 50. Ordered!” —Tina Roth Eisenberg, the Swiss Miss Newsletter for Everyone “Such a good one. Give it to any woman in your life. Grace Bonney profiles over a hundred incredible trailblazing women… all over the age of 50. The book is packed with wisdom, life lessons, and inspiration.” —Grace Atwood, The Stripe, My Favorite Books to Give as Gifts “Less lists that are . . . 20 under 20 and more books like this!” —Eva Chen, via Instagram “Our new favorite coffee table book.”—The Good Trade “Nearly 100 women share priceless lessons learned through experience. . . . Alongside gorgeous photos, they discuss their beginnings, their influences and offer advice to the women coming up behind them. A standout profile: the founders of Gee's Bend Quilting Retreat, named for the area near Jackson, Miss., where formerly enslaved Africans later became landowners; the event attracts quilters from around the world. Their photo depicts hands joining together individual squares into something bigger, stronger—an ideal metaphor for this beautiful book.”—Shelf Awareness “Collective Wisdom is the magic we all hold deeply and pass on from generation to generation. Sharing it with the world is the lifework of Grace Bonney. Her careful weaving of excellent humans and harvest of words is a true art unto itself. Keep this book close by your side.”—Genevieve Gorder, interior designer and host of Dear Genevieve and Genevieve’s Renovation “Grace Bonney’s new book is a soulful treatise that emphatically proves that life—and living—gets better as you go. In a world that has historically worshiped youth, Collective Wisdom triumphantly reveals how artists, journalists, filmmakers, activists, chefs, tribeswomen, dancers, and even the oldest National Park Service Ranger in the US have created lives of authenticity, beauty, power, and meaning.”—Debbie Millman, writer, designer, and host of the podcast Design Matters “Reading Collective Wisdom gives me life and inspiration. The intimate stories of survival, self-love, confidence, and reinventing oneself after 50 or older left a mark on me that makes me want to keep dreaming and evolving no matter how many years I am over 50, 70—heck, 90. I was left feeling like there’s so much to look forward to.”—Carla Hall, chef and author of Carla Hall’s Soul Food

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Book SynopsisThe Book-Makers is a celebration of 550 years of the printed book, told through the lives of eighteen extraordinary men and women who took the book in radical new directions: printers and binders, publishers and artists, paper-makers and library founders. This is a story of skill, craft, mess, cunning, triumph, improvisation, and error.Some of these names we know. We meet jobbing printer (and American Founding Father) Benjamin Franklin. We watch Thomas Cobden-Sanderson conjure books that flicker between the early twentieth century and the fifteenth. Others have been forgotten. We don''t remember Sarah Eaves, wife of John Baskerville, and her crucial contribution to the history of type. Nor Charles Edward Mudie, populariser of the circulating library and the most influential figure in book publishing before Jeff Bezos. Nor William Wildgoose, who meticulously bound Shakespeare's First Folio, and then disappeared from history.The Book-Makers puts people back into the story of the book. It takes you inside the print-shop as the deadline looms and the adrenaline flows from 1492 Fleet Street to 2023 New York. It's a story of contingencies and quirks, of successes and failures, of routes forward and paths not taken. The Book-Makers is a history of book-making that leaves ink on your fingers, and it shows why the printed book will continual to flourish.

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Book SynopsisSanna Marin is the former Prime Minister of Finland and the former leader of the Finnish Social Democratic Party. Marin made history as the longest-serving female prime minister of Finland, leading a coalition government entirely headed by women. In addition to the historic challenges during her leadership, Marin's government passed many progressive reforms in Finland, including the world's most ambitious climate laws aiming for carbon neutrality by 2035, as well as major reforms improving healthcare, equality, education and human rights.She joined the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change as a strategic counsellor, and advises countries, governments and leaders on such policy issues as good governance, technology, climate and gender equality. Hope in Action is her first memoir.

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Book SynopsisTHE TOP 5 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERONE OF BARACK OBAMA''S BEST BOOKS OF 2019THE TIMES HISTORY BOOK OF THE YEARFINALIST FOR THE CUNDILL HISTORY PRIZE 2020LONGLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 2019A FINANCIAL TIMES, OBSERVER, DAILY TELEGRAPH, WALL STREET JOURNAL AND TIMES BOOK OF THE YEARDalrymple is a superb historian with a visceral understanding of India A book of beauty' Gerard DeGroot, The TimesIn August 1765 the East India Company defeated the young Mughal emperor and forced him to establish a new administration in his richest provinces. Run by English merchants who collected taxes using a ruthless private army, this new regime saw the East India Company transform itself from an international trading corporation into something much more unusual: an aggressive colonial power in the guise of a multinatTrade ReviewAn energetic pageturner that marches from the counting house on to the battlefield, exploding patriotic myths along the way -- Maya Jasanoff * Guardian *A tour de force ***** -- Anne de Courcy * Telegraph *Magnificent … The Anarchy explodes myths that have accreted around the history of the Company like barnacles on the hulls of its ships ... Dalrymple shines a forensic light on the knotty historical relationship between commercial and imperial power -- John McAleer * Evening Standard *Dalrymple has been at the forefront of the new wave of popular history, consistently producing work that engages with a wider audience through writerly craft, an emphasis on characters and their agency, evocative description of place and time, and the inclusion of long-neglected perspectives … The book’s real achievement is to take readers to an important and neglected period of British and south Asian history, and to make their trip their not just informative but colourful -- Jason Burke * Observer *Gloriously opulent … India is a sumptuous place. Telling its story properly demands lush language, not to mention sensitivity towards the country’s passionate complexity. Dalrymple is a superb historian with a visceral understanding of India … A book of beauty -- Gerard DeGroot * The Times *It is well-trodden territory but Dalrymple ... brings to it erudition, deep insight and an entertaining style * Financial Times *Combining extensive research, judicious analysis and an acceptable level of outrage, Dalrymple’s compelling account will cement his status as the most widely read British writer on India since Kipling … A brave and stirring narrative of India’s eighteenth-century fragmentation -- John Keay * Literary Review *[A] rampaging, brilliant, passionate history … Dalrymple gives us every sword-slash, every scam, every groan and battle cry. He has no rival as a narrative historian of the British in India … A gripping tale of bloodshed and deceit, of unimaginable opulence and intolerable starvation ... shot through with an unappeasable moral passion * Wall Street Journal *‘Masterful … Dalrymple has been for some years one of the most eloquent and assiduous chroniclers of Indian history. With this new work, he sounds a minatory note … Dalrymple has done a great service in not just writing an eminently readable history of eighteenth-century India, but in reflecting on how so much of it serves as a warning for our own time’ -- Stuart Kelly * Scotland on Sunday *A magnificently readable book, deeply researched and richly atmospheric, written with a historian’s understanding of power and a novelistic eye for detail ***** -- Francis Wheen * Mail on Sunday *A rip-roaring tale of wild adventure, amorality, feckless greed and despicable behaviour … His best history to date -- Louise Nicholson * Country Life *[Dalrymple] is a terrifically good storyteller. He makes the reader see how events unfold and observe the personalities up close. He is widely read both in the primary sources and the historical scholarship. As a result, The Anarchy is one of the best books on Indian history published in a long time * Times Literary Supplement *Deeply researched yet easy to read, this landmark history of the East India Company is unputdownable. This is pure narrative joy -- HWA Non-Fiction Crown JudgesProbably the best work of a quartet of books that Dalrymple has written focusing on Indian history... Beautifully written and generous in its details; well worth the time and effort * Which 50 *

