A Radio 4 Book of the Week'Jon Ronson meets Louis Theroux in the style of Joan Didion' - Telegraph'Fascinating, funny, illuminating' - Adam Hills'Riveting . . . human stories that make the impersonal intelligible' - The GuardianIn surprising stories that take us into the worlds of hitmen, insurance frauds and modern-day slaves, Jenny Kleeman explores the value of human life.We say that life is priceless. Yet the cost of saving a life, creating a life or compensating for a life taken is routinely calculated and put into practice. For philanthropists, judges, criminals and healthcare providers, it’s just part of the job. In The Price of Life, journalist, broadcaster and documentary-maker Jenny Kleeman takes us on an adventure to meet some of the people who decide what we’re worth.In a series of extraordinary encounters – with people who have faked their own death or lost a loved one to terrorism, with hitmen and with modern-day slaves – she discovers more questions than answers. What happens when we take human emotions out of the equation? Are some lives really worth more than others? In a world in love with data, what do we lose and what do we gain by leaving the judgments that really matter up to cold, hard logic?_____'Compelling' - Literary Review'Reframes how you think about the world' - Sophie Elmhirst, author of Maurice and Maralyn'Gripping' - Daily Mail'Writing, thinking and storytelling at its best' - Ben Judah, author of This Is Europe Read more

'Blistering' Sunday Times'Indispensable' Observer'Fascinating' The Times'Brilliant' Peter Frankopan'Revelatory' Lindsey HilsumA timely and unprecedented examination of how the modern Middle East unravelled, and why it started with the pivotal year of 1979. Shortlisted for the Cundhill History Prize 2020'What happened to us?'For decades, the question has haunted the Arab and Muslim world, heard across Iran and Syria, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, and in the author's home country of Lebanon. Was it always so? When did the extremism, intolerance and bloodletting of today displace the region's cultural promise and diversity?In Black Wave, award-winning journalist and author Kim Ghattas argues that the turning point in the modern history of the Middle East can be located in the toxic confluence of three major events in 1979: the Iranian revolution; the siege of the Holy Mosque in Mecca; and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Before this year, Saudi Arabia and Iran had been working allies and twin pillars of US strategy in the region - but the radical legacy of these events made them mortal enemies, unleashing a process that transformed culture, society, religion and geopolitics across the region for decades to come.Drawing on a sweeping cast of characters across seven countries over forty years, Ghattas demonstrates how this rivalry for religious and cultural supremacy has fed intolerance, suppressed cultural expression, encouraged sectarian violence, birthed groups like Hezbollah and ISIS and, ultimately, upended the lives of millions. At once bold and intimate, Black Wave is a remarkable and engrossing story of the Middle East as it has never been told before. Read more

THE NO. 1 BEST-SELLING AUTHOR OF POLITICS ON THE EDGERory Stewart explores his love for the UK in this account of history, memory and landscape as he traverses the the borderlands between England and Scotland.‘This beautifully written book is a haunting reflection of identity and our relationships with the people and places we love’ Daily MailHis father Brian taught Rory Stewart how to walk, and walked with him on journeys from Iran to Malaysia. Now they have chosen to do their final walk together along ‘the Marches’ - the frontier that divides their two countries, Scotland and England.On their six-hundred-mile, thirty-day journey - with Rory on foot, and his father ‘ambushing’ him by car – the pair relive Scottish dances, reflect on Burmese honey-bears, and on the loss of human presence in the British landscape.Travelling across mountain ridges and through housing estates they uncover a forgotten country crushed between England and Scotland: the Middleland. They discover unsettling modern lives, lodged in an ancient place, as their odyssey develops into a history of the British nationhood, a chronicle of contemporary Britain and an exuberant encounter between a father and a son.And as the journey deepens, and the end approaches, Brian and Rory fight to match, step by step, modern voices, nationalisms and contemporary settlements to the natural beauty of the Marches, and a fierce absorption in tradition in their own unconventional lives.‘Suggests an open-mindedness in Stewart, a tolerance and flexibility that could make him an exceptional politician while it also continues to define him as a writer’ New York Review of Books‘Travel writing at its best’ GuardianPlease note: The book cover received may differ from the cover displayed here. Read more

