'Captivating storytelling and cutting-edge science ... Prepare to question everything you thought you knew' DANIEL Z. LIEBERMAN, author of The Molecule of More'This book will profoundly change the way you consider your own mind' LEWIS DARTNELL, bestselling author of The Knowledge, Origins and Being Human'A compelling account of how a mind emerges from the brain' CHRIS FRITH, Emeritus Profes...

Brought to you by Penguin.How does your brain decide what it’s seeing, from the physical world to other people? For decades, scientists have tried to understand how our brains work, not realising that the answer lies much closer to home than it seems.The latest research in neuroscience and psychology suggests that the brain is doing the same thing that the scientists are: using past experiences to build theories of how the world works, and using these model...

Brought to you by Penguin.The global powerhouse that is the United States of America is younger even than the British Museum, Guinness and the flushing toilet. In 2026 it will celebrate its 250th birthday. How did this vast land, long inhabited by diverse indigenous cultures, come to be dominated by English speakers? How has it grappled with the stark contradictions between its ideals of liberty and the grim reality of genocide and slavery?This extraordinar...

‘Jenkins sets about his task with infectious enthusiasm and draws out all the most important themes in America’s 250-year history' The TimesIn the two hundred and fifty years since its foundation, the United States of America has grown to become the world’s richest and most powerful union. How did this new nation come to dominate global culture, economics, politics and warfare?Informed by years of close observation, bestselling author Simon Jenkins...

Brought to you by Penguin.An eye-opening exploration of humanity’s unprecedented path to global depopulation and why it's in everyone's interests to prevent itIIf we continue as we are, with birth rates falling globally, the world’s human population will peak in the next few decades – and then begin a sudden and rapid decline. It would be easy to think that fewer people would be better: better for the planet, better for the people who remai...

Who does the Mona Lisa actually depict?Why do we still look to the Greeks and Romans to inform our politics?Where do we find meaning in a world dominated by technology?Culture is like a language. Art, architecture, history and philosophy are its grammar. And, like a language, anyone can learn it.In 2022, Sheehan Quirke took to Twitter (now X) as The Cultural Tutor with the aim of making culture accessible for everyone. He wrote about poetry, paintings...

Brought to you by Penguin.From breakups that ended empires to naps that sank ships, 10 Mistakes That Changed History reveals how overlooked historical errors are responsible for some of the most era-defining events of the past.Featuring many of the most recognisable characters and episodes in history, from Cleopatra to the sinking of the Titanic, comedian and historian Paul Coulter reframes our understanding of the...

Brought to you by Penguin.50,000 years ago, we were not the only species of human in the world. There were at least four others, including the Neanderthals, Homo floresiensis, Homo luzonesis and the Denisovans. At the forefront of the latter's ground-breaking discovery was Oxford Professor Tom Higham. In The World Before Us, he explains the scientific and technological advancements - in radiocarbon dating and ancient DNA,...

'Gripping and essential reading' - TIM SPECTOR'A compelling true crime story' - THE NEW YORK TIMES'Strips away the lies to show what's really happening in the world' - OLIVER BULLOUGH'Totally compelling' - ELIZABETH KOLBERTPlastic is everywhere in our daily lives. But the companies making it - oil and petrochemical giants like ExxonMobil and INEOS - are hiding in plain sight. Becaus...

'A Bible for how to thrive in a world that seems designed to overwhelm' Amol Rajan'Calm, sensible advice that helps you focus on what truly deserves your energy' Ashley James'In a world full of self-help gurus offering quick fixes, Lily Silverton is a breath of fresh air' Melissa HemsleyDaily life. It demands more and more of us. And the truth is that we can't do it all - but we can achieve a lot, when we focus on w...

Brought to you by Penguin.From the UK’s ‘statistical national treasure’, a clever and data-driven guide to how we can live with risk and uncertaintyWe live in a world where uncertainty is inevitable. How should we deal with what we don’t know? And what role do chance, luck and coincidence play in our lives?David Spiegelhalter has spent his career dissecting data in order to understand risks and assess the chances of what might happe...

*Chosen by Waterstones as one of their best Nature Writing Books of 2024, and by The Economist as one of their best books of 2024*'A heartwarming guide to these fascinating giants of nature . . . A book that is full of surprises . . . Highly empathetic and informative' Independent'A global arboreal odyssey' Guardian‘Marvellous' The Economist'Enlightening, it ...