Non Fiction Books

Book Synopsis'Simply wonderful.' - BEN FOGLE'Kate's book has the warmth and calming effect of a log fire and a glass of wine. Unknit your brow and let go. It's a treat.' - GARETH MALONE'Kate Humble pours her enviable knowledge into attainable goals. It's a winning combination and the prize - a life in balance with nature - is definitely worth claiming.' - LUCY SIEGLE'As ever, where Kate leads, I follow. She has made me reassess and reset.' - DAN SNOW'Kate Humble's new book is a lesson in moving on from a tragedy and finding our place in the world' - WOMAN & HOME'A Year of Living Simply is timely, given that the pandemic has forced most of us, in some way to simplify our lives, whether we planned to or not. Kate wrote it before any of us were aware of the upcoming crisis, but it captures the current moment perfectly... It's not necessarily a "how to" book, more of a "why not try?" approach.' - FRANCESCA BABB, MAIL ON SUNDAY YOU'What I particularly love is her philosophy for happiness, which is the subject of her new book, A Year of Living Simply. The clue is in the title. Remember the basics. Instead of barging through the day on autopilot, really stop to think about the tiniest little things that added a moment of joy. No, of course stopping and smelling the flowers won't cure all our ills and woes. But taking the time to savour the things that bring pleasure, really being in that moment and appreciating it, can remind you that most days have moments that buoy your mood.' - JO ELVIN, MAIL ON SUNDAY YOUIf there is one thing that most of us aspire to, it is, simply, to be happy. And yet attaining happiness has become, it appears, anything but simple. Having stuff - The Latest, The Newest, The Best Yet - is all too often peddled as the sure fire route to happiness. So why then, in our consumer-driven society, is depression, stress and anxiety ever more common, affecting every strata of society and every age, even, worryingly, the very young? Why is it, when we have so much, that many of us still feel we are missing something and the rush of pleasure when we buy something new turns so quickly into a feeling of emptiness, or purposelessness, or guilt?So what is the route to real, deep, long lasting happiness? Could it be that our lives have just become overly crowded, that we've lost sight of the things - the simple things - that give a sense of achievement, a feeling of joy or excitement? That make us happy. Do we need to take a step back, reprioritise? Do we need to make our lives more simple? Kate Humble's fresh and frank exploration of a stripped-back approach to life is uplifting, engaging and inspiring - and will help us all find balance and happiness every day.

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Book SynopsisExperience Middle-earth like never before with over 75 recipes inspired by foods from J.R.R. Tolkien's epic Lord of the Rings.

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Book SynopsisThis revised Student Edition of Ibsen's popular play contains introductory commentary and notes by Sophie Duncan, which offer a contemporary lens on the play's gender politics and consider seminal productions and adaptations of the play into the 21st century. As well as the complete text of the play itself, this new Methuen Drama Student Edition includes a: Chronology of the play and Ibsen's life and work Discussion of the social, political, cultural and economic context in which the play was originally conceived and created Overview of the creation processes followed and performance history of the play, including recent performances such as a 2012 short film adaptation and a stage adaptation set in colonial Calcutta. Analysis of some of the major themes and specific issues addressed by the play, such as whether it's a feminist play and its author a feminist Bibliography of suggested primary and secondary materials for further study IbseTrade ReviewIbsen's great feminist drama * Daily Telegraph *Many a husband reeled back in horror after the premiere of Ibsen's marriage-shaking play in 1879. The fellow was actually challenging the sacred values of family life by suggesting a woman could break free of the marital gilded cage. What next? They will want the vote. * Daily Express *Ibsen's drama is a powerful statement of his radical beliefs about gender, the folly of idealism and the nature of modern love. In essence, it is the story of woman who wakes up to reality. * Evening Standard *Ibsen caused a storm with the notion that women were as entitled as men to think and live for themselves. * Jewish Chronicle *Table of ContentsThe introduction and commentary to the play covers: Cultural and theatrical contexts Themes Dramatic devices Performance history Trends in scholarly and popular debate

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Book SynopsisThis is a story studded with extraordinary achievements and historic moments, from the building of the pyramids and the conquest of Nubia, through Akhenaten''s religious revolution, the power and beauty of Nefertiti, the glory of Tutankhamun''s burial chamber, and the ruthlessness of Ramesses, to Alexander the Great''s invasion, and Cleopatra''s fatal entanglement with Rome. As the world''s first nation-state, the history of Ancient Egypt is above all the story of the attempt to unite a disparate realm and defend it against hostile forces from within and without. Combining grand narrative sweep with detailed knowledge of hieroglyphs and the iconography of power, Toby Wilkinson reveals Ancient Egypt in all its complexity.Trade Review‘A sophisticated and complete account of the world's first nation state' * The Times Books of the Year *‘Wilkinson's stirring and clear sighted account of the ancient world's most enduring civilisation comes as a welcome treat' * Sunday Times Books of the Year *‘I had always presumed, before I read Wilkinson's book, that it was impossible to write a history of Egypt which combined scholarship, accessibility, and a genuine sense of revelation. I was wrong' * Observer *‘A comprehensive, illustrated history focusing on the dark side of the Pharaohs and some harsh political realities' * The List *

