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Cartea lui Nicholson este o excelenta introducere academica in originile sufismului, o traditie mistica din cadrul islamului ce cuprinde o gama larga de credinte si de practici dedicate iubirii divine si cultivarii dimensiunii divine din fiinta umana. Misticii islamului, considerata prima carte din Occident care ofera o imagine lucida si plina de intelegere a misticismului islamic, asaza la originea sufismului influente venite din partea crestinismului timpuriu, gnosticismului si chiar a budismului. In cuvintele autorului, „imi propun sa le ofer cititorilor o serie de observatii despre originea si evolu- tia istorica a sufismului, relatia sa cu islamul si specificul sau general. Nu numai ca aceste aspecte sunt extrem de interesante pentru oricine este preocupat de studiul comparativ al religiilor, dar, totodata, un anumit nivel de cunoastere a lor este indispensabil oricarei persoane care studiaza in mod temeinic sufismul in sine.

Cuprins
Introducere
Capitolul I. Calea 
Capitolul II. Iluminarea si extazul
Capitolul III.Gnoza
Capitolul IV. Iubirea divina 
Capitolul V. Sfinti si miracole 
Capitolul VI. Starea unitiva 

     Fragment din volum:

In urma cu un deceniu, aceasta carte care deschidea calea spre noi orizonturi a lansat o uriasa provocare pentru interesul manifestat fata de modul in care spiritualitatea orientala poate sa intareasca bazele psihologiei occidentale. Incepand de atunci, lumea buddhismului si cea a psihoterapiei au inaintat laolalta construind o noua intelegere revolutionara a ceea ce reprezinta o viata emotionala sanatoasa. In introducerea sa introspectiva la cea de-a zecea editie aniversara, Mark Epstein da glas reflectiilor sale despre aceasta revolutie si analizeaza modul in care este posibil ca ea sa evolueze in viitor.

„[Ganduri fara ganditor este] Unul dintre cele mai rafinate modele de integrare a disciplinelor terapeutice si spirituale”. Daniel Goleman, autorul cartii Inteligenta emotionala

 „Cartea lui Mark Epstein este inspirata in luciditatea de care da dovada… Dupa Ganduri fara ganditor, psihoterapia  lipsita de o perspectiva buddhista seamana cu o activitate incompleta”. Adam Phillips, autorul cartii On Kissing, Tickling si Being Bored

„O opera inovatoare . . . Aceasta carte va intra in randul textelor clasice ale literaturii referitoare la meditatie”. Jon Kabat-Zinn, autor al cartii Wherever You Go, There You Are

„O expunere extrem de lucida si avizata a fuziunii dintre psihoterapie si meditatie. O psihologie oriental occidentala care vorbeste cu adevarat din interiorul ambelor lumi. Jack Kornfield, autorul cartii A Path with Heart

„Mi-a placut la nebunie Ganduri fara ganditor. Mark Epstein ne-a oferit o stralucita expunere a modului in care o veche stiinta a mintii, bazata pe o bogata traditie meditativa, poate completa terapia si poate conduce la noi dimensiuni ale intelepciunii si plenitudinii.” Joan Borysenko, autorul cartii Minding the Body, Mending the Mind

Cuvant inainte de Sanctitatea sa Dalai Lama

Scopul vietii este sa fim fericiti. Ca practicant buddhist, am ajuns la concluzia ca propria atitudine mentala reprezinta cel mai influent factor in drumul catre atingerea acestui scop. Pentru a schimba conditiile din afara propriei noastre fiinte, indiferent ca este vorba despre mediul inconjurator sau relatiile noastre cu ceilalti, trebuie mai intai sa facem schimbari in lumea din interiorul nostru. Pacea interioara este adevarata cheie. Odata ce am dobandit aceasta stare de spirit, vom putea face fata oricaror obstacole ale vietii cu calm si intelepciune, in timp ce ne pastram propria noastra fericire interioara. Invataturile buddhiste care ne vorbesc despre iubire, bunavointa iubitoare si toleranta, comportamentul care promoveaza nonviolenta si teoria care sustine ca toate lucrurile sunt relative, precum si o diversitate de tehnici pentru linistirea mintii sunt surse ce izvorasc din aceasta pace interioara.

De curand, sprijinindu-se pe un bogat bagaj de cunostinte furnizate de stiinta si medicina, psihoterapeutii au inceput sa analizeze posibilitatile de folosire a tehnicilor buddhiste intr-un context terapeutic. Am sentimentul ca acest demers este in deplina concordanta cu scopul de a depasi suferinta si de a imbunatati starea de bine a tuturor fiintelor vii. Experienta traita prin practicarea meditatiei buddhiste le-a oferit practicantilor ei o intelegere profunda a modurilor in care functioneaza mintea umana si a naturii ei specifice, o stiinta a universului nostru interior menita sa intregeasca intelegerea noastra referitoare la lumea fizica. Prin sine insasi, nici o dezvoltare tehnologica nu poate sa conduca la castigarea fericirii de durata. Ceea ce va lipsi aproape intotdeauna este o dezvoltare a lumii interioare a fiintei umane, care sa ii corespunda. Acesta este locul in care exista din ce in ce mai multe dovezi ca enunturile buddhiste si descoperirile lumii moderne detin potentialul de a fi valoroase unele pentru celelalte.

Urmaresc cu mare incredere felul in care evolueaza aceste abordari. Il felicit pe Mark Epstein pentru finalizarea acestei carti, rodul a douazeci de ani de experienta dobandita atat in practicarea psihoterapiei occidentale, cat si a meditatiei buddhiste. Volumul Ganduri fara un ganditor va oferi nu doar o seama de insight-uri utile pentru terapeuti, dar totodata va stimula in continuare interesul pentru studiu si cooperare intre terapeuti si cei care urmeaza calea meditativa.

Decembrie 1994

Ce este Zenul? Intr-o exprimare simpla, Zenul este practica descoperirii adevaratului sine prin experienta directa si prin personalizarea acelei descoperiri in viata de zi cu zi. Descoperirea apare in ceea ce noi numim o experienta iluminatoare…

Valoarea particulara a cartii de fata deriva din faptul ca experienta autorului a fost neobisnuit de profunda. Sunt sigur ca volumul va fi o veritabila calauza pentru cei aflati in cautarea adevarului despre Zen si ca va aduce o contributie durabila la corpusul literaturii Zen.

Ryōun-ken Masamichi Yamada

*

Iluminarea profunda a lui Kōun Roshi se vedea stralucind in el. Era o prezenta puternica si plina de compasiune, o persoana care trezea in mod firesc respectul si afectiunea in cei care il cunosteau. Dorinta sa cea mai mare era sa ii ajute pe altii sa gaseasca pacea privind in interiorul lor si intelegand cine sunt. In aceasta carte, el lamureste cum natura intrinseca a oricarei fiinte umane este „terenul comun” unde oamenii de toate rasele, nationalitatile si credintele alcatuiesc o singura realitate. El ne invata ca, prin practicarea Zenului si prin ajungerea la aceeasi experienta ca Buddha Sakyamuni – realizarea lipsei de sine a tuturor fiintelor –, putem transcende diferentele care ne separa si putem gasi pacea adevarata in inimile noastre si in aceasta lume.

Joan Rieck si Henry Shukman

 

Trezirea este realizarea faptului ca atat continutul subiectului, cat si al obiectului sunt vide si unitare si ca aceasta vacuitate nu este altceva decat schimbarea constanta a lumii fenomenale a formei. Mai bine spus, intr-un aspect existenta reala este complet vida si intr-un alt aspect este lumea fenomenala a formei ce apare si dispare fara incetare, in conformitate cu legea cauzalitatii.

