Five Books is in regular touch with the wonderful publicists at Princeton University Press to set up interviews with their authors: Caroline Priday, Kate Farquhar Thomson, Julia Hall, Kathryn Stevens, we are deeply grateful to you for all the interviews you've organized (and for always inviting us to your Christmas party).
PUP publishes a fabulous array of books, written by leading experts in the academic world, but also accessible to the general reader. Princeton University Press authors who have done interviews with us include Nobel prize-winning economist Robert Shiller (huge thank you also to Carol Copeland, Professor Shiller's administrative assistant, for making sure this amazing interview happened) and theoretical physicist and science communicator Jim Al Khalili. Harvard historian of science Naomi Oreskes, meanwhile, took us deep into the thorny issue of the politics of climate change. All the interviews with PUP authors are listed below.
In terms of subject matter, over time we have found Princeton University Press to be the leading publisher of economics books for the general reader. We are also rather taken by their approach to Classics (aka Classical Studies), including the 'Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers' series. Also of note are their field guides, one of the reasons we also have interviews on spiders, dogs and birdwatching.
In the interviews below, Princeton University Press authors are generously promoting books by other authors who have influenced their own work. But you'll also see their own book, relating to the subject they're discussing, listed at the top of the interview, and their other works at the bottom. Just to be clear: even though they are recommending books by other authors, it's their own work that has led us to request the interview in the first place, so if you're buying books please buy theirs!
PUP are also very enthusiastic about audiobooks these days, and most new books by Princeton University Press authors will have an audiobook published at the same time as the print version—perfect for that long commute (when commuting is allowed again).
The best books on Nationalism, recommended by Yael Tamir
When we think of nationalism, we tend to think of its extreme varieties. In fact, it’s so ubiquitous in our daily lives that we rarely even notice it, says political theorist and former Israeli politician Yael Tamir. Here, she recommends books to help us better understand nationalism in all its forms and why one ignores its power at one’s peril.
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Frenemies: How Social Media Polarizes America
by Jaime Settle -
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The Hype Machine: How Social Media Disrupts Our Elections, Our Economy, and Our Health—and How We Must Adapt
by Sinan Aral -
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The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life
by Erving Goffman -
4
Uncivil Agreement: How Politics Became Our Identity
by Lilliana Mason -
5
Bit by Bit: Social Research in the Digital Age
by Matthew Salganik
The Best Books on Social Media and Political Polarization, recommended by Chris Bail
The Best Books on Social Media and Political Polarization, recommended by Chris Bail
Convenient as it is to blame our political woes on the polarizing effect of social media, echo chambers, interference by foreign powers or other shadowy operators, the truth is that human nature and our search for identity and status are more likely culprits. Sociologist Chris Bail, a professor at Duke University and director of its ‘Polarization Lab’, talks us through what social science has to say about the connection between social media and political polarization.
The Best Goethe Books, recommended by David E. Wellbery
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) has been described as ‘the last true polymath to walk the earth’. A defining figure in German literature, Goethe coined the concept of world literature. And his literary and dramatic achievements are matched by his scientific work. David E. Wellbery, Professor of Germanic Studies at the University of Chicago and recipient of the Golden Goethe Medal, introduces us to the life and work of Goethe. He explores why figures such as Beethoven and Napoleon were magnetised to him, how Rousseau influenced Faust, and why Goethe’s Faust does not sell his soul to the devil.
The best books on Scientists, recommended by Jimena Canales
Five fascinating books about scientists, selected by historian of science Jimena Canales. She explains how the scientific persona has been constructed throughout history and explores the implicit assumptions about agency, subjectivity, and causality that underlie scientific biographies.
