What’s in a Doughnut Hole? (Paperback)

And Other Philosophical Food for Thought

Suki Finn

Does a doughnut hole exist? How many grains of rice in a biryani? Can the baker, who only bakes for those who don’t bake for themselves, bake for herself?

Using food to explore classic philosophical puzzles and paradoxes about how we know, perceive and experience things, and to question the nature of reality, language and truth, this book will get your brain whirring and your stomach rumbling.

Suki Finn, a Philosophy Lecturer at Royal Holloway, University of London, serves up plenty of philosophical food for thought – enough to whet the appetite of the novice and to satisfy philosophers hungry for a different take on familiar themes. What’s in a Doughnut Hole? gives us new ways to think about the world and to understand our place in it.

Dr Suki Finn is an academic at Royal Holloway University of London. She is the editor of Women of Ideas (Oxford University Press, 2021), co-Director for the Society for Women in Philosophy UK, and a member of the council for The Royal Institute of Philosophy. Outside of academia, Suki has composed ambient electronic music for Universal and Ninja Tune Production Music.

‘Suki Finn has the ability to make philosophical ideas both fun and accessible. She writes with clarity and, consequently, this book is a marvellous romp through many engaging philosophical puzzles.’ – Stephen Law, author of The Great Philosophers

‘This lively, wide-ranging book serves as a taster menu for some deep philosophy.  Easily digestible, you can dip in and out. I consumed the whole thing, after which the plate of food in front of me was magically transformed into a bewitching array of problems and paradoxes.’ – David Edmonds, author of Death in a Shallow Pond

‘This book is unlike any other philosophy book you will encounter. It’s a lighthearted, witty romp through a huge number of philosophical issues.  And it’s also a series of ruminations on food of all sorts.  It’s a great way to discover philosophy – the reader will come away with a very sophisticated knowledge of philosophy, almost without realizing how much hard thinking they are being led though.  And they’ll enjoy it immensely!’ – Jennifer Saul, author of Dogwhistles and Figleaves

‘A highly entertaining and accessible introduction to intriguing questions, puzzles and paradoxes from a variety of philosophical traditions. Dr Finn pulls off the feat of raising substantive issues with a light touch, and the conceit of using culinary examples to illustrate abstract ideas works brilliantly for a global audience. A delicious, digestible and nourishing array of appetisers that will whet your appetite for more.’ – Angie Hobbs, author of Why Plato Matters Now

‘This book is delicious! Dr Finn has created a playful yet seriously satisfying platter of puzzles, problems, and deep difficult questions to chew on. Her discussions are easy to swallow but they don’t skimp on the substance – reading this book is like chatting over dinner with a brilliant friend who knows all sorts of fascinating things and wants to share them with you in the most creative way possible.’ – Carrie Jenkins, author of Nonmonogamy and Happiness

‘A charming journey through the kitchen of the mind, where pizzas flirt with infinity, peas challenge the laws of identity, and every bite leads you down another delightful philosophical rabbit hole. Philosophy has rarely been this much fun – and has never tasted so good.’ – Achille C. Varzi, John Dewey Professor of Philosophy at Columbia University

‘This book is a must for anyone who thinks they might enjoy getting themselves into a philosophical headspin, especially if they like food. It’s lively, accessible and funny, and asks such questions as whether non-existent noodles are just as delicious as existent ones, whether a chip is different from the potato it’s made of, whether you can go back to the past and make a better choice of ice cream this time, and, yes, what exactly is the hole in a doughnut?’ – Helen Beebee, co-author of Philosophy: Why It Matters

Short Cuts: Economics (eBook)

Navigate Your Way Through the Big Ideas

Robert Brandt

Tejvan Pettinger

Your expert guide to understanding the models, morals, minefields and mechanisms of the modern global marketplace.

What with trickle down and level up, boom and bust, stimulus and stagflation, green investment and Black Monday, the modern landscape of economics is an intriguing place to explore. But how are you expected to navigate the means and ends of this turbulent world?

Short Cuts: Economics provides the map you need to start exploring seriously big ideas. A wealth of provocative questions prompt 'short cut' answers written by experts in their field, with each one the setting-off point for instructions to help you plot your path through the economic maze.

Tejvan Pettinger teaches economics at Greenes College, Oxford. He studied at Bradford Grammar School and Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford and writes regularly on economics for publications including the Economic Review. His previous published books include Cracking Economics and What Would Keynes Do? Tejvan lives in Oxford and is a championship-winning hill climb and time trial cyclist.

Short Cuts: Philosophy (eBook)

Navigate Your Way Through Big Ideas

Laura D’Olimpio

What is knowledge? What makes me, me? Do we have free will?

