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The Diet Delusion
by Gary TaubesWhere mainstream nutritional science has demonised dietary fat for 50 years, hundreds of millions of dollars of research have failed to prove that eating a low-fat diet will help you live longer. Nutrition and obesity scientists have struggled to make sense of the paradox that obesity has become an epidemic, that diabetes rates have soared and the incidence of heart disease has not declined despite the fact that society is more diet and health aware today than generations ago.The Diet Delusion is an in-depth, scientific, groundbreaking examination of what actually happens in your body as a result of what you eat, rather than what the diet industry might have you believe happens and is essential reading for anyone trying to decide which diet - low-fat or low-carbohydrate - is truly the healthy diet.For years we have been deluded by the dieting industry. Now it's time to find out the truth.
Fighting the Banana Wars and Other Fairtrade Battles: How We Took On The Corporate Giants To Change The World
by Harriet LambIt started very small and full of hope. But its daring campaigns have placed Fairtrade goods at the heart of the supermarket shelves. From bananas and coffee beans to cotton and chocolate, Fairtrade has grown to become an important global movement that has revolutionised the way we shop.As Harriet Lamb, Chief Executive of Fairtrade International, explains in this extensively revised and updated edition of her inspirational book, Fairtrade is about a better deal for workers and famers in the developing world. It's about making sure the food on our plates, and shirts on our backs, don't rob people in other countries of the means to feed or clothe themselves. She explores the journey, through an often unjust system, that Fairtrade items make from farm to consumer. And she uncovers the shocking cost of our demand for cheaper food.There is much still to be done. But by hard work and high ideals, Fairtrade is starting to transform the lives of over 7 million farmers, workers and their families, and is a powerful symbol of how extraordinary change can be achieved against all the odds - by us all.
Adventures on the High Teas: In Search of Middle England
by Stuart MaconieEveryone talks about 'Middle England'. Sometimes they mean something bad, like a lynch mob of Daily Mail readers, and sometimes they mean something good, like a pint of ale in a sleepy Cotswold village in summer twilight. But just where and what is Middle England? Stuart Maconie didn't know either, so he packed his Thermos and sandwiches and set off to find out...Is Middle England about tradition and decency or closed minds and bigotry? Is it maypoles and evensong, or flooded market towns and binge drinkers in the park? And is Slough really as bad as Ricky Gervais and John Betjeman make out? From Shakespeare to JK Rowling, Vaughan Williams to Craig David, William Morris to B&Q, Stuart Maconie leads the expedition, with plenty of stop-offs for tea and scones, to discover the truth.
How to Read Industrial Britain: A Guide To The Machines, Sites And Artefacts That Shaped Britain
by Tim CooperFrom steam engines and suspension bridges to canals, factories and pubs, the Industrial Revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries transformed the social and material landscape of Britain. Yet how many of us know why our local pub looks the way it does or why a railway station might resemble a cathedral? This book reveals how, by 'reading' buildings, structures and townscapes, we can understand their context and significance for the society that created them.Author Tim Cooper uses themes including transport, education and religion to show how the geographical and architectural remains of industrial Britain have shaped us as a people. He sheds light on how and why the pioneers of the Industrial Revolution redesigned our towns and countryside, and draws on a wealth of British sites to explain, for instance, how canals were instrumental in the expansion of industry, or why affluent suburbs are usually situated in the west end of a town.This book is a joy for anyone wanting to investigate our industrial heritage and discover the secret history behind familiar, everyday features of our urban and rural landscapes.
Iran Awakening: A memoir of revolution and hope
by Shirin EbadiIn this remarkable book, Shirin Ebadi, Iranian human rights lawyer and activist, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, tells her extraordinary life story.Dr Ebadi is a tireless voice for reform in her native Iran, where she argues for a new interpretation of Sharia law in harmony with vital human rights such as democracy, equality before the law, religious freedom and freedom of speech. She is known for defending dissident figures, and for the establishment of a number of non-profit grassroots organisations dedicated to human rights. In 2003 she became the first Muslim woman, and the first Iranian, to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.She chronicles her childhood and upbringing before the Iranian Revolution, her education and student years at the University of Tehran, her marriage and its challenges, her religious faith, and her life as a mother and as an advocate for the oppressed. As a human rights campaigner, in particular for women, children and political prisoners in Iran, her autobiography is a must-read for anyone fascinated by the life story and beliefs of a courageous and unusual woman, as well as those interested in current events (especially those of the Middle East), and those who want to know the truth about the position of women in a Muslim society.
