A life-changing gift of a book: What if you tried to stop doing everything, so you could finally get round to what counts?**The instant Sunday Times bestseller**Rejecting the futile modern obsession with 'getting everything done,' Four Thousand Weeks introduces readers to tools for constructing a meaningful life by embracing rather than denying their limitations.Drawing on the insights of both ancient and contemporary philosophers, psychologists, and spiritual teachers, Oliver Burkeman sets out to realign our relationship with time - and in doing so, to liberate us from its tyranny.Embrace your limits. Change your life. Discover how to make your four thousand weeks count in 2025.'Life is finite. You don't have to fit everything in... Read this book and wake up to a new way of thinking and living' Emma Gannon'Every sentence is riven with gold' Chris Evans'Comforting, fascinating, engaging, inspiring and useful' Marian Keyes Read more

A life-changing gift of a book: What if you tried to stop doing everything, so you could finally get round to what counts?**The instant Sunday Times bestseller**Rejecting the futile modern obsession with 'getting everything done,' Four Thousand Weeks introduces readers to tools for constructing a meaningful life by embracing rather than denying their limitations.Drawing on the insights of both ancient and contemporary philosophers, psychologists, and spiritual teachers, Oliver Burkeman sets out to realign our relationship with time - and in doing so, to liberate us from its tyranny.Embrace your limits. Change your life. Discover how to make your four thousand weeks count in 2025.'Life is finite. You don't have to fit everything in... Read this book and wake up to a new way of thinking and living' Emma Gannon'Every sentence is riven with gold' Chris Evans'Comforting, fascinating, engaging, inspiring and useful' Marian Keyes Read more

** Shortlisted for the BOOKS ARE MY BAG Readers Award for Children's Fiction **'Clever, inventive and a cracking read' - Eoin Colfer, author of Artemis FowlA locked-room mystery packed with rooftop chases, hidden codes and mind-bending science, The Clockwork Conspiracy is a must for fans of the Adventures on Trains series and Sharna Jackson's High Rise mysteries.Aspiring inventor Isaac Turner lives with his dad, the horologist in charge of Big Ben. But when his father vanishes from the belfry on the night the clocks go back, leaving behind only a smashed pocket watch and a cryptic message, Isaac determines to find him.Hunting a trail of clues through London's landmarks, Isaac uncovers a sinister plot in the gears of government and embarks on a race against time to save his father - and time itself.'An ingenious mystery full of fascinating facts. Sedgman has cracked the code for an absolute triumph of a book' - A.F. Steadman, author of Skandar and the Unicorn Thief'The Clockwork Conspiracy offers a captivating and perilous adventure that surprises and delights at every turn' - Catherine Doyle, author of The Storm Keeper's Island'A smart and pacey thriller. Time well spent' - The Times'A taut, tense mystery with perfectly-timed plotting, this is guaranteed to make the time fly' - Maz Evans, author of Who Let the Gods Out? 'A gripping mystery delivered with panache' ­- The Observer'A thrilling story from start to finish' ­­- Inis Magazine'Action-packed with twisty turns and a gripping plot' - Daily Mail'THE CLOCKWORK CONSPIRACY is a fiendishly clever contraption, featuring brilliantly savvy characters and a well-wound plot that ticks along like - what else? - clockwork' - Andy Sagar, author of Yesterday Crumb and the Storm in a Teacup'A thrilling locked-room mystery, with a plot as beautifully engineered as clockwork' - Pari Thomson, author of Greenwild: The World Behind the Door'An action-packed, thrilling adventure' - The Week Junior'A rapid adventure, combined with an encyclopaedic focus on a particular subject - and an ability to make it sing' - The Telegraph'I predict this will be a very popular addition to any library, home or classroom' - Books for Keeps Read more

Telling the Time is a useful skill to teach your childrenHundreds of problems to help kids read the timeMatch the time to the correct clockReal-life questions about how long an event takesCalculating start times and end timesTime differences6x9 inches120 pagesAges 6 to 11Multiple questions reinforce your child's learning and understanding.Buy a copy today and help your child get a head-start. Read more