Kōun Yamada

Unii se vor intreba daca maturitatea nu este un privilegiu rezervat senectutii.
Maturitatea nu este nici expresia unei predispozitii fericite, nici fructul natural al senectutii, ci rezultatul unui travaliu pe care omul il indreapta asupra sa. 
Care este prima conditie in vederea dobandirii maturitatii? A recunoaste cu toata onestitatea ca ea ne lipseste. Trebuie sa luam limpede cunostinta de rezistentele noastre indreptate impotriva cresterii noastre interioare. Numai atunci vom avea acces la surse. Adversarul, necesar totusi, este Eul care separa si divizeaza; iar sursa este fiinta noastra esentiala, obturata insa de Eu. A asculta vocea ei, a o intercepta nu doar in orele linistite, ci de-a lungul cotidianului dificil, chiar si in mijlocul muncii mecanizate, aceasta este munca noastra de prima necesitate.
Fara aceasta dezvoltarea a sufletescului esential uman, omul ramane, oricare ar fi gradul de dezvoltare a aptitudinilor sale practice sau profesionale, doar jumatate de om, si aceasta inseamna imatur. 
Majoritatea nu stiu ca aceasta lipsa de maturitate este extraordinar de raspandita in societate si ca ea este cauza multor esecuri atat pe plan personal, cat si pe plan familial (cresterea copiilor) si, deloc mai putin, pe plan social: lipsa de maturitate a barbatilor si a femeilor care ocupa posturi de prim-plan este cauza unei multitudini de ravagii in viata celor care sunt incredintati responsabilitatii lor. - Karlfried Graf Durckheim

 Intr-o zi, constatam cu tristete ca dragostea nu mai este acolo... Am incercat totul, dar astazi stim ca ruptura nu mai poate fi evitata. In urma separarii – fie ca suntem noi cei care plecam, fie ca suntem cei parasiti – este necesar sa tinem doliu dupa relatia de dragoste, pentru a ne putea reinventa si merge mai departe. Cu sensibilitate si profunzime, dr. Christophe Faure abordeaza:
    • indoielile si incertitudinile care preced separarea;
    • anuntarea rupturii, care este un moment dificil;
    • tumultul emotiilor, printre care neputinta, culpabilitatea, furia, frica de singuratate etc;
    • intelegerea a ceea ce a dus la pierderea relatiei;
    • suferinta copiilor ai caror parinti hotarasc sa nu mai stea impreuna;
    • convalescenta, apoi reconstructia interioara.

    Aceasta carte este un aliat pretios pentru a intelege ce se intampla cu noi in astfel de situatii si ne ofera lectii pentru a invata din aceasta incercare a vietii.
    CHRISTOPHE FAURE, psihiatru si psihoterapeut, le este alaturi celor care trec prin marile suferinte ale vietii. A publicat mai multe lucrari despre cuplu.

  Foarte multe companii isi limiteaza gandirea strategica la ceea ce stiu deja sa faca. Se asteapta ca managerii sa stabileasca obiective concrete si sa construiasca planuri detaliate, pas cu pas, pentru a le atinge mai usor. O asemenea abordare poate satisface necesitatile unei firme doar pe termen scurt, dar genereaza inovatii modeste si, in cel mai bun caz, o dezvoltare progresiva. Rezultatul va fi faptul ca afacerea va stagna la un nivel de performanta pe care nu il va mai putea depasi. 
    In Mintea creativa veti descoperi o abordare complet diferita a proce-sului creativ. Veti afla:
• Cum sa va duceti compania dincolo de nivelul actual al performantei, cum sa construiti o dinamica a cresterii si a expansiunii si cum sa deveniti lider de piata in domeniu. 
• Cum sa depasiti gandirea de grup clasica si sa va eliberati adevarata putere creatoare.
• Cum sa deveniti un lider de opinie folosind secretele puterii creatiei.
• Cum sa inovati si sa va dezvoltati modelul de afaceri.
    Folosirea tehnicilor practice si a pasilor descrisi in Mintea creativa va aduce companiei dumneavoastra o infuzie de putere creativa si va stimula inovatia. Renuntati la modelul traditional de afacere si generati cresterea dinamica pe care o meritati!

    „Chiar si companiile care se bucura de un succes urias - de fapt, in special aceste companii - esueaza in cele din urma daca nu isi pastreaza flexibilitatea. Urmariti evolutia pietei si adaptati-va cerintelor sau, mai degraba, construiti-va viitorul cu ajutorul acestui volum extraordinar al lui Scott Cochrane!" - Marshall Goldsmith, ganditorul numarul 1 in leadership mondial

In aceasta carte revolutionara, Adam Alter urmareste ascensiunea dependentei comportamentale si explica motivele pentru care multe dintre produsele contemporane sunt irezistibile. Chiar daca aceste produse miraculoase elimina distantele care ii separa pe oameni, magnetismul lor extraordinar si, uneori, nociv nu este intamplator. 

Companiile care proiecteaza aceste produse le ajusteaza de-a lungul timpului, pana devine aproape imposibil sa nu cedam in fata lor. 

Analizand atent structura dependentei de comportamente, Alter explica ce putem face pentru a canaliza spre bine produsele care dau dependenta - pentru a comunica mai bine intre noi, pentru a cheltui si a economisi mai inteligent si pentru a pune granite intre munca si joaca - si cum putem sa gasim solutii prin care sa combatem efectele nocive ale acestora asupra bunastarii, sanatatii si fericirii noastre si ale copiilor nostri. 

Bine ati venit in era dependentei comportamentale. Suntem obsedati de e-mailuri, de aprecierile de pe instagram si de fluxul de noutati de pe Facebook. Exageram cu vizionarea de episoade din seriale TV si de videoclipuri pe YouTube. Lucram din ce in ce mai mult si petrecem o medie de trei ore pe zi butonand telefoanele inteligente. Jumatate dintre noi am prefera sa ne rupem un os decat sa ni se strice telefonul, iar copiii Generatiei Y stau atat de mult in fata ecranelor, incat intampina dificultati in interactiunea cu oamenii din jurul lor. 

Daca nu te poti orpi din privit, accesat si navigat, lasa din mana telefonul sau tableta si citeste Irezistibil a lui Adam Alter, o carte importanta si inovatoare, despre motivele pentru care suntem dependenti de tehnologie, despre modul in care am ajuns aici si despre lucrurile pe care ar trebui sa le facem in continuare. - Arianna Huffington, autoare ( The Sleep Revolution si Succesul redefinit).

