A collection of Middle Eastern folk tales including familiar classics like Aladdin and Ali Baba & the Forty Thieves. Each individual story is told by a different person in a unique style, artfully tied together by the narrator. A charming gift for any book-lover.
Africa is forever on our TV screens, but the bad-news stories (famine, genocide, corruption) massively outweigh the good (South Africa). Ever since the process of decolonialisation began in the mid-1950s, and arguably before, the continent has appeared to be stuck in a process of irreversible decline. Constant war, improper use of natural resources and misappropriation of revenues and aid monies contribute to an impression of a continent beyond hope. How did we get here?
What, if anything, is to be done? Weaving together the key stories and characters of the last fifty years into a stunningly compelling and coherent narrative, Martin Meredith has produced the definitive history of how European ideas of how to organise 10,000 different ethnic groups has led to what Tony Blair described as the ‘scar on the conscience of the world’. Authoritative, provocative and consistently fascinating, this is a major book on one of the most important issues facing the West today.
This edition of Charles Dickens’ classic novel features a suede-like custom cover with beautiful metallic foiling and a ribbon marker.
Dickens delivers some of his best work in this extraordinary novel centered around growth and personal development. The story follows a young orphan named Pip who desires to become a wealthy gentleman worthy of Estella’s love. The story takes an unexpected turn when Pip inherits a mysterious fortune and is guided on a journey of self-discovery. With characters that stay with you long after the book ends, Great Expectations is a timeless literary masterpiece that continues to appeal to generations of readers.
In the decade since it won the Booker Prize, Ben Okri’s Famished Road has become a classic. Like Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children or Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude, it combines brilliant narrative technique with a fresh vision to create an essential work of world literature.
The narrator, Azaro, is an abiku, a spirit child, who in the Yoruba tradition of Nigeria exists between life and death. The life he foresees for himself and the tale he tells is full of sadness and tragedy, but inexplicably he is born with a smile on his face. Nearly called back to the land of the dead, he is resurrected. But in their efforts to save their child, Azaro’s loving parents are made destitute. The tension between the land of the living, with its violence and political struggles, and the temptations of the carefree kingdom of the spirits propels this latter-day Lazarus’s story.
Done right, a talk can electrify a room and transform an audience’s worldview; it can be more powerful than anything in written form. This “invaluable guide” (Publishers Weekly) explains how the miracle of powerful public speaking is achieved, and equips you to give it your best shot. There is no set formula, but there are tools that can empower any speaker.
Since taking over TED in 2001, Chris Anderson has worked with all the TED speakers who have inspired us the most, and here he shares insights from such favorites as Sir Ken Robinson, Salman Khan, Monica Lewinsky, and more— everything from how to craft your talk’s content to how you can be most effective on stage.
This edition of Emily Bronte’s classic novel features a suede-like custom cover with beautiful metallic foiling and a ribbon marker.
A riveting novel of love, loss and vengeance, Wuthering Heights remains a time-honored favorite in classic literature. This heart-wrenching story follows the forbidden romance between Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw, and a vengeance bestowed upon the second generation. Emotionally-charged and intensely passionate, Wuthering Heights is a staple for any teen or young adult reader.
The Great Gatsby is a 1925 novel by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in the Jazz Age on Long Island, the novel depicts narrator Nick Carraway’s interactions with mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby and Gatsby’s obsession to reunite with his former lover, Daisy Buchanan.
A youthful romance Fitzgerald had with socialite Ginevra King, and the riotous parties he attended on Long Island’s North Shore in 1922 inspired the novel. Following a move to the French Riviera, he completed a rough draft in 1924. He submitted the draft to editor Maxwell Perkins, who persuaded Fitzgerald to revise the work over the following winter. After his revisions, Fitzgerald was satisfied with the text, but remained ambivalent about the book’s title and considered several alternatives. The final title he desired was Under the Red, White, and Blue. Painter Francis Cugat’s final cover design impressed Fitzgerald who incorporated a visual element from the art into the novel.
Gatsby continues to attract popular and scholarly attention. The novel was most recently adapted to film in 2013 by director Baz Luhrmann, while contemporary scholars emphasize the novel’s treatment of social class, inherited wealth compared to those who are self-made, race, environmentalism, and its cynical attitude towards the American dream. The Great Gatsby is widely considered to be a literary masterpiece and a contender for the title of the Great American Novel.
I believe fulfillment is a right and not a privilege. We are all entitled to wake up in the morning inspired to go to work, feel safe when we’re there and return home fulfilled at the end of the day. Achieving that fulfillment starts with understanding exactly WHY we do what we do.
As Start With Why has spread around the world, countless readers have asked me the same question: How can I apply Start With Why to my career, team, company or nonprofit? Along with two of my colleagues, Peter Docker and David Mead, I created this hands-on, step-by-step guide to help you find your WHY.
With detailed exercises, illustrations, and action steps for every stage of the process, Find Your Why can help you address many important concerns, including:
* What if my WHY sounds just like my competitor’s?
