All our books

The Divorce of Nations

João Vale de Almeida

Today, we find ourselves in arguably the most dangerous geopolitical situations of modern time. Outlining key moments over the 25 years, this vital book represents the personal testimony of one of the world’s foremost diplomats, João Vale de Almeida, who has met every consequential leader in the world during the time since the turn of the new millennium. His insightful account features the issues and personal observances of figures such as Barack Obama, Boris Johnson, Angela Merkel, Nicolas Sarkozy, and Donald Trump. As the first ever EU Ambassador to the UK, João details a unique account of the first 1,000 days of Brexit, the ultimate act of divorce so far. His experiences enable us to trace how countries – and indeed the world – have been sleepwalking towards ‘The Divorce of Nations’ and the steps we can take to fix it.
Neither an academic essay nor a complete set of career memoirs, The Divorce of Nations presents a personal view of global events, projecting them into the current international context, and of the main actors involved.

Moreish

Matt Buttrick

It is said we make around 200 food decisions every day, and most of them are completely out of our control.
So what really happens when it’s time to eat?
Moreish digs into the unseen triggers, secret influences and mysterious motivations hovering above the table every time we get peckish.
Explore the impact of words in menu construction alongside the power of comfort food; why the first bite is not always with the eyes; and how the worlds of sex, symbolism and animal instinct are simmering just beneath the surface in all of us.
Continually eye opening and perceptive, often witty and entertaining, Moreish sets a place for persuasive packaging, in your face pop songs, underhand menu writing and over the top advertising. It demonstrates that while we often feel fully in control of our food choices the opposite is almost definitely true.
If you've ever eaten food, this book is for you.

Chemically Imbalanced

Joanna Moncrieff

For decades now the public has been told that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance and that antidepressants work by targeting this mechanism. Millions of people have decided to take antidepressants based on this information.
Chemically Imbalanced tells the story of a scientific myth and its consequences. It traces the history of the serotonin theory of depression from its development in the 1960s, through its inculcation into popular culture in the 1990s, to the recent revelations that it is not supported by evidence.
The story illustrates the power of human interests to shape what passes as scientific knowledge, and provides people with essential information about depression and antidepressants they will not readily find elsewhere. Above all else, Chemically Imbalanced is an invitation to better understand and advocate for our mental health.

You Must Stand Up

Amanda Becker

When the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion care by way of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the country was thrown into chaos.
In You Must Stand Up, Nieman Fellow Amanda Becker provides a real-time portrait of the creative resistance that unfolded in America's first year without the protections of Roe v. Wade. Becker traces the story of the people rising to meet these new challenges – doctors and staffers turning to new financial and medical models to remain open and provide abortions, volunteers campaigning against anti-abortion ballot initiatives, and medical students fighting to learn to provide what can be life-saving care.
In depicting the splintered reality of post-Dobbs America, Becker ultimately shows how outrage can beget hope, and give rise to a new movement.

Cypto Confidential

Jake Donoghue

An uncompromising account of the exorbitant greed and systemic corruption that typifies the cultish world of cryptocurrency, Crypto Confidential tells the salacious story of the industry everyone is talking about right now. In doing so, it sheds light on some of the most scandalous financial crimes of the twenty-first century. From billion-dollar fraud cases to international money laundering cartels, political bribery and even faked deaths, it lifts the lid on the intricate and immense web of malpractice that crypto founders spin to trap ordinary investors.
Written by a prominent and well-connected insider, Crypto Confidential provides a first-hand account of how the industry truly operates, and how every aspect is engineered for one purpose: to make vast amounts of fast money for those on the inside, by any means necessary.

Friday is the New Saturday: How a Four-Day Working Week Will Save the Economy

Pedro Gomes

Friday is the New Saturday makes a compelling, provocative and timely case for societal change. Drawing on an eclectic range of economic theory, history and data, Pedro Gomes argues that a four-day working week will bring about a powerful economic renewal for the benefit of all society. It will stimulate demand, productivity, innovation and wages, whilst reducing unemployment and crushing populist movements. The arguments come from both the left and right of the political spectrum to show that a polarised society can still find common ground.
In the 2000s, Friday will become the new Saturday, and we will never look back.

Milk Without Honey

Hanna Harms; translated by Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp

We could live in a paradise where insects, especially bees, pollinate fragrant oceans of flowers whose fruits we harvest. Instead flower gardens are being displaced, and agriculture is dominated by monocultures. Pesticides and climate change are also causing insect mortality, with dramatic consequences for the global ecosystem. If this carries on unchecked, honey will be just one of the many foodstuffs no longer available to us – unless we learn to honour our innate connection with nature before it’s too late.
A poignant and provocative graphic novel about the plight of the bees in which illustrator Hanna Harms inspires not only reflection but also action.

Faking It: Artificial Intelligence in a Human World

Toby Walsh

Artificial intelligence is, as the name suggests, artificial and fundamentally different to human intelligence. Yet often the goal of AI is to fake human intelligence. This deceit has been there from the very beginning. We’ve been trying to fake it since Alan Turing answered the question ‘Can machines think?’ by proposing that machines pretend to be humans.
Can AI systems ever be creative? Can they be moral? What can we do to ensure they are not harmful?
In this fun and fascinating book, Professor Toby Walsh explores all the ways AI fakes it, and what this means for humanity – now and in the future.

