Search results for ""Penguin Books Ltd""

A Sunday Times 'Must Read' book.Described by the Sunday Times as "a gently studious Bill Bryson crossed with an upbeat and relaxed WG Sebald", Tide is "a superb book... a delight to read. It is profound and powerful, and should win prizes."From Cnut to D-Day, the history and science of the unceasing tide is explored for the first time.Half of the world's population lives in coastal regions lapped by tidal waters. Yet how little most of us know about the tide - a key force on our planet that has altered the course of history and will transform our future.Our ability to predict and understand the tide depends on centuries of science, from the observations of Aristotle and the theories of Newton to today's supercomputer calculations. This story is punctuated here by notable tidal episodes in history, from Caesar's thwarted invasion of Britain to the catastrophic flooding of Venice, and interwoven with a rich folklore that continues to inspire art and literature today.With Aldersey-Williams as our guide to the most feared and celebrated tidal features on the planet, from the original maelstrøm in Scandinavia to the world's highest tides in Nova Scotia to the crumbling coast of East Anglia, the importance of the tide, and the way it has shaped - and will continue to shape - our civilization, becomes startlingly clear.

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Discover the new Penguin Crime and Espionage seriesA stolen weapon. A troubled young man. A race against time...Inspector Maigret receives a call from his wife to say he has a visitor at their apartment. But when he gets home, the young man has already gone, along with Maigret's prized Smith and Wesson .45. The trail to find the culprit - and the woman who may become his victim - takes Maigret across Paris and all the way to the Savoy Hotel in London. But getting to the truth may be even more complicated than he had first imagined.

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Introducing Little Clothbound Classics: irresistible, mini editions of short stories, novellas and essays from the world's greatest writers, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-SmithCelebrating the range and diversity of Penguin Classics, they take us from snowy Japan to springtime Vienna, from haunted New England to a sun-drenched Mediterranean island, and from a game of chess on the ocean to a love story on the moon. Beautifully designed and printed, these collectible editions are bound in colourful, tactile cloth and stamped with foil.Published when she was only eighteen, Françoise Sagan's astonishing novella, Bonjour Tristesse, became an instant bestseller. It tells the story of Cécile, who leads a carefree life with her widowed father and his young mistresses until, one hot summer on the Riviera, he decides to remarry - with devastating consequences.

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A joyous collection of life lessons from the UK's favourite vicar! The perfect gift for fans of Kate Bottley and her charm, wit and wisdom.Hello there, come on in. I know what you’re thinking: ‘I’m not religious, so I’m not sure if this is for me’. But the truth is, this book is simply about being human. Believing in something, no matter what it is, gives us hope, and that’s what helps us get through this messy, joyful, unexpected ride we call life. Over the years I’ve sat on plenty of sofas, drunk plenty of (questionable) cups of tea and learned endless lessons from the wonderful people I’ve met. Above all, they have taught me that there is no right way to do things – and that’s OK. In these pages I have shared everything I have learned about how to deal with life’s biggies – like love and death, as well as confidence, conflict and loneliness – in the hope that I can make you feel less alone and arm you with the tools to face the tougher times. Hopefully this book will remind you to pause, appreciate how far you’ve come, savour the precious moments, and enjoy a giggle or two along the way.Love, Kate x'A gorgeous read, it made me cry in a joyous way' Zoe Ball'You can always rely on Kate to bring humour, warmth and cracking anecdotes. This book, unsurprisingly, has shed loads' Steph McGovern

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Sliding Doors meets High Fidelity in the enthralling debut novel from Channel 4 F1 presenter Steve Jones'Joyously unpredictable, clever, witty and warm. Gorgeous!' RUTH JONES'I was immediately gripped by the story and the characters' 5***** READER REVIEW'A great read . . . A born writer' LORRAINE KELLY, ITV LORRAINE____________Bob Bloomfield is, in the words of his best friend's wife, a 'selfish, arrogant a*sehole', who hasn't spent a great deal of time making friends in his 49 years on earth.But what if he could change? What if Bob could stop the very thing that has made him the man he is, the death of his younger brother, Tom in 1986.If he could save Tom, could he save himself?. . . And what if all it took was a phone call - to his childhood self?