Professor Stephen Hawking is generally considered to have been one of the world's greatest thinkers. Here, his phenomenal bestseller A Brief History of Time is illustrated to bring his theories to life in a clear, captivating and visually engaging way.'This book marries a child's wonder to a genius's intellect. We journey into Hawking's universe, while marvelling at his mind' - The Sunday Times'Stephen Hawking can explain the complexities of cosmological physics with an engaging combination of clarity and wit...' - Observer'Exceptional writing explaining the mysteries and beauty of our universe. The book is very fascinating and highly enjoyable. Highly recommended' - ***** Reader review'This book is mind blowing' - ***** Reader review'A masterpiece' - ***** Reader review********************************************************************************************Was there a beginning of time? Could time run backwards? Is the universe infinite or does it have boundaries?These are just some of the questions considered in the internationally acclaimed masterpiece by the world-renowned physicist Professor Stephen Hawking.It begins by reviewing the great theories of the cosmos from Newton to Einstein, before delving into the secrets which still lie at the heart of space and time, from the Big Bang to black holes, via spiral galaxies and strong theory. To this day A Brief History of Time remains a staple of the scientific canon, and its succinct and clear language continues to introduce millions to the universe and its wonders.In this edition, Professor Hawking explains his complex theories through a fresh visual dimension. Over 150 stunning colour illustrations have been specially commissioned for this purpose to help the reader understand what have become popular mythic images of our century, but which nonetheless remain difficult, abstract ideas to grasp.This stunning gift edition also includes a new appendix with updates to the text and tributes to Stephen Hawking. Read more

THE #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLEROne of TIME's Ten Best Nonfiction Books of the Decade'Captivating, fascinating, profoundly beautiful. . . Rovelli is a wonderfully humane, gentle and witty guide for he is as much philosopher and poet as he is a scientist' John Banville'We are time. We are this space, this clearing opened by the traces of memory inside the connections between our neurons. We are memory. We are nostalgia. We are longing for a future that will not come'Time is a mystery that does not cease to puzzle us. Philosophers, artists and poets have long explored its meaning while scientists have found that its structure is different from the simple intuition we have of it. From Boltzmann to quantum theory, from Einstein to loop quantum gravity, our understanding of time has been undergoing radical transformations. Time flows at a different speed in different places, the past and the future differ far less than we might think, and the very notion of the present evaporates in the vast universe.With his extraordinary charm and sense of wonder, bringing together science, philosophy and art, Carlo Rovelli unravels this mystery. Enlightening and consoling, The Order of Time shows that to understand ourselves we need to reflect on time -- and to understand time we need to reflect on ourselves.Translated by Simon Carnell and Erica Segre Read more

'A gripping exploration of one of the most fundamental, but also perplexing aspects of existence.' PROF. LEWIS DARTNELL, author of Origins'Such an enjoyable read...full of delightful nuggets that you will want to impress your friends and family with.' PROF. JIM AL-KHALILI, NYT bestselling author of The World According to Physics'This is a lovely, fascinating book. It blends history, geology, chemistry, philosophy and, of course, physics in a way that's delightful to read.' - ABIGAIL BEALL, author of The Art of Urban Astronomy--------Discover the secrets of one of the biggest puzzles in our history - Time. As a subject, it has perplexed and fascinated generations of scientists, historians and more, and continues to spark the most intriguing questions being asked in science today. Can time be stopped? Is time travel possible? Does time even exist...? In these ten bite-sized essays, Colin Stuart delves into these big questions and uncovers the most awe-inspiring and revealing things we should all know about time. Perfect for readers of Carlo Rovelli and anyone fascinated by space and the universe, this is a must-read for those short on time, but not curiosity. Read more

The dramatic human story of an epic scientific quest: the search for the solution of how to calculate longitude and the unlikely triumph of an English genius. With a Foreword by Neil Armstrong.‘Sobel has done the impossible and made horology sexy – no mean feat’ New ScientistAnyone alive in the 18th century would have known that ‘the longitude problem’ was the thorniest scientific dilemma of the day – and had been for centuries. Lacking the ability to measure their longitude, sailors throughout the great ages of exploration had been literally lost at sea as soon as they lost sight of land. Thousands of lives, and the increasing fortunes of nations, hung on a resolution.The quest for a solution had occupied scientists and their patrons for the better part of two centuries when, in 1714, Parliament upped the ante by offering a king’s ransom (£20,000) to anyone whose method or device proved successful. Countless quacks weighed in with preposterous suggestions. The scientific establishment throughout Europe – from Galileo to Sir Isaac Newton – had mapped the heavens in both hemispheres in its certain pursuit of a celestial answer. In stark contrast, one man, John Harrison, dared to imagine a mechanical solution.Full of heroism and chicanery, brilliance and the absurd, LONGITUDE is also a fascinating brief history of astronomy, navigation and clockmaking.Note that it has not been possible to include the same picture content that appeared in the original print version. Read more

