Memoirs Books

Book SynopsisThe most “profound” (Booklist, starred review) memoir you will ever read about the power of love.Did I Ever Tell You? reads like a novel but is an unforgettable true story. Genevieve (Gwen) Kingston was just eleven years old when her mother passed away, leaving behind a chest filled with gifts and letters to celebrate the milestones of Gwen’s life and each of her birthdays until age thirty. When Did I Ever Tell You? opens, just three packages remain: engagement, marriage, and first baby. Tracing Gwen’s coming-of-age, the book reveals a treasure hunt, with each gift and letter unveiling more about her mother, her family, and—ultimately—herself. This transformative memoir is a moving coming-of age story and an “extraordinary testament to the power of love over death” (Sarah Ruhl, Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of Smile). Like Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner an

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Book Synopsis'An epic of noble proportions' Spectator A thrilling journey in search of the legendary malambo dance of Argentina, and one Gaucho who faces the biggest contest of his life Every year, at the height of summer, the remote Argentinian village of Laborde holds the prestigious national malambo contest. Little known outside the Argentinian pampas, the malambo is a centuries-old gaucho dance, governed by the most rigid rules and shatteringly physically demanding. It is the object of obsession for thousands of young working-class men, who sacrifice their spare time, their bodies and what little money they have to try to win the title of Malambo Champion. The twist is that a Malambo Champion may never compete again. In 2011, Leila Guerriero travelled to Laborde for what was supposed to be a brief investigation into this intriguing contest. But on the second night, one dancer's towering performance takes her breath away - he doesn't win, but Guerriero, irresistibly drawn, spends the next year following him in his preparations for the 2012 festival. In this remarkable work of reportage Guerriero proves herself to be as sharp-eyed as Gay Talese, as lyrical as Norman Mailer.Trade ReviewAn epic of noble proportions... [Guerriero] is a mistress of the telling phrase or the revealing detail' Spectator [Guerriero] irrefutably proves that journalism can be one of the beaux arts -- Mario Vargas Llosa A brilliantly observed chronicle Lady Startling bit of journalism... a rich portrait into a little seen part of Argentina Wanderlust Moving Economist A formidable writer who does not need to resort to fiction to tell real stories that seem too fantastic to be true... her writing manages to express so much with so little El Periodico - Dominical Transcends parochialism to explore that common ground that has become the place of the human condition... Leila Guerriero is a maestro Canarias 7 Fascinating El Mercurio, Chile Captures your interest from the first page... An exciting work that mixes reportage and fiction; a book that is both moving and strangely familiar Blog Tiempo de Silencio en Antena3.com

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Book Synopsis**Longlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize 2024**A gripping account of survival and recovery from internationally renowned writer and Booker Prize-winner Salman RushdieOn the morning of 12 August 2022, Salman Rushdie was standing onstage at the Chautauqua Institution in upstate New York, preparing to give a lecture on the importance of keeping writers safe from harm, when a man in black black clothes, black mask rushed down the aisle towards him, wielding a knife. His first thought: So it's you. Here you are.What followed was a horrific act of violence that shook the literary world and beyond. Now, for the first time, Rushdie relives the traumatic events of that day and its aftermath, as well as his journey towards physical recovery and the healing that was made possible by the love and support of his wife, Eliza, his family, his army of doctors and physical therapists, and his community of readers worldwide.Knife is Rushdie writing with urgency, gravity, and unflinching honesty. It is also a deeply moving reminder of literature's capacity to make sense of the unthinkable. This an intimate and life-affirming meditation on life, loss, love, art and finding the strength to stand up again**A SPECTATOR, DAILY TELEGRAPH, INDEPENDENT, THE TIMES, EVENING STANDARD, PROSPECT, OBSERVER AND GUARDIAN BOOK OF THE YEAR **

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Book SynopsisThis humorous, heartwarming memoir follows a wife and mother's journey of self-discovery and acceptance as she comes out as a lesbian in her late 30s.Jill had a happy, healthy 20-year relationship with her college sweetheart, two wonderful kids, and rescue cat from the Humane Society. They lived in a nice suburban home with a white picket fence and owned a small bar that was rated one of the “Best Mom & Pop” businesses in Tampa Bay. From the outside, everything looked perfect.Perfectly Queer takes the reader on Jillian Abby's poignant and painfully funny rollercoaster of self-discovery as she identifies and eventually accepts herself as a lesbian just before her 40th birthday. Living her new truth means leaving behind a life that, by societal standards, is nearly perfect.This is a story for anyone who is hiding a piece of themselves and wants to know if it’s safe to be revealed. It’s for the parent who must choose between their own happiness and the stability of their family, wondering if prioritizing themselves is selfish. It’s for the person potentially facing a major life upheaval filled with unknowns in the future who is seeking reassurance that everything will work out just fine. It’s a story of hope and inspiration to those who are starting or are in the middle of their journey, and an affirmation to those who have been through it to stand proudly on the other side.

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Book SynopsisThe story of Coco Chanel in her own words, as told by her to Paul Morand - in a Deluxe special edition, illustrated by Karl Lagerfeld and authorised by Chanel Told in her own words, Coco Chanel's memories offer a rare glimpse into the mind of one of the most influential women in fashion history. During a visit to St. Moritz at the end of World War II, Chanel shared intimate details of her life, loves and fashion philosophy with her life-long friend, Paul Morand. Only coming to light after Chanel's death, her intimate recollections reveal the secrets behind her success and the captivating charm that made her a true icon The Allure of Chanel attracted the attention of Karl Lagerfeld, who embellished it with seventy-three drawings, sketched for this special illustrated edition.Trade Review'This enchanting, tiny book is the closest anyone can get to a face-to-face with Coco. It's written in her voice and in her words, and though it's full of lies, omissions and contradictions, there's enough raw truth in it to reflect the extraordinary woman who was Chanel, even though glimpsed shard by shard in a broken mirror' - Spectator'Morand was the all-round aesthete' - Nicholas Lezard'Morand was a citizen of the world, with a sharp eye and a neat turn of phrase' - The Tablet

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Book SynopsisKevin Maxwell was a dream candidate for the police force - passionate, hard-working and keen to serve his community. And, as a gay black man from a working-class family, he could easily have been a poster boy for the Force's stated commitment to equal opportunities. Instead he came up against entrenched prejudice, open racism and homophobia. For more than ten years, Kevin strove against the odds, until he took the Force to an employment tribunal, with devastating results. Forced Out combines deeply affecting memoir with sharp analysis and a fascinating insider perspective on life in the force. It asks the important question: what needs to change?

