Eating is the most pleasurable, gross, necessary, unspeakable biological process we humans undertake. But very few of us realise what strange wet miracles of science operate inside us after every meal. In her trademark style, Mary Roach breaks bread with spit connoisseurs and enema exorcists, stomach slugs, rectum-examining p... read more

This is the powerful, beautiful and chilling sequel to the bestselling Straw Dogs John Gray draws on an extraordinary array of memoirs, poems, fiction and philosophy to make us re-imagine our place in the world. Writers as varied as Ballard, Borges, Freud and Conrad are mesmerised by forms of human extremity - experiences on ... read more

The "New York Times" Bestseller, acclaimed by author such as Freakonomics co-author Steven D. Levitt, Black Swan author Nassim Nicholas Taleb and Nudge co-author Richard Thaler, "Thinking Fast and Slow" offers a whole new look at the way our minds work, and how we make decisions. Why is there more chance we'll believe somethi... read more

Living with people who differ - racially, ethnically, religiously or economically - is one of the most urgent challenges facing civil society today. "Together" argues that co-operation needs more than good will: it is a craft that requires skill. In modern society traditional bonds are waning, and we must develop new forms of... read more

Learned Optimism shows us how to stop automatically assuming guilt; how to get out of the habit of seeing the direst possible implications in every setback; how to be optimistic. With concrete examples Dr Seligman documents the effects of optimism on the quality of life, provides tests to determine the degree of our negative ... read more

In recent years, McDonald's has painted its famous golden arches green, while Richard Branson has funnelled money into renewable energy. But are these newly 'climate-friendly' companies and brands really as green as they claim to be? In Greenwash, Guy Pearse peeks behind the facade of global corporations and public figures - ... read more

Since Darwin's day, we've been told that sexual monogamy comes naturally to our species. Mainstream science as well as religious and cultural institutions - has maintained that men and women evolved in families in which a man's possessions and protection were exchanged for a woman's fertility and fidelity.

Nobody in Western civilization had ever tried to do what Montaigne set out to do. In a vivid, contemporary style he moves swiftly from thought to thought, often digressing from an idea only to return, having caught up with it elsewhere. In these essays, Montaigne lays out for his contemporaries and for us his plan for how a m... read more

Steven Pinker's The Language Instinct propelled him to worldwide fame in 1994. His groundbreaking book's premise - that language is instinctual rather than acquired - so shook the foundations of biological science that the reverberations are still being felt today.

"Moby-Dick" is perhaps the greatest of the Great American Novels, yet its length and esoteric subject matter create an aura of difficulty that too often keeps readers at bay. Fortunately, one unabashed fan wants passionately to give Melville's masterpiece the broad contemporary audience it deserves. In his National Book Award... read more

Since humans left Africa less than a hundred thousand years ago there has been a staggering explosion of cultures. What caused this blooming of diversity? Why are there so many mutually incomprehensible languages, even within small territories? Why do we rejoice in rituals, wrap ourselves in flags, or define ourselves in oppo... read more

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The history of a controversial but important number begins with its inventors, the Babylonians, and follows its tumultuous and fascinating story to the present era of supercomputers and quantum physics. Reprint.

What does it mean to be English? What does it mean to be British? Is the cross of St George a proud symbol of a great tradition, or the badge of a neo-Nazi? In a world where British citizens can lay bombs to kill their countrymen, where religious fundamentalism is on the increase and where the BNP are somehow part of the demo... read more

In this landmark work, NEW YORKER columnist James Surowiecki explores a seemingly counter-intuitive idea that has profound implications. Decisions taken by a large group, even if the individuals within the group aren't smart, are always better than decisions made by small numbers of 'experts'. This seemingly simply notion has... read more

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What connects the "miracle on the Hudson" to the planning of the French railway system, or the mysterious outbreak of strange smells in downtown Manhattan to the invention of the Internet? With his characteristic flair for multidisciplinary storytelling, Steven Johnson shows in "Future Perfect" that what lies behind these and... read more

An amazing journey through the thriving worlds of fantasy and gaming What could one man find if he embarked on a journey through fantasy world after fantasy world? In an enthralling blend of travelogue, pop culture analysis, and memoir, forty-year-old former D&D addict Ethan Gilsdorf crisscrosses America, the world, and o... read more

Whether to escape the rat race or to help save our environment, people are getting back to nature. Allotments and green spaces have never been so popular, seasonal and local produce is the order of the day, and the healthy nostalgia of growing heirloom vegetables is unquestionably and delightfully in vogue. A Potted History o... read more

The bestselling author of "The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat" describes how we experience the visual world. In "Musicophilia", Oliver Sacks explored music and the brain; now, in "The Mind's Eye", he writes about the myriad ways in which we experience the visual world: how we see in three dimensions; how we recognize indi... read more