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Find out moreLooking to find out something more about the world we live in, instead of gallivanting off into the realm of fiction? Have a look at our hand-picked non-fiction choices.
From iconic favourites like the Grand Canyon to up-and-coming destinations like Tiblisi, this stunning photography collection willl inspire even the most intrepid traveller. Over 150 high-quality images bring the 100 places to life, spanning atmospheric hilltop pagodas, dramatic mountain scenery, and sparkling urban citiscapes. Lively descriptive text accompanies each entry, capturing the destination's spirit and exactly what makes it so special. Organized geographically by region, the book reaches every corner of the world, with each place carefully selected by Rough Guides' experienced team of authors and editors. Features of the Rough Guide to the 100 Best Places on Earth - Uncovers the top places to visit in 2020 - Stylish coffee-table book with more than 150 inspiring photographs - Employs Rough Guides' "tell it like it is" ethos - Organised geographically by region - Carefully curated by Rough Guides' team of expert authors and editors
Rough Guides' bestselling inspirational coffee-table book draws upon the insider knowledge of in-the-know writers to share the 1000 ultimate travel experiences across the globe. Make the Most of your Time on Earth is a handpicked curation of personal recommendations, from retracing Odysseus's footsteps on Mljet and hippo-spotting in the Bijagós Islands, to wild camping on the Arabian Peninsula and defying gravity at China's Hanging Temple. It might even be something as simple as walking among Hockney's landscapes on the Yorkshire Wolds Way, or eating among locals in the perfect setting: the definitive gelato in Rome or a mopane worm in Zimbabwe. Every one is special, and authentic, and - above all - inspiring. This fourth edition has been fully revised, with a brand-new design and a collection of high-quality colour photographs spanning beautiful national parks, captivating wildlife and dramatic landscapes. Entries are divided into regions, so you can dip in and out of the different parts of the world you're interested in, whether that's a remote island in the Philippines, a stunning Swedish archipelago or an off-the-beaten-track pocket of Saskatchewan. Lively and engaging text captures the essence of the experience, while essential "Need to Know" sections at the end of each chapter make it easy for you to plan your trip. Packed full of ideas and take-you-there photography, Make the Most of your Time on Earth is pure escapism for active travellers and armchair fantasists alike.
Available on Kindle I love reading about ‘off the beaten track’ places that are not on the main tourist trails. This fascinating book did not disappoint. The author’s style of writing so vividly depicts the places he visits that you really do feel immersed in West Africa. I particularly liked the accounts of interactions with the locals. It must have taken a lot of courage to do such a trip solo but the author clearly has the ability to interact positively with all sorts of people. I knew very little about these countries and now that I know more I would like to visit them, thanks to this fascinating book. Susan Wallace, A LoveReading Ambassador
Some people are born to be a certain thing. And I was a born fighter. At the age of eight, Michael Bisping began his training in martial arts. By the time he was 15, he was fighting in his first no holds barred competition. When he turned professional and joined the UFC he was sure about one thing: only a world championship title would do. A British underdog in the greatest fighting championship on earth, he spent the next decade winning some of the championship's most sensational contests to achieve his dream, becoming the first-ever British UFC world champion in 2016. From his boyhood years learning to fight in the gyms of Lancashire to his most shocking clashes in the cage, in Quitters Never Win Bisping tells the raw and unfiltered story behind his legendary career for the first time, including his greatest wins, his fiercest rivals and the harrowing injury that forced him into retirement. As audacious, entertaining and as candid as the man himself, it's a backstage pass to one of the world's most extreme sports and an unbridled account of what it really takes to become a champion, from sleeping in his own car to reaching the summit of the world's fastest-growing sport.