THE BESTSELLING MODERN CLASSIC. OVER HALF A MILLION COPIES SOLD.'Brilliant and hilarious' GRAYSON PERRY'A delightful read' SUNDAY TIMES'Laugh out loud' MARTIN PARR'Absolutely brilliant' JENNIFER SAUNDERS'An entertaining, clever book' TELEGRAPHWITH A NEW FOREWORD BY GRAYSON PERRYThe unofficial guidebook to the English national character by anthropologist Kate Fox.From the class system to conversation etiquette, Kate Fox picks apart and exposes the bizarre codes of behaviour that the English unconsciously obey.If you are English, this book will make you re-examine everything you take for granted. And if you aren't English, it will help you navigate the rules of this peculiar culture. Read more

‘Insightful and breathtaking’ YUVAL NOAH HARARI, author of Sapiens‘Bold and sweeping’ PETER FRANKOPAN, author of The Silk Roads‘Profoundly thought-provoking’ KATE RAWORTH, author of Doughnut EconomicsHow has humans' evolutionary inheritance shaped global society?Why are humans everywhere prone to believe in ghosts?How might our tendency to imitate one another be contributing to the climate catastrophe?And does our deep evolutionary past impel us to vote for strongmen?In 1987, Harvey Whitehouse went to live with an indigenous community deep in the Papua New Guinea rainforest. His experiences there convinced him that, far from being wildly different, humans are fundamentally alike: their beliefs and behaviours rooted in a set of evolutionary urges that can be found in any society, anywhere.Here, Whitehouse roves across twelve millennia and five continents to uncover how these evolved urges have both shaped and been reshaped by human history. Along the way, he shows that this ancient inheritance does not just hold the key to explaining the modern world – but perhaps also to changing it.__‘Ranges widely across disciplines and timescales to formulate an exhilarating narrative of human history . . . Enthralling and mind-expanding’ IRISH TIMES‘Profoundly important . . . Whitehouse shows how evolution sculpted our psychological make-up, how we overcame its limitations over the course of world history, and how we can wield this knowledge to face the challenges of the future’ LEWIS DARTNELL, author of Being Human‘A very powerful, provocative and inspiring analysis of the human condition . . . Compelling and highly readable, this book shows why anthropology matters’ GILLIAN TETT, Financial Times columnist and Provost of King’s College, Cambridge‘A thought provoking look at social forces, and the ways ordinary people can change the world’ GUARDIAN Read more

'Interesting and provocative... It gives you a sense of how briefly we've been on this Earth' Barack ObamaWhat makes us brilliant? What makes us deadly? What makes us Sapiens?One of the world's preeminent historians and thinkers, Yuval Noah Harari challenges everything we know about being human.Earth is 4.5 billion years old. In just a fraction of that time, one species among countless others has conquered it: us.In this bold and provocative book, Yuval Noah Harari explores who we are, how we got here and where we're going.**ONE OF THE GUARDIAN'S 100 BEST BOOKS OF THE 21st CENTURY**PRAISE FOR SAPIENS:'Jaw-dropping from the first word to the last... It may be the best book I've ever read' Chris Evans'Startling... It changes the way you look at the world' Simon Mayo'I would recommend Sapiens to anyone who's interested in the history and future of our species' Bill GatesOver 2 million copies sold since publication [Nielsen BookScan UK, Circana BookScan US, April 2024] Read more

*A 2025 HIGHLIGHT FOR: Telegraph, Financial Times, New Statesman, Irish Times, Elle and GQ*'Captivating. A Pilgrim's Progress for our time' Telegraph'Spellbinding. An incredible exploration of how young people are navigating the complex world we find ourselves in today' Katy Hessel, author of The Story of Art without Men'A book of rare quality. Ash is a writer of exceptional grace and energy' Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of CanterburyWhy are young people in Britain today turning to faith in our age of uncertainty? Lamorna Ash was raised with about as much Christianity as most people in Britain these days: a basic knowledge of hymns and prayers received via a Church of England primary school education; occasional brushes with religious services. But once she started writing about her two friends' unexpected conversions, she began encountering a recurring phenomenon: in an age of disconnection and apathy, a new generation was discovering religion for itself. In Don't Forget We're Here Forever, Ash embarks on a journey across Britain to meet those wrestling with Christianity today. Through interviews and her own deeply personal journey with religion, and from Evangelical youth festivals to Quaker meetings, a silent Jesuit retreat along the Welsh coastline to a monastic community in the Inner Hebrides, she investigates what drives young people in the twenty-first century to embrace Christianity. Written with lyrical beauty and sensitivity, this is a reminder of our universal need for nourishment of the soul. Read more

