The Art of War – Sun Tzu

“Ultimate excellence lies not in winning every battle, but in defeating the enemy without ever fighting.” Sun-Tzu

For more than two thousand years, Sun-Tzu’s ‘The Art of War’ has provided leaders with profound insights into the use of skill, tactics, psychology and discipline to outwit opponents. 

Central to Sun Tzu’s philosophy is the concept of using deception and superior intelligence to minimize risk, which has made his book required reading at military, business, and law schools around the world.

Said to have inspired Napoleon, and used by Mao Zedong and General Douglas MacArthur, as well as many famous business gurus, politicians and sports stars, its ancient words of wisdom provide a touchstone for today’s managers and executives fighting their boardroom battles, as well as being required reading for the military. This best-selling book offers ancient wisdom on how to use skill, cunning, tactics and discipline to outwit your opponent.

“Absorb this book, and you can throw out all those contemporary books about management leadership” Newsweek

You Are Here: An Updated Dossier – Rory Bremner, John Bird, John Fortune

Like the critically acclaimed ‘Bremner, Bird and Fortune’ series on Channel 4, ‘You Are Here!’ picks away at the scabs of international politics with the voice and credibility of Rory and the two Johns, and appeals to an audience hungry for a mix of entertainment and information – tough facts made funny. The book lampoons the contradiction at the heart of Britain when Tony Blair became Prime Minister after the landslide General Election result of 1997.

In the fog of confusion created by New Labour, it can be difficult to discover the real truth. After all, why spin if you don’t want people to get dizzy? What the British reader needs is this witty and original map explaining how it all connects, a guide to how we got here – completely updated now for paperback edition.

The Geek Manifesto: Why Science Matters – Mark Henderson

There has never been a better time to be a geek (or a nerd, or a dork). What was once an insult used to marginalize those curious people (in either sense of the word) and their obsessive interest in science has increasingly become a badge of honour. And we should be crying out for them. 

e live in a country where only one of our 650 MPs has worked as a research scientist; the Government’s drugs adviser was sacked for making a decision based on scientific fact rather than public opinion; a writer can be forced into court for telling the scientific truth; and, the media would rather sell papers by scare-mongering over MMR vaccines and GM crops than report the less sensational facts.

Whether we want to improve education or cut crime, to enhance public health or to generate clean energy, science and its experimental method is critical. It’s time to stop the nonsense! ‘The Geek Manifesto’ shows us what needs to happen to entrench scientific thinking more deeply into politics and society. And how to turn our frustrated outrage into positive action that our country’s leaders cannot ignore.

Above Top Secret: Uncover the Mysteries of the Digital Age – Jim Marrs

The world’s leading conspiracy author, and the web’s most popular conspiracy forum, investigate everything from chemtrails to the Nazi’s Antarctic base, moon landings to hoaxes, God as an alien to the end of the world in 2012.

Jim Marrs is always a good, informative and challenging read!

Downsize This! – Michael Moore

Hilarious proof of why Michael Moore is the unofficial champion of the largest political force in the US – the 60 percent of voters who elect not to vote – ‘Downsize This!’ gets under the skin of the corporations, politicians, and media moralists who have made life miserable for millions of Americans.

Moore takes on corporations, politicians and Americana in general in a biting satire that will leave both conservatives and liberals reeling with embarrassment. Moore tears into corporations and labour unions alike. Citing “economic terrorism,” he goes after the CEOs, detailing their cosy tax deals with federal and local government, which have added to the deficit. He also attacks the unions, citing how they have collaborated with corporations (while taking huge salaries) to slash jobs from their own memberships.

No one is immune. A scathing, funny book packed with facts that will appeal to all!

The Environment    

The Pesticide Conspiracy – Robert Van Den Bosch

Professor van den Bosch of the University of California was one of the developers of ‘Integrated Pest Management’ – the use of biological controls, improved pest knowledge and observation, and judicious application of chemicals only when absolutely necessary. His research often suggested that less or no pesticides should be applied, which made him the target of both open and clandestine attacks from industry and government.