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Book SynopsisStatins are the so-called wonder drugs widely prescribed to lower blood cholesterol levels and claim to offer unparalleled protection against heart disease. Believed to be completely safe and capable of preventing a whole series of other conditions, they are the most profitable drug in the history of medicine. In this groundbreaking book, GP Malcolm Kendrick exposes the truth behind the hype, revealing: high cholesterol levels don't cause heart disease; a high-fat diet - saturated or otherwise - does not affect blood cholesterol levels; and, the protection provided by statins is so small as to be not worth bothering about for most men and all women.Statins have many more side affects than has been admitted and their advocates should be treated with scepticism due to their links with the drugs' manufacturers.Kendrick lambastes a powerful pharmaceutical industry and unquestioning medical profession, who, he claims, perpetuate the madcap concepts of 'good' and 'bad' cholesterol and cholesterol levels to convince millions of people to spend billions of pounds on statins, thus creating an atmosphere of stress and anxiety - the real cause of fatal heart disease.With clarity and wit, "The Great Cholesterol Con" debunks our assumptions on what constitutes a healthy lifestyle and diet. It is the invaluable guide for anyone who thought there was a miracle cure for heart disease, an appeal to common sense and a controversial and fascinating breakthrough that will set dynamite under the whole area.

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Book SynopsisThe third, fully revised and updated edition of Dr Sarah Myhill's classic guide to the causes of, and solutions to, chronic fatigue, focusing on problems with energy-delivery systems and mitchondria, the powerhouses of our cells

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Book Synopsis Comedian Pierre Novellie was on stage when a heckler suggested he was autistic. Usually, this disruption would be water off a duck''s back but two things made this heckler different: first, he was himself autistic. Second, he turned out to be absolutely right. This random encounter led to a diagnosis of autism at the age of 31 that unraveled his world, explained his struggles and answered questions that had bothered him for his entire life: why were the other kids obsessed with Britney Spears instead of The Goon Show? Why don''t people ever say what they mean? Why is everyone chewing so loudly? At once a hilarious and insightful journey through autism and neurodivergence, an entertaining explainer for the uninitiated and observational comedy for the neurodiverse, this is the perfect read for anyone who has ever asked themselves: why can''t I just enjoy things?

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Book SynopsisIn this one-of-a-kind volume, indispensable for students of art, architecture and film,Alex Danchev presents 100 Artists'' Manifestos, each reproduced with an introduction on the author and the associated movement, in Penguin Modern Classics.This remarkable collection of 100 manifestos from the last 100 years is cacophony of voices from such diverse movements as Futurism, Dadaism, Surrealism, Feminism, Communism, Destructivism, Vorticism, Stridentism, Cannibalism and Stuckism, taking in along the way film, architecture, fashion, and cookery.Artists'' manifestos are nothing if not revolutionary. They are outlandish, outrageous, and frequently offensive. They combine wit, wisdom, and world-shaking demands. This collection gathers together an international array of artists of every stripe, including Kandinsky, Mayakovsky, Rodchenko, Le Corbusier, Picabia, Dalí, Oldenburg, Vertov, Baselitz, Kitaj, Murakami, Gilbert and George, together with their allies and collaborators - such figures as Marinetti, Apollinaire, Breton, Trotsky, Guy Debord and Rem Koolhaas.Editor Alex Danchev is the author of an acclaimed biography of artist Georges Braque and is Professor of International Relations at the University of Nottingham. His other works include Alanbrooke War Diaries: Field Marshall Lord Alanbrooke, The Iraq War and Democratic Politics and On Art and War and Terror.If you enjoyed 100 Artists'' Manifestos, you might like John Berger''s Ways of Seeing, also available in Penguin Modern Classics.''The Manifesto is remarkable for its imaginative power ... it is the first great modernist work of art'' Marshall BermanTrade ReviewThe Manifesto is remarkable for its imaginative power ... it is the first great modernist work of art * Marshall Berman *This collection is a must ... because the passion that erupted in the early 20th century is in such counterpoint to our own more apathetic era -- Lesley McDowell * Independent *This ingenious anthology...is an inspiring book * Scotland on Sunday *100 Artists' Manifestos [is] deftly selected and stylishly introduced by Alex Danchev -- Terry Eagleton * Times Literary Supplement *An absorbing capsule history of culture over the past century -- John Gray * Literary Review *

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Book SynopsisOne of the finest chess books ever written Vukovic expounds both the basic principles and the most complex forms of attack on the king. A study of this masterpiece will add new power and brilliance to any player's game.

