Duckworth – serie

How did we come to understand the force that binds the universe together? In Gravity, Brian Clegg offers a succinct history of gravity from the perspectives of great thinkers including Aristotle, Galileo, Newton, Einstein and today’s leading scientists. He explores theories of general relativity, quantum mechanics and our attempts to link the two, as well as time travel, black holes, string theory and why gravity only works at the speed of light.Gravity is anything but simple, but Brian Clegg has written the most accessible book yet on the subject - the perfect introduction to a complicated theory.

'Twenty Something' introduces us to Jack Lancaster, who, at only 25 is far too young to be having a mid-life crisis, but who's going to have a pretty good shot at it anyway.

In his now-classic and hugely influential exploration of the evolving union of human and machine, world-renowned inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil foresees the dawning of a new civilisation where humans will transcend our biological limitations and amplify our creativity by combining our aptitudes with the vastly greater capacity, speed and knowledge-sharing abilities of Artificial Intelligence. This melding of human and machine is what he terms 'the singularity'.On the eve of publication of his latest book, The Singularity is Nearer, this new edition of the first instalment of his groundbreaking vision offers a fascinating and thought-provoking perspective on decades of innovation - and what still lies ahead.

'Twenty Something' introduces us to Jack Lancaster, who, at only 25 is far too young to be having a mid-life crisis, but who's going to have a pretty good shot at it anyway.

Sam Hunt is a confused modern male in his very late twenties. A work-shy, commitment-phobic would-be actor, he is beginning to worry that turning thirty might just be the last straw. Flatmate Alan, the sensible one, has just been proposed to by his girlfriend Jess, with his femme fatale boss looking on with a saucy gleam in her eye. Newly-dumped Ed spends his time tearfully watching 'Sex and the City' in a pile of his ex-girlfriend's pyjamas and plotting his revenge.Meanwhile unemployed doctor Matt embarks on a dubious bet with Sam to see who can be the first to ensnare a rich wife and enjoy a life of leisure... Are your carefree twenties a retreating memory? Are your friends discussing children and fixed-rate mortgages while you clutch your Xbox, sobbing? You're not the only one. Beta Male is a riotously funny and painfully honest chronicle about friendship, masculinity, marriage and the beginning of adulthood.

Joe Eszterhas has written some of Hollywood's biggest hits Basic Instinct; Flashdance and walked away with some of the largest writing cheques in the industry's history. In The Devil's Guide to Hollywood he reveals everything he knows about the movies the players, the personalities, the legends and screenwriting itself, revealing all that has inspired, amused and enraged him in Hollywood since his career began.Hilarious, colourful but also practical, this is required reading for anyone who s ever thought of writing for the screen, and for anyone who wants the inside story on the organised insanity of the movie business.

The British Navy's failed attempt to capture Constantinople and secure a sea route to Russia in 1915 marked a turning point of World War I. Acclaimed naval military historian Dan van der Vat argues that the disaster at the Dardanelles not only prolonged the war for two years and brought Britain to the brink of starvation, but also led to the Russian Revolution and contributed to the rapid destabilisation of the Middle East.With a narrative rich in human drama, 'The Dardanelles Disaster' highlights the diplomatic clashes from Whitehall to the Hellespont, Berlin to Constantinople, and St Petersburg to the Bosporus. Van der Vat analyzes then-First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill's response to the obstacles he faced and describes the fateful actions of the Turkish, German, and British governments throughout the Gallipoli Campaign. With detailed analysis of the battle's events and never-before-published information on the German navy's mine laying operations, 'The Dardanelles Disaster' tells a forgotten story from a fresh viewpoint, shedding light on one of World War I's most pivotal moments - and in particular on one avoidable and monumental blunder.

**The classic story of how Apple became the most valuable company in the world, reissued for Apple's 50th anniversary**Every empire has an origin story. This is Apple’s.Before Apple became the most valuable company in the world, it was just an idea sparked in a garage. Return to the Little Kingdom is Michael Moritz’s vivid, behind-the-scenes account of Apple’s explosive early years – a raw, fast-paced journey through invention, obsession and the birth of a movement. More than a story about Steve Jobs or a scrappy start-up, Return to the Little Kingdom is a rare blueprint of how enduring companies are built from nothing but vision and nerve.Updated with Moritz's reflections on Apple’s extraordinary resurgence, this classic work is essential reading for founders, dreamers, and anyone determined to build the future. If you want to understand how empires are born, start here.