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Book SynopsisMaria Venegas had been estranged from her father for fourteen years when she finally made the journey back from the US to Mexico to visit him in the old hacienda where both he and she were born. As they begin spending summers and holidays together, herding cattle and fixing barbed-wire fence posts, he starts to share stories with her, tales of a dramatic life filled with both intense love and brutal violence - from the final conversations he had with his own father and his extradition from the US for murder, to his mother's pride after he shot a man for the first time at age twelve. In spare, gripping prose, Venegas traces her own life and her father's through the stories she inherited from him and gradually comes to understand the violent undercurrent that has shaped them both.

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Book SynopsisAn unputdownable tale of one man’s quest to recover his family’s property, plundered by the Nazis. Menachem Kaiser’s brilliantly told story is set in motion when the author takes up his Holocaust-survivor grandfather’s former battle to reclaim the family’s property in Sosnowiec, Poland. Here, he meets a Polish lawyer known as ‘The Killer’ who agrees to take his case and becomes involved with a band of Silesian treasure-seekers, all the while piecing together his family’s complex history. Propelled by rich, original research, Kaiser immerses readers in profound questions that reach far beyond his personal quest. What does it mean to seize your own legacy? Can reclaimed property repair rifts among the living? Plunder is both a deeply immersive adventure story and an irreverent, daring interrogation of inheritance — material, spiritual, familial, and emotional.Trade Review‘Menachem Kaiser is a young writer and storyteller of stunning talent, originality, and wisdom, and his debut book is gloriously impossible to categorise — by turns hilarious and profound, digressive and suspenseful, intimate and sweeping, it stands as an enviable accomplishment.’ -- Gideon Lewis-Kraus, author of A Sense of Direction: pilgrimage for the restless and hopeful‘Reparations and treasure hunting: I can’t think of two better metaphors for memoir writing, and I can’t think of a better recent memoir than Menachem Kaiser’s Plunder, which has heart, humour, and intelligence to spare.’ -- Joshua Cohen, author of Attention: dispatches from a land of distraction‘A saga of family history and inheritance that reads like a murder mystery, Plunder begins with Menachem Kaiser’s journey to reclaim a Polish apartment building but immediately becomes something far richer and stranger. Probing with unusual insight and humour into questions of memory, loss, and what we owe to the past, this impossible-to-put-down book — part travelogue, part memoir, part meditation on all that history hides from us — marks the debut of a major writer.’ -- Ruth Franklin, author of NBCC Award-winning Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life‘Exceptionally well written, this candid and suspenseful work recasts the injunction that one generation of survivors demands of all descendants, never to forget. Plunder is a magnificent and stunning literary debut.’ -- André Aciman, author of Find Me and Call Me by Your Name‘What distinguishes Plunder from other similar accounts is its questioning, satirical tone, which destabilises some of the moral certainties of the genre and sends up its clichés.’ -- Daniel Trilling * London Review of Books *‘A twisting and reverberant and consistently enthralling story. It’s a weird story that gets weirder … Kaiser is a reflective man on the page, with a lively mind. He dwells on the moral seesaw he finds himself on … Kaiser considers the nature of conspiracy theories, in a way that’s highly relevant to our era. (His thinking about reparations of various kinds is as complex and timely.) … Plunder has many stories to tell … many moods and registers. It acquires moral gravity. It pays tender and respectful attention to forgotten lives. It is also alert to melancholic forms of comedy. Tonally I was reminded at times of Jonathan Safran Foer’s excellent first novel, Everything Is Illuminated … Traveling on a private road, closer to the ground, and at a slower pace, [Kaiser’s] walk turns up details that are fresh, unexpected and significant. His perceptions are sharp. We partake of his curiosity.’ -- Dwight Garner * The New York Times *‘In a literate, constantly surprising quest, the grandson of a Holocaust survivor returns to Poland to lay claim to the things of the past … Kaiser’s parallel quest then took him into the concentration camps, sometimes accompanied by treasure hunters who used his relative’s memoir as a guidebook to hidden Nazi loot. Of a piece with Anne-Marie O’Connor’s The Lady in Gold (2012), Kaiser’s story approaches the conclusion on an unsettled note that, he laments, would be simpler to resolve if he were writing a novel and not nonfiction — though it does end on a cliffhanger worthy of a thriller.’ * Kirkus Reviews, starred review *‘This is weird, complicated territory — by which I mean it’s fantastic … Plunder thrives as a morally complicated travelogue … it is original, and it finishes strong. Kaiser chases down the facts (fingers-crossed) of Abraham Kajzer’s story, and they devastated me. It’s not spoiling things to say that Kajzer survived the absolute worst humanity had to offer only to abandon life’s greatest reward. From the distance of all these years his choice is incomprehensible. It’s our duty to try to understand anyway.’ * The New York Times Book Review *‘A master storyteller embarks on a journey to learn about his grandfather and to reclaim an apartment building that was stolen during the Holocaust. The odyssey is fascinating and thought-provoking.’ * Christian Science Monitor, ‘The 10 Best Books of March’ *‘With smart, elegant prose, [Kaiser] manages to construct an engrossing chronicle of his foray into an elusive past. His narrative is wonderfully digressive, laced with coincidences and ambiguities, and filled with just enough revelations to keep readers contentedly turning pages.’ * The Forward *‘Spellbinding … Superbly written, this page-turner reads like a gripping adventure novel.’ * Publishers Weekly, starred review *‘This thoughtful and thought-provoking memoir of family secrets and family lore, like Daniel Mendelsohn’s The Lost, will appeal to readers of family histories.’ -- Laurie Unger Skinner * Library Journal *‘Kaiser teases out a fascinating tale in simple, effective writing.’ -- Steven Carrol * SHM *‘Plunder is both a thriller — lots of shady characters — and a highly readable excursion through the tangled web of history and contemporary politics. Kaiser takes you along on his journey of trying retrieving family possessions. He writes with sparkle, wit, and sensitivity. A great read.’ -- Deborah Levy, author of The Cost of Living‘Stranger than fiction … a rollercoaster journey.’ -- Jennifer Lipman * Jewish Chronicle *‘Plunder is considerably more than a thriller and intentionally raises more questions than answers … There is still space for one more book in the Holocaust quest library. Preferably by Kaiser.’ -- Amanda Hopinkson * Jewish Chronicle *

