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  How to Listen - An Ancient Guide...

  Plutarch, Jeffrey Beneker

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  A lively new translation of Plutarch’s charming and timeless essay on how to be a good listener—and why listening is essential to learning and living wellListening is a skill—even an art—and it’s essential to learning and to life. Indeed, as Plutarch writes in How to Listen, “listening well is the foundation for living well.” In this volume, Jeffrey Beneker presents a vivid and accessible new translation of Plutarch’s classic essay about how to become a skilled listener, complete with an inviting introduction and the original Greek on facing pages.Plutarch is most famous as the author of Parallel Lives, a series of biographies of Greek and Roman statesmen. But he was also an expert on teaching and learning and How to Listen is arguably one of his best pedagogical works. A proponent of active listening well before its time, Plutarch explains the skills we need—and the obstacles and distractions we must overcome—to become effective listeners. Good listening requires, above all, an acknowledgement of our own ignorance in certain subjects and a commitment to gaining knowledge. We must set aside pride and envy so we can respect the expertise of others. We must also train ourselves to see through style and focus on substance, to discriminate between weak and strong arguments, and to criticize ideas fairly and accurately.Filled with shrewd insights and advice, How to Listen shows how to cultivate a skill that everyone who wants to learn and live well must master.

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  To the Person Sitting in Darkness

  Mark Twain

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  “The Person Sitting in Darkness” by Mark Twain is a searing political satire that exposes the hypocrisy and brutality of imperialism at the turn of the 20th century. With his signature wit and razor-sharp critique, Twain challenges the moral justifications used by Western powers—especially the United States—in their global conquests. Written in 1901, this provocative essay attacks the exploitation of weaker nations under the guise of civilization and religion, making it as relevant today as it was over a century ago. A must-read for fans of political commentary, anti-imperialist literature, and Twain’s bolder, less-publicized works.

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  Truthfulness - The Unvarnished...

  Esther Jameson

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  Truth is often regarded as a simple concept—something either is or it isn’t. Yet, when examined more closely, truth reveals itself to be one of the most profound and complex forces in human existence. It transcends the surface of facts and ventures into realms shaped by perception, experience, culture, and belief. Understanding the nature of truth requires more than a definition; it demands a deep exploration of how we relate to reality itself. 
  At its core, truth is commonly defined as that which aligns with fact or reality. However, facts can be interpreted differently depending on one’s background, intentions, and emotional state. Objective truth refers to things that remain constant regardless of personal opinions—scientific laws, historical events, and physical evidence fall into this category. Subjective truth, on the other hand, is shaped by personal perspective. It’s the kind of truth we feel rather than prove: our experiences, emotions, and beliefs about the world. Both forms are valid in their own domains, but problems often arise when subjective truth is presented as universally objective. 
  Culture also plays a significant role in shaping our understanding of truth. In some societies, truth is seen as communal—a shared agreement among people, traditions, or religious teachings. In others, truth is fiercely individual, something one must discover for oneself. This cultural lens can influence what people consider acceptable or unacceptable, right or wrong, honest or deceptive. What might be considered an innocent omission in one culture could be seen as a serious lie in another.

