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A sweeping history of and meditation on humanity's relationship with machines, showing how we got here and what happens nextFaith in technological fixes for our problems is waning. Automation, which promised relief from toil, has reactivated the long-standing fear of job redundancy. Information technology, meant to liberate us from traditional authority, is placing unprecedented powers of surveillance and control in the hands of a purely secular Big Brother.And for the first time, artificial intelligence threatens anthropogenic disaster – disaster caused by our own activities. Scientists join imaginative writers in warning us of the fate of Icarus, whose wings melted because he flew too close to the sun. This book tells the story of our fractured relationship with machines from humanity’s first tools down to the present and into the future.It raises the crucial question of why some parts of the world developed a ‘machine civilisation’ and not others, and traces the interactions between

The epic FINAL chapter to Stephen Fry's outstanding retellings of the Greek MythsWHEN GODS TURN VENGEFUL, ONLY THE BRAVE CAN DEFY FATE AND FIND THEIR WAY HOMEDiscover Stephen Fry's epic re-telling of the Odyssey for the 21st century'Relatable and full of humour . . . Odyssey brings [the] four-book sequence satisfyingly to a close' GUARDIAN'Outstandingly entertaining quartet of books . . . Fry breathes contemporary relevance into these ancient tales' OBSERVER'Odyssey completes his Greek Myths series in marvellous fashion. . . Fry, a born storyteller, succeeds again in making the ancient stories accessible' IRISH INDEPENDENT--After the fall of Troy, wily Odysseus, King of Ithaca, sails for home and his steadfast queen Penelope.However, the angry gods curse him to wander the seas for ten long years. Tormented by giants and monsters, tempted by witches and goddesses, Odysseus battles to draw ever closer to home.Awaiting him is Penelope, defying reports of his death. But this queen endures

One of the Guardians top 10 debuts to watch out for in 2026A dazzlingly original new voice in literary fiction for fans of Ali Smith, Mohsin Hamid and Elif ShafakThe Renovation is a heart-breaking portrait of one family caught in the tides of history, grappling with grief, exile, politics and the painful absurdity of loveDilara s father is disappearing.He has dementia and the disease steals a little more of him each day. Dilara has persuaded him to move in with her, hiring builders to adapt her apartment in preparation, but when the renovation is complete she discovers a big problem.Instead of a new bathroom, the builders have installed a Turkish prison cell.At first she is outraged. There has surely been some mistake. Dilara s family are exiles they left Turkey many years ago and have never been back.The last thing she wants is a piece of her estranged homeland appearing uninvited in her new home.But as the weeks pass, her indignation gives way to curiosity. Beyond the cell door, she

You know what’s worse than breaking up with your girlfriend? Being stuck with her prize-winning show cat. And you know what’s worse than that? An alien invasion, the destruction of all man-made structures on Earth, and the systematic exploitation of all the survivors for a sadistic, intergalactic game show. That’s what.Join Coast Guard veteran Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, as they try to survive the end of the world—or just get to the next level—in a video game-like, trap-filled fantasy dungeon. A dungeon that’s actually the set of a reality television show with countless viewers across the galaxy.Exploding goblins. Magical potions. Deadly, drug-dealing llamas. This ain’t your ordinary game show.

Winner of the Women's Prize For Fiction 2024'A masterpiece of historical fiction' MONICA ALI, chair of judges for the Women's Prize for FictionSixteen-year-old Sashi wants to become a doctor. But over the next decade, as a vicious civil war tears through her hometown of Jaffna, her dream takes her on a different path as she sees those around her, including her four beloved brothers and their friend, get swept up in violent political ideologies and their consequences. Desperate to act, she must ask herself: is it possible for anyone to move through life without doing harm?'An unforgettable account of a country and a family coming undone… Brotherless Night is a spectacular work of historical fiction' Guardian'A heartbreaking exploration of a family fractured by civil war' BRIT BENNETT, bestselling author of THE VANISHING HALF'Blazingly brilliant' CELESTE NG, bestselling author of LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE'Stunningly great' Curtis Sittenfeld, bestselling author of ROMANTIC COMEDY, via Twitt

