Somewhere Becoming Rain: Collected Writings on Philip Larkin by Clive James

$27.99 NZD

Category: General Non-Fiction

Clive James is a life-long admirer of the work of Philip Larkin. Somewhere Becoming Rain gathers all of James's writing on this towering literary figure of the twentieth century, together with extra material now published for the first time.The greatness of Larkin's poetry continues to be obscured by th e opprobrium attaching to his personal life and his private opinions. James writes about Larkin's poems, his novels, his jazz and literary criticism; he also considers the two major biographies, Larkin's letters and even his portrayal on stage in order to chart the extreme and, he argues, largely misguided equivocations about Larkin's reputation in the years since his death.Through this joyous and perceptive book, Larkin's genius is delineated and celebrated. James argues that Larkin's poems, adored by discriminating readers for over half a century, could only have been the product of his reticent, diffident, flawed, and all-too-human personality.Erudite and entertaining in equal measure, Somewhere Becoming Rain is a love letter from one of the world's best living writers to one of its most cherished poets. ...Show more

Garden Tools Wooden Handle Fork & Trowel

$19.99 NZD

Category: General Non-Fiction

Mindf*ck: Inside Cambridge Analytica's Plot to Break the World by Christopher Wylie

$32.99 NZD

Category: General Non-Fiction

What if you could look into the minds of an entire population? What if you could target the weakest with messages that only they saw? In 2016, an obscure British military contractor turned the world upside down. Funded by a billionaire on a crusade to start his own far-right insurgency, Cambridge Analyt ica combined psychological research with Facebook data to make an invisible weapon so powerful it would throw democracy off its axis. Personality was the key. If you know how to find them, there are millions of potential fanatics out there, from India to Indianapolis, London to Abuja, liking celebrities, posting photos of their holidays, just waiting to be radicalised. Learn how to mine their data and Facebook paints a target on each one. But as Cambridge Analytica honed its dark arts in elections from Trinidad to Nigeria, 25-year-old whistleblower Christopher Wylie began to realise what he and his colleagues had unleashed. He knew the disturbing visions of the investors. He had seen how ruthless CEO Alexander Nix could be behind closed doors. On the eve of the Brexit vote, it was time to expose the political crime of the century. Mindf*ck is a terrifying joyride through the new corridors of power. Plunge deep inside the wave of extremism that is sweeping the globe and discover why Brexit is only the beginning. Hostile actors are coming for your data, and they want to control what you think. ...Show more

The Madness of Crowds: Gender, Race and Identity by Douglas Murray

$34.99 NZD

Category: General Non-Fiction | Reading Level: near fine

In his devastating new book The Madness of Crowds, Douglas Murray examines the twenty-first century's most divisive issues- sexuality, gender, technology and race. He reveals the astonishing new culture wars playing out in our workplaces, universities, schools and homes in the names of social justice, i dentity politics and 'intersectionality'. We are living through a postmodern era in which the grand narratives of religion and political ideology have collapsed. In their place have emerged a crusading desire to right perceived wrongs and a weaponization of identity, both accelerated by the new forms of social and news media. Narrow sets of interests now dominate the agenda as society becomes more and more tribal and, as Murray shows, the casualties are mounting. Readers of all political persuasions cannot afford to ignore Murray's masterfully argued and fiercely provocative book, in which he seeks to inject some sense into the discussion around this generation's most complicated issues. He ends with an impassioned call for free speech, shared common values and sanity in an age of mass hysteria. ...Show more

Truth: A Brief History Lies, Deception and Total Bullsh*t by Tom Phillips

$37.99 NZD

Category: General Non-Fiction

'TOM PHILLIPS IS A VERY CLEVER, VERY FUNNY MAN' Greg Jenner This is a book about TRUTH - and all the ingenious ways, throughout history, that we've managed to avoid it. We live in a 'post-truth' age, we're told. The US has a president who openly lies on a daily basis (or who doesn't even know what's tru e, and doesn't care). The internet has turned our everyday lives into a misinformation battleground. People don't trust experts any more. But was there ever really a golden age of truth-telling? As the editor of the UK's leading independent fact-checker, Tom Phillips deals with complete bollocks every day. Here, he tells the story of how we humans have spent history lying to each other - and ourselves - and asks an important question: how can humanity move towards a truthier future? PRAISE FOR HUMANS: A BRIEF HISTORY OF HOW WE F*CKED IT ALL UP: 'F*cking brilliant' Sarah Knight, The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck 'Very funny' Mark Watson, comedian 'In dark times, it's reassuring to learn that we've always been a bunch of clueless f*cking nitwits' Stuart Heritage, Don't Be a Dick, Pete 'A light-touch history of moments when humans have got it spectacularly wrong... Both readable and entertaining' Telegraph ...Show more