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Book Synopsis''This is a riveting book, with as much to say about the transformation of modern life in the information age as about its supernaturally gifted and driven subject'' - Telegraph Based on more than forty interviews with Steve Jobs conducted over two years - as well as interviews with more than a hundred family members, friends, adversaries, competitors, and colleagues - this is the acclaimed, internationally bestselling biography of the ultimate icon of inventiveness. Walter Isaacson tells the story of the rollercoaster life and searingly intense personality of creative entrepreneur whose passion for perfection and ferocious drive revolutionized six industries: personal computers, animated movies,music, phones, tablet computing, and digital publishing. Although Jobs cooperated with this book, he asked for no control over what was written, nor even the right to read it before it was published. He put nothing off limits. He encouraged the people he knew to speak honestly. And Jobs speaks candidly, sometimes brutally so, about the people he worked with and competed against. His friends, foes, and colleagues provide an unvarnished view of the passions, perfectionism, obsessions, artistry, devilry, and compulsion for control that shaped his approach to business and the innovative products that resulted.Trade ReviewThe attention to detail is astounding, and this is an encyclopaedic record of Jobs's life right up to his battle against cancer and death . . . a fitting legacy to a flawed genius - Evening StandardIsaacson has done an outstanding job. He keeps a sturdily detached perspective about Jobs' many eccentricities. His biographer has written a captivating account of this digital visionary whose products have enthralled millions of people - SpectatorThis is a riveting book, with as much to say about the transformation of modern life in the information age as about its supernaturally gifted and driven subject - TelegraphA must read - Sunday Times

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Book SynopsisNEW YORK TIMES AND SUNDAY TIMES BUSINESS BESTSELLER SHORTLISTED FOR THE FT AND MCKINSEY BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 2019''Reads more like a delicious page-turning novel...Put it on your holiday gift list for your favourite hedge-fund honcho'' Bloomberg''A compelling read'' Economist''Captivating'' New York Times book reviewJim Simons is the greatest moneymaker in modern financial history. His record bests those of legendary investors, including Warren Buffett, George Soros and Ray Dalio. Yet Simons and his strategies are shrouded in mystery. The financial industry has long craved a look inside Simons''s secretive hedge fund, Renaissance Technologies and veteran Wall Street Journal reporter Gregory Zuckerman delivers the goods.After a legendary career as a mathematician and a stint breaking Soviet codes, Simons set out to conquer financial markets with a radical approach. Simons hired physicists, mathematicians and computer scientists - most of whom knew little about finance - to amass piles of data and build algorithms hunting for the deeply hidden patterns in global markets. Experts scoffed, but Simons and his colleagues became some of the richest in the world, their strategy of creating mathematical models and crunching data embraced by almost every industry today.As Renaissance became a major player in the financial world, its executives began exerting influence on other areas. Simons became a major force in scientific research, education and Democratic politics, funding Hilary Clinton''s presidential campaign. While senior executive Robert Mercer is more responsible than anyone else for the Trump presidency - he placed Steve Bannon in the campaign, funded Trump''s victorious 2016 effort and backed alt-right publication Breitbart. Mercer also impacted the success of the Brexit campaign as he made significant investments in Cambridge Anatlytica. For all his prescience, Simons failed to anticipate how Mercer''s activity would impact his firm and the world.In this fast-paced narrative, Zuckerman examines how Simons launched a quantitative revolution on Wall Street, and reveals the impact that Simons, the quiet billionaire king of the quants, has had on worlds well beyond finance.Trade ReviewSo compelling, filled with so many fascinating characters and new information... The book reads more like a delicious page-turning novel... Destined to become an instant classic...my nominee for financial book of the year * Barry Ritholtz, Bloomberg *A terrific book, a terrific read... I recommend it highly... It's a hell of a story * Lou Dobbs, Tonight, Fox News *Tells a surprisingly captivating story. It turns out that a firm like Renaissance, filled with nerdy academics trying to solve the market's secrets, is way more interesting than your typical greed-is-good hedge fund * Joe Nocera, New York Times *Gregory Zuckerman lifts the lid on the most fascinating man in financial markets...superb reporting * Robin Wigglesworth, Financial Times *Zuckerman brings the reader so close to the firm's inner workings that you can almost catch a whiff of the billionaire's Merit cigarette * Brandon Kochkodin, Bloomberg *A gripping biography of investment game changer Jim Simons... readers looking to understand how the economy got where it is should eat this up * Publishers Weekly *Worthwhile reading for budding plutocrats and numerate investors alike * Kirkus *Zuckerman vividly tells the story of how Jim Simons and his team of scientists developed the most successful quantitative trading operation in history. . . . Immensely enjoyable * Edward O. Thorp, author of A Man for All Markets *An extremely well-written and engaging book . . . a must read, and a fun one at that * Mohamed A. El-Erian, author of The Only Game in Town *Leave it to the Wall Street Journal's Greg Zuckerman to lay open the golden mysteries of quantitative investing. With this fine, humane, and eye-opening book, he's well and truly broken the code * James Grant, Grant’s Interest Rate Observer *The fascinating, page-turning tale of a complicated man and the movement he started, rendered in accessible prose and full of bravura storytelling * Gary Shteyngart, author of Lake Success *One of Inc.com's Top 20 Business and Leadership Books of the Year 2019 * Inc.com *A compelling read * the Economist *

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Book SynopsisThe biography of Carlos Slim, one of the richest people of all time, is not just the tale of the first man from a developing country to ever reach the top of the Forbes list of billionaires. It is the story of a character who represents the neoliberal mentality of our times, who mistrusts politicians, believes that the market is the most efficient mechanism for everything (even to combat corruption), and sees philanthropy as a social investment with businesses as the exclusive form of collective wealth.In this new book, produced through years of thorough investigation, Osorno examines this symbol of twenty-first-century capitalism and of Mexico. Similar surreal dimensions lead Osorno to openly ask whether a man as rich as him can also be a good person.Trade Review“One of the world’s best reporters tells the story of Carlos Slim, Mexico’s richest person, and the first from a developing country to make it to the top of the Forbes list. Osorno tells a remarkable tale of how the child of Lebanese immigrants slowly put together an empire that stretches from airlines to telecoms and health care.” —John Freeman, Editor of Freeman’s and author of The Undoing “Piercing the veil of secrecy surrounding one of world’s richest and most private businessmen was never going to be straightforward. In the end it took eight years, more than one hundred interviews, four hundred rejections, and oodles of patience to write the most comprehensive biography of Carlos Slim to date.”—Nina Lakhani, Guardian “After years of investigative journalism with access to confidential files and more than a hundred interviews, Diego Osorno condenses all the details of life that made Carlos Slim the richest billionaire in the world … This book includes the truth about the political, social and historical influence of the entrepreneur with his direct testimony and anecdotes about his peculiar financial maneuvers.” —Vice News “Sophisticated in some things, simple in others, proactive in certain subjects and puerile elsewhere, cosmopolitan and also deeply provincial—a multifaceted portrait emerges from this unforgettable book. Throughout the book, Diego Osorno does not condemn nor glorify but he does expose … This book will lead to an essential discussion about how Mexico creates Slim-style billionaires, about inequality, about influence, about business ethics. And about the legacy of a man with a fortune of $77.1 billion.” —Denise Dresser, La Reforma