★ 全球暢銷300萬冊，改變無數領導者思維的經典★ TED超熱門演講原點，點閱近5000萬次★ 成功的關鍵，不是「做什麼」，而是「為什麼」★ 15週年全新修訂版，重新定義影響力與領導力為什麼有些人與組織，總能激發創新、影響他人，甚至改變世界？賽門．西奈克提出一個看似簡單卻深刻的問題——「為什麼」。他發現，真正卓越的領導者，從不只關注「做什麼」或「怎麼做」，而是從「為什麼」出發。無論是馬丁．路德．金恩、賈伯斯，還是萊特兄弟，他們的共通點不在背景，而在於清楚傳達自身的信念與使命。本書以清晰有力的架構，揭示「黃金圈理論」，帶領讀者理解：當人們認同你的理念，而非僅僅產品本身，真正的影響力才會產生。在資訊爆炸、社群媒體主導的時代，重新找回「WHY」，更顯重要。這不只是一本談領導的書，而是一場關於信念、影響力與人生方向的深度思考。The inspiring, life-changing bestseller updated for its 15th anniversary with a new foreword by the author'One of the most incredible thinkers of our time,' Steven Bartlett, podcaster and author of Diary of a CEO-----------Simon Sinek's iconic global bestseller has sold more than three million copies by asking a simple fundamental question:Why are some people and organisations more innovative, more influential, and more profitable than others?The answer to why is another why. Leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., Steve Jobs, and the Wright Brothers had little in common, but they all started with a WHY. They realized that people w

It was a story that Cassie Bowman couldn't resist:Lore Rivera loved two men - until one of them shot the other...'A special novel' CHRIS WHITAKER'One of the summer's buzziest debut novels' GOODREADS'A fantastic debut' WASHINGTON POST'I absolutely loved it' ASHLEY AUDRAIN'A masterful work of suspense' POPSUGAR*****Lore Rivera was married to two men at once, until on a baking hot day in 1986, one of them found out and shot the other. A secret double life, a tragic murder. That's the story the world knows.It's not the story that fascinates Cassie Bowman.Carrying the weight of her own family tragedy, true-crime writer Cassie wants to know more about the mysterious woman at the heart of it all, Lore.How did one woman fall in love with two different men? How did she balance the love and the lies?To her surprise, Cassie finds that Lore is willing to talk. To finally tell her heartbreaking story - about how a dance became an affair; how a marriage became a murder.As the two women grow closer,

★ 《查令十字路84號》✕《明天別再來敲門》感動交會★ 《紐約時報》No.1 暢銷小說，超過9萬則五星好評★ 以「書信」寫成的人生故事，溫柔、幽默又動人★ 一位古怪老太太的信件人生，寫出最深刻的原諒與和解七十三歲的席比爾每天寫信給世界。她寫給朋友、寫給作家、寫給校長，也寫給一段始終無法放下的過去。那些機智又犀利的信件，看似日常，卻慢慢拼湊出一個人一生的遺憾與愛。《The Correspondent》是一部溫暖又動人的小說，關於原諒、失去與人生永遠不嫌晚的第二次機會。84 Charing Cross RoadmeetsA Man Called Ovein this Radio 2 Book Club pick: a heartwarming, witty story about the life of an extraordinary woman, told through her letters.Discover the word-of-mouth bestselling phenomenon that thousands of readers are calling their favourite book of the year!THE #1NEW YORK TIMESBESTSELLERATIMESBOOK OF THE YEARA BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICKSHORTLISTED FOR THE GOODREADS READERS' CHOICE AWARDS'A warm, funny gem of a novel'LAURA HACKETT,THE TIMES'Masterful . . . I was delighted and moved'NEW YORK TIMES'I can't praise it enough. It's an absolute triumph'CLARE CHAMBERS'Tremendous'FREDRIK BACKMAN'Shows us what a glorious thing growing older can be'FLORENCE KNAPP'The year's breakout novel no one saw coming'WALL STREET JOURNAL–Every mo

"Through the dark and wolfish woods,through the white and silent snow,lived a small girl called Hortense. Though kind and brave, she was sad as an owl because of one thing . .. Hortense hated her shadow."A beautifully illustrated dark fairy tale that will remind you of the fables you read as a child. A treasure not to be missed.