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  Luck

  David Flusfeder

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  ‘A joy’ Philippe Sands‘Glorious’ David Spiegelhalter 
  A fascinating, enchanting and personal look at the meaning of luck, and the way in which it has shaped our shared history and continues to inflect our day to day lives. 
  What does it mean to be lucky? How might we mitigate the effects of bad luck and maximise those of good? Is there actually such a thing as ‘luck’—some force that intervenes between desire and its consummation, that impedes or hastens it? 
  To answer these questions, David Flusfeder sets out on a search for the definition of luck. This quest will take him to Siberia, Versailles, the Old Testament desert; play roulette in Baden-Baden with Dostoevsky; visit a Cambridge fairground with Wittgenstein; meet the sixteenth-century poet Thomas Bastard, who challenged Fortune, and lost; find Nietzsche on the slopes of Vesuvius; learn about the pioneers of probability; the twentieth-century art investigators of chance and possibility; and the intensely personal story of his father’s good fortune in escaping war-time Poland. Starting at the British Library in London, and following the dictates of an online randomiser that decided the chapter order, Flusfeder follows in the footsteps of some victors of luck and those who were defeated by it, from ancient times to the modern day. 
  Luck asks fundamental questions about the world, ourselves, our place in it. In these questions, about our relationships to fortune, to risk, to opportunity, to chance, destiny and fate, we find ourselves deciding who we are and how we might choose to live. 
  ‘Thrilling, intelligent and wilfully unique … I loved it’ James Runcie, author of The Great Passion 
  ‘Ruminative … page-turning’ TLS 
  ‘Fascinating … An eminently enjoyable and engrossing page-turner’ The Jewish Chronicle 
  In LUCK, David Flusfeder delves into the psychology of fortune, intertwining it with elements of mathematics and theory. The book is a top pick for those interested in the social aspects of games, particularly poker, and the communication skills required to navigate them. 
  For fans of Brian Klaas (Fluke), Morgan Housel (Same as Ever), Annie Jacobsen (Surprise, Kill, Vanish), Bill Perkins (Die With Zero), and Cal Newport (Slow Productivity). 
  HarperCollins 2022

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  Traitor's Odyssey - The Untold...

  Brendan McNally

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  'A delicious, gossipy and thoroughly engaging romp ... heartily recommended.' Tim Tate, author of Hitler's British Traitors and The Spy Who Was Left Out in the Cold
  'A captivating page-turner ...' Helen Fry, author of Women in Intelligence
  
  
  Ambassador's daughter, Nazi love interest, Soviet spy, FBI most wanted.
  
  Accompanying her parents to Berlin in the 1930s, Martha Dodd knew almost nothing about Adolf Hitler or the Nazis. Yet almost overnight, she stepped into the spotlight, and found herself at the over-heated centre of Hitler's 'New Germany', befriending and dating several high-ranking Nazis, including the head of the Gestapo.
  
  An affair with a dashing Russian diplomat saw her recruited as a spy, and so began a long and tumultuous career in both Berlin and America, including attempts to infiltrate First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt's inner circle and playing a key role in Henry Wallace's disastrous 1948 presidential campaign.
  
  Betrayed by a Hollywood-hustler-turned-double-agent, Martha spent years under deep FBI surveillance - escaping twice - and went to ground in Cold War Prague, sad, lonely, rich and bored, living out her final decades in a Communist Sunset Boulevard.
  
  Largely forgotten, Martha Dodd began to emerge as an iconic historical figure in the early 2000s. While her scandalous behaviour and pro-Soviet leanings were never much in dispute, the actual matter of her guilt remained unresolved. Now, using recently released KGB archived information and FBI files, author and journalist Brendan McNally sets the record straight in Traitor's Odyssey, telling the full epic tale of Martha Dodd's life for the first time, casting her in a new and bright light.

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  The Old Kingdom of Egypt - The...

  Omar Khalil

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  The Old Kingdom of Egypt, often referred to as the “Age of the Pyramids,” marks one of the most prosperous and significant periods in the history of ancient Egypt. This era, which lasted from around 2686 to 2181 BCE, witnessed the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under a single ruler and the establishment of the pharaoh as the central figure of both politics and religion. It was a time when the foundations of the Egyptian state were solidified, and the monumental pyramids, including the Great Pyramid of Giza, were built. 
  The rise of the Old Kingdom began with the third dynasty, following the unification of Egypt by King Narmer (also known as Menes). Narmer’s victory over the rival kingdoms of Upper and Lower Egypt not only led to the establishment of the first dynasty but also laid the groundwork for the idea of divine kingship. The pharaoh, believed to be the living god Horus, became the supreme ruler, a position that was both political and religious. This divine status provided the pharaoh with unquestionable authority, ensuring stability and order across the kingdom. 
  Throughout the Old Kingdom, the notion of kingship was reinforced through monumental construction projects, such as the construction of step pyramids and later the smooth-sided pyramids that are so emblematic of ancient Egypt. The earliest monumental stone structure, the Step Pyramid of Djoser, built during the third dynasty, symbolized the pharaoh’s ability to control nature and destiny. These impressive structures were not just tombs for the pharaohs but also symbols of their eternal power and the journey to the afterlife.

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