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Book Synopsis'Funny, sharp explications of what these sometimes not-very-nice women were up to!' – Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaid's TaleThe Greek myths are among the world's most important cultural building blocks and they have been retold many times, but rarely do they focus on the remarkable women at the heart of these ancient stories.Now, in Pandora's Jar: Women in the Greek Myths, Natalie Haynes – broadcaster, writer and passionate classicist – redresses this imbalance. Taking Pandora and her jar (the box came later) as the starting point, she puts the women of the Greek myths on equal footing with the menfolk.Stories of gods and monsters are the mainstay of epic poetry and Greek tragedy, from Homer to Aeschylus. But modern tellers of Greek myth have usually been men, and have routinely shown little interest in telling women’s stories. And when they do, those women are often painted as monstrous, vengeful or just plain evil. But Pandora – the first woman, who according to legend unloosed chaos upon the world – was not a villain, and even Medea and Phaedra have more nuanced stories than generations of retellings might indicate.After millennia of stories telling of gods and men, be they Zeus or Odysseus, the voices that sing from these pages are those of Hera, Athena and Artemis, and of Clytemnestra, Jocasta, Eurydice and Penelope.'A treasure box of classical delights. Never has ancient misogyny been presented with so much wit and style' - historian Amanda ForemanTrade ReviewReading Pandora's Jar: Women in the Greek Myths by Natalie Haynes: Funny, sharp explications of what these sometimes not-very-nice women were up to, and how they sometimes made idiots of . . . but read on! -- Margaret AtwoodIf I'm ever prosecuted, I'd like Natalie Haynes to defend me. She argues persuasively, carving out space for women denied a voice (Medusa), overshadowed (Jocasta) and unjustly condemned (Helen of Troy) . . . Agile, rich, subversive, Pandora's Jar proves that the classics are far from dead, and keep evolving with us. -- Madeleine Feeny * Mail on Sunday *Haynes is a brilliant classicist as well as a stand-up comedian and with her latest offering, Pandora's Jar, she has effectively written the first textbook codifying this new feminist take on the Greek myths. -- Neil Mackay * Herald *Hugely enjoyable and witty * Guardian *Impassioned and informed . . . When Haynes gets down to retelling the stories . . . and teasing out their distortions and elisions, the book flies. * Sunday Times *An erudite, funny and sometimes angry attempt to fill in the blank spaces. -- Stephanie Merritt * Observer *The best kind of academic writing; engaged, engaging and fun (Beyoncé, Ray Harryhausen and Buffy the Vampire Slayer all turn up within). * Herald, Christmas Books 2020 *Witty and frequently surprising -- Farah Abdessamad * TLS *Beyoncé, Star Trek, Ray Harryhausen . . . the most enjoyable book about Greek myths you will ever read, absolutely brimming with subversive enthusiasm. -- Mark HaddonWitty, erudite and subversive, this takes the women of Greek myth—the women who are sidelined, vilified, misunderstood or ignored—and puts them centre stage. -- Samantha Ellis, author of How to Be a Heroine and Take CourageNatalie Haynes is beyond brilliant. Pandora’s Jar is a treasure box of classical delights. Never has ancient misogyny been presented with so much wit and style. -- Amanda ForemanNatalie Haynes is the nation's muse -- Adam RutherfordNatalie Haynes is both a witty and an erudite guide. She wears her extensive learning lightly and deftly drags the Classics into the modern world. I loved it. -- Kate Atkinson, author of Life After Life

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Book SynopsisThis book contains nine pieces from ABRSM''s Grade 3 Piano syllabus for 2025 & 2026, three pieces chosen from each of Lists A, B and C - ideal for both Practical and Performance Grade exams. The pieces have been carefully selected to offer an attractive and varied range of styles, creating a collection that provides an excellent source of repertoire to suit every performer. The book also contains helpful footnotes and, for those preparing for exams, useful syllabus information. Recordings of all pieces are available on all major streaming platforms.

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Book Synopsis'Compulsively readable' (History), this is the first volume in a series that details the long and violent endeavour of the English to dismember Europe's strongest state, a succession of wars that is one of the seminal chapters in European history. Beginning with the funeral of Charles IV of France in 1328, it follows the Hundred Years War up to the surrender of Calais in 1347. It traces the early humiliations and triumphs of Edward III: the campaigns of Sluys, Crecy and Calais, which first made his name as a war leader and the reputation of his subjects as the most brutally effective warriors of their time. Trial by Battle is an account of the events of a pivotal period in both French and British history, from Wolfson History Prize-winning author and historian Jonathan Sumption. 'A new and immensely impressive history of the war.' Daily Telegraph

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Book Synopsis'An essential text for anyone who wants to start making art and not stop. One of those rare books - like The Artist's Way and Writing Down the Bones - to keep close by for courage and company.' - Tanya Shadrick, author of The Cure for Sleep and creator of The Wild Patience Scrolls: A Mile of WritingArt & Fear is about the way art gets made, the reasons it often doesn't get made, and the nature of the difficulties that cause so many artists to give up along the way. Drawing on the authors' own experiences as two working artists, the book delves into the internal and external challenges to making art in the real world, and shows how they can be overcome every day.First published in 1994, Art & Fear quickly became an underground classic, and word-of-mouth has placed it among the best-selling books on artmaking and creativity. Written by artists for artists, it offers generous and wise insight into what it feels like to sit down at your easel or keyboard, in your studio or performance spac

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Book SynopsisChris Broad is a British filmmaker and founder of the Abroad in Japan Youtube channel, one of the largest foreign Youtube channels in Japan with over 2.5 million subscribers and 400 million views.Over 10 years and 200 videos, Chris has visited all of Japan's 47 prefectures, focussing Abroad in Japan on travel, culture, food and covered contemporary issues through documentaries on the Fukushima nuclear disaster and the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. His experiences have made him a sought after voice on life inside Japan, featured on the BBC, Tedx, NHK and the Japan Times.