People have been asking such fundamental questions about the nature of reality for centuries, but how can they help us make sense of our existence in a 21st-century world of social media, cyber wars, cloning, artificial intelligence and virtual reality?

Short Cuts: Philosophy provides the map you need to travel beyond traditional foundations and explore a diverse array of deep thinkers. Soul-searching questions prompt 'short cut' answers written by experts in their field, with each one the setting-off point for instructions that plot a path through the philosophical landscape.

With 'one-stop' graphics visualizing a memorable theory or idea for each concept, and 'route map' glossaries explaining key words and their connections, Short Cuts: Philosophy will help you wrestle with the meaning of ancient and modern philosophical thought.

Dr Laura D'Olimpio is Associate Professor of Philosophy of Education at the University of Birmingham, UK, and adjunct at the Institute for Ethics and Society at the University of Notre Dame Australia. She is co-founder and co-editor of the open access Journal of Philosophy in Schools and regularly contributes to public philosophy outlets such as The Conversation, Philosophy Now magazine, The Ethics Centre and ABC Radio National's The Philosopher's Zone and The Minefield.

Laura's first book, Media and Moral Education: a philosophy of critical engagement (Routledge, 2018) won the 2018 PESA (Philosophy of Education Society of Australasia) Annual Book Award. She is currently working on The Necessity of Aesthetic Education: The Place of the Arts on the Curriculum, which is due to be published by Bloomsbury in 2023. You can follow Laura on Twitter @Lauradol4.

Short Cuts: Medicine (eBook)

Navigate Your Way Through Big Ideas

Adam Rodman

Is there an epidemic of pandemics? Does climate change effect our health? Will AI ever replace doctors?

Questions about medicine have always been central to society, but what can they tell us about our future well- being in a 21st-century world of antibiotic resistance and anti-vaxxers, organ transplants and gene therapies, miracle drugs and magic bullets?

Short Cuts: Medicine provides the map you need to explore the latest thinking in ethics, practice, treatment and prevention. Incisive questions prompt 'short cut' diagnoses written by experts in their field, with each one the setting-off point for instructions to help you plot your path through the medical maze.

With 'one-stop' graphics visualizing a theory or idea for each topic, and 'route map' glossaries explaining key words and connections, Short Cuts: Medicine will help you navigate the mysteries of the modern medical world.

Adam Rodman is an internal medicine physician, medical educator and historian. He studies how and why physicians generate and transmit knowledge and runs a research center on using digital resources for medical education. He is also host of Bedside Rounds, the award-winning podcast on medical history with the American College of Physicians. Adam received his medical degree from Tulane University in New Orleans, LA, and completed his post-graduate training at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, OR; Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, MA; and Molepolole, Botswana. He lives in Boston with his wife and two sons, and is a general internist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and an instructor at Harvard Medical School.

Astrobiology (eBook)

The Search for Alien Life: The Illustrated Edition

Andrew May

A NEW, FULLY ILLUSTRATED EDITION OF ANDREW MAY'S ILLUMINATING GUIDE TO LIFE NOT ON EARTH

The possibility that alien life exists in the universe is among the most profound of human conjectures, which today is being investigated not just by science-fiction writers but by scientists.

Astrobiology presents an expert guide to this compelling field of science. It shows how the tell- tale signatures of life on Earth might hold the key to detecting life beyond our planet; explores the many planets beyond our Solar System discovered by NASA's Kepler and TESS missions; and explains alien- hunting touchstones such as Fermi's Paradox, the Drake Equation, and the 'Wow' signal.

As NASA's rovers burrow into Mars and its probes peer ever further into the cosmos, this illustrated edition combines deep space images with infographics to cast a scientific eye over the most significant of scientific treasure hunts.

Andrew May is a freelance writer and former scientist, with a PhD in astrophysics. He has written five books in Icon's Hot Science series: Destination Mars, Cosmic Impact, Astrobiology, The Space Business and The Science of Music. He lives in Somerset.

Artificial Intelligence: The Illustrated Edition (eBook)

Yorick Wilks

AN INTRIGUING AND BEAUTIFUL ILLUSTRATED EDITION OF YORICK WILKS' INSIDERS GUIDE TO AI

The benefits and potential nightmares of artificial intelligence have long inspired science-fiction writers, but in a world where most of us carry a portable device that knows infinitely more than we do, these are increasingly real concerns.

Artificial Intelligence is the essential companion to this unsettling science. It surveys the history, philosophies, and current state of AI, and asks key questions such as how should robots think, and can machines really learn? With subjects ranging from the World Wide Web to artificial companions, the book considers such ethical issues as automated warfare, internet surveillance, and fake news, speculating on just how far robots will infiltrate our future.

