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Heir: 'A tour de force of fantasy' Stephanie Garber (Heir Duology)
by Sabaa Tahir'Heir is a tour de force of fantasy that will leave readers breathless and boneless and aching for more' Stephanie Garber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Once Upon A Broken HeartPrepare for the action-packed, ruthless, and romantic new fantasy from the #1 New York Times bestselling and National Book Award winning author Sabaa Tahir about love, legacy, and vengeance.An orphan.An outcast. A prince. And a killer who will bring an empire to its knees.Growing up in the Kegari slums, AIZ has seen her share of suffering. An old tragedy fuels her need for vengeance, but it is love of her people that propels her. Until one hotheaded mistake lands her in an inescapable prison, where the embers of her wrath ignite. Banished from her people for an unforgivable crime, SIRSHA is a down-on-her-luck tracker who uses magic to trace her marks. Destitute, she agrees to hunt down a killer who has murdered children across the Martial Empire. All she has to do is carry out the job and get paid. But when a chance encounter leads to an unexpected attraction, Sirsha learns her mission might cost her far more than she's willing to give up. QUIL is the crown prince of the Empire and nephew of a venerated empress, but he's loath to take the throne when his aunt steps down. As the son of a reviled emperor, he, better than anyone, understands that power corrupts. When a vicious new enemy threatens the survival of the Empire, Quil must ask himself if he can rise above his tragic lineage and be the heir his people need.Beloved storyteller Sabaa Tahir masterfully interweaves the lives of three young people as they grapple with the burdens of power, the treachery of love and the devastating consequences of unchecked greed. Get ready for a dark and breathless journey that will captivate readers and that may cost these young people their lives - and their hearts. Literally.
Voice of the Ocean
by Kelsey ImpiccicheFrom popular content creator Kelsey Impicciche, Voice of the Ocean follows a daring young siren who defies her people to save a human prince, unearthing ancient magic and igniting a dangerous romance amidst treacherous waters.As the youngest daughter of the Siren queen, Celeste's life is tightly controlled. Desperate to prove her worth, she intends to join the Chorus - an elite group of siren warriors. With her final test on the horizon, Celeste must finally gain control over her temperamental Song. But when Celeste encounters a seemingly harmless ship, helmed by the intriguing Prince Raiden Sharp, her path veers towards forbidden waters.Believing the handsome sailor to be innocent of any wrongdoing, Celeste defies Siren law to save Raiden's life - despite knowing he is the son of a king who has murdered many of her kindred. The penalty for Celeste's betrayal should be death, but the queen offers her an alternative: right her wrong by assassinating the prince. Determined to first discover the truth behind the prince's clandestine mission, Celeste agrees to become human.The human world is nothing like she expected, nor is the prince the charming and noble man she assumed him to be. But as Celeste finds her place aboard the ship, friendships - and attraction - begin to grow. Will Celeste be able to save herself? Or will her choices unravel a kingdom, devastating sirens and humans alike?
Under the Same Stars
by Libba Bray'Under the Same Stars will leave you shattered and wildly hopeful' E. Lockhart, author of We Were Liars and Genuine Fraud'Stirring and absolutely unforgettable' Samira Ahmed, New York Times-bestselling author of Internment and Hollow Fires'Full of banter, romance, humor and a little bit of magic' Gayle Forman, author of Not Nothing and After LifeFrom New York Times-bestselling author Libba Bray comes a propulsive historical mystery that examines truth, rebellion, reconciliation, and what must be sacrificed for a better world.It was said that if you write to the Bridegroom's Oak, the love of your life will answer back. Now, the tree is giving up its secrets at last.In 1940s Germany, Sophie is excited to discover a message waiting for her in the Bridegroom's Oak from a mysterious suitor. Meanwhile, her best friend, Hanna, is sending messages too―but not to find love. As World War II unfolds in their small town of Kleinwald, the oak may hold the key to resistance against the Nazis.In 1980s West Germany, American teen transplant Jenny feels suffocated by her strict parents and is struggling to fit in. Until she finds herself falling for Lena, a punk-rock girl hell-bent on tearing down the wall separating West Germany from East Germany, and meeting Frau Hermann, a kind old lady with secrets of her own.In Spring 2020, New York City, best friends Miles and Chloe are slogging through the last few months of senior year when an unexpected package from Chloe's grandmother leads them to investigate a cold case about two unidentified teenagers who went missing under the Bridegroom's Oak eighty years ago.