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Book SynopsisA LOVE LETTER TO 67 YEARS OF ACTING ON STAGE - THE NO.1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERA witty, insightful journey through the plays and tales of our beloved ShakespeareWonderfully inspiring. A delightful spell in the company of one of our greatest actresses' Daily Mail, Books of the YearGloriously entertaining. Reading it feels like a chat with an old friend' ObserverA magical love letter to Shakespeare' Kenneth Branagh----For the very first time, Judi Dench opens up about every Shakespearean role she has played in her seven-decade career, from Lady Macbeth and Titania to Ophelia and Cleopatra.Here, she reveals her behind the scenes secrets; inviting us to share in her triumphs, disasters, and backstage shenanigans, all brightened by her mischievous sense of humour and striking honesty.This is Judi''s love letter to William Shakespeare the man who pays the rent.----Praise for The Man Who Pays the Rent''This book is pure enchantment' Daily Mail''This is a gloriously entertaining tour through the canon in the company of perhaps the most experienced living Shakespearean actor'' Observer''An utterly delightful book. An unstoppable stream of anecdotes, recollections and asides'' TelegraphCompanionable and compelling, mischievous and convivial it genuinely feels like you're sitting at her kitchen table with Judi Dench' GuardianGorgeous' Literary ReviewA wonderful mixture of appreciation and anecdote' Financial Times, Books of the YearInstant Sunday Times bestseller, November 2023

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Book SynopsisHow does our economic system impact the way we live? Does it really affect what we truly care about? Oxford economist E. F. Schumacher provides an enlightening study of our economic system and its purpose, challenging the current state of excessive consumption in our society. Offering a crucial message for the modern world struggling to balance economic growth with the human costs of globalisation, Small Is Beautiful puts forward the revolutionary yet viable case for building our economies around the needs of communities, not corporations. One of the 100 most influential books published since World War II' The Times Literary SupplementTrade ReviewA book of heart and hope and downright common sense about the future. -- Peter Lewis * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisThe age of exploration was drawing to a close, yet the mystery of the North Pole remained. Contemporaries described the pole as the ‘unattainable object of our dreams’, and the urge to fill in this last great blank space on the map grew irresistible.In 1879 the USS Jeannette set sail from San Francisco to cheering crowds and amid a frenzy of publicity. The ship and its crew, captained by the heroic George De Long, were destined for the uncharted waters of the Arctic. But it wasn’t long before the Jeannette was trapped in crushing pack ice. Amid the rush of water and the shrieks of breaking wooden boards, the crew found themselves marooned a thousand miles north of Siberia with only the barest supplies, facing a seemingly impossible trek across endless ice. Battling everything from snow blindness and polar bears to ferocious storms and frosty labyrinths, the expedition fought madness and starvation as they desperately strove for survival. Trade Review‘Tells the extraordinary story of this little known expedition in Hampton Sides’ well-honed style – meticulous research shoring up a fast-paced narrative’. * Financial Times *‘A stirring story… a brilliant exposition of narrative non-fiction: moving, harrowing, as gripping as any well-paced thriller but a lore more interesting because it is also true’ * The Times *'A splendid book in every way... a marvelous nonfiction thriller.' * Wall Street Journal *‘[Sides] is a scrupulous researcher who has mined all the primary material, including extensive journals and medical logs carried home by survivors, and he quotes judiously, interleaving the narrative with heartbreaking extracts from letters written by De Long’s young wife’ * Spectator *'A vivid tale of exploration set in a howling, deadly wilderness.' -- T.J. Stiles, Pulitzer Prize winning author of The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt'An astonishingly good story.' -- Candice Millard, New York Times bestselling author of The Destiny of the Republic and The River of Doubt'Harrowing and impeccably paced.' * New Yorker *‘Hampton Sides is a master storyteller, and here he has delivered a stunningly vivid account of perhaps the most dramatic polar mission you never heard of. Once you start, you won't stop.’ -- Mark Bowden, author of Black Hawk Down'Reads like a first-class epic thriller.' -- Lev Grossman * Time *‘Unforgettable…a pulse-racing epic of endurance set against an exceedingly bizarre Arctic backdrop… a masterful work of history and storytelling.’ * Los Angeles Times *‘Phenomenally gripping… Sides works story-telling magic.' * Boston Globe *'Sides spins a propulsive narrative from obscure documents, journals and his own firsthand visits to the Arctic regions visited by the Jeannette and its crew.' * USA Today *‘First-rate polar history and adventure narrative... a harrowing story, well told.’ * New York Times Book Review *'The history of polar exploration sets a high bar for extreme physical ordeal — think John Franklin, Ernest Shackleton, Robert Falcon Scott — and the tribulations of De Long and his crew stack up with the worst of them.' * Washington Post *'A dazzling page-turner.' * Nathaniel Philbrick, author of In the Heart of the Sea *'Masterful storytelling... The reader is drawn into the ice from the first page and will not want to leave until the fate of every man is known.' * Caroline Alexander, author of The Endurance and The Bounty *'An Arctic thriller, an authentic narrative masterpiece.' * S.C. Gwynne, author of Empire of the Summer Moon *'One of the greatest and most harrowing adventures of all time. Spellbinding.' * David Grann, author of The Lost City of Z *'Sides has brought together an absolutely marvelous cast of characters… All works of history should be half this much fun.' -- Scott Anderson, author of Lawrence in Arabia