'An utterly dazzling book, the best piece of history I have read for a long time' Jerry Brotton, author of A History of the World in Twelve Maps'Not merely an horologist's delight, but an ingenious meditation on the nature and symbolism of time-keeping itself' Richard HolmesThe measurement of time has always been essential to human civilization, from early Roman sundials to the advent of GPS. But while we have one eye on the time every day, are we aware of the power clocks have given governments, military leaders and business owners, and how they have shaped our lives and our world?In this spectacularly far-reaching book, David Rooney narrates a history of timekeeping and civilization in twelve concise chapters. Over their course, we meet the most epochal inventions in horological history, from medieval water clocks to Renaissance hourglasses, and from stock-exchange timestamps to satellites in Earth's orbit. We discover how clocks have helped people navigate the globe and build empires, but also, on occasion, taken us to the brink of destruction.This is the story of time, and the story of time is the story of us. Read more

Following one of the most inspiring and fascinating stories linked to the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, this book centres on the life and achievements of John Harrison – designer and builder of the first accurate marine chronometers. Inspired by the official prize offered in 1714 to anyone who could solve the problem of finding longitudinal position at sea, Harrison produced his four famous ‘H’ timepieces. In doing so, he helped revolutionise sea travel, saving many thousands of lives. John Harrison and the Quest for Longitude is the intriguing account of one man driven by the need to solve one of the greatest practical problems of his time. Read more

For more than a century, Rolex has stood apart as the most legendary brand of watch in the world. A Rolex conveys many things: a luxury timepiece, a tool of power for movers and shakers and the symbol of passage into adulthood.New labels pop up, styles come and go, but the brand at the top never changes. Ever the record setter―the Daytona that had belonged to Paul Newman was auctioned by Phillips in New York in October 2017 for $17.8 million― it comes as no surprise that Rolex is the most collected watch brand in the world.The Vintage Watch Company is the only store of its kind in the world, with a devoted client base of devoted Rolex aficionados, from royalty to sporting legends to stars of the silver screen. Throughout, father and son, John and David Silver have been carefully cataloguing and amassing one of the largest pictorial records of vintage Rolex watches in the world. Published to celebrate the company's 25th anniversary in late 2020, the book contains a unique pictorial collection of vintage Rolex watches that have passed through the shop during the past 25 years.More than 1800 watches have been photographed and are described in detail in the book. From early Rolex pocket watches to the world’s first wristwatches, elegant in their simplicity yet revolutionary in their impact, to the very first Submariners, iconic Daytonas and jewel-encrusted Crown Collections, the mesmerizing archive of vintage timepieces charts the extraordinary rise of an extraordinary brand. Choose from the First Rolex Submariner, later coined the James Bond, or the Early GMT-Master made for Pan Am transatlantic pilots. Read about the First Explorers made famous by the 1953 Everest Expedition or the later Explorer II worn by Steve McQueen. Marvel at Early Vintage collections, from the Officer’s Pocket Watch to the Ladies’ Diamond; from the Oyster and the Stella & Stone collections, to the Sport Collection.This book is a perfect gift for all lovers of luxury retail as well as passionate collectors of Rolex watches who will want to read about the models they own. Read more

'Often-complex ideas are explained with clarity and precision, but this is clearly a passion project for the author, and the book soars where he deploys more poetic language, as when musing on the deeper themes that arise from his central question. ... If you've ever looked up at the sky and pondered on the big questions of life in the Universe, this is essential reading.' BBC Sky at Night magazineAstronomer and science writer David Whitehouse takes us on a journey through the evolving cosmos as he considers humankind's place in the universe - and how our survival depends on otherworldly perspectives.From the Earth to the depths of outer space, this inspiring book shows how human evolution has been intertwined with the workings of the cosmos from the very beginning, and what the far-distant future may hold, both for the universe and for ourselves.Given enough time, Whitehouse contends, we must communicate with intelligent aliens whose divergent perspective will transform our understanding of the universe. First contact may even come sooner than we think. We have already transmitted signals towards promising exoplanets. If, say, Gliese 581d harbours life, the return signal could reach us in 2051.Drawing the thread of human consciousness from the cave to the cosmos, the acclaimed author of Apollo 11: The Inside Story charts our future journey to the end of space and time and considers whether something of humanity could remain at the end of it all. Read more