Fragment din carte:

"Desigur, exista persoane care nu sunt de acord cu ideea ca dependentele ar putea exista strict la nivel comportamental. Acestia intreaba: „Cum ramane cu substantele?" „Daca poti fi dependent de jocuri video si smartphone-uri, de ce n-ai putea fi dependent de a mirosi fiori sau de a merge inapoi?" Poti fi dependent de acestea, teoretic. Daca ajung sa indeplineasca o nevoie profunda, daca nu poti rezista fara ele si daca incepi sa te ocupi de acestea cu pretul neglijarii altor aspecte ale vietii tale, atunci vei fi dezvoltat o dependenta comportamentala de mirosit fiori sau de mers inapoi. Probabil ca nu sunt multi oameni cu aceste dependente particulare, dar nu sunt de neconceput. In schimb, exista multi, multi oameni care manifesta simptome similare atunci cand le dai un smartphone, cand le arati un joc video atractiv sau cand pomenesti despre e-mail. 
Exista si oameni care considera ca termenul „dependenta" nu se poate folosi pentru a descrie majoritatea populatiei. „Nu devalorizeaza asta termenul «dependenta»? Nu il face sa devina lipsit de sens si gol?", intreaba acestia. Atunci cand, in 1918, o pandemie de gripa a omorat 75 de milioane de oameni, nimeni nu a sugerat ca diagnosticul de gripa ar fi fost nesemnificativ. Situatia cerea atentie tocmai pentru ca a afectat atat de multi oameni si acelasi lucru este valabil si pentru dependenta comportamentala. Este dificil sa ne abtinem de la telefoane si e-mailuri - pentru ca ambele fac parte din societatea de azi si promoveaza experiente satisfacatoare la nivel psihologic - si vor mai aparea experiente generatoare de dependente in deceniile care urmeaza. Nu ar trebui sa folosim un termen diluat pentru a le descrie; ar trebui sa constientizam cat de grave sunt, cat de mult rau fac bunastarii noastre colective si cat de multa atentie merita. Dovezile de pana acum sunt ingrijoratoare, iar tendintele sugereaza ca ne scufundam si mai mult in ape periculoase. 
Chiar si asa, este important sa folosim cu grija termenul „dependenta comportamentala". O eticheta ii poate incuraja pe oameni sa vada o tulburare in orice. Copiii timizi au fost deodata etichetati ca „suferind de Asperger" atunci cand termenul a devenit popular; oamenii cu emotii volatile au fost, la fel, etichetati ca fiind „bipolari". Allen Frances, psihiatru si expert in dependenta, isi face griji in privinta termenului <<dependenta comportamentala>>. "

Pornind de la o serie de investigatii ale unor informatii bazate pe cifre, Daniel Levitin demonstreaza ca manipularea statisticii si a graficelor ne poate oferi o perspectiva radical distorsionata, care ne poate conduce la decizii ingrozitoare. 

Argumentele stufoase, pe de alta parte, pot fi persuasive, caci se indeparteaza de la fapte intr-un mod captivant, dar pot induce in eroare. In aceasta carte, autorul expune in detaliu pasii pe care ii putem face pentru a evalua mai bine stirile, reclamele si rapoartele. In plus, analizeaza fundamentul capacitatii noastre de a determina daca ceva este adevarat sau fals: metoda stiintifica. Levitin tatoneaza limitele a ceea ce stim si ce nu stim si ne ofera studii de caz pentru a demonstra aplicatiile gandirii logice intr-o serie ampla de circumstante, de la depozitii la tribunal si decizii medicale pana la magie, fizica moderna si teorii ale conspiratiei. 

Aceasta carte de care avem stringent nevoie ne ajuta sa evitam extrema credulitatii pasive si a respingerii cinice. Dupa cum dovedeste Levitin, adevarul conteaza. O era post-adevar este o era a irationalitatii deliberate, care rastoarna toate marile progrese pe care le-a facut umanitatea. Eufemisme precum ,,teorii marginale”, ,,perspective extremiste”, ,,adevar alternativ” si chiar ,,stiri false” pot fi de-a dreptul periculoase. Haideti sa dam in vileag minciunile si sa ii prindem in flagrant delict pe cei care le comit. 

Ghidul practic al lui Daniel Levitin este un abecedar de gandire critica pentru epoca noastra zgomotoasa si sufocata de date. Este un instrument esential, care ne va ajuta sa intelegem cu adevarat textele, postarile, tweeturile, revistele, ziarele, podcasturile, editorialele, interviurile si discursurile care ne bombardeaza in fiecare zi. Fiecare pagina este revelatoare. CHARLES DUHIGG, autorul cartilor Puterea obisnuintei si Mai inteligent, mai repede, mai bine 

Lumea este invadata de date, dar nu intotdeauna de informatii exacte. Cartea lui Levitin reuseste sa ilustreze in mod exemplar diferenta dintre cele doua, cu o precizie si un umor incantator, irezistibil. CHARLES WHEELAN, autorul cartii Naked Economics 

Fragment din carte:

"Facebook se straduieste sa se ridice la inaltimea responsabilitatilor sale sociale ca sursa de informare, „facilitandu-le celor 1,8 miliarde de membri raportarea stirilor false". Cu alte cuvinte, sa dea minciunile in vileag. Poate ca si alte site-uri de social media vor adopta in viitor rolul de indrumatori. Cel putin putem spera ca rolul lor in transformarea minciunilor in arme va scadea. 
Multe oiganizatii de presa au investigat originea articolului despre pizzeria cu sclavi sexuali. NBC relata despre prospera comunitate de nascocitori de „stiri false" din Veles, Macedonia, care este posibil sa fi fost sursa. Aceasta regiune a facut parte din Iugoslavia comunista pana in 1991. BuzzFeed si Guardian au descoperit peste o suta de nume de domenii de stiri false, originare din aceasta zona. Tinerii din Veles, fara a avea vreo afiliere cu vreun partid politic din Statele Unite, posteaza articole bazate pe minciuni, pentru a castiga sume semnificative prin intermediul publicitatii per clic, pe platforme precum Facebook. Adolescentii pot castiga zeci de mii de dolari, in orase care nu ofera prea multe oportunitati economice. Ar trebui sa-i invinovatim pe ei pentru impuscaturile din pizzerie? Platformele de relationare sociala? Sau sistemul educational din SUA care a creat cetateni ce nu trec prin filtrul propriei gandiri afirmatiile pe care le intalnesc zilnic? 
Ati putea obiecta, spunand: „Dar nu este datoria mea sa evaluez statisticile in mod critic. Ziarele, bloggerii, guvernul, Wikipedia etc. ar trebui sa faca asta pentru noi". Da, ar trebui, dar nu o fac intotdeauna si le este din ce in ce mai greu sa tina pasul, caci minciunile prolifereaza mai rapid decat le pot expune. Este ca in jocul Loveste cartita. Articolul despre Pizzagate a fost accesat de peste un milion de ori, in timp ce deconspirarea acestuia, facuta de catre Snopes, a fost citita de mai putin de 35 000 de ori. Suntem norocosi ca avem o presa libera; de-a lungul istoriei, majoritatea natiunilor au stat mult mai prost la acest capitol. Nu trebuie sa luam niciodata libertatea si integritatea mass-mediei de bune. Jurnalistii si companiile care ii platesc vor continua sa ne ajute sa identificam minciunile si sa le dezamorsam, dar nu pot realiza asta singuri - minciunile vor castiga daca avem un public credul si nepregatit, care le consuma. 
Bineinteles ca cei mai multi dintre noi nu vor crede ca Hillary Clinton conducea o retea de sclavi sexuali dintr-o pizzerie din Washington, D.C. Dar cartea de fata nu este doar despre astfel de absurditati. Aveti nevoie cu adevarat de acest nou medicament sau campania de marketing de miliarde de dolari din spatele ei va serveste pseudodate partinitoare, selectate special? De unde stim daca o celebritate data in judecata este cu adevarat vinovata? Cum evaluam o investitie sau alta ori un set de sondaje electorale contradictorii? Ce lucruri ne depasesc capacitatea de cunoastere pentru ca nu ni se dau destule informatii? "

 Setul "Mari comandanti in al doilea Razboi Mondial" prezinta biografia, tacticile, strategiile si experientele de lupta ale celor mai mari comandanti din al Doilea Razboi Mondial. Contine 10 volume:

• Dwight Eisenhower de Steven J. Zaloga (142 pagini, an aparitie: 2016)
    In lunga lui cariera de ofiter de infanterie, Eisenhower a tinut rareori o pusca in mana si nu a luptat nici macar intr-o singura batalie, dar a ajuns sa comande cea mai moderna si mai puternica forta armata care exista atunci in lume. El a reprezentat tipul comandantului militar fundamental nou, potrivit pentru solicitarile impuse de razboiul industrializat al secolului XX, in care inamicul era invins mai degraba printr-un management superior decat prin forta concreta a armelor. Probabil cea mai importanta calitate a lui Eisenhower a fost aceea de om de stat, care a reusit sa tina laolalta o coalitie fracturata, in ciuda relatiilor dificile dintre comandantii americani si britanici, si care ulterior avea sa stea in fruntea tarii ca presedinte, intr-o perioada in care Razboiul Rece era in plina desfasurare.