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'By far the best book I've ever read on the how and why of scaling. If you care about changing the world, or just want to make better decisions in your own life, The Voltage Effect is for you.' Angela Duckworth, CEO of Character Lab and New York Times bestselling author of Grit ________________­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ Why do some ideas make it big while others fail to take off? According to award-winning behavioural economist John List, the answer comes down to a single question: Can the idea scale? Countless enterprises fall apart the moment they scale; their positive results fizzle, they lose valuable time and money, and the great electric charge of potential that drove them early on disappears. In short, they suffer a voltage drop. Yet success and failure are not about luck - in fact, there is a rhyme and reason as to why some ideas fail and why some make it big. Certain ideas are predictably scalable, while others are predictably destined for disaster. In The Voltage Effect, University of Chicago economist John A. List explains how to identify the ideas that will be successful when scaled, and how to avoid those that won't. Drawing on his own original research, as well as fascinating examples from the realms of business, government, education, and public health, he details the five signature elements that cause voltage drops, and unpacks the four proven techniques for increasing positive results - or voltage gains - and scaling great ideas to their fullest potential. By understanding the science of scaling, we can drive change in our schools, workplaces, communities, and society at large. Because a better world can only be built at scale. ________________ 'One of the best economics books I have ever read - and an instant classic in behavioral economics.' Cass R. Sunstein, Robert Walmsley University Professor, Harvard University, and New York Times bestselling co-author of Nudge 'Thought-provoking and engaging. A must-read.' Daron Acemoglu, Institute Professor at MIT and co-author of Why Nations Fail and The Narrow Corridor.

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Lydia Davis returns with a timeless collection of essays on literature and language.'Precise, concentrated, lyrical. No one writes like Lydia Davis, and everyone should read her' Hanif Kureishi'A writer as mighty as Kafka, as subtle as Flaubert, and as epoch-making, in her own way, as Proust' Ali SmithLydia Davis gathered a selection of her non-fiction writing for the first time in 2019 with Essays. Now, she continues the project with Essays Two, focusing on the art of translation, the learning of foreign languages through reading, and her experience of translating, amongst others, Flaubert and Proust, about whom she writes with an unmatched understanding of the nuances of their styles.Every essay in this book is a revelation.

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The highly-anticipated new novel from the New York Times bestselling authorFor fans of Sorrow and Bliss and The Paper Palace___________'Best Book of 2023' in Vogue, Entertainment Weekly, People, Book Page, Literary Hub'I could not put this book down' MIRANDA COWLEY HELLER'Compelling, touching, exquisitely crafted' LIANE MORIARTY'Prepare to lose yourself in this book' SARA COLLINS___________There are two sides to every story. . .Malcolm is a bartender at the Half Moon in Upstate New York. He has always dreamed of owning a bar, and so when his boss finally retires, he seizes his chance, despite his wife's protests.Jess has devoted herself to her law career. After years of trying for a baby, she's struggling to accept the idea that motherhood might not be in her future. She finds herself slipping away from both her career and her marriage.When a blizzard hits on the same day that Malcolm learns some shocking news about Jess, and a regular at the bar goes missing, everyone is frozen in place for a single, pivotal week, forcing Malcolm and Jess to confront their uncertain future.The Half Moon carefully explores a marriage in crisis, what it takes to make a life with another person, and the true meaning of family.___________**An Indie Next Pick and Amazon Editor's Pick**'A quietly marvellous story of dreams, disappointments and second chances, but, mostly, love' CHARMAINE WILKERSON, New York Times bestselling author of BLACK CAKE'It's such a pleasure to sink into Keane's quietly luminous prose . . . she manages to find the extraordinary grace in our achingly ordinary world' NEW YORK TIMES'Her insights into matters of the heart, longing and restlessness especially, have astonishing delicacy' US VOGUE'Allows us to look around our own lives with respect and kindness, and is therefore a great gift' ANN NAPOLITANO

