Fleeing heartbreak, an unnamed author goes to an unnamed city to give a series of lectures at an unnamed university about forgotten books... only to find himself involved in a mystery when it turns out the professor who invited him is no where to be found, & no one seems quite sure why he`s there. ...

In 1985 Jeanette Winterson`s first novel, ” Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit”, was published. It was Jeanette`s version of the story of a terraced house in Accrington, an adopted child, & the thwarted giantess Mrs Winterson. It was a cover story, a painful past written over & repainted. It was a story of survival. This book is that story`s the silent twin. It is full of hurt & humour & a fierce love of life. It is about the pursuit of happiness, about lessons in love, the search for a mother & a journey into madness & out again. It is generous, honest & true. ...

The richness & variety of birdsong is both a scientific mystery & a source of wonder. David Rothenberg has a unique approach to this fascinating subject, combining the latest scientific research with a deep understanding of musical beauty & form. Can the standard explanations of territoriality or sexual selection account for so many species` astonishing inventiveness & devotion to singing? Whether playing the clarinet with the white-crested laughing thrush in Pittsburgh or jamming in the Australian winter breeding grounds of the Albert`s lyrebird, Rothenberg touches the heart & soul of birdsong, offering an intimate look at the most lovely of natural phenomena. ...

From one of America`s most brilliant writers, a New York Times bestselling journey through psychology, philosophy, & lots of meditation to show how Buddhism holds the key to moral clarity & enduring happiness. At the heart of Buddhism is a simple claim: The reason we suffer-and the reason we make other people suffer-is that we don`t see the world clearly. At the heart of Buddhist meditative practice is a radical promise: We can learn to see the world, including ourselves, more clearly & so gain a deep & morally valid happiness. In this ”sublime” (The New Yorker), pathbreaking book, Robert Wright shows how taking this promise seriously can change your life-how it can loosen the grip of anxiety, regret, & hatred, & how it can deepen your appreciation of beauty & of other people. He also shows why this transformation works, drawing on the latest in neuroscience & psychology, & armed with an acute understanding of human evolution. This book is the culmination of a personal journey that began with Wright`s landmark book on evolutionary psychology, The Moral Animal, & deepened as he immersed himself in meditative practice & conversed with some of the world`s most skilled meditators. The result is a story that is ”provocative, informative &...deeply rewarding” (The New York Times Book Review), & as entertaining as it is illuminating. Written with the wit, clarity, & grace for which Wright is famous, Why Buddhism Is True lays the foundation for a spiritual life in a secular age & shows how, in a time of technological distraction & social division, we can save ourselves from ourselves, both as individuals & as a species. ...

From one of America`s most brilliant writers, a New York Times bestselling journey through psychology, philosophy, & lots of meditation to show how Buddhism holds the key to moral clarity & enduring happiness. At the heart of Buddhism is a simple claim: The reason we suffer-and the reason we make other people suffer-is that we don`t see the world clearly. At the heart of Buddhist meditative practice is a radical promise: We can learn to see the world, including ourselves, more clearly & so gain a deep & morally valid happiness. In this ”sublime” (The New Yorker), pathbreaking book, Robert Wright shows how taking this promise seriously can change your life-how it can loosen the grip of anxiety, regret, & hatred, & how it can deepen your appreciation of beauty & of other people. He also shows why this transformation works, drawing on the latest in neuroscience & psychology, & armed with an acute understanding of human evolution. This book is the culmination of a personal journey that began with Wright`s landmark book on evolutionary psychology, The Moral Animal, & deepened as he immersed himself in meditative practice & conversed with some of the world`s most skilled meditators. The result is a story that is ”provocative, informative &...deeply rewarding” (The New York Times Book Review), & as entertaining as it is illuminating. Written with the wit, clarity, & grace for which Wright is famous, Why Buddhism Is True lays the foundation for a spiritual life in a secular age & shows how, in a time of technological distraction & social division, we can save ourselves from ourselves, both as individuals & as a species. ...