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Book SynopsisDeath. Sex. Money. Tricky subjects we’re taught to avoid in polite conversation. Here, the host of a hit podcast reveals how to talk about difficult things, and why it might be the most important thing we do. In Let’s Talk About Hard Things, Sale takes her quest for more honest communication into her own life. She considers her history of facing (and sometimes avoiding) difficult subjects; she reflects on race, wealth, inequality, love, grief, death, power — all the things that shape our daily lives, the things we should be talking about, but often struggle to. Through the personal stories of people whose lives have been transformed by tough conversations, we discover new ways of approaching these tricky topics with family, friends, loved ones, and strangers. Let’s Talk About Hard Things is candid, unflinching, and entertaining in its quest to make everyone more comfortable with the uncomfortable realities of life.Trade Review‘The number one driver of human happiness, across time and culture, is meaningful connection to others. The road to connection is conversations. Anna Sale is giving us the encouragement, the example, and the tools to do the one thing that can bring us closer: talk about hard things.’ -- Kelly Corrigan, host of Kelly Corrigan Wonders and bestselling author of Tell Me More‘In Let’s Talk About Hard Things, Anna Sale brings us fascinating conversations that feel both intensely personal and widely universal, then shows us how to start having them in our own lives. You will laugh, cry, nod in recognition, and by the end, feel like no topic is off limits when it comes to creating meaningful connection. I want to give a copy of this book to every family member, friend, and therapy patient I see.’ -- Lori Gottlieb, host of Dear Therapists podcast and New York Times bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk To Someone‘With tremendous empathy and thoughtfulness, Anna Sale models how to have the hard conversations — about love and grief and fear and so much else. Sale is a wise guide through the most difficult human terrain, and with her help, I'm now having conversations that before this book felt impossible.’ -- John Green, New York Times bestselling author of Turtles All the Way Down and The Fault in Our Stars‘Anna Sale has a real gift for cutting through the white noise that so often overwhelms our most urgent, high-stakes conversations. She's teaching us how to listen to one another again. No one can save us from life's plot twists — and no one should — but page by page, sentence by sentence, Sale is committed to seeing us through.’ -- Saeed Jones, author of How We Fight For Our Lives‘Let’s Talk About Hard Things is a gift. Filled with personal stories, complex emotions, and insight into the thorniest of interpersonal relationships, it is a balm, a challenge, and a celebration of our desire to be known in this world.’ -- Katie Couric‘It’s not surprising to learn that Anna Sale applies the same compassion and thoughtfulness she displays as host to her writing, but it is thrilling all the same to quickly find Let’s Talk About Hard Things as inviting and comforting as any episode of Death, Sex, & Money. It’s not easy to open up about what makes us most uncomfortable, but the stories shared throughout the book and Sale’s excellent writing around them shows how vital it is that we make the effort. And while I still occasionally squirm over the reality that there is only so much that I can control in life, I am grateful for the tools Let’s Talk About Hard Things provides in helping me deal with such an unfortunate circumstance. I was already a fan of Sale's as a podcaster and person, but happy to now be a fanboy of Anna Sale the writer, too.’ -- Michael Arceneaux, New York Times bestselling author of I Can’t Date Jesus and I Don’t Want To Die Poor‘An empathetic debut … In addition to her own experiences, Sale offers no shortage of outside perspectives through interviews with former podcast guests, friends, and psychologists … Fans of Sale’s podcast will find a familiar guide in her reflective and introspective voice, and those encountering her for the first time will find this a comfort in hard times.’ * Publishers Weekly *‘[E]xplores how we can talk about difficult situations in order to better connect with family, friends, and coworkers. This debut covers five topics — death, sex, money, family, and identity — which Sale explores via stories from her own life and by interviewing a racially and economically diverse group of people. Not to be mistaken for a self-help guide, Sale’s book also analyses the structural and cultural dynamics that impede meaningful conversations. Besides listeners of her podcast, this will appeal to any adult struggling to broach these topics.’ -- Chris Wilkes * Library Journal *‘Expanding on her hit WNYC podcast, Death, Sex, & Money, journalist Sale urges readers to have difficult conversations about their lives … There are stories of divorce, the sudden loss of a young partner, alienation from one's immediate family, secret investments gone wrong, and the pain of systemic racism. The book elaborates on content that aired previously on her show and includes new interviews with friends and celebrities. Infusing it all with memoir, Sale is generous when divulging her tricky chats of yore, and always quick to acknowledge the privilege that has allowed her — a cis, heterosexual, married, white parent — to have some difficult conversations but not others. This book is a road map to navigating these sorts of conversations with friends and family, and even includes specific phrasing to try; it also offers a sense of solidarity. Simply bearing witness to the struggles of strangers is sure to leave readers feeling less alone.’ * Booklist *‘Absolutely brilliant … it’s amazing.’ -- Rebecca Seal * The Solo Collective *‘It’s not a how-to, but it’s instructive — and timely … many of us are realising that we’ve forgotten how to talk about the easy things, let alone the hard ones … As Sale shows us how supportive listening happens, and doesn’t scold anyone for not doing it better, we deepen our trust for her as a narrator: she’s dispensing not 'tough love' to the reader but empathy. By the end, we feel clearer, more known, and ready to proceed. In that way, her book is not unlike a good conversation with a friend.’ * The New Yorker *‘There’s value in tackling the tough stuff we tend to shy away from, such as mortality, intimacy and finances … The text is a compelling exhortation to have difficult discussions … The book also smartly considers not just when to talk but when to listen and when to quit entirely. Sale resists simple answers and asserts that challenging conversations are not cure-alls, even with the best of intentions and tactics. It’s a well-worn message, but one that bears repeating.’ -- Nneka McGuire * The Washington Post *