• Omar Bradley de Steven J. Zaloga (142 pagini, an aparitie: 2016)
    Generalul Omar Bradley a fost cel mai bun comandant tactic din armata SUA pe teatrul european de operatiuni din al Doilea Razboi Mondial. Coleg de clasa cu Eisenhower la West Point, Bradley a fost comandantul american tipic, ajuns intr-o functie inalta de conducere cu putina experienta de lupta, dar cu o pregatire solida de strateg si organizator talentat. In calitate de comandant al Armatei I si apoi al Grupului de armata XII, Bradley a fost in mijlocul tuturor victoriilor importante obtinute de armata americana in 1944–1945, incepand cu Ziua Z si terminand cu ultimele atacuri din Germania. Acest nou studiu analizeaza succesele sale mai importante, dar si campaniile mai putin reusite, cum a fost crancena lupta pentru padurea Hurtgen si incapacitatea lui de a anticipa ofensiva germana din Ardeni.

• George S. Patton de Steven J. Zaloga (142 pagini, an aparitie: 2016)
    George S. Patton Jr. a fost un comandant american emblematic in al Doilea Razboi Mondial si este considerat cel mai bun specialist in razboiul cu mecanizate din armata americana. Dupa ce a urmarit banditi in razboiul de la granita mexicana din 1917, el a condus in Primul Razboi Mondial prima unitate de tancuri a Statelor Unite. Dupa dezastrul de la trecatoarea Kasserine, din Africa de Nord, in 1943, a reusit sa refaca reputatia armatei americane cu victoriile obtinute in Tunisia si mai tarziu in Sicilia, in iulie 1943. Dar faima adevarata a lui Patton avea sa vina un an mai tarziu, dupa debarcarile din Normandia, ofensiva din Ardeni si traversarea Rinului. In aceasta carte sunt descrise si analizate actiunile lui Patton, intr-un nou studiu dedicat uneia dintre cele mai interesante si mai controversate figuri ale istoriei militare americane.

• Erich von Manstein de Robert Forczyk (142 pagini, an aparitie: 2016)
    Erich von Manstein a fost unul dintre comandantii germani de succes din al Doilea Razboi Mondial. Un apostol al conceptului german de Bewegungskrieg – razboi de manevra –, el a fost responsabil de planul operativ al strapungerii germane prin padurea Ardeni, in urma careia s-a reusit cucerirea rapida a Frantei in 1940. In 1941 comanda un corp de panzere in atacul de la Leningrad si o armata in Crimeea, iar in 1942 participa la cucerirea Sevastopolului. In calitate de comandant al Heeresgruppe Don, el a avut misiunea de a organiza incercarea de a recupera pozitia germana de la Stalingrad, sortita esecului, iar in martie 1943 a reusit o mare rasturnare de situatie in a treia batalie de la Harkov, probabil cea mai buna batalie a sa. Cartea de fata este o istorisire militara a celor mai importante batalii la care a participat von Manstein, in care se analizeaza tacticile, deciziile, dar si trasaturile sale de caracter care au contribuit la succesul sau in razboi si au facut din el unul dintre cei mai respectati comandanti germani.

• Albert Kesselring de Pier Paolo Battistelli (142 pagini, an aparitie: 2016)
    Cariera feldmaresalului Albert Kesselring este legata indestructibil de campania din Italia din 1943–1945. Pentru unii, a fost un militar deosebit, care a luptat cu vitejie si succes intr-o campanie care a tinut pe loc multe luni fortele aliate superioare. Pentru altii, este un criminal de razboi – comandantul care a dat ordine ce au dus la represalii feroce si ucideri in masa de civili in Italia ocupata de germani. Insa cariera lui Kesselring este mult mai complexa. In functia de comandant de aviatie, el a comandat stralucit Luftflotte 1 si 2 in campaniile din Polonia, apoi in Olanda, Belgia si Franta, fiind oprit numai in Batalia pentru Anglia. Trimis in Mediterana la sfarsitul anului 1941, a refacut liniile de aprovizionare care asigurau mentinerea trupelor lui Rommel pe campul de lupta. Cu aceasta cariera multifatetata, Kesselring a fost unul dintre cei mai notabili comandanti germani din al Doilea Razboi Mondial.

• Walther Model de Robert Forczyk (142 pagini, an aparitie: 2016)
    Walther Model a fost cel mai tanar Generalfeldmarschall din Wehrmacht (armata germana) in timpul celui de-al Doilea Razboi Mondial si comandantul favorit al lui Adolf Hitler. A fost un lider dur si tenace, mai ales in defensiva, si s-a bucurat de multa apreciere in cariera sa exceptionala. Model a marcat cu adevarat anii din urma ai razboiului, cand deja timpul se scurgea implacabil pentru cel de-al Treilea Reich, iar el era mutat de pe un front in prabusire pe altul, reusind sa stabilizeze temporar situatia. Model a primit porecla „Pompierul lui Hitler“ si merita sa fie recunoscut ca unul dintre cei mai mari comandanti defensivi din istoria militara moderna, asa cum o demonstreaza volumul de fata.

• Heinz Guderian de Pier Paolo Battistelli (142 pagini, an aparitie: 2016)
    Heinz Guderian a fost unul dintre cei mai respectati comandanti de tancuri din al Doilea Razboi Mondial. Fiu de general, nimeni nu s-a indoit ca va calca pe urmele tatalui sau. In perioada interbelica, el s-a implicat mult in dezvoltarea razboiului cu blindate in armata germana. La inceputul celei de a doua conflagratii mondiale era comandantul trupelor de panzere din XIX Armeekorps (mot.), in Polonia, iar in batalia pentru Franta a ajuns cu trupele sale pana la marginea pungii Dunkerque, intr-o campanie furtunoasa. Pentru Operatiunea Barbarossa, invazia Uniunii Sovietice, comanda lui s-a extins la Panzergruppe Guderian. Inlaturat de la comanda operativa la sfarsitul lui 1941, deoarece nu se supusese ordinelor lui Hitler, in martie 1943 a devenit inspector al trupelor de panzere, iar in iulie 1944 sef al marelui stat major al armatei, dar nici macar un mare comandant de panzere nu putea face altceva decat sa amane inevitabila infrangere a Germaniei.

