Can Jane Eyre Be Happy? (eBook)

More Puzzles in Classic Fiction

Jon Sutherland

'Wonderful…concise, witty, effortlessly learned.' Sunday Times 

How does Magwitch swim to shore with a great iron on his leg? Where does Fanny Hill keep her contraceptives? Whose side is Hawkeye on? And how does Clarissa Dalloway get home so quickly? 

In this new edition sequel to the enormously successful Is Heathcliff a Murderer?, John Sutherland plays literary detective and investigates 32 literary conundrums, ranging from Daniel Defoe to Virginia Woolf. 

As in its universally loved predecessor, the questions and answers are ingenious and convincing, and return the reader with new respect to the great novels that inspire them.

John Sutherland is Lord Northcliffe Professor Emeritus at University College London and an eminent scholar in the field of Victorian fiction, author of many works including The Longman Companion to Victorian Fiction. He has also written the bestselling popular titles Is Heathcliff a Murderer? and Can Jane Eyre be Happy?, and such scholarly jeux d’esprit as Curiosities of Literature.

Can Jane Eyre Be Happy? (Paperback)

More Puzzles in Classic Fiction

Jon Sutherland

'Wonderful…concise, witty, effortlessly learned.' Sunday Times 

How does Magwitch swim to shore with a great iron on his leg? Where does Fanny Hill keep her contraceptives? Whose side is Hawkeye on? And how does Clarissa Dalloway get home so quickly? 

In this new edition sequel to the enormously successful Is Heathcliff a Murderer?, John Sutherland plays literary detective and investigates 32 literary conundrums, ranging from Daniel Defoe to Virginia Woolf. 

As in its universally loved predecessor, the questions and answers are ingenious and convincing, and return the reader with new respect to the great novels that inspire them.

John Sutherland is Lord Northcliffe Professor Emeritus at University College London and an eminent scholar in the field of Victorian fiction, author of many works including The Longman Companion to Victorian Fiction. He has also written the bestselling popular titles Is Heathcliff a Murderer? and Can Jane Eyre be Happy?, and such scholarly jeux d’esprit as Curiosities of Literature.

The 50 Greatest Churches and Cathedrals (eBook)

Sue Dobson

Cathedrals and great churches are among the most iconic sights of the world’s towns and cities.

Visible from miles around, the cathedrals of Canterbury, St Paul’s, Chartres and St Stephen’s in Vienna dominate their skylines. Others surprise by their statistics: Salisbury has Britain’s tallest spire, Wells the largest display of medieval sculptures in the world, while King’s College Chapel in Cambridge boasts the largest fan vaulting in existence. Not all are ancient: Dresden’s reconstructed Frauenkirche opened in 2005 and Gaudi’s masterpiece in Barcelona is still under construction.

Award-winning travel writer Sue Dobson gives us a highly personal tour of their highlights.

Sue Dobson is an awarding-winning travel writer and magazine editor with a passion for discovering the world, its art, music, religions and cultures. Her love of cities is balanced by the joy of landscapes as diverse as deserts and mountains.

Moving Heaven and Earth (Icon Science) (eBook)

Copernicus and the Solar System

John Henry

When Nicolaus Copernicus claimed that the Earth was not stationary at the centre of the universe but circled the Sun, he brought about a total revolution in the sciences and consternation in the Church.

Copernicus’ theory demanded a new physics to explain motion and force, a new theory of space, and a completely new conception of the nature of our universe. He also showed for the first time that a common-sense view of things isn’t necessarily correct, and that mathematics can and does reveal the true nature of the material world.

As John Henry reveals, from his idea of a swiftly moving Earth Copernicus sowed the seed from which science has grown to be a dominant aspect of modern culture, fundamental in shaping our understanding of the workings of the cosmos.

John Henry is a senior lecturer in Science Studies at Edinburgh University. He is the author of Knowledge is Power.

