Historie og samfunn

From Roman emperors to climate change, a lively, page-turning history of a country and its most celebrated drink.

From the famous Arthurian legends to monsters and faeries, The Little Book of Folklore explores the magical and mystical tales that have shaped the British Isles. Filled with stories of iconic characters like Robin Hood and Merlin, as well as lesser-known tales of giants and witches, this book is a beginner's guide to this world of myth and wonder.

50 surprising lives of significant figures, obsessives, movers and shakers of the car world and motoring history

Why would the first family of oil so ardently support environmental climate research and activism? Join author and researcher Jacob Nordangård as he uncovers the whole sordid truth. The Rockefeller family is one of the richest in the world. Yet, why would the family that made the world dependent on oil fund environmental and climate research since the 1950s, help shape climate policy measures since the 1980s, and supported climate activism since the 1990s? Rockefeller: Controlling the Game is the thrilling and paradoxical story of one of the world's most influential global players. Through its top position in American business, close contacts with the White House, and with their immense financial power as one of the world's leading private research funders, the Rockefellers have been able to anchor the climate issue both scientifically and politically. Yet what is the reasoning behind doing so?   Author and researcher Jacob Nordangård follows the family from the founding of Standard Oil and the Rockefeller Foundation, up through the aftermath of the Paris Agreement, with the declaration of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in January 2016, to the present day. Nordangård's in-depth research includes the large quantities of new material recently made available on the Internet, as well as the Rockefeller Foundation's own annual reports. Nordangård's main focus is the Rockefeller family's involvement in climate research and politics, but the actions and motives of some of their allies are also explored, as well as the family's influence on the development of modern medicine, family planning, agriculture, art, architecture, behavioral science, information technology, and politics. The Rockefeller family's utopian dream of a perfect world will have serious consequences for the survival of the human species and life as we know it. The Rockefeller Foundation's stated mission to "promote the well-being of humanity throughout the world" has a dark flipside, as, Nordangård will prove, the Rockefeller family's long-standing battle against climate change contains elements of sophisticated propaganda techniques, futurism, and New Age philosophy, aiming at a complete transformation of the whole earth system, including economy, ecology, culture, and even humanity itself.

This award-winning biography, now available for the first time in English, presents an illuminating introduction to Alasdair MacIntyre and locates his thinking in the intellectual milieu of twentieth-century philosophy.Winner of the prestigious 2005 Philippe Habert Prize, the late Emile Perreau-Saussine's Alasdair MacIntyre: Une biographie intellectuelle stands as a definitive introduction to the life and work of one of today's leading moral philosophers. With Nathan J. Pinkoski's translation, this long-awaited, critical examination of MacIntyre's thought is now available to English readers for the first time, including a foreword by renowned philosopher Pierre Manent.Amid the confusions and contradictions of our present philosophical landscape, few have provided the clarity of thought and shrewdness of diagnosis like Alasdair MacIntyre. In this study, Perreau-Saussine guides his readers through MacIntyre's lifelong project by tracking his responses to liberalism's limitations in light of the human search for what is good and true in politics, philosophy, and theology. The portrait that emerges is one of an intellectual giant who comes to oppose modern liberal individualism's arguably singular focus on averting evil at the expense of a concerted pursuit of human goods founded upon moral and practical reasoning. Although throughout his career MacIntyre would engage with a number of theoretical and practical standpoints in service of his critique of liberalism, not the least of which was his early and later abandoned dalliance with Marxism, Perreau-Saussine convincingly shows how the Scottish philosopher came to hold that Aristotelian Thomism provides the best resources to counter what he perceives as the failure of the liberal project. Readers of MacIntyre's works, as well as scholars and students of moral philosophy, the history of philosophy, and theology, will find this translation to be an essential addition to their collection.

New York Times bestselling author and pastor Steven Furtick shows the reader how to find their God-given identity and calling and to grow into the person God designed them to be all along.

**SHORTLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE 2024****A BEST BOOK OF 2024 BY THE NEW YORKER** From the Pulitzer Prize winner and bestselling author of Ghost Wars, the inside story of America's long and ruinous relationship with Saddam HusseinThe Achilles Trap masterfully untangles the people, ploys of power and geopolitics that led to America's disastrous war with Iraq and, for the first time, details America's fundamental miscalculations during its ruinous, decades-long relationship with Saddam Hussein.Beginning with Saddam's rise to power in 1979 and the birth of Iraq's secret nuclear weapons programme, Steve Coll traces Saddam's motives through understanding his inner circle. He brings to life the diplomats, scientists, family members and generals who had no choice but to defer to their leader - a leader directly responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, as well as the torture or imprisonment of many more. This was a man whose reasoning was impossible to reduce to a simple explanation, and the CIA and successive presidential administrations failed to grasp critical nuances in his paranoia, resentments and inconsistencies - even when the stakes were incredibly high.Using unpublished and underreported sources, interviews with surviving participants, and Saddam's own transcripts and audio files, The Achilles Trap is a remarkable picture of a dictator who was convinced the world was out to get him and acted accordingly. A work of great historical significance, it is the definitive account of how corruptions of power, lies of diplomacy and vanity - on both sides - led to avoidable errors of statecraft: ones that would enact immeasurable human suffering and forever change our political landscape.

Die 1534 vollständig erschienene Lutherbibel veränderte die Weltgeschichte nachhaltig. Sie machte die Bibel in der Volkssprache erstmals für Laien zugänglich und markierte damit eine Zäsur in der Geschichte des Christentums mit der Herausbildung des "allgemeinen Priestertums der Gläubigen" und die Herausbildung des Protestantismus. In diesem mit großer Sorgfalt hergestellten zweibändigen Nachdruck präsentiert TASCHEN sowohl das Alte als auch das Neue Testament in Luthers bahnbrechender Übersetzung. Auf der Grundlage des kostbaren Originals der Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek, das heute zum UNESCO-Weltdokumentenerbe zählt, offenbart der Band die vielschichtige Pracht dieser Bibel, mit ihrem akkuraten Schriftbild, ihren kunstvollen Initialen und den vorzüglichen farbigen Holzschnitten aus der Werkstatt Lucas Cranachs des Älteren . Stephan Füssel, Buchwissenschaftler der Johannes-Gutenberg-Universität zu Mainz, bereichert diese Publikation durch detaillierte Beschreibungen der Illustrationen sowie einer Einleitung, die Luthers Leben und die weltbewegende Bedeutung dieser Bibel herausarbeitet.

What can the fall of Rome teach us about the decline of the West today? A historian and a political economist, both experts in their field, investigateOver the last three centuries, the West rose to dominate the planet. Then, suddenly, around the turn of the millennium, history reversed. Faced with economic stagnation and internal political division, the West has found itself in rapid decline.This is not the first time the global order has witnessed such a dramatic rise and fall. The Roman Empire followed a similar arc from dizzying power to disintegration - a fact that is more than a strange historical coincidence. In Why Empires Fall, historian Peter Heather and political economist John Rapley use this Roman past to think anew about the contemporary West, its state of crisis, and what paths we could take out of it.In this exceptional, transformative intervention, Heather and Rapley explore the uncanny parallels - and productive differences - between the two cases, moving beyond the familiar tropes of invading barbarians and civilizational decay to learn new lessons from ancient history. From 399 to 1999, the life cycles of empires, they argue, sow the seeds of their inevitable destruction. The era of western global domination has reached its end - so what comes next?

*Black & White Version* Everyone has a little magic in them, and this fully illustrated 2024 planner shows you how to get in touch with your own natural powers and create an extraordinary year.

WORKOUT PROGRAM AND GUIDE INCLUDEDWhat if the body and mind were not in opposition but rather negotiation? Both aid each other in the pursuit of human excellence. Muscular Christianity: A Case for Spiritual and Physical Fitness explores the benefits of physical fitness in a Christian's walk with God. It takes a holistic approach to physical, mental, and spiritual health. This transformative book seamlessly merges the timeless principles of faith, self-help, and physical wellness to empower you to lead a life of purpose, strength, and fulfillment.This book will go over how the virtues and philosophy that flow from sports and athletics are important to a Christian. Those virtues connect with masculinity, and why they are sorely needed in the church and the broader Christian movement.Reignite your sense of purpose, discover your inner strength, and embark on a journey of self-improvement that combines the best of faith and self-help principles. "Muscular Christianity: A Case for Spiritual and Physical Fitness" is your invitation to lead a life of unwavering determination, profound spirituality, and unshakeable vitality. It's time to sculpt a better you. Physically, mentally, and spiritually.