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Book SynopsisLearn how to draw the latest Fortnite Battle Pass designs with this brand-new official guide from Epic Games. Want to recreate the action-packed looks from the Battle Passes? Well, now you can with this special themed guide, brought to you by Epic Games. With clear step-by-step instructions to take you from initial sketch to finished artwork, this book will help elevate your drawing skills to Tier 100. INCLUDES: * 16 CLASSIC OUTFITS * 8 STYLISH EMOTICONS * SUPERCOOL BACK BLING, GLIDERS, AND HARVESTING TOOLS * TOP DRAWING TIPS Featuring the authentic Fortnite holographic seal.,

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Book Synopsisi thought ifi ate the worldi would finallybe fulli would neverbe hungry againIn this debut collection, Marina''s talent for powerful, evocative song lyrics finds a new outlet in her poetry. Each poem resonates with the same creative melodies and emotional depth that have made her an artistic sensation. Hailed by The New York Times for ''redefining songs about coming of age, and the aftermath, with bluntness and crafty intelligence,'' Marina delves even further into trauma, youth and the highs and lows of relationships in these profound, autobiographical poems and accompanying illustrations to form a collection that transcends the boundaries of music and literature.

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Book SynopsisMultiple authors: (including some who contributed to Gardens of the World), such as:James Alexander SinclairTamsin WesthorpeDavid HurrionClaire MassetAgnes SevensonHannah Gardner

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Book SynopsisLonely Planet''s Greece is our most comprehensive guide that extensively covers all the country has to offer, with recommendations for both popular and lesser-known experiences. Discover the sites of Ancient Greece, relax on pristine beaches, and feast on regional food and wine; all with your trusted travel companion.Inside Lonely Planet''s Greece Travel Guide: Lonely Planet''s Top Picks - a visually inspiring collection of the destination''s best experiences and where to have themItineraries help you build the ultimate trip based on your personal needs and interestsLocal insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - whether it''s history, people, music, landscapes, wildlife, politicsEating and drinking - get the most out of your gastronomic experience as we reveal the regional dishes and drinks you have to tryToolkit - all of the planning tools for solo travellers, LGBTQIA+ travellers, family travellers and accessible travelColour maps and images throughoutLanguage - essential phrases and language tipsInsider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spotsCovers Athens, Central Greece, Crete, Cyclades, Dodecanese, Evia, Ionian Islands, Northern Greece, Northeastern Aegean Islands, Peloponnese, Saronic Gulf Islands, Sporades IslandsAbout Lonely Planet:Lonely Planet, a Red Ventures Company, is the world''s number one travel guidebook brand. Providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973, Lonely Planet reaches hundreds of millions of travellers each year online and in print and helps them unlock amazing experiences. Visit us at lonelyplanet.com and join our community of followers on Facebook (facebook.com/lonelyplanet), Twitter (@lonelyplanet), Instagram (instagram.com/lonelyplanet), and TikTok (@lonelyplanet).''Lonely Planet. It''s on everyone''s bookshelves; it''s in every traveller''s hands. It''s on mobile phones. It''s on the Internet. It''s everywhere, and it''s telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.'' Fairfax Media (Australia)

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Book SynopsisDesigned for coaches and football fans interested in the theory of football, this handbook is a must-read for anyone looking to understand the foundations that football is built on.

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Book SynopsisAntonio Gramsci''s Prison Notebooks, written between 1929 and 1935, are the work of one of the most original thinkers in twentieth century Europe. Gramsci has had a profound influence on debates about the relationship between politics and culture. His complex and fruitful approach to questions of ideology, power and change remains crucial for critical theory. This volume was the first selection published from the Notebooks to be made available in Britain, and was originally published in the early 1970s. It contains the most important of Gramsci''s notebooks, including the texts of The Modern Prince, and Americanism and Fordism, and extensive notes on the state and civil society, Italian history and the role of intellectuals. ''Far the best informative apparatus available to any foreign language readership of Gramsci.'' Perry Anderson, New Left Review ''A model of scholarship'' New Statesman

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Book SynopsisTed Hughes''s Birthday Letters are addressed, with just two exceptions, to Sylvia Plath, the American poet to whom he was married. They were written over a period of more than twenty-five years, the first a few years after her suicide in 1963, and represent Ted Hughes''s only account of his relationship with Plath and of the psychological drama that led both to the writing of her greatest poems and to her death. The book became an instant bestseller on its publication in 1998 and won the Forward Prize for Poetry in the same year. ''To read [Birthday Letters] is to experience the psychic equivalent of the bends. It takes you down to levels of pressure where the undertruths of sadness and endurance leave you gasping.'' Seamus Heaney ''Even if it were possible to set aside its biographical value . . . its linguistic, technical and imaginative feats would guarantee its future. Hughes is one of the most important poets of the century and this is his greate

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Book SynopsisSophy Roberts is an award-winning British journalist, and a regular contributor to FT Weekend. Her critically acclaimed first book, The Lost Pianos of Siberia, was a Sunday Times Book of the Year in 2020, and went on to be published in eight more languages. Her second book, A Training School for Elephants, is another unusual quest, threading lost history with modern reportage in India, Iraq, DRC, Tanzania and Belgium. Following an 1879 journey that four elephants from Pune made to Africa's Great Lakes, it is a reckoning with colonial ambitions gone berserk.