In protest, he wrote this passionate account of what the respected magazine, ‘Ecology’, called “the ultimate social disaster of: evolving pesticide-resistant insects, the destruction of their natural predators and parasites, emergent populations of new insect pests, downstream water pollution, atmospheric pollution, the ‘accidental’ killing of wildlife and people, and the bankruptcies of indigenous and small farmers.”

The book has thus become a classic, along with Rachel Carson’s ‘Silent Spring’.

Silent Spring – Rachel Carson

Rachel Carson’s ‘Silent Spring’ alerted a large audience to the environmental and human dangers of indiscriminate use of pesticides, spurring revolutionary changes in the laws affecting our air, land, and water.

Now recognized as one of the most influential books of the twentieth century, ‘Silent Spring’ exposed the destruction of wildlife through the widespread use of pesticides.

Despite condemnation in the press and heavy-handed attempts by the chemical industry to ban the book, Rachel Carson succeeded in creating a new public awareness of the environment which led to changes in government and inspired the ecological movement. It is thanks to this book, and the help of many environmentalists, that harmful pesticides such as DDT were banned from use in the US and countries around the world.

Alternative Science & Technology    

Left in the Dark – Graham Gynn

“This is a totally new way of looking at the evolution of the human brain. It is so totally fresh, unexpected and hitherto un-thought-of that it will probably take a long time before evolutionary anthropologists and psychologists begin to take it on board; but it will make an impact, of that there is no doubt. It will be, it must be, taken very seriously in any discussion of human origins.”

– Colin Groves: (Professor of Biological Anthropology at the School of Archaeology & Anthropology, Australian National University and author of several books including A Theory Of Human And Primate Evolution and Bones, Stones and Molecules)

Supernature – Lyall Watson

As the book’s author, Lyall Watson, states: “Between nature and the supernatural are a host of happenings that I choose to describe as Supernature”.

Within the book you will hear of such things as circadian rhythms; the effects of the sun, moon and planets on the lives of various life-forms, including humans; the scientific facts behind astrology; mysterious properties of Egypt’s pyramids; psychic powers such as psychokinesis, telepathy, and “eyeless sight”; how the mind can physically influence the body; and much, much more.

“His open-mindedness was refreshing”, said one reviewer in The Daily Telegraph; another upbraided him for being “embarrassingly credulous” in accepting a claim that plants responded to the killing of a live shrimp thrown into boiling water. 

A botanist, zoologist, biologist, anthropologist and ethnologist at 23, Watson was director of Johannesburg Zoo, and subsequently became an expedition leader, a television producer and Seychelles commissioner for the International Whaling Commission. Describing himself as a “scientific nomad”, he considered conventional science simply inadequate to explain much human experience.

Parallel Worlds: The Science of Alternative Universes and Our Future in the Cosmos – Michio Kaku

Getting a grip on the creation and ultimate fate of the universe is one of the great scientific stories of the twentieth century. In the twenty-first, the story is expanding to enfold many universes.

Michio Kaku’s dazzling book tells that new story. Using the latest astronomical data, he explores the Big Bang, theories of everything, and our cosmic future.

His wonderfully clear scientific account leads to some mind-boggling speculations about the human implications of this story. Are we condemned to watch a single universe slowly run down, becoming a dark, cold wasteland? Or can we dream of escaping into one of many parallel universes, each born of a new Big Bang, or even existing in another dimension? Kaku shows how the new cosmology points to these and other astonishing possibilities.

Taking the Quantum Leap: The New Physics for Non-Scientists – Fred Alan Wolf

This book entertainingly traces the history of physics from the observations of the early Greeks through the discoveries of Galileo and Newton to the dazzling theories of such scientists as Planck, Einstein, Bohr, and Bohm.

This humanized view of science opens up the mind-stretching visions of how quantum mechanics, God, human thought, and will are related, and provides profound implications for our understanding of the nature of reality and our relationship to the cosmos.

