A novel is a story, a collection of experiences transmitted from the mind of one to the mind of another. It offers a way to unwind, a way to focus, a way to learn about life—distraction, entertainment, and diversion. But it can also be something much more powerful. When read at the right time in your life, a novel can—quite literally—change it.The Novel Cure is a reminder of that power. To create this apothecary, the authors have trawled through two thousand years of literature for...

Whether you have a stubbed toe or a stubborn case of the blues, within these pages you’ll find a cure in the form of a novel – or a combination of novels – to help ease your pain. You’ll also find advice on how to tackle common reading ailments – such as what to do when you feel overwhelmed by the number of books in the world, or if you have a tendency to give up halfway through. When read at the right moment in your life, a novel can – quite literally – change it, and The Novel Cure is a ...

The Art of Mindful Reading embraces the joy of absorbing words on a page, encouraging a deeply therapeutic state of mind as vital to our wellbeing as breathing.The healing power of reading has been renowned since Aristotle; focus, flow and enlightenment can all be achieved through this universal act. In this illuminating guide, Ella Berthoud explores how reading mindfully can shape the person you are, encouraging empathy and opening your m...

Mindfulness in Reading embraces the joy of absorbing words on a page, encouraging a deeply therapeutic state of mind as vital to our wellbeing as breathing.The healing power of reading has been renowned since Aristotle; focus, flow, and enlightenment can all be achieved through this universal act. In this illuminating guide, Ella Berthoud explores how reading mindfully can shape the person you are, encouraging empathy, and opening your min...

Whether you're looking for a new author or genre to explore, 30-Second Literature provides you with summaries of the major literary genres, styles and histories.Part of the 30-Second series, this introductory guide to literature is split into 7 chapters that cover:The History of Literature – from Sanskrit to ModernismThe Novel – in all its glorious genresLiterary Prose – n...

The stories that shape our children's lives are too important to be left to chance. With The Story Cure, bibliotherapists Ella Berthoud and Susan Elderkin have put together the perfect manual for grown-ups who want to initiate young readers into one of life's greatest pleasures.There's a remedy for every hiccup and heartache, whether it's between the covers of a picture book, a pop-up book, or a YA novel. You'll find old favourites like The Borrowers and The S...

A tale of cave bears and comet strikes and a hundred million years of history by the bestselling author of Here on Earth: "Marvelous."— Publishers Weekly (starred review)In Europe: A Natural History, world-renowned scientist, explorer, and conservationist Tim Flannery applies the eloquent interdisciplinary approach he used in his ecological histories of Australia and North America to the story of Europe. He begins 100 million years ago, wh...

A noted linguist examines extinct languages, from Egyptian hieroglyphs to the mysteries of as-yet undeciphered writings, in this scholarly work.While certain ancient languages were passed down continuously through the ages, many others were ignored for centuries. When scholars began to decipher these extinct languages in the early nineteenth century, they uncovered previously inaccessible riches of knowledge and history. Yet much work remains to be done on undeciphe...

A journey into the alien depths of the sea, and into our possible future, from a marine biologist known for "nature writing at its most engaging" ( Sunday Express).A golden era of deep-sea discovery is underway as revolutionary studies rewrite the very notion of life on Earth and the rules of what is possible. In the process, the abyss is being revealed as perhaps the most amazing part of our planet, its topography even more varied and extreme than its lan...

***THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER*** 'Excellent and provocative... a passionate, timely book.' Sunday Times 'A fine new book... thoughtful, deeply reported and impeccably even-handed.' The Times 'A rich guide to modern Germany... For the British readers this book is directed at, the implied contrasts are startling.' Guardian Emerging from a collection of city states 150 years ago, no other country has had as turbulent a history as Germany or enjoyed so much prosperity in such a short time fra...

This "wondrous" collection of fantasy tales from Neil Gaiman, Patricia A. McKillip, and others "is a treasure chest. Open it and revel in its riches" ( Kirkus Reviews, starred review).For this enchanting anthology—a World Fantasy Award finalist—editors Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling "asked their contributors to reimagine Fäerie" in the present day, or "search its more dimly lit pathways," and the authors have responded with bountiful imagination. The titl...

" Babel is an endlessly interesting book, and you don't have to have any linguistic training to enjoy it . . . it's just so much fun to read." —NPREnglish is the world language, except that 80 percent of the world doesn't speak it. Linguist Gaston Dorren calculates that to speak fluently with half of the world's people in their mother tongues, you'd need to know no fewer than twenty languages. In Babel, he sets out to explore these top twenty worl...