More Than Happiness (eBook)

Buddhist and Stoic Wisdom for a Sceptical Age

Antonia Macaro

‘This groundbreaking study provides a much-needed  philosophical framework for those practising mindfulness  as well as a call to recover the pragmatic and therapeutic dimensions of philosophy.’ – Stephen Batchelor, author of After Buddhism and Secular Buddhism

Modern readers tend to think of Buddhism as spending time alone meditating, searching for serenity.  Stoicism calls to mind repressing our emotions in order to help us soldier on through adversity. But how  accurate are our popular understandings of these traditions? And what can we learn from them without either buying in  wholeheartedly to their radical ideals or else transmuting them into simple self-improvement regimes that bear little  resemblance to their original aims?

How can we achieve more than happiness?

In More than Happiness, Antonia Macaro delves into both philosophies, focusing on the elements that fit with our sceptical age, and those which have the potential to make the biggest impact on how we live. From accepting that some things are beyond our control, to monitoring our emotions for unhealthy reactions, to shedding attachment to material things, there is much, she argues, that we can take and much that we’d do better to leave behind.

In this synthesis of ancient wisdom, Macaro reframes the ‘good life’, and gets us to see the world as it really is and to question the value of the things we desire. The goal is more than happiness: living ethically and placing value on the right things in life. 

Antonia Macaro is an existential psychotherapist, co-author of The Shrink and the Sage, and author of Reason, Virtue and Psychotherapy. She has many years’ clinical experience in the field of addictive behaviours. Antonia has a degree in Oriental Studies and an MA in Philosophy, and was part of the UK’s philosophical counselling movement from its early days.

Richard Feynman (eBook)

A Life in Science

John Gribbin

Mary Gribbin

One hundred years on from his birth, and 30 since his death, Richard Feynman’s discoveries in modern physics are still thoroughly relevant. Magnificently charismatic and fun-loving, he brought a sense of adventure to the study of science.

His extraordinary career included war-time work on the atomic bomb at Los Alamos, a profoundly original theory of quantum mechanics, for which he won the Nobel prize, and major contributions to the sciences of gravity, nuclear physics and particle theory.

Interweaving personal anecdotes and recollections with clear scientific narrative, acclaimed science writers John and Mary Gribbin reveal a fascinating man with an immense passion for life – a superb teacher, a wonderful showman and one of the greatest scientists of his generation.

JOHN GRIBBIN’s numerous bestselling books include In Search of Schrödinger's Cat, 13.8, Science: A History and The Universe: A Biography. He is a Visiting Fellow at the University of Sussex and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and was described as ‘one of the finest and most prolific writers of popular science around’ by the Spectator.|MARY GRIBBIN is a teacher and science writer, and previous winner of the TES Junior Information Book Award. She is a Visiting Fellow at the University of Sussex, and her latest book, Out of the Shadow of a Giant: Hooke, Halley and the Birth of Science, co-written with John Gribbin published May 2017.

Gravitational Waves (eBook)

How Einstein’s spacetime ripples reveal the secrets of the universe

Brian Clegg

On 14 September 2015, after 50 years of searching, gravitational waves were detected for the first time and astronomy changed for ever.

Until then, investigation of the universe had depended on electromagnetic radiation: visible light, radio, X-rays and the rest. But gravitational waves – ripples in the fabric of space and time – are unrelenting, passing through barriers that stop light dead.

At the two 4-kilometre long LIGO observatories in the US, scientists developed incredibly sensitive detectors, capable of spotting a movement 100 times smaller than the nucleus of an atom. In 2015 they spotted the ripples produced by two black holes spiralling into each other, setting spacetime quivering.

This was the first time black holes had ever been directly detected – and it promises far more for the future of astronomy. Brian Clegg presents a compelling story of human technical endeavour and a new, powerful path to understand the workings of the universe.

Brian Clegg’s most recent books are The Reality Frame (Icon, 2017), What Colour is the Sun? (Icon, 2016) and Ten Billion Tomorrows (St Martin’s Press, 2016). His Dice World and A Brief History of Infinity were both longlisted for the Royal Society Prize for Science Books. He has also written Big Data for the Hot Science series. Brian has written for numerous publications including The Wall Street Journal, Nature, BBC Focus, Physics World, The Times and The Observer. Brian is editor of popularscience.co.uk and blogs at brianclegg.blogspot.com.