The fourteenth century was a time of fabled crusades and chivalry, glittering cathedrals and grand castles. It was also a time of ferocity and spiritual agony, a world of chaos and the plague. Here, Barbara Tuchman masterfully reveals the two contradictory images of the age, examining the great rhythms of history and the grain and texture of domestic life as it was lived: what childhood was like; what marriage meant; how money, taxes and war dominated the lives of serf, noble and clergy alike.Granting her subjects their loyalties, treacheries and guilty passions, Tuchman recreates the lives of proud cardinals, university scholars, grocers and clerks, saints and mystics, lawyers and mercenaries, and, above all, knights. The result is an astonishing reflection of medieval Europe, a historical tour de force.

From twice Booker-shortlisted author Deborah Levy, a moving and revelatory collection exploring the muses that have shaped her life and work as a writerIn The Position of Spoons, Deborah Levy invites the reader into the interiors of her world, sharing her most intimate thoughts and experiences, as she traces and measures her life against the backdrop of the literary and artistic muses that have shaped her.From Marguerite Duras to Colette and Ballard, and from Lee Miller to Francesca Woodman and Paula Rego, we can relish here the richness of their work and, in turn the richness of the author’s own.Each page draws upon Levy’s life in exalting ways, encapsulating the wonderful precision and astonishing depth of her writing, as she seamlessly shifts between and meditates on questions of mortality, language, suburbia, gender, consumerism and the poetics of every day living. From the child born in South Africa, to her teenage years in Britain, to her travels across the world as a young woman

A dessert from the Hwawoldang is a ticket to a new life . . .Perfect for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold'Thought-provoking and uplifting' Sun 'I adored this book . . rich, emotional and engaging' ***** Reader Review'We had K-pop and K-beauty - now it's time for K-lit! Thought provoking and uplifting' Fabulous Magazine'Amazingly beautiful and just what I needed at this point in my life' ***** Reader Review'Heart-warming and full of gratitude and happiness.I loved it. And the Korean pastries all sounded delicious' ***** Reader Review***Welcome to Hwawoldang, the pastry shop where every delicious bite comes with satisfaction for both the mouth and the soul . .. When twenty-seven-year-old Yeon-hwa loses her grandmother, the proprietor of Hwawoldang, she honours her final wish: to keep the shop open for one more month, between 10pm and midnight. Yeon-hwa hopes to learn the secrets behind Hwawoldang’s desserts, and the enigmatic woman who made them.But when one of the shop’s most loyal p

This exciting new collection celebrates the Spanish short story, from its modern origins in the nineteenth century to the remarkable work being written today. Featuring over fifty stories selected by revered translator Margaret Jull Costa, it blends hidden gems and old favourites, surprising new voices and giants of Spain's literary culture, from Emilia Pardo Bazán and Leopoldo Alas, through Mercè Rodoreda and Manuel Rivas, to Javier Marías. Brimming with romance, horror, history, farce, strangeness and beauty, and showcasing alluring hairdressers, war defectors, vampiric mothers, and talismanic mandrake roots, the daring and entertaining assortment of tales inThe Penguin Book of Spanish Short Storieswill be a treasure trove for readers.

A revelatory and richly varied collection of Korea's greatest short storiesA Penguin ClassicThis eclectic, moving, and wonderfully enjoyable collection is the essential introduction to Korean literature. Journeying through Korea's dramatic twentieth century, from the Japanese occupation and colonial era to the devastating war between North and South and the rapid, disorienting urbanization of later decades,The Penguin Book of Korean Short Storiescaptures a hundred years of Korea's vibrant short-story tradition. Here are peddlers and donkeys traveling across moonlit fields; artists drinking and debating in the tea-houses of 1920s Seoul; soldiers fighting for survival; exiles from the war who can never go home again; and lonely men and women searching for connection in the dizzying modern city. The collection features stories by some of Korea's greatest writers, including Pak Wanso, O Chonghui, and Cho Chongnae, as well as many brilliant contemporary voices, such as P'yon Hyeyong, Han Yu