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A SPECTATOR AND FINANCIAL TIMES BEST BOOK OF 2022 A WATERSTONES NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE MONTH ‘If you read just one book about how the modern world is driving us crazy, read this one’ TELEGRAPH ‘This book is exactly what the world needs right now’ OPRAH WINFREY ‘A beautifully researched and argued exploration of the breakdown of humankind's ability to pay attention’ STEPHEN FRY ‘A really important book . . . Everyone should read it’ PHILIPPA PERRY --- Is your ability to focus and pay attention in free fall? You are not alone. The average office worker now focuses on any one task for just three minutes. But it’s not your fault. Your attention didn’t collapse. It has been stolen. Internationally bestselling author Johann Hari shows twelve deep factors harming our focus. Once we understand them, together, we can take back our minds.Trade ReviewA brilliant book about one of the most important topics of our time -- Dr Rangan ChatterjeeThis mind-blowing book explains everything. Read it and be free -- Simon AmstellThere's so much in this book . . . Unbelievable, juicy dynamite that you have to read -- Chris EvansI think this book is exactly what the world needs right now . . . I hope everybody buys the book. I promise you it will be worth your time and certainly worth your focus -- Oprah WinfreyJohann Hari writes like a dream. He’s both lyricist and storyteller – but also an indefatigable investigator of one of the world’s greatest problems: the systematic destruction of our attention. Read this book to save your mind -- Susan CainI don’t know anyone thinking more deeply, or more holistically, about the crisis of our collective attention than Johann Hari. And this is a crisis that we must address if we are to meet any of the other pressing emergencies we face as a species, whether ecological or social. Which means that this book could not be more vital. Please sit with it, and focus -- Naomi KleinA story that so many of us have felt needs to be told, but whose cause and consequences are hard to capture and articulate without guesswork, prejudice or ideology. Hari not only achieves this and more, but he does so it with the pace, sparkle and energy of the best kind of thriller writer. I can’t remember reading a book which made me shout out “yes! That’s it!” quite so many times -- Stephen FryA highly original and wide-ranging investigation into the causes of our epidemic of flagging attention. Written with Hari’s trademark incisive prose, indefatigable search for scientific evidence vividly presented, and illustrated with telling anecdotes, Stolen Focus is a bracing and necessary wake-up call to us all -- Gabor Maté M.D.A fascinating journey into the mind and how it is being manipulated with devastating effects. Hari’s subject is something that is affecting us all and this seminal work will be one of the defining books of our era . . . Get off social media, switch off the TV, put down your smart phone and do one thing – read this book’ -- Dr Max PembertonStop whatever you’re doing and read this book. A deeply researched, disturbing, and yet ultimately hopeful exploration of the primal crisis of our time: our diminishing ability to focus on what really matters -- Rutger Bregman, author of HUMANKINDIf you want to get your attention and focus back, you need to read this remarkable book . . . [Hari] has cracked the code of why we’re in this crisis, and how to get out of it. We all need to hear this message -- Arianna Huffington, Founder & CEO, Thrive GlobalAn unbelievable storyteller . . . It might just change your life -- Steven BartlettThanks to this brilliant book, I have got to know myself and my fellow humans better. It educates and entertains you - the stories will suck any reader in, and then slowly change your mind. Everyone should read it. It has changed my habits - way beyond just putting away my phone more. Stolen Focus is a really important book -- Philippa PerryIn his unique voice, Johann Hari tackles the profound dangers facing humanity from information technology and rings the alarm bell for what all of us must do to protect ourselves, our children and our democracies -- Hillary Clinton, former US Secretary of StateAn entirely necessary book, a miracle of clarity and depth, a resonant, deeply researched warning followed by a truly inspiring clarion-call to action. Read it and weep, then dry your eyes and join in -- Emma ThompsonA visionary, systemic, revolutionary and practical guide for creating the new world. Through tireless research and genius insight Johann Hari certainly snapped me to attention. A life changing book -- V, author of THE VAGINA MONOLOGUESProvided a staggering insight into the misery occasioned by our addiction to the idiocies of the web. If you have kids please read it * Spectator *This is a book for those of us (all of us?), who feel we are spending too much time staring at our phones — and are losing the capacity to concentrate * Financial Times *

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Book SynopsisThis is a triumph. A love letter to the ghosts of Edinburgh. I feel its hand upon my shoulder. – Sara Sheridan As a writer of fiction, I found myself itching to lift some of these characters from the page into the fertile fields of my own imagination. – Val McDermid Anyone who loves Edinburgh and is fascinated by its private histories will be entranced by this book. – The Scotsman About the book 10 Scotland Street – the story of an Edinburgh home and its cast of booksellers, silk merchants, sailors, preachers, politicians, cholera and coincidence and its widespread connections over two centuries across the globe.Trade ReviewThis is a triumph. A love letter to the ghosts of Edinburgh. I feel its hand upon my shoulder. - Sara Sheridan The story that Leslie unfolds for us spreads its threads across the globe. And it moves through different strata of society, painting a kaleidoscopic portrait of social, political, fiscal and financial life in Scotland and beyond, all through the lens of a single flat in a single city [...] We learn how property and wealth were passed through families, not always in the straight lines we imagine inheritance to travel in. It’s not hard to read between the lines of wills and gifts to picture some of the loves and dislikes, the disapprovals and the determination to make good past wrongs. As a writer of fiction, I found myself itching to lift some of these characters from the page into the fertile fields of my own imagination. - Val McDermid A fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable book, a work of prodigious research […] Anyone who loves Edinburgh and is fascinated by its private histories will be entranced by this book. - Allan Massie, The Scotsman Hills proceeds with thorough scholarship […] Above all, she writes really well: fluent, authoritative, persuasive prose, sometimes anecdotal, often slyly colliding formality and contemporary colloquialism. - Broughton Spurtle The writing matches the process of researching in an archive when one’s eye is caught by something not directly concerned with the matter in hand, the so-called ‘rabbit holes’. There is a veritable warren of these […] I was genuinely sad to come to the final page of this book. I heartily recommend it. - Edward Duvall, Old Edinburgh Club