Raising my Voice: The extraordinary story of the Afghan woman who dares to speak out
by Malalai JoyaMalalai Joya is the youngest and most famous female MP in Afghanistan, whose bravery and vision have won her an international following. She made world headlines with her very first speech, in which she courageously denounced the presence of warlords in the new Afghan government. She has spoken out for justice ever since, and for the rights of women in the country she loves. Raising My Voice shares her extraordinary story.Born during the Russian invasion and spending her youth in refugee camps, Malalai Joya describes how she first became a political activist. When she returned to Afghanistan, the country was under the grip of the Taliban and she ran a secret school for girls. A popular MP with her constituents, she received global support when she was suspended from parliament in 2007 because of her forthright views.Malalai Joya's work has brought her awards and death threats in equal measure. She lives in constant danger. In this gripping account, she reveals the truth about life in a country embroiled in war - especially for the women - and speaks candidly about the future of Afghanistan, a future that has implications for us all.
Red Sky at Night: The Book of Lost Country Wisdom
by Jane StruthersEver wondered how to predict the weather just by looking at the sky? Or wanted to attract butterflies to your garden? Is there a knack to building the perfect bonfire?And how exactly do you race a ferret?In this world of traffic tailbacks, supermarket shopping and 24-hour internet access, it's easy to feel disconnected from the beauty and rhythms of the natural world. If you have ever gazed in awe at stars in the night's sky, tried to catch a perfect snowflake or longed for the comfort of a roaring log fire, then this is the book for you. From spotting Britain's five kinds of owl to gardening by the phases of the moon, and from curing a cold to brewing your own ale, Red Sky at Night is packed with instructions and lists, ancient customs and old wives tales, making it an indispensable guide to countryside lore.
Extreme Rambling: Walking Israel's Separation Barrier. For Fun.
by Mark Thomas'Good fences make good neighbours, but what about bad ones?'The Israeli separation barrier is probably the most iconic divider of land since the Berlin Wall. It has been declared illegal under international law and its impact on life in the West Bank has been enormous.Mark Thomas - as only he could - decided the only way to really get to grips with this huge divide was to use the barrier as a route map, to 'walk the wall', covering the entire distance with little more in his armoury than Kendal Mint Cake and a box of blister plasters.In the course of his ramble he was tear-gassed, stoned, sunburned, rained on and hailed on and even lost the wall a couple of times. But thankfully he was also welcomed and looked after by Israelis and Palestinians - from farmers and soldiers to smugglers and zookeepers - and finally earned a unique insight of the real Middle East in all its entrenched and yet life-affirming glory. And all without hardly ever getting arrested!
I Never Knew That About the Lake District
by Christopher WinnBestselling author Christopher Winn takes us on a fascinating journey through the Lake District, that majestic landscape in Cumbria beloved of poets and tourists, hill walkers, seekers of scenic beauty and those who mess about in boats. Learn about the hidden places, the secrets and legends, wild characters and human stories that haunt England's most mountainous region - from England's wettest place to the country's highest point, from the birthplace of Postman Pat to the resting place of Poet Laureates.
I Never Knew That About Yorkshire
by Christopher WinnBestselling author Christopher Winn takes us on an intriguing journey through Britain's largest county, uncovering the hidden places, legends, secrets and fascinating characters of this unique and compelling piece of England. From England's largest vale and northern Europe's largest gothic cathedral to Britain's oldest city, Yorkshire is home to some of Britain's best architecture, most ravishing scenery and is the cradle of some of our country's most influential and individual characters. You will discover the only clog factory in the world, the first English actor to win an Oscar, the world's oldest association football club and largest expanse of medievel stained glass. This gem of a book will act as a wonderfully surprising and highly entertaining guide to one of England's best loved counties.
An Utterly Impartial History of Britain: (or 2000 Years Of Upper Class Idiots In Charge)
by John O'FarrellMany of us were put off history by the dry and dreary way it was taught at school. Back then 'The Origins of the Industrial Revolution' somehow seemed less compelling than the chance to test the bold claim on Timothy Johnson's 'Shatterproof' ruler.But here at last is a chance to have a good laugh and learn all that stuff you feel you really ought to know by now...In this 'Horrible History for Grown Ups' you can read how Anglo-Saxon liberals struggled to be positive about immigration; 'Look I think we have to try and respect the religious customs of our new Viking friends - oi, he's nicked my bloody ox!'Discover how England's peculiar class system was established by some snobby French nobles whose posh descendents still have wine cellars and second homes in the Dordogne today. And explore the complex socio-economic reasons why Britain's kings were the first in Europe to be brought to heel; (because the Stuarts were such a useless bunch of untalented, incompetent, arrogant, upper-class thickoes that Parliament didn't have much choice.)A book about then that is also incisive and illuminating about now, '2000 Years of Upper Class Idiots in Charge', is an hilarious, informative and cantankerous journey through Britain' fascinating and bizarre history.As entertaining as a witch burning, and a lot more laughs.