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Book Synopsis‘The cold reality of my gender was dawning on me. It was motherhood that forced me to understand the timeless horror of our position. The reason women had not written novels or commanded armies or banked or doctored or explored or painted at the same rate as men. The cause was not, as I had been led to believe, that women had been prevented from working. Quite the opposite: We had been doing all of the work, around the clock, for centuries.’ After her first book was published to acclaim, journalist Megan K. Stack got pregnant and quit her job to write. She pictured herself pen in hand while the baby napped, but instead found herself traumatised by a difficult birth and shell-shocked by the start of motherhood. Living abroad provided her with access to affordable domestic labour, and, sure enough, hiring a nanny gave her back the ability to work. At first, Megan thought she had little in common with the women she hired. They were important to her because they made her free. She wanted them to be happy, but she didn’t want to know the details of their lives. That didn’t work for long. When Pooja, an Indian nanny who had been absorbed into the family, disappeared one night with no explanation, Megan was forced to confront the truth: these women were not replaceable, and her life had become inextricably intertwined with theirs. She set off on a journey to find out where they really came from and to understand the global and personal implications of wages paid, services received, and emotional boundaries drawn in the home. As she writes herself: ‘Somebody should investigate. Somebody should write about all of this. But this is my life. If I investigate, I must stand for examination. If I interrogate, I’ll be the one who has to answer.’Trade Review‘Every woman who has experienced the conflicts of motherhood, or is contemplating them, should be grateful for her unflinching addition to the contemporary literature on the subject.’ -- Stephanie Merritt * The Observer *‘Megan Stack is willing to confront hard questions that so many of us flinch from: the relationships between women and the women we hire to take care of our houses and our children, to do the traditional women's work that gives “liberated women” the time to do traditional men's work. Women’s Work is a book of vivid characters, engrossing stories, shrewd insights, and uncomfortable reflections.’ -- Anne-Marie Slaughter, President & CEO of New America, and author of Unfinished Business‘Women’s Work is an incredible follow-up to Megan Stack’s celebrated book of war reportage, Every Man in This Village Is a Liar. It is a fierce and furious and darkly funny book about the costs of motherhood: the psychological costs, the costs in time and energy and spirit, and finally the costs imposed on other women, most of them also mothers, who leave their own children so they can take care of ours. I can’t think of a work that speaks more directly to our age of increasing inequality, starting with housework and child care, the oldest inequalities of all.’ -- Keith Gessen, author of A Terrible Country‘It’s gripping … admirably honest … a clear-eyed microcosm.’ -- Ysenda Maxtone Graham * The Oldie *‘Women’s Work hit me where I live, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. The discomforting truths Stack reveals about caretaking and labor transcend cultural and national boundaries; this book is relevant to everyone, no matter how or where they live. Stack uses her reporting acumen to illuminate domestic workers' struggles, but also fearlessly reveals the most vulnerable details of her own life in order to make her point. The masterfulness with which she tells these intertwined stories makes this book not just a work of brilliant journalism but a work of art.’ -- Emily Gould, author of Friendship: A Novel and And the Heart Says Whatever.‘A self-critical and heartfelt narrative ... beautifully written, informative, and sometimes harrowing as she recounts the joy, fear, and exhaustion of becoming a mother. What women — and men — can learn from Stack's story is that “women's work”, in all of its complexity and construction, should not be only for women.’ STARRED REVIEW * Kirkus *‘If Karl Ove Knausgaard himself were a woman and had given birth, he might have written a book a little like Women’s Work. Megan Stack’s mastery of language and attention to detail make magic of the most quotidian aspects of life. But the subject matter here is hardly banal. Stack goes beyond her own experience of motherhood to focus on the Chinese and Indian nannies who helped her raise her children at the expense of their own. She brilliantly dissects the contradictions of motherhood by analyzing how motherly love becomes a commodity in this modern, globalized word.’ -- Barbara Demick, author of Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea‘Megan Stack obliterates the silence that upholds one of our greatest taboos: our universal reliance on domestic labor that women — women of colour especially — are expected to supply freely or cheaply. With journalistic rigor, Stack centres the complicated lives of women who clean our homes and care for our children, but it’s her willingness to shine a light into the dark, typically untouched corners of her own family, privilege, and ambition that makes this book soar.’ -- Angela Garbes, author of Like a Mother‘Memoirs about motherhood are exceedingly common, but Women’s Work dares to explore the labor arrangements that often make such books possible ... Stack writes sharp, pointed sentences that flash with dark insight ... ruthlessly self-aware [and] fearless.’ -- Jennifer Szalai * New York Times *‘Stack writes, unflinchingly, about what it was like for her world to shrink and her life to entwine with the lives of her hired help — who left their own kids behind in order to work in her home ... Stack’s writing is sharp and lovely, especially in the first section of the book as she deftly describes her plunge into new motherhood and year-long journey to find herself again.’ -- Erica Pearson * Minneapolis Star Tribune *‘Stack truly becomes aware of the hardships facing the women she employs: alcoholism, domestic violence, poverty. She delves into their stories with searing honesty and self-reflection … Women’s Work is a brave book, an unflinching examination of privilege and the tradeoffs all women make in the name of family.’ -- Amy Scribner * BookPage *‘Stack’s engaging style will have women everywhere nodding in recognition.’ FIVE STARS -- Robyn Douglas * Adelaide Advertiser *‘Stack, who had stints in Jerusalem, Cairo, Moscow and Beijing for the Los Angeles Times, is a natural storyteller with an eye for detail ... This is a painfully honest investigation of what kind of compromises women make by hiring other women to do the grunt work ... Stack confronts a reality that many try not to think about: Who are the women who care for my children and clean my house? ... a double-edged indictment: of those, including Stack, who exploit domestic helpers in their desire to remain relevant in work but also of the men who abdicate responsibility ... In an unflinching way, Stack pulls the curtain back on the truths of women’s lives, especially the domestic part: how women make it work.’ -- Debra Bruno * The Washington Post *‘Stack is admirably honest about her reactions and responses. Her prose is often a joy to read: sharp and full of insight.’ -- Henrietta McKervey * The Irish Times *Praise for Every Man in This Village is a Liar: ‘Every Man in This Village is a Liar is a courageous report from the front lines of the hostilities between the West and the Muslim world. Journalist Megan Stack sheds the customary pretenses of her profession to show us — with blistering eloquence and her own raw nerves laid bare — war’s impact on the non-combatants who bear the brunt of its horrors. You’ll be thinking about this book long after you turn the final page. I hope it finds a wide audience. My congratulations to Ms. Stack.’ * Jon Krakauer, author of Where Men Win Glory *Praise for Every Man in This Village is a Liar: ‘[Stack's] soaring imagery sears itself into the brain, in acute and accurate tales that should never be forgotten by the wider world, and yet always are … Anyone wishing to understand the Middle East need only look into the faces of war that Stack renders with exceptional humanity — the bombers as well as the bureaucrats, the rebels and the refugees, the victors and the victims.’ STARRED REVIEW * Booklist *Praise for Every Man in This Village is a Liar: ‘Every Man in this Village is a Liar is an electrifying book by an extraordinary foreign correspondent. Megan Stack has braved the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq, decoded the secrets of Israel and Egypt. She shows us what war and terror have done to humanity in the 21st century. Read it if you have the courage to care about your country, its allies and its enemies.’ * Tim Weiner, author of Legacy of Ashes *

