Ancient Chinese culture has a been a rich source of wisdom for many millennia: Chinese Wisdom provides a concise insight into the ideas of great Chinese thinkers, arranged thematically.
Living in the 5th century BCE, great teacher Confucius laid the foundations for an outlook and way of life that focused on correct behaviour, humaneness and respect for one’s elders, precepts that are deeply embedded across East Asian countries to this day.
His disciple, Meng Ke, outlined new ideas for rulers which provided the basis of Chinese political culture for many centuries afterwards. Laozi, the founder of Taoism and author of the Tao Te Ching, wrote about the Tao, or the Way – the correct way of living attainable to all and which links all things.
Sun Tzu’s Art of War provides advice on how to overcome and outwit an opponent (the basic tenets of which are often applied to business strategy today), while Zhu Xi taught the advantages of meditation as a method for self-knowledge and self-cultivation.
Beautifully produced in traditional Chinese binding, Chinese Wisdom offers more than 80 succinct quotes from Chinese thinkers through the ages, on topics as wide- ranging as filial piety, love, clear thinking, work, business, war and family.
Steam trains half-buried in the desert, roller coasters entangled in trees, hulks of ships perched high and dry miles from water – images like these are bound to make us wonder: what happened here?
From forgotten railway stations to flooded shopping malls, from secret Cold War bunkers to radiation zones, Abandoned Places explores more than 100 fascinating lost worlds from all around the globe. Surveying the ruins of industrial sites and military bases, ghost towns, holiday resorts and airports, the book explains the story of how each place came to be abandoned – whether through natural or chemical disaster, war, economic collapse, or changing tastes and customs. Throughout, though, a picture emerges, not only of what has been lost, but of what remains. Left to the elements but ignored by humanity, these ramshackle settlements and dilapidated structures illuminate times and designs that we thought were long gone.
With 150 outstanding colour photographs exploring hauntingly beautiful locations, Abandoned Places is a brilliant and moving pictorial examination of worlds we have left behind.
“Zen is not effort. Effort is tension, effort is work, effort is to achieve something. Zen is not something to achieve. Just relax, relax so deeply that you become a revelation to yourself.” – Zen proverb
“Zen” is the Japanese pronunciation of Chinese chán, meaning “meditation”. Rather than representing a particular ethic or set of beliefs, Zen Buddhism – as practiced in Japan since the 12th century – is a discipline that seeks to reveal profound insight into the nature of things through thought, experience and meditation, passing on wisdom from master to disciple, rather than through reliance on formal doctrine and ideas.
Zen emphasizes rigorous self-restraint, the practice of meditation, and perceiving the true nature of reality through mindfulness. This insight can be expressed in daily life through acts of kindness towards others.
Beautifully produced in traditional Chinese binding, Zen Wisdom offers more than 80 succinct quotes from Zen masters such as Bankei Yōtaku, Matsuo Bashō, and the Buddha, on topics as wide-ranging as discovering purpose, maintaining concentration, mindfulness, tranquility, learning, kindness and finding joy.
Stoicism is a school of philosophy founded by Zeno of Citium in Athens in the 3rd century BCE. It is a philosophy that stresses positive emotions over negative and helps in providing a framework for living well and achieving happiness.
Embraced by emperors in Rome, Stoicism has been an influence on philosophers throughout the years, such as Thomas More and Descartes, and is currently undergoing a cultural resurgence.
Divided thematically, Stoics Illustrated contains over 100 quotes from key philosophers, including Zeno of Citium, Cleanthes, Diogenes of Babylon, Cato the Younger, Seneca, Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius, and will give the reader many emotional and practical tools for living a better life.
The joy of chess lies in its endless possibilities. With each move, you immerse yourself in a world of strategy, calculation and creativity. Every game presents a unique challenge, testing players’ intellect and intuition to the maximum.
Chess is also known for its ornate and beautiful pieces as much as it is for strategy and tactics. Even many people who don’t play will often display a polished wooden set in their homes.
Chess Illustrated offers a compact, accessible introduction to the pieces, classic sets and basic moves of this supreme game of strategy. Learn about the Staunton chess pattern, which provides a model for most modern chess sets; marvel at the Isle of Lewis chess pieces, which offer a fascinating insight into the culture and wider connections of medieval Scotland; and understand how skilled players use pawns to control the centre of the board.
The book also includes features on some of the great players and classic games of the modern era.
