This book accompanies the landmark television series Kingdom of Plants 3D: With David Attenborough.In the last 500 million years, plants have undertaken an epic journey that has not only spanned the ages but has altered the very make-up of the planet. It was a journey that began in a dark and barren world, and has culminated in a planet that is draped in rich colours, and overflowing with a diversity of mystifying orchids, exploding seed pods and snapping carnivorous plants.But plants are far more than just beautiful and bizarre. Through the chapters of this book we uncover how plants first began to live on land, how they have become linked with a multitude of animal and fungi partners, and how ultimately they have shaped both landscapes and cultures.With an introduction by Professor Stephen Hopper, Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, as well as contributions from leading botanists and horticulturists, this book unpicks the strands of our planet’s network of botanical life. Through its pages we reveal the extraordinary ways in which plants have come to live and thrive in all habitats, and we discover how they can provide us with answers to many of the problems that face humanity in our modern age.For more information, please visit:www.kingdomofplants.com
Henry II conquered the largest empire of any English medieval king. Yet it is the people around him we remember: his wife Eleanor, whom he seduced from the French king; his son Richard the Lionheart; Thomas Becket, murdered in his cathedral. Who was this great, yet tragic king? For fans of Dan Jones, George RR Martin and Bernard Cornwell.The only thing that could have stopped Henry was himself.Henry II had all the gifts of the gods. He was charismatic, clever, learned, empathetic, a brilliant tactician, with great physical strength and an astonishing self-belief. Henry was the creator of the Plantagenet dynasty of kings, who ruled through eight generations in command of vast lands in Britain and Europe. Virtually unbeaten in battle, and engaged in a ceaseless round of conquest and diplomacy, Henry forged an empire that matched Charlemagne’s.It was not just on the battlefield that Henry excelled; he presided over a blossoming of culture and learning termed ‘the twelfth century Renaissance’, pursued the tenets of reason over religious faith, and did more to advance the cause of justice and enforce the rule of law than any other English monarch before or since. Contemporaries lauded his greatness and described him as their ‘Alexander of the West’.And yet it is the people around him who are remembered: his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, whom he seduced away from the French king; his sons Richard the Lionheart and John; Thomas Becket, murdered in his cathedral. Henry – so famed during his lifetime – has slipped into the shadows of history. King of the North Wind offers a fresh evaluation of this great yet tragic ruler.Written as a historical tragedy, it tells how this most talented of kings came into conflict with those closest to him, to become the most haunted.
In the tradition of The Perfect Storm and Into Thin Air, Rachel Slade’s Into the Raging Sea is a nail-biting account of the sinking of the container ship El Faro, the crew of thirty-three who perished onboard, and the destructive forces of globalisation that put the ship in harm’s way.On 1 October 2015, Hurricane Joaquin barreled into the Bermuda Triangle and swallowed the container ship El Faro whole, resulting in one of the worst shipping disasters in decades. No one could fathom how a vessel equipped with satellite communications, a sophisticated navigation system, and cutting-edge weather forecasting could suddenly vanish – until now.Relying on hundreds of exclusive interviews with family members and maritime experts, as well as the words of the crew members themselves – whose conversations were captured by the ship’s data recorder – Rachel Slade unravels the mystery of the sinking of El Faro. As she recounts the final twenty-four hours onboard, Slade vividly depicts the officers’ anguish and fear as they struggled to carry out Captain Michael Davidson’s increasingly bizarre commands, which they knew would steer them straight into the eye of the storm. Taking a hard look at America’s aging merchant marine fleet, Slade also reveals the truth about modern shipping – a cutthroat industry plagued by razor-thin profits and ever more violent hurricanes fueled by global warming.A richly reported account of a singular tragedy, Into the Raging Sea takes us into the heart of an age-old American industry, casting new light on the hardworking crew of El Faro who paid the ultimate price in the name of profit.
The spiritual diaries of Pope St John Paul II – published for the first time ever in English. The most intimate insight into the longest-serving pontiff of our time.Ten years after his death, the popularity and devotion towards John Paul II, the pope who helped bring down communism in his native Poland, the great statesman, and the most-travelledpope in history, remains as strong as ever.Since his early years as a priest in the 1960s, up until 2003, two years before his death, the pope kept a spiritual diary, recording his reflections on God, life, spirituality, theproblems facing the church – and his own struggles.Never intended for publication, these diaries were entrusted before his death to his personal secretary, who saw fit to have them published as they represent an unprecedented and important testament to the spirituality of this Christian leader, adored to this day by Catholics and non-Catholics alike.