• Isoroku Yamamoto de Mark Stille (142 pagini, an aparitie: 2016)
    Amiralul Isoroku Yamamoto a fost cel mai important comandant japonez de marina din al Doilea Razboi Mondial. El a planificat si executat lovitura indrazneata asupra Pearl Harbor, care a afectat flota americana din Pacific, declansand astfel Razboiul din Pacific, si a comandat Flota Combinata japoneza pana cand a fost ucis de americani in 1943, dupa campania din Guadalcanal. In ciuda succesului pe care l-a avut operatiunea de la Pearl Harbor, felul in care Yamamoto a comandat ulterior Flota Combinata a ridicat o multime de semne de intrebare. Bataliile purtate impotriva marinei americane pe Marea Coralilor, la Midway si, in cele din urma, la Guadalcanal au reusit sa ii submineze reputatia de tactician naval de elita. In acest volum, Mark Stille examineaza toate aceste campanii importante pentru a analiza stilul si strategiile de comanda folosite de Yamamoto si pentru a evalua felul in care acestea au influentat cursul Razboiului din Pacific si sansele Japoniei la victorie.

• Bernard Montgomery de Tim Moreman (142 pagini, an aparitie: 2016)
    Feldmaresalul Bernard Montgomery este cel mai cunoscut si cel mai controversat general britanic din al Doilea Razboi Mondial, a carui personalitate starneste si azi dezbateri aprinse. Celebru pentru standardele inalte pe care le impunea si pentru personalitatea sa dificila, el a avut fara indoiala talent strategic si a condus catre victorie Armata VIII britanica impotriva lui Rommel, in Africa de Nord. A fost si autorul Operatiunii Overlord – invazia Aliatilor in Normandia. Aroganta si lipsa de sociabilitate erau insa cele mai mari slabiciuni ale lui Montgomery si de multe ori puneau la incercare rabdarea ofiterilor superiori aliati. In acest volum, Tim Moreman analizeaza viata si cariera acestui om genial, dar plin de defecte, oferindu-ne posibilitatea de a intelege mentalitatea uneia dintre cele mai enigmatice si interesante personalitati din al Doilea Razboi Mondial.

• Erwin Rommel de Pier Paolo Battistelli (142 pagini, an aparitie: 2016)
    Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel, legendara „Vulpe a Desertului“, se numara printre cei mai renumiti generali din al Doilea Razboi Mondial. Ofiter indraznet de infanterie in Primul Razboi Mondial, in primele luni ale celui de al Doilea Razboi Mondial Rommel a preluat comanda unei divizii de panzere pe care a condus-o intr-una dintre cele mai importante zone ale ofensivei germane in vest. Cele mai faimoase batalii le-a dus in calitate de comandant al Afrikakorps, din 1941, cand a fost pe punctul de a-i alunga pe britanici din Egipt. Infrant de Montgomery la El Alamein, mai tarziu a comandat trupele germane in timpul bataliei din Normandia, in 1944, dar, dupa ce a fost implicat, pare-se, intr-un complot impotriva lui Hitler, a fost obligat sa se sinucida. Rommel a fost idealizat de istoricii din perioada postbelica, fiind considerat intruchiparea a tot ce e mai bun din traditia militara germana. Volumul de fata isi propune sa reevalueze rolul sau de comandant, analizandu-i punctele forte si slabiciunile.

Cele sase povestiri reunite in volumul Dupa cutremur ne ofera imaginea unui Murakami in plina forma. Toate sint legate de teribilul cutremur din 1995 care a zguduit regiunea Kobe din Japonia. Spiritul patrunzator si poetic al scriitorului urmareste destinele unor oameni condusi in acelasi timp de speranta si disperare, cutremurul fiind un ecou al trecutului de mult ingropat. Astfel, Satsuki il uraste pe fostul iubit care, cu treizeci de ani in urma, ii distrusese visul de a avea copii. Oare dorinta ei de razbunare a provocat cutremurul? Junpei s-a instrainat de parintii lui care locuiesc in Kobe, iar micuta Sara are cosmaruri in care „nenea Cutremur” incearca sa o bage intr-o cutie. Miyake si-a parasit familia si aprinde focuri pe plaja. Katagiri se intoarce acasa, unde il asteapta o broasca uriasa, ce are o misiune speciala: sa salveze Tokyo-ul de o rima imensa care, cind se-nfurie, provoaca cutremure, iar acum e foarte furioasa.

Alex Tocilescu este un moralist, dar unul care te invita pe tine sa extragi esenta din poveste, lasind loc, dupa ce hohotele se linistesc, acelei unde de tristete pe care o intilnim in risu’-plinsu’ existential al fiecaruia dintre noi. O carte ce se citeste pe nerasuflate, un festin de umor.

„Deci, Alex Tocilescu, cu un umor de balamuc, cu un firesc naucitor al limbajului pulopizdic, cu femeile lui mecanice, cu veceuri sinucigase... Surisul lui innoada lacrimi.” (Emil Brumaru)

„Povestirile lui Tocilescu sint de-un haz nebun – proze de duminica, in principiu, dar perfect functionale si in zilele de vineri, treispe, cind ai nevoie de metafizica pentru a nu te cantona in chestii – sa le zicem asa – parafizice. Adica dincolo de dezinhibarile de limbaj atit de hulite in ultima vreme, dincolo de umorul pe care unii, ceva mai numerosi decit in vremurile gogoliene, nu-l considera arta in sine, Alex Tocilescu este scriitor in tot sensul cuvintului. Incepind de la stil pina la mesaj.” (Lucian Dan Teodorovici)

Această carte fermecătoare a apărut doar pentru a-i contrazice pe cei care cred că nu se mai scriu basme şi poveşti în ziua de astăzi. Prinţese, Feţi-Frumoşi, castele şi palate, tot arsenalul poveştilor de demult, e completat de internet, avioane sau concursuri de frumuseţe prezentate de Megastaruri într-un basm modern, o carte de aventuri sau o fabulă cu tâlc. Motanul Maurizio Furlini e povestitorul, plin de aroganţă şi lăudărăşenie, ce vă face cunoscute aventurile sale de consilier plătit regeşte şi vă dezvăluie cum cele trei prinţele din Regatului de Ditai-Nasul vor ajunge să înţeleagă câtă frumuseţe şi perfecţiune trebuie să dezvăluie un nas. Povestea plină de umor a Alexandrei Rusu este însoțită de ilustrațiile special realizate pentru această carte de Loreta Isac.

Alexandra Rusu este editor de carte, digital copywriter, co-fondator Booktopia.ro. A publicat în Evenimentul zilei, New York Times Book Review, Cosmopolitan, The Institute și în antologia De la Waters la Similea: Oameni cool scriu despre muzica lor (Humanitas, 2013).

Loreta Isac este artist și ilustrator. Printre expozițiile personale se numără Untitled forest (2013), The End of the Bunny Year și Bunny Year (2011). A ilustrat Rețete alese pentru prinți și prințese, de Anca Lungu (2015), și A opta povestire fără titlu, de Silvia Marinescu (Editura Vellant, 2015).

"Un motan, Maurizio Furlini, trei prințese, Hermina, Sandrina și Carina, Michael Jackson, un castel din piftie, Miaus Maximus, James Joyce, farmacia lui Bili Bambao, zeul Eros și un concurs de frumusețe sunt doar câteva dintre rotițele care compun mecanismul dement al acestui fals basm, adresat celor mai rafinați cititori. Cartea Năsoaselor e o fantezie ironică, o feerie sarcastică și grotescă, cea mai țăcănită carte pe care am citit-o de multă vreme încoace." T.O. Bobe

Faith Sunderly leads a double life. To most people, she is reliable, dull, trustworthy - a proper young lady who knows her place as inferior to men. But inside, Faith is full of questions and curiosity, and she cannot resist mysteries: an unattended envelope, an unlocked door. She knows secrets no one suspects her of knowing. She knows that her family moved to the close-knit island of Vane because her famous scientist father was fleeing a reputation-destroying scandal. And she knows, when her father is discovered dead shortly thereafter, that he was murdered.