Freya Stark: Passionate Nomad (Modern Library Paperbacks Ser.)
by Jane Fletcher GeniesseFluent in at least seven languages and a writer of ravishing prose accounts of her journeys, Freya Stark was one of the great travel writers of the twentieth century. In 1934 her first book, Valley of the Assassins, was hailed as a classic and T. E. Lawrence pronounced Stark 'a gallant creature, a remarkable person'. It marked the start of a dazzling career as a writer; explorer and official diplomat which led Stark to explore ancient trading routes in the Yemeni desert, Crusaders' castles in Syria, uncharted regions of Arabia and Alexander the Great's path through Turkey, often travelling alone through dangerous and uncomfortable territories -once having to be airlifted to safety by the RAF. During the Second World War she worked for the Foreign Office in Baghdad and Cairo and made an ill-fated tour of America for the Ministry of Information. She married late -and unwisely -but continued to travel and write well into old age, going to the Himalayas aged 89, and lived to be 100, leaving a legacy of over thirty volumes of travel writings, autobiography and letters. Her life reads like an adventure story, imbued with the captivating spirit of the East. Jane Geniesse's ebullient yet touching account of Stark's life uncovers the complexity and charm surrounding someone who was both hugely feted and yet repeatedly disappointed in her private life -a romantic, a complete original and an inspiration to those who followed.
Turning the Solomon Key: George Washington, The Bright Morning Star, And The Secrets Of Masonic Astrology
by Robert LomasWhen George Washington, first President of the United States, laid the foundation stone of the Capitol Building of the city that was to bear his name, he did so wearing full Masonic regalia. Turning The Solomon Key is a riveting quest to discover the Masonic influences George Washington brought to bear on the layout of Washington DC. History records that the builders of Washington DC knew a great Masonic secret about the human condition, and that their plans for the city were laid out on a Masonic grid rich in symbolism, hidden meaning and designed to express this secret power. Robert Lomas, an expert in the history of Freemasonry, goes in search of the truth behind this claim. Using Masonic rituals and Washington's diaries, Lomas uncovers the symbolic meaning behind the siting of the White House and the Capitol - and their connection to a secret passed down from one of the first Grand Masters of the Freemasons, King Solomon.Turning the Solomon Key delves into the true history behind many of the symbols and mysteries that feature in Dan Brown's latest international bestseller, The Lost Symbol, and will be essential reading for all who want to discover the real significance to the masonic secrets of Washington DC.
World On Fire: How Exporting Free Market Democracy Breeds Ethnic Hatred And Global Instability
by Amy ChuaAmy Chua's remarkable and provocative book explores the tensions of the post-Cold War globalising world. As global markets open, ethnic conflict worsens and democracy in developing nations can turn ugly and violent. Chua shows how free markets have concentrated disproportionate, often spectacular wealth in the hands of resented ethnic minorities - 'market-dominant minorities'. Adding democracy to this volatile mix can unleash suppressed ethnic hatred and bring to power 'ethno-nationalist' governments that pursue aggressive policies of confiscation and revenge. Chua also shows how individual countries may be viewed as market-dominant minorities, a fact that could help to explain the rising tide of anti-American sentiment around the world and the visceral hatred of Americans expressed in recent acts of terrorism. Chua is not an anti-globalist. But in this must-read bestselling book she presciently warns that, far from making the world a better and safer place, democracy and capitalism - at least in the raw, unrestrained form in which they are currently being exported - are intensifying ethnic resentment and global violence, with potentially catastrophic results.
The Good Body
by Eve EnslerEve Ensler is back and has set her sight slightly higher with an intimate contemplation of her second greatest obsession: her tortured relationship with her post-forties stomach.Ensler toured the world asking women about their bodies and gives us their wild and wonderful and deeply moving stories. She frames these stories with her own personal journey, serving up riotous excerpts from her lifelong dialogue with her stomach - a sassy and conniving antagonist in its own right. We follow her through the serial seduction of low-carb diets, ab rollers and personal trainers, to the wise words of a woman who taught her how to love her body, and see that it was good...