This really is the most gorgeously scrumptious book, showcasing some truly beautiful and awe-inspiring skies. 365 photographs and paintings, information, science, poetry and quotations all sit inside this rather lovely cover. The book is a great size, not too unwieldy, and after the introduction, which also gives some handy page numbers of some of the highlights, every single page is adorned with clouds. Did you know there was a Cloud Appreciation Society? I didn’t, but of course it makes complete sense! Gavin Pretor-Pinney started the society and says: “Having your head in the clouds, even for just a few moments each day, is good for your mind, good for you body and good for your soul. This book aims to show you why.” It certainly does show you why, you can open it at random, return again and again, and just soak up the images. The next time you head out, you can look up and know a little bit more about our beautiful skies. A Cloud A Day is a stunner, visually and mentally stimulating, it has been chosen as a LoveReading Star Book.
Award winning author Katherine Rundell is as passionate about reading children’s books as she is about writing them. In this brief but and perfectly structured handbook she encourages all readers to think about the particular qualities of children’s books and about the special experience of reading as a child – which she remembers clearly. Drawing on her deep knowledge of children’s stories and supporting her arguments with endorsing quotes from writers of all kinds she sets out her defence of the book’s title in brief sections. She is as much at home in the factual – ‘On how children’s fiction came to be’ and ‘On children’s fiction today’ as the more personal which reflect her own views including ‘On wild hunger and heroic optimism’ and ‘The galvanic kick of children’s books’.
Brought to you by Penguin. 'Everything needs to change. And it has to start today.' In August 2018 a 15-year-old Swedish girl, Greta Thunberg, decided not to go to school one day. Her actions ended up sparking a global movement for action against the climate crisis, inspiring millions of pupils to go on strike for our planet, forcing governments to listen, and earning her a Nobel Peace Prize nomination. This book brings you Greta in her own words. Collecting her speeches that have made history across Europe, from the UN to mass street protests, No One Is Too Small to Make A Difference is a rallying cry for why we must all wake up and fight to protect the living planet, no matter how powerless we feel. Our future depends upon it.
Founded on fables, feminism and reconnecting with the land, this is a strident call for women to re-root themselves in nature in order to take flight in themselves. “The world which men have made isn’t working. Something needs to change. To change the world, we women need first to change ourselves and then we need to change the stories we tell about who we are.” This statement perhaps best encapsulates the core and purpose of this book: to expose how centuries of patriarchy and humanity’s disengagement from nature has been to the detriment of women, and to offer insights into how to change this status quo. Throughout, the author shares many personal experiences and her own “rewilding” process, with examples from other women too. Drawing on ancient mythology and ways of life, especially those of the Celtic tradition, she interweaves ancient wisdom – stories of The Selkie’s New Skin, Ceridwen and the Cauldron of Transformation, and The Lady of Llyn-y-Fan Fach, to name a few - with contemporary contexts to create a richly interesting perspective on other ways of living.
This insightful anthology explores the effects of social and political turbulence on the individual and social unconscious with invigorating verve. Based on a series of progressive “The Political Mind” seminars established by David Morgan of the British Psychoanalytical Society, this collection is underpinned by Morgan’s belief that psychoanalysis “makes a valuable contribution” to the “important endeavour” of redeveloping “a culture that preserves the importance of humanity”, as opposed to embracing neoliberalism “with its emphasis on market forces over human love and joy”. To this end, the fourteen essays contained herein offer measured discussions of a broad range of pertinent socio-political matters from a psychoanalytical perspective. From exploring the rise of the far-right and the debilitating “we’re all in it together” myth of austerity, to examining the psychologies of prejudice and tolerance in relation to attitudes towards refugees and migrants, this provides those looking for fresh takes on today’s troubled - and troubling - political turmoil with stimulating sagacity from preeminent experts in their fields.
The country is changing and, up and down the land, cracks are appearing - within families and between generations. In the Midlands Benjamin Trotter tries to help his aged father navigate a Britain that seems to have forgotten he exists, while in London his friend Doug doesn't understand why his teenage daughter is eternally enraged. Meanwhile, newlyweds Sophie and Ian can find nothing to agree on except the fact that their marriage is on the rocks . . .