Eliminating Poverty in Britain

Helen Rowe

In this groundbreaking book, Helen Rowe brings together the latest research with stories from across Britain, to show us that ending poverty in the 21st Century is possible. She describes the effects of deprivation on British society, our institutions, communities, families and individuals - down to their very DNA.
By using a combination of compassion, focus and a plan, Rowe describes how we can end poverty in five years, without raising taxes. Her radical ideas are grounded in practical realities, as she reveals how ordinary processes can yield extraordinary results. After Covid-19, Brexit, war, austerity and the global financial crash, Britain deserves a more positive future. How do we create it? Eliminating Poverty in Britain has the answers.

Rigged

Andy Verity

Rigged exposes a cover-up at the highest level on both sides of the Atlantic, upending the official story of the biggest scandal since the global financial crisis. It picks up where The Big Short leaves off, as the dark clouds of the financial crisis gather. Banks’ health is judged by an interest rate called Libor (the London Interbank Offered Rate). The higher the Libor, the worse off the bank; too high and it’s goodnight Vienna. Libor is heading skywards. To save themselves from collapse, nationalisation and loss of bonuses, banks instruct traders to manipulate Libor down – a criminal practice known as lowballing. Outraged, traders turn whistleblowers, alerting the authorities. Turns out, it’s not just the market that’s rigged. It’s the entire system.

Future Hackers: The Indispensable Guide for Curious Minds

Matt O'Neill

From technological advancements to cultural shifts, the coming years will bring unprecedented transformations that will shape our lives in ways we can't even imagine. This book is your essential guide to understanding these changes and adapting to them with optimism and confidence.
With expert insights into the latest trends in work, leadership and technology, Future Hackers is your indispensable tool for thriving in a rapidly changing world. Whether you're a business leader, a student, or just someone who wants to stay ahead of the curve, this book will help you navigate the road to 2030 and beyond.

Flaws of Nature

Andy Dobson

Species evolve over time to become perfectly adapted to their environments, right? Well, sometimes.
This book is about evolution, but not its greatest hits. Instead, it explores everything in the animal kingdom that is self-defeating, ill-made, uneconomical, or downright weird – and explains how natural selection has favoured it. In the grand struggle for survival, some surprising patterns emerge: animals are always slightly out-of-date; inefficiency tends to increase over time; predators usually lose, and parasites usually win. With equal parts humour and scientific insight, Andy Dobson is here to explain the how and why of evolution’s limits and liabilities.

War Diary of the Ukrainian Resistance

The Kyiv Independent

How does a newsroom, made up of young journalists, find itself in a war zone overnight? How do you do your job as a correspondent when the conflict is literally on your doorstep?
Using their skills from reporting on business, entertainment, and geopolitics, members of The Kyiv Independent’s editorial staff make the choice to stay and report on the reality of the Russian invasion and the Ukrainian Resistance.
Combining articles published during the conflict with personal accounts, they give us an unprecedented inside look at the reality of the Russian invasion and its consequences.

The Quiet Moon: Pathways To An Ancient Way of Being

Kevin Parr

A lyrical exploration of mental health and nature, set to the phases of the moon.
The ancient Celts lived by and worshipped the moon. While modern, digital life is often at odds with nature – rubbing against it rather than working in harmony with it – is there something to be said for embracing this ancient way of being and reconnecting to the moon’s natural calendar?
In The Quiet Moon, Kevin Parr discovers that a year of moons has much to teach us about how to live in the world that surrounds us – and how being more in tune to the rhythms of nature, even in the cold and dark, can help ease the suffering mind.

The Ocean in a Drop

Dr Roz Savage MBE

The Ocean in a Drop follows the quest of Roz Savage, a frustrated environmentalist and ocean adventurer, to find out why her own endeavours and the environmental movement more generally have failed to achieve change of the necessary scope, scale and speed. Her journey takes her from the environment through economics and politics into patriarchy and a global culture of domination. She examines the tragic psychological flaws in the way we think and the apparent inevitability of civilisational collapse, and deduces that our best hope is to transcend the current trap of runaway materialism.
Exploring cutting-edge theories she paints a bold, exciting vision of a future in which people and planet thrive.

The Super-Helper Syndrome: A Survival Guide for Compassionate People

Jess Baker & Rod Vincent

There’s a type of person out there who is better at helping others than they are at looking after themselves.
Maybe you’re one of them. Maybe you know someone who is. They are the backbone of the caring professions, giving strength to our schools, clinics, care homes and hospitals. But you will also find them in offices, gyms, community groups and charities ...

Zero Altitude: How I Learned to Fly Less and Travel More

Helen Coffey

Part climate-change investigation, part travel memoir, 'Zero Altitude' follows top travel journalist Helen Coffey as she journeys as far as she can – all without getting on a single flight. Among trips by train, boat and bike, she meets climate experts and activists at the forefront of the burgeoning flight-free movement. Over the course of a year, she discovers that keeping both feet on the ground is not only possible but that it is also an ...