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Book Synopsis''It was at the time when I was wandering around hungry in Kristiania, that strange city no one leaves before it has set its mark on them...'' Hunger is the first-person story of a young man desperately trying to establish himself in the city as a writer, living in shabby lodgings where he can seldom afford to pay the rent, eating almost nothing, and engaging spasmodically and manically with landladies, eccentric elderly men, policemen, shopkeepers, pawnbrokers, and others on the way. He wanders around the streets, sits on benches trying to write, spends a night locked in a pitch-dark police cell, thinks, slides into remarkably inventive reveries, speculates on his mental health, his ethical comportment, his relation to the divinity, the topics he might write about. The traces of a consistent narrative logic are uncertain and blurred; the voice of the narrator keeps shifting between pragmatic appraisal of his situation, wild fantasies, manic outbursts, anger, and despair. This is a stoTable of ContentsIntroduction Note on the Translation Select Bibliography A Chronology of Knut Hamsun Hunger Explanatory Notes

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Book SynopsisFrom celebrated French author Colombe Schneck, translated by Lauren Elkin and Natasha Lehrer, comes The Paris Trilogy; three autobiographical tales from different seminal periods throughout her life, each interrogating desire, society, love, loss, and womanhood in all its forms.

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Book SynopsisConsultant editor:Cath Caldwell is a Senior Lecturer at Central Saint Martins, the world-leading college for art and design education at University of the Arts London. She is a former Design Director at ELLE UK, having also worked for the Guardian and Condé Nast (New York). She is the author of two books on graphic design and co-founder of the Editorial Designers Organisation.Contibuting authors:Johnny Belknap is a native New Yorker who cut his design teeth on the iconic Village Voice newspaper in the 1970s. He moved on to art director roles at oublications including the New York Times, the Sunday Telegraph Magazine, and the Jewish Chronicle, as well as running his own design studio.Jamie Sanchez Hearn is a graphic designer and lecturer, specializing in Typography, Branding, and Editorial Design. Jamie worked for several international design agencies before forming his own design studio. He currently teaches at Central Saint Martins and is a fellow of the UK's Higher Education Academy.Emily Wood is a graphic designer and lecturer. She has worked for leading design studios Pentagram, Johnson Banks, and Bloom, and with a range of cultural organizations, including London's V&A Museum and Amnesty International. Emily's research is focused on sustainability through education and design. Julia Woollams is a graphic designer, branding consultant, lecturer, and co-founder of creative consultancy 31% Wool. She specializes in cultural and not-for-profit sectors and has worked with organizations including the Science Museum, the Sendai Observatory, the University of Cambridge, and UNICEF UK.

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Book SynopsisWinner of the 2024 Richard Jefferies Award for nature writing Shortlisted for the 2024 Wainwright Prize for Writing on Conservation A Times Science Book of the Year Sophie writes fantastically, chronicling the most important issues facing nature conservationists today.' Chris Packham

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Book SynopsisIn this unique and evocative blend of food, drink and travel writing, Bert Blaize and Victoria Brzezinski give winemakers the floor to take us on a journey around the landscapes, cultures, cuisines, best places to eat and drink, and of course, wines, that they know and love better than anyone on earth.Wine producing regions are some of the most beautiful and fascinating parts of the planet.Where there's good wine, there's almost always good food, beautiful landscapes, a rich history, and fascinating characters who can speak to our complex and evolving relationship with our planet because few people have a closer relationship with the earth than those who make wine from it.Those characters including recovering rockstars, former engineers making wine in nuclear shelters, and daughters who have reclaimed their family's land from defunct communist dictatorships will be the ones whose perspectives, recommendations and stories we hear as we travel through the world's wine producing region

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewA thinker for uncertain times. . . If you want to better understand populism, Trump, Brexit and the anti-establishment backlash then Taleb, of no party or clique, is your man -- Josh Glancy * Sunday Times *A great iconoclast. . . Taleb, a Wall Street trader turned essayist, is a thinker touched by genius. . . The big picture he presents is powerfully argued and offers myriad policy implications -- Matthew Syed * The Times *The most prophetic voice of all . . . Taleb is a genuinely significant philosopher . . . someone who is able to change the way we view the structure of the world through the strength, originality and veracity of his ideas alone -- John Gray * GQ *Nassim Nicholas Taleb is the Richard Wagner of uncertainty. While the Ring Cycle of the German composer/librettist portrayed the struggle of the gods in a series of operas, the Incerto series of books by the Lebanese-American author is devoted to humans -- specifically how we deal with the endemic risk in our all-too-finite existence -- Dominic Lawson * Sunday Times *As always with Taleb, this is a fascinating set of ideas. And he's right. People with skin in the game learn how the game works. Without it, they don't -- William Leith * Evening Standard *The author of The Black Swan is back with a simple warning: don't buy what your neighbour is selling unless he owns some too. The obvious application for this is investing, but Taleb has a much broader domain. In a kind of philosophical Freakonomics, he takes us from 5th-century wandering monks (banned by the church because they were too free) to Donald Trump (his imperfections showed he had skin in the game) -- Rosamund Urwin * Sunday Times Books of the Year *

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Book SynopsisThe Workbook recycles the language and consolidates the material from the Student's Book, along with a corresponding page for each lesson from the Student's Book. A Macmillan Reader is found at the back of each Workbook alongside an Audio CD offering further listening and pronunciation practice. An Answer Key is included in this version.