The Mueller Report by The Washington Post

$28.99 NZD

Category: General Non-Fiction

The only book with exclusive analysis by the Pulitzer Prize-winning staff of The Washington Post, and the most complete and authoritative available. Read the findings of the Special Counsel's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, complete with accompanying analysis by the&nb sp;Post reporters who've covered the story from the beginning. This edition from The Washington Post contains: * The long-awaited report * An introduction by The Washington Post titled 'A President, a Prosecutor, and the Protection of American Democracy' * A timeline of the major events of the Special Counsel's investigation from May 2017, when Robert Mueller was appointed, to the present day * A guide to individuals involved, including in the Special Counsel's Office, the Department of Justice, the FBI, the Trump Campaign, the White House, the Trump legal defence team and the Russians * Key documents in the Special Counsel's investigation, including filings pertaining to General Michael T. Flynn, Paul Manafort, Michael Cohen, Roger Stone and the Russian internet operation in St Petersburg. Each document is introduced and explained by Washington Post reporters. One of the most urgent and important investigations ever conducted, the Mueller inquiry focuses on Donald Trump, his presidential campaign and Russian interference in the 2016 election, and draws on the testimony of dozens of witnesses and the work of some of the country's most seasoned prosecutors. The special counsel's investigation looms as a turning point in American history. The Mueller Report is essential reading for all those concerned about the fate of the presidency and the future of democracy. ...Show more

Billionaire at the Barricades by Laura Ingraham

$44.99 NZD

Category: General Non-Fiction

Rescue: Refugees and the Political Crisis of Our Time by David Miliband

$22.99 NZD

Category: General Non-Fiction | Series: Ted 2 Ser.

'A THOUGHTFUL, CAREFULLY ARGUED AND MORALLY PERSUASIVE CASE FOR DOING MORE' FINANCIAL TIMES  'PART CALL TO ARMS, PART COLLECTION OF STORIES (INCLUDING HIS OWN), IT IS A POWERFUL INVITATION TO CARE ABOUT REFUGEES, TO SEE THEM AS HUMANS, JUST LIKE YOU OR ME, WHO DESPERATELY NEED OUR HELP' RED We are in the midst of a global refugee crisis. Sixty five million people are fleeing for their lives. The choices are urgent, not just for them but for all of us. What can we possibly do to help?   With compassion and clarity, David Miliband shows why we should care and how we can make a difference. He takes us from war zones in the Middle East to the heart of Europe to explain the crisis and show what can be done, not just by governments with the power to change policy but by citizens with the urge to change lives. His innovative and practical call to action shows that the crisis need not overwhelm us.   Miliband says this is a fight to uphold the best of human nature in the face of rhetoric and policy that humour the worst. He defends the international order built by western leaders out of the ashes of the Second World War, but says now is the time for reform.  Describing his family story as the son of refugees, and drawing revealing lessons from his life in politics, David Miliband shows that if we fail refugees then we betray our own history, values and interests. The message is simple: rescue refugees and we rescue ourselves.   ...Show more

The Case Against Free Speech - The First Amendment, Fascism, and the Future of Dissent by P. E. Moskowitz

$44.99 NZD

Category: General Non-Fiction

A hard-hitting expose that shines a light on the powerful conservative forces that have waged a multi-decade battle to hijack the meaning of free speech -- and how we can reclaim it.There's a critical debate taking place over one of our most treasured rights: free speech. We argue about whether it's at risk, whether college students fear it, whether neo-Nazis deserve it, and whether the government is adequately upholding it. But as P. E. Moskowitz provocatively shows in The Case Against Free Speech, the term has been defined and redefined to suit those in power, and in recent years, it has been captured by the right to push their agenda. What's more, our investment in the First Amendment obscures an uncomfortable truth: free speech is impossible in an unequal society where a few corporations and the ultra-wealthy bankroll political movements, millions of voters are disenfranchised, and our government routinely silences critics of racism and capitalism. Weaving together history and reporting from Charlottesville, Skokie, Standing Rock, and the college campuses where student protests made national headlines, Moskowitz argues that these flashpoints reveal more about the state of our democracy than they do about who is allowed to say what. Our current definition of free speech replicates power while dissuading dissent, but a new ideal is emerging. In this forcefully argued, necessary corrective, Moskowitz makes the case for speech as a tool-for exposing the truth, demanding equality, and fighting for all our civil liberties. ...Show more

