Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words by Randall Munroe

$39.99 NZD

Category: Non Fiction | Reading Level: General Adult

Have you ever tried to learn more about some incredible thing, only to be frustrated by incomprehensible jargon? Randall Munroe is here to help. In Thing Explainer, he uses line drawings and only the thousand (or, rather, "ten hundred") most common words to provide simple explanations for some of the m ost interesting stuff there is, including: food-heating radio boxes (microwaves) tall roads (bridges) computer buildings (datacenters) the shared space house (the International Space Station) the other worlds around the sun (the solar system) the big flat rocks we live on (tectonic plates) the pieces everything is made of (the periodic table) planes with turning wings (helicopters) boxes that make clothes smell better (washers and dryers) the bags of stuff inside you (cells) How do these things work? Where do they come from? What would life be like without them? And what would happen if we opened them up, heated them up, cooled them down, pointed them in a different direction, or pressed this button? In Thing Explainer, Munroe gives us the answers to these questions and so many more. Funny, interesting, and always understandable, this book is for anyone--age 5 to 105--who has ever wondered how things work, and why. ...Show more

Dot by Kieran E. Scott

$26.00 NZD

Category: Non Fiction

Are you feeling a little bit (or a lottle bit) anxious?Meet DOT, who's here to help. In this beautiful little hand-drawn book, DOT offers a practical way to comfort and calm anyone anxious, stressed or overwhelmed. For anyone (big or small) who wants to take a moment and some nice, deep breaths.

At the Pond - Swimming at the Hampstead Ladies' Pond by Esther Freud (Contribution by); Margaret Drabble (Contribution by); Leanne Shapton (Contribution by)

$24.99 NZD

Category: History

Tucked away along a shady path towards the north-east edge of Hampstead Heath is a sign: Women Only. This is the Kenwood Ladies’ Bathing Pond. Floating in the Pond’s silky waters, hidden by a canopy of trees, it’s easy to forget that you are in the middle of London. On a hot day, thousands of swimmers from eight to eighty-plus can be found waiting to take a dip before sunbathing in the adjoining meadow. As summer turns to autumn and then winter, the Pond is still visited by a large number of hardy regulars in high-vis hats, many of whom have been swimming here for decades. In these essays we see the Pond from the perspectives of writers who have swum there. Esther Freud describes the life-affirming sensation of swimming through the seasons; Lou Stoppard pays tribute to the winter swimmers who break the ice; Margaret Drabble reflects on the golden Hampstead days of her youth; Sharlene Teo visits for the first time; and Nell Frizzell shares the view from her yellow lifeguard’s canoe. Combining personal reminiscence with reflections on the history of the place over the years and through the changing seasons, At the Pond captures fourteen contemporary writers’ impressions of this unique place. Contributors: Ava Wong Davies | Margaret Drabble | Esther Freud Nell Frizzell | Eli Goldstone | Amy Key Jessica J. Lee | Sophie Mackintosh | So Mayer Deborah Moggach | Nina Mingya Powles Leanne Shapton | Lou Stoppard | Sharlene Teo ...Show more

Red Notice: How I Became Putin's No. 1 Enemy by Bill Browder

$26.00 NZD

Category: Non Fiction

I have to assume that there is a very real chance that Putin or members of his regime will have me killed some day. If I?m killed, you will know who did it. When my enemies read this book, they will know that you know.Reads like a classic thriller, with an everyman hero alone and in danger in a hostile foreign city ... but it?s all true, and it?s a story that needs to be told.LEE CHILDAn unburdening, a witness statement and a thriller all at the same time ... electrifying. THE TIMESA shocking true-life thriller. TOM STOPPARD---In November 2009, the young lawyer Sergei Magnitsky was beaten to death by eight police officers in a freezing cell in a Moscow prison. His crime? Testifying against Russian officials who were involved in a conspiracy to steal $230 million of taxes. Red Notice is a searing expose of the whitewash of this imprisonment and murder. The killing hasn?t been investigated. It hasn?t been punished. Bill Browder is still campaigning for justice for his late lawyer and friend. This is his explosive journey from the heady world of finance in New York and London in the 1990s, through battles with ruthless oligarchs in turbulent post-Soviet Union Moscow, to the shadowy heart of the Kremlin. With fraud, bribery, corruption and torture exposed at every turn, Red Noticeis a shocking political roller-coaster. ...Show more