The Singular Life of Aria Patel
by Samira Ahmed'Hilarious and heart-wrenching, romantic and searching... a poetic, deeply profound exploration of the multiverses we inhabit' - Libba Bray, New York Times bestselling author of the DIVINERS series'Addictive, inventive, and sometimes chilling... One of the most original YAs I've read in years' - Melissa Albert, New York Times bestselling author of the HAZEL WOOD seriesAria Patel believes in facts. She likes stability, certainty, predictability. It's why she's so into science. And it's why she dumped her boyfriend Rohan, before they went to different colleges - the odds were that something would go wrong eventually. Unlike love, science is something you can count on.But there's no scientific explanation when Aria suddenly finds herself falling through parallel universes. And there's no formula to explain how she keeps meeting Rohan in every new universe she falls into.After being ripped away from her world seconds before a tragedy occurs, Aria is left with two mindbending, physics-defying conudrums - can she navigate the multiverse and get home to save her family? And will she break one of her own rules to survive the multiverse, and fall in love?New York Times bestselling author Samira Ahmed is back with a whirlwind, star-crossing second-chance romance that explores the very nature of self, and what it means to love someone across the universe.
The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet
by Lindz McLeod'A triumph of a book, and an utter delight from start to finish' Thomas D. Lee, the Sunday Times bestselling author of Perilous TimesJane Austen meets Bridgerton in this slow-burn sapphic romance between Charlotte Lucas and Mary Bennet, taking place four years after the end of Pride and Prejudice.It is a truth universally acknowledged that love always blooms in the unlikeliest of places.When Mr. Collins dies after just four years of marriage, Charlotte is lost. While not exactly heartbroken, she will soon have to quit the parsonage that has become her home. In desperate need of support, she writes to her best friend, Lizzie. Unable to leave Pemberley, Lizzie sends her sister, Mary Bennet, to offer support in her stead.To Charlotte's surprise, Mary Bennet is nothing like she remembers. Mary's discovery of academia and her interest in botany (as well as getting out from under her mother's thumb) have caused her to flourish. Before long, Charlotte is enraptured - with Mary, and with the possibilities that lie beyond their societal confines. With each stolen glance and whispered secret, their friendship quickly blossoms into something achingly real.But when her time at the parsonage begins to dwindle and potential suitors appear, Charlotte must make a choice - the safety and security of another husband, or a passionate life with Mary outside the confines of the ton's expectations.Set in the beloved world of Jane Austen, The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet is the swoony sapphic regency romance that readers have been waiting for.
So Let Them Burn (So Let Them Burn)
by Kamilah Cole'Clever and utterly fresh. So Let Them Burn takes the fantasy genre and soars into brilliant new heights' Chloe Gong, author of These Violent Delights'With fierce protagonists and compelling conflicts, So Let Them Burn is a YA fantasy to root for!' Namina Forna, author of The Gilded Ones trilogy'A complex, thought-provoking, thoroughly enjoyable read' Irish TimesWhip-smart and immersive, this Jamaican-inspired fantasy follows a gods-blessed heroine who's forced to choose between saving her sister or protecting her homeland - perfect for fans of The Priory of the Orange Tree and Fourth Wing.Faron Vincent can channel the power of the gods. Five years ago, she used her divine magic to liberate her island from its enemies, the dragon-riding Langley Empire. But now, at seventeen, Faron is all powered up with no wars to fight. She's a legend to her people and a nuisance to her neighbours.When she's forced to attend an international peace summit, Faron expects that she will perform tricks like a trained pet and then go home. She doesn't expect her older sister, Elara, forming an unprecedented bond with an enemy dragon - or the gods claiming the only way to break that bond is to kill her sister.As Faron's desperation to find another solution takes her down a dark path, and Elara discovers the shocking secrets at the heart of the Langley Empire, both must make difficult choices that will shape each other's lives, as well as the fate of their world.'By turns hopeful and devastating, So Let Them Burn is a masterful debut with a blazing heart. I was captivated from beginning to end by Cole's sharp, clever prose and by her protagonists - two remarkable sisters with an unforgettable bond' Chelsea Abdullah, author of The Stardust Thief
This Strange Eventful History
by Claire Messud*A TIME MAGAZINE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF 2024 **AN OPRAH DAILY MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF 2024**AN OBSERVER 2024 PICK**A GUARDIAN 2024 PICK*'One of those rare novels which a reader doesn't merely read but lives through with the characters . . . Claire Messud is a magnificent storyteller' Yiyun LiJune 1940. As Paris falls to the Germans, Gaston Cassar - honorable servant of France, devoted husband and father, currently posted as naval attache in Salonica - bids farewell to his beloved wife, aunt and children, placing his faith in God that they will be reunited after the war. But escaping the violence of that cataclysm is not the same as emerging unscathed. The family will never again be whole.A work of breathtaking historical sweep and vivid psychological intimacy, This Strange Eventful History charts the Cassars' unfolding story as its members move between Salonica and Algeria, the US, Cuba, Canada, Argentina, Australia and France - their itinerary shaped as much by a search for an elusive wholeness, as by the imperatives of politics, faith, family, industry and desire.