The story of how information networks have made, and unmade, our world from the #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of SapiensStories brought us together.Books spread our ideas – and our mythologies.The internet promised infinite knowledge.The algorithm learned our secrets – and then turned us against each other.What will AI do?NEXUS is the thrilling account of how we arrived at this moment, and the urgent choices we must now make to survive – and to thrive.PRAISE FOR NEXUS'One of the most remarkable intellects of our generation' RORY STEWART‘Tremendous, thought-provoking and so very well-reasoned . . . If there is one book that I would urge everyone to read – it is Nexus’ STEPHEN FRY'A wake-up call in the gentlest, most urgent way' YOTAM OTTOLENGHI'This deeply important book comes at a critical time as we all think through the implications of AI’ MUSTAFA SULEYMAN'A super narrative writer' GUARDIAN‘[Harari] sticks the world together in a gleaming shape that inspires and excites' TELEGRAPHPRAISE FOR YUVAL NOAH HARARI‘The great thinker of our age’ The Times‘Interesting and provocative’ Barack Obama‘One of my favourite writers and thinkers’ Natalie Portman**Instant Sunday Times bestseller, September 2024** Read more

'A shining alternative to high-stress modern parenting, and families from New Delhi to New York will shout with joy' Heather Shumaker, author of It's OK Not to Share and It's OK to Go Up the SlideDISCOVER THE PARENTING SECRETS OF THE HAPPIEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLDWhat makes Denmark the happiest country in the world -- and how do Danish parents raise happy, confident, successful kids, year after year? This upbeat and practical guide reveals the six essential principles that have been working for parents in Denmark for decades:- Play: essential for development and well-being- Authenticity: fosters trust and an 'inner compass'- Reframing: helps kids cope with setbacks and look on the bright side- Empathy: allows us to act with kindness towards others- No ultimatums: no power struggles or resentment- Togetherness: a way to celebrate family time, on special occasions and every dayA revealing and fresh take on parenting advice, The Danish Way of Parenting will help parents from all walks of life raise the happiest, most well-adjusted kids in the world. Read more

**THE MILLION COPY BESTSELLER**Sapiens showed us where we came from. In our increasingly uncertain times, Homo Deus shows us where we're going.'Spellbinding' GuardianThe world-renowned historian and intellectual Yuval Noah Harari envisions a near future in which we face a new set of challenges. Homo Deus explores the projects, dreams and nightmares that will shape the twenty-first century and beyond - from overcoming death to creating artificial life.It asks the fundamental questions: how can we protect this fragile world from our own destructive power? And what does our future hold?'Even more readable, even more important, than his excellent Sapiens' Kazuo Ishiguro'Homo Deus will shock you. It will entertain you. It will make you think in ways you had not thought before' Daniel Kahneman, bestselling author of Thinking, Fast and Slow Read more

The gripping true story of one man's ten year expedition from a village in West Africa to the Arctic CircleWITH A NEW AFTERWORD BY THE AUTHORScorching heat, rich, fertile soil, and treacherous snakes marked the landscape in which Tété-Michel grew up in 1950s Togo, West Africa. When he discovered a book on Greenland as a teen, this distant land became an instant obsession - he was determined to journey to the place these pages had revealed to him and embarked on the adventure of a lifetime.A book of rich and immersive travel writing, Michel the Giant invites the reader to journey alongside an audacious Kpomassie as he makes his way from the equator to the bitter cold of the artic and settles into life with the Inuit peoples, adapting to their foods and customs. Part memoir, part anthropological observation this captivating narrative teems with nuanced observations on community, belonging and the universality of human experience. This title has been previously published as An African in Greenland Read more