Demian is a coming-of-age story that follows a young boy's maturation as he grapples with good and evil, lightness and darkness, and forges alternatives to the ever-present corruption and suffering th

A landmark modern classic about the Korean American immigrant experience and the dawn of Los Angeles’s KoreatownA Penguin ClassicKimRonyoung(Gloria Hahn, 1926–1987) tells the story of Haesu and Chun, immigrants who fled Japanese-occupied Korea for Los Angeles in the decade prior to World War II, and their American-born children. First published in 1986,Clay Wallsoffers a portrait of what being Korean in California meant in the first half of the twentieth century and how these immigrants’ nationalist spirit helped them withstand racism and poverty. Kim explores the tensions within a family of immigrants and new Americans and brings to the forefront the themes of Korean immigration, U.S. racism, generational trauma, and the early decades of Los Angeles’s Koreatown from a Korean American woman’s point of view.Through three sections representing the perspectives of mother, father, and daughter, what resonates the most is the voice of a woman and her self-determination, through national ide

How we are motivated to imitate wanting what others desire—Girard’s theory primed for the social media age.A Penguin ClassicRené Girard eludes easy categories, bridging the fields of literary criticism, anthropology, sociology, history, religion and theology. Influencing such writers as J. M. Coetzee and Milan Kundera, his insight into contagious violence looks ever more prophetic and relevant seven years after his death. In many ways he is the thinker for our modern world of social media and herd behavior. In this newly selected collection of writings, Cynthia L. Haven has created an approachable anthology of his work, addressing Girard's thoughts on the nature of desire, human imitation and rivalry, the causes of conflict and violence, the deep structure of religion and cultural subjects like opera and theatre. Girard spoke in language that was engaging, accessible and often controversial. A long-time friend and colleague, Haven shines a spotlight on his role as a public intellectual

'Beautiful, intellectually thrilling . . .unlike anything else' TelegraphPromise and separation. Grace and guilt. The chosen and the damned.Roberto Calasso's captivating retelling of key stories from the bible evokes the dramatic world of the Old Testament and casts one of the founding texts of Western civilization in an astonishing - and disquieting - new light. The Book of All Books is the culmination of a lifetime's work and the tenth part of a series that began with The Ruin of Kasch. 'Engaging .. . enlightening' Financial Times'Surprising .. . vivid' Spectator

In this stunning follow-up to Black Leopard, Red Wolf, Marlon James draws on a rich tradition of African mythology, fantasy and history to imagine an ancient world, a lost child, an extraordinary hunter, and a mystery with many answers... Marlon James weaves a tapestry of breathtaking adventure through a world at once ancient and startlingly modern. And, against this exhilarating backdrop of magic and violence, he explores the fundamentals of truth, the limits of power, the excesses of ambition, and our need to understand them all.

A powerful and essential tale of female freedomLonglisted for the International Booker Prize 2026The internationally acclaimed masterpiece from one of Iran's most influential writers - a powerful and essential tale of female freedom'The best feminist novel I know. It's thrilling, beautiful and hilarious' Johanne Lykke Holm'A courageous, talented woman, and above all, a great writer' Marjane Satrapi, author of PersepolisWomen Without Men traces the interwoven destinies of five women – including a wealthy middle-aged housewife, a sex worker and a schoolteacher – as they arrive by different paths to live together in an abundant garden on the outskirts of Tehran.Drawing on elements of Islamic mysticism and recent Iranian history, this unforgettable novel depicts women escaping the narrow confines of family and society, and imagines their future living in a world without men.Translated from Persian by Faridoun Farrokh

