No doubt the 21st century will continue to surprise us, but the battle for the soul of humanity appears to be quickening. Do we have what it takes to save ourselves from ourselves? The internet has fundamentally changed our experience of shared life, for good and bad. The spiritual and ecological exhaustion of modernity is watched and discussed in a public realm mostly controlled by private interests, where our attention is easily hijacked and vulnerable to manipulation. There is joy and h...

'A nuanced and witty meditation on confronting the challenges life throws at us all' Oliver BurkemanJonathan Rowson's competitive success as a chess Grandmaster and work as an applied philosopher have given him a unique perspective on why the great game is more important than ever for understanding the conflicts and uncertainties of the modern world.In sixty-four witty and addictive vignettes, Rowson takes us on an exhilarating tour of the game of life, fro...

Bloomsbury presents The Moves that Matter written and read by Jonathan Rowson.'A powerfully unconventional and mind-expanding book ... A generous, nuanced and witty meditation on confronting the challenges life throws at us all' Oliver Burkeman, author of The AntidoteRefined and perfected throughout human history, chess has long been a touchstone for shrewd tacticians and master strategists. But enfolded within this ancient game can be found a singularly resonant metaphor f...

Why is it so many of us lack contentment, despite all the wealth and freedoms we enjoy?The past two centuries delivered individual and political freedoms that promised unprecedented opportunities for personal fulfilment. Yet citizens of affluent countries are encouraged to pursue lives of consumerism, endless choice and the pleasures of the body.Clive Hamilton argues that the paradox of modern consumer life is that we are deprived of our inner freedom by our very pursuit of...

From the author of You Are Awesome: Find Your Confidence and Dare to be Brilliant at (Almost) AnythingEssential reading for an astounding summer of sport; If you’ve ever wondered what makes a champion, Bounce has the answer.This edition does not include illustrations.What are the real secrets of sporting success, and what lessons do they offer about life? Why doesn’t Tiger Woods “choke”? Why are the best figure skaters those that have falle...

In May 1997, the world watched as Garry Kasparov, the greatest chess player in the world, was defeated for the first time by the IBM supercomputer Deep Blue. It was a watershed moment in the history of technology: machine intelligence had arrived at the point where it could best human intellect.It wasn't a coincidence that Kasparov became the symbol of man's fight against the machines. Chess has long been the fulcrum in development of machine intelligence; the hoax automaton 'The T...

This astonishing book presents a distinctive approach to the politics of everyday life. Ranging across a variety of spaces in which politics and the political unfold, it questions what is meant by perception, representation and practice, with the aim of valuing the fugitive practices that exist on the margins of the known. It revolves around three key functions. It:introduces the rather dispersed discussion of non-representational theory to a wider audienceprovides ...

In this classic bestseller, Robert Fritz argues for the power of the individual to choose to become the predominant creative force in his or her life. It is an oasis for anyone tired of the inadequacies of self-help, but who longs to create a life of satisfaction and purpose. Robert Fritz outlines an exciting and different approach to using creativity in everyday life. He shows that creativity is not a special gift given to the very few, but a skill that can be learned in order to change a...

Extending the inquiry of his early groundbreaking books, Christopher Small strikes at the heart of traditional studies of Western music by asserting that music is not a thing, but rather an activity. In this new book, Small outlines a theory of what he terms "musicking," a verb that encompasses all musical activity from composing to performing to listening to a Walkman to singing in the shower.Using Gregory Bateson's philosophy of mind and a Geertzian thick description of a typical...

Philosophy For Life is the definitive introduction to the history of Western thought, but more than that, it is a toolkit for using philosophy in your daily life.As you read, you will develop your own critical and creative thinking, exploring the key ideas in Western Philosophy and the arguments that continue to shape our world. You will discover what philosophy is really about, learn to be a sceptic, meet Plato and Aristotle, explore the concept of mind, question free wil...

*THE STRATEGIES BEHIND A SUCCESSFUL LIFE FROM THE LEGENDARY GRANDMASTER, NOW WITH A NEW FOREWORD*'In this book, chess is a teacher, and I aim to show it is a great one.'For over twenty years, Garry Kasparov dominated the world of chess. As the youngest ever undisputed World Champion, known for confounding his opponents at every move and breaking record after record, Kasparov was asked the same question time and time again: what makes a cham...

'One of the most profound and potentially life-altering encounters I’ve had' Sophie McBain, GuardianA user's guide to the everyday challenges of living, which looks to philosophy to reframe the way we understand ourselves and our relationshipsHow can we find our own direction and purpose? When life feels too much, is it possible to free ourselves from the concerns that weigh us down? Whether you’re in therapy or pr...