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The Perfect gift for Christmas? This hilarious and sharp revenge comedy!'It's a joy - a smart, sharp revenge comedy, with plenty of lols too' DAILY MAIL'Jane Fallon's razor-sharp wit runs through this novel...another laugh-out-loud funny read' SUNDAY EXPRESS'Over Sharing is Jane Fallon at her wickedly witty best' ISABELLE BROOM'Quickest I've read a book in a very long time. Sharp, thought-provoking and utterly addictive' SARAH TURNER, author of STEPPING UP and THE UNMUMSY MUM'A delightfully dark read. Thoughtful and clever. Simply a damn good and gripping read' RED MAGAZINECan you live a lie without spilling the truth? . . .__________Once, Iris was happy. She had the home, the husband, the promise of a family. Now she's divorced and renting out her spare room to make ends meet. Life could be worse. But could have been better - if it hadn't been for Maddy: the woman who ruined her life . . .Social influencer Maddy's brand is happy families. She preaches about loyalty and the sanctity of marriage, and is quickly becoming famous for her wholesome videos of life with her husband and adorable twin girls.Iris doesn't believe a word of it. And she's going to prove it's all false.Because if there's one thing that will bring back Iris's happiness, it's taking away Maddy's . . .__________Jane Fallon's whip-smart new novel explores the murky truths behind the versions of ourselves we project online, the lengths we go to when we feel we've been wronged, and the often unlikely places we find true friendship.'A brilliant tale of life, relationships, rejection and family' SUNPRAISE FOR JANE FALLON'Gripping, sharp and brilliantly twisty. Deliciously readable. A rollercoaster of revenge' DAILY MAIL'This escapist gem is loud-snort funny' HEAT'Witty, smart, topical and full of heart. the sun-lounger smash of the summer' TAMMY COHEN'Impossible to put down. Fabulous characters and a story that just will not let you go!' RUTH JONES'Jane Fallon's wry observation and razor-sharp wit in this unputdownable page-turner will grab you from the first page and the action races along at breakneck speed' SUNDAY EXPRESS'Funny, fresh and clever...the perfect poolside read' CLARE MACKINTOSH'Her snappy, clever fiction . . . seems to slip down like a glass of nicely chilled white wine' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH'Witty, funny, beautifully written and dotted with life's truths like sprinkles on a birthday cake' CATHY KELLY'Totally brilliant' TONY PARSONS'Sharply observed, wickedly funny, with real depths of emotion too. Absolutely unputdownable' MILLY JOHNSON

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A gorgeous guide to the Danish art of creating a cosy, happy home from the internationally bestselling author, Meik Wiking.Our homes should be a place of comfort, a place to feel safe when we shut the door. Somewhere to be ourselves, to unwind and create special memories. Inspired by Danish design and traditions, this beautiful new book from Meik Wiking shares how to turn your home into a sanctuary and live like the happiest people in the world.With simple tips based on new research from The Happiness Institute in Copenhagen, this book reveals what makes a happy home tick. No matter how much space you have or what your budget is, Meik shows how you can use colour, light and space to create your happy place and celebrate cosiness the Danish way.Get your copy of the latest book from the author of THE LITTLE BOOK OF HYGGE now!'I love it, I love it, I love it. Just reading this makes you more content' Chris Evans'Such a beautiful book with so many suggestions for how we can get back to happiness. Just looking at it makes me happy' Holly Willoughby

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'Linn Ullmann has written something of beauty and solace and truth. I don't know how she managed to sail across such dangerous waters' RACHEL CUSKHe is a renowned Swedish filmmaker and has a plan for everything. She is his daughter, by the actress he directed and once loved. Each summer of her childhood, the daughter visits the father at his remote Faro island home on the edge of the Baltic Sea.Now that she's grown up - a writer, with children of her own - and he's in his eighties, they envision writing a book together, about old age, language, memory and loss. She will ask the questions. He will answer them. The tape recorder will record.But it's winter now and old age has caught up with him in ways neither could have foreseen. And when the father is gone, only memories, images and words -- both remembered and recorded - remain. And from these the daughter begins to write her own story, in the pages which become this book.Heart-breaking and spell-binding, Unquiet is a seamless blend of fiction and memoir in pursuit of elemental truths about how we live, love, lose and age.