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Catherine of Aragon: Henry's Spanish Queen
by Giles Tremlett -
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de Kooning: An American Master
by Annalyn Swan & Mark Stevens -
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El «Cuaderno italiano», 1770-1786: los orígenes del arte de Goya
by Jesús Urrea Fernández & Manuela B. Mena Marqués -
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Cartas a Martín Zapater
by Mercedes Águeda & Xavier de Salas -
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The Peninsular War: A New History
by Charles Esdaile
The best books on Goya and the art of biography, recommended by Janis Tomlinson
The best books on Goya and the art of biography, recommended by Janis Tomlinson
The art of Francisco de Goya reflects the social and political chaos of Spain in his day, leaving later generations to read into his prolific work—by turns formal and bizarre, official and fantastic—many often contradictory interpretations. Art historian Janis Tomlinson recommends books that disentangle Goya from the retroactive projections of later admirers and situates him in his own time. We also consider what makes for a compelling biography.
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Hieroglyphs: A Very Short Introduction
by Penelope Wilson -
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Hieroglyphics: The Writings of Ancient Egypt
by Maria Betro -
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The Myth of Egypt and Its Hieroglyphs in European Tradition
by Erik Iversen -
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Lost Languages: The Enigma of the World's Undeciphered Scripts
by Andrew Robinson -
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The Dawning Moon of the Mind: Unlocking the Pyramid Texts
by Susan Brind Morrow
The best books on Hieroglyphics, recommended by Diane Greco Josefowicz
The best books on Hieroglyphics, recommended by Diane Greco Josefowicz
Reading the hieroglyphs of ancient Egypt reveals much about the worldview of a civilisation that rose to prominence 5000 years ago and flourished for thousands of years. Here, intellectual historian Diane Greco Josefowicz—whose book, The Riddle of the Rosetta, co-written with Jed Buchwald, tells the story of how the meaning of the hieroglyphs was deciphered in 19th century France—recommends the best books to learn more about hieroglyphics.
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Golden Trade of the Moors: West African Kingdoms in the Fourteenth Century
by E.W. Bovill -
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Ancient Ghana and Mali
by Nehemiah Levtzion -
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Social History of Timbuktu: The Role of Muslim Scholars and Notables 1400-1900
by Elias Saad -
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Sunjata: A West African Epic of the Mande Peoples
by David C. Conrad -
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Timbuktu and the Songhay Empire: Al-Sa'di's Ta'rikh Al-Sudan down to 1613 and Other Contemporary Documents
by John Hunwick
The best books on The Ghana, Mali and Songhai African Empires, recommended by Michael Gomez
The best books on The Ghana, Mali and Songhai African Empires, recommended by Michael Gomez
Long before the Europeans arrived in the 16th and 17th centuries, sub-Saharan West Africa saw the emergence of a series of African empires that lasted for centuries and stretched over vast swathes of the continent. They were known as the Ghana, Mali and Songhai Empires. Here, historian Michael Gomez discusses what led to their greatness, what sustained them and why they fell.
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Shakespeare's Sonnets
by Katherine Duncan-Jones & William Shakespeare -
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The Art of Shakespeare's Sonnets
by Helen Vendler & William Shakespeare -
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All the Sonnets of Shakespeare
by Paul Edmonson, Stanley Wells & William Shakespeare -
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The Afterlife of Shakespeare's Sonnets
by Jane Kingsley-Smith -
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Nets
by Jen Bervin -
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Lucy Negro, Redux
by Caroline Randall Williams
The best books on Shakespeare’s Sonnets, recommended by Scott Newstok
The best books on Shakespeare’s Sonnets, recommended by Scott Newstok
The beauty of Shakespeare’s sonnets speaks to us down the centuries, their lines peaking out at us from the titles of famous books or enjoying outings at weddings or other romantic occasions. But they were not always regarded as perfectly-formed jewels, and the relationships they portray not as conventional as many of us presume. Here, Shakespeare scholar Scott Newstok talks us through books that help us learn more about Shakespeare’s sonnets, from the best introduction to the poems for students through to their afterlife and recent creative interpretations.