This illustrated edition combines compelling photographs with 'circuit-board' infographics to lift the curtain on the hidden world of AI.

Yorick Wilks is an emeritus Professor of Artificial Intelligence at the University of Sheffield, a research associate of the Oxford Internet Institute and a Senior Research Scientist at the Florida Institute of Human and Machine Cognition. His books include Artificial Companions (Benjamins, 2010) and Artificial Believers: The Ascription of Belief (with Afzal Ballim, Psychology Press, 1991).

Outbreaks and Pandemics (eBook)

Fighting Infection, From Smallpox to Coronavirus: The Illustrated Edition

Meera Senthilingam

A NEW EYE-OPENING ILLUSTRATED EDITION OF MEERA SENTHILINGAM'S TIMELY GUIDE

For decades scientists have been warning of a global pandemic, and the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak has realised their worst fears.

Covid-19 and monkeypox make Outbreaks & Pandemics an essential guide to the future. It narrates a disquieting journey through the history, science, and politics of humankind's ongoing war against contagion; investigates modern responses; and assesses the chances of eradicating disease in the future. it also reveals how globalisation, mobile populations, climate change, vaccine hesitancy, and drug-resistant pathogens have combined to create the perfect conditions for pandemics to spread.

This updated and illustrated edition is essential reading, combining extensive research with illuminating photographs and infographics to chart the pattern of outbreaks and reveal the microscopic world at their heart.

Meera Senthilingam is a journalist, editor, and public health consultant specialising in global health and infectious disease. She obtained a BSc in Biology from the University of Nottingham and Masters degrees in Science Communication at Imperial College London, and in the Control of Infectious Diseases at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). Meera is a health editor for CNN, and has worked with the BBC and with global health programmes as well as research institutions including the LSHTM and the Wellcome Trust.

Short Cuts: Psychology (eBook)

Navigate Your Way Through Big Ideas

Jennifer Wild

A LAUNCH TITLE FOR ICON BOOKS' BRAND-NEW SHORT CUTS SERIES

What with visual illusions and misinformation, positive mindsets and negative thoughts, social anxiety and personal constructs, the modern landscape of the human mind is an intriguing place to explore. But how are you expected to navigate this hidden world?

Short Cuts: Psychology provides the map you need to start exploring seriously big ideas. Fifty quickfire questions lead to 'short cut' answers written by experts in their field, with each one the setting-off point for clear directions to help you plot your route through an essential concept.

With one-stop graphics presenting a memorable image for each idea, and route-map glossaries explaining key words and their connections, Short Cuts: Psychology will lead you through a world of intellectual wonders.

Jennifer Wild is Professor of Military Mental Health at the University of Melbourne. She holds an affiliate position at the University of Oxford where she developed evidence-based interventions to prevent PTSD for emergency responders, now being delivered internationally. She has written for Nature news, BBC, The Times, The Sunday Times and The Psychologist. Author of Be Extraordinary: 7 Key Skills to Transform your Life from Ordinary to Extraordinary, Professor Wild applies science to understanding and preventing mental ill health.

Short Cuts: Science (eBook)

Navigate Your Way Through Big Ideas

Mark Peplow

A LAUNCH TITLE FOR ICON BOOKS' BRAND-NEW SHORT CUTS SERIES

What with accelerating particles and gravitational waves, dark matter and light speed, nanoscales and exoplanets, the landscape of today's science is an amazing place to explore. But how are you expected to navigate this rapidly spinning world?

Short Cuts: Science provides the map you need to start exploring seriously big ideas. Fifty quickfire questions lead to 'short cut' answers written by experts in their field, with each one the setting-off point for clear directions to help you plot your route through an essential concept.

With one-stop graphics presenting a memorable image for each idea, and route-map glossaries explaining key words and their connections, Short Cuts: Science will guide you through a world of intellectual wonders.

Mark Peplow is a science writer with 20 years of experience as a reporter and editor. He was formerly chief news editor at Nature and editor of Chemistry World. His writing spans the physical sciences: from astrophysics and planetary sciences, through chemistry and materials, to Earth and environmental science.
Mark has a Masters in chemistry from the University of Oxford, a PhD in organometallic chemistry from Imperial College London, and an MSc in Science Communication from Imperial. He lives in Penrith, UK, and spends as much time as possible hiking the Lake District fells.

The Curious World of Science (eBook)

A visual miscelllany of stories, theories, discoveries & curiosities plucked from the scientific world

Simon Flynn

To some, science is simply a means to an end; to others it is an almost spiritual meditation on theories
and formulae.