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Book Synopsis"Why didn't I think of that genius idea?" This is the remarkable, at times funny, story of a young entrepreneur who, aged 18 and with $4,000 and no other funding, started up invisibobble - the revolutionary hair ties that have taken the haircare industry by storm. Today, Sophie Trelles-Tvede's company has sold over 100 million hair ties around the world and turns over $15 million. As a first-year university student, getting ready for a party, Sophie spotted an old telephone cord and decided to use it to tie her hair with. The next morning, she noticed something different with her hair: she did not have a headache after untying the cord and there was not much of a mark (or kink) in her hair. The genius idea of invisibobble was born right there! This is the story of the idea and thereafter - the ups and downs, funny and serious moments, of an entrepreneur's journey that will inspire others and reveal what it takes to succeed.

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Book Synopsis'A woman can carry a bag, but it is the shoe that carries the woman' - Christian LouboutinAmong designers of luxury shoes, there is one whose designs are instantly recognizable: Christian Louboutin. His iconic red soles can be seen everywhere from the red carpet, the silver screen and the catwalk to city streets around the world.From his early life in Paris to the founding of his first store in 1992, and from the red carpet to his global domination of the luxury shoe market, Little Book of Christian Louboutin charts the rise of the world's most celebrated shoe designer. Images of his designs past and present are accompanied by captivating text, describing the rise and rise of the king of shoe design.Table of ContentsIntroduction • The Man • The Brand • The Heels • The Accessories • The Celebrities.

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewBook of the week * MoneyWeek *A thrilling, head-spinning book... Money Men hugely rewards the reader when you get the scoop alongside McCrum - you are close to punching the air... A fine testament to the importance of quality journalism. * Irish Times *The best book I read this year was Money Men... It reads like a thriller as he painstakingly exposes the tissue of lies, false accounting and mythical acquisitions that lie behind the company's respectable facade... Brilliant stuff. -- Books of the Year * The Tablet *Well worth your time -- Richard Fletcher * The Times *A fraud so audacious it took the company's auditor, Ernst & Young, years to believe it... McCrum's account may read like a crime drama, but really it is a testament to old-school reporting... At a time when social media is increasingly causing facts to be regarded as beside the point, it is a reminder that the truth is always worth chasing. * New Statesman *McCrum was more responsible than anyone else for the exposure and eventual collapse of the hugely fraudulent payment company... A cross between the Enron scandal and Rosemary's Baby. -- John Lanchester * London Review of Books *Money Men is a rollercoaster read that reveals everything that's wrong with our financial system. Dan McCrum and his colleagues at the FT deserve medals for their tenacious battle to expose the dark heart of Wirecard - the enormous fraud and money laundering machine with shadowy ties. -- Catherine Belton, author of Putin's PeopleDan McCrum's deep dive into Wirecard was the financial investigation of the decade. Money Men tells the story from inside Wirecard's headquarters with entertaining drama and verve, but it also unspools the high-stakes reporting process McCrum and his colleagues carried out at the Financial Times against the odds. It instantly enters the canon of great financial crime books. -- Bradley Hope, co-author of New York Times bestseller Billion Dollar WhaleWhat a wild ride! Going head to head with powerful executives, their teams of lawyers and intelligence operatives, Dan McCrum has uncovered one of the biggest economic scandals in Europe. Money Men reads like a thriller, but it's all true. -- Frederik Obermaier, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and co-author of The Panama PapersThe culmination of years of careful investigative work... A gripping tale. * Evening Standard *Wirecard might still be one of Europe's most feted tech firms, were it not for a small band of sceptics - including Dan McCrum... Wirecard fought back viciously and dirtily ... Money Men should be required reading for investors and financial regulators. It is a compelling case study of a seemingly eternal truth: when a business is built on lies, there are always clues. * Economist *A fantastic book. Think of Dan as a bespectacled James Bond with a keyboard instead of a gun. * Steve Clapham, author of The Smart Money Method *This behind-the-scenes look into the years of work and the persistence that was required to topple Wirecard is nothing short of incredible. * AltFi *Money Men is a rip-roaring ride into the underworld of the global economy. Dan McCrum is a proper reporter: there is no threat, con trick or hangover that will stand in his way. In today's pandemic of lies, courageous journalism like this is the medicine. -- Tom Burgis, Sunday Times bestselling author of KleptopiaA milestone in the history of investigative journalism. -- Olaf Scholz, Chancellor of Germany, awarding the Reporters Forum Reporterpreis

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Book SynopsisA biography of venture capitalist and entrepreneur Peter Thiel, the enigmatic, controversial and hugely influential power broker who sits at the dynamic intersection of tech, business and politics Since the days of the dot-com bubble in the late 1990s, no industry has made a greater global impact than Silicon Valley. And few individuals have done more to shape Silicon Valley than billionaire venture capitalist and entrepreneur Peter Thiel. From the technologies we use every day to the delicate power balance between Silicon Valley, Wall Street and Washington, Thiel has been a behind-the-scenes operator influencing countless aspects of contemporary life. But despite his power and the ubiquity of his projects, no public figure is quite so mysterious. In the first major biography of Thiel, Max Chafkin traces the trajectory of the innovator's singular life and worldview, from his upbringing as the child of immigrant parents and years at Stanford as a burgeoning conservative thought leader to his founding of PayPal and Palantir, early investment in Facebook and SpaceX, and relationships with fellow tech titans Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk and Eric Schmidt. The Contrarian illuminates the extent to which Thiel has sought to export his values to the corridors of power beyond Silicon Valley, such as funding the lawsuit that bankrupted the blog Gawker to strenuously backing far-right political candidates, including Donald Trump for president. Eye-opening and deeply reported, The Contrarian is a revelatory biography of a one-of-a-kind leader and an incisive portrait of a tech industry whose explosive growth and power is both thrilling and fraught with controversy.Trade Review[Chafkin] does an excellent job of unpicking the disparate elements of the Thiel mythology -- David Runciman, London Review of Books[A] deeply reported and gripping biography . . . It offers essential insights for anyone who wants to understand what Silicon Valley’s global ascendance has wrought—and it’s a really great read -- Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit and Smarter Faster BetterThe Contrarian is much more than a consistently shocking biography of Peter Thiel . . . It’s also a disturbing history of Silicon Valley that will make you reconsider the ideological foundations of America’s relentless engine of creative destruction -- Brad Stone, author of The Everything Store and Amazon UnboundA captivating, incisive, rigorously reported examination of Silicon Valley’s most mysterious and controversial powerbroker -- Joshua Green, author of Devil’s BargainIn The Contrarian, Max Chafkin takes us on a fascinating journey into the life and mind of one of the most influential, and least understood, figures in business and politics’ -- Sheelah Kolhatkar, author of Black EdgeA dogged reporter and an entertaining writer, [Chafkin] weaves an epic tale filled with startling ambition, cold calculation, and a large helping of contrarian—and contradictory—opinions -- Emily Chang, author of Brotopia