“What is important about money is that it is a key institution in human societies…Yet it is very hard to grasp, like a spectre it slips away, shrouded in mystery.” Drawing on the disciplines of sociology, anthropology and economics, and with a fresh feminist and green perspective on financial systems, this book de-shrouds money of its mystery. Beginning at the beginning, it reveals that contrary to commonly held views, money did not somehow naturally develop from bartering and exchanging goods or services. Rather it is a social and political construct, inextricably woven into the social and political systems in which it is used. The author explores the role rulers and elites play in the history of money, and debunks the notion that money is in short supply, explaining that there is, in fact, a magic money tree. More precisely, “There are (at least) two: banks and states”. She makes compelling arguments for “democratising money.” For example, “women’s unpaid domestic labour could be recognised; care provision could be seen as a major source of employment. Environmental strategies could be funded.” The author states in her introduction that, “Challenging myths about money at one level destroys its magic, but opens up its radical potential.” This astute, clear, timely book certainly will certainly open readers’ minds to radically different ways of thinking about and connecting with money.
Authoritative and inspirational, this new Rough Guide has been published in cooperation with the Liberation Route Europe Foundation to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in 2019-2020. It’s a uniquely informative, engaging tool that will enable travellers to discover enlightening sights and experiences along the path of the Liberation Route. The Liberation Route is a remembrance trail that connects important milestones from modern European history, forming a link between the main regions impacted by the Liberation of Europe in 1944–1945, and managed by the Liberation Route Europe (LRE) Foundation. In the words of project founder Jurriaan de Mol, the LRE is committed to “remembrance and reflection”. Its multi-perspective approach encourages people to visit remembrance sites and experience history firsthand. Now, with the publication of Rough Guide to the Liberation Route Europe, touring this fascinating trail has never been easier or more rewarding. The book’s bringing together of history, biography and travel information will both inspire pre-trip planning and inform while on the road. Features include: Carefully considered routes to help travellers plan their trip. Detailed regional coverage of important Liberation sights in all nine countries – UK, Italy, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Czech Republic and Germany. Evocative in-depth features, including inspirational biographies of war heroes. Suggestions for unique on-the-road experiences, from exploring D-Day beaches in a D-Day Jeep in Normandy, to witnessing Nijmegen’s daily Sunset March. About Founded in 1970, Apa Publications is the globally-renowned publisher of Rough Guides, Insight Guides and Berlitz travel books, maps, language-learning resources and apps, with over 900 publications. The wide range of innovative, high-quality travel and language products is designed to meet the needs of every kind of traveller, from first-time visitors to the round-the-world explorers. Synonymous with practical travel information, quality writing and a trustworthy “tell it like it is” ethos, ROUGH GUIDES has been inspiring independent-minded travellers for over 35 years. The Rough Guides list includes over 400 titles, from country guides, pocket guides and inspirational travel specials, to phrasebooks and eBooks.www.roughguides.com also offers a booking platform for tailor-made trips. Head here to discover more about the Liberation Route Europe.
Cartoonist, Robert Crumb said; “When I come up against the Real World, I just vacillate”. Well, he can happily vacillate here for a while. This section features a whole host of books covering subjects as diverse as Mankind’s place in the Universe (Human Universe by Brian Cox), the history of the human journey to work (Rush Hour by Iain Gateley) and the real business of reading books (Bookworms, Dogears and Squashy Big Armchairs by Heather Reyes). This is the ‘Human’ section in our book lovers’ journey.
If you love reading, then you’ll find something here to fascinate you. There are new and interest-piquing passages here from science, philosophy, politics, history, religion, and all of the things that occupy the lives of humans. And we mean ALL of them. The fight against Cancer, the fight for freedom, feminism, fatality, frailty and fame. It’s too big to list. Have a browse through the titles by using our monthly recommendations past and present. We guarantee you’ll be hooked in minutes!