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Book SynopsisA brilliantly evocative memoir from the golden age of newspaper publishing, from a man who helped define our modern media. Les Hinton worked with Rupert Murdoch for more than five decades, and in that time witnessed the transformation of our media landscape. From copy boy at Murdoch’s first paper to senior executive at News Corp, his stories about Clinton and Blair, Brown and Cameron, Princess Diana, Johnny Rotten, phone-hacking, and the man himself, Rupert Murdoch, are as insightful as they are revolutionary. This is one of the defining media memoirs of our age.Trade Review‘An epic story … and a penetrating insight into the mind of Murdoch.’ * Daily Mail *‘Les Hinton lifts the lid on his 52 years working with the media mogul Rupert Murdoch … This ‘untidy life in news’ yields a rich crop of anecdotes.’ * The Times *‘[A] great romp of a journalistic memoir.’ -- Stephen Robinson * The Sunday Times *‘It vividly captures the rise and fall of the press over 60 years … [no] acolyte’s paean.’ -- Ian Burrell * i *‘[Gives] an unprecedented insight into the media mogul [Murdoch’s] ways.’ * i *‘Les Hinton's story is about the glory and the tragedy of the newspaper business. He knows all the secrets of this tale and few are more clear-eyed than him when they tell it.’ -- Michael Wolff, author of Fire and Fury‘A terrific memoir by one of the all-time great newspapermen. Highly recommend if you want to know what it takes to be a journalist.’ -- Piers Morgan‘[A] must-read for anyone with even a fleeting interest in the media.’ -- Noreen Barr * Press Association *‘A rollicking good tale of his extraordinary life ... an utterly charming autobiography.’ * William Shawcross *"Does not shy away from criticism of Murdoch’s mistakes .... honest, revealing — and a beautifully written page turner.” -- William Shawcross‘Hinton is likeable and self-deprecating as he conjures up the lost worlds of boyhood and early newspaper days. A must-read for anyone with even a fleeting interest in the media.’ * Surrey Advertiser *‘A fascinating read.’ * The Sunday Post Dundee *‘Hinton evokes delicious memories of the analog age of newspapers, describing the smells and sounds of chutes, linotypes, molten lead stereo casting machines and presses roaring amid mists of paper fluff.’ * Weekend Australian *‘Brilliant ... a remarkable book.’ * Weekend Australian *‘Les Hinton’s The Bootle Boy: An Untidy Life in News, is an ode to journalism and the amazing, eyeopening, exciting and gratifying life it offers.’ * The Australian *‘Les Hinton tells the story of his remarkable life in a remarkable book.’ * Weekend Australian *‘An honest, cleanly told autobiography … The journalist within Les Hinton has observed the right professional care by setting his life in context, conveying it with an abundance of charm and refreshingly robust honesty.’ * Australian Book Review *‘An amiable autobiography ... pacey, engrossing and a lot better written than most hacks' memoirs.’ -- Michael Leapman * British Journalism Review *‘His narrative of growing up in Bootle, in Liverpool, and many other places around the world then moving into journalism is inspirational for any wanting to follow that path.’ -- Steve Howard * Manly Daily *‘The yarns are delivered with a classic journalist’s eye for the telling physical detail, an ear for the revealing quote and a knack for sequencing facts.’ -- David Cohen * Sunday Star Times *‘The stories are all told from the front row.’ -- Roy Christopher * Well-Red Bear *

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Book SynopsisA revealing memoir about living with Asperger’s syndrome that is by turns laugh-out-loud funny and achingly sad. It is only when he is diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, at the age of 55, that Tom Cutler’s life starts to make sense — his accidental rudeness, his strange obsessions (including road signs and Sherlock Holmes), his unusual way of dressing, and his trouble in company. In this moving memoir, Tom explores his eccentric behaviour from boyhood to manhood, examines the role of autism in his family, and investigates the scientific explanations for his condition. Eloquent, witty, and insightful, Keep Clear ultimately shows why the day Tom received his diagnosis turned out to be the happiest day of his life. Trade Review‘What makes this book extraordinary … is not the autism of its author but Cutler’s ability to articulate subtle shades of feeling in prose that feels both rigorously precise and uproariously funny. By its unexpectedly heart-wrenching conclusion, Keep Clear has delivered the readers into a world transformed by being glimpsed through the eyes of another – the reward of all superb writing.’ -- Steve Silberman * The Spectator *‘A British humour writer chronicles his experiences with Asperger’s syndrome, for which he didn’t receive a diagnosis until he was 55, and explores some of the science associated with the condition … [T]he meat of the book is Cutler’s detailed, highly entertaining examination of his life on the spectrum, and his unique brand of comedy is evident throughout … An intimate embrace of Asperger’s full of both melancholy and salty humour..’ * Kirkus Reviews *‘This is a delightful and intimate insight into Asperger's, it couldn't be more timely or more valuable.’ -- Nicholas Blincoe, author of Manchester Slingback‘Honest, witty and informative, this is an important and valuable book on many levels … If you have a friend or family member who is on the Autism Spectrum, this book will go a long way toward helping to understand the immense effort it requires to try to fit into a ‘neurotypical’ world.’ * The Sherlock Holmes Journal *‘Cutler’s memoir is a heartwarming account of his life through the lens of his obsessions and eccentricities.’ * Happy Mag *Praise for A Gentleman's Bedside Book: ‘The perfect stocking filler for the man who has everything.’ * The Oldie *