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Book Synopsis***THE WORD OF MOUTH INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER NOW UPDATED WITH 15 EXPLOSIVE NEW CHAPTERS***False economics. Threats, bribes, extortion. Debt, deception, coups, assassinations and unbridled military power. These are the tools used by the ‘corporatocracy’ – a vast network of corporations, banks, colluding governments and rich and powerful individuals – to ensure that they retain and expand their wealth and influence, growing richer and richer as the poor become poorer.In his original, post 9/11 book, John Perkins revealed how he was recruited as an economic hit man in the 1970s, and exposed the corrupt methods American corporations use to spread their influence in the developing world, cheating countries out of trillions of dollars. In this new, extensively updated edition he lays bare the latest, terrifying evolution of the economic hit man, and how the system has become even more entrenched and powerful than ever before.In New Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, John Perkins provides fresh and chilling evidence of how the corporatocracy has grown its influence to every corner of the globe, making us all unwitting slaves to their regime. But he also provides advice on how we can end our unconscious support of the system and its self-serving, lethal economy.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"Perkins has, once again, made a substantial contribution to a world that needs whistle-blowers to open its eyes to the true sources of political, social, and economic power" - Yanis Varoufakis"It comes from the heart. I highly recommend it." - Michael Brownstein"it’s all here in toe-curling detail' - GuardianTrade ReviewConfessions of an Economic Hit Man is a unique book, brave because it is personal. With unflinching honesty, John Perkins narrates his moral awakening and struggle to break free from the corrupt system of global domination he himself helped to create. This book possesses an immediacy which separates it from the numerous studies we already have of American Empire. It comes from the heart. I highly recommend it. -- Michael Brownstein, author of World on FireWhen I read Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, I could not have known that, some years later, I would be on the receiving end of the type of ‘economic hit’ that Perkins so vividly narrated ... Perkins has, once again, made a substantial contribution to a world that needs whistle-blowers to open its eyes to the true sources of political, social, and economic power -- Yanis Varoufakis, former Minister of Finance, GreeceMust reading for those that know another world is possible! Perkins' story, however, is less about individual guilt and more about the systemic programming and tempting of males in patriarchal societies and their global power elites. Perkins' revelations shock us and illuminate how these same incentives in academia keep reproducing the compartmentalized worldviews and sophisticated economic models rationalizing inequity, greed, egotism, competitive self-interest and global expansionism via GDP-growth and debt. * Hazel Henderson, author of Beyond Globalization and Building a Win-Win World *I was hazy on the precise details of how third world debt came about, but after reading Confessions of an Economic Hit Man I consider myself rather better informed. And a lot more dismayed… it’s all here in toe-curling detail * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisFrom bestselling author Walter Isaacson comes the landmark biography of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. In Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography, Isaacson provides an extraordinary account of Jobs'' professional and personal life. Drawn from three years of exclusive and unprecedented interviews Isaacson has conducted with Jobs as well as extensive interviews with Jobs'' family members, key colleagues from Apple and its competitors, Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography is the definitive portrait of the greatest innovator of his generation.

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Book Synopsis*THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER* *A Financial Times Book of the Year**Economist Book of the Year* A political epic' GuardianThis is the book Trump fears most.' AxiosFew journalists have covered Donald Trump more extensively than Maggie Haberman. And few better understand the polarizing 45th president or his motivations. In this astonishing, illuminating book, Haberman reveals all about Trump the man, the president and the phenomenon.Interviews with hundreds of sources and with Trump himself portray a complicated and often contradictory figure. Capable of kindness but relying on casual cruelty as it suits his purposes. Pugnacious. Insecure. Lonely. Vindictive. Menacing. Smarter than his critics contend and colder and more calculating than his allies believe. A man who embedded himself in popular culture for decades, laying the groundwork to galvanize support for a successful run for high office.Chronicling Trump's entire career, from his rise in New York City to his tortured post-presidency and potential comeback, Confidence Man is a magnificent, disturbing reckoning of the president who pushed American democracy to the brink.

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Book SynopsisMasters of Doom' is the true inside story of John Carmack and John Romero, co-creators of the most innovative and notoriously successful video games in history - Doom and Quake.Trade ReviewMasters of Doom is an impressive and adroit social history. * New York Times Book Review *Hot book! The Behind the Music - like story of video gaming's Nineties bad boys...a tale of guts, geeks and their 140mpd-clocking Ferraris - as well as the backlash against gaming after Columbine. * Rolling Stone *

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Book SynopsisFrom his unassuming beginnings as a curious young computer enthusiast to his meteoric rise as the co-founder of Microsoft and one of the wealthiest individuals in the world, Bill Gates''s journey is a testament to the power of innovation, vision, and determination. Uncover the pivotal moments that shaped Gates''s career, including the opportunities he seized as a young computer programmer, his co-founding of Microsoft at just 19, his successes in growing the business, and his dedication to philanthropy through to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Through meticulous research and captivating storytelling, this biography offers a comprehensive portrait of Bill Gates. It illuminates the principles and practices that guided his extraordinary success, providing invaluable lessons for entrepreneurs, business leaders, and anyone striving to make a positive impact in the world.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Arcturus Visionaries series brings together entertai

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Book SynopsisFrom their promising beginnings at Stanford to their founding of Google and beyond, this fascinating biography charts the extraordinary rise of tech duo Sergey Brin and Larry Page.As PhD students at Stanford University, Larry Page and Sergey Brin devised a powerful search engine. Google, the company they founded in 1998 became a brand, the world''s pre-eminent search engine, a centre of artificial intelligence and a source of data collection. This fascinating biography looks at the background behind the formation of the company, as well as the technology and the business model that led it to become so successful.Featuring photographs which chronicle their rise to success, this book is fascinating read for aspiring entrepreneurs or anyone looking to build a successful business.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Arcturus Visionaries series brings together entertaining biographies of leading figures within business world and beyond, tracing their lives,

