Was this just a brief skirmish, or the beginning of a thirty-year feud? In the Rubinstein family, it could go either way.

When their beloved sister passes away, Sylvia and Helen Rubinstein are unmoored. A misunderstanding about apple cake turns into a decade of stubborn silence. Busy with their own lives – divorces, dating, career setbacks, college applications and ballet recitals – their children do not want to get involved. As for their grandchildren? Impossible.

Sharply observed and laced with humor, This Is Not About Us is a story of growing up and growing old, the weight of parental expectations, and the complex connection between sisters – a big-hearted book about the love that binds a family across generations.

‘One of the shrewdest political commentators we have’ Andrew Marr

‘Tony Blair was a giant amongst prime ministers and leaders of the Labour party: Steve Richards is a giant amongst political commentators. This riveting and persuasive book describes what happens when they meet head on’ Anthony Seldon

Was Tony Blair a visionary, impatiently looking ahead, or a leader trapped by his past – Labour’s vote-losing 1980s and the dominance of Margaret Thatcher? Was the party’s move to the right under Blair necessary in order for them to win, or could they, after 18 years of Tory rule, have afforded to be more daring and more left wing than their leader wished to recognise?

In Steve Richards’s short, provocative and highly engaging new biography, he argues that Blair was often the opposite of what we remember him being: perceived as a ‘moderniser’, he sought to strengthen the traditional institutions that partly define the UK, from the monarchy to the military; while to Margaret Thatcher’s public appreciation he cemented her economic legacy rather than moved on from it. And, while he was viewed as messianic over Iraq, he was, in fact, being characteristically expedient, clinging to the orthodoxy in which the UK stands shoulder to shoulder with the US in war.

But the UK in 2007 was undoubtedly a different country to the one it had been in 1997: from devolution, which played its part in establishing peace in Northern Ireland, to civil partnerships and a revived NHS, Blair left Britain in a much better place. While his legacy has been overshadowed by the Iraq war, Tony Blair re-establishes a more rounded view of his time in office, and shows that the challenges facing Blair were the ones that still face Labour today.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE FINANCIAL TIMES BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR

‘A riveting read that will challenge you to rethink your core beliefs’ Adam Grant
‘Absolutely spot-on, timely message’ Chip Heath
‘A vision for collective change’ Arianna Huffington

Tribalism is our most misunderstood buzzword. We’ve all heard pundits bemoan its rise, and it’s been blamed for everything from political polarization to workplace discrimination. But as acclaimed cultural psychologist and Columbia professor Michael Morris argues, our tribal instincts are humanity’s secret weapon.

Ours is the only species that lives in tribes: groups glued together by their distinctive cultures that can grow to a scale far beyond clans and bands. Morris argues that our psychology is wired by evolution in three distinctive ways. First, the peer instinct to conform to what most people do. Second, the hero instinct to give to the group and emulate the most respected. And third, the ancestor instinct to follow the ways of prior generations. These tribal instincts enable us to share knowledge and goals and work as a team to transmit the accumulated pool of cultural knowledge onward to the next generation.

Countries, churches, political parties, and companies are tribes, and tribal instincts explain our loyalties to them and the hidden ways that they affect our thoughts, actions, and identities. Rather than deriding tribal impulses for their irrationality, we can recognize them as powerful levers that elevate performance, heal rifts, and set off shockwaves of cultural change.

Weaving together deep research, current and historical events, and stories from business and politics, Morris cuts across conventional wisdom to completely reframe how we think about our tribes. Bracing and hopeful, Tribal unlocks the deepest secrets of our psychology and gives us the tools to manage our misunderstood superpower.

‘An informative and thought-provoking history’ The Telegraph

‘A story rich in intrigue, diplomacy and personalities’ New Statesman

‘Offering new perspectives and ideas’ Guardian

‘Here is the whirligig of history, which Shorto captures vividly in this well-researched, well-written, sprightly book’ Literary Review

A New Zealand Listener 100 Best Books of 2025

In 1664, England decided to invade the Dutch-controlled city of New Amsterdam on Manhattan Island. Charles II and his brother, the Duke of York, had dreams of empire, and their arch-rivals, the Dutch, were in the way. But Richard Nicolls, who led the English flotilla bent on destruction, changed his strategy once he began parleying with Peter Stuyvesant, the Dutch leader on Manhattan.

Bristling with vibrant characters, Taking Manhattan reveals the founding of New York to be an invention: the result not of a violent English takeover, but of clever negotiations that led to the fusing of the multiethnic, capitalistic society the Dutch had pioneered to the power of the rising English empire. But the birth of what might be termed the first modern city is also a story of the brutal dispossession of Native Americans and of the roots of American slavery.

Based on newly translated sources, Taking Manhattan shows how the paradox of New York’s origins — boundless opportunity coupled with subjugation and displacement — reflect America’s promise and failure to this day.

‘An amazing resource, meticulously researched and full of wise and interesting advice’ Professor Suzanne Franks

‘Gosling produces a rare entity: a parenting book that is accessible, well evidenced, practical, gritty and not hectoring. In short, one that is genuinely helpful. It’s also funny’ Hannah Barnes, New Statesman

‘A bracingly no-nonsense parenting guide … valuable advice’ The Times

Teenagers: The Evidence Base deftly summarises decades of research and expert knowledge to offer parents and other interested adults a roadmap to adolescence.

It weaves together insights from fields including social and experimental psychology, neuroscience, family systems and adolescent development, equipping readers with a clear understanding of what it means to be a teenager today: how they develop, the hazard points and opportunities, and how best to support them as they navigate their labyrinthine and very personal route to adulthood.