The Mummy Animal Book by Jennifer Cossins

$14.99 NZD

Category: Children's

   An adorable and informative picture book about mummy animals and their babies from the author of The Baby Animal Book and 101 Collective Nouns. Did you know that a mother peacock is called a peahen and a baby peacock is called a peachick?The Mummy Animal Book is an adorable and informative picture book about mummy animals and their babies that is perfect for Mother's Day, from the author of the CBCA Notable The Baby Animal Book. ...Show more

Our Dogs, Ourselves. The story of a unique bond by Alexandra Horowitz

$37.99 NZD

Category: Non Fiction | Reading Level: very good

In this book Alexandra Horowitz examines what's called the 'dog-human bond': examining all aspects of the complexity of this unique interspecies pairing. From her position as a dog scientist, she uses the science of dogs and dog-human interaction to ground a consideration of the various ways that dogs, as a species, reflect us, and how they reflect (sometimes badly, sometimes well) on us. And she goes beyond the cognitive science to consider the culture, laws, and human dynamics that reveal and restrict this bond between two disparate species. Horowitz shows that when each person makes the decision to breed, own, or adopt a dog, we enter into a relationship that will change us. It changes the course of our days: dogs need to be walked, fed, attended to. It can change the course of our lives: dogs weave their way into our lives with their constant silent presence by our sides. There are still many (often non-'scientific') questions that remain unanswered about dogs: about their minds, yes, but especially about living with dogs in our society, and how we can best treat them now and in the future. This books addresses those questions. It is intended for the curious dog owner and science-lover alike, who wants to read good, intelligent thinking on dogs, not overly sentimental but not without heart.  ...Show more

Faces: Profiles of Dogs by Vita Sackville-West

$22.99 NZD

Category: Non Fiction

A collection of photographs of 44 breeds of dogs that capture them in particular & very individual moods. 'How very odd it must be to be a dog...'Over the years Vita Sackville-West had many dogs, including Cocker Spaniel Pippin (famously the mother of Virginia Woolf's Spaniel, Pinka), Alsatian Roll o, whose photograph hangs in Sissinghurst Castle, and elkhound Canute, who used to hop on the bus into town whenever he got bored.In Faces, Sackville-West traces the origins and history of forty-four breeds, reflecting on their characteristics with frank humour,from the Father Christmas-moustachioed Schnauzer to the silky gentle-eyed Afghan, 'like somebody's elderly Aunt Lavinia, who nourishes a secret passion for the Vicar', and the elegant and ancient Saluki, 'without a doubt the dullest dog I ever owned'.Charming and fascinating in equal measure, this collection of profiles is testament to the fact that, 'when one loves dogs, it is difficult not to attribute human qualities to them'. ...Show more

Word Drops: A Sprinkling of Linguistic Curiosities by Paul Anthony Jones

$22.99 NZD

Category: Non Fiction

If you're logofascinated, you are literally spellbound by language. Word Drops is a language fact book unlike any other, its linguistic tidbits all falling together into one long interconnected chain just with each fact neatly 'dropping' into place beside the next. What's more, throughout, footnotes ar e used to give informative and intriguing background to some of the most bizarre facts, covering everything from traditional Inuit games to the origin of the Bellini cocktail, from the precise length of one 'jiffy' to what the Romans thought hoopoe birds ate, and from what to expect on a night out with Dr Johnson to Samuel Pepys's cure for a hangover. Want to know the longest palindrome in Morse code, or who The Great Masticator was? Curious to know what Norwegian steam is, or what a jäääär is? The answers are all here. For all of the logofascinated among us, this is an immensely pleasurable and unpredictable collection that is guaranteed to raise eyebrows (the literal meaning, incidentally, of supercilious). 'Brilliant for anyone interested in the effervescent oddness of English' --Stig Abell ...Show more

Pocket Eyewitness Cats (Facts at Your Fingertips) by DK

$12.99 NZD

Category: Non Fiction | Series: Pocket Eyewitness Ser.