Beautifully produced in traditional Chinese binding with 100 illustrations and photographs, Chess Illustrated will fascinate anyone interested in the material culture of one of the world’s oldest and most widely played games.
In a compellingly simple rhetorical style the book addresses how to live a simple, peaceful and harmonious life, how to rid oneself of desires and free society of institutions that promote greed. This dual-language edition of Tao Te Ching presents the original Chinese characters with a new translation on the facing page. With a new introduction that discusses the questioned authorship of the text and editorial notes, all 81 brief chapters are included, ranging from advice for politicians to wise words for the everyday person. Of immense influence across millennia, Tao Te Ching is a classic text richly deserving this exquisite edition.
Beginning in the sixth millennium BCE, in the Indus Valley, Mesopotamia and along the Nile River, human civilization expanded to develop writing systems, farming methods, social organization and modes of government. Today, humans inhabit every part of the planet, connected by digital technology and modern infrastructure.
Arranged chronologically, History of the World offers a broad overview of the most important events in human history, including the building of great funerary tombs in Ancient Egypt, the Trojan War, the development of democratic forms of government in Ancient Athens under Pericles, the birth of Christ, the expansion of Islam from Arabia, the Viking raids across northwest Europe, the capture of Jerusalem during the Crusades, Martin Luther nailing his 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenberg, Copernicus proposing a new model of the Universe, the rule of the Tokugawa shoguns in Japan, the Boston Tea Party and the American Revolution, Napoleon’s domination of Europe following the French victory at Austerlitz, Stephenson’s development of the steam locomotive, the break up of great empires following the end of World War I, the use of nuclear weapons at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the advent of the modern computer, beginning with Alan Turing’s code-breaking Bombe machine at Bletchley Park during World War II.
History of the World provides a sumptuous, pictorial guide to the most significant events in human history, from the Bronze Age to the 21st Century.
Discover how the individual parts of the human body function in this anatomy book with a difference, and learn about the body through colouring in. Organised by body area and system, each page includes a detailed colour artwork alongside an identical, annotated line drawing, showing the elements of the featured body part. Following the detailed artworks, students can colour in the line drawings, learning about the different bones in the skull, the respiratory system, blood circulation, the workings of the heart – and every other body system – as they colour. By colouring, students absorb the information more effectively and learn more thoroughly. The book features 215 scientifically precise colour artworks accompanied by 215 highly accurate line drawings, organised by body area: head, neck, thorax, upper limbs, abdomen, reproductive system, pelvis, lower limbs and whole body systems. Human Body Colouring Book is a fun and effective way to learn about human physiology.
No understanding of Chinese civilization is possible without a grasp of Taoism, the philosophy that has shaped not just Chinese spirituality but also art, science and politics. And it was in the Tao Te Ching, written around 300BC, that the fundamental beliefs of Taoism were first gathered. This short, wise but very humble book went on to influence on philosophy, religion and politics. In a compellingly simple rhetorical style the book addresses how to live a simple, peaceful and harmonious life, how to rid oneself of desires and free society of institutions that promote greed. This dual-language edition of Tao Te Ching presents the original Chinese characters with a new translation on the facing page, and is illustrated throughout to make an attractive gift edition in traditional Chinese hand binding. With a new introduction that discusses the questioned authorship of the text and editorial notes, all 81 brief chapters are included, ranging from advice for politicians to wise words for the everyday person. Of immense influence across millennia, Tao Te Ching Illustratedis a classic text richly deserving this exquisite edition.
In Catholicism, sainthood is the highest state of holiness any mortal can achieve during this life – or the next. There are more than 10,000 official saints – some are exemplary models, others extraordinary teachers, while some have worked miracles or changed the lives of millions through their guidance and good works.
Arranged in chronological order, the book covers all the major saints, from St Paul, the Apostle who did most to spread Christianity following the death of Christ, and established Christian communities in Asia Minor – to Pope John Paul II, famous for being a peacemaker and providing spiritual inspiration during the fall of communism. In between, this compact volume covers well-known historical figures such as Joan of Arc, who defended the honour of France in the Medieval era, the philosopher and theologian Thomas Aquinas, and lesser-known saints such as Zita, the 13th century patron saint of maids and domestic servants.
Beautifully produced in traditional Chinese binding and with 150 illustrations and artworks
of saints from every part of the world, this book will fascinate anyone interested in inspiring – and often very human – religious figures from Biblical times to the present.
