THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW EDITORS' CHOICE • AN ECONOMIST BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR • Sand, salt, iron, copper, oil, and lithium. These fundamental materials have created empires, razed civilizations, and fed our ingenuity and greed for thousands of years. Without them, our modern world would not exist, and the battle to control them will determine our future. • Finalist for the Financial Times and Schroders Business Book of the Year AwardThe fibe...

The idea of world leaders gathering in the midst of economic crisis has become all-too familiar. But the summit at Bretton Woods in 1944 was the only time countries from around the world have agreed to overhaul the structure of the international monetary system. And, what's more, they were successful - it was the closest to perfection the world's economy has ever been, and arguably the demise of the Bretton Woods system is behind our present woes.This was no dry economic conference...

This book argues that identity and money are both changing profoundly. Because of technological change the two trends are converging so that all that we need for transacting will be our identities captured in the unique record of our online social contacts. Social networks and mobile phones are the key technologies. They will enable the building of an identity infrastructure that can enhance both privacy and security – there is no trade-off. The long-term consequences of these changes are ...

Unlock the secrets of the crystal healing with this A to Z guide to 100 types of stones.You don’t have to have extensive background in magic to make use of any stone. In fact, you don’t have to know about magic at all. If you are facing a difficult situation and feel you need protection and courage, wear garnets. Do you want to attract a lover? Use rose quartz or ruby. Are you troubled by negative vibrations? Wear, carry, or keep near you black onyx or obsidian.

**The award-winning and Sunday Times-bestselling author of Material World tells the story of how one of humanity's greatest innovations took over the world.INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER**The story of trade is the story of humanity. From the copper in Mesopotamian ploughs to the silicon atoms that make up the chips inside your smartphone, intricate global trading networks have evolved over millennia to fulfil the distinctly human desire to buy an...

THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW EDITORS' CHOICE • AN ECONOMIST BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR • Sand, salt, iron, copper, oil, and lithium. These fundamental materials have created empires, razed civilizations, and fed our ingenuity and greed for thousands of years. Without them, our modern world would not exist, and the battle to control them will determine our future. • Finalist for the Financial Times and Schroders Business Book of the Year AwardThe fibe...

**The award-winning and Sunday Times-bestselling author of Material World tells the story of how one of humanity's greatest innovations took over the world.INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER**The story of trade is the story of humanity. From the copper in Mesopotamian ploughs to the silicon atoms that make up the chips inside your smartphone, intricate global trading networks have evolved over millennia to fulfil the distinctly human desire to buy an...

LONGLISTED FOR THE 2026 WOMEN’S PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION • SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2026 WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR NATURE WRITING• The New Yorker’s Best Books of 2025 • The Telegraph’s Best Nature Books of 2025The mesmerizing, mind-expanding global story of how trees have learned to use the soil, air, water, plants, fungi, fire, animals and people around them to shape our world—possessing an agency beyond anything we might have imagined.**Taking us on...

Brought to you by Penguin.Meet the traders who supply the world with oil, metal and food - no matter how corrupt, war-torn or famine-stricken the source.'This jaw-dropping study shows how much money and global influence is concentrated in the hands of a tiny group . . . As the authors roam from oilfield to wheatfield, they reveal information so staggering you almost gasp.' SUNDAY TIMES'Fascinating and revea...

LONGLISTED FOR THE 2026 WOMEN’S PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION • SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2026 WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR NATURE WRITING• The New Yorker’s Best Books of 2025 • The Telegraph’s Best Nature Books of 2025The mesmerizing, mind-expanding global story of how trees have learned to use the soil, air, water, plants, fungi, fire, animals and people around them to shape our world—possessing an agency beyond anything we might have imagined.**Taking us on...

Why do some prime ministers manage to get things done, while others miserably fail? What is a 'special adviser' and how did they take over British political life? And why is the House of Lords more functional than most people think?'Lacerating ... a savage indictment of the status quo' Guardian'An indispensable analysis of how we got into this mess' The Secret Barrister'Far scarier than any conspiracy theory'

**This program includes an author's note read by the author.An unflinching investigation reveals the human rights abuses behind the Congo’s cobalt mining operation—and the moral implications that affect us all.**Cobalt Red is the searing, first-ever exposé of the immense toll taken on the people and environment of the Democratic Republic of the Congo by cobalt mining, as told through the testimonies of the Congolese people themselves. Activist and researcher Siddha...