Illicit: How Smugglers, Traffickers and Copycats are Hijacking the Global Economy
by Moises NaimFrom Moses Naim, the author of The End of Power, which was Mark Zuckerberg's first ever Facebook book club selection. Any newspaper anywhere in the world, any day, carries news about illegal migrants, drug busts, smuggled weapons, laundered money, or counterfeit goods The intense media coverage devoted to the war on terrorism has helped to obscure the other new wars of globalisation.Illicit international trade pits governments against agile, well-financed networks of highly dedicated individuals. Religious zeal or political goals drive terrorists, but profit is no less a motivator for murder, mayhem, and global insecurity than religious fanaticism. Illicit is the first book to reveal the full scale of this dark underground. It uncovers the connections between illegal industries and shows how they join forces to breed new lines of business, feed off political instability, foster violence and enable terrorism. How do pirated movies or CD's find their way to illegal markets worldwide even before they are released? And how, in our free, modern world, have over 30 million women and children - in South East Asia alone - been trafficked in the past ten years?
Empires of Food: Feast, Famine and the Rise and Fall of Civilizations
by Andrew Rimas Evan D. G. FraserFor thousands of years we have grown, cooked and traded food, and over that time much has changed. Where once we subsisted on gritty, bland grains, we now enjoy culinary creations and epicurean delights made with vegetables from the New World, fish trawled from the deep sea, and flavoured with spices from the Orient.But how did we make that change from eating for survival to the innovations of modern cuisine? How has food helped to shape our culture? And what will happen when global warming and peak oil have their inevitable effect on agriculture? Empires of Food is an authoritative exploration of the innumerable ways that food has changed the course of history. The earliest cities, after all, were founded on the creation and exchange of food surpluses, and since then trade routes of ever greater sophistication have developed. We've built complex societies by shunting corn and wheat and rice along rivers, up deforested hillsides, and into the stockpots of history.But we cannot go on forever. As Evan D. G. Fraser and Andrew Rimas compellingly show, the abundance that we all enjoy comes at a price, and unless we think of a more sustainable way to grow, eat and enjoy food, we may find that our civilization reaches its best before date.
The Deeper Wound: Recovering The Soul From Fear And Suffering
by Dr Deepak ChopraFollowing the terrorist attack in New York on September 11, Deepak Chopra addresses the feelings it caused in all of us: fear, the meaning of death and how to find your "higher self" under catastrophic circumstances. The sort of questions he asks are: is there a deep wound at the heart of humanity? Will revenge salve this wound or aggravate it? He also comments "if you and I are having a single thought of violence or hatred against anyone in the world at this moment, we are contributing to the wounding of the world." Although this book has grown out of a tragedy that has affected us all, its spiritual message is also of general application in situations where one might be feeling extremely vulnerable, frighteningly angry, deeply sad and trying to make sense of a terrible situation.
Awkward Situations for Men: More Awkward Situations For Men
by Danny WallaceDANNY WALLACE IS A MAN.But what does it actually mean to be a man in the 21st century? A toe-curling moment, an embarrassing faux-pas or a bewildering social situation is always just round the corner.Danny, for example, always says the wrong thing about a friend's baby; has his party gate-crashed by a minor celebrity; and even discovers the pleasures of wearing pyjamas (exciting isn't it!). He breaks all the rules; hides a pastry; accidentally spits on someone; tricks Su Pollard; and (we've all been there) avoids his old hairdresser. And then there are the times when he has an argument with a bishop; experiences stage fright in the men's room; gets his wife a treat; and (eventually) helps a lady who has accidentally got her skirt all hitched up. As we follow a year in his life - and it becomes obvious to the attentive reader that here is a man who finds it a challenge to even look after himself properly - an even greater responsibility looms on the horizon...Once you have read this book you will see Awkward Situations everywhere you go and life will never be the same again. And, it's very, very funny.