Astroquizzical (eBook)

A Curious Journey Through Our Cosmic Family Tree

Jillian Scudder

In this enthralling cosmic journey through space and time, astrophysicist Jillian Scudder locates our home planet within its own ‘family tree’. Our parent the Earth and its sibling planets in our solar system formed within the same gas cloud. 

Without our grandparent the Sun, we would not exist, and the Sun in turn relies on the Milky Way as its home. The Milky Way rests in a larger web of galaxies that traces its origins right back to tiny fluctuations in the very early universe.
Following these cosmic connections, we discover the many ties that bind us to our universe. 

Based around readers’ questions from the author’s popular blog ‘Astroquizzical’, the book provides a quirky guide to how things work in the universe and why things are the way they are, from shooting stars on Earth, to black holes, to entire galaxies.
For anyone interested in the ‘big picture’ of how the cosmos functions and how it is all connected, Jillian Scudder is the perfect guide.

Jillian Scudder is an astrophysicist and assistant professor at Oberlin College, Ohio. She has been writing ‘Astroquizzical’, a blog answering space-related questions from the public, for over five years. Her writing has also been published in Forbes, Quartz, Medium, and The Conversation. This is her first book.

Quantum Economics (eBook)

The New Science of Money

David Orrell

A decade after the financial crisis, there is a growing consensus that economics has failed and needs to go back to the drawing board. David Orrell argues that it has been trying to solve the wrong problem all along.

Economics sees itself as the science of scarcity. Instead, it should be the science of money (which plays a surprisingly small role in mainstream theory). And money is a substance that turns out to have a quantum nature of its own.

Just as physicists learn about matter by studying the exchange of particles at the subatomic level, so economics should begin by analysing the nature of money-based transactions. Quantum Economics therefore starts with the meaning of the phrase ‘how much’ – or, to use the Latin word, quantum.

From quantum physics to the dualistic properties of money, via the emerging areas of quantum finance and quantum cognition, this profoundly important book reveals that quantum economics is to neoclassical economics what quantum physics is to classical physics – a genuine turning point in our understanding.

David Orrell is a scientist and writer of books on science and economics. According to the Sunday Times ‘Orrell is an engaging and witty writer, adept at explaining often complicated theories in clear language.’ His latest books are The Money Formula: Dodgy Finance, Pseudo Science, and How Mathematicians Took Over the Markets, written with Paul Wilmott; and Economyths: 11 Ways Economics Gets It Wrong (Icon Books, 2017).

The Graphene Revolution (eBook)

The weird science of the ultra-thin

Brian Clegg

In 2003, Russian physicists Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov found a way to produce graphene – the thinnest substance in the world – by using sticky tape to separate an atom-thick layer from a block of graphite.

Their efforts would win the 2010 Nobel Prize for Physics, and now the applications of graphene and other ‘two-dimensional’ substances form a worldwide industry.

Graphene is far stronger than steel, a far better conductor than any metal, and able to act as a molecular sieve to purify water. Electronic components made from graphene are a fraction of the size of silicon microchips and can be both flexible and transparent, making it possible to build electronics into clothing, produce solar cells to fit any surface, or even create invisible temporary tattoos that monitor your health.

Ultra-thin materials give us the next big step forward since the transistor revolutionised electronics. Get ready for the graphene revolution.

Brian Clegg’s most recent books are The Reality Frame (Icon, 2017) and What Colour is the Sun? (Icon, 2016). His Dice World and A Brief History of Infinity were both longlisted for the Royal Society Prize for Science Books. He has also authored Big Data and Gravitational Waves for the Hot Science series, and has written for Nature, BBC Focus, Physics World, The Times and The Observer.

Quantum Economics (Paperback)

The New Science of Money

David Orrell

A decade after the financial crisis, there is a growing consensus that economics has failed and needs to go back to the drawing board. David Orrell argues that it has been trying to solve the wrong problem all along.

Economics sees itself as the science of scarcity. Instead, it should be the science of money (which plays a surprisingly small role in mainstream theory). And money is a substance that turns out to have a quantum nature of its own.