This practical, engaging guide is essential for any adult wanting to understand the turbulence, creativity and brilliance of the teenage years.

Reader Reviews for Evidence-Based Parenting

‘Most relatable parenting book on the market’

‘Will leave you feeling empowered and amused’

‘Facts instead of myths’

‘A really refreshing alternative to parenting guides’

‘It’s one of those books that you can either read chronologically from front to back cover, or dip in and out of at leisure. It should keep many a dad happily occupied over Christmas’ The Irish Independent

Ireland, under both the Irish Free State and after full independence, has now had just over 100 years of autonomous national political leadership.

This book, based on Iain Dale’s blockbuster podcast, tells the story of Irish politics over the past century by examining the lives and actions of each Irish Taoiseach, from W.T. Cosgrave to Micheál Martin. 15 leading Irish historians, journalists and politicians write essays on each of these figures, showing in the process how Ireland developed from a poor ex-colony to a successful, modern country at the heart of the European Union. In the process, the contributors examine the importance of topics such as the power of the Roman Catholic Church, changing social mores, Ireland’s relationship with the UK, and its economic development.

This is a must read for anyone interested in Irish politics at a time of potential far-reaching change for the republic.

‘An extraordinary book. Truly important’ William Boyd

‘Outstanding … Intimate as well as epic’ Sunday Times

‘Poignant and powerful’ Daily Mail

‘Utterly gripping’ The Spectator

‘Beautiful and devastating’ Irish News

Sunday Times Best Summer Reads 2024

Longlisted for the Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award 2025

Shortlisted in the British Book Awards 2025

A STORY OF UNBREAKABLE FRIENDSHIP AND THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

Beijing in the 1970s. Lai lives with her parents, grandmother and youngerbrother in a small flat in a working-class area. Her grandmother is a formidable figure, while her ageing beauty of a mother snipes at her father, a sunken figure haunted by the Cultural Revolution.

As she grows up, Lai comes to discern the realities of the country she lives in. But she also goes through the ebbs and flows of friendships; troubles and rewards at home and at school; and the first steps and missteps in love. A gifted student, she attends the prestigious Peking University; while there she becomes involved in the student protests that have been gathering speed. It is the late 1980s, and change is in the air . . .

5 STAR READER REVIEWS

• ‘Captivating, intimate and so moving, I finished it in tears’
• ‘Wow! This was a stunning novel’
• ‘Probably one of the most memorable, poignant, emotional books I’ve ever read … This will crawl for a while under my skin. Can I give a 6th star?’
• ‘A brilliant and important read’
• ‘Beautifully written. I read it slowly as I wanted to savour every word’
• ‘There is something so deeply touching, tender yet powerful in the writing … This coming-of-age story is compelling, haunting, emotive and written beautifully. By the end, it left me in tears. It is a book I will long remember’

‘Brave and deeply considered… Her experience, and Transsexual Apostate, shouldn’t be dismissed’ The Telegraph

In a compelling first-hand account of what it means to be a transwoman – and where she feels the impulse comes from – Hayton explains why much of gender identity ideology is, in her view, false and damaging. Once a prominent member of the TUC LGBT+ committee, she charts how her views developed and put her at odds with the majority of trans activists. She issues a compassionate call to move beyond ideological conflicts, and to acknowledge the legitimate concerns that many have with an agenda that asserts that transwomen are women.

Hayton’s honest, humane and moving book shows that by accepting reality, transwomen can live their best lives based on the truth of who they are – rather than the fantasy of who they are not.

‘Brave, unflinching, insightful’ – Professor Michael Bailey, author ofThe Man Who Would Be Queen

‘Stimulating and provocative’ The Times

The once-dominant philosophy of the West, defined by free expression, equal treatment of individuals, national solidarity and scientific rationality, is under threat. ‘Cultural socialism’ – which advocates harsh restrictions on free speech, due process and national symbols in order to reduce psychological harm and bolster the esteem of formerly marginalized groups – is on the rise.

Rather than focusing on Marxist revolutionaries or equality law, Eric Kaufmann concentrates on well-meaning left-liberals. He argues that the genesis of ‘woke’ cultural socialism emerged from liberal taboos around race that arose in the 1960s and came to be weaponised and extended to other areas, such as gender. Using extensive survey data, he shows that this process is driven mainly by values, not fear, and is only going to accelerate as culturally leftist generations enter the workforce and electorate. Its rise suppresses the open debate that makes effective policy-making possible, harming the minorities cultural socialists purport to help. Only if we shift from encouraging minority fragility to building minority resilience, using state power to check institutional illiberalism, can we resist cultural socialism and restore cultural flourishing.

This is the authoritative study of the radical shift in values that has turbo-charged the culture wars of our time. No-one concerned with the cultural and political conflicts of our times can afford to miss it.

‘Masterpiece’ Evening Standard

‘Fascinating’ The Economist Best Titles of 2024

In this vivid coming-of-age memoir, Rob Henderson recounts growing up in foster care, enlisting in the US Air Force, attending elite universities – and what he learnt from seeing life from both sides of the tracks.

In this heartbreaking and thought-provoking memoir, Rob Henderson vividly recounts growing up in foster care, enlisting in the US Air Force, attending Yale and Cambridge, and pioneering the concept of ‘luxury beliefs’ – ideas and opinions that confer status on the more educated while inflicting costs on the less fortunate.

Rave Reader Reviews

‘Eye-opening and heart-breaking’

‘Inspiring’

‘Incredible’

‘Wow’

‘Powerful and thought-provoking’