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Catiline’s War, The Jugurthine War, Histories
Sallust (trans. AJ Woodman) -
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Res Gestae Divi Augusti: Text, Translation, and Commentary
by Alison Cooley (editor) & Augustus -
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Rome's Cultural Revolution
by Andrew Wallace-Hadrill -
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The Neighborhoods of Augustan Rome
by J. Bert Lott -
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Augustan Culture
by Karl Galinsky
The best books on Augustus, recommended by Peter Wiseman
The best books on Augustus, recommended by Peter Wiseman
Is it possible that Augustus was not the first Roman emperor, but the last of Rome’s great populist champions? That’s what classicist Peter Wiseman argues in his book, The House of Augustus: A Historical Detective Story. Drawing on a lifetime of research and writing on this period, the emeritus professor of classics and ancient history gives a brilliant overview of the Augustan age, and recommends what to read to better understand the adopted son of Julius Caesar, who found Rome in brick and left it in marble.
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Red Plenty
by Francis Spufford -
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The Market System: What It Is, How It Works, and What To Make of It
by Charles Lindblom -
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The Sciences of the Artificial
by Herbert A. Simon -
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Radical Markets: Uprooting Capitalism and Democracy for a Just Society
by E. Glen Weyl & Eric A. Posner -
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Uncanny Valley: A Memoir
by Anna Wiener
The Best Books on the Politics of Information, recommended by Henry Farrell
The Best Books on the Politics of Information, recommended by Henry Farrell
Our political systems evolved in an era when information was much harder to come by. What challenges does our current reality of information overload pose for democracy? How do we even start thinking about these questions? Political scientist Henry Farrell proposes key books for building a curriculum on ‘the politics of information,’ starting with a beautifully written novel.
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The First Three Minutes
by Steven Weinberg -
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The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself
by Sean M Carroll -
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How the Universe Got Its Spots: Diary of a Finite Time in a Finite Space
by Janna Levin -
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A Brief History of Time
by Stephen Hawking -
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Black Holes and Time Warps
by Kip S Thorne
The Best Books on the Big Bang, recommended by Dan Hooper
The Best Books on the Big Bang, recommended by Dan Hooper
Before Einstein, how the universe began was a question for theologians, not scientists. Over a century later, we know much more, but not enough to do more than guess at what happened at the moment of the Big Bang and immediately after. Astrophysicist Dan Hooper, author of At the Edge of Time—a book that explores dark energy, dark matter and other things we don’t yet understand—talks us through books about the Big Bang, and questions whether our entire understanding of the universe is about to be turned upside down.
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The Rise and Fall of Athens: Nine Greek Lives
by Ian Scott-Kilvert & Plutarch -
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The Greek Alexander Romance
by Richard Stoneman -
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Atticus
by Cornelius Nepos & Nicholas Horsfall -
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Agricola
by Harold Mattingly, James Rives & Tacitus -
5
Lives of the Eminent Philosophers
Diogenes Laertius (ed. James Miller, trans. Pamela Mensch)
The best books on Leadership: Lessons from the Ancients, recommended by Jeffrey Beneker
The best books on Leadership: Lessons from the Ancients, recommended by Jeffrey Beneker
Whatever modern leadership books may say about what’s required to be a good leader, for the ancients there was only one vital requirement: studying philosophy. Jeffrey Beneker, Professor of Classics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, talks us through what ancient biographies reveal about how to be a leader.
Physics Books that Inspired Me, recommended by Jim Al-Khalili
The World According to Physics, theoretical physicist Jim Al-Khalili’s latest book, is his “ode to physics”. Here, he talks us through the books that inspired his passion for physics, in an updated interview with Five Books.
The best books on Learning Economics, recommended by John Quiggin
We live in a society where it’s vital to have a good grasp of economics, but that doesn’t mean you need an economics degree to understand what it’s all about. Australian economist John Quiggin, author of Economics in Two Lessons, recommends books for learning about economics, all accessible to the general reader, and tries to dispel some of the myths about what it is professional economists do.