In pursuit of justice and revenge, Faith hunts through her father's possessions and discovers a strange tree. The tree bears fruit only when she whispers a lie to it. The fruit of the tree, when eaten, delivers a hidden truth. The tree might hold the key to her father's murder - or it may lure the murderer directly to Faith herself. 

A compact masterpiece dedicated to the Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich: Julian Barnes’s first novel since his best-selling, Man Booker Prize–winning The Sense of an Ending.

In 1936, Shostakovitch, just thirty, fears for his livelihood and his life. Stalin, hitherto a distant figure, has taken a sudden interest in his work and denounced his latest opera. Now, certain he will be exiled to Siberia (or, more likely, executed on the spot), Shostakovitch reflects on his predicament, his personal history, his parents, various women and wives, his children—and all who are still alive themselves hang in the balance of his fate. And though a stroke of luck prevents him from becoming yet another casualty of the Great Terror, for decades to come he will be held fast under the thumb of despotism: made to represent Soviet values at a cultural conference in New York City, forced into joining the Party and compelled, constantly, to weigh appeasing those in power against the integrity of his music. 

Barnes elegantly guides us through the trajectory of Shostakovitch's career, at the same time illuminating the tumultuous evolution of the Soviet Union. The result is both a stunning portrait of a relentlessly fascinating man and a brilliant exploration of the meaning of art and its place in society. 

The Sunday Times Number One Bestseller.

A picture hides a thousand words ...

On a hot July day in 1967, Odelle Bastien climbs the stone steps of the Skelton gallery in London, knowing that her life is about to change forever. Having struggled to find her place in the city since she arrived from Trinidad five years ago, she has been offered a job as a typist under the tutelage of the glamorous and enigmatic Marjorie Quick. But though Quick takes Odelle into her confidence, and unlocks a potential she didn't know she had, she remains a mystery - no more so than when a lost masterpiece with a secret history is delivered to the gallery.

The truth about the painting lies in 1936 and a large house in rural Spain, where Olive Schloss, the daughter of a renowned art dealer, is harbouring ambitions of her own. Into this fragile paradise come artist and revolutionary Isaac Robles and his half-sister Teresa, who immediately insinuate themselves into the Schloss family, with explosive and devastating consequences ...

Seductive, exhilarating and suspenseful, The Muse is an unforgettable novel about aspiration and identity, love and obsession, authenticity and deception - a masterpiece from Jessie Burton, the million-copy bestselling author of The Miniaturist.

Internet meme meets classical art in Svetlana Petrova's brilliant FAT CAT ART. Featuring her twenty-two-pound, ginger-colored cat Zarathustra superimposed onto some of the greatest artworks of all time, Petrova's paintings are an Internet sensation. Now fans will have the ultimate full-colour collection of her work, including several never-before-seen pieces, to savour for themselves or to give as a gift to fellow cat lovers.

From competing with Venus s sexy reclining pose (and almost knocking her off her chaise lounge in the process) in Titian s Venus of Urbino, to exhibiting complete disdain as he skirts away from God s pointing finger in Michelangelo s Creation of Adam, Zarathustra single-handedly rewrites art history in the way that only an adorable fat cat can.

Full colour throughout

"It's official. That thing that classic art has been missing is a chubby reclining kitty." The Huffington Post

A deeply personal, intimate conversation about music and writing between the internationally acclaimed, best-selling author and the former conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

In Absolutely on Music, internationally Haruki Murakami sits down with his friend Seiji Ozawa, the revered former conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, for a series of conversations on their shared passion: music. Over the course of two years, Murakami and Ozawa discuss everything from Brahms to Beethoven, from Leonard Bernstein to Glenn Gould, from Bartók to Mahler, and from pop-up orchestras to opera. They listen to and dissect recordings of some of their favorite performances, and Murakami questions Ozawa about his career conducting orchestras around the world. Culminating in Murakami’s ten-day visit to the banks of Lake Geneva to observe Ozawa’s retreat for young musicians, the book is interspersed with ruminations on record collecting, jazz clubs, orchestra halls, film scores, and much more. A deep reflection on the essential nature of both music and writing, Absolutely on Music is an unprecedented glimpse into the minds of two maestros.

A selection of the music discussed by Murakami and Ozawa is available at harukimurakami.com.


“What most fascinates about Absolutely on Music is how it unlocks the challenging question of what makes for genius in the performance of music. . . . [It is] a book that opens a new side of [Murakami’s] authorial persona and that will open doors for people who want to love classical music. It is a quirky, oddly compelling book carried along by the smooth, laid-back rhythms of its relaxing conversations. Reading it, I found myself digging out pieces I hadn’t listened to in ages, engaged with a newfound appreciation. . . . Readable, accessible, highly entertaining, educational.” —Scott Esposito, San Francisco Chronicle

“Fascinating. . . . Ozawa is a beloved figure, known more for his modesty, preparation and smiling-hippie looks than for breaking batons. In Absolutely on Music, he appears in conversation with his countryman, the renowned Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami. Their discussions are prompted by listening to recordings together and range from musical personalities to the nuts and bolts of running an orchestra. Mr. Murakami is a non-musician who is nevertheless quite well-listened. . . . Murakami stays in the background of these conversations, but his preparation and curiosity draw out Mr. Ozawa wonderfully.” —The Wall Street Journal

“Absolutely on Music is an unprecedented treasure, valuable if for no other reason than that these conversations mark the first time that Ozawa has reflected at length on his 50-plus years of conducting. . . . Talking about music is like dancing about architecture, it’s often said, but what joy to watch these two friends dance. . . . One of this book’s central pleasures is that of watching a kind of translation at work. With an enthusiast’s brio, Murakami sallies forth with his idiosyncratic, often fanciful ideas about Ozawa’s music.” —The Guardian

“Refreshingly honest and enthusiastic, a mental sampler from both the writer and the musician. . . . The subject matter veers and twirls, from the philosophy of education to the phrasing of a specific passage, to the bringing out of an inner voice. And perhaps therein lies the charm of this book—material that only a music wonk could love, some spicy ‘Real Housewives of Vienna’ type dish, intellectual probing of the most arcane musical subjects, and personal expressions of amazement and sheer joy.” —The Buffalo News

“Fascinating. . . . Enthralling. . . . What comes through in these conversations is the devotion both men feel for music; the degree to which every detail of a work matters to them; and the strength of their yearning to connect to great symphonies and concertos (and the composers who penned them).”—The Seattle Times

“Irresistibly seductive.” —Evening Standard

“A useful guide [that] is also about the way the concert hall’s values of composition and rhythm can apply to any kind of creative life.” —A.V. Club

“Intriguing insights about the nature of music. . . . Deliberate and contemplative. In some ways, these conversations are High Fidelity for classical music fans.” —Publishers Weekly

“A strange and delightful book. Murakami and Ozawa sit sipping hot hojicha tea, snacking on persimmons, and discussing in riveting detail works by Mahler, Bartok, Beethoven, Brahms, and many other central figures in the history of Western music. . . . While he defers to Ozawa on technical matters, [Murakami] describes music with rich and suggestive metaphors and images that capture something essential about the spirit of the music.” —The Christian Science Monitor