DON'T MISS MIKE'S NEW NOVEL A SONG OF ME AND YOU - AVAILABLE TO ORDER NOW!Shortlisted for the British Book Awards Book of the Year: Pageturners. The 2021 recipient of the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Romantic Novelists' Association.A heart-warming novel about family, friendship and human connection.'Hubert Bird stole my heart' Beth O'Leary, author of The Flat-Share and The Switch'Lovely, emotional, uplifting' Libby Page, author of The Lido'A heartbreaking and ultimately uplifting look at isolation' GuardianIn phone calls to his daughter in Australia, widower Hubert Bird paints a picture of the perfect retirement, packed with fun and friendship.But Hubert Bird is lying.Something has made him turn his back on people, and he hardly sees a soul.So when his daughter announces she's coming to visit, Hubert faces a race against time: to make his real life resemble his fake life before he's found out.Along the way Hubert renews a cherished friendship, is given a second chance at love and even joins an audacious community scheme. But with the secret of his earlier isolation lurking in the shadows, is he destines to always be one of the lonely people?Readers love All The Lonely People:'Best book of 2021 so far' 5*'I absolutely adored every page' 5*'Wonderful, moving, emotional and very thought provoking' 5*'An emotional journey' 5*'A beautiful book' 5* 'Heartbreaking and heartwarming' 5* Read more

Incisive essays on Patty Hearst and Reagan, the Central Park jogger and the Santa Ana winds, from the New York Times–bestselling author of South and West. In these eleven essays covering the national scene from Washington, DC; California; and New York, the acclaimed author of Slouching Towards Bethlehem and The White Album “capture[s] the mood of America” and confirms her reputation as one of our sharpest and most trustworthy cultural observers (The New York Times).   Whether dissecting the 1988 presidential campaign, exploring the commercialization of a Hollywood murder, or reporting on the “sideshows” of foreign wars, Joan Didion proves that she is one of the premier essayists of the twentieth century, “an articulate witness to the most stubborn and intractable truths of our time” (Joyce Carol Oates, The New York Times Book Review). Highlights include “In the Realm of the Fisher King,” a portrait of the White House under the stewardship of Ronald and Nancy Reagan, two “actors on location;” and “Girl of the Golden West,” a meditation on the Patty Hearst case that draws an unexpected and insightful parallel between the kidnapped heiress and the emigrants who settled California. “Sentimental Journeys” is a deeply felt study of New York media coverage of the brutal rape of a white investment banker in Central Park, a notorious crime that exposed the city’s racial and class fault lines.   Dedicated to Henry Robbins, Didion’s friend and editor from 1966 until his death in 1979, After Henry is an indispensable collection of “superior reporting and criticism” from a writer on whom we have relied for more than fifty years “to get the story straight” (Los Angeles Times).     Read more

“A map for men...[Moore and Gillette] are handing men concrete images and explicit ways of thinking and being, ways to mature and still remain fully masculine.”—Chicago Sun-TimesThe classic guide to the four essential male archetypes. Masculinity is on trial, leaving many men feeling lost, threatened, or unable to clearly express themselves. Instead of leading to internal growth and maturity, paradigms like “toxic masculinity” and “man up!” ultimately lead to men and boys feeling isolated, angry, and unable to hold steady and healthy relationships—with themselves and others. King, Warrior, Magician, Lover dispels these and other common myths and stereotypes and offers a new framework for understanding men and their many facets—and the societal and emotional factors that make us who we are.In this classic guide, Jungian analysts Robert Moore and Douglas Gillette make the argument that mature masculinity is not abusive or domineering, but generative, creative, and empowering of the self and others. Through a psychological lens, they clearly define the four mature male archetypes that stand out through myth and literature across history:·      The king—the energy of just and creative ordering·      The warrior—the energy of aggressive but nonviolent action·      The magician—the energy of initiation and transformation·      The lover—the energy that connects one to others and the worldAs well as the four immature patterns that interfere with masculine potential (divine child, oedipal child, trickster, and hero). In the realm of shadow work, and by providing reflective prompts, Moore and Gillette offer space for understanding our individual and collective strengths and weaknesses, and the self-awareness and empathy that can be gained in the process.King, Warrior, Magician, Lover is a must read for men searching for secure attachments in relationships, healthy emotional regulation, a deep sense of purpose, and the strength it takes to be selfless—and for all of us who love and raise them. Deepen your understanding of yourself and your archetype to become a more empathetic, assured, and fulfilled man. Read more

