Non-Fiction General

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He raises hackles or receives resounding cheers, he's loved or hated but never ignored. Christopher Hitchens is possibly the most provocative writer of our time, fearless and forthright with no subject off limits. This volume of essays spans a remarkable four decades of writing. From early articles in the New Statesman, where he worked alongside writers such as Ian McEwan and Martin Amis, through to his pieces for Salon, The Atlantic and Vanity Fair, these articles display his rare genius, indomitable wit and singular command of la... read more

In the valley of Fruitless mountain, a young girl named Minli lives in a ramshackle hut with her parents. While her father regales her with old folktales of the Jade Dragon and the Old Man in the Moon, Minli's mother chides him for filling her head with stories. But inspired by these stories, Minli spends one of her precious copper pennies on a beautiful goldfish, which is said to be able to change the fortune of the owner. Her mother reprimands her for the silly purchase, but, it pays off when the goldfish talks and offers to show... read more

pulitzer prize for non-fiction

Floral prints, motifs and designs are always in fashion, and never more so than when used as the fabric for an English summer dress. From the naturalistic to the painterly, from the graphic to the abstract, every summer almost every woman in Britain in the last 100 years has worn or wanted to wear a floral frock. "Floral Frocks" explores this unassuming cultural phenomenon from the beginning of the 20th century to the present in a series of broadly themed chronological chapters, each setting floral printed dresses as part of a wide... read more

An anthology of over forty suicide notes.

In this hugely ambitious and stimulating book, Peter Watson describes the history of ideas, from deep antiquity to the present day, leading to a new way of understanding our world and ourselves. The narrative begins nearly two million years ago with the invention of hand-axes and explores how some of our most cherished notions might have originated before humans had language. Then, in a broad sweep, the book moves forward to consider not the battles and treaties of kings and prime ministers, emperors and generals, but the most i... read more

This text takes the reader through the initial stages of an undergraduate dissertation or a postgraduate thesis, offering advice on: searching out existing knowledge on a topic; analyzing arguments and ideas; mapping perspectives; producing a literature review; and constructing a case for investigation. Appendices are provided on how to cite reference, structure for a research proposal and presentation of a Master's thesis. The text is published as a set book for the Open University postgraduate foundation module, "The Challenge of... read more

On dry land, most organisms are confined to the surface, or at most to altitudes of a hundred meters - the height of the tallest trees. In the oceans, though, living space has both vertical and horizontal dimensions: with an average depth of 3,800 meters, the oceans offer 99 percent of the space on Earth where life can develop. And the deep sea, which has been immersed in total darkness since the dawn of time, occupies 85 percent of ocean space, forming the planet's largest habitat. Yet, these depths abound with mystery. The deep s... read more

Ten Thousand Miles Without a Cloud is a beautifully written account of Sun Shuyun

' ...in public life the language has never been held in less regard. It withers in the dungeons of the technocratic mind. It is butchered by the media. In politics it lacks all qualifications for the main game.' Don Watson Almost sixty years ago, George Orwell described the decay of language and why this threatened democratic society. But compared to what we now endure, the public language of Orwell's day brimmed with life and truth. Today's corporations, government departments, news media, and, perhaps most dangerously, politician... read more

Illuminating Angels and Demons is the essential companion to Angels and Demons, giving vital background information and shedding new light on the many mysteries at the heart of the story.

Many people believe that cats do not have an emotional life, that they are cold and indifferent. Jeffrey Masson, author of several bestselling books about animal emotions, including When Elephants Weep and Dogs Never Lie About Love, is convinced that, on the contrary, cats are almost pure emotion. Masson lives by the sea in New Zealand with five cats, and in this fascinating, immensely readable book he reports on his close observations of their emotional lives.These he divides into nine categories - Narcissism, Love, Contentment, A... read more

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How do the circumstances in which we write affect what we write? In a series of traditional and experimental writings, the author records an intellectual journey, creating new ways of reading and writing. The sociological imagination is applied to the act of writing, as life is connected to work.

An updated and revised edition of the bestselling There's Something About a Convent GirlThe mere mention of 'convent girls' is enough to elicit a welter of responses, and stories abound, from the hilarious to the sombre. In this brave, witty, often scathing collection of personal accounts, these amazing women - and one man, John Welsh - talk about what most affected their early lives: from spirituality to sexuality, this truly revealing collection both devastates and affirms the myth of the convent girl.

Hoping to improve her Chinese and broaden her cultural horizons, Rachel deWoskin went to work for an American PR firm in China. Before she knew it, she was not just exploring but making Chinese culture as part of a wildly successful soap opera.

The Change Before The Change outlines the symptoms of the perimenopause, the change that precedes the menopause by up to ten years, and often remains undiagnosed by doctors. Characterised by irregular periods, mood swings, irritability, stubborn extra pounds you can't shift, hot flushes and insomnia, this change may be causing millions of women in the prime of life to worry, simply because they do not understand what is happening to their bodies. Dr Laura Corio explains why this subtle hormonal shift occurs, how to get your symptom... read more

Developed as part of the Collins Dictionaries' Life Skills stream, this new edition of the Express Dictionary and Thesaurus provides up-to-date language coverage along with practical guidance on effective English. The dictionary text provides clear, straightforward definitions reflecting today's language while the matching thesaurus text gives a generous choice of synonyms, plus antonyms for key entries. With all main entry words shown in colour, Collins Express Dictionary and Thesaurus helps you find exactly what you want â... read more

This is a monumental and extraordinarily beautiful guide to the Earth's natural wonders. 5 years in the making, covering over 5,000 species, "The Natural History Book" is one-of-a-kind; the only book to offer a complete survey of the Earth's natural history. Each geological and biological grouping is introduced and explained in an engaging and highly informative way, making it the perfect addition to every family bookshelf, as well as an ideal gift for every nature lover. It is packed with thousands of stunning, specially commissio... read more