'5/5 A true joy. A work of staggering complexity and bewildering economy.' TELEGRAPH'Every page glitters' SPECTATOR'Mesmerising' NEW STATESMAN'An exquisite book, beautifully put together... What a very wonderful book.' STEPHEN FRYA BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK______________________In Hands of Time watchmaker and historian Rebecca Struthers welcomes us into the hidden world of watchmaking, and to a history of time that spans centuries and continents.The invention of timepieces was more significant for human culture than the printing press, or even the wheel. They have travelled the world with us, from the depths of the oceans to the summit of Everest, and even to the Moon. They regulate our daily lives and have sculpted the social and economic development of society in surprising and dramatic ways.From her workshop bench, Rebecca explores the ways in which timekeeping has indelibly shaped our attitudes to work, leisure, trade, politics, exploration and mortality, and introduces us to some extraordinary devices, each with their own story to tell. Hands of Time is an intricate exploration of the history, science, philosophy, and craft of timekeeping.'A rattling, wonderful read.' OBSERVER'Beautiful, bewitching and brilliant' LARA MAIKLEM'An intensely personal, finely-tuned meditation. A beautiful book' EDMUND DE WAAL Read more

A beautiful gift for anyone interested in the night sky.Follow the progress of constellations throughout the seasons with this beautiful companion to the night sky from Astronomy experts Collins.With the aid of easy-to-understand monthly calendars and maps, you will chart the rhythm of the lunar phases, discover events that light up the sky for brief periods, and explore the rich tapestry of characters that adorn the starry canvas overhead.never miss a night sky event wherever you are in the world with this month-by-month guidego meteor spotting, track the phases of the moon and explore the constellationsworldwide coverage – with details for both the Northern and Southern hemispheresdiscover fascinating celestial facts and notable astronomical anniversariesWritten and illustrated by astronomical experts, Storm Dunlop and Wil Tirion, and approved by the astronomers of Royal Observatory Greenwich. Read more

A BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK'An exquisite book, beautifully put together... What a very wonderful book.' STEPHEN FRY'Forty-thousand years of our relationship with time condensed into 288 pages: a hugely entertaining achievement.' ESQUIRE'5/5 A true joy. A work of staggering complexity and bewildering economy.' TELEGRAPH'A rattling, wonderful read.' OBSERVER'Every page glitters' SPECTATOR'Mesmerising' NEW STATESMAN'Absolutely gorgeous. It blew my socks off' JAY BLADES'An intensely personal, finely-tuned meditation. A beautiful book' EDMUND DE WAAL'Beautiful, bewitching and brilliant' LARA MAIKLEMIn Hands of Time, watchmaker and historian Rebecca Struthers welcomes us into the hidden world of watchmaking, and to a history of time that spans centuries and continents.The invention of timepieces was more significant for human culture than the printing press, or even the wheel. They have travelled the world with us, from the depths of the oceans to the summit of Everest, and even to the Moon. They regulate our daily lives and have sculpted the social and economic development of society in surprising and dramatic ways.From her workshop bench, Rebecca explores the ways in which timekeeping has indelibly shaped our attitudes to work, leisure, trade, politics, exploration and mortality, and introduces us to some extraordinary devices, each with their own story to tell. Hands of Time is an intricate exploration of the history, science, philosophy, and craft of timekeeping. Read more