Just as physicists learn about matter by studying the exchange of particles at the subatomic level, so economics should begin by analysing the nature of money-based transactions. Quantum Economics therefore starts with the meaning of the phrase ‘how much’ – or, to use the Latin word, quantum.

From quantum physics to the dualistic properties of money, via the emerging areas of quantum finance and quantum cognition, this profoundly important book reveals that quantum economics is to neoclassical economics what quantum physics is to classical physics – a genuine turning point in our understanding.

David Orrell is a scientist and writer of books on science and economics. According to the Sunday Times ‘Orrell is an engaging and witty writer, adept at explaining often complicated theories in clear language.’ His latest books are The Money Formula: Dodgy Finance, Pseudo Science, and How Mathematicians Took Over the Markets, written with Paul Wilmott; and Economyths: 11 Ways Economics Gets It Wrong (Icon Books, 2017).

The Graphene Revolution (Paperback)

The weird science of the ultra-thin

Brian Clegg

In 2003, Russian physicists Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov found a way to produce graphene – the thinnest substance in the world – by using sticky tape to separate an atom-thick layer from a block of graphite.

Their efforts would win the 2010 Nobel Prize for Physics, and now the applications of graphene and other ‘two-dimensional’ substances form a worldwide industry.

Graphene is far stronger than steel, a far better conductor than any metal, and able to act as a molecular sieve to purify water. Electronic components made from graphene are a fraction of the size of silicon microchips and can be both flexible and transparent, making it possible to build electronics into clothing, produce solar cells to fit any surface, or even create invisible temporary tattoos that monitor your health.

Ultra-thin materials give us the next big step forward since the transistor revolutionised electronics. Get ready for the graphene revolution.

Brian Clegg’s most recent books are The Reality Frame (Icon, 2017) and What Colour is the Sun? (Icon, 2016). His Dice World and A Brief History of Infinity were both longlisted for the Royal Society Prize for Science Books. He has also authored Big Data and Gravitational Waves for the Hot Science series, and has written for Nature, BBC Focus, Physics World, The Times and The Observer.

Who Is Dracula’s Father? (Paperback)

And Other Puzzles in Bram Stoker’s Gothic Masterpiece

Jon Sutherland

When it was first published in 1897 – 120 years ago – Irish author Bram Stoker’s Dracula was ranked by the Daily Mail above work by Mary Shelley and Edgar Allan Poe, as well as Wuthering Heights. Yet it never made

Stoker any money.

Since 1931’s film Nosferatu the Vampire, however, it has never been out of print and is legendary among fans of the dark, macabre and mysterious …

Critic John Sutherland, a Dracula fan since childhood – and author of the literary puzzle classics Is Heathcliff a Murderer? and Can Jane Eyre be Happy? explores the enigmas and puzzles of this towering giant of gothic

novels, such as:

Who was Dracula’s father? Why does the Count come to England? Does the Count actually give Jonathan a ‘love bite’? Why does every country we know of have a vampire legend? And finally – how long is it before we’re all vampires?

The book also includes 'Dracula Digested' by John Crace, author of the Guardian's Digested Reads column.

John Sutherland is Lord Northcliffe Professor Emeritus at University College London and an eminent scholar in the field of Victorian fiction, author of many works including The Longman Companion to Victorian Fiction. He has also written the bestselling popular titles Is Heathcliff a Murderer? and Can Jane Eyre be Happy?, and such scholarly jeux d’esprit as Curiosities of Literature.

A Family Business: The Story of Stannah Lifts (Hardback)

The First One Hundred and Fifty Years - 1867 to 2017

Alan Stannah

Brian Stannah Peter Pugh

This is the exciting story of how a family has built a business which has just celebrated its 150th anniversary.

Needless to say, the company has had its difficult moments but the family have stuck to their determination to create high-quality products and provide employment for many people. The current number of employees is no fewer than 2,000.

The Stannah family have also been determined to sell their lifts, stairlifts, escalators and walkways, not only throughout the British Isles but throughout the world. There are subsidiaries in twelve countries as well as over 30 distributorships overseas. Their achievements have been officially recognised by four Queen’s Awards. Furthermore, the Stannah family and their employees were thrilled to receive HRH The Prince of Wales who came to their plant in Andover in February 2011 on an official visit.