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The Technology Trap: Capital, Labor, and Power in the Age of Automation
by Carl Benedikt Frey -
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Human Compatible: Artificial Intelligence and the Problem of Control
by Stuart Russell -
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Globalists: The End of Empire and the Birth of Neoliberalism
by Quinn Slobodian -
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Extreme Economies
by Richard Davies -
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Palaces for the People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic Life
by Eric Klinenberg
The Best Economics Books of 2019, recommended by Diane Coyle
The Best Economics Books of 2019, recommended by Diane Coyle
The urgency of the challenges facing society has led to a wonderful supply of books by leading thinkers on a variety of pressing topics. Economist Diane Coyle, a professor at the University of Cambridge and co-director of the Bennett Institute for Public Policy, recommends her top five economics books of 2019.
The best books on Celebrity, recommended by Sharon Marcus
Why are so many of us fascinated by the lives of celebrities? When did interest in the dark side of celebrity become mainstream? Sharon Marcus, author of The Drama of Celebrity and a professor at Columbia University, recommends books to better understand the phenomenon of celebrity.
The best books on Aphorisms, recommended by Andrew Hui
The unexamined life is not worth living; nature loves to hide; you can’t step in the same river twice. No doubt we’ve all grown up hearing aphorisms, but perhaps we take their importance for granted. Andrew Hui, the author of the first full book on the theory of the aphorism, guides us through the history of the short philosophical saying from Heraclitus to Nietzsche and beyond.
The best books on Thucydides, recommended by Johanna Hanink
The Greek historian and general Thucydides wanted his History of the Peloponnesian War “to be a possession for all time.” In that, he’s been remarkably successful, with his name still echoing in the corridors of power. But what lessons should we take away from his great work? Translator and classicist Johanna Hanink talks us through books to better understand Thucydides and the mythical Athens he lived in and wrote about.
The best books on Architecture and Aesthetics, recommended by Timothy Hyde
What’s at stake when we call a building beautiful or denounce it as ugly? MIT professor Timothy Hyde, author of Ugliness and Judgment, explores five books about the social, political and economic dimensions behind debates that often masquerade as arguments about style, but which deal with matters at the very heart of civil society.
The Canterbury Tales: A Reading List, recommended by Marion Turner
Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales not only revolutionized English poetry—they’re also extremely funny and moving. Oxford Professor Marion Turner, who has written the first full-length biography of Chaucer in a generation, tells us about the extraordinary man who wrote them and why we should all read the Canterbury Tales.
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The Call of the Wild and White Fang
by Jack London -
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The Killing of Wolf Number Ten: The True Story
by Thomas McNamee -
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The Secret World of Red Wolves: The Fight to Save North America's Other Wolf
by T DeLene Beeland -
4
The Biology and Conservation of Wild Canids
David W. Macdonald and Claudio Sillero-Zubiri -
5
Dogs: Their Fossil Relatives and Evolutionary History
Xiaoming Wang and Richard Tedford
The best books on Dogs, recommended by José Castelló
The best books on Dogs, recommended by José Castelló
Next time you look at your cute pooch, remember its DNA is the same as that of a wolf. José Castelló, author of the delightful field guide, Canids of the World: Wolves, Wild Dogs, Foxes, Jackals, Coyotes, and Their Relatives recommends some of the best books to read on dogs and other canids.
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The Republic of Beliefs
by Kaushik Basu -
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The Community of Advantage: A Behavioural Economist's Defence of the Market
by Robert Sugden -
3
Accounting for Slavery: Masters and Management
by Caitlin Rosenthal -
4
No Ordinary Woman: The Life of Edith Penrose
by Angela Penrose -
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Exact Thinking in Demented Times: The Vienna Circle and the Epic Quest for the Foundations of Science
by Karl Sigmund
The Best Economics Books of 2018, recommended by Diane Coyle
The Best Economics Books of 2018, recommended by Diane Coyle
From a book about applying game theory to public policy to an account of how modern management practices were first developed on slave plantations, it’s been another good year for interesting and accessible economics books. Cambridge professor Diane Coyle talks us through her selection of the best economics books of 2018.