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Book SynopsisThe Power Broker by Robert A. Caro is 'simply one of the best non-fiction books in English of the last forty years' (Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday Times): a riveting and timeless account of power, politics and the city of New York by ‘the greatest political biographer of our times’ (Sunday Times); chosen by Time magazine as one of the 100 Best Non-Fiction Books of All Time and by the Modern Library as one of the 100 Greatest Books of the Twentieth Century; Winner of the Pulitzer Prize; a Sunday Times Bestseller; 'An outright masterpiece' (Evening Standard)The Power Broker tells the story of Robert Moses, the single most powerful man in New York for almost half a century and the greatest builder America (and probably the world) has ever known. Without ever once being elected to office, he created for himself a position of supreme and untouchable authority, allowing him to utterly reshape the city of New York, turning it into the city we know today, while at the same time blighting the lives of millions and remaining accountable to no one.First published in the USA in 1974, this monumental classic was a Sunday Times bestseller when published in the UK in 2015 and is now widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest books of its kind.Trade ReviewSimply one of the best non-fiction books in English of the past 40 years ... There has probably never been a better dissection of political power ... From the first page ... you know that you are in the hands of a master ... riveting ... superb ... not just a stunning portrait of perhaps the most influential builder in world history ... but an object lesson in the dangers of power -- Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times *One of the great biographies of all time ... [by] one of the great reporters of our time ... and probably the greatest biographer. He is also an extraordinary writer. After reading page 136 of his book The Power Broker, I gasped and read it again, then again. This, I thought, is how it should be done ... said to be one of the greatest nonfiction works ever written ... Every MP, wonk and would-be wonk in Westminster has read [Robert Caro's The Years of Lyndon Johnson], because they think it is the greatest insight into power ever written. They’re nearly right: it’s the second greatest after The Power Broker -- Bryan Appleyard * Sunday Times *I think about Robert Caro and reading The Power Broker back when I was 22 years old and just being mesmerized, and I'm sure it helped to shape how I think about politics -- Barack ObamaThis is irresistibly readable, an outright masterpiece and unparalleled insight into how power works and perhaps the greatest portrait ever of a world city -- David Sexton * Evening Standard *A stupendous achievement ... Caro's style is gripping, indeed hypnotic, and he squeezes every ounce of drama from his remarkable story … Can a democracy combine visionary leadership with effective checks and balances to contain the misuse of power? No book illustrates this fundamental dilemma of democracy better than The Power Broker ... Indeed, no student of government can regard his education as complete until he has read it -- Vernon Bogdanor * Independent *Remarkable … we learn as much about the intoxication and addiction of power as we do about the bureaucratic titan whose imprint on New York bears comparison with his only modern equivalent, the smasher and rebuilder of Paris, Baron Haussmann … [with] his detailed reporting and rhythmic prose, his great acuity for understanding and describing the nuances of politics and power … [Robert Caro] has no contemporary rivals -- John R MacArthur * Spectator *Monumental … extraordinary … The writing never flags. The detail is never irrelevant. The sheer relentlessness has a mesmeric quality. The character sketches … are wonderful … the way in which he shows how power is attained and how it can corrupt [is] fascinating … This book has helped change the way history is written -- Daniel Finkelstein * The Times *An epic, meticulously detailed study of power in general: how it’s acquired, how it’s used to change history, how it ultimately corrupts those who get it ... Masterfully, Caro shows how Moses transformed New York in ways both progressive and backward, benign and cruel ... as an account of how power and ambition shape the urban environment, The Power Broker has yet to be beaten -- Oliver Burkeman * Guardian *The story of how Robert Moses made and broke people and places is astonishing. It comes so highly recommended that it is unignorable -- Jeremy Paxman * Observer *A truly exceptional achievement … Important, awesome, compelling … extraordinary on many levels and certain to endure * Washington Post *One of the most exciting, un-put-downable books I have ever read. This is definitive biography, urban history, and investigative journalism. This is a study of the corruption which power exerts on those who wield it to set beside Tacitus and his emperors, Shakespeare and his kings * Baltimore Evening Sun *Surely the greatest book ever written about a city -- David HalberstamIrresistible reading. It is like one of the great Russian novels, overflowing with characters and incidents that all fit into a vast mosaic of plot and counterplot. Only this is no novel. This is a college education in power corruption * St. Louis Post-Dispatch *The most absorbing, detailed, instructive, provocative book ever published about the making and raping of modern New York City and environs and the man who did it, about the hidden plumbing of New York City and State politics over the last half-century, about the force of personality and the nature of political power in a democracy. A monumental work, a political biography and political history of the first magnitude * New York *A triumph, brilliant and totally fascinating. A majestic, even Shakespearean, drama about the interplay of power and personality -- Justin KaplanCaro has written one of the finest, best-researched and most analytically informative descriptions of our political and governmental processes to appear in a generation * Washington Post *Caro’s achievement is staggering … A milestone in literary and publishing history * Houston Post *An extraordinary study of the workings of power, individually, institutionally, politically, and economically * Wall Street Journal *A masterpiece of American reporting. It’s more than the story of a tragic figure or the exploration of the unknown politics of our time. It’s an elegantly written and enthralling work of art -- Theodore H. WhiteIn the future, the scholar who writes the history of American cities in the twentieth century will doubtless begin with this extraordinary effort * The New York Times Book Review *

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Book SynopsisKen Segall put the ''i'' in iPad. Now he explains why simplicity is the secret of Apple''s success in Insanely Simple.To Steve Jobs, Simplicity wasn''t just a design principle. It was a religion and a weapon. The obsession with Simplicity is what separates Apple from other technology companies. It''s what helped Apple recover from near death in 1997 to become the most valuable company on Earth in 2011, and guides the way Apple is organized, how it designs products, and how it connects with customers. It''s by crushing the forces of Complexity that the company remains on its stellar trajectory.As creative director, Ken Segall played a key role in Apple''s resurrection, helping to create such critical campaigns as ''Think Different'' and naming the iMac. Insanely Simple is his insider''s view of Jobs'' world. It reveals the ten elements of Simplicity that have driven Apple''s success - which you can use to propel your own organisation. Reading InsanelyTrade ReviewA blueprint for running a company the Steve Jobs way ... should be required reading for anyone interested in management and marketing * The Times *Punchy ... Segall gets inside Apple's branding and marketing to explain its directness and power * Financial Times *Required reading * Observer *An entertaining perspective on how Apple typically gets it right... Candid and insightful. Insanely Simple should be required reading for any boss with a Byzantine organisation and a shrinking business * The Guardian *In this captivating book, Segall has succeeded in distilling what made Steve Jobs succeed in ways no one would have imagined - simplicity. The idea of going simple, and Jobs's obsession with it, is neither a set of rules nor a goal, but a worldview of how things should be. . . More practical than theoretical, this essential book is about using the power of Simplicity to set a company apart * Publishers Weekly *Intriguing insights from someone who worked closely with Jobs on some of Apple's most successful ad campaigns * Forbes *A few pages in, I was hooked. . . [A]n amusing and revealing book about the company's extraordinary leader, Steve Jobs, and the guiding principle that made him one of the great businessmen of the age * The Boston Globe *Ken Segall has literally captured lightning in a bottle. Insanely Simple reveals the secret of Steve Jobs's success with such clarity, even we non-geniuses can make use of it. Ken shows us how to cut through the cobwebs of fuzzy thinking, bureaucracy, and mediocrity, and clearly see what's most essential - and therefore most important -- Steve Hayden, former vice chairman, Ogilvy, and author of Apple’s legendary 1984 Super Bowl commercialAs the man who came up with the iconic iMac name that launched one of the most successful product lines in history, Segall played a pivotal role in reviving Apple from near-death. His close working relationship with Jobs allows him to provide insight into how Jobs's obsession with simplicity became the driving force that informs every decision the company makes to this day * Booklist *Reveals a fresh insight into Steve Jobs's mind and how his obsession with simplicity drove Apple to success * Macworld *This book provides industry insight that many other books on Steve Jobs and Applelack. . . Recommended for those looking for advice on running a successful corporation and readers interested in all things Apple * Library Journal *A fascinating glimpse behind Apple's famously closed doors, taking the reader inside the inner sanctum and sneaking a peek at the marketing meetings presided over by Jobs * PC Advisor *