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Book SynopsisLouise Omer was a Pentecostal preacher and faithful wife. But when her marriage crumbled, so did her beliefs. Haunted by questions about what it means to be female in religion that worships a male God, she left behind a church and home to ask women around the world: how can we exist in a patriarchal religion? And can a woman be holy? With less than £300 in her pocket and the conviction that she was following a divine path, Louise began a pilgrimage that has taken her to Mexican basilicas, Swedish cathedrals, Bulgarian mountains, and Moroccan mosques. Holy Woman combines travel writing, feminist theology, and confessional memoir to interrogate modern religion and give a raw and personal exploration of spiritual life under patriarchy.Trade Review‘Omer leads by example, showing us how to re-imagine heroism, grace, and redemption — above all, in our own lives. A vital story, so powerfully written.’ -- Sarah Krasnostein, author of The Trauma Cleaner and The Believer‘Holy Woman is a delight. Raw, honest, and probing, at times furious, Omer’s journey toward the feminine divine is one that both entertains and inspires.’ -- Monica Dux, author of Lapsed‘Her writing is riveting and genuinely insightful … Her descriptions of herself as a teenager who fell into religion as both a way to feel normal and to feel exceptional, and, most stunningly, the intricacies of her marriage, are astoundingly good passages.’ -- Lucy Sweeney Byrne * The Irish Times *‘What could have been an Eat Pray Love–style travelogue is satisfyingly furious (and beautifully written), as Omer realises the error in her premise: monotheistic religions are inherently patriarchal and will never be feminist in practice. The interesting, intelligent women Omer meets interpret scripture to carve out spaces for themselves — but always in the face of great opposition and threat.’ * The Guardian *‘Holy Woman is an accomplished work of narrative nonfiction that does what the best memoirs should, in using personal experience and reflection as a springboard for an in-depth interrogation of society and culture. It’s an intelligent and fiercely felt piece of writing that urges readers to think deeply, and to find their own ways to be holy, whatever that might look like.’ -- Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen * The Sydney Morning Herald *‘Beautifully written, honest, and wise, Holy Woman is a search for meaning — and a very personal feminist reckoning with spirituality and self.’ -- Cheryl Akle * The Weekend Australian *‘[Holy Woman is] written with forthright intelligence and gut-wrenching honesty.’ -- Bob Moore * Good Reading Magazine *‘Holy Woman is an intriguing combination of memoir, travel writing, history, and feminist theology. An interesting and thought-provoking book.’ -- Jeff Popple * Canberra Weekly *‘An intercontinental search for the Goddess and for the roots of male-centric faith systems, as well as hard-won insights into the life Omer had previously accepted, but no longer will … Holy Woman is similar in genre to Eat Pray Love and readers of Elizabeth Gilbert will enjoy Omer’s personal story, in particular its funny personal vignettes … Holy Woman will challenge assumptions about religion and faith and the culture we accept. Perhaps for some, as it did for me, it will solidify their doubts.’ -- Rebecca Whitehead * Books+Publishing *‘[Holy Woman] cleverly weaves between past and present … Omer has some exquisite turns of phrase, and a skillful handling of syntax, both of which elevate her prose … At its heart, Omer’s memoir is a “feminist confrontation of patriarchal religion”. It is also, in part, a handbook for people who might feel dissatisfied with traditional religious structures … [but even] for readers who are not religious, Holy Woman remains a fruitful read.’ -- Ellie Fisher * ArtsHub *‘Omer is a sensitive investigator, at every turn unflinchingly honest, aware of her privilege and particular world view. Combining travel writing, biography, and cultural critique, Holy Woman is a fascinating call to arms for everyone to question the role of patriarchal religions in male supremacy.’ -- Kara Nicholson * Readings *‘Omer is a keen observer and her writing is meticulously descriptive … [where she] particularly excels is in analysing how symbols, rituals, and language are used to condition belief and fortify power structures. As she reiterates throughout the book, when the language and images used to denote divine perfection are exclusively male, men see their identities represented and affirmed in a way no one else can. Omer concludes not with a single, definitive solution, but with an invitation to reclaim rituals and rethink conventions, and above all to keep asking difficult questions.’ -- Megan Koch * InDaily *‘Few authors will strip themselves bare (literally and metaphorically) in the primal and honest way Omer does in this work. Holy Woman is an intense read, and yet one which (like Omer’s God) never asks more of the reader than she is able to handle … The humility with which Omer approaches her search never tips into either self-pity or an inverted ego-trip. And above all, Omer is simply a beautiful, beautiful, writer. She crafts sentences, paragraphs, and observations that sometimes take the breath away … This is a spiritual book which goes beyond the strictly religious to tap into an essence in all of us. It is an outstanding work of memoir, self-discovery, and feminist inquiry.’ -- Tracey Korsten * Glam Adelaide *‘Louise Omer’s Holy Woman is an earnest memoir based around informal pilgrimages to meet women faith leaders in search of a spirituality free of men’s domination … Pairing an insider’s perspective on religion with a seeker’s curiosity, Holy Woman is both a personal story and a feminist theology taster.’ * Foreword Reviews *‘Emotionally raw … [Holy Woman] is a novelistic, blow-by-blow account of peeling off the layers of self-loathing, as well as a search for a more feminine side of religion.’ -- Nick Mattiske * Insights *

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Book SynopsisDon Letts - filmmaker, musician, DJ, broadcaster, social commentator, husband and father - has always defied conformity. A British-born son of Windrush parents, he seamlessly pivoted between London's punk and reggae scenes - earning his reputation as the 'Rebel Dread'. In There and Black Again, Don Letts looks back on his exceptional life, which has seen him befriend Bob Marley after sneaking into his hotel, join The Clash's White Riot tour as manager of The Slits and become one of the UK's most highly regarded video directors just as the MTV boom hit. Told in part as scenes from a movie shot on location in London, Kingston, New York City, Los Angeles, Windhoek, Salt Lake City and Goldeneye, There and Black Again co-stars a cast of hundreds, including Joe Strummer, John Lydon, Bob Marley, Chrissie Hynde, Chris Blackwell, Paul McCartney, Nelson Mandela, Keith Richards, Patti Smith, Chuck D., Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood. With reflections on the Black Lives Matter movement and the highs and lows of personal relationships, this impactful book includes moments of civil unrest, live music, humour and political struggle. There and Black Again is the refreshing and often unexpected story of a man who has never been afraid to tread his own path.Trade Review‘The Don’s tale, upgraded, expanded, marinated in late-life wisdom… reflecting on a remarkable life, against the backdrop of covid turmoil and Black Lives Matter. Letts expands on everything… even opening up on relationship roller-coasters. The fullest picture yet of the man behind the shades’ Classic Rock ‘Like the crowning unmade episode of Steve McQueen’s Small Axe – lavished with cinematic eye for detail… a mighty colourful autobiography’ Mojo 'Magnificent piece of work' Please Kill Me