With thoughts and advice on staying positive throughout this sacred time, this little book will be a source of strength - offering spiritual support and guidance as you venture on a journey of reflection and purification. Let The Little Book of Ramadan serve as your companion, bringing comfort to your soul and peace to your heart.

A visual pilgrimage through holy mountains, great pyramids, primeval burial grounds and soaring cathedrals of light, Sacred Sites celebrates the ways we transform the world around us through ritual, creativity, and worship. Featuring essays, interviews, and more than 400 images, ranging from ancient temples to contemporary works of modern land art.

'A wonderfully accessible exploration of one of the most complex problems of our age' TELEGRAPH'Magic Pill will help you think more clearly about eating, dieting, health and mental health, even if you never touch Ozempic' JONATHAN HAIDTThe bestselling author of Lost Connections and Stolen Focus takes a revelatory look at the new drugs transforming weight loss as we know it - sharing his personal experience on Ozempic and examining our ability to heal society's dysfunctional relationship with food, weight and our bodies. In January 2023, Johann Hari started to inject himself once a week with Ozempic, one of the new drugs that produces significant weight loss. He wasn't alone - some predictions suggest that in a few years, one in four of the British population will be taking these drugs. While around 80 per cent of diets fail, someone taking one of the new drugs is likely to lose up to a quarter of their body weight in six months. To the drugs' defenders, this is a moment of liberation from a condition that massively increases your chances of diabetes, cancer and an early death. Still, Hari was wildly conflicted. Can these drugs really be as good as they sound? Are they a magic solution - or a magical illusion? Finding the answer to this high-stakes question led him on a journey from Iceland to Minneapolis to Tokyo, and to interview the leading experts in the world on these issues. He found that along with the drugs' massive benefits come twelve significant potential risks. He also learned that these drugs radically challenge what we think we know about shame, willpower and healing. These drugs are about to change our world, for better and for worse. Everybody needs to understand how they work - scientifically, emotionally and culturally. Magic Pill is an essential guide to the revolution that has already begun - and which one leading expert argues could be as transformative as the invention of the smartphone.'A brilliant synthesis of so much important information. Really important, and very necessary' STEPHEN FRY'Compassionate, wise and mind-expanding . . . A must read' PHILIPPA PERRY

ONE OF MY FAVOURITE STORYTELLERS. THESE TALES LINGERED, MORPHED, CONSUMED ME'KIRAN MILLWOOD HARGRAVEWhat will the end of the world look like?Will it be an old man slowly turned to gold, flowers raining from the sky, or a hole cut through the wire fencing that keeps the monsters out? Is it someone you love wearing your face, or a good old fashioned inter-dimensional summoning? Does it sound like a howl outside the window, or does it look like coming home? This startling and irresistibly witty collection from the phenomenally talented Moïra Fowley is an exploration of all our darkest impulses and deepest fears.

Where are the broken? A propulsive question that unleashes a world of secrets in New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh's Resonance Surge . . .Pavel and Yakov Stepyrev have been a unit since their birth, but now Pavel's life is veering in a new direction, his heart held in the hands of Arwen Mercant, a Psy empath - and the only man who has ever brought Pavel to his knees.This is it. A point of irrevocable change. For Pavel . . . for Arwen . . . for Yakov . . . and for another pair of twins whose bond has a far darker history.A low-gradient Psy, Theodora Marshall is considered worthless by everyone but her violently powerful twin, Pax. She is the sole person he trusts in their venomous family to investigate a hidden and terrible part of their family history - an unregistered rehabilitation center established by their grandfather.Places of unimaginable pain designed to psychically wipe minds, leaving the victims shells of their former selves, the Centers are an ugly vestige of the Psy race's Silent past. But this Center was worse. Far, far worse. And now Theo must uncover the awful truth - in the company of a scowling bear named Yakov who isn't about to take a Marshall at face value . . . especially a Marshall who has turned his dreams into chilling nightmares.Because Yakov is the great-grandson of a foreseer . . . and he has seen Theo die in an unstoppable surge of blood. Night after night after night . . .Praise for Nalini Singh's Psy-Changeling Trinity Series'Singh's talent for lush, expansive worldbuilding is on full display' Publishers Weekly'Another hands-down winner that expands Singh's brilliantly conceived world' Library Journal (starred review)'Truly one of the best storytellers in the business' Romantic Times

**Shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize 2024**A story of staggering scope and drama, Revolusi is the masterful and definitive account of the epic revolution that sparked the decolonisation of the modern world.'Astounding . . . history at its best' Yuval Noah Harari'Utterly compelling . . . astonishing' Financial Times'Superb' GuardianOn a sunny Friday morning in August 1945, a handful of tired people raised a homemade cotton flag and on behalf of 68 million compatriots announced the birth of a new nation: Indonesia.Four million civilians had died during the Japanese wartime occupation that ousted its Dutch colonial regime. Another 200,000 people would lose their lives in the astonishingly brutal conflict that ensued - as the Dutch used savage violence to reassert their control, and as Britain and America became embroiled in pacifying Indonesia's guerrilla war of resistance: the 'Revolusi'. It was not until December 1949 that the newly created United Nations finally brought the conflict to an end - and with it, 350 years of colonial rule - setting a precedent that would reshape the world.Drawing on hundreds of interviews and eye-witness testimonies, David Van Reybrouck turns this vast and complex story into an utterly gripping narrative that is alive with human detail at every turn. A landmark publication, Revolusi shows Indonesia's struggle for independence to be one of the defining dramas of the twentieth century.'A magnificent fusion of oral history, sparkling analysis, and historical wisdom. Revolusi has it all: a masterpiece' Sebastain Mallaby'A magisterial and gripping account of events of urgent importance to us now' Jason Burke'A wonderful book' Peter Frankopan'Masterly' J M Coetzee** Shortlisted for the Cundill Prize ** A Financial Times, Evening Standard, History Today and Prospect Best Book of 2024 **

THE TWICE BOOKER-SHORTLISTED AUTHOR'Obioma is truly the heir to Chinua Achebe' New York Times'Incredibly moving and hopeful' Nadifa Mohamed'Remarkable' Alice Walker 'A major voice' Salman Rushdie'A wondrous novel' Nana Kwame Adjei-BrenyahAt first the vision is grainy but slowly it clears, and there appears the figure of a man.When a country is plunged into civil war, two brothers on either side of it are divided. They will try to find their way back to each other. Kunle's search for his sibling Tunde becomes a journey of atonement which sees him conscripted into the army to fight a war he hardly understands. Once there, he will forge friendships to last a lifetime, and he will meet a woman who will change his world forever. But will he find his brother?The story of a young man seeking redemption in a nation on fire, Chigozie Obioma's novel is an odyssey of brotherhood, love and unimaginable courage set during the Biafran War. Intertwining myth and realism into a thrilling, inspired and emotionally powerful novel, The Road to the Country is a masterpiece.***MORE PRAISE FOR THE ROAD TO THE COUNTRY AND CHIGOZIE OBIOMA***'Chigozie Obioma brings the Biafran War to life in a visceral yet mystical way. Loss, pain and grief are etched onto a canvas that seems timeless and endless. I grieve for those lost in that doomed declaration of independence but celebrate those, such as Chigozie, who carry their torches' Nadifa Mohamed'This powerfully evocative and intimate book is unarguably Obioma's finest. Through subtle, piercing, and gripping language, he renders those seemingly simple but unforgettable moments when our lives intertwine with history, anchoring you to the pages until the end. The Road to the Country will remind you that our existence is the histories of past, present, and the future-and the importance of understanding that. This is among the best books I've read in a while and is certainly destined to be a classic' Ishmael Beah'A spectacular blend of realism and mysticism, The Road to the Country is Chigozie Obioma at his finest. He is a novelist in a league of his own' Imbolo Mbue'A remarkable talent' Independent'Chigozie Obioma is a gifted and original storyteller' Jennifer Clement'Few contemporary novels achieve the seductive panache of Obioma's heightened language' Guardian'One of the most exciting voices of modern African literature' Financial Times'A truly gifted writer, Obioma has proven yet again that he's a literary treasure' Nicole Dennis-Benn

