How did our mastery of artificial cold help give birth to at least four million babies, create the golden age of Hollywood and unlock the secrets of the universe? And what about our battle against dirt? How did that create the flat screen and the iPhone?This book is a celebration of ideas: how they ha... read more

The first ever global overview of philosophy: how it developed around the world and impacted the cultures in which it flourished.

Philosophy begins with questions about the nature of reality and how we should live. These were the concerns of Socrates, who spent his days in the ancient Athenian marketplace asking awkward questions, disconcerting the people he met by showing them how little th... read more

When you explore older atheisms, you will find some of your firmest convictions - secular or religious - are highly questionable. If this prospect disturbs you, what you are looking for may be freedom from thought.'For a generation now, public debate has been corroded by ... read more

Of all the writing that emerged from the existentialist movement, Simone de Beauvoir's groundbreaking study of women will probably have the most extensive and enduring impact. It is at once a work of anthropology and sociology, of biology and psychoanalysis, from the pen of a writ... read more

Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves - and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched lives - and destroyed... read more

I simply wanted to know - for myself and my family - what meat is. Where does it come from? How is it produced? What are the economic, social and environmental effects? Are there animals that it is straightforwardly right to eat? Are there situations in which not eating animals is... read more

A prominent Viennese psychiatrist before the war, Viktor Frankl was uniquely able to observe the way that both he and others in Auschwitz coped (or didn't) with the experience.
He noticed that it was the men who comfo... read more

The daily lives of ordinary people are replete with objects, common things used in commonplace settings. These objects are our constant companions in life. As such, writes Soetsu Yanagi, they should be made with care and built to last, treated with respect... read more

In god is Not Great Hitchens turned his formidable eloquence and rhetorical energy to the most controversial issue in the world: God and religion. The result is a devastating critique of religious faith
god Is Not Great is the ultimate case ... read more

In these inspiring essays about why we read, Proust explores all the pleasures and trials that we take from books, as well as explaining the beauty of Ruskin and his work, and the joys of losing yourself in literature as a child. Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transfo... read more

Four of Australia's most interesting religious - and anti-religious - thinkers come together to ask and answer the big questions, such as: What is the nature of the universe? What is a good life? How do we account for evil? and Where do we find hope? Along the way we are introduced to the detail of di... read more