'Uproarious . . . [Phillips and Elledge] pair the abundant good humour of this book with a warning about the corrosive effects of conspiracy theories' The TimesFrom the Satanic Panic to the anti-vaxx movement, the moon landing to Pizzagate, it's always been human nature to believe we're being lied to by the powers that be (and sometimes, to be fair, we absolutely are).But while it can be fun to indulge in a bit of Deep State banter on the group chat, recent times have shown us that some of these theories have taken on a life of their own - and in our dogged quest for the truth, it appears we might actually be doing it some damage.In Conspiracy, Tom Phillips and Jonn Elledge take us on a fascinating, insightful and often hilarious journey through conspiracy theories old and new, to try and answer a vital question for our times: how can we learn to log off the QAnon message boards, and start trusting hard evidence again?Praise for the Brief History series:'Witty, entertaining and slightly distressing... You should probably read it' Sarah Knight, author of The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck'Brilliant. Utterly, utterly brilliant' Jeremy Clarkson'Very funny' Mark Watson'Both readable and entertaining' Telegraph Read more

The International No. 1 Bestseller'Cuts to the heart of who we are' Sunday Times'A book that begs discussion' Vanity FairAll Lina wanted was to be desired. How did she end up in a marriage with two children and a husband who wouldn't touch her?All Maggie wanted was to be understood. How did she end up in a relationship with her teacher and then in court, a hated pariah in her small town?All Sloane wanted was to be admired. How did she end up a sexual object of men, including her husband, who liked to watch her have sex with other men and women?Three Women is a record of unmet needs, unspoken thoughts, disappointments, hopes and unrelenting obsessions.Animal, the first novel from Lisa Taddeo, is available to pre-order now.*The book Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Alexa Chung, Jodie Comer, Reese Witherspoon, Harry Styles, Fearne Cotton, Caitriona Balfe, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sharon Horgan, Zoe Ball, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Davina McCall, Gemma Chan, Christine and the Queens and Gillian Anderson are all reading*'I will probably re-read it every year of my life' Caitlin Moran'Will have millions nodding in recognition' The Times'As gripping as the most gripping thriller' Marian Keyes'When I picked it up, I felt I'd been waiting half my life to read it' Observer'The kind of bold, timely, once-in-a-generation book that every house should have a copy of, and probably will before too long' New StatesmanThe No. 1 Sunday Times BestsellerThe No. 1 New York Times BestsellerBritish Book Awards Non-Fiction Narrative Book of the Year 2020Foyles Non-Fiction Book of the YearA Stylist Book of the DecadeThe Most-Picked Book of the Year of 2019 Read more

‘A fascinating exploration of the linkages between ancestral inheritance, diasporic belonging, and our climate future... I read it in one sitting, which took me on a moving and often unexpected journey’ Aube Rey Lescure'Part of me knew what the hungry ghosts wanted all along, what they still want. It is not vengeance. No, they want something else, but we refuse to listen. They want us to face up to our broken obligations.' Every spring during the Qingming Festival, people return to their home villages in China to sweep the tombs of their ancestors, making offerings of food and incense to prevent them from becoming hungry ghosts that could cause misfortune. Yet for the past century, a time ruptured by war and revolution, many tombs have been left unattended. Following a record year of wildfires, Alice Mah returns to her family’s rice village in South China, and discovers that her ancestors are almost forgotten, and there are no tombs left to sweep. Instead, there are incalculable clan debts to be paid. Here Mah chronicles her journey from the rice villages of South China to her home in post-industrial England, through the Chinatowns of Western Canada where she grew up, to the isles and industry of Scotland where she now lives. As years pass and fires rage on, she becomes increasingly troubled by her ancestors’ neglected graves. Her research on pollution gives way to growing eco-anxiety, culminating in a crisis of spiritual belief. A haunting blend of memoir, cultural history and environmental exploration, Red Pockets confronts the hungry ghosts of our neglected ancestors, while searching for an acceptable offering. What do we owe to past and future generations? What do we owe to the places that we inhabit? Read more