Her dream home will become her worst nightmare…A USA Today and Sunday Times top ten bestseller. This is the dark and twisty psychological thriller from the No.1 ebook bestselling author of The Woman Next Door.A strange encounterNeve comes across a troubled woman called Isabelle on Waterloo Bridge late one night. Isabelle forces a parcel into Neve’s hands and jumps to her death in the icy Thames below.An unexpected giftTwo weeks later, as Neve’s wreck of a life in London collapses, an unexpected lifeline falls into her lap – a charming cottage in Cornwall left to her by Isabelle, the woman on the bridge. The solution to all her problems.A twisted secretBut when Neve arrives, alone in the dark woods late one night, she finds a sinister-looking bungalow with bars across its windows. And her dream home quickly becomes her worst nightmare – a house hiding a twisted secret that will change her life forever…
‘Fans of MARTINA COLE will love this’ Katerina DiamondA gripping new series from million-copy bestseller Mel Sherratt.‘I love all Mel Sherratt’s books’ IAN RANKIN‘Twists and turns and delivers a satisfying shot of tension’ RACHEL ABBOTTA killer is on the loose, attacking people in places they feel most safe: their workplaces, their homes. It’s up to DS Grace Allendale to stop the murders, and prove herself to her new team.All clues lead to local crime family the Steeles, but that’s where things get complicated. Because the Steeles aren’t just any family, they’re Grace’s family. Two brothers and two sisters, connected by the violent father only Grace and her mother escaped.To catch the killer, Grace will have to choose between her team and her blood. But who do you trust, when both sides are out to get you?An unforgettable thriller that fans of MARTINA COLE and CARA HUNTER won’t be able to put down.Authors love HUSH HUSH:‘On a thriller cocktail list, Hush Hush would be a Bloody Mary with a perfect twist…’ FIONA BARTON‘Mel Sherratt is the new queen of gritty police procedurals’ C.L. TAYLOR‘Gripped me from the first page and didn’t let go until the heart-stopping conclusion!’ ROBERT BRYNDZARated FIVE STARS by real readers:‘This book had me hooked from the start.DS Grace Allendale is a great character.’‘I have read nearly all of Mel Sherratt's books and thoroughly enjoyed them. However, this one is my favourite!’‘A brilliant police procedural: deliciously intense and addictive with a suspenseful storyline that didn't disappoint!’‘Couldn’t read fast enough!’‘A riveting read and hopefully the first of many in this new series, 10 out of 10 and highly recommended!’‘I loved this book. Mel Sherratt is a new author for me and I’m so glad I found her…’
A startling investigation of what it means to be human.Human beings know how to make machines. But what kind of machine is a human being? And could we ever make one?In order to answer these questions, other questions get in the way:What is it like to be a human being?What is it like to be some other kind of animal?What is reality?What is consciousness?Is there a God?What is love?Why live?The questions proliferate.But all these questions can be viewed as facets of a single question:What is science?In ‘How To Make a Human Being’ Christopher Potter shows how, at every scale of description, human beings escape the net of scientific reductionism. What it is to be human can be glimpsed in the details: in the opening of a window, in a shared joke. But cannot be caught by any reductive scientific description.
‘I’m genuinely inspired.’ – Yotam Ottolenghi‘For all its richness and mindboggling variety, African food has yet to cross over in the UK. With her freewheeling, boldly flavourful take on Nigerian cuisine, Lopè Ariyo could be the person to make it happen.’ – ObserverLopè Ariyo is the rising star of African cooking and Hibiscus, her first book, is packed with delicious dishes. An energetic and supremely talented cook, Lopè creates fresh, fuss-free meals that are full of flavour. With chapters including Fruits, Vegetables & Tubers; Grains & Pulses; Meat & Poultry and Baking & Desserts, there’s something for every occasion and for everyone.Nigerian-inspired flavours and cooking methods can transform everyday dishes into something spectacular. Whether it’s experimenting with new ingredients (Hibiscus Chicken), reimagining old favourites (Grapefruit and Guava Cheesecake; Baked Kuli Kuli Cod with Cayenne Yam Chips; Lagos Mess), exploring different techniques (Cheat’s Ogi, Chin Chin) or finding alternatives to everyday staples (Plantain Mash with Ginger, Corn and Okra Gravy; Nigerian Roast Veg), Lopè will help you discover all that modern Nigerian food has to offer.
From the international best-selling author of Longitude, Galileo’s Daughter is the fascinating story of the relationship between the great Italian scientist Galileo and his daughter, Virginia.Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) was the foremost scientist of his day, ‘the father of modern physics – indeed of modern science altogether’ in the words of Albert Einstein. Though he never left the Italy of his birth, his inventions and discoveries were heralded around the world. His telescopes allowed him to reveal a new reality in the heavens and to defend the astounding proposition that the Earth actually moves around the Sun. For this belief he faced the Holy Office of the Inquisition and was subsequently tried for heresy and threatened with torture. Galileo is brought to life here as never before – a man boldly compelled to explain the truths he discovered, human in his frailties and faith, devoted to family and, especially, to his daughter. Since there could be no hope of marriage for his illegitimate daughter Galileo placed her, aged thirteen, in a convent near him in Florence. She proved to be his greatest source of strength through his most difficult years. Through letters, contemporary writings, their voices are brought to vivid life and woven into Dava Sobel’s compelling narrative. Galileo’s Daughter tells the story of the most dramatic collision in history between science and religion. Dava Sobel illuminates an entire era, when the flamboyant Medici Grand Dukes became Galileo’s patrons, when the Bubonic plague destroyed a generation and prayer was the most effective medicine, when one man fought to reconcile the Heaven he revered as a good Catholic with the heavens he revealed through his telescope. Galileo’s Daughter is a rich and unforgettable story.Note that it has not been possible to include the same picture content that appeared in the original print version.
Mental techniques and 10 step nutrition plan to transform your lifeAlthough we often feel that stress is caused by external factors, “… my boyfriend makes me stressed!” “… my sales targets are making me stressed!” – it’s actually more useful in the long term for us to recognise that stress is something that comes from within ourselves – it’s a Response.Each time we get stressed, it is the result of our own unique response to the situation we are in. If we want to eradicate stress, we must learn to discover the real causes of the way we feel. Xandria Williams’ wise and effective 10 step approach shows clearly how we can achieve this.Work out what you really mean by ‘stressed’ – are you worried? angry? resentful? guilty? dominated? out of control? – and get to the root of your responses.• Find out how to identify and face up to your worst case scenario.• Believe in a positive future.• Set yourself realistic goals.• Stop worrying about what other people will think of you.• Understand some of the physical causes of stress – and how to eliminate them.