(Un)kind: How 'Be Kind' Entrenches Sexism
by Victoria Smith'Victoria Smith is a brilliant writer who every feminist should read' Sharron Davies'Erudite, blisteringly smart and profoundly compassionate... A must-read for anyone hungry to understand the origins and dangers of contemporary exhortations to women to #BeKind, and for everyone who wants to live a feminist life' Dr Rachel HewittA brilliantly witty and insightful analysis of how kindness culture is used against women. Using the #JustBeKind trend of the 2020s as a starting point, (Un)kind explores how traditional beliefs about women's 'kind' nature have been repackaged for an age that remains dependent - socially, politically, economically - on female self-sacrifice while finding the concept outdated and essentialist. Looking at the various guises under which kindness culture is sold to women and girls - from play to self-help, social justice activism to empowerment - Victoria Smith argues that the pressure on women and girls has not decreased, but instead been incorporated into the 'work' of feminism. (Un)kind analyses the way in which this phenomenon ultimately distorts relationships, harming not just those coerced into performing 'kindness work' but the supposed recipients of their services.Kindness culture supports the backlash against feminism while claiming to represent feminism's - and women's - true nature. It is, at heart, unkind.PRAISE FOR HAGS'The greatest joy of Hags is its lively erudition . . . eloquent, clever and devastating' The Times 'A book that could not be more necessary' Observer 'Brilliantly witty, engaging and insightful' Scotsman
(Un)kind: How 'Be Kind' Entrenches Sexism
by Victoria Smith'Victoria Smith is a brilliant writer who every feminist should read' Sharron Davies'Erudite, blisteringly smart and profoundly compassionate... A must-read for anyone hungry to understand the origins and dangers of contemporary exhortations to women to #BeKind, and for everyone who wants to live a feminist life' Dr Rachel HewittA brilliantly witty and insightful analysis of how kindness culture is used against women. Using the #JustBeKind trend of the 2020s as a starting point, (Un)kind explores how traditional beliefs about women's 'kind' nature have been repackaged for an age that remains dependent - socially, politically, economically - on female self-sacrifice while finding the concept outdated and essentialist. Looking at the various guises under which kindness culture is sold to women and girls - from play to self-help, social justice activism to empowerment - Victoria Smith argues that the pressure on women and girls has not decreased, but instead been incorporated into the 'work' of feminism. (Un)kind analyses the way in which this phenomenon ultimately distorts relationships, harming not just those coerced into performing 'kindness work' but the supposed recipients of their services.Kindness culture supports the backlash against feminism while claiming to represent feminism's - and women's - true nature. It is, at heart, unkind.PRAISE FOR HAGS'The greatest joy of Hags is its lively erudition . . . eloquent, clever and devastating' The Times 'A book that could not be more necessary' Observer 'Brilliantly witty, engaging and insightful' Scotsman
The Uptown Local: Joy, Death, and Joan Didion
by Cory LeadbeaterAs an aspiring novelist in his early twenties, Cory Leadbeater was presented with an opportunity to work for a well-known writer whose identity was kept confidential. Since the tumultuous days of childhood, Cory had sought refuge from the rougher parts of life in the pages of books. Suddenly, he found himself the personal assistant to a titan of literature: Joan Didion.In the nine years that followed, Cory shared Joan's rarefied world, transformed not only by her blazing intellect but by her generous friendship and mentorship. Together they recited poetry in the mornings, dined with Supreme Court justices, attended art openings, smoked a single cigarette before bed.But secretly, Cory was spiraling. He reeled from the death of a close friend. He spent his weekends at a federal prison, visiting his father as he served time for fraud. He struggled day after day to write the novel that would validate him as a real writer. And meanwhile, the forces of addiction and depression loomed large.In hypnotic prose that pulses with life and longing, The Uptown Local explores the fault lines of class, family, loss, and creativity. It is a love letter to a cultural icon-and a moving testament to the relationships that sustain us in the eternal pursuit of a life worth living.