“Transcribed from conversations between the phenomenal Japanese author Murakami (who ran a jazz club in his youth) and magician-with-a-baton Seiji Ozawa, whom I remember fondly as conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra in my student days long, long ago? I cannot resist. For all your smart readers.” —Barbara Hoffert, Library Journal

“Engaging. . . . [Murakami’s] knowledge of music is beyond impressive, as anyone who has read his novels already knows. He loves jazz, and one of the most interesting passages involves exchanges about blues in Chicago in the 1960s. Ozawa also declares a deep admiration for Louis Armstrong. . . . A work that general readers will enjoy and the musical cognoscenti will devour.” —Kirkus Reviews

“The book shines as a deep exploration into how a conductor does his job and how performer personalities, logistical factors, and mundane bureaucracies can change an orchestra’s sound. . . . The book also dishes insider gossip on the greats: Leonard Bernstein is a anti-hierarchical mensch, while Glenn Gould is a fascinating ‘eccentric.’” —New Republic

“A special book. . . . Look to this for insights into the broader world of music.” —The Worcester Telegram

“Soaring conversations that are at times erudite, funny and deeply personal. . . . An important and engaging reflection on the career of a great conductor.” —The Providence Journal

“Haruki Murakami loves music, from naming one of his most beloved novels Norwegian Wood (recalling the hit from The Beatles) to being the former owner of a jazz club in Tokyo. In these brilliantly illuminating conversations with his friend, the former conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa, these two creatives discuss the power of music. From pop-up orchestras to Brahms, these two insightful artists trace the way music has impacting them and society in general.” —BookRiot

“[A] glimpse into the minds of . . . two maestros and their creative process. Never a stormy debate, the talks make sweet melodies that may linger on for many readers—especially book and music lovers. . . . This book is easy reading and music is ‘absolutely’ the winner.” —Otago Daily Times (New Zealand)

Jim Francis has finally found the perfect life - and is now unrecognisable, even to himself. A successful painter and sculptor, he lives quietly with his wife, Melanie, and their two young daughters, in an affluent beach town in California. Some say he's a fake and a con man, while others see him as a genuine visionary. But Francis has a very dark past, with another identity and a very different set of values. When he crosses the Atlantic to his native Scotland, for the funeral of a murdered son he barely knew, his old Edinburgh community expects him to take bloody revenge. But as he confronts his previous life, all those friends and enemies - and, most alarmingly, his former self - Francis seems to have other ideas.

When Melanie discovers something gruesome in California, which indicates that her husband's violent past might also be his psychotic present, things start to go very bad, very quickly.

The Blade Artist is an elegant, electrifying novel - ultra violent but curiously redemptive - and it marks the return of one of modern fiction's most infamous, terrifying characters, the incendiary Francis Begbie from Trainspotting.

The authors trace the emergence of Ataturk and Reza Shah through the constitutional revolutions in Iran and the Ottoman Empire, which led to the introduction of European social models, the establishment of dictatorship and of secularist reforms. This produced in both Turkey and Iran highly authoritarian, nationalist, and quasi-westernised states, where the personality cult of the leader defined the politics of each country.

This revised edition builds upon and updates its twin themes of Turkey's continuing incorporation into the capitalist world and the modernization of state and society. It begins with the forging of closer links with Europe after the French Revolution, and the changing face of the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century. Zurcher argues that Turkey's history between 1908 and 1950 should be seen as a unity, and offers a strongly revisionist interpretation of Turkey's founding father, Kemal Ataturk. In his account of the period since 1950, Zurcher focuses on the growth of mass politics; the three military coups; the thorny issue of Turkey's human right's record; the alliance with the West and relations with the European Community; Turkey's ambivalent relations with the Middle East; the increasingly explosive Kurdish question; and the continuing political instability and growth of Islam.

NEW YORK TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR. NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER FOR FICTION 2016. 'Whitehead is on a roll: the reviews have been sublime'( Guardian). 'Luminous, furious, wildly inventive' (Observer). 'Hands down one of the best, if not the best, book I've read this year' (Stylist). 'Dazzling' (New York Review of Books).

Cora is a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia. All the slaves lead a hellish existence, but Cora has it worse than most; she is an outcast even among her fellow Africans and she is approaching womanhood, where it is clear even greater pain awaits. When Caesar, a slave recently arrived from Virginia, tells her about the Underground Railroad, they take the perilous decision to escape to the North.

In Whitehead's razor-sharp imagining of the antebellum South, the Underground Railroad has assumed a physical form: a dilapidated box car pulled along subterranean tracks by a steam locomotive, picking up fugitives wherever it can. Cora and Caesar's first stop is South Carolina, in a city that initially seems like a haven. But its placid surface masks an infernal scheme designed for its unknowing black inhabitants. And even worse: Ridgeway, the relentless slave catcher sent to find Cora, is close on their heels. Forced to flee again, Cora embarks on a harrowing flight, state by state, seeking true freedom. At each stop on her journey, Cora encounters a different world.

As Whitehead brilliantly recreates the unique terrors for black people in the pre-Civil War era, his narrative seamlessly weaves the saga of America, from the brutal importation of Africans to the unfulfilled promises of the present day. The Underground Railroad is at once the story of one woman's ferocious will to escape the horrors of bondage and a shatteringly powerful meditation on history.

From the secretary of state and bestselling author - a sweeping look at the global struggle for democracy and why America must continue to support the cause of human freedom.

From the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union to the ongoing struggle for human rights in the Middle East, Condoleezza Rice has served on the front lines of history. In this book, Rice explains what these epochal events teach us about democracy.

When the United States was founded, it was the only attempt at self-government in the world.Today more than half of all countries qualify as democracies, and in the long run that number will continue to grow. Yet nothing worthwhile ever comes wasily. Using America's long struggle as a ttemplate, Rice draws lessons for democracy around the world - from Russia, Poland, and Ukraine, to Kenya, Colombia, and the Middle East.

Trudy has betrayed her husband, John. She's still in the marital home - a dilapidated, priceless London townhouse - but not with John. Instead, she's with his brother, the profoundly banal Claude, and the two of them have a plan. But there is a witness to their plot: the inquisitive, nine-month-old resident of Trudy's womb.

Chris Stringer's bestselling The Origin of our Species tackles the big questions in the ongoing debate about the beginnings of human life on earth. Do all humans originate from Africa? How did we spread across the globe? Are we separate from Neanderthals, or do some of us actually have their genes? When did humans become 'modern' - are traits such as art, technology, language, ritual and belief unique to us? Has human evolution stopped, or are we still evolving?

Chris Stringer has been involved in much of the crucial research into the origins of humanity, and here he draws on a wealth of evidence - from fossils and archaeology to Charles Darwin's theories and the mysteries of ancient DNA - to reveal the definitive story of where we came from, how we lived, how we got here and who we are.

'A new way of defining us and our place in history' (Sunday Times). 'When it comes to human evolution Chris Stringer is as close to the horse's mouth as it gets ...The Origin of Our Species should be the one-stop source on the subject. Read it now' (BBC Focus). 'Britain's foremost expert on human evolution ...you need a primer to make sense of the story so far. Here is that book' (Guardian). 'Combines anecdote and speculation with crisp explanation of the latest science in the study of the first humans ...an engaging read' (New Scientist).