A powerful, sweeping tale of faith, love and friendship set across Istanbul and OxfordFrom Booker-shortlisted author Elif Shafak, comes a powerful tale of faith, love and friendship set across Istanbul and OxfordShirin, Peri and Mona, they were the most unlikely of friends. They were the Sinner, the Believer and the Confused.On a spring evening in Istanbul, Peri is on her way to a dinner party - a night of luxury a far cry from her upbringing.But when her handbag is stolen her world shifts violently. She starts to doubt how she got here: a traumatic Istanbul childhood, student years in Oxford, the rebellious professor who led her and best friends Shirin and Mona to question everything - Islam, love, life, even God - and the scandal that tore them all apart.Over one desperate night she tries to make sense of a past she has tried to forget - but can we ever escape who we once were?*** ELIF SHAFAK'S NEW NOVEL, THERE ARE RIVERS IN THE SKY, IS AVAILABLE NOW ***

LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2024An exhilarating tale of twisted desire, histories and homes, and the unexpected shape of revenge - for readers of Patricia Highsmith, Sarah Waters and Ian McEwan's Atonement. It's 1961 and the rural Dutch province of Overijssel is quiet. Bomb craters have been filled, buildings reconstructed, and the war is well and truly over.Living alone in her late mother's country home, Isabel's life is as it should be: led by routine and discipline. But all is upended when her brother Louis delivers his graceless new girlfriend, Eva, at Isabel's doorstep-as a guest, there to stay for the season... Eva is Isabel's antithesis: sleeps late, wakes late, walks loudly through the house and touches things she shouldn't.In response Isabel develops a fury-fuelled obsession, and when things start disappearing around the house-a spoon, a knife, a bowl-Isabel' suspicions spiral out of control. In the sweltering peak of summer, Isabel's paranoia gives way to desire - leading

E. M. Forster's beloved classic and sharp critique of imperialismA Penguin ClassicWhen Adela and her elderly companion Mrs. Moore arrive in the Indian town of Chandrapore, they quickly feel trapped by its insular and prejudiced British community. Determined to explore the "real India," they seek the guidance of the charming and mercurial Dr. Aziz, a cultivated Indian Muslim. But a mysterious incident occurs while they are exploring the Marabar caves with Aziz, and the well-respected doctor soon finds himself at the center of a scandal that rouses violent passions among both the British and their Indian subjects. A masterly portrait of a society in the grip of imperialism,A Passage to Indiacompellingly depicts the fate of individuals caught between the great political and cultural conflicts of the modern world.The Penguin Classics edition reproduces the authoritative Abinger text and also includes four of Forster's finest essays on India, a chronology of Forster's life and works, sugges

'The ultimate biography of the Sun King, Louis XIV' Simon Sebag MontefioreA TELEGRAPH AND BBC HISTORY MAGAZINE BOOK OF THE YEARLouis XIV, King of France and Navarre, dominated his age. In the second half of the seventeenth century, he extended France's frontiers into the Netherlands and Germany, and established colonies in America, Africa and India. Louisiana, which once occupied a third of the territory of the present-day United States, is named after him.Louis was also one of the greatest patrons of European history - Moliere, Racine, Lully, Le Brun, le Notre all worked for him. The stupendous palace he built at Versailles, and its satellites at Marly and Trianon, became the envy of monarchs all over Europe, frequently imitated but never surpassed. In all his palaces, Louis encouraged dancing, hunting, music and gambling.He loved conversation, especially with women: the power of women in Louis's life and reign is a particular theme of this book. Louis was obsessed by the details of g

THE NO.1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLERA TIMES, FT, ECONOMIST AND INDEPENDENT BOOK OF THE YEAR'Boundlessly wise . . .important and engrossing' The New York Times'One of the most important books I've read . . .It's absolutely brilliant' Dr Rangan Chatterjee'Urgent and essential' GuardianAcclaimed psychologist Jonathan Haidt reveals how the decline of free-play in childhood and the rise of smartphone use among adolescents is changing our worldFrom 2010, as teens traded in their flip phones for smartphones packed with social media apps, unsupervised time online soared while face-to-face conversations with friends and family plummeted, and so did mental health. This profound shift took place against a backdrop of diminishing childhood freedom and over-supervision in the real world, depriving children of the experiences they most need to become strong and self-governing adults.The Anxious Generation delves into the latest research to show how this shift from free-play to smartphones disrupts deve