Breakthrough: The Miracle Mineral Supplement of the 21st Century – Jim Humble

“Learn of the amazing discovery of the miracle mineral that is saving lives around the world. Experience the scene to witness the healing. The book will take you on a journey through the trenches with all of the struggles and wonders. Read about people from all over the world whom are experiencing the joy of life. 

“The book tells of the discovery and development of a new mineral that cured many people of malaria in the jungle in S. America. Later, more than 75,000 cases of malaria were treated successfully in Africa. At the same time, more 388 cases of AIDS were successfully treated, and clinical trials were run with 100% success in the Country of Malawi. Since that time, thousands of people have successfully used the solution that is described in the book. People have recovered from Hepatitis C, from diabetes, from cancer, TB, colds, flu, lupus, and many other diseases.”

– Foreword of the book.

Fire from Ice: Searching for the Truth Behind the Cold Fusion Furore – Eugene F. Mallove

In the spring of 1989, researchers at the University of Utah made an announcement that rocked the scientific community and is still making news today.

Is cold fusion myth or reality? And if it does exist, as many scientists now secretly believe, why did its suggestion first meet with such hostility from within the scientific community and the media? In this book are the answers to these questions and many more – explaining the science involved while exposing the inside story of cold fusion.

It is a disturbing tale of professional rivalry and mysterious wheeling and dealing in a high-stakes game.

Money! Money! Money!    

Globalization and its Discontents – Joseph E. Stiglitz

When it was first published, this national bestseller quickly became a touchstone in the globalisation debate. Renowned economist and Nobel Prize winner Joseph E. Stiglitz had a ringside seat for most of the major economic events of the last decade, including stints as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers and chief economist at the World Bank.

Particularly concerned with the plight of the developing nations, he became increasingly disillusioned as he saw the International Monetary Fund and other major institutions put the interests of Wall Street and the financial community ahead of the poorer nations.

While he proposes no simple formula on how to make globalisation work, Stiglitz provides a reform agenda that will provoke debate for years to come. Rarely do we get such an insider’s analysis of the major institutions of globalisation as in this penetrating book.

The Best Democracy Money Can Buy – Greg Palast

Investigative reporter, Greg Palast, spent five years trying to find out what is really going on in politics and big business. In ‘The Best Democracy Money Can Buy’, he reveals what PR companies, lobbyists and politicians spend their time keeping hidden. Using sources inside the global institutions, he establishes that the IMF and the World Bank serve the interests of the very rich in Europe and America. In a series of sting operations, he reveals how far the previous Labour government was prepared to go in its attempts to gain the support of big business.

Included are his celebrated Washington Post exposé on Jeb Bush and Katherine Harris’s stealing of the presidential election in Florida, and stories on George W. Bush’s payoffs to corporate cronies, the payola behind Hillary Clinton, and the faux energy crisis. Also included in this volume are new and previously unpublished material, television transcripts, photographs, and letters.

From East Timor to Waco, he has exposed some of the most egregious cases of political corruption, corporate fraud, and financial manipulation in the US and abroad. His uncanny investigative skills, as well as his no-holds-barred style, have made him an anathema among magnates on four continents and a living legend among his colleagues and his devoted readership.

Connected: 24 Hours In The Global Economy – Daniel Altman

Oil prices go up, the stock market goes down. Currency exchange rates fluctuate, the Chinese economy is booming, and new technologies are changing the way we do business. What if you could look behind the headlines of the global economy, to see how it really works? Instead of listening to pundits, politicians, and protestors, you could see first-hand how everyone from migrant workers to central bank governors live their lives. Now you can.

Having chosen June 15, 2005, as the focal point for his book, Altman contacted dozens of people from all corners of the world and all levels of the economy – from factory workers and currency traders to CEOs and entrepreneurs – asking them for first-person narratives of their activities on that one day. Starting with their stories and keying his chapters to the headlines of the day, Altman takes on pressing questions in new ways: Can poor countries become rich too quickly? Can corruption ever be a good thing? Do companies need crises in order to stay competitive? What determines the global economic pecking order? Along the way, you’ll find quick guides to the fundamental markets that link the global economy together: stocks, credit, currencies, and oil. Most importantly, you’ll learn how the billions of decisions taken by individuals can and do change the future.