* Can I have more than one WHY?
* If my work doesn’t match my WHY, what should I do?
* What if my team can’t agree on our WHY?
Whether you’ve just started your first job, are leading a team, or are CEO of your own company, the exercises in this book will help guide you on a path to long-term success and fulfillment, for both you and your colleagues.
Thank you for joining us as we work together to build a world in which more people start with WHY.
Inspire on!
— Simon
This edition of Victor Hugo’s classic novel features a suede-like custom cover with beautiful metallic foiling and a ribbon marker.
One of the first great novels of the Romantic era, Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame has thrilled generations of readers with its powerfully melodramatic story of Quasimodo, the deformed hunchback who lives in the bell tower of medieval Paris’s most famous cathedral. Feared and hated by all, Quasimodo is looked after by Dom Claude Frollo, a stern, cold priest who ignores the poor hunchback in the face of his frequent public torture. But someone steps forward to help – the beautiful gypsy Esmeralda, whose single act of kindness fills Quasimodo with love. Can the hunchback save the lovely gypsy from Frollo’s evil plan, or will they all perish in the shadows of Notre Dame?
This edition of Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel features a suede-like custom cover with beautiful metallic foiling and a ribbon marker.
Follow the lives and hardships of four sisters transitioning to womanhood in this alluring tale of love and family devotion. This profound and emotional story explores the many constraints of poverty and social expectations during the American Civil War. With timeless themes and unforgettable characters, Little Women remains a popular favorite between adults and young readers.
THE HUSBAND
A heart surgeon at the top of his field, Stephen Aston is getting married again. But first he must divorce his current wife, even though she can no longer speak for herself.
THE DAUGHTERS
Tully and Rachel Aston look upon their father’s fiancée, Heather, as nothing but an interloper. Heather is younger than both of them. Clearly, she’s after their father’s money.
THE FORMER WIFE
With their mother in a precarious position, Tully and Rachel are determined to get to the
truth about their family’s secrets, the new wife closing in, and who their father really is.
THE YOUNGER WIFE
Heather has secrets of her own. Will getting to the truth unleash the most dangerous impulses
in all of them?
Stella Maris
1972, BLACK RIVER FALLS, WISCONSIN: Alicia Western is twenty years old when she arrives at a psychiatric facility with forty thousand dollars in a plastic bag. A doctoral candidate in mathematics at the University of Chicago, Alicia has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, and she does not want to talk about her brother, Bobby. Instead, she contemplates the nature of madness, the human insistence on one common experience of the world; she surveys the intersection of physics and philosophy; and she introduces her cohorts, her chimeras, the hallucinations that only she can see. All the while, she grieves for Bobby, not quite dead, not quite hers.
Four of Roald Dahl’s most beloved bestselling books are together in one box!
Charlie and Willy Wonka, Mr. Fox, and even James and his giant peach are available in this beautifully packaged gift set. All of the books are charmingly illustrated by Quentin Blake. This Roald Dahl gift set is the perfect gift for longtime fans and newcomers alike!
In this fun-filled box set you’ll find:
– Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
– Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator
– James and the Giant Peach
– Fantastic Mr. Fox
Paul Hollywood was the son of a baker long before he became a household name as a judge on The Great British Baking Show. Raised to make perfect breads, scones, and sponges, he advanced from his father’s kitchen to become head baker at hotels around the world. As he worked, Hollywood became passionate about busting the myths that surround baking, sharing his finely honed skills, and showing that with the right guidance, anybody can achieve success time after time.
Now, in How to Bake, Hollywood introduces readers to his tried and true techniques. He has filled this book with easy-to-follow, clearly explained, utterly delicious recipes for an abundance of breads, pastries, cakes and biscuits from ciabatta to focaccia and fresh croissants to a classic Victoria sponge.
To be productive and optimistic about our personal and professional lives, we want to feel that we can understand and influence what is happening around us today, and that we have a reliable insight into what will happen tomorrow. We also require a rich, supportive, and secure social life. As more of us work remotely and the frequency of our in-person contact decreases, this desire for connection and trust has only become more important; the social drive is so strong that our body temperature drops when we feel excluded.
To satisfy our psychological needs in today’s professional world, we must pursue them consciously and purposefully―but unfortunately, most of us don’t know how to do so effectively. Instead, we waste our time on ineffective coping strategies that often make us feel even worse. The true solution to becoming happier, healthier, and more productive is to become intrinsically motivated: To stop wasting time on activities that don’t really contribute to our careers or our company’s success, eschew the dog-eat-dog culture of modern business, and find ways to take pleasure in what we do―and to do it well.
Intrinsic Motivation by Stefan Falk is a comprehensive guide to achieving this goal. Filled with methods and techniques he developed at McKinsey & Company and through 25 years as a senior executive and performance coach working with elite athletes, top executives, special operators in the armed forces, and leaders from all walks of life, this book will revolutionize your approach to success at work and beyond.