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Book SynopsisAnya Lautenbach is a digital creator and passionate gardener, who wants more people to give gardening a go no matter their background, budget or garden size. Born in Poland, she now lives with her husband and two younger sons in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, and was recently diagnosed with ADHD - her self-described "superpower". A lifelong gardener, she has propagated thousands of plants, and has shared her budget gardening journey via her Instagram @anya_thegarden_fairy.

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Book SynopsisORIGINAL, INSPIRING AND BEAUTIFULLY HAND-ILLUSTRATED ARTWORK BY LUCY DUNBARTHE SUNDAY TIMES TOP FIVE BESTSELLERJames Norbury meets Raymond Brigg's The Snowman with a touch of Love, Actually . . . The first book from the hugely popular new Instagram talent---- Sometimes we all need a gift to help us through our life, or even just through the day. A chance to stop. Take a breath. Listen to your heart. That is the promise in The Book of Gifts Lucy Dunbar's touching, beautiful, warm hearted and, above all, hopeful collection of pictures, thoughts and inspirations. If you need courage, hope or love, find it here.If you're facing loss or sadness, find comfort in these pages. Give it to your friend, your partner, a parent or a child or just give it to yourself. The Book of Gifts is a book we cannot do without.It is for anyone, and everyone.It is for all of us.-------------------------------------------''Just gorgeous'' Kate Bottley, BBC Radio 2''The perfect Christmas gift for someone you love'' Lorraine

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Book SynopsisA cookbook with the freedom to choose! 90 uncomplicated recipes with maximum flavour and minimum fuss. Sam has 3 versions: 1. Slap it together: hack-style' recipes that are even less fuss than usual. 2. Go to: tried-and-true recipes that are on heavy rotation and will never go out of style. 3. Long game: These dishes have elements that require a little more effort but are worth it for the result -and they still have minimal fuss to help us try something new but not spend hours at the stove.Trade ReviewSam's fuss-free, flavour-loaded approach to cooking is just fab! (Alice Zaslavsky, author of In Praise of Veg). These recipes are packed with YUM. Sam is honestly a magician of flavour (Warren Mendes, TV host and food editor). Sam Parish makes food you want to smash. She is a freakin' flavour maven (Matt Preston, author and food personality).Table of ContentsIntroduction A bit about me How it all works Tips & tricks Dip Savoury schnax Soup Burger Pie Noodle Tator Bread Samwich Wrap me Long pasta Short pasta Rice Roast chook Fish Egg Leafy salad Less lettuce salad Veg-forward Grill me Schnit me Pizza Frit me Low & slow Baking tips Crumble Slice Muffin Cookie Cheesecake Cake Love your leftovers Index Conversion chart Thanks

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Book SynopsisRemarkable.' THE TIMES''Wonderful.' GUARDIAN''Fascinating.'' DAILY TELEGRAPH''A landscape-keyhole onto the whole world . . . Glorious.'' Robert Macfarlane''A thrill akin to discovering buried treasure.'' RICHARD MABEYWhen Alexandra Harris returned to her childhood home of West Sussex, she realised that she barely knew the place at all. As she probed beneath the surface, excavating layers of archival records and everyday objects, hundreds of unexpected stories and hypnotic voices emerged from the area's past. These electrifying encounters ranging from those with the painter John Constable and the modernist writer Ford Madox Ford to the lost local women who left little trace inspired her to imagine lives that, though seemingly distant, are deeply connected through this shared landscape. By focusing on one small patch of England, Harris opens vast new horizons.

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Book SynopsisSo entertaining, smart and funny.' DAVID NICHOLLS ''Beautifully written. I really enjoyed it.'' MARINA HYDE ''A fabulous shadow history of Tinseltown.'' TLSFascinating.' EMPIRE''Wildly enjoyable.'' GUARDIAN''Hugely entertaining.'' PROSPECTFailure fascinates, for all the reasons that success is a drag . . .'In his hugely acclaimed alternative history of Hollywood, Tim Robey leads us through a century of its most notable flops. From Freaks to Land of the Pharaohs, Dune to Speed 2, and Catwoman to Cats here is the definitive take on these ill-fated, but essential celluloid failures.''Expertly researched.'' SIGHT & SOUND ''A rollicking, gossipy triumph.'' DAILY TELEGRAPHAmusing and wince-inducing in equal measure.' INDEPENDENT

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Book SynopsisStephen Grosz is a practicing psychoanalyst - he has worked with patients for more than forty years. Born in America, he was educated at the University of California, Berkeley, and at Oxford University, and now lives in London. His Number One Sunday Times bestseller, The Examined Life, has been translated into more than thirty languages. He lives in London.

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