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'Extraordinary. This book will inspire you to reach your full potential' Jason Fox Are you stuck in a rut? Do you have more to give? Do you dream of leading a different life?Ben Williams was struggling with drug addiction and battling suicidal thoughts when he saw an advert for the Royal Marines Commandos that changed his life forever. Serving ten years in the Commandos, he learnt important lessons about purpose, integrity, motivation and teamwork. Leaving the Commandos because of injury, Ben set up a coaching business that has helped high-performance companies and professional sports teams like the England Football Squad, coaching them in the build-up to their outstanding performance at the 2018 World Cup. Now Ben is sharing his principles for success. In Commando Mindset, Ben reveals his process for achieving goals of any size to help you take your life to the next level. Inside you'll learn how to:- identify your personal inspirations and values- overcome your fears- set and achieve realistic goals- keep yourself motivatedWhether you want to set up a business, run a marathon for the first time or learn a new skill, the Commando Mindset will help you reach your full potential and achieve anything you set your mind to.

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A FINANCIAL TIMES AND TLS BOOK OF THE YEARAn exhilarating new biography of John von Neumann: the lost genius who invented our world'A sparkling book, with an intoxicating mix of pen-portraits and grand historical narrative. Above all it fizzes with a dizzying mix of deliciously vital ideas. . . A staggering achievement' Tim HarfordThe smartphones in our pockets and computers like brains. The vagaries of game theory and evolutionary biology. Self-replicating moon bases and nuclear weapons. All bear the fingerprints of one remarkable man: John von Neumann.Born in Budapest at the turn of the century, von Neumann is one of the most influential scientists to have ever lived. His colleagues believed he had the fastest brain on the planet - bar none. He was instrumental in the Manhattan Project and helped formulate the bedrock of Cold War geopolitics and modern economic theory. He created the first ever programmable digital computer. He prophesied the potential of nanotechnology and, from his deathbed, expounded on the limits of brains and computers - and how they might be overcome.Taking us on an astonishing journey, Ananyo Bhattacharya explores how a combination of genius and unique historical circumstance allowed a single man to sweep through so many different fields of science, sparking revolutions wherever he went.Insightful and illuminating, The Man from the Future is a thrilling intellectual biography of the visionary thinker who shaped our century.

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'An exquisitely observed story of passion and friendship' Observer Cate is a stage designer in Chicago, caught up in an unconventional web of friends and lovers, when her life is suddenly overturned. Walking into her best friend's kitchen one day, she witnesses an act of violence that forces her to do something she never thought she could do. Nothing will ever be the same again.Wry, compassionate and startlingly beautiful, Right After the Weather explores the mess of trauma and love, and the reverberations of our actions. 'Smart and often funny, perceptive and brilliantly observed. I loved being submerged in Cate's chaotic life' Claire Fuller 'I loved it so much. Thought-provoking, emotionally intelligent and beautifully written' Daily Mail'An exquisitely written, psychologically sophisticated novel, rich in insight and sensitivity to human vulnerability' NY Journal of Books

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Looking for the perfect gift for a friend? You've found it!How have your friends shaped you into who you are today? What would you do if you fell in love with your best friend? And what are the golden rules of going into business with a close friend?15 women who have faced these questions - and many more - tell us everything they have learned in the process about life's essential bond: friendship.Featuring essays from Dame Jenni Murray, Gina Martin, Candice Brathwaite, Yomi Adegoke & Elizabeth Uviebinené, Shappi Khorsandi, Megan Jayne Crabbe (@bodyposipanda), Flo Perry and more!In turns funny, moving, confronting and uplifting, each lesson gives a frank and refreshing view on both the pleasure and pain of our closest connections. From contemporary questions about the authenticity of online friendship to universal talking points such as how many friends we really need, this is a wise exploration - and joyous celebration - of the most essential relationship in our lives.