Everyone knows that sub-atomic particles have some very strange qualities. Light sometimes behaves like a particle, sometimes like a wave. Objects separated by vast distances interact faster than the speed of light - what Einstein called 'spooky action at a distance'. Most strangely, the behaviour of objects somehow seems be determined in retrospect, depending on what the observer is looking for. In this ground-breaking work the authors show how these quantum properties are being observed in larger and larger objects. They set out carefully and cautiously exactly what quantum theory might mean for us.Quantum physics presents an unanswerable challenge to our common sense understanding of the universe, and the final explanation might not come from physics at all, but from the equally strange world of cognitive neuro-science - the mysteries of mind and matter might be one and the same.

A fondness for laughing at our own anecdotes. An assertion of the importance of tea. A weakness for oak beams. A keen interest in the weather. A tendency to 'become doggy'. The British haven't changed much since the 1930s, when Pont's first witty and hilarious observations on the national character appeared in Punch magazine.Pont's plump rolling-pin wielding cooks and solar-topee'd imperialists capture a distinct moment in British inter-war history, but his observations of character are timeless. In the nursery, at the opera, or in the bath, in tweed or tennis whites or bowler hat, Pont conjures distinct, complete personalities with a few strokes of his pen.Charming, idiosyncratic and - above all - wonderfully funny, this unforgettable collection will bring Pont's extraordinary talent to a new generation of fans.

This is a long-awaited and authoritative reinterpretation of the early life and career of arguably the greatest artist in history. Author John T. Spike surveys Michelangelo's early life from birth to his early thirties, probing the thinking, artistic evolution and yearnings of a young man thoroughly convinced of his own exceptional talent. Spike explores Michelangelo's involvement in the most troubling controversies of his age, and recreates Florence and Rome with vivid sketches of Lorenzo the Magnificent, Leonardo, Julius II and Machiavelli. This is a prodigiously informative and compelling account that will fulfil the need for a major Michelangelo biography for this generation and many to come.

'A shocking tale of heroes and villains.’ Sir Ian McKellenIn 1918, the Imperialist newspaper made a startling claim. The German Secret Service had the names of 47,000 members of the British establishment who were sexual deviants and Britain was losing the war because Germany was blackmailing them. In the sensational libel trial that followed, the main target was Maud Allan, the Salome dancer with high society connections and a dark secret. Meanwhile, Oscar Wilde’s closest friends were drawn into the affair in a bitter battle for his reputation. It was the greatest scandal of the early twentieth century.This is a story of judges and prejudice, of aesthetes and admirals, of MPs and dancing girls, of sex and conspiracy; ingredients for a modern tabloid, yet in a decade that still seems a Victorian legacy. Philip Hoare has produced a revolutionary new portrait of British society, as nineteenth century morality and Edwardian opulence met the modern age.Wilde’s Last Stand tells of transvestites in the trenches, of drug clubs in London, and of the man who sought to be Britain’s first fascist leader. Both revealing and chilling, this is a vital story about the birth of a troubled century.Philip Hoare is an acclaimed author whose works include biographies of Stephen Tennant and Noël Coward, Spike Island and England’s Lost Eden. His book, Leviathan: or, The Whale won the BBC Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-fiction.'Documented with dazzling brilliance.’ The Sunday Times‘A valuable addition to the alternative history of our century.’ Peter Parker, Observer‘A thrashing good read.’ Independent on Sunday

Ernest Hemingway famously wrote 'all thinking men are atheists'. But is this true? In The Atheist's Bible you'll find find quips, quotes and questions from a distinguished assortment of geniuses and jokers.Includes reflections from: Woody Allen, Samuel Beckett, Albert Camus, Fidel Castro, Noam Chomsky, Umberto Eco, Albert Einstein, Aldous Huxley, Friedrich Nietzsche, Salman Rushdie, Bertrand Russell, Kurt Vonnegut and so many more.The perfect gift for all non-believers.