The Devil Three Times: 'a page-turning, rollicking novel' Nathan Harris
by Rickey Fayne'A major new talent announces himself' Attica Locke, New York Times bestselling author of Guide Me Home and Bluebird, Bluebird'A debut of enormous ambition that succeeds on every level. .. a page-turning, rollicking novel' Nathan Harris, New York Times bestselling author of The Sweetness of WaterThe Devil first visits Yetunde aboard a slave ship heading to America. Her home burned to ash, she lies shackled in the belly of the ship with only her dead sister's spirit for company. Worse, she has a caught the eye of a white man. To survive the hell that awaits her, the Devil offers his protection and a piece of his supernatural power. In return, Yetunde makes an incredible sacrifice.Their bargain extends far beyond Yetunde's mortal lifespan. Over the next 175 years, the Devil visits all her descendants in their darkest hour of need. There's Lucille, a conjure woman; Asa, the white-passing son of a slave; Louis and Virgil, a twentieth-century Cain and Abel; Cassandra, a girl who speaks to the dead; James, a father struggling to keep his family together; and many others. The Devil offers each of them his own version of salvation, all the while wondering: can he save himself, too?Steeped in the spiritual traditions and oral history of the Black diaspora, The Devil Three Times is a baptism by fire and water, heralding a new voice in fiction.
This Immaculate Body: 'electric . . . A chilling book by an exciting new voice’ VOGUE
by Emma van Straaten'an impeccable debut from a rising talent' Alice Slater'transgressive, with an ending that gave me whiplash' Kirsty Capes'deserves immediate cult status' Dazed'Baby Reindeer meets Convenience Store Woman' Kirsty LoganAlice has been cleaning Tom's flat every Wednesday for a year. With every smudge wiped from his coffee cup, every crease smoothed out in his bed, every multivitamin counted from the jar, Alice spirals deeper into infatuation. But as Alice prepares for the moment when they will finally meet face-to-face, she discovers that love might not be the cure she thought it was.This Immaculate Body is a story of obsession, of the way women view the world and the ways that the world views them. As Alice frantically tries to cling to an imagined future with Tom, the line between fantasy and reality become ever more blurred, putting everything she has dreamed of at risk.
Etiquette for Lovers and Killers
by Anna Fitzgerald HealySet in 1960s Maine, a witty, twisty murder mystery following a young woman who just wishes something interesting would happen for once . . . who stumbles across a crime of passion."What are the chances of receiving a love letter, engagement ring, and phone call for a stranger, only to see her murdered the next day?" It's 1964 in the tiny town of Eastport, Maine, and Billie McCadie is bored to death. She's surrounded by dull people with more manners than sense, and no sign of the intrigue or romance that fills her beloved novels. That is, until an engagement ring and cryptic love letter turn up, addressed to 'Gertrude'. Until she meets yacht-club handsome Avery Webster. Until the unsettling phone calls and visits from a man in a fedora begin. Until she's one of the last people to see Gertrude alive . . . and the first to see her dead. What follows is an intoxicating cocktail of stalking, blackmail, Jell-O salads, and champagne secrets, all served along the rocky Maine coastline. Everyone is a suspect. Everyone has a secret. And (strangely) everyone has a boat. But who is willing to kiss and tell? As the body count rises and the danger nears, why does Billie feel like she's more than just a side character? And after yearning to be in the action for so long, would it be terribly unladylike to have some fun of her own? A love letter to uncivilized behavior, Etiquette for Lovers and Killers blends mystery and romance into a witty, twisty, murderous delight that aches for better manners.