Have you lived before? Suddenly the idea of reincarnation has produced a wave of resonance in modern society and struck a chord. This book documents the growing public acceptance of the possibility that all of us will live again after we finish our present ‘go-around’ on the planet Earth. The ancient concept of reincarnation and past lives has not only re-emerged into our modern consciousness, but seems to have become a more natural and accepted part of our world view. Some studies show that twenty-five percent of people in modern western countries now agree that reincarnation is not only possible, but a reality. The implications of this are enormous. Imagine a population that has been released from the fear of death.Suddenly, we have all the time in the world – eternity, in fact! Life now takes on a new dimension of meaning. We realize that this is not all there is and we also understand that we are more than our physical bodies and because we are more than our physical bodies, we can access that which is beyond the physical. Our potential is virtually unlimited. Freedom from the fear of death is a kind of universal freedom that can flow across all aspects of life and living. Knowing that we are not mere physical lumps of biological matter, but indestructible souls constructed of pure consciousness is a magnificent vision for humanity. Knowing that we are ‘souls’ means that we can live out our lives from that basic understanding. It is the ultimate empowerment. No doubt many will remain sceptical about the possibility of reincarnation. But it seems this is a concept and a phenomenon that is not going away. Those amazing headlines in the media just keep coming. Every day more people – average, ordinary everyday people – are discovering that they have an undeniable connection to something larger, something infinite and something absolutely amazing. Table of Contents Bentreshyt – A Priestess of Isis The Reawakening of Marty Martyn Past Lives on Other Planets The Interesting Case of Sherrie Lea Laird and Marilyn Life on Mars Group Reincarnation The Druze The Genius Connection The Science of Reincarnation Read more

What the Scientists Say About Time Travel It’s fair to say that most scientists today will tell you that time travel is impossible. Three of today’s top physicists - Charles Liu, Brian Green and Michio Kaku - all hold that time travel is, if not impossible, unlikely in the extreme. However, one of the most brilliant minds of our time, physicist Stephen Hawking, disagrees - although only partially. He believes that time travel is theoretically possible, but only into the future. …. But What Do Real People Experience? The opinion of science, however, has never stopped thousands of people around the world from reporting what they firmly believe are actual experiences of spontaneous time travel! Still others insist that time travel is not only possible, but they have already done it as part of top secret government programmes. Claims for time travel range from the highly flaky to the astoundingly believable. They are especially difficult to dismiss when time travel reports come from absolutely ordinary, rock-solid people who have nothing to gain by proclaiming they travelled in time. Many people who report time travel experiences don’t necessarily believe it themselves. What happened to them was so strange, so unexpected, yet so real; they simply have no other good explanation for their experience. You will meet a number of such individuals in this book, most of their stories straight out of the headline of local newspapers. No doubt, a story or two will strike the reader as pure balderdash. On the other hand, some of these cases of time travel are tantalizing and unexplainable. They also come with a certain amount of solid evidence, such as stopped clocks, frozen machines and electromagnetic devices acting in inexplicable ways. Physicist and NASA scientist Tom Campbell said that scientific advances always ‘come from the fringe.’ Thus, even if you consider some of these stories stepping dangerously ‘out there’ onto that fringy edge, remember that many of yesterday’s fringe theories are today’s scientific fact. At the very least, it doesn’t hurt to approach the idea of time travel with an open mind and a sense of wonder. Contents Include: * The Man Who Froze Time * Time Storms * Andrew Basiago * Planes, Trains & Automobiles…..and Ships * Liverpool * Back in Time – Retro-causation * The Kersey Time Slip * Remote Time Read more

The quantum computer is no longer the stuff of science fiction. Pioneering physicists are on the brink of unlocking a new quantum universe which provides a better representation of reality than our everyday experiences and common sense ever could. The birth of quantum computers – which, like Schrödinger’s famous ‘dead and alive’ cat, rely on entities like electrons, photons or atoms existing in two states at the same time – is set to turn the computing world on its head.In his fascinating study of this cutting-edge technology, John Gribbin updates his previous views on the nature of quantum reality, arguing for a universe of many parallel worlds where ‘everything is real’. Looking back to Alan Turing’s work on the Enigma machine and the first electronic computer, Gribbin explains how quantum theory developed to make quantum computers work in practice as well as in principle. He takes us beyond the arena of theoretical physics to explore their practical applications – from machines which learn through ‘intuition’ and trial and error to unhackable laptops and smartphones. And he investigates the potential for this extraordinary science to create a world where communication occurs faster than light and teleportation is possible. Read more

What is time? The 5th-century philosopher St Augustine famously said that he knew what time was, so long as no one asked him. Is time a fourth dimension similar to space or does it flow in some sense? And if it flows, does it make sense to say how fast? Does the future exist? Is time travel possible? Why does time seem to pass in only one direction? These questions and others are among the deepest and most subtle that one can ask, but Introducing Time presents them - many for the first time - in an easily accessible, lucid and engaging manner, wittily illustrated by Ralph Edney. Read more