'Viktor Frankl gives us the gift of looking at everything in life as an opportunity' - Edith Eger, bestselling author of The ChoiceAn inspirational new collection on turning tragedy into triumph by Holocaust survivor and multi-million copy bestselling author of Man's Search for Meaning.During his lifetime, world renowned psychiatrist and Auschwitz survivor Viktor Frankl had an unshakably optimistic outlook on life. He believed that regardless of circumstance, we can all find meaning and fulfilment in our lives, even in the face of great adversity.But how much influence do we have on shaping our own lives? How do we seize opportunities and create a meaningful life? And in doing so, can we still respect the dignity of others and tolerate all views?Published in English for the first time, Embracing Hope shows that by exercising our freedoms, we have a duty and responsibility to ourselves, to others and to the world around us. This collection of timeless lessons offers hope and consolation, admonition and warning, and reveals how to turn tragedy into triumph and lead a fulfilled, purposeful life.

In the early 1960s scientists at the University of California, Berkeley set out to establish the key factors effecting health and longevity. Their results, known as the ?Alameda 7', you already know: don't smoke, drink in moderation, sleep seven to eight hours a night, exercise, eat regular meals, maintain a moderate weight, eat breakfast. Years later, however, the same team discovered an eighth factor, one that proved more important than all the others: social connection.When we form meaningful bonds with others, our wounds heal faster, we shake off infections more quickly and our blood pressure drops. We are less likely to have Alzheimer's, heart attacks or strokes. When people feel that they have strong social support, they perform better on tests of mental focus, memory and problem solving. Greater connection can fuel creativity, increase our financial stability and enhance our work productivity. But making friends can also be daunting.In The Laws of Connection, David Robson does two important things: he takes us through the fascinating science behind the effects of social connection and he unpacks the research that shows that we are all better at being social than we might think. We will meet ideas such as ?the liking gap' and ?the gratitude gap', learn to recognise ?frenemies' and discover a powerful conversational strategy known as the ?fast-friends procedure' that promotes instant rapport. Being social doesn't have to mean having dozens of friends, it can also mean having one true, deep connection with another person. As Robson shows, we can all benefit from the laws of connection.

LONGLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR NATURE WRITINGTHE TIMES / WATERSTONES TOP 10 BESTSELLERAN INDEPENDENT BEST BOOK TO READ IN 2023A STYLIST NONFICTION MUST-READ FOR 2023A SUNDAY TIMES GARDENING BOOK TO LOOK OUT FOR IN 2023Women have always gardened, but our stories have been buried with our work. Alice Vincent is on a quest to change that. To understand what encourages women to go out, work the soil, plant seeds and nurture them, even when so many other responsibilities sit upon their shoulders. To recover the histories that have been lost among the soil.Why Women Grow is a much-needed exploration of why women turn to the earth, as gardeners, growers and custodians. This book emerged from a deeply rooted desire to share the stories of women who are silenced and overlooked. In doing so, Alice fosters connections with gardeners that unfurl into a tender exploration of women's lives, their gardens and what the ground has offered them, with conversations spanning creation and loss, celebration and grief, power, protest, identity and renaissance.Wise, curious and sensitive, Why Women Grow follows Alice in her search for answers, with inquisitive fronds reaching and curling around the intimate anecdotes of others

"In his New York Times bestselling book, Discipline Is Destiny, Ryan Holiday made the Stoic case for a life of self-discipline. In this much-anticipated third installment in the Stoic Virtues series, he argues for the necessity of doing what's right - even when it isn't easy For the ancients, everything worth pursuing in life flowed from a strong sense of justice-or one's commitment to doing the right thing, no matter how difficult. In order to be courageous, wise, and self-disciplined, one must begin with justice. The influence of the modern world often tells us that acting justly is optional. Holiday argues that that's simply untrue-and the fact that so few people today have the strength to stand by their convictions explains much about why we're so unhappy. In Right Thing. Right Now., Holiday draws on fascinating stories of historical figures such as Marcus Aurelius, Florence Nightingale, Jimmy Carter, Gandhi, and Frederick Douglass, whose examples of kindness, honesty, integrity, and loyalty we can emulate as pillars of upright living. Through the lives of these role models, readers learn the transformational power of living by a moral code and, through the cautionary tales of unjust leaders, the consequences of an ill-formed conscience. The Stoics never claimed that living justly was easy, only that it was necessary. And that the alternative-sacrificing our principles for something lesser-was considered only by cowards and fools. Right Thing. Right Now. is a powerful antidote to the moral failures of our modern age, and a manual for living virtuously"--