Lifeform
by Jenny SlatePraise for Jenny Slate and Little Weirds'Magical' Mindy Kaling'Delicious' Amy Sedaris'This book is something new and wonderful. It made me remember I was alive' George SaundersFrom actor, comedian, co-creator of Marcel the Shell, and New York Times bestselling author of Little Weirds Jenny Slate, a wild, soulful, hilarious collection of genre-bending essays depicting the journey into motherhood as you've never seen it before.What happened was this: Jenny Slate was a human mammal who sniffed the air every morning hoping to find another person to love who would love her, and in that period there was a deep dark loneliness that she had to face and befriend, and then we are pleased to report that she did fall in love, and in that period she was like chimes, or a flock of clean breaths, and her spine lying flat was the many-colored planks on the xylophone, but also she was rabid with fear of losing this love, because of past injury. And then what happened was that she became a wild-pregnant-mammal-thing and then she exploded herself by having a whole baby blast through her vagina during a global plague and then she was expected to carry on like everything was normal-but was this normal, and had she or anything ever been normal?Herein lies an account of this journey, told in five phases-Single, True Love, Pregnancy, Baby, and Ongoing-through luminous, laugh-out-loud funny, unclassifiable essays that take the form of letters to a doctor, dreams of a stork, fantasy therapy sessions, gossip between racoons, excerpts from an imaginary olden timey play, obituaries, theories about post-partum hair loss, graduation speeches, and more. No one writes like Jenny Slate.
Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers
by Caroline FraserFrom the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Prairie Fires comes a terrifying true-crime history of serial killers in the Pacific Northwest and beyond - a gripping investigation of how a new strain of psychopath emerged out of a toxic landscape of deadly industrial violence.Pulitzer Prize-winning author Caroline Fraser grew up in the shadow of Ted Bundy, the most notorious serial murderer of women in American history, surrounded by his hunting grounds and mountain body dumps, in the brooding landscape of the Pacific Northwest. But in the 1970s and 80s, Bundy was just one perpetrator amid an uncanny explosion of serial rape and murder across the region. Why so many? Why so weirdly and nightmarishly gruesome? Why the senseless rise and then sudden fall of an epidemic of serial killing? As Murderland indelibly maps the lives and careers of Bundy and his infamous peers in mayhem - the Green River Killer, the I-5 Killer, the Night Stalker, the Hillside Strangler, even Charles Manson - Fraser's Northwestern death trip begins to uncover a deeper mystery and an overlapping pattern of environmental destruction. At ground zero in Ted Bundy's Tacoma, stood one of the most poisonous lead, copper, and arsenic smelters in the world, but it was only one among many that dotted the area. As Fraser's investigation inexorably proceeds, evidence mounts that the plumes of western smelters not only sickened and blighted millions of lives, but also warped young minds, spawning a generation of serial killers. A propulsive non-fiction thriller, Murderland transcends true-crime voyeurism and noir mythology, taking readers on a profound quest into the dark heart of the real American berserk.Praise for Murderland:'What makes a murderer? Pulitzer winner Fraser (Prairie Fires) makes a convincing case for arsenic and lead poisoning as contributing factors in this eyebrow-raising account . . . her methodical research and lucid storytelling argue persuasively for linking the health of the planet to the safety of its citizens. This is a provocative and page-turning work of true crime' Publishers Weekly (starred review)'A provocative, eerily lyrical study of the heyday of American serial killers . . . A true-crime story written with compassion, fury, and scientific sense' Kirkus (starred review)
Heartwood: 'nearly impossible to put down' Jennifer Egan
by Amity Gaige'Fast-paced and full of grace . . . a memorable meditation on the forms of care' Sarah Moss'An unforgettable treat' Janice Hallett'An absolute must-read' Elin HildebrandIn the heart of the Maine woods, an experienced Appalachian Trail hiker goes missing. She is forty-two-year-old Valerie Gillis, who has vanished 200 miles from her final destination. Alone in the wilderness, Valerie pours her thoughts into fractured, poetic letters to her mother as she battles the elements and struggles to keep hoping. At the centre of the search is Beverly, the determined Maine State Game Warden tasked with finding Valerie, who managing the search on the ground. While Beverly is searching, Lena, a seventy-six-year-old birdwatcher in a retirement community, becomes an unexpected armchair detective. Roving between these compelling narratives, a puzzle emerges, intensifying the frantic search, as Valerie's disappearance may not be accidental.
