John Murray Press strana 17 z 17

'Beautiful. Entertaining. Inspiring.' Nature'Startling . . . riveting . . . hauntingly timely.' Washington Review of Books'A meditation on transformation . . . Warm [and] empathetic . . . wonderful.' Science'Startling . . . astounding . . . Animated by wonder.' MIT's UndarkMetamorphosis has always been one of biology's greatest wonders and toughest riddles. To emerge a butterfly, a caterpillar dissolves inside its chrysalis and builds a brand new brain, wings and legs. Why all this destruction and remodelling? Why all this wasted energy and tim? ren Harman beautifully unfurls the untold story of metamorphosis across two millennia, asking why it has obsessed and inspired us so profoundly. Along the way we meet poets, artists, philosophers, and a cast of scientists as colourful as the animals themselves: whether Aristotle determining cucumbers had souls, Sigmund Freud searching in vain for eel testicles, or a Japanese zoologist singing karaoke to a baby jellyfish. Taking us on an exhilarating journey through the creatures that metamorphose - a staggering three-quarters of all animal species - from starfish reproducing in reverse in ocean depths, to poison dart frogs on steaming rainforest canopies, to human adolescents struggling to control themselves, Metamorphosis is a new classic of natural history: a book that, by explaining a mystery of nature, causes us to relearn ourselves.

Transform your down time into 'do time'. The most successful language learners create a habit of studying on a regular basis. 50 Chinese Coffee Breaks makes it easy to master a simple routine of improving your Mandarin Chinese by effortlessly integrating it with your calming daily ritual - from a 5-minute espresso to a 15-minute latte. Organised by 5, 10 and 15 minutes, these 50 varied and lively activities - from recipes and idiom challenges to famous quotations and character practice - are created for high-beginner to intermediate adult and young-adult learners. Featuring both Chinese characters and pinyin, the activities are designed to keep you motivated while building your skills in key areas. * Reading comprehension * Writing skills * Grammar confidence * Translation abilities * Vocabulary expansion * Cultural awareness By practising Mandarin Chinese in a fun and relaxed way in the time you have, you will stay on track to achieve your language-learning aspirations. So, pick up your preferred brew and this practical book, and make learning the most pleasant and productive part of your busy day. For 15 years Coffee Break Languages has helped make it possible for millions of people to learn a language in a way that fits into their everyday life: whether that's while walking the dog, at the gym, or on their coffee break! Teach Yourself has collaborated with Coffee Break Languages to bring their brilliant method to a wider audience by producing their first-ever printed product. All the activities are written by long-time teachers of the language in Coffee Break's characteristically friendly and conversational style. It's the perfect complement to your studies. The activities are levelled for high-beginner to low-intermediate learners: CEFR A2-B1 and ACTFL Intermediate-low/mid.

*The new novel from the author of WILLIAM*''A propulsive gasp of a novel'' Clay McLeod Chapman, author of Wake Up and Open Your Eyes''I couldn''t put it down until the last twisting page'' Simone St. James, author of Murder Road2030. The human crew sent to prepare the first colony on Mars arrives to find the new base half-destroyed and the three robots sent ahead to set it up in disarray.In the four years since they arrived, the machines have formed alliances, chosen their own names and picked up some disturbing beliefs. Each robot must be interrogated. But one of them is missing.As the astronauts close in on the truth, it dawns on them that in this barren, hostile landscape - where even the machines have nightmares - none of them is safe.Exiles is a taut and terrifying one-sitting read from the critically acclaimed author of William.

''A deep, sometimes harrowing book about loss, grief, and the way literary representations of mental illness shaped Scanlon''s experience of her own life'' Emily Gould, The Cut''Visceral, raw and tender, this candid and timely memoir is, at heart, a love-letter to the profound and redemptive power of literature'' Annabel Abbs''An immensely talented writer, at her finest, cutting through propriety and convention to reach what is essential, meaningful, real'' Amina CainWhen Suzanne Scanlon was a student at Barnard in the 90s and grieving the loss of her mother, she made a suicide attempt that landed her in the New York State Psychiatric Institute.After nearly three years and countless experimental treatments, Suzanne left the ward on shaky legs. In the decades it took her to recover from the experience, Suzanne came to understand her suffering as part of something larger: a long tradition of women whose complicated and compromised stories of self-discovery are reduced to ''madwoman'' narratives. Transporting, honest and unflinching, Committed is a story of discovery and recovery, reclaiming the idea of the madwoman as a template for insight and transcendence through the works of Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Virginia Woolf, Sylvia Plath, Janet Frame, Shulamith Firestone and others.