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Book Synopsis''The most explosive, mind-blowing business book I''ve ever read'' Bradley Hope, New York Times bestselling author of Billion Dollar Whale''Jaw-dropping . . . well-told, well-structured and exquisitely reported'' Financial TimesDiscover the unauthorized, unvarnished story of famed Wall Street hedge-fund manager Ray Dalio.Ray Dalio is the billionaire founder of Bridgewater Associates, the world''s largest hedge fund. In The Fund, Rob Copeland draws on hundreds of interviews with those inside and around the firm to reveal what really goes on with Dalio and his cohorts behind closed doors.Tracing more than fifty years of Dalio''s leadership, The Fund peels back the curtain to reveal a rarefied world of wealth and power, where former FBI director Jim Comey kisses Dalio''s ring, recent Pennsylvania Senate candidate David McCormick sells out, and countless Bridgewater acolytes describe what it''s like to work at this fascinating firm.When Dalio announced in October 2022 that he was stepping down from the company he founded forty-seven years ago, the news made headlines around the world. Dalio achieved worldwide fame thanks to a mystique of success cultivated in frequent media appearances, celebrity hobnobbing, and his bestselling book, Principles.Dalio has stepped down from Bridgewater before; will the legacy of his Principles continue to chart the course of the firm? The Fund provides unique insight into the story of Dalio and Bridgewater, past, present and future.''A taut, nonfiction thriller'' Bryan Burrough, bestselling author of Barbarians at the Gate''Manages to both shock and entertain at the same time'' Philipp Meyer, bestselling author of American Rust and The Son

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Book SynopsisFrom the Foreword by Harry Mount: Every turn in Algy's life has produced unique contradictions. He left the Grenadier Guards and, a few years later, struck black gold as one of the first buccaneering oilmen in the North Sea.But how many oilmen are P. G. Wodehouse devotees, like Algy? And how many oilmen love magazines so much that they buy an actual magazine itself in Algy's case, the Spectator?With this rare combination of commercial acumen, military derring-do and man-of-letters curiosity, Algy has sent back these moreish reports from the worlds of business, the Army, politics and a daring new wine venture in his 80s.Reviews of Algy Cluff's books:Enjoyably gossipy, Get On With It also contains valuable insights into business and political life... Daily Mail one of the few books I'd read which I wished longer Charles Moore, Spectator this rattling, full-throttled, red-blooded memoir Richard Davenport-Hines, TLS a splendid book The Times

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Book SynopsisThis collection tells the story of an emerging, dynamic Africa, through the eyes of some of the youngest and most promising African entrepreneurs. Charting the stories of 17 entrepreneurs working in different industries and across Africa, Making Futures: Young Entrepreneurs in a Dynamic Africa showcases the young women and men who are taking charge of their destinies and building business enterprises and innovative non-profits to radically change their lives and the lives of their communities. This collection equips readers with intimate knowledge about the markets and growth across the region, and how young creative entrepreneurs are identifying problems as opportunities and seeding growth in a continent that has been long overlooked, but is poised for explosive growth and opportunity, enabled by technology.

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Book SynopsisFrom Ben Mezrich, the New York Times bestselling author of The Accidental Billionaires and Bringing Down the House, comes Bitcoin Billionaires - the fascinating story of brothers Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss''s big bet on crypto-currency and its dazzling pay-off.Ben Mezrich''s 2009 bestseller The Accidental Billionaires is the definitive account of Facebook''s founding - and the basis for the Academy Award-winning film The Social Network. Two of the story''s iconic characters are Harvard students Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss: identical twins, Olympic rowers, and legal foils to Mark Zuckerberg. Bitcoin Billionaires is the story of the brothers'' redemption and revenge in the wake of their epic legal battle with Facebook - and the first great book from the world of bitcoin.Planning to start careers as venture capitalists, the brothers quickly discover that no one will take their money for fear of alienating ZuckerTrade ReviewBitcoin Billionaires takes us right inside the Winklevoss brothers' wild chase for redemption through a global maze of big money and backroom deals. Ben Mezrich delivers a tense, propulsive story of ambition and success * Matthew Pearl, New York Times bestselling author of The Dante Club and The Dante Chamber *The book is written with a slick beauty . . . As an introduction to the rise of cryptocurrencies and the modern tech world generally, it is as painless and novelistic as could be imagined * Guardian *A page turner. Sensibly, Mezrich opts to focus on action. He makes sense of bleeding-but-baffling-edge technology by following the human accessories: early-adopters, a rat pack of weed-smoking coders, dark-web pirates, libertarian philosophers and boy-wonder investors who wouldn't feel out of place in a Thomas Pynchon novel - and like Pynchon, the thrill is in a wild chase for answers to a mystery that the layperson can only grope at * Evening Standard *An easily digested cryptocurrency primer * Financial Times *Gripping . . . Ben Mezrich is a gifted writer who could make a PTA meeting dramatic and exciting * The Times *

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisThe ferociously talented Hideo Kojima, creator of Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding, shares his perspective on the stories and movies that influence his work!Ever since he was a child, Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding creator Hideo Kojima was a voracious consumer of movies, music, and books. They ignited his passion for stories and storytelling, and the results can be seen in his groundbreaking, iconic video games. Now the head of independent studio Kojima Productions, Kojima’s enthusiasm for entertainment media has never waned. This collection of essays explores some of the inspirations behind one of the titans of the video game industry, and offers an exclusive insight into one of the brightest minds in pop culture.Ever since he was a child, Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding creator Hideo Kojima was a voracious consumer of movies, music, and books. They ignited his passion for stories and storytelling, and the results can be seen in his groundbreaking, iconic video games. Now the head of independent studio Kojima Productions, Kojima’s enthusiasm for entertainment media has never waned. This collection of essays explores some of the inspirations behind one of the titans of the video game industry, and offers an exclusive insight into one of the brightest minds in pop culture.