Four Flashpoints - How Asia Goes to War by Brendan Taylor

$37.00 NZD

Category: General Non-Fiction

Asia is at a dangerous moment. China is rising fast. Young, reckless North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un is engaging in territorial spats with the US president over nuclear missiles. Japan's nationalist government is remilitarising, throwing off the constitutional constraints imposed at the end of World W ar II. Washington is charting a different course, too- Donald Trump is the first US president to have contact with Taiwanese leaders since the 1970s, and also the first to edge his finger so firmly towards the nuclear button over North Korea. The doomsday clock has reached two minutes to midnight, as the possibility of global catastrophe looms ever closer. In this revelatory analysis, strategic expert Brendan Taylor examines the four Asian flashpoints that are most likely to erupt in sudden and violent conflict- the Korean Peninsula, Taiwan, the South China Sea and the East China Sea. He argues that crisis can only be averted by understanding the dynamics of these global hotspots and the complex interrelations between them. Drawing on history, contemporary sources and in-depth reports to weave an analysis both pertinent and chilling, Taylor asks what the world's major powers can do to avoid an eruption of war -- and what role Australia, as both a force in this region and a historical ally of the United States, can play to change the course of this otherwise disastrous history. ...Show more

Equal: A Story of Women, Men & Money by Carrie Gracie

$37.99 NZD

Category: General Non-Fiction | Reading Level: very good

Equal is an inspiring, personal and campaigning book about how we should and can fight for equal pay and other kinds of equality in the workplace, by former BBC China editor Carrie Gracie. Gracie joined a group of high-profile BBC women who challenged the national broadcaster over equal pay after enforc ed disclosures revealed huge gaps between top men and women. Gracie had insisted on equal pay at the time of her China posting, and after trying with other BBC women to put things right through negotiation, she eventually resigned her post complaining publicly of a 'secretive and illegal' pay culture. Her protest triggered a parliamentary inquiry into BBC pay, and after a protracted internal complaints process, she won an apology from the BBC and a settlement which she donated to the Fawcett Society. In Equal Gracie will tell her own story, explore why it is often so hard for women to assert their value in the workplace and give practical guidance on what women, men and employers can do to achieve equality for this and future generations of women. ...Show more

Words Onscreen: The Fate of Reading in a Digital World by Naomi S. Baron

$40.99 NZD

Category: General Non-Fiction

People have been reading on computer screens for several decades now, predating popularization of personal computers and widespread use of the internet. But it was the rise of eReaders and tablets that caused digital reading to explode. In 2007, Amazon introduced its first Kindle. Three years later, App le debuted the iPad. Meanwhile, as mobile phone technology improved and smartphones proliferated, the phone became another vital reading platform. In Words Onscreen, Naomi Baron, an expert on language and technology, explores how technology is reshaping our understanding of what it means to read. Digital reading is increasingly popular. Reading onscreen has many virtues, including convenience, potential cost-savings, and the opportunity to bring free access to books and other written materials to people around the world. Yet, Baron argues, the virtues of eReading are matched with drawbacks. Users are easily distracted by other temptations on their devices, multitasking is rampant, and screens coax us to skim rather than read in-depth. What is more, if the way we read is changing, so is the way we write. In response to changing reading habits, many authors and publishers are producing shorter works and ones that don't require reflection or close reading. In her tour through the new world of eReading, Baron weights the value of reading physical print versus online text, including the question of what long-standing benefits of reading might be lost if we go overwhelmingly digital. She also probes how the internet is shifting reading from being a solitary experience to a social one, and the reasons why eReading has taken off in some countries, especially the United States and United Kingdom, but not others, like France and Japan. Reaching past the hype on both sides of the discussion, Baron draws upon her own cross-cultural studies to offer a clear-eyed and balanced analysis of the ways technology is affecting the ways we read today-and what the future might bring. ...Show more