Not every family business has been successful and even some of the ones that have been have often not looked after their employees in the way the Stannah family have. In 1980 Brian and Alan Stannah introduced a Performance Plan. The first payout was £50,000 and this grew steadily to reach over £2 million a year in the last 20 years so that the total reward on top of salaries by 2016 was over £50 million. When asked ‘Does it not bother you that you and your brother would be £50,000 better off if you hadn’t set up that scheme?’, Brian Stannah replied ‘I think we’d be worse off.’

This is a book about Stannah, a family business founded in 1867 and therefore 150 years old in 2017.

The family aspect is very important. The five generations since the company was founded by Joseph Stannah have all worked in the business.

The first half of the 20th century meant survival through two world wars and difficult economic circumstances in the 1920s and 30s. Leslie Stannah, known as ‘Pop’, kept the business going in the 1940s and 50s and Brian and Alan Stannah when they took over in the 1960s embarked on over 50 years of sustained growth.

They moved the factory from central London to Andover in the early 1970s and diversified into Microlifts, Homelifts and, most importantly, Stairlifts. They also grew the export side of the business and were rewarded with winning four Queen’s Awards.

Their five children – Jon, Patrick, Alastair, Nick and Helen – all have senior jobs in the business in 2017, and the company now employs over 2,000 people and is still developing new products.

The Stannah family have been magnificent employers, making sure that every employee is well looked after and, in return, employees have given loyal service – many having worked over 25 and sometimes 40 years for the company. In 2017, Brian and Alan were made Members of the British Empire (MBE), a justified acknowledgement of their achievements as a family business. The UK would benefit greatly from having more such businesses.

Peter Pugh was educated at Oundle and Cambridge, where he read History. He was brought up in a family business atmosphere and has written more than 60 books on business including a three-volume history of Rolls-Royce.

He also founded, and is Chairman of, the publishing company, Icon Books Ltd, which has just celebrated its 25th birthday. He is married, has three children and seven grandchildren and lives in Cambridge and Brancaster in Norfolk.

How Iceland Changed the World (eBook)

The Big History of a Small Island

Egill Bjarnason

'A joyously peculiar book' – The New York Times

'A fascinating insight into Icelandic culture and a fresh perspective on her global influence. Warning: may well make readers wish they were Icelandic, too.' – Helen Russell, author of The Year of Living Danishly

The untold story of how one tiny island in the middle of the Atlantic has shaped the world for centuries.

The history of Iceland began 1,200 years ago, when a frustrated Viking captain and his useless navigator ran aground in the middle of the North Atlantic. Suddenly, the island was no longer just a layover for the Arctic tern. Instead, it became a nation whose diplomats and musicians, sailors and soldiers, volcanoes and flowers, quietly altered the globe forever. How Iceland Changed the World takes readers on a tour of history, showing them how Iceland played a pivotal role in events as diverse as the French Revolution, the Moon Landing, and the foundation of Israel. Again and again, one humble nation has found itself at the frontline of historic events, shaping the world as we know it – How Iceland Changed the World paints a lively picture of just how it all happened.

'Egill Bjarnason has written a delightful reminder that, when it comes to countries, size doesn't always matter. His writing is a pleasure to read, reminiscent of Bill Bryson or Louis Theroux. He has made sure we will never take Iceland for granted again.' A.J. Jacobs, New York Times bestselling author of Thanks a Thousand and The Year of Living Biblically

'Bjarnason's intriguing book might be about a cold place, but it's tailor-made to be read on the beach.' – New Statesman

'Egill Bjarnason places Iceland at the center of everything, and his narrative not only entertains but enlightens, uncovering unexpected connections.' Andri Snær, author of On Time and Water

'Icelander Egill Bjarnason takes us on a high-speed, rough-and-tumble ride through 1,000-plus years of history-from the discovery of America to Tolkien's muse, from the French Revolution to the NASA moonwalk, from Israel's birth to the first woman president-all to display his home island's mind-opening legacy.' Nancy Marie Brown, author of The Real Valkyrie and The Far Traveller