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Book SynopsisA New York Times bestselling feminist author’s sparkling memoir of gender transition (among many other things). Reasons for Transitioning: Want to impress good-looking ex; Want to upset good-looking ex; Bored of existing wardrobe, looking for excuse to buy all-new clothes that don’t fit in a new way; Younger siblings getting too much attention; Neoliberalism??; Want to sing both parts of a duet at karaoke; Something about upper-body strength; Excited to reinforce a different set of sexist stereotypes; Cheaper haircuts; Just love layering shirts ... From the beloved writer behind The Toast and Slate’s ‘Dear Prudence’ column comes a personal essay collection exploring popular culture, literature, religion, and sexuality. With wit and compassion, Daniel Mallory Ortberg revisits beloved cultural and literary figures in the light of his transition.Trade Review‘Ortberg’s playful takes on pop culture as he explores everything from House Hunters to Golden Girls to Lord Byron, Lacan, and Rilke … Ortberg’s writing is vulnerable but confident, specific but never narrow, literal and lyrical. The author is refreshingly unafraid of his own uncertainty, but he’s always definitive where it counts … You'll laugh, you'll cry, often both at once. Everyone should read this extraordinary book.’ STARRED REVIEW * Kirkus Reviews *‘At last, we have the work of transgender bathos we didn’t know we needed, but very much do … Ortberg’s narrative is anything but linear: It skips back in time to mythic Greece, traipses across the landscape of contemporary pop culture and, in one wonderfully fabulist entry that would make Carmen Maria Machado proud, slips outside of time altogether … One of our smartest, most inventive humour writers, Ortberg combines bathos and the devotional into a revelation … By broadening what transgender memoir can do, the author is in good company with Viviane Namaste, who decades ago diagnosed autobiography as ‘the only discourse in which transsexuals are permitted to speak.’ Ortberg partakes of neither the damaging trope of tragic transness nor the sentimental sanctimony that we are “permitted,” offering instead the comic and the transcendent.’ -- Jordy Rosenberg * The New York Times *‘A wonderfully weird book from one of America’s most original young humourists.’ -- Tristram Fane Saunders * The Telegraph *‘Ortberg does not simply narrate his experience of transition; he also grapples with the challenge of doing so, toggling skillfully between criticism, personal essay, and literary pastiche … Animated by Ortberg’s Christian faith and eclectic cultural enthusiasms, the book is a syllabus of sorts — a road map for navigating one remarkable writer’s mind.’ * The New Yorker *‘Deeply honest and often sidesplittingly funny.’ -- Michelle Hart * O: The Oprah Magazine *‘Daniel Mallory Ortberg’s Something That May Shock And Discredit You is three eloquent books in one: memoir, essay collection, and treasure trove of cultural analysis, all coming in under 250 pages. Ortberg is as nimble a storyteller as they come, so the shifts from painful personal revelations to pithy observations about Lord Byron turn on a dime while still mostly feeling part of the same whole … The details are all Ortberg, as is the ability to turn eschatology into something more accessible and less judgmental.’ -- Danette Chavez * The A.V Club *‘[A] memoir comprised of the humorous essays that have become his trademark … Some are essays and some are scripts or imagined conversations; at first the chapters and interludes are distinct, but at a certain point they start to blend together. All are hilarious, infused with the type of magical thinking Lavery excels at. They weave Lavery’s life experiences together with his historical and pop-cultural obsessions.’ -- Claire Landsbaum * Vanity Fair *‘A moving and insightful account of a complex emotional and physical journey, Something That May Shock and Discredit You is told with humour and takes shapeshifting form, leaping easily from pop culture references to biblical analysis, finely-tuned argument to satirical listicle, then back again.’ -- Cal Flyn * Five Books *‘This book is clever and strange and lovely and sad and hysterical and poignant. These are the qualities that make up most of my favourite people and all of my favourite books. You really need to read this now.’ -- Jenny Lawson, New York Times bestselling author of Let’s Pretend This Never Happened and Furiously Happy‘Slate advice columnist Ortberg (Texts from Jane Eyre) brings the full force of his wit and literary depth to this genre-bending essay collection. Describing it as ‘memoir-adjacent,’ Ortberg intersperses searingly honest passages about his journey as a transgender man with laugh-out-loud funny literary pastiche ... Ortberg provides an often hilarious, sometimes discomfiting, but invariably honest account of one man’s becoming.’ * Publishers Weekly *‘Like all of his work, Something That May Shock and Discredit You is a stand-alone pillar in Ortberg’s remarkable canon, one in which the lines typically drawn around topic and genre are obliterated, resulting in a wide-open field of possibility.’ * Electric Literature *‘[A] hybrid of incisive cultural criticism and heartfelt rumination on transitioning and queer identity.’ -- Erin Keane, Ashlie D. Stevens, and Hanh Nguyen * Salon *‘With this collection of essays, he will make you laugh and cry with stories of transition, family, culture and William Shatner.’ -- Karla Strand * Ms. *‘[Ortberg] puts his dazzling wit and humour on display in a ‘memoir-adjacent’ collection of essays that touches on topics as wide-ranging as Lord Byron, the Bible and House Hunters in his exploration of self as a transgender man.’ -- Barbara VanDenburgh * USA Today *‘The ‘Dear Prudence’ columnist and expert culture commentator returns with his sharpest, wittiest collection yet, a survey of pop culture ranging from scathing to plain weird.’ -- David Canfield * Entertainment Weekly *‘[A] fusion of old and new Ortberg work. It’s a collection of chapters and fragments, pieces that refuse single identities … The intensity of emotion and self-centredness are stripped of their high language, and become vividly queer, utterly recognisable, and essential to the gender mode that Ortberg himself is learning to express throughout this collection … Ortberg is perhaps closer than any other writer to functioning as the voice of progressive millennials … Every movement of Ortberg’s writing as he considers gender is hesitant, and his use of upspeak inflection both satirises the femininity associated with that questioning tone and engages with it genuinely. There must be a space between being prepared to mock gender norms and being deeply uncertain about them. The sincerity beneath the humour is new in Ortberg’s work, and powerful and well as disconcerting … The book is emotionally effective, but not always entirely accessible. In many ways, Ortberg’s transition is likely to be less alien to many readers than his deep Biblical knowledge … Ortberg’s least accessible book, but also his most important. Unlike his earlier work, Shock and Discredit must be read slowly, and with reflection. It’s not always easy. The breezy humour sometimes dives deep into New Testament referentiality without actually gesturing to deep faith. Read slowly to keep from flailing. Ortberg’s writing will wait for you to catch up.’ -- Annette Lapointe * The New York Journal of Books *‘A bundle of short, eclectic and wonderfully funny essays.’ * The Telegraph *‘A … kind of glee animates Ortberg’s writing, and it rushes all the way through this thoughtful, joyous book. Even when Something That May Shock and Discredit You delves into difficult material … Ortberg always writes with a sense of profound and honest delight: What luck, it’s another day where he gets to be a man. And reading, you can’t help but be delighted with him … This book is odd and self-satisfied and bizarrely specific, in all the best possible ways. Consistently, it’s funny … But Something That May Shock and Discredit You is also tenderly, gently thoughtful about gender and about what it means to transition, especially for someone like Ortberg, who built a public reputation as a feminist running a women’s website before coming out … Something That May Shock and Discredit You is not precisely an explanation for everyone who was wondering why the person they first knew as Mallory Ortberg is now Daniel M. Lavery. It is neither apologetic nor self-justifying, and Ortberg remains very clear on the fact that he does not owe an explanation about himself or his gender to anyone … Instead, this book reads like an exploration — a funny, gentle, thoughtful exploration — of how Ortberg sees the world, and how transitioning affected the lens through which he sees it. Reading it feels like reading the Toast felt in 2013, which is to say it feels like coming into contact with a restless and smart mind of profound and specific hyperfixations. It’s a joy.’ -- Constance Grady * Vox *‘Something That May Shock and Discredit You offers a vital account of transition and gender identity … [It] allows space for confusion and uncertainty, while also offering the wisdom of hindsight … [It] is funny while remaining sincere, and is inventive in its use of different forms to explore various aspects of his experiences.’ -- Erin Stewart * ArtsHub *‘Daniel Lavery ... has penned a book ostensibly about the experience of transition, but effortlessly traverses religion, philosophy… and William Shatner? In Something That May Shock and Discredit You Lavery’s innermost expressions of vulnerability are rendered with remarkable candour in some passages. Other passages are flat-out hilarious. All, however, are poignant.’ -- Dan Shaw * Happy Magazine *‘Inimitably witty.’ -- Nicole Elphick * The Age *‘Ortberg gracefully slips between the memoirist’s lucid personal narrative and the essayist’s more topical ruminations. Passage after passage sees him refining a riveting intertextual portrait of his life and transness fit for the pages of an illuminated manuscript … Discarding any distinction between high and low cultures, Ortberg’s Something that May Shock and Discredit You most certainly astonishes and amazes — it may even be transformative.’ -- Dave Wheeler * Shelf Awareness *‘Written almost as a stream of consciousness, this genre-bending work by Slate columnist Ortberg blends memoir, social commentary, and biblical exegesis in a series of essays that reflect an evolving sense of identity. Similar to his work as co-founder of The Toast, Ortberg’s brief chapters here expand on topics serious and challenging, humorous and trivial … This account of a vulnerable life makes for contemplative reading.’ -- Stephanie Sendaula * Library Journal *‘For those who have no firsthand experience of gender transitioning, this book is an education in empathy, solidarity and compassion, and an ode to the courage and resilience of transgender people. It’ll make you think, laugh and maybe reconsider some of your preconceptions about gender. If nothing else, you’ll never look at the Bible the same way again.’ -- Zoya Patel * The Canberra Times *‘Part satire, part confessional and all utterly original, Lavery’s third book is a wild rollercoaster of a read that defies definition. It’s a riotous stew of diarist self-examination, taut comic sketches, and queer readings … At a moment of renewed global transphobia, when Leslie Feinberg’s tragic Stone Butch Blues remains the touchstone of transmasculine literature, Lavery’s kaleidoscopic memoir is a refreshing reminder of the possibility of trans irreverence, trans peace — even trans joy.’ -- Yves Rees * Inside Story *Praise for The Merry Spinster: ‘A wholly satisfying blend of silliness, feminist critique, and deft prose makes this a collection of bedtime stories that will keep you up at night for all the right reasons.’ STARRED REVIEW * Kirkus Reviews *Praise for The Merry Spinster: ‘Unlike most modern versions of fairy tales, Ortberg's sly, scathing renditions avoid clichés and self-referential edginess, and instead strike directly at the heart … The book brings the shock of the new and the shock of recognition into play at the same time; it's a tour de force of skill, daring, and hard-earned bravura.’ * Publishers Weekly *A New York Times bestselling author’s sparkling memoir of changing genders whilst remaining a feminist.Praise for Texts from Jane Eyre: ‘Humourist Ortberg offers a side-splitting take on famous literary characters from Gilgamesh to Hermione Granger by peeking into their imagined text messages … Ortberg charmingly captures, in short, palatable bytes, what is most memorable about famous books and their indelible characters.’ * Publishers Weekly *