Pre-order the highly anticipated, remarkable and fearless, The Consequences of Love. _____THE TIMES BEST BOOKS OF 2020THE GUARDIAN BEST AUTOBIOGRAPHY AND MEMOIRS 2020'Superbly written and utterly he

Perfect for readers of The Paper Palace and Tessa Hadley: an atmospheric, compelling novel, in which decades of suppressed secrets and knotty feelings come to a head over the course of one summer holidayThe literary must-read of the summer: a deeply atmospheric novel about friendship, marriage, and long-suppressed secrets. Perfect for readers of Miranda Cowley Heller's The Paper Palace, A Family Matter by Claire Lynch, and Tessa Hadley.'Riveting ... I was gripped from the start' Claire Powell, author of All In'A perfect literary holiday read ... You won’t want to put it down' Roxy Dunn, author of Wants and NeedsSince they first met at university twenty years ago, Maggie and Will have spent the last two weeks of every summer in France with their close friends, Lydia and Roland. Both families have been looking forward to this cherished annual ritual. But this year things are different.Will has been hiding something from his wife, and is struggling to keep his deceit from seeping into the

A hopeful, healing novel about new friendships, old loves, and the very human desire to leave a mark on the world - from the Pulitzer Prize-winning, Booker Prize shortlisted author of My Name is Lucy BartonTHE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER FROM THE PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING, BOOKER-SHORTLISTED AUTHORSHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE 2025'Stunning, deeply felt and profoundly intelligent' GuardianIt’s autumn in Maine, and the town lawyer Bob Burgess has become enmeshed in an unfolding murder investigation, defending a lonely, isolated man accused of killing his mother. He has also fallen into a deep and abiding friendship with the acclaimed writer, Lucy Barton, who lives nearby in a house next to the sea. Together, Lucy and Bob talk about their lives, their hopes and regrets, and what might have been.Lucy, meanwhile, befriends one of Crosby’s longest inhabitants, Olive Kitteridge, now living in a retirement community on the edge of town. They spend afternoons together i

An acclaimed translation of the final work by Franz Kafka—author ofMetamorphosisand some of the twentieth century's greatest literature—following the story of a man's bizarre, unending struggle to carry out his mysterious new jobA Penguin ClassicThe Castleis the story of K., the unwanted land surveyor who is never to be admitted to the Castle nor accepted in the village, and yet cannot go home. As he encounters dualities of certainty and doubt, hope and fear, and reason and nonsense, K.'s struggles in the absurd, labyrinthine world where he finds himself seem to reveal an inexplicable truth about the nature of existence. Kafka beganThe Castlein 1922 and it was never finished, yet this, the last of his three great novels, draws fascinating conclusions that make it feel strangely complete.Penguin Classics is the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world, representing a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Rea

From two former military officers and award-winning authors, a chillingly authentic geopolitical thriller that imagines a naval clash between the US and China in the South China Sea in 2034 – and the path from there to a nightmarish global conflagrationA chilling geopolitical thriller and real-world cautionary tale presenting a dark yet very possible future of war between the US and China – from two former military officers and award-winning authorsTHE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • ‘A rippingly good read’ Wired______________12 March 2034.In the South China Sea, US Navy Commodore Sarah Hunt is conducting routine freedom of navigation patrol while US Marine aviator Major Chris ‘Wedge’ Mitchell tests a new stealth technology near Iranian airspace.By the end of the day, Wedge will be an Iranian prisoner, and Hunt’s destroyer will lie at the bottom of the ocean.And a new, terrifying era will be at hand.So begins a disturbingly plausible novel, co-authored by an award-winning novelist and deco

A pioneering treatise on embracing cooperation and reciprocity to usher in a greener and more inclusive world, from the major anarchist thinkerA Penguin ClassicWelcome to the anarchist history of the world. In this lively, provocative work, Peter Kropotkin argues that "mutual aid" is a natural instinct in all of us, animal and human. Cooperation, reciprocity, support: these, for Kropotkin, are the overlooked foundations of our history. From the earliest days of evolution through to artisanal guilds, indigenous nomads, and even the Royal National Lifeboat Association, it is a pragmatic, mutually beneficial bond to our fellow humans that has allowed us to survive. In this, Kropotkin challenges all the major orthodoxies of his age, from individualism and social Darwinism to Marxist theories of the savior state. Instead, these essays insist that a better life for all of us--and our planet--begins when we reject competition, and embrace the local, the mutual, and the collective.