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Book SynopsisMichael Calvey's story starts with a dawn raid on his Moscow apartment by armed FSB agents, following accusations of embezzlement relating to a commercial deal turned sour. In truth, no crime of any kind had been committed, but his opponents, disgruntled local business rivals, had friends in powerful places. An arrest of a prominent Western business figure like Calvey can only be sanctioned at the very highest levels of government.He finds himself trapped in a Kafka-esque system, prevented from accessing the evidence to prove his innocence. For two months, he is locked inside Matrosskaya Tishina prison infamous for holding Soviet-era coup-plotters and, later, oligarchs who dared to cross the Kremlin. His incarceration, reported widely in the international media, sends shockwaves through Russia and the international community. Presidents Trump and Biden both appealed directly to Putin for his release, but Putin characteristically stonewalled in response.Calvey's imprisonment leaves him with plenty of time to retrace the long path that led him to this place, from his arrival as the USSR collapsed in the early 1990s. A Cold War-kid and Wall Street hot-shot from the American mid-West, he spent almost thirty years living in Moscow, teaching himself the language and forging unmatched business contacts.Bleak as his prison experience is, he nonetheless finds himself on a path of spiritual enrichment when he is locked in a tiny cell with seven cellmates. This band of hardened individuals, some of them victims of the regime like him, against the odds become his friends. Their collective story straddles sadness, courage, anger, hope, camaraderie and the uniquely Russian sense of humour.Convicted in 2021, he is given a suspended sentence a de facto recognition by the State that he has done nothing wrong, without the Kremlin having to make such an embarrassing admission. His detainment and trial becomes a case study in the frequently unfair, arbitrary and absurd Russian criminal justice system.Now back in the UK, Calvey has drawn on all these experiences to tell his story and share his personal experience of the best and worst of Russia, and to put his experiences into the wider context of its post-Communist history. Odyssey Moscow is not merely the story of one man, but of an era of hope and aspirations that tragically ended with Russia's catastrophic invasion of Ukraine.

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Book SynopsisThe history of Japan's unprecedented takeover of the global imaginary, as told through the eight packaged fantasies that charmed and changed the world most thoroughly from Hello Kitty and the Karaoke machine to the novels of Haruki Murakami.Trade ReviewA nerd- and generalist-friendly look at how Japan shaped the post-World War II world, from toys to Trump . . . A non-native's savvy study of Japan's wide influence in ways both subtle and profound * Kirkus *Amazingly well researched, fabulously informative and an awful lot of fun. If you love Japanese culture or are just curious to know more I can't recommend this book highly enough * Jonathan Ross *A work of startling originality . . . This is a wonderful book, exuberant and joyful, full of love for Japan but a deep appreciation of the sorts of links that get left out of popular accounts - political economies, human-interest stories and technological determinism -- Jonathan Clements * All the Anime blog *A classic in the making * Post magazine *

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Book SynopsisIn 2017, Arif Naqvi and The Abraaj Group were on the brink of changing the world of private equity. Abraaj was a pioneer of a new model of impact investing built on the idea that making money and doing good are not mutually exclusive. It had helped transform communities and companies across the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Latin America by investing in healthcare, education and clean energy, and in 2017 it was on the threshold of closing a new fund that would provide $6 billion worth of investment to these emerging markets. But then it all came crashing down. On 10 April 2019, after landing at London Heathrow, Naqvi was arrested on fraud charges. He is facing extradition to the United States and a potential prison sentence of up to 291 years if he is found guilty. The dominant media narrative has painted Naqvi as a thief and fraudster, the so-called key man in an organised criminal conspiracy. But in this explosive new book, which is based on extensive research and interviews with key players, Brian Brivati discovers that things are not quite what they seem and finds that in this case of alleged fraud there is actually no money missing. Icarus explores how Abraaj found itself caught in the middle of a geopolitical war between the United States and China and when it would not bow to the whims of these global behemoths, economic hitmen tried to wipe it out.Trade Review"If Abraaj had been allowed to sell its shares in K-Electric to Shanghai Electric, Arif Naqvi would be a free man today. There is more here than meets the eye. How and why was this deal blocked? This book sets out to answer those questions." - Shahid Abbasi, former Prime Minister of Pakistan "Doing good and making money should not be incompatible. Arif Naqvi was the leading advocate of how to use private equity to make a difference and his life and achievements deserve a scholarly and balanced assessment to counter the tabloid headlines. Icarus, based on an astonishing depth of research, provides just that." - David Charters, former diplomat turned investment banker and businessman and co-founder of the Beacon Prize for Philanthropy “Brian Brivati is one of the country’s most interesting thinkers on international affairs. He is always challenging and his conclusions never predictable.” Martin Bright, formerly political editor of the New Statesman and the Jewish Chronicle, his 2003 scoop formed the basis for the film Official Secrets

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Book SynopsisTrade Review'Bingham and Hames’s accessible, edge-of-the-seat account of how British innovators vaccinated the UK and much of the rest of the world is also a quiet, compelling, non-partisan argument for dialogue between business and politics.' -- Telegraph'Fast-paced and very compelling… The Vaccine Taskforce will always be remembered as British science at its very best.' -- Sir Jonathan Symonds, Chairman of GlaxoSmithKline'The Long Shot is a book about procurement — not normally a subject for a gripping tale. Yet in this case we are dealing with the most successful procurement exercise of our times. And luckily, Bingham delivers on her punchy promise in the prologue to "tell it like it is". As an outsider rooted in business, she offers strong and specific recommendations for transforming government. Most deliciously, she names names.' -- Financial Times'Written with compelling verve and complete authority, this book describes how Kate Bingham ensured that Covid-19 vaccines would be made available to the UK. But the book does more than that. It also demonstrates how science and the effective application of science are critical to solving the world’s problems, and that these solutions will only be delivered with a razor-sharp focus on outcomes rather than on following procedures.' -- Sir Paul Nurse, Nobel Prize laureate'Frank and fascinating.' -- Nature'Kate Bingham’s new book, The Long Shot, is a gripping account of the UK Government Vaccine Task Force’s response to the pandemic by a remarkable, determined, thoughtful, and practical individual who was at the heart of the critical decisions that had to be made. I spoke with her frequently through 2020 as we battled logistical headwinds and the media storms in development of the Oxford vaccine and was always better for our chats, absorbing the positive energy that she emanates and benefiting from her wisdom. Her clarity of thought and action in a such a dark and turbulent time is a seam running through the book, and I know for certain that her efforts saved many lives. But I have to disagree with the title, because the book shows that it really wasn’t such a "long shot" with Kate at the helm.' -- Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, Director of the Oxford Vaccine Group at the University of Oxford‘A blueprint of how industry, academia and government can work together to address a question of global importance, with lessons for other future crises.’ -- John Tregoning, author of Infectious'An excellent read… Capturing the exceptional pace and energy of everyone involved in discovering and producing effective therapies against Covid-19. All in all, this is a book I will treasure.' -- Sir Mene Pangalos, Executive Vice President of AstraZeneca'Essential reading for anyone seeking to learn the lessons of the Covid-19 pandemic.’ -- Matthew Partridge, Money Week‘An incisive behind-the-scenes look at the challenges Bingham faced in her role… The authors combine a lucid explanation of the scientific breakthroughs needed to create the first Covid vaccine with an insider look at the politics that hampered the taskforce’s efforts. The result is a valuable addition to the literature documenting the crisis.’ -- Publishers Weekly