Jane and Dan at the End of the World: 'Oakley is in a world of her own when it comes to creating loveable, quirky characters' Taylor Jenkins Reid
by Colleen OakleyDate night goes off the rails when one unhappy couple find themselves taken hostage by a climate activist group'Marital discord meets mortal danger in this high-stakes tongue-in-cheek romp' Good Housekeeping'The true definition of unputdownable... A must-read!' LIBBY PAGE, author of The Lido'My favourite book of the year' SHELBY VAN PELT, author of Remarkably Bright Creatures'This sharply original romp is entirely too much fun' People---------------------------------------Jane and Dan have been married for nineteen years, but Jane isn't sure they're going to make it to twenty. She feels unneeded by her teenagers, her one published novel has sold under five hundred copies, and she's pretty sure Dan is cheating on her. Arriving at renowned restaurant La Fin du Monde to celebrate their anniversary, Jane thinks it's time to ask for a divorce.But before they even get to the second course, a climate activist group bursts into the room. Jane is shocked - and not just because she's in a movie-style hostage situation. Nearly everything the disorganized activists say and do is right out of the pages of her failed book. Which means Jane and Dan are the only ones who know what's going to happen next. And they're the only ones who can stop it. If they can survive this, maybe they can survive anything - even marriage.---------------------------------------READERS LOVE JANE AND DAN!'The plot was plotting!''Oakley had me laughing OUT LOUD''A five-star must read''I couldn't put it down''Pure joy wrapped up in 370 pages'
Jane and Dan at the End of the World: 'Oakley is in a world of her own when it comes to creating loveable, quirky characters' Taylor Jenkins Reid
by Colleen OakleyDate night goes off the rails when one unhappy couple find themselves taken hostage by a climate activist group'Marital discord meets mortal danger in this high-stakes tongue-in-cheek romp' Good Housekeeping'The true definition of unputdownable... A must-read!' LIBBY PAGE, author of The Lido'My favourite book of the year' SHELBY VAN PELT, author of Remarkably Bright Creatures'This sharply original romp is entirely too much fun' People---------------------------------------Jane and Dan have been married for nineteen years, but Jane isn't sure they're going to make it to twenty. She feels unneeded by her teenagers, her one published novel has sold under five hundred copies, and she's pretty sure Dan is cheating on her. Arriving at renowned restaurant La Fin du Monde to celebrate their anniversary, Jane thinks it's time to ask for a divorce.But before they even get to the second course, a climate activist group bursts into the room. Jane is shocked - and not just because she's in a movie-style hostage situation. Nearly everything the disorganized activists say and do is right out of the pages of her failed book. Which means Jane and Dan are the only ones who know what's going to happen next. And they're the only ones who can stop it. If they can survive this, maybe they can survive anything - even marriage.---------------------------------------READERS LOVE JANE AND DAN!'The plot was plotting!''Oakley had me laughing OUT LOUD''A five-star must read''I couldn't put it down''Pure joy wrapped up in 370 pages'
City of Light, City of Shadows: Paris in the Belle Époque
by x Mike RapportParis in the Belle Époque is remembered as a golden age of cultural flourishing and political progress. The period between the revolutionary 1870s and the outbreak of war in 1914 saw the modern French capital take shape: by day Parisians could admire the rising Eiffel Tower and Sacré-Coeur Basilica, while at night they roamed the Bohemian world of the Moulin Rouge. But as Mike Rapport reveals in this authoritative and beautifully written new history, City of Light, City of Shadows, beneath the elegant veneer Paris was at war with itself. For the Belle Époque was also an era of social and religious unrest, arguments over women's emancipation and violent clashes over what it meant to be French.Paris pulsated with pleasure, anxieties and tension stemming from the giddying speed of modernity: blazing electric lights illuminating the night, the first cars speeding down the boulevards, as well as the first Métro trains and aeroplane flights. At the same time reactionary forces reasserted themselves through the new mass media-mostly dramatically in the infamous Dreyfus affair, which exposed the dark heart of French antisemitism. Told through the eyes of the greatest personalities of the age-novelist Émile Zola, feminist activist Marguerite Durand, Vietnamese diplomat Nguyễn Trọng Hợp and socialist politician Jean Jaurès-the book weaves together stories of splendour and suffering, delight and agony, offering a brilliant account of the shadows cast across the City of Light.