Experience the Rome that changed and inspired Elizabeth Gilbert to write the international bestseller Eat, Pray, Love. When Luca Spaghetti (yes, that's really his name) was asked to show Elizabeth around Rome he had no idea how his life was about to change. She embraced his Roman zest for life and Luca in-turn became her guardian angel, determined that his city would get her out of her funk.Filled with colourful anecdotes about food, language, soccer, life in Rome, and culminating with the episodes in Liz's bestselling memoir told from Luca's side of the table, this is a book that every traveller to Rome will find enriching and readers of Eat, Pray, Love will not want to miss.

'Fascinating.' TelegraphBirdie Bowers is a woman with a dead man's name. Her parents had been fascinated by Henry 'Birdie' Bowers, one of Captain Scott's companions on his ill-fated polar expedition. A hundred years after the death of Bowers and Scott, she sets out to discover what really happened to them... The discovery of Captain Scott's body in the Antarctic in November 1912 started a global obsession with him as a man and an explorer. But one mystery remains - why did he and his companions spend their last ten days in a tent only 11 miles from the safety of a depot that promised food and shelter?Dead Men tells the story of two paths. One is a tragic journey of exploration on the world's coldest continent, the other charts a present-day relationship and the redemptive power of love.

ORGANISE BEFORE THEY RISE!Max Brooks, the world's leading zombie authority, reveals how other eras and cultures have dealt with - and survived - the ancient viral plague. From the Stone Age to the information age, the undead have threatened to engulf the human race. They're coming. They're hungry. And only the prepared will survive.This is the graphic novel that fans demanded, featuring major zombie attacks across human history: on the African savannas, against the legions of ancient Rome, and on the high seas alongside Francis Drake. Complete with eye-popping artwork that pulsates with the grisly faces of the undead, Recorded Attacks is an essential part of the World War Z collection.

In June 1940, Paris fell to the Nazis who made the world's cultural capital their favourite entertainment ground. Music halls and cabarets thrived during the occupation, providing plenty of work for actors, singers and musicians except for the Jews. The likes of Maurice Chevalier and Edith Piaf, who had entertained the French troops, now unabashedly provided amusement to the Germans.After the invasion of France, those artists still in Paris had to find ways to survive. Although Matisse and others kept out of view, Picasso could not avoid Nazi visitors. A few, like Beckett, joined the Resistance. Some were arrested and died in German hands. Others entertained the enemy. The theatres reopened, the movie cameras rolled, galleries sold paintings looted from Jewish families, pro-German writers and their rivals fought in print. Told through the experiences of renowned creative figures and witnesses of the times, And the Show Went On is an authoritative account of how Paris's artistic world lived through the Occupation during which some suffered Nazi oppression while others prospered through collaboration.

In the early 20th century, in the English-speaking world, Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini were two of the most feted and famous men alive. And their relationship is extraordinary: As strange as it may seem Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of the ultra-rational detective Sherlock Holmes, was a believer in Spiritualism. He came to his belief, that one could communicate with the dead, after his son was killed in World War I, and became an expert in the field.Harry Houdini, the world's foremost magician, was a friend of Conan Doyle's, but was sceptical of his belief in the supernatural. Houdini took every opportunity to use his knowledge of illusion to expose psychics who he thought were fakes, particularly incensed by their exploitation of grief and insecurity. Based on original research, this sensational dual biography of two popular geniuses conjures up the early 20th century and the fame, personality and competing beliefs.

There is no physical law to prevent time travel nothing in physics to say it is impossible. So who is to say it can't be done? In Build Your Own Time Machine, acclaimed science writer Brian Clegg takes inspiration from his childhood heroes, Doctor Who and H. G. Wells, to explain the nature of time. How do we understand it and why measure it the way we do? How did the theories of one man change the way time was perceived by the world? Why wouldn't H. G. Wells's time machine have worked? And what would we need to do to make a real one?Build Your Own Time Machine explores the amazing possibilities of quantum entanglement, superluminal speeds, neutron star cylinders and wormholes in space. Brian Clegg applies the most famous of Einstein's theories, special and general relativity, to explain the real science of time travel and discover how possible it really is.

In 1950, only 22% of adults were single. Today, more than 50% of adults are. Though conventional wisdom tells us that living by oneself leads to loneliness and isolation, most solo dwellers - compared with their married counterparts - are more likely to eat out and exercise, sign up for art and music classes, attend public events and lectures, and volunteer.Drawing on over three hundred in-depth interviews with men and women of all ages and from across every class, Eric Klinenberg reaches some startling conclusions about the seismic impact solo living is having on our culture, business and politics.