21 Speeches That Shaped Our World: The people and ideas that changed the way we think
by Chris AbbottIn this fascinating book, Chris Abbott, a leading political analyst, takes a close look at 21 key speeches which have shaped the world today. He examines the power of the arguments embedded in these speeches to inspire people to achieve great things, or do great harm. Abbott draws upon his political expertise to explain how our current understanding of the world is rooted in pivotal moments of history. These moments are captured in the words of a range of influential speakers including: Emmeline Pankhurst, Martin Luther King, Jr, Enoch Powell, Napoleon Beazley, Kevin Rudd, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, Osama bin Laden, Margaret Beckett, Winston Churchill, Salvador Allende, Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair, Tim Collins, Mohandas Gandhi, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Robin Cook and Barack Obama. The speeches in this book are arranged thematically, linked by concepts such as 'might is right', 'with us or against us' and 'give peace a chance'. Each transcript is accompanied by an insightful commentary that analyses how the words relate to our modern society. Fresh and relevant, this is a book that will make you stop in your tracks and think about what is really happening in the world today.
The Good Women Of China: Hidden Voices
by XinranFor eight groundbreaking years, Xinran presented a radio programme in China during which she invited women to call in and talk about themselves. Broadcast every evening, Words on the Night Breeze became famous through the country for its unflinching portrayal of what it meant to be a woman in modern China. Centuries of obedience to their fathers, husbands and sons, followed by years of political turmoil had made women terrified of talking openly about their feelings. Xinran won their trust and, through her compassion and ability to listen, became the first woman to hear their true stories.This unforgettable book is the story of how Xinran negotiated the minefield of restrictions imposed on Chinese journalists to reach out to women across the country. Through the vivid intimacy of her writing, the women's voices confide in the reader, sharing their deepest secrets for the first time. Their stories changed Xinran's understanding of China forever. Her book will reveal the lives of Chinese women to the West as never before.
In Ruins: A Journey Through History, Art, And Literature
by Christopher WoodwardWhy are we so fascinated by ruins? Do we see them as jig-saws and riddles or romantic evocations of the damage of Time, complete with crumbling stone and ivy? Do they stir us to remember past glory or warn against future arrogance? In this elegant, provocative book , the brilliant young art-historian Christopher Woodward looks back to the start of the cult in the eighteenth century, when follies were built in English landscape gardens, artists and writers thrilled to Rome's poetry of decay, and in Paris the great chef Careme even served blancmanges shaped like classical ruins. He takes us from Troy and Pompei to Sicilian palaces and Nazi fantasies, and whirls us forward to modern times - to the shattered Statue of Liberty in Planet of the Apes, to Florida's Museum of Natural Phenomena, designed as a court-house dumped upside-down by a hurricane and to Chelsea Flower Show's brand-new 'Millennium Ruin'. Even the decay of an ordinary house can be as moving as the collapse of a temple - with its fascinating stories and characters, and its telling illustrations, In Ruins is full of strange delights and startling surprises, exploring the mysterious, melancholy charm of eternal fragments.
The Naked Ape: A Zoologist's Study of the Human Animal
by Desmond MorrisFIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY EDITION - WITH A NEW PREFACE BY THE AUTHORHere is the Naked Ape at his most primal - in love, at work, at war. Meet man as he really is: relative to the apes, stripped of his veneer as we see him courting, making love, sleeping, socialising, grooming, playing. Zoologist Desmond Morris's classic takes its place alongside Darwin's Origin of the Species, presenting man not as a fallen angel, but as a risen ape, remarkable in his resilience, energy and imagination, yet an animal nonetheless, in danger of forgetting his origins. With its penetrating insights on man's beginnings, sex life, habits and our astonishing bonds to the animal kingdom, The Naked Ape is a landmark, at once provocative, compelling and timeless.'Original, provocative and brilliantly entertaining. It's the sort of book that changes people's lives' Sunday Times
The Lost World Of The Kalahari: With 'The Great and the Little Memory' (Virago Modern Classics)
by Sir Laurens Van Der PostLaurens van der Post was fascinated and appalled at the fate of this remarkable people. Ostracised by all the changing face of African cultural life they retreated deep into the Kalahari desert. His fascinating attempt to capture their way of life and the secrets of their ancient heritage provide captivating reading and a unique insight into a forgotten way of life.
Getting Rich First: Life in a Changing China
by Duncan HewittWelcome to the new China, a nation in perpetual fast forward - where cities rebuild themselves in double quick time, peasants leave the land in their millions, and parents scratch their heads as the young generation embraces pop culture, the internet and the sexual revolution, while the new middle-classes rush to enjoy previously unimaginable lifestyles, the ruling Communist Party struggles to keep up with shifting values among calls for a more open media and society and an ever-growing wealth gap. Through individual stories, former BBC correspondent Duncan Hewitt paints a memorable picture of China in all its complex, contradictory, often startling reality.