The Art of Fairness: The Power of Decency in a World Turned Mean
by David Bodanis'David Bodanis is an enthralling storyteller. Prepare to be taken on a surprising, wide-ranging and ultimately inspiring journey to explore what makes us human' Tim HarfordCan you succeed without being a terrible person? We often think not: recognising that, as the old saying has it, 'nice guys finish last'. But does that mean you have to go to the other extreme, and be a bully or Machiavellian to get anything done?In THE ART OF FAIRNESS, David Bodanis uses thrilling historical case studies to show there's a better path, leading neatly in between. He reveals how it was fairness, applied with skill, that led the Empire State Building to be constructed in barely a year - and how the same techniques brought a quiet English debutante to become an acclaimed jungle guerrilla fighter. In ten vivid profiles - featuring pilots, presidents, and even the producer of Game of Thrones - we see that the path to greatness doesn't require crushing displays of power or tyrannical ego. Simple fair decency can prevail.With surprising insights from across history - including the downfall of the very man who popularised the phrase 'nice guys finish last' - THE ART OF FAIRNESS charts a refreshing and sustainable new approach to cultivating integrity and influence.
Life As No One Knows It: The Physics of Life's Emergence
by Sara Imari WalkerWhat is life? This is among the most difficult open problems in science, right up there with the nature of consciousness and the existence of matter. All the definitions we have fall short. None help us understand how life originates or the full range of possibilities for what life on other planets might look like.In LIFE AS NO ONE KNOWS IT, physicist and astrobiologist Sara Imari Walker argues that solving the origin of life requires radical new thinking and an experimentally testable theory for what life is. This is an urgent issue for efforts to make life from scratch in laboratories here on Earth and missions searching for life on other planets.Walker proposes a new paradigm for understanding what physics encompasses and what we recognize as life. She invites us into a world of maverick scientists working without a map, seeking not just answers but better ways to formulate the biggest questions we have about the universe. The book culminates with the bold proposal of a new theory for identifying and classifying life, one that applies not just to biological life on Earth but to any instance of life in the universe. Rigorous, accessible, and vital, LIFE AS NO ONE KNOWS IT celebrates the mystery of life and the explanatory power of physics.
Human Frontiers: The Future of Big Ideas in an Age of Small Thinking
by Michael Bhaskar'A fascinating, must-read book covering a vast array of topics from the arts to the sciences, technology to policy. This is a brilliant and thought-provoking response to one of the most critical questions of our age: how we will come up with the next generation of innovation and truly fresh ideas?'Mustafa Suleyman, cofounder of DeepMind and Google VP'Have "big ideas" and big social and economic changes disappeared from the scene? Michael Bhaskar's Human Frontiers is the best look at these all-important questions.'Tyler Cowen, author of The Great Stagnation and The Complacent Class'Michael Bhaskar explores the disturbing possibility that a complacent, cautious civilization has lost ambition and is slowly sinking into technological stagnation rather than accelerating into a magical future. He is calling for bold, adventurous innovators to go big again. A fascinating book'Matt Ridley, author of How Innovation WorksWhere next for humanity? Is our future one of endless improvement in all areas of life, from technology and travel to medicine, movies and music? Or are our best years behind us? It's easy to assume that the story of modern society is one of consistent, radical progress, but this is no longer true: more academics are researching than ever before but their work leads to fewer breakthroughs; innovation is incremental, limited to the digital sphere; the much-vaunted cure for cancer remains elusive; space travel has stalled since the heady era of the moonshot; politics is stuck in a rut, and the creative industries seem trapped in an ongoing cycle of rehashing genres and classics. The most ambitious ideas now struggle. Our great-great-great grandparents saw a series of transformative ideas revolutionise almost everything in just a few decades. Today, in contrast, short termism, risk aversion, and fractious decision making leaves the landscape timid and unimaginative.In Human Frontiers, Michael Bhaskar draws a vividly entertaining and expansive portrait of humanity's relationship with big ideas. He argues that stasis at the frontier is the result of having already pushed so far, taken easy wins and started to hit limits. But new thinking is still possible. By adopting bold global approaches, deploying cutting edge technology like AI and embracing a culture of change, we can push through and expand afresh.Perfect for anyone who has wondered why we haven't gone further, this book shows in fascinating detail how the 21st century could stall - or be the most revolutionary time in human history.