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'Insinuating, haunting and lyrically pervasive' The New York Times Book ReviewA new translation by Tim ParksTwenty years after making his fortune in America, Eel is drawn back to the closest thing he has to a home: the Piedmontese countryside where he grew up poor and illegitimate. Wandering the valleys and vineyards with his childhood friend Nuto, Eel remembers the farm where he worked, his employer's beautiful daughters, the rituals of rural life. Yet as he discovers more about what happened there during the war, he realizes that these timeless landscapes hide terrible, savage secrets. By turns fond and evocative, seductive and troubling, The Moon and the Bonfires is a lyrical masterpiece of memory and betrayal.Translated with an Introduction by Tim Parks

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The illuminated manuscripts of the Middle Ages are among the greatest works of European art and literature. We are dazzled by them and recognize their crucial role in the transmission of knowledge. But we generally think much less about the countless men and women who made, collected and preserved them through the centuries, and to whom they owe their existence.This entrancing book describes some of the extraordinary people who have spent their lives among illuminated manuscripts over the last thousand years. A monk in Normandy, a prince of France, a Florentine bookseller, an English antiquary, a rabbi from central Europe, a French priest, a Keeper at the British Museum, a Greek forger, a German polymath, a British connoisseur and the woman who created the most spectacular library in America - all of them were participants in what Christopher de Hamel calls the Manuscripts Club.This exhilarating fraternity, and the fellow enthusiasts who come with it, throw new light on how manuscripts have survived and been used by very different kinds of people in many different circumstances. Christopher de Hamel's unexpected connections and discoveries reveal a passion which crosses the boundaries of time. We understand the manuscripts themselves better by knowing who their keepers and companions have been.In 1850 (or thereabouts) John Ruskin bought his first manuscript 'at a bookseller's in a back alley'. This was his reaction: 'The new worlds which every leaf of this book opened to me, and the joy I had in counting their letters and unravelling their arabesques as if they had all been of beaten gold - as many of them were - cannot be told.' The members of de Hamel's club share many such wonders, which he brings to us with scholarship, style, and a lifetime's experience.

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A timeless, beautifully designed gift for children and adults alike, The Lost Words is a gift that will be poured over and cherished for years to come.All over the country, there are words disappearing from children's lives. These are the words of the natural world; Dandelion, Otter, Bramble and Acorn, all gone. A wild landscape of imagination and play is rapidly fading from our children's minds.The Lost Words stands against the disappearance of wild childhood. It is a joyful celebration - in art and word - of nearby nature and its wonders. With acrostic spell-poems by award-winning writer Robert Macfarlane and illustrations by Jackie Morris, this enchanting book evokes the irreplaceable magic of language and nature for all ages.*** Discover The Lost Spells, the magical companion book from the creators of a literary phenomenon. ***Praise for The Lost Words:'The most beautiful and thought-provoking book I've read this year' Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Observer'Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris have made a thing of astonishing beauty' Alex Preston, Observer'My top book of the year' Susan Hill, Spectator'Gorgeous to look at and to read. Give it to a child to bring back the magic of language - and its scope' Jeanette Winterson, Guardian

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In twenty short books, Penguin brings you the classics of the environmental movement.Food Rules, Michael Pollan's wise and witty critique of the western industrialised diet, distils the wisdom of history and traditional cultures to three simple rules: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.Over the past 75 years, a new canon has emerged. As life on Earth has become irrevocably altered by humans, visionary thinkers around the world have raised their voices to defend the planet, and affirm our place at the heart of its restoration. Their words have endured through the decades, becoming the classics of a movement. Together, these books show the richness of environmental thought, and point the way to a fairer, saner, greener world.

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Take a journey to a vanished world with the ADVENTURES IN TIME series - stories so exciting you won't believe they're all true'Winter has come; and in a far distant land, a warrior queen is expecting a child...'Step through these pages into the Tudor world: a dangerous place, where one miss-step could cost your life. Through the eyes of Henry VIII's six very different queens, from a brave Spanish princess to a wise English widow, historian Dominic Sandbrook takes us on a thrilling journey through the twists and turns of a dramatic age. For no one is safe from the wheel of fortune: it can take you from a golden throne to the Tower of London...The Adventures in Time series brings the past alive for twenty-first century children. These stories are every bit as exciting as those of Harry Potter or Matilda Wormwood. The only difference is they actually happened...