Written around 1645, Miyamoto Musashi’s Five Rings is a classic Japanese work on mastery in swordsmanship, leadership and conflict. Musashi was a swordsman, philosopher and strategist, and today his work remains of influence not only in the realm of martial arts but in the business world, too. Musashi’s no-nonsense approach to the martial arts and combat includes eliminating technical flourishes, understanding that technique should simply be understood as defeating your opponent, and appreciating that the same qualities apply in both small- scale and large-scale conflicts. Repeatedly, he stresses the importance of learning through practice, rather than merely reading about them. Produced in a handy pocket format, Five Rings is presented in an illustrated pocket edition with a modern translation.
With fossil records dating back 400 million years, sharks have outlived the dinosaurs and many other forms of life currently on earth – they are even older than trees. There are more than 1,000 species of sharks and rays, with new species discovered every year. Through their evolution, sharks have shaped our oceans into the rich habitats we know today. As apex predators, sharks play an important role in the ecosystem by maintaining the species below them in the food chain – helping remove the weak and sick, and keeping the ocean and fish populations healthy. Learn about the dwarf lantern shark, which is so small it can fit in the palm of your hand; or the whale shark, which grow up to 12 metres (40ft) in length and is the largest known fish species in the oceans today; or the great white shark, the oceans’ top predator and capable of chewing up dolphins and seals with its 300 teeth. In a handy pocket format with full captions explaining the different species, behaviour and feeding habits, Sharks & Underwater Predators is a lively examination of these elemental killers in through vivid colour photographs.
Few animals strike as much fear as snakes, which kill either through their poisonous venom or through suffocation. Numbering more than 3000 species, snakes can be found in virtually every environment other than Antarctica, from the jungles of the Amazon to the Gobi desert and Australian Outback. Some snakes even inhabit the rivers and seas.
Presented in a handy pocket-sized format, Snakes offers an engaging pictorial introduction to these prehistoric predators. Find out about the black mamba, which is feared because it possesses an extremely potent venom that kills most of its victims – animal and human; see the banded krait, whose venom is a neurotoxin that induces instant paralysis; learn about the reticulated python, the world’s longest constrictor, regularly reaching over 6 metres (20ft) in length; and marvel at the tiny Barbados threadsnake, which typically grows to a length of 10cm (4in) and has been compared to a spaghetti noodle!
With full captions explaining the history, behaviour and feeding habits of more than 150 snake species, Snakes is a fascinating examination of these highly colourful reptilian killers in more than 250 vivid photographs.
Written in the 6th century BC, Sun Tzu’s The Art of War is still used as a book of military strategy today. Napoleon, Mae Zedong, General Vo Nguyen Giap and General Douglas MacArthur all claimed to have drawn inspiration from it. And beyond the world of war, business and management gurus have also applied Sun Tzu’s ideas to office politics and corporate strategy. Using a new translation by James Trapp and including editorial notes, this edition of The Art of War lays the original Chinese text opposite the modern English translation. The book contains the full original 13 chapters on such topics as laying plans, attacking by stratagem, weaponry, terrain and the use of spies. Sun Tzu addresses different campaign situations, marching, energy and how to exploit your enemy’s weaknesses. Of immense influence to great leaders across millennia, The Art of War is a classic text richly deserving this exquisite edition.
From coastal to alpine, tropical to temperate, coniferous to deciduous, forest trees not only support the wildlife that lives under their canopies, but humankind, too. We could not survive without the cooling effect that trees have on the planet.
Yet for thousands of years, we have logged forest trees and tapped their resin, we have hunted and foraged among them, found sources of medicine in their leaves and bark, and created sacred groves under their canopies. In some places we have cleared so much land that it is possible the trees will never grow back. Habitats have been lost as global temperatures have continued to rise.
But, despite the environmental damage, there is hope, too. Some areas of abandoned farmland have been reclaimed by trees. And if we look to the Mayan ruins in Mexico, we see how forests can bury even a society’s grandest buildings. Given the opportunity, forests won’t just outlive us, but our civilisations, too.
The author, Kieron Connolly, surveys forests from all around the globe, from deforestation in the Amazon to the reforestation of Californian redwoods, from England’s New Forest to Germany’s Black Forest, telling the stories of humankind’s ancient links to the trees and the flora and fauna found among them.
Ranging from ecology to history, from the ravaged to the rewilded, and featuring more than 230 striking photographs, Forests is a fascinating exploration of woodland life around the world.
From the gardens of the Palace of Versailles to Beatrix Potter’s garden in the Lake District, from Monet’s garden in France to the Tivoli Gardens in Rome, from the Japanese garden in Portland, Oregon, to city gardens in Tokyo, Amazing Gardens is a wide-ranging celebration of all types of gardens around the globe.