This book is part travel guide, part owner’s manual – an essential road map for every citizen of the global economy in the 21st century.

The Money Diet – Martin Lewis

Do you want to cut your bills without cutting back?

Are you fed up with being ripped off?

Do you want more money in your pocket without changing your lifestyle?

What we all need is detailed, no-nonsense advice about organising credit cards, finding the cheapest utilities, how to get the very best mortgage deals and how to haggle with every shopkeeper – in other words, how to make sure we’re not wasting pennies.

Martin Lewis shows you how to be canny with your finances, and provides clear-cut advice on payment of bills, ways to slash spending, which banks to use and choosing the best deals on an even greater range of products, including mobile phones, package holidays, pensions, credit cards and insurance.

Who Runs Britain? – Robert Peston

On 13 September 2007, Robert Peston broke the news that Northern Rock had become a victim of the global credit crunch and was seeking an emergency loan from the Bank of England. Over the weeks that followed, the Government found itself exposed to the Rock to the tune of 57 billion, or almost £2000 for every taxpayer. 

As Robert Peston shows in his fascinating book, ‘Who Runs Britain?’, the seeds for the collapse of Northern Rock and the upheavals in the financial markets were sown years before.

‘Who Runs Britain?’ is the first time anyone has drawn all the threads together to weave a story that’s rich in extraordinary characters and outrageous feats of economic bravado. This book is about the widening gap between the super-rich and the rest of us. It explores and explodes the myth that the financial creativity of those who are amassing these vast fortunes is good for the wider economy and for all of us. Whether you’re a financial expert or just have a bank account, this is a book you must read.

End This Depression Now! – Paul Krugman

The Great Recession is more than four years old – and counting. Yet, as Paul Krugman points out in this powerful volley, “Nations rich in resources, talent, and knowledge – all the ingredients for prosperity and a decent standard of living for all – remain in a state of intense pain.” With characteristic lucidity and insight, Krugman pursues the questions of how bad the situation really is, how we got stuck in what can now be called a depression and above all, how we free ourselves.

He has a powerful message for anyone who has suffered over these past four years – a quick, strong recovery is just one step away, if our leaders can find the “intellectual clarity and political will” to end this depression now.

Inside Job: The Financiers Who Pulled Off the Heist of the Century – Charles Ferguson

The definitive big picture on the financial crisis, from the man behind the Oscar-winning documentary that exposed the workings of the new economic elite. Based on explosive interviews conducted personally by award-winning filmmaker Charles Ferguson, as well as newly released court documents and information buried in archives, ‘Inside Job’ traces in gripping detail how the financial industry and its enablers went rogue. Ferguson shows how three decades of deregulation created a predator nation and invited the crisis, particularly as key players cycled through positions of power in government, independent academia, and big-ticket finance.

With clarity, toughness, and stunning freshness, he delivers an unrivalled accounting of how the new economic oligarchy have wrested control of our politics and our prospects for eventual recovery.

Britain for Sale: British Companies in Foreign Hands – The Hidden Threat to Our Economy – Alex Brummer

In 2010, the iconic British chocolate manufacturer Cadbury was taken over by the US food giant Kraft. The deal caused a public furore and prompted many to ask whether we should be allowing such a major national enterprise to fall into foreign hands.

Yet, despite the hand-wringing, there was nothing unusual about what was going on. In recent years, hundreds of billions of pounds worth of British businesses have been sold off abroad. Today, foreign companies control vast swathes of the British economy, from ports to bridges, from the National Lottery to airlines, and from high-tech companies to gas and electricity suppliers.

In ‘Britain for Sale’, award-winning financial journalist Alex Brummer explains why British companies are so irresistible to overseas buyers. He considers the impact of foreign deals on Britain’s enterprise culture. And he asks the key question: How damaging is the takeover bonanza to our future economic health?