The Best Finance Books, recommended by Andrew W Lo
At its worst, finance leads to crises and economic dislocation and, yet, it’s absolutely vital to solving many of the problems society faces today. MIT’s Andrew W Lo introduces some of the best books on finance and explains how it can change the world for the better.
The best books on Afghanistan, recommended by Thomas Barfield
Anthropologist and Afghanistan expert Thomas Barfield gives a panoramic view of Afghanistan, from founding dynasties to the failed central Asian states of today. He picks the best books on Afghanistan.
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The Crisis of the European Mind
by Paul Hazard -
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The Enlightenment in America
by Henry May -
3
The Enlightenment and the Intellectual Foundations of Modern Culture
by Louis Dupré -
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The Religious Enlightenment
by David Sorkin -
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Democratic Enlightenment: Philosophy, Revolution, and Human Rights, 1750-1790
by Jonathan Israel
The best books on The Enlightenment, recommended by Jonathan Israel
The best books on The Enlightenment, recommended by Jonathan Israel
Which are the best books on the Enlightenment? Jonathan Israel, one of the leading historians of early modern Europe, recommends his top five.
The best books on Capitalism and Human Nature, recommended by Robert J Shiller
“You have to understand people first before you can understand how to devise an economic system for them” argues Robert J Shiller, the Yale economics professor and Nobel laureate. He chooses five books that explore who we fundamentally are, as human beings, and how that will determine the shape of a successful capitalism.
The best books on Spiders, recommended by Lawrence Bee
You don’t have to be a professional arachnologist to study and get excited about spiders—nor do you need to travel away from home. The author of Britain’s Spiders, Lawrence Bee, recommends all the books you need to become an amateur arachnologist.
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Economics for the Common Good
by Jean Tirole -
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Straight Talk on Trade: Ideas for a Sane World Economy
by Dani Rodrik -
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Adaptive Markets: Financial Evolution at the Speed of Thought
by Andrew W Lo -
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The Wisdom of Finance: Discovering Humanity in the World of Risk and Return
by Mihir Desai -
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The Financial Diaries: How American Families Cope in a World of Uncertainty
by Jonathan Morduch and Rachel Schneider
Best Economics Books of 2017, recommended by Diane Coyle
Best Economics Books of 2017, recommended by Diane Coyle
With an array of intriguing and accessible books coming out, there’s no excuse not to be reading about economics. The ‘Enlightened Economist,’ Diane Coyle, recommends the best economics books that hit the shelves this past year.
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The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable
by Amitav Ghosh -
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Learning to Die in the Anthropocene: Reflections on the End of a Civilization
by Roy Scranton -
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Love in the Anthropocene
by Bonnie Nadzam & Dale Jamieson -
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The Great Persuasion: Reinventing Free Markets since the Depression
by Angus Burgin -
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The Madhouse Effect: How Climate Change Denial is Threatening Our Planet, Destroying Our Politics, and Driving Us Crazy
by Michael E Mann & Tom Toles
The best books on The Politics of Climate Change, recommended by Naomi Oreskes
The best books on The Politics of Climate Change, recommended by Naomi Oreskes
‘We’re on a path that is going to lead to tremendous destruction and yet most of us are going about our lives as if nothing particularly special is happening.’ The science of climate change is incontrovertible but deniers persist and political and economic solutions continue to be – systematically – frustrated. Time is running out, says Naomi Oreskes
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The Social And Economic History Of Roman Empire
by Michael Rostovtzeff -
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A History of Education in Antiquity
by Henri-Irénée Marrou -
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Philosophy as a Way of Life
by Pierre Hadot -
4
Mosaics as History: The Near East from Late Antiquity to Islam
by GW Bowersock -
5
Pauvreté économique et pauvreté sociale à Byzance
by Evelyne Patlagean
The best books on Late Antiquity, recommended by Peter Brown
The best books on Late Antiquity, recommended by Peter Brown
The Best Books to Read on Late Antiquity — a Five Books Reading List
The best books on The Lives of Artists, recommended by Maria Loh
We live in an age obsessed with self-image. Technology has made the ‘selfie’ a ubiquitous form of social currency. Renaissance means may have been very different, but celebrity artists in Medici Florence dealt with many of the issues relating to identity and authorship that we grapple with today. Maria Loh, author of Still Lives: Death, Desire, and the Portrait of the Old Master, talks to Five Books about the curated self.