Machines Behaving Badly: The Morality of AI

Toby Walsh

Can we build moral machines?

AI is rapidly becoming a pervasive and critical technology that invisibly permeates every aspect of our lives, changing how we operate and shaping society in ways that we unaware of. It is influencing how we shop, how we live in our homes, how we vote, how we date and what we think about those around us. In this compelling and, at times, unnerving book, Toby Walsh explores how AI is here to stay ...

2030

Mauro F. Guillén

Once upon a time, the world was neatly divided into prosperous and backward economies. We expected the rules to remain the same throughout our lifetimes, but that world – and those rules – are over. By 2030, a new reality will take hold. All these trends will change everything you know about culture, the economy and the world. '2030' is both a remarkable guide to the coming changes and an exercise in the power of ‘lateral thinking’, thereby revolutionising the way you think about cataclysmic change and its consequences...

Planet Grief

Dipti Tait

We are all grieving something. Grief is not only about death: it is part of our everyday lives. We grieve when our life changes and we grieve on a larger level – for a lost way of life and for our planet. Grief can even be found in joy and is one of the most universal shared emotions, connecting people across the world in an act of love.
In this surprisingly uplifting book, acclaimed grief therapist Dipti Tait draws on her own professional and personal experiences, her clients’ stories and the neuroscience behind our emotions to redefine grief for our lives and the world we live in.

Dwellbeing: Finding Home in the City

Claire Bradbury

We may have fallen out of love with our city homes, but cities are still going to be essential dwelling places for a growing population. International sustainability and wellbeing advocate, Claire Bradbury, explores what we need to do to fall back in love with the city, and find our city homes again. Dwellbeing calls us to stand firm on the seven pillars we love and so desperately need from our city homes: wilderness, nourishment, movement, connection, dwelling, imagination and love. This beautiful book shows that, when it comes to reimagining our urban futures, everyone has a voice.

The Great Melt: Accounts from the Frontline of Climate Change

Alister Doyle

The fate of the world’s coasts rests on a knife edge as global warming melts ice sheets and glaciers from the Alps to the Andes. The choices we make now will determine whether oceans rise by a coast-swamping one metre by 2100 or whether we can save our coastal communities. 'The Great Melt' is a wake-up call for action on climate change. It will bring the thaw to life by focusing on the most vulnerable people at the shoreline who are already moving inland, on the scientists puzzling about what is going on, and on the ideas about how to limit the damage.

A History of Seeing in Eleven Inventions

Susan Denham Wade

Packed with fascinating insights and impeccably researched, 'A History of Seeing in Eleven Inventions' investigates the story of seeing from the evolution of eyes 500 million years ago to the present day. Time after time, it reveals, inventions that changed how people saw the world ended up changing it altogether. Drawing on sources from anthropology to zoology, neuroscience to Netflix, it traces the history of seeing from the first evolutionary stirrings of sight and discovers that each time we changed how or what we see, we changed ourselves and the world around us. Can our eyes keep up with technology? Have we gone as far as the eye can see?

Stop Believing Bullshit and Actually Start Helping Yourself

James Adonis

Everywhere you turn, there’s a motivational quote to greet you — on social media posts, clothing, billboards … you name it. Sure, they can make us feel motivated, for an instant, but are they actually doing us more harm than good? 'Stop Believing Bullsh*t' offers sense in place of the sparkling nonsense that permeates the inspiration industry. It exposes the unrealistic clichés and misleading mantras that frequently just make you feel bad, replacing them with evidence-based insights that are no less motivating, but are credible, reliable and, most importantly, scientifically tested.

Fuck Off, I’m Sewing!

Profanity Embroidery Group

Swearing is good for you. Stitching is good for you. It’s win fucking win.
Once upon a time in the quiet coastal town of Whitstable, previously known for oysters and fingering, a bunch of (mostly) novice embroiderers but accomplished swearers came together to sew, drink and swear. And amidst all the stitching and laughing, friendships flourished and beautiful, irreverent pieces of art were created, adding a contemporary flavour to the ancient art of embroidery. Fuck Off, I’m Sewing! brings you the highlights and lowlifes of the Profanity Embroidery Group. Often funny, at times moving and always profane, their colourful embroidery will leave you in stitches.

M-Boldened

Caroline Harris (editor)

It’s time to change the global menopause conversation.
M-Boldened is a book about menopause unlike any other. Its contributors, speaking from many different walks of life, open up the conversation in new and profound ways for people across the globe. Recognising menopause as a human rights issue that affects everyone everywhere, this book shapes a new courageous conversation about how we can and should view menopause and midlife. The honesty, intimacy and passion shared in these pages will make you see menopause in a whole new light. Read on to be part of the new conversation.

Dare To Be Great

Polly Higgins

Celebrated Earth lawyer Polly Higgins was a luminary in the environmental justice movement as she worked to Stop Ecocide globally. She was a beacon for how to live the brave, bold lives that, at our best, we imagine for ourselves. Both a playful, inspirational conversation and a heartfelt, lived call, this book offers each of us a transformational roadmap through selfcare to Earth-care, and will empower you ...