Books

Haunted by a past she can’t escape, Laura Cunningham desires nothing more than to keep her world small and precise - her quiet relationship and growing jewellery business are all she needs to get by. Until the December day when Rob Blake walks into her studio and commissions a necklace that will tell his enigmatic wife Cat’s life in charms

In Life, the Universe and Everything, the third title in Douglas Adams' blockbusting sci-fi comedy series, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Arthur Dent finds himself enlisted to prevent a galactic war.

This edition includes exclusive bonus material from the Douglas Adams archives, and an introduction by Simon Brett, producer of the original radio broadcast.

Following a number of stunning catastrophes, which have involved him being alternately blown up and insulted in ever stranger regions of the Galaxy, Arthur Dent is surprised to find himself living in a cave on prehistoric Earth. However, just as he thinks that things cannot get possibly worse, they suddenly do. An eddy in the space-time continuum lands him, Ford Prefect, and their flying sofa in the middle of the cricket ground at Lord's, just two days before the world is due to be destroyed by the Vogons.

Escaping the end of the world for a second time, Arthur, Ford, and their old friend Slartibartfast embark (reluctantly) on a mission to save the whole galaxy from fanatical robots. Not bad for a man in his dressing gown . . .

Follow Arthur Dent's galactic (mis)adventures in the rest of the trilogy with five parts: So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish, and Mostly Harmless.

So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish is the fourth installment in Douglas Adams' bestselling cult classic, the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy 'trilogy'.

This edition includes exclusive bonus material from the Douglas Adams archives, and an introduction by Neil Gaiman.

There is a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. It’s not an easy thing to do and Arthur Dent thinks he’s the only human who’s been able to master this nifty little trick – until he meets Fenchurch, the girl of his dreams.

Fenchurch knows how the world could be made a good and happy place. Unfortunately, she’s forgotten. Convinced that the secret lies within God’s Final Message to His Creation they go in search of it.

And, in a dramatic break with tradition, actually find it . . .

Mostly Harmless is the fifth and final part in Douglas Adams' much-loved cult classic series, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

This edition includes exclusive bonus material from the Douglas Adams archives, and an introduction by Dirk Maggs, co-producer of BBC Radio 4's The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Tertiary, Quandary and Quintessential Phases.

Arthur Dent hadn't had a day as bad as this since the Earth had been blown up.

After years of galactic wanderings, Arthur finally settles on the small planet Lamuella and becomes a sandwich maker. Looking forward to a quiet life, his plans are thrown awry by the unexpected arrival of his daughter.

There's nothing worse than a frustrated teenager with a copy of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy in their hands. When she runs away, Arthur goes after her determined to save her from the horrors of the universe.

After all - he's encountered most of them before . . .

An international phenomenon and pop-culture classic, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy has been a radio show, TV series, novel, stage play, comic book and film. Following the galactic (mis)adventures of Arthur Dent, Hitchhiker’s in its various incarnations has captured the imaginations of curious minds around the world . . .

It’s an ordinary Thursday lunchtime for Arthur Dent until his house gets demolished. The Earth follows shortly afterwards to make way for a new hyperspace express route, and his best friend has just announced that he’s an alien. At this moment, they’re hurtling through space with nothing but their towels and an innocuous-looking book inscribed, in large friendly letters, with the words: DON’T PANIC.

The weekend has only just begun . . .

This 42nd Anniversary Edition includes exclusive bonus material from the Douglas Adams archives, and an introduction by former Doctor Who showrunner, Russell T Davies

A practical guide to managing your attention – the most powerful resource you have to become more creative, get stuff done, and live a more meaningful life 'The best productivity plans call for strategy, not just hacks or tactics—and Hyperfocus gives you strategy in spades. When you read this book, get ready to do your most important work!' Chris Guillebeau In Hyperfocus, you will learn: - How working fewer hours can increase our productivity - How drinking caffeine strategically instead of habitually gives us more energy - How we get more done by making our work harder, not easier - How we do our best creative work when we're the most tired Our attention has never been as overwhelmed as it is today and we've never been so busy while accomplishing so little. In Hyperfocus, the bestselling author of The Productivity Project provides profound insights into how we can best manage our attention. Chris Bailey reveals how the brain switches between two mental modes – hyperfocus, our deep concentration mode, and scatterfocus, our creative, reflective mode – and how the surest path to being our most creative and efficient selves at work is to combine them both.

“Discover the secrets to a perfect TED Talk and learn how to deliver an exceptional presentation with Carmine Gallo’s Talk Like TED.

TED Talks have redefined the elements of a successful presentation and become the gold standard for public speaking around the world. And yet the techniques that top TED speakers use are the same ones that will make any presentation more dynamic, fire up any team, and give anyone the confidence to overcome their fear of public speaking.

Communications coach and bestselling author of The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs, Carmine Gallo has broken down the top TED Talks and interviewed the most popular TED presenters to uncover the nine secrets of all successful TED presentations. From ‘Unleashing the Master Within’ and ‘Delivering Jaw Dropping Moments’ to ‘Sticking to the 18-minute Rule’ Gallo provides a step-by-step method that makes it possible for anyone to create, design, and deliver a TED-style presentation that is engaging, persuasive, and memorable.

Ideas are the true currency of the 21st century, and Talk Like TED gives readers a way to create presentations around the ideas that matter most to them, presentations that will energize their audiences to spread those ideas, launch new initiatives, and reach their highest goals.”

‘The world's leading expert on habits’ – Matthew Syed, bestselling author of Black Box Thinking and Rebel Ideas

What if you could harness the extraordinary power of your unconscious mind to achieve your goals?

Shockingly, we spend nearly half our day repeating things we've done in the past without thinking about them. How we respond to the people around us; the way we conduct ourselves in meetings; what we buy; when and how we exercise, eat and drink – a truly remarkable number of things we do every day, we do by habit.

And yet, whenever we want to change something about ourselves, we rely on willpower alone. We hope that our determination and intention will be enough to effect positive change. And that is why almost all of us fail.

Professor Wendy Wood is the world's foremost expert on habits. Drawing on three decades of original research, she explains the fascinating science of how we form habits and provides the key to unlocking our habitual mind in order to make the changes we seek.

Combining a potent mix of neuroscience, case studies and experiments conducted in her lab, Good Habits, Bad Habits is a comprehensive, accessible and highly practical book that will change the way you think about almost every aspect of your life.

‘Wendy Wood is the world’s foremost expert in the field, and this book is essential’ – Angela Duckworth, bestselling author of Grit

Mia is about to turn fifteen and can't wait to dance the night away with Michael at the biggest, most romantic event of her life so far: the senior prom! But nothing's going according to plan. Not only does Mia face a snoozefest summer of sceptre-wielding in Genovia. Even worse is the fact that Michael hasn't even invited Mia to the prom at all. Hello, what is going on here? Just as Mia comes up with a perfect plan to change her man's mind, disaster strikes. A disaster that only a genius like Grandmere can overcome...

How can Mia bear it? Michael, her one true love, has gone away to college, leaving her to face a new school year alone (well, nearly). With a potential eco-disaster in Genovia, a new English teacher who can't stand her and a totally transformed Boris to get used to, life for the world's most reluctant royal is looking like it can't get much worse. Until Grandmere and Lilly step in - with a plan to save Genovia and Albert Einstein High; a plan that involves Grandmere showing up at school in her fur cape and tiara!