'I always assumed the history of Iceland had, by law or fate, to match the tone of an October morning: dark, gray, and uninviting to most mankind. This book challenges that assumption, and about time. Our past, much like the present, can be a little fun.' Jón Gnarr, former mayor of Reykjavík and author of The Pirate and The Outlaw

'How Iceland Changed the World is not only surprising and informative. It is amusing and evocatively animates a place that I have been fascinated with for most of my life. Well worth the read!' – Jane Smiley, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of A Thousand Acres

'An entertaining, offbeat (and pleasingly concise) history of the remote North Atlantic nation … perfect for a summer getaway read' – The Critic

EGILL BJARNASON is an Icelandic journalist, based in Reykjavík. His work has appeared in New York Times, National Geographic, Associated Press, Al Jazeera Online and Lonely Planet. As a Fulbright Foreign Student grantee, he earned a Master’s degree in social documentation at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where he also worked as a teaching assistant in photography and statistics for two years.

Jonathan Ball (Hardback)

A Tribute

Various

Michele Magwood Michele Magwood

An edited collection of over 40 essays in tribute to Jonathan Ball, the founder of Jonathan Ball Publishers. It includes contributions from Andrew Franklin, Mark Streatfeild, Nigel Newton, Stephen Page, Tim Hely Hutchinson, Mark Gevisser, Jonny Steinberg, Jenny Crwys-Williams and Michiel Heyns.

Jonathan Ball, the founder of Jonathan Ball Publishers, died on 3 April 2021 after a short illness. This collection of essays, commissioned in tribute to him, is edited by Michele Magwood.

Jonathan Ball left a deep impression on many different people in different ways. The 40 or so essays reflect the many facets of Jonathan: businessman, friend, brother, colleague, husband, father. But it is in the reading that we begin to understand the shape of him: publisher extraordinaire, history expert, gourmand, liberal thinker, suitor, philosemite and so on.

It cannot be exaggerated how deep an imprint Jonathan has left on the political and cultural life of South Africa, too. The shelves of Jonathan Ball Publishers are weighted with serious history and biographies of eminent figures, with books that other publishers didn't have the boldness to take on. But there are many smaller, more finespun stories that tell us too who we are as a people and as a nation.

Jonathan Ball: A Tribute includes contributions from Nick Britt, David Ball, Jonny Steinberg, Jeremy Gordin, Julian Askin, Jenny Crwys-Williams, Andrew Feinstein, Richard Steyn, Adrian Bourne, Thérèse Herbert, Hannes van Zyl, Claire Wright, David Welsh, Alison Lowry, Anika Ebrahim, Andrew Franklin, Mark Gevisser, Mark Streatfeild, Ebbe Dommisse, Michele Magwood, Tim du Plessis, Michiel Heyns, Doug Band, Michael Cardo, Anet Pienaar, Allan Greenblo, Gail Nattrass, Malcolm Edwards, Willem Burger, Kerneels Breytenbach, Milton Shain, Nigel Newton, Benjamin Trisk, Koos Bekker, Stephen Page, Antony Altbeker, Tony Leon, Tim Hely Hutchinson, Ton Vosloo, Jane Evans, and Belinda, Jamie and Jono Bowling

Michele Magwood is an award-winning journalist and the former Books Editor of the Sunday Times. She has worked in television and broadcasting, and now edits and writes.

The Army That Never Was (Hardback)

D-Day and the Great Deception

Taylor Downing

The Army That Never Was: D-Day and the Great Deception tells the remarkable story of the deceptions, hoaxes and misdirections carried out by the Allies ahead of the most pivotal moment of the Second World War – the D-Day invasion.

The most audacious of these schemes aimed to convince German forces that plans to storm Normandy were a mere sideshow, and featured a fictitious army led by General Patton and furnished with hundreds of real-world dummy landing craft, tanks and aircraft. New research reveals a hidden link with Britain’s film industry, as the fascinating behind-the-scenes story of this dramatic gambit is explored in detail.

Full of fascinating characters from the US, Britain and Germany, this compelling and propulsive narrative explores one of the most remarkable secret campaigns of the Second World War.