The Curious World of Science embraces both views and much more besides. Focusing on the human endeavours at the heart of science, it presents a miscellany of essential classifications, intriguing biographies, amusing curiosities, and irresistible trivia. Bite-size morsels of text explore the worlds of physics, chemistry, biology, and math, while also venturing into those magical areas where science meets art.

This illustrated edition is brimming with graphics and illustrations, and includes a system of icons to signpost different paths through the miscellany. From the Large Hadron Collider rap to the sins of Isaac Newton, it offers a dizzying flight through the wonderfully human world of scientific knowledge.

Simon Flynn has a suitably magpie-like nature. He has an insatiable curiosity for scientific treasures and rarities, and has enjoyed an eclectic career.

With a genuine passion for science, he currently works as a science teacher, having previously been a writer, editor, and publisher.

Simon has degrees in Chemistry, Philosophy, and Science Education, and his other published titles include The Internet From A to Z and The Ultimate Guide to Everything.

Simon lives in North London with his wife and step-daughter.

Charles Leclerc: A Biography (eBook)

Adam Hay-Nicholls

From acclaimed journalist Adam Hay-Nicholls, the very first biography of rising star Charles Leclerc.

Few of the drivers on the F1 grid have the racing pedigree of Charles Leclerc. Widely regarded as one of the sport’s hottest prospects, he was crowned F3 and then F2 champion in back-to-back seasons before he made his F1 debut with Sauber in 2018. Now firmly established as Ferrari’s great hope, following in the footsteps of legends Alberto Ascari, Niki Lauda and Michael Schumacher, Leclerc has his eyes set on becoming world champion.

Born in Monaco to a family of comparatively modest means, Leclerc remembers playing with toy cars on a friend’s balcony as the best drivers in the world whizzed around the Monte Carlo circuit on the streets below. This early experience inspired him to get behind the wheel, encouraged by his father Hervé, and so began his meteoric rise in the sport. Along the way, he lost his father, his godfather and his best friend—all racing drivers—and this gave Leclerc the inner steel to become a winner.

Writer Adam Hay-Nicholls, who has spent much of his career in the Formula One paddock, provides the inside track on this rising star, recounting how he has taken the racing world by storm. And as Leclerc’s Ferrari is beginning to fire on all cylinders, will he beat his old rival and adversary Max Verstappen to the world title?

Lando Norris: A Biography (eBook)

Ben Hunt

From established sports journalist Ben Hunt, the very first biography of the up-and-coming British driver Lando Norris, published on the brink of the British Grand Prix.

As the youngest ever British Formula 1 driver, Lando Norris is trailblazing his way through the world of motor racing. After signing as a junior driver for McLaren in 2017, he has since asserted himself as the team’s brightest talent and an aspiring world champion.

Born to British and Belgian parents and raised in the idylls of south-west England, Lando’s childhood reflects how even the calmest of upbringings can create an adrenaline junkie. As one of a new cohort of young drivers seeking to assert their dominance in the sport, Lando is a uniquely modern sportsman, who celebrates learning and personal development, but who nonetheless has the killer instinct required to take him to the very pinnacle of F1.

In Lando Norris, motor sport aficionado and journalist Ben Hunt draws on his extensive driver and paddock access to seek to understand what makes Lando tick and examines how this young British driver has been well and truly raised in the mould of a champion.

Under Orders (Paperback)

The Diary of a Racehorse Owner’s Husband

John Timpson

When John Timpson, chairman of the eponymous high street chain, bought his wife Alex a racehorse in 2002, a friend commented that it would be ‘a marvellous way to lose money’.

Soon they were immersed in a world of trainers’ yards, Novice Hurdles and handicaps, and well on the way to proving the old adage that the best way to make a small fortune is to start with a larger one, and buy a few racehorses.

As the number of horses increased and Alex became a well-loved figure on the racing scene, John kept a diary of their experiences on and off the track. This witty book describes how racing brought something extra into their marriage – from Mondays at Ludlow to the Cheltenham Festival. It documents the wins, near misses, disappointments and occasional tragedies that make up a racing career – not to mention the friends made, the knowledge gained and the sheer thrill of it all. 

Under Orders is a joyous and humorous portrait of horseracing in Britain and a tribute to the owners whose dedication and enthusiasm make the whole thing possible.

Sales of the book will raise money for the Injured Jockeys Fund.

John Timpson CBE is Chairman of Timpson Ltd. Timpson and his wife Alex, who died in January 2016, were foster carers for 32 years, during which time they have fostered 90 children. John lives in Cheshire.