COVID-19: The Pandemic that Never Should Have Happened, and How to Stop the Next One
by Debora MacKenzie'Excellent . . . analyses clearly and authoritatively how the coronavirus pandemic played out, what governments should have done, and what we need to do when it happens again - as it undoubtedly will' Financial Times'You could not hope for a better guide to the pandemic world order than Debora MacKenzie, who's been on this story from the start. This is an authoritative yet readable explanation of how this catastrophe happened - and more important, how it will happen again if we don't change'Tim Harford, author of The Undercover Economist, Adapt and Messy'This definitely deserves a read - the first of the post mortems by a writer who knows what she's talking about'Laura Spinney, author of Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the WorldIn a gripping, accessible narrative, a veteran science journalist lays out the shocking story of how the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic happened and how to make sure this never happens againOver the last 30 years of epidemics and pandemics, we learned every lesson needed to stop this coronavirus outbreak in its tracks. We heeded almost none of them. The result is a pandemic on a scale never before seen in our lifetimes. In this captivating, authoritative, and eye-opening book, science journalist Debora MacKenzie lays out the full story of how and why it happened: the previous viruses that should have prepared us, the shocking public health failures that paved the way, the failure to contain the outbreak, and most importantly, what we must do to prevent future pandemics.Debora MacKenzie has been reporting on emerging diseases for more than three decades, and she draws on that experience to explain how COVID-19 went from a potentially manageable outbreak to a global pandemic. Offering a compelling history of the most significant recent outbreaks, including SARS, MERS, H1N1, Zika, and Ebola, she gives a crash course in Epidemiology 101--how viruses spread and how pandemics end--and outlines the lessons we failed to learn from each past crisis. In vivid detail, she takes us through the arrival and spread of COVID-19, making clear the steps that governments knew they could have taken to prevent or at least prepare for this. Looking forward, MacKenzie makes a bold, optimistic argument: this pandemic might finally galvanize the world to take viruses seriously. Fighting this pandemic and preventing the next one will take political action of all kinds, globally, from governments, the scientific community, and individuals--but it is possible.No one has yet brought together our knowledge of COVID-19 in a comprehensive, informative, and accessible way. But that story can already be told, and Debora MacKenzie's urgent telling is required reading for these times and beyond. It is too early to say where the COVID-19 pandemic will go, but it is past time to talk about what went wrong and how we can do better.
How Boards Work: And How They Can Work Better in a Chaotic World
by Dambisa Moyo'Highly instructive . . . provides thoughtful analysis' Financial Times'Exactly what any prospective-or sitting-board member needs' Arianna Huffington'A must read . . . highly engaging . . . an indispensable guide to how boards function, malfunction, and, most importantly, should operate better' Mohamed A. El-ErianCorporate boards are under great pressure. Scandals and malpractice at companies like GE, Theranos and WeWork have raised justified questions among regulators, shareholders, and the public about the quality of corporate governance. Boards face ever-louder demands to weigh in on questions of climate change, racial and gender equity, data privacy, and other social issues that range far beyond their traditional mandate: choosing the CEO and endorsing corporate strategy.In HOW BOARDS WORK, prizewinning economist, veteran board director, and bestselling author Dambisa Moyo offers an insider's view of corporate boards as they are buffeted by the turbulence of our times. Drawing on her decade of experience serving on corporate boards, Moyo lays out what it is that boards actually do, and she outlines how they must adapt to survive the challenges of coming years. Corporations need boards that are more transparent, more knowledgeable, more diverse, and more deeply involved in setting the strategic course of the companies they lead.HOW BOARDS WORK is an urgent road map for how boards can steer companies through tomorrow's challenges and ensure they thrive to benefit their employees, shareholders, and society at large.
Planta Sapiens: Unmasking Plant Intelligence
by Paco Calvo Natalie LawrenceWhat is it like to be a plant?It's not a question we might think to contemplate, even though many of us live surrounded by plants. Science has long explored the wonderful ways in which plants communicate, behave and shape their environments: from chemical warfare to turning their predators to cannibalism. But they're usually just the backdrop to our frenetic animal lives.While plants may not have brains or move around as we do, cutting-edge science is revealing that they have astonishing inner worlds of an alternate kind to ours. They can plan ahead, learn, recognise their relatives, assess risks and make decisions. They can even be put to sleep. Innovative new tools might allow us to actually see them do these things - from electrophysiological recordings to MRI and PET scans. If you can look in the right way, a world full of drama unfurls.In PLANTA SAPIENS, Professor Paco Calvo offers a bold new perspective on plant biology and cognitive science. Using the latest scientific findings, Calvo challenges us to make an imaginative leap into a world that is so close and yet so alien - one that will expand our understanding of our own minds.From their rich subjective experiences to how they are inspiring novel ways of approaching the ecological crisis, PLANTA SAPIENS is a dazzling exploration of the lives of plants and a call to approach how we think about the natural world in a new, maverick way.