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Book SynopsisThe story of Penguin Books, Allen Lane and how they changed the world, to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Penguin'An invaluable and fascinating account' NICK HORNBY'Outstanding' LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS'A triumph . . . rich and humorous' ROGER LEWISBy founding Penguin Books in 1935 and popularizing the paperback, Allen Lane not only changed publishing in Britain he was also at the forefront of a social and cultural revolution. In The Man Who Changed the Way We Read, Jeremy Lewis brings this extraordinary era brilliantly to life. Lane's books gave millions of people access to what had previously been the preserve of a wealthy few; they alerted the public to the threat of Nazi Germany; and Penguin itself became a cherished national institution, much like the BBC and the NHS, whilst at the same time challenging the status quo through the famous Lady Chatterley case. This is the spellbinding story of how a complex, highly fallible man used his vision to change the world. 'Rakish and racy . . . tells the story not just of a man, or even a firm, but of a cultural makeover that shaped the world as we know it' DAILY TELEGRAPH

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Book SynopsisIn his rich and nuanced portrait of the remarkable, elusive Rothschild family, Oxford scholar and bestselling author Niall Ferguson uncovers the secrets behind the family''s phenomenal economic success. He reveals for the first time the details of the family''s vast political network, which gave it access to and influence over many of the greatest statesmen of the age. And he tells a family saga, tracing the importance of unity and the profound role of Judaism in the lives of a dynasty that rose from the confines of the Frankfurt ghetto and later used its influence to assist oppressed Jews throughout Europe. A definitive work of impeccable scholarship with a thoroughly engaging narrative, ''The House of Rothschild'' is a biography of the rarest kind, in which mysterious and fascinating historical figures finally spring to life.Trade Review"A stupendous achievement, a triumph of historical research and imagination."—Robert Skidelsky, The New York Review of Books"Niall Ferguson's brilliant and altogether enthralling two-volume family saga proves that academic historians can still tell great stories that the rest of us want to read."—The New York Times Book Review"Superb ... An impressive ... account of the Rothschilds and their role in history."—Boston Globe

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Book SynopsisFrom the very first mouthful, ''Lunch with the FT'' was destined to become a permanent fixture in the Financial Times.One thousand lunches later, the FT''s weekly interview has become an institution. From film stars to politicians, tycoons to writers, dissidents to lifestyle gurus, the list reads like an international Who''s Who of our times. Lunch with the FT is a selection of the best: 52 classic interviews conducted in the unforgiving proximity of a restaurant table. From Angela Merkel to Sean ''P. Diddy'' Combs, Martin Amis to one of the Arab world''s most notorious sons, this book brings you right to the table to decide what you think of or world''s most powerful players.

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Book SynopsisNobody who comes away from reading The Bill Gates Problem will look at him in the same way' - The TimesYou know him as the founder of Microsoft; the philanthropic, kind-hearted billionaire who has donated endless funds to good causes around the world. But there''s another side to Bill Gates.We might like to think of the Gates Foundation as an innocent charity giving away money, collaborating with stakeholders, and listening to the desires of the populations it hopes to help, but is that how it works in practice?Combining rich storytelling and ground-breaking reporting, The Bill Gates Problem offers readers a provocative and timely counter-narrative about one of the world''s most widely recognized individuals - a true global celebrity with international reach. But more than that, this book speaks to a vital political question around economic inequality and the erosion of democratic institutions - why should the super-rich be ableTrade ReviewInvestigative journalism with a fierce polemical edge … Nobody who comes away from reading The Bill Gates Problem will look at him in the same way. * The Times *A tale of frustration and even rage at the culture of secrecy and often incompetence inside Gates’s philanthropic world, it is also strangely heartening. * New Statesman *Tim Schwab has written the definitive critique of Bill Gates as bully-philanthropist. Schwab uses the case of Gates to tell a compelling and carefully researched story that raises disturbing questions about the lack of accountability of power-philanthropy. * Robert Kuttner, co-founder and co-editor, The American Prospect *This is not the story of one bad man, so much as a demonstration of the inability for anyone-no matter how smart or rich-to solve the world's problems from the top down with money and technology. * Douglas Rushkoff, author of Survival of the Richest *In this incisive and penetrating book, Schwab dares to confront a question society has long ignored: should a secretive, unaccountable billionaire dictate policy in public health, education, and science? Fearlessly rendered and much-needed. * Sonia Shah, author of The Next Great Migration *Tim Schwab follows the money to expose what happens when one man-however intelligent or well-intentioned-amasses so much wealth and so much power, he can literally dictate to governments around the world. With great skill-and given the range of Bill Gates's influence, considerable courage-Schwab pulls back the curtain to deliver a classic of muckraking journalism. * D. D. Guttenplan, editor, The Nation *An extraordinary and detailed work of investigative journalism into an underexplored nexus of influence in global affairs. * The Telegraph *[An] excellent exposé of hyper-billionaire ‘myths’ * Nature *

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Book SynopsisAn insight into the man at the heart of the world’s most infamous maritime disasterTrade ReviewCliff Ismay has done a terrific job of telling Joseph Bruce Ismay's life story, and has thoroughly outlined the chairman's relationship with the White Star Line as well as his controversial survival of the Titanic disaster. In short, this is the Ismay biography we've all been waiting for. -- George BeheBeing the Great Granddaughter of Margaret (The Unsinkable Molly) Brown, I am no stranger to the many misconceptions that have been circulated about my ancestor. Cliff Ismay is also familiar with this regarding his famous ancestor, J. Bruce Ismay.This book is sure to educate and surprise you. Cliff will show you the Bruce Ismay to whom you have never been introduced. So, I encourage you to enjoy this very insightful look into the life of a man you only thought you knew. -- Helen BenzigerThe name J. Bruce Ismay summons strong feelings from many who have studied the Titanic story. Many see him as a villain while others see his efforts loading the lifeboats as a reason to view him differently. In Understanding J. Bruce Ismay, we are taken on a journey into Ismay’s life, giving insight to the man who became infamous during the early morning of April 15, 1912. Enjoy this different perspective of J. Bruce Ismay’s life. -- Bill Willard

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