Including formal French gardens and English landscape gardens, famous botanical gardens and little-known curiosities, Iranian and Persian gardens, grand, country house gardens and inner-city gardens, Zen gardens, strolling Japanese gardens and Chinese gardens, medicinal gardens and one poison garden, knot gardens and Roman gardens, the book explores a huge variety of the approaches and uses of gardening around the world over millennia.
In telling the stories of these places, the book touches on the lives of the people who worked in them, designed them and owned them – people such as Prince Charles, Capability Brown, Gertrude Jekyll, Edith Wharton and Agatha Christie.
Illustrated with more than 200 outstanding colour photographs and expert captions, Amazing Gardens not only champions the splendour of the world’s most magnificent gardens but also reveals many fascinating stories about the history of these places and the people who created them.
From the Azteca to the Appaloosa, Choctaw to the Palomina, Brumbys in Australia to the Mongolian, from rare breeds such as the Polish Konik to the semi-feral Pyrenean Pottok, Horses celebrates a wide variety of breeds from all around the world.
Ranging from dressage to police horses, from racing horses to rodeo and polo, the book looks at the anatomy and lifecycle of foals and yearlings, colts and fillies, stallions, mares and geldings around the globe. It includes draft horses and warmbloods, light horses and thoroughbreds, gaited horses, ponies and breeds that have become feral. Each photograph is accompanied by a caption with fascinating information about the characteristics of each breed.
Illustrated with 200 outstanding colour photographs, Horses is an exquisitely produced work packed with lively information about this beloved animal.
Why do cats purr? How much can you learn about a cat’s mood from the direction it flicks its tail? How do cats show trust with their eyes? Why do cats rub against their owners’ legs?
Arranged in chapters covering physical characteristics, senses, lifecycle and behaviour, Cats features a huge range of breeds from all around the world. From Siamese to Russian Blue, Manx to American Bobtail, Burmese to Bombay, the book expertly explores and celebrates this most beloved pet.
With fascinating captions on every page, even cat lovers will learn something new. Cats is a brilliant examination in 150 outstanding colour photographs.
Built to last, built to impress, built with style and grandeur – it is all the more remarkable when the most ostentatious of buildings fall into disrepair and become ruins. From imperial residences and aristocratic estates to hotels and urban mansions, Abandoned Palaces tells the stories behind dilapidated structures from all around the world.
From ancient Roman villas to the French colonial hill station in Cambodia that was one of the final refuges of the Khmer Rouge, the book charts the fascinating decline of what were once the homes and holiday resorts of the most wealthy. Ranging from crumbling hotels in the Catskill Mountains or in Mozambique to grand mansions in Taiwan, and from an unfinished Elizabethan summerhouse to a modern megalomaniac’s estate too expensive ever to be completed, the reasons for the abandonment of these buildings include politics, bankruptcy, personal tragedies, natural and man-made disasters, as well as changing tastes and fashions.
With 150 outstanding colour photographs exploring more than 100 hauntingly beautiful locations, Abandoned Palacesis a brilliant and moving pictorial examination of worlds we have left behind.
At the outbreak of hostilities in 1939, many of the aircraft in service with Britain and Commonwealth countries were outdated, and the RAF had to urgently expand production of the new types, such as the superb Supermarine Spitfire fighter and twin-engined de Havilland Mosquito.
British & Commonwealth Fighter Aircraft of World War II is a detailed guide to all the fighter types deployed by the RAF, RAAF, RCAF and RNZAF from 1939 to 1945. Organised chronologically by type, this book includes all-time classics, such as the Hawker Hurricane fighter that was so crucially effective during the Battle of Britain; the highly-adaptable Bristol Beaufighter, which was deployed as a torpedo bomber, night-fighter and maritime patrol aircraft; the Supermarine Spitfire, Britain’s most accomplished World War II fighter and one of the greats of all time; and the Curtiss Kittyhawk fighter-bomber, a stalwart of the North African campaign. The guide is illustrated with profile artworks and three-views, as well as two-page dynamic artworks of some of the key aircraft in service, such as the rocket-armed Hawker Typhoon that menaced German communications during the Normandy campaign.
Illustrated with more than 100 authentic artworks with accurate markings and camouflage, British & Commonwealth Fighter Aircraft of World War II is an essential reference guide for modellers and military aviation enthusiasts.
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