French philosopher Simone Weil's best known work that promotes mindful living and instructs readers how they can once again feel rooted, in a cultural and spiritual sense, to their environmentA Penguin ClassicOne of the foremost French philosophers of the last century, Simone Weil has been described by André Gide as "the patron saint of all outsiders" and by Albert Camus as "the only great spirit of our time." In this, her most famous work, she diagnoses the malaise at the heart of modern life: uprootedness, from the past and from community. Written towards the end of World War II for the Free French Army, Weil's work is an indispensable and perpetually intriguing text for readers and students of philosophy everywhere. The book discusses the political, cultural and spiritual currents that ought to be nurtured so that people have access to sources of energy which will help them lead fulfilling, joyful and morally good lives.

Inspired by Jules Verne's hero Phileas Fogg, David Damrosch, chair of Harvard's Department of Comparative Literature and founder of Harvard's Institute for World Literature, set out to counter a pandemic's restrictions on travel by exploring eighty exceptional books from around the globe. Following a literary itinerary from London to Venice, Tehran and points beyond, and via authors from Woolf and Dante to Nobel prizewinners Orhan Pamuk, Wole Soyinka, Mo Yan and Olga Tokarczuk, he explores how these works have shaped our idea of the world, and the ways the world bleeds into literature. To chart the expansive landscape of world literature today, Damrosch explores how writers live in two very different worlds: the world of their personal experience, and the world of books that have enabled great writers to give shape and meaning to their lives.In his literary cartography, Damrosch includes compelling contemporary works as well as perennial classics, hard-bitten crime fiction as well as h

'Happiness - was it right to name it without knowing it? It sounded shameless in my mouth, like when someone shows off about knowing a celebrity and just uses their first name, saying Marcello when they really mean Mastroianni ...'A young orphan boy grows up in Naples, playing football, roaming the city's streets and hidden places. The older boys call him 'monkey' because he can climb anywhere. He is alone, apart from Don Gaetano, the apartment caretaker, who feeds him, teaches him to play scopa, and tells him stories about women, history and the dark secrets of Naples' past.Then one day the boy sees a young girl standing at a window. It is an encounter that will haunt his life for years and, eventually, shape his destiny. Lyrical and exuberant, told with the simplicity of a fairy tale and the intensity of a memory, The Day Before Happiness is the story of friendship, a city and what makes us who we are.

An introduction to the wondrous world of clouds, by the internationally bestselling founder of the Cloud Appreciation Society and a prize-winning children's book author and illustratorHave you ever watched a cloud being born?Clouds come in all manner of shapes and sizes, from low-lying Stratus to high-flying Cirrus via roll clouds, banner clouds and tornados. This beautifully illustrated guide reveals the facts, secrets and stories of all the major cloud types, and how they shape the weather around them. We learn their fancy Latin names, explore the parts of the sky where they like to hang out, marvel at the ways they play with sunlight – and even visit them on other planets, where they are sometimes made of acid.Cloudspotting for Beginners will inspire curious minds with a lifelong sense of meteorological wonder.

Inspired by ESA astronaut Tim Peake and his sons, and featuring an introduction from Tim, this is the perfect bedtime book!Two space-mad little boys get ready for bed and say goodnight to their toy rockets, launch pads and planet mobiles, before being whisked away into space on an adventure beyond their wildest dreams . . .Tim Peake is the first official British ESA astronaut. He left Earth on 15th December 2015 to begin a six month long mission aboard the International Space Station. His time in space has been watched by millions and he is inspiring a new generation of explorers, adventurers and questioners.