Between 1492 & 1914, Europeans conquered 84 percent of the globe. But why did Europe rise to the top, when for centuries the Chinese, Japanese, Ottomans, & South Asians were far more advanced? Why didn`t these powers establish global dominance? In Why Did Europe Conquer the World? Distinguished economic historian Philip Hoffman demonstrates that conventional explanations, such as geography, epidemic disease, & the Industrial Revolution fail to provide answers. Arguing instead for the pivotal role of economic & political history, Hoffman shows that if variables had been at all different, Europe would not have achieved critical military innovations, & another power could have become master of the world. In vivid detail, Hoffman sheds light on the two millennia of economic, political, & historical changes that set European states on a distinctive path of development & military rivalry. Compared to their counterparts in China, Japan, South Asia, & the Middle East, European leaders--whether chiefs, lords, kings, emperors, or prime ministers--had radically different incentives, which drove them to make war. These incentives, which Hoffman explores using an economic model of political costs & financial resources, resulted in astonishingly rapid growth in Europe`s military sector from the Middle Ages on, & produced an insurmountable lead in gunpowder technology. The consequences determined which states established colonial empires or ran the slave trade, & even which economies were the first to industrialize. Debunking traditional arguments, Why Did Europe Conquer the World? reveals the startling reasons behind Europe`s historic global supremacy. ...

Between 1492 & 1914, Europeans conquered 84 percent of the globe. But why did Europe establish global dominance, when for centuries the Chinese, Japanese, Ottomans, & South Asians were far more advanced? In Why Did Europe Conquer the World?, Philip Hoffman demonstrates that conventional explanations--such as geography, epidemic disease, & the Industrial Revolution--fail to provide answers. Arguing instead for the pivotal role of economic & political history, Hoffman shows that if certain variables had been different, Europe would have been eclipsed, & another power could have become master of the world. Hoffman sheds light on the two millennia of economic, political, & historical changes that set European states on a distinctive path of development, military rivalry, & war. This resulted in astonishingly rapid growth in Europe`s military sector, & produced an insurmountable lead in gunpowder technology. The consequences determined which states established colonial empires or ran the slave trade, & even which economies were the first to industrialize. Debunking traditional arguments, Why Did Europe Conquer the World? reveals the startling reasons behind Europe`s historic global supremacy. ...

When a man plunges down a cliff, two adventurous young friends decide to find his killer... While playing an erratic round of golf, Bobby Jones slices his ball over the edge of a cliff. His ball is lost, but on the rocks below he finds the crumpled body of a dying man. With his final breath the man opens his eyes & says, ` Why didn`t they ask Evans?` Haunted by these words, Bobby & his vivacious companion, Frankie, set out to solve a mystery that will bring them into mortal danger... ...

When a man plunges down a cliff, two adventurous young friends decide to find his killer... While playing an erratic round of golf, Bobby Jones slices his ball over the edge of a cliff. His ball is lost, but on the rocks below he finds the crumpled body of a dying man. With his final breath the man opens his eyes & says, ` Why didn`t they ask Evans?` Haunted by these words, Bobby & his vivacious companion, Frankie, set out to solve a mystery that will bring them into mortal danger... ...

What can long-dead dinosaurs teach us about our future? Plenty, according to world-renowned paleontologist & recent star of BBC show The Day the Dinosaurs Died Dr Kenneth Lacovara, who has discovered some of the largest creatures to ever walk the Earth, including the super-massive Dreadnoughtus. By tapping into the wonder that dinosaurs inspire, Dr Lacovara weaves together the stories of our geological awakening, of humanity`s epic struggle to understand the nature of deep time, the meaning of fossils, & our own place on the vast & bountiful tree of life. Go on a journey, back to when dinosaurs ruled the Earth, to discover how dinosaurs achieved feats unparalleled by any other group of animals. Learn the secrets of how paleontologists find fossils, & explore quirky, but fascinating questions, such as: Is a penguin a dinosaur? How are the tiny arms of T. rex the key to its power & ferocity? In this revealing book, Dr Lacovara offers the latest ideas about the shocking & calamitous death of the dinosaurs & ties their vulnerabilities to our own. Why Dinosaurs Matter is compelling & engaging
- a reminder that our place on this planet is both precarious & potentially fleeting. As we move into an uncertain environmental future, it has never been more important to understand the past.
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