A true cat-alogue of more than 100 feline breeds and cross-breeds adorn the pages of this mini-encyclopedia, which packs a whole lot of information into your pocket! Along with a photo of each breed, discover the facts and stats of each cat, including its size, where the breed originated, colours and m arkings, and unusual features or behaviours. You'll soon be able to tell apart a Burmese from a Siamese; a rex from a sphynx and a manx; and an American shorthair from a British shorthair. You will also discover a lot about colours and patterns. Did you know that tabby cats and tortoiseshells are not breeds, but colours within breeds? Plus there are pages introducing cat anatomy and behaviour; and the book finishes with fun facts. The style of the Pocket Eyewitness series is perfect for all children, from reluctant readers who can easily digest the key points through to budding vets and cat-lovers of all shapes and sizes who want to know more about the best pets on the planet. ...Show more

Birds NZ: Beauty like No Other - 2nd edition by Paul Gibson

$60.00 NZD

Category: Non Fiction

This new book is uniquely different from anything else on the market and has been fully updated and expanded for 2018. It is no ordinary book, comprising 320 pages of absolute beauty. An extremely appealing book for everyone. Over 300 birds are detailed, there are 700 photographs, and 50 pages of inform ation on subjects like migration, feathers, eggs, flyways, bird photography etc. ...Show more

Beyond the Known - How Exploration Created the Modern World and Will Take Us to the Stars by Andrew Rader

$37.99 NZD

$39.99 (5% off)

Category: Non Fiction

From brilliant young polymath Andrew Rader--an MIT-credentialed scientist, popular podcast host, and SpaceX mission manager--an illuminating chronicle of exploration that spotlights humans' insatiable desire to continually push into new and uncharted territory, from civilization's earliest days to curre nt planning for interstellar travel. For the first time in history, the human species has the technology to destroy itself. But having developed that power, humans are also able to leave Earth and voyage into the vastness of space. After millions of years of evolution, we've arrived at the point where we can settle other worlds and begin the process of becoming multi-planetary. How did we get here? What does the future hold for us? Divided into four accessible sections, Beyond the Known examines major periods of discovery and rediscovery, from Classical Times, when Phoenicians, Persians and Greeks ventured forth; to The Age of European Exploration, which saw colonies sprout on nearly continent; to The Era of Scientific Inquiry, when researchers developed brand new tools for mapping and traveling farther; to Our Spacefaring Future, which unveils plans currently underway for settling other planets and, eventually, traveling to the stars. A Mission Manager at SpaceX with a light, engaging voice, Andrew Rader is at the forefront of space exploration. As a gifted historian, Rader, who has won global acclaim for his stunning breadth of knowledge, is singularly positioned to reveal the story of human exploration that is also the story of scientific achievement. Told with an infectious zeal for traveling beyond the known, Beyond the Known illuminates how very human it is to emerge from the cave and walk toward an infinitely expanding horizon. ...Show more

The Ratline Love, Lies and Justice on the Trail of a Nazi Fugitive by Philippe Sands

$37.99 NZD

Category: Non Fiction

As Governor of Galicia, SS Brigadesführer Otto Freiherr von Wächter presided over an authority on whose territory hundreds of thousands of Jews and Poles were killed, including the family of the author's grandfather. By the time the war ended in May 1945, he was indicted for 'mass murder'. Hunted by th e Soviets, the Americans, the Poles and the British, as well as groups of Jews, Wächter went on the run. He spent three years hiding in the Austrian Alps before making his way to Rome and being taken in by a Vatican bishop. He remained there for three months. While preparing to travel to Argentina on the 'ratline' he died unexpectedly, in July 1949, a few days after having lunch with an 'old comrade' whom he suspected of having been recruited by the Americans. In THE RATLINE Philippe Sands offers a unique account of the daily life of a Nazi fugitive, the love between Wächter and his wife Charlotte, who continued to write regularly to each other while he was on the run, and a fascinating insight into life in Rome and among American and Soviet spies active at the start of the Cold War. Using modern medical expertise, the door is unlocked to a mystery that haunts Wächter's youngest child, who believes his father was a good man - what was Wächter doing while in hiding, and what exactly caused his death? ...Show more