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THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'Few books are as urgent as Shon Faye's debut ... Faye has hope for the future - and maybe so should we' Independent 'Unsparing, important and weighty ... a vitally needed antidote' Observer 'A moving and impressively comprehensive overview of trans life' Vogue Trans people in Britain today have become a culture war 'issue'. Despite making up less than one per cent of the country's population, they are the subjects of a toxic and increasingly polarized 'debate' which generates reliable controversy for newspapers and talk shows. This media frenzy conceals a simple fact: that we are having the wrong conversation, a conversation in which trans people themselves are reduced to a talking point and denied a meaningful voice. In this powerful new book, Shon Faye reclaims the idea of the 'transgender issue' to uncover the reality of what it means to be trans in a transphobic society. In doing so, she provides a compelling, wide-ranging analysis of trans lives from youth to old age, exploring work, family, housing, healthcare, the prison system and trans participation in the LGBTQ+ and feminist communities, in contemporary Britain and beyond. The Transgender Issue is a landmark work that signals the beginning of a new, healthier conversation about trans life. It is a manifesto for change, and a call for justice and solidarity between all marginalized people and minorities. Trans liberation, as Faye sees it, goes to the root of what our society is and what it could be; it offers the possibility of a more just, free and joyful world for all of us. 'Fundamentally not a culture-war book. It operates outside the narrow coverage of trans people in the mainstream, and lays bare the inarguable facts' New Statesman 'Monumental and utterly convincing - crystal clear in its understanding of how the world should be' Judith Butler

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Extinction Rebellion are inspiring a whole generation to take action on climate breakdown. Now you can become part of the movement - and together, we can make history.It's time. This is our last chance to do anything about the global climate and ecological emergency. Our last chance to save the world as we know it. Now or never, we need to be radical. We need to rise up. And we need to rebel.Extinction Rebellion is a global activist movement of ordinary people, demanding action from Governments. This is a book of truth and action. It has facts to arm you, stories to empower you, pages to fill in and pages to rip out, alongside instructions on how to rebel - from organising a roadblock to facing arrest. By the time you finish this book you will have become an Extinction Rebellion activist. Act now before it's too late.

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A young theoretical physicist's guide to how the radical new science of counterfactuals can reveal the full scope of our universeThere is a vast class of properties that science has so far almost entirely neglected. These properties are central to an understanding of physical reality both at an everyday level and at the level of fundamental phenomena, yet they have traditionally been thought of as impossible to incorporate into fundamental explanations. They relate not only to what is true - the actual - but to what could be true - the counterfactual. This is the science of can and can't.Chiara Marletto, a pioneer in this field, explores the promise that this fascinating, far-reaching approach holds not only for revolutionizing how fundamental physics is formulated, but also for confronting existing technological challenges, from delivering the next generation of information-processing devices to designing AI. In each chapter, Marletto sets out how counterfactuals can solve a vexed open problem in science, and demonstrates that by contemplating the possible as well as the actual, we can break down barriers to knowledge and form a more complete and fruitful picture of the universe.'Clear, sharp and imaginative... The Science of Can and Can't will open the doors to a dazzling set of concepts and ideas that will change deeply the way you look at the world' David Deutsch, bestselling author of The Beginning of Infinity

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Zero Waste Home is the ultimate guide to simplified, sustainable living from Bea Johnson, 'the priestess of waste-free living' (The New York Times).Bea Johnson transformed her family's health, finances, and relationships for the better by reducing their waste to an astonishing half litre per year. It's all down to the 5 Rs: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rot (and only in that order!). Zero Waste Home shows how these key principles can be applied to every area of your house from the kitchen to the kids' room, and it's packed with easy tips for all of us: from buying in bulk and clever meal planning to simply refusing unwanted freebies and using your plants as air fresheners.Bea Johnson shows, by inspiring example, what green living looks like and offers a practical, step-by-step guide to diminishing your environmental footprint and improving your life.'Bea Johnson is a guru of zero-waste living. The book is precise . . . simple yet deep. It doesn't preach.' Sunday Times'Johnson is an incredible advocate for her lifestyle . . . refreshingly honest.' Metro'Chic, charming, stylish' Red