Chris Stringer is Britain's foremost expert on human origins and works in the Department of Palaeontology at the Natural History Museum. He also currently directs the Ancient Human Occupation of Britain project, aimed at reconstructing the first detailed history of how and when Britain was occupied by early humans. His previous books include African Exodus: The Origins of Modern Humanity, The Complete World of Human Evolution and most recently, Homo Britannicus, which was shortlisted for the Royal Society Science Book of the Year in 2007.

The number one bestseller Big Little Lies is now a HBO series starring Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Alexander Skarsgard and Shailene Woodey.

'Let me ask you a question. Would you like a series that has everything? Good. Because it is, emphatically, HERE' (The Guardian). 'Depth, class and a sense of humour' (The Times). 'Artful and arch, a compelling and sad satire' (Vanity Fair).

Perfect family, perfect house, perfect life; Jane, Madeline and Celeste have it all . . . or do they? They are about to find out just how easy it is for one little lie to spiral out of control. From the author of Truly Madly Guilty and The Husband's Secret comes a novel about the dangerous little lies we tell ourselves just to survive.Jane hasn't lived anywhere for longer than six months since her son was born five years ago. She keeps moving in an attempt to escape her past. Now the idyllic coastal town of Pirriwee has pulled her to its shores and Jane feels as if she finally belongs. She finds friends in the feisty Madeline and the incredibly beautiful Celeste, two women with seemingly perfect lives - and their own secrets. But at the start of a new term, an incident involving the children of all three women occurs in the playground, causing a rift between them and other parents. Minor at first but escalating fast, until the whispers and rumours become vicious and spiteful, and the truths blur into lies. It was always going to end in tears, but no one thought it would end in murder . . . Don't want Big Little Lies to end? Then why not order Liane Moriarty's new hit, Truly Madly Guilty.

At a family wedding Mevlut catches sight of a girl with whom he falls in love. After a secret courtship of letters passed via his cousin, she agrees to elope with him, and on a dark night the two come together for the first time. As they rush to catch a train to Istanbul, Mevlut realises he has been misled. But the die is cast, and the situation will determine the rest of his days.

Over the next four decades in Istanbul, Mevlut works various jobs to support his loving wife and family; work that gives him a special perspective on his rapidly changing city and the people who live there. And every evening he walks the streets, selling his wares and dreaming his dreams.

A magnificent novel. (Wall Street Journal)

Powerful and moving. (TLS 'Books of the Year')

Magnificent . . . Prepare to fall in love with this everyman, this vendor of street-level history whose cry echoes down the years. (Independent on Sunday)

Life-affirming story telling at its best. Written with humour, warmth and generosity, capturing the country's political upheaval and the extraordinariness of ordinary human life . . . A dazzling portrait of the author's beloved Istanbul. (Mail on Sunday)

A polyphonic novel about desire, memory, change and the lost pleasures of walking around Istanbul's long-gone neighbourhoods. (FT 'Books of the Year')

With its comedy, sentiment, melodrama and voracious curiosity about the urban habitat, this is Pamuk's most Dickensian work . . . City and soul converge. (Independent)

Five families. Three decades. One extraordinary era.

As the decisions made in the corridors of power bring the world to the brink of oblivion, five families from across the globe are brought together in an unforgettable tale of passion and conflict during the Cold War. When Rebecca Hoffmann, a teacher in East Germany, finds herself pursued by the secret police, she discovers that she has been living a lie. Her younger brother, Walli, longs to escape across the Berlin Wall to Britain to become part of the burgeoning music scene. In the United States, George Jakes, a bright young lawyer in the Kennedy administration, is a fierce supporter of the Civil Rights movement - as is the woman he is in love with, Verena, who works for Martin Luther King, Jr. Boarding a Greyhound bus in Washington to protest against segregation, they begin a fateful journey together. Russian activist, Tania Dvorkin, narrowly evades capture for producing an illegal news sheet.Her actions are made all the more perilous as her brother, Dimka, is a rising star in the heart of the Communist Party in the Kremlin.

From the deep south of America to the vast expanses of Siberia, from the shores of Cuba to the swinging streets of Sixties' London, Ken Follett's Edge of Eternity is a sweeping tale of the fight for individual freedom in a world gripped by the mightiest clash of superpowers anyone has ever known. *Includes family tree*

"Extraordinary and heartrending." (Markus Zusak, author of The Book Thief)

A Richard and Judy bookclub favourite
Goodreads historical category winner
The New York Times bestseller
Soon to be a major film starring Michael Fassbender and Alice Vikander

A boat washes up on the shore of a remote lighthouse keeper's island. It holds a dead man - and a crying baby. The only two islanders, Tom and his wife Izzy, are about to make a devastating decision. They break the rules and follow their hearts. What happens next will break yours.

"A love story that is both persuasive and tender" (The Sunday Times)

"An extraordinary book . . . as inevitable as Hardy at his most doom-laden. And as unforgettable" (Guardian)

"A description of the extraordinary, sustaining power of a marriage to bind two people together in love, through the most emotionally harrowing circumstances" (Daily Mail)

"It is not only the plot that it so compelling . . . What makes this wonderful novel stand out is the cast of emotionally fragile characters, all of whom inspire tremendous sympathy in the reader" (Daily Express)

"A moving tale . . . prepare to weep" (New York Times)

"Irresistible . . . seductive . . . a high concept plot that keeps you riveted from the first page" (Oprah Magazine)

"A spectacularly sure storyteller . . . Reading The Light Between Oceans is a total-immersion experience, extraordinarily moving." (Monica Ali, author of BRICK LANE)

"The Light Between Oceans unfurls in small acts, at first feeling slight to touch, then building in emotional substance. Into the spaces between words, Stedman breathes an anxiety and pulsating intensity that roils with the ocean and the lighthouse beacon" (Sydney Morning Herald)

"Book of the Week. Critics are buzzing about The Light Between Oceans, the gripping debut from M L Stedman" (Grazia Magazine)

"The characters are beautifully drawn . . . A completely unique read. ****" (Heat Magazine)

"A moving tale. One of this year's must-reads" (Stylist Magazine)

"Told with the authoritative simplicity of a fable . . . engrossing . . . immediate and familiar" (The New Yorker)

"Mesmerising . . . the sheer passion and poetry of Stedman's prose carries us on a wave of emotion and heartbreak" (Australian Woman's Weekly)

"Pick of the month: The memorable and moving tale of one couple’s search for happiness" (Woman and Home)

"A debut novel that tears at the heart – the last pages had me weeping buckets" (Saga Magazine)

"A haunting story peopled with characters you care about" (Choice Magazine)

"Elegantly rendered . . . heart-wrenching . . . beautifully drawn" (USA Today)

"Lyrical . . . Stedman’s debut signals a career certain to deliver future treasures" (People)

"Stunning and memorable" (Booklist)

"Heart-wrenching" (Publisher's Weekly)

So, then. You want a story and I will tell you one... Afghanistan, 1952. Abdullah and his sister Pari live in the small village of Shadbagh. To Abdullah, Pari, as beautiful and sweet-natured as the fairy for which she was named, is everything. More like a parent than a brother, Abdullah will do anything for her, even trading his only pair of shoes for a feather for her treasured collection. Each night they sleep together in their cot, their skulls touching, their limbs tangled. One day the siblings journey across the desert to Kabul with their father. Pari and Abdullah have no sense of the fate that awaits them there, for the event which unfolds will tear their lives apart; sometimes a finger must be cut to save the hand.