The best books on Life Below the Surface of the Earth, recommended by Tullis Onstott
The ‘subterranaut’ describes how the discovery of ancient bacteria miles beneath the Earth’s surface opens the possibility of finding life on Mars. He picks five books that show how our knowledge of life deep in this planet could lead us to discover it elsewhere.
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The Rise and Fall of American Growth: The U.S. Standard of Living since the Civil War
by Robert J. Gordon -
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The Moral Economy: Why Good Incentives Are No Substitute for Good Citizens
by Samuel Bowles -
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Capital without Borders: Wealth Managers and the One Percent
by Brooke Harrington -
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The Inner Lives of Markets: How People Shape Them—And They Shape Us
by Ray Fisman and Tim Sullivan -
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Matchmakers: The New Economics of Multisided Platforms
by David S. Evans and Richard Schmalensee
Best Economics Books of 2016, recommended by Diane Coyle
Best Economics Books of 2016, recommended by Diane Coyle
There is much left to be understood about how economies work, but an increasing number of popular books means you no longer have to be a professional economist to get a good grasp of the subject. The distinguished British economist, Diane Coyle, recommends this year’s best economics books.
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The Selfish Gene
by Richard Dawkins -
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Not by Genes Alone: How Culture Transformed Human Evolution
by Peter J. Richerson & Robert Boyd -
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Guns, Germs and Steel
by Jared Diamond -
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The Creation of Inequality: How Our Prehistoric Ancestors Set the Stage for Monarchy, Slavery, and Empire
by Joyce Marcus & Kent Flannery -
5
The Cultural Origins of Human Cognition
by Michael Tomasello
The best books on Cultural Evolution, recommended by Joseph Henrich
The best books on Cultural Evolution, recommended by Joseph Henrich
What role did culture play in human evolution? Why did human brains get so big so quickly? When and why did inequality first emerge in human society? Harvard professor and author Joe Henrich picks some of the best books for understanding ‘cultural evolution.’
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William Wordsworth: The Major Works
by Stephen Gill (editor) -
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Samuel Taylor Coleridge: The Major Works
by H. J. Jackson (Editor) -
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Willam Blake: Selected Poetry
by Nicholas Shrimpton & William Blake -
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Percy Bysshe Shelley: The Major Works
by Michael O'Neill (Editor) & Zachary Leader (Editor) -
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John Keats: The Major Works
by Elizabeth Cook (Editor)
The Greatest Romantic Poems, recommended by Gillen D'Arcy Wood
The Greatest Romantic Poems, recommended by Gillen D'Arcy Wood
Freud said he owed them everything and even people who have never read a poem in their lives speak their language today. Gillen D’Arcy Wood, Professor of Environmental Humanities and English at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, explains who the Romantic poets were and recommends five of the greatest Romantic poems.
The best books on Immigration, recommended by Ian Goldin
What are the economic effects of immigration? Economist Ian Goldin, a professor at Oxford University and founding director of the Oxford Martin School, recommends books and explains.
The best books on Albert Einstein, recommended by Andrew Robinson
Andrew Robinson, author of a biography of Albert Einstein, picks and talks through the five best Albert Einstein books and discusses the life and times of the ‘unique genius.’
The best books on String Theory, recommended by Steven Gubser
What is string theory, and why should we bother finding out? Princeton physics professor Steven Gubser, author of The Little Book of String Theory, explains.
The best books on Birdwatching, recommended by Jeremy Mynott
What drives people’s passion for birds and birdwatching? For Jeremy Mynott, it’s as much about us as it is about them. He recommends the best books on birds and birdwatching.