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Rich with tales of discovery from Galileo to general relativity, a stimulating and timely analysis of how science works and why we need it. 'The best introduction to the scientific enterprise that I know. A wonderful and important book' David Wootton, author of The Invention of Science It is only in the last three centuries that the formidable knowledge-making machine we call modern science has transformed our way of life and our vision of the universe - two thousand years after the invention of law, philosophy, drama and mathematics. Why did we take so long to invent science? And how has it proved to be so powerful? The Knowledge Machine gives a radical answer, exploring how science calls on its practitioners to do something apparently irrational: strip away all previous knowledge - such as theological, metaphysical or political beliefs - and channel unprecedented energy into observation and experiment. In times of climate extremes, novel diseases and rapidly advancing technology, Strevens contends that we need more than ever to grasp the inner workings of our knowledge machine. 'A stylish and accessible investigation into the nature of the scientific method' Nigel Warburton, Philosophy Bites'This elegant book takes us to the heart of the scientific enterprise' David Papineau, King's College London, author of Knowing the Score'This book is a delight to read, richly illustrated with wonderfully told incidents from the history of natural science' Nancy Cartwright, University of California San Diego

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Winner of the Longman's History Today Book of the Year Award and the inaugural Westminster Medal for Military Literature More than a century had gone by since the Battle of Trafalgar. Generation after generation of British naval captains had been dreaming ever since of a 'new' Trafalgar - a cataclysmic encounter which would decisively change a war's outcome. At last, in the summer of 1916, they thought their moment had come...Andrew Gordon's extraordinary, gripping book brilliantly recreates the atmosphere of the British navy in the years leading up to Jutland and gives a superb account of the battle itself and its bitterly acrimonious aftermath.

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THE SUNDAY TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER'Affectionate, evocative, illuminating. A story of survival - of a flock, a landscape and a disappearing way of life. I love this book' Nigel Slater'Triumphant, a pastoral for the 21st century' Helen Davies, Sunday Times, Books of the Year'The nature publishing sensation of the year, unsentimental yet luminous' Melissa Harrison, The Times, Books of the YearSome people's lives are entirely their own creations. James Rebanks' isn't. The first son of a shepherd, who was the first son of a shepherd himself, he and his family have lived and worked in and around the Lake District for generations. Their way of life is ordered by the seasons and the work they demand, and has been for hundreds of years. A Viking would understand the work they do: sending the sheep to the fells in the summer and making the hay; the autumn fairs where the flocks are replenished; the gruelling toil of winter when the sheep must be kept alive, and the light-headedness that comes with spring, as the lambs are born and the sheep get ready to return to the fells.

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An exuberant tale of craftsmanship for nature lovers and rugged outdoor types everywhereRobert Penn cut down an ash tree to see how many things could be made from it. After all, ash is the tree we have made the greatest and most varied use of over the course of human history. Journeying from Wales across Europe and Ireland to the USA, Robert finds that the ancient skills and knowledge of the properties of ash, developed over millennia making wheels and arrows, furniture and baseball bats, are far from dead. The book chronicles how the urge to understand and appreciate trees still runs through us all like grain through wood.

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'There is no danger that Titanic will sink. The boat is unsinkable and nothing but inconvenience will be suffered by the passengers.' - Phillip Franklin, White Star Line Vice-PresidentOn April 15th, 1912, Titanic, the world's largest passenger ship, sank after colliding with an iceberg, claiming more than 1,500 lives. Walter Lord's classic bestselling history of the voyage, the wreck and the aftermath is a tour de force of detailed investigation and the upstairs/downstairs divide. A Night to Remember provides a vivid, gripping and deeply personal account of the 'unsinkable' Titanic's descent.WITH A NEW FOREWORD BY JULIAN FELLOWES