OUT APRIL 2025! The iconic bestseller Prisoners of Geography, updated with brand new content to reflect the changing global geopolitical landscape since it was first published 10 years ago. When you see your nation's flag fluttering in the breeze, what do you feel? For thousands of years flags have represented our hopes and dreams. We wave them. Burn them. March under their colours. And still, in the 21st century, we die for them. Flags fly at the UN, on the Arab street, from front porches in Texas. They represent the politics of high power as well as the politics of the mob. From the renewed sense of nationalism in China, to troubled identities in Europe and the USA, to the terrifying rise of Islamic State, the world is a confusing place right now and we need to understand the symbols, old and new, that people are rallying round. In nine chapters (covering the USA, UK, Europe, Middle East, Asia, Africa, Latin America, international flags and flags of terror), Tim Marshall draws on more than twenty-five years of global reporting experience to reveal the histories, the power and the politics of the symbols that unite us - and divide us. Read more

THE NO. 1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER'Reminds us that the mind is the greatest mystery in the universe' Yuval Noah Harari, Guardian, Books of the YearCould psychedelic drugs change our worldview? One of America's most admired writers takes us on a mind-altering journey to the frontiers of human consciousnessWhen LSD was first discovered in the 1940s, it seemed to researchers, scientists and doctors as if the world might be on the cusp of psychological revolution. It promised to shed light on the deep mysteries of consciousness, as well as offer relief to addicts and the mentally ill. But in the 1960s, with the vicious backlash against the counter-culture, all further research was banned. In recent years, however, work has quietly begun again on the amazing potential of LSD, psilocybin and DMT. Could these drugs in fact improve the lives of many people? Diving deep into this extraordinary world and putting himself forwardas a guinea-pig, Michael Pollan has written a remarkable history of psychedelics and a compelling portrait of the new generation of scientists fascinatedby the implications of these drugs. How to Change Your Mind is a report from what could very well be the future of human consciousness.'His approach is steeped in honesty and self-awareness. His cause is just, his thinking is clear, and his writing is compelling' - Washington Post'An easy-going humane generosity ... mischievous self-regard ... as if Henry David Thoreau had had an encounter with Woody Allen and never been quite the same since' - Simon Schama Read more

One of the government’s former behavioural scientists reveals how you can do what you want, whilst everybody tries to influence you into doing what they want. Influence makes you think what you think and do as you do. You use it to change the thoughts and behaviours of others – just as others use it change yours.We have been perfecting our influence for millions of years, but in the last 20 years digital technologies have revolutionised how influence works. We are now connected to old school friends and niche interest groups – but unwittingly also to organised criminals, terrorists and hostile states who infiltrate our societies. The course of history is being shaped: elections have been hijacked, lies spread about pandemics and the rapidly heating climate, and information has become as important as bullets and bombs to winning wars. More than ever, influence has become the crucial currency for commercial and political gain: If you don’t understand it, you will likely become its victim.Written by a former government behavioural scientist working at the cutting edge of this field, Influence is a groundbreaking guide to the chaotic and murky world we live in. Through examining five key factors we are taken on a tour from the past to our real-world present, to build a picture of the major role influence plays in everyday life.Influence provides a simple personal plan illustrating how you can use influence to achieve your goals – whether gaining that promotion, getting your friends to a music festival, or your children to eat their greens. But by understanding the nature of influence, you will also see how it is changing in the information age, enabling dangerous adversaries to gain power, leaving our societies in peril. Most importantly, by using the tools of influence you will be empowered to play your part in protecting us – it will be down to you and everyone you know.Influence is a fascinating guide to how you can help by understanding it, using it and resisting it. Read more