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Book SynopsisPolice officers are obliged to give an account of every incident they are involved in. But what happened today will never be logged. Because that’s what police solidarity means: what happens in the van stays in the van. Well, not always. Not this time. What really happens behind the walls of a police station? To answer this question, investigative journalist Valentin Gendrot put his life on hold for two years and became the first journalist in history to infiltrate the police undetected. Within three months of training to become an officer, he was given a permit to carry a weapon in public. And although he lived in daily fear of being discovered, in his book Gendrot hides nothing. Assigned to work in a tough area of Paris where tensions between the law and locals ran high, Gendrot witnessed police brutality, racism, blunders, and cover-ups. But he also saw the oppressive working conditions that officers endured, and mourned the tragic suicide of a colleague. Asking important questions about who holds institutional power and how we can hold them to account, Cop is a gripping exposé of a world never before seen by outsiders.Trade Review‘Vivid and engrossing.’ -- Sean Hickey * Irish Examiner *‘An explosive new book by an investigative journalist has drawn fresh attention to police brutality and racism in France … chronicles the author’s training and the six months he spent as a police officer in one of Paris’ poorest districts … its vivid portrayal underlines how France’s history of racism and present-day police tactics have remained relatively unexamined.’ -- Matt Bradley * NBC News *‘A journalist who spent almost six months undercover in a Paris police force witnessed racism, almost daily violence, and a culture of impunity for officers who mistreated civilians … The book’s release follows a period of increased criticism of police in France.’ -- Jamie Clifton * Vice *‘A remarkable coup … True crime doesn't get more real than this.’ -- Mark Sanderson * Crime Club *‘A courageous investigation. Cop reveals insights that will be familiar to those at the receiving end of racist policing anywhere.’ -- Antony Loewenstein * The Saturday Paper *‘Informative’ -- Alastair Mabbott * The Herald *

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Book SynopsisA groundbreaking exploration of the neuroscience of spirituality and a bold new paradigm for health, healing, and resilience—from a New York Times bestselling author and award-winning researcher “A new revolution of health and well-being and a testament to, and celebration of, the power within.”—Deepak Chopra, MDWhether it’s meditation or a walk in nature, reading a sacred text or saying a prayer, there are many ways to tap into a heightened awareness of the world around you and your place in it. In The Awakened Brain, psychologist Dr. Lisa Miller shows you how.   Weaving her own deeply personal journey of awakening with her groundbreaking research, Dr. Miller’s book reveals that humans are universally equipped with a capacity for spirituality, and that our brains become more resilient and robust as a result of it. For leaders in business and government, truth-seekers, parents, healers, educators, and any person confronting life’s biggest questions, The Awakened Brain combines cutting-edge science (from MRI studies to genetic research, epidemiology, and more) with on-the-ground application for people of all ages and from all walks of life, illuminating the surprising science of spirituality and how to engage it in our lives:     • The awakened decision is the better decision. With an awakened perception, we are more creative, collaborative, ethical, and innovative. • The awakened brain is the healthier brain. An engaged spiritual life enhances grit, optimism, and resilience while providing insulation against addiction, trauma, and depression.  • The awakened life is the inspired life. Loss, uncertainty, and even trauma are the gateways by which we are invited to move beyond merely coping with hardship to transcend into a life of renewal, healing, joy, and fulfillment. Absorbing, uplifting, and ultimately enlightening, The Awakened Brain is a conversation-starting saga of scientific discovery packed with counterintuitive findings and practical advice on concrete ways to access your innate spirituality and build a life of meaning and contribution.

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