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A thought experiment in future-shock survivalism' Robert MacFarlane'Gripping ... of all science fiction's apocalypses, this is one of the most haunting' Financial TimesWITH AN INTRODUCTION BY ROBERT MACFARLANEA post-apocalyptic vision of the world pushed to the brink by famine, John Christopher's science fiction masterpiece The Death of Grass includes an introduction by Robert MacFarlane in Penguin Modern Classics.At first the virus wiping out grass and crops is of little concern to John Custance. It has decimated Asia, causing mass starvation and riots, but Europe is safe and a counter-virus is expected any day. Except, it turns out, the governments have been lying to their people. When the deadly disease hits Britain, society starts to descend into barbarism. As John and his family try to make it across country to the safety of his brother's farm in a hidden valley, their humanity is tested to its very limits. A chilling psychological thriller and one of the greatest post-apocalyptic novels ever written, The Death of Grass shows people struggling to hold on to their identities as the familiar world disintegrates - and the terrible price they must pay for surviving.John Christopher (1922-2012) was the pen name of Samuel Youd, a prolific writer of science fiction. His novels were popular during the 1950s and 1960s, most notably The Death Of Grass (1956), The World in Winter (1962), and Wrinkle in the Skin (1965), all works depicting ordinary people struggling in the midst of apocalyptic catastrophes. In 1966 he started writing science-fiction for adolescents; The Tripods trilogy, the Prince in Waiting trilogy (also known as the Sword of the Spirits trilogy) and The Lotus Caves are still widely read today.Ifyou enjoyed The Death of Grass, you might like John Wyndham's The Day of the Triffids, also available in Penguin Modern Classics.

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Rupert Isaacson's The Horse Boy is one family's epic journey to rescue their son.Rupert and Kirstin Isaacson were heartbroken when they learned that their two-year-old son Rowan was autistic. And with each passing day, Rowan's growing isolation, his uncontrollable fits, each failed treatment, filled them with despair.Then one day Rowan escaped and ran into a field of horses. Rupert watched in horror - but saw a miracle occur. The horses responded lovingly to Rowan - and he to them. Could Rowan's affinity with these animals save their son from his condition?The Isaacsons left their home in Texas and travelled to the plains and mountains of Mongolia - the spiritual home of the horse - risking everything - their happiness, future and sanity - on an arduous epic horseback journey in search of a cure for Rowan . . .'An elegant, affecting narrative...a triumph of the human spirit' Daily Telegraph'Captivating, incredible, a magical journey, an impossible dream'Telegraph Weekend'It is probably only once in a critical lifetime that one will be moved almost to tears by [such] an account ... the excellence of his writing [creates an] elegant, affecting narrative ... a triumph of the human spirit'Telegraph'Magical, miraculous, uplifting'Daily MailRupert Isaacson is British but lives with his family in Texas, USA. He is an ex-professional horse trainer and founding director of the Indigenous Land Rights Fund. He is the author of The Healing Land: A Kalahari Journey and his journalism and travel writing has appeared in the Daily Telegraph, Esquire, National Geographic, Independent on Sunday, Conde Nast Traveller, Daily Mail and The Field.

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Colin Tudge's The Secret Life of Trees: How they Live and Why they Matter explores the hidden role of trees in our everyday lives - and how our future survival depends on them. What is a tree? As this celebration of the trees shows, they are our countryside; our ancestors descended from them; they gave us air to breathe. Yet while the stories of trees are as plentiful as leaves in a forest, they are rarely told. Here, Colin Tudge travels from his own back garden round the world to explore the beauty, variety and ingenuity of trees everywhere: from how they live so long to how they talk to each other and why they came to exist in the first place. Lyrical and evocative, this book will make everyone fall in love with the trees around them. 'A love-letter to trees' Financial Times 'One of those books you want everyone to have already read' Sunday Telegraph 'Wonderful, invaluable and timely. Tudge is as illuminating a guide as one could wish for' Daily Mail 'Everyone interested in the natural world will enjoy The Secret Life of Trees. I found myself reading out whole chunks to friends' The Times Books of the Year Colin Tudge started his first tree nursery in his garden aged 11, marking his life-long interest in trees. Always interested in plants and animals, he studied zoology at Cambridge and then began writing about science, first as features editor at the New Scientist and then as a documentary maker for the BBC. Now a full-time writer, he is a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London and visiting Research Fellow at the Centre of Philosophy at the London School of Economics. His books include The Variety of Life and So Shall We Reap.

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