Penguin Group

After igniting a firestorm of debate across the nation, Amy Chua's daring, conversation-changing memoir is now in paperback. At once provocative and laugh-out-loud funny, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother set off a global parenting debate with its story of one mother's journey in strict parenting. Amy Chua argues that Western parenting tries to respect and nurture children's individuality, while Chinese parents typically believe that arming children with skills, strong work habits, and inner confidence prepares them best for the future. Achingly honest and profoundly challenging, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother chronicles Chua's iron-willed decision to raise her daughters, Sophia and Lulu, the Chinese way-and the remarkable, sometimes heartbreaking results her choice inspires.

The British empire is long gone. Conventional wisdom has decreed it was A Bad Thing and that there's no more to be said. Darkest night has fallen over the empire on which the sun never set. Or so we like to think. In Out of Empire, Jeremy Paxman examines this belief and finds it wanting. The influence of empire is everywhere, from the very existence of the United Kingdom to the ethnic composition of our cities. It affects everything, from Prime Ministers' decisions to send troops to war to the adventurers we admire. From the sports we think we're good at to the architecture of our buildings; the way we travel to the way we trade; the hopeless losers we will on, and the food we hunger for, the British Empire is never very far away. In this acute and witty analysis, Paxman goes to the very heart of empire. As he describes the selection process for colonial officers ('intended to weed out the cad, the feeble and the too clever'), the importance of sport, the sweating domestic life of the colonial officer's wife ('the challenge with cooking meat was to grasp the fleeting moment between toughness and putrefaction when the joint may possibly prove eatable ') and the crazed end for General Gordon of Khartoum, Paxman brings brilliantly to life the tragedy and comedy of Empire and reveals its profound and lasting effect on our nation and ourselves.

Graduates of Harvard Business School run many of the world's biggest and most influential banks, companies and countries. But what kind of person does it take to succeed at HBS? And what do they learn there? Philip Delves Broughton's enlightening and hilarious memoir of his two years at Harvard takes us from first class to graduation, encompassing the case studies, the guest lectures, the Apprentice-style tasks, the booze-luge, the burn-outs and high flyers, as well as all the advice, wisdom and folly he found in this 'factory for unhappy people'. If you've always wanted to know how to get to the top, but wondered what it takes and exactly what it costs, this book will tell you.

Young readers can giggle their way through the alphabet with a hungry goats who eats items starting with every letter. Full color.

While scuba diving in Tanzania, Sam and Remi Fargo come upon a relic belonging to a long-lost Confederate ship. An anomaly about the relic sets them off chasing a mystery-but unknown to them, a much more powerful force is engaged in the same chase. Mexico's ruling party, the ultranationalist Mexica Tenochca, is intent on finding that artifact as well, because it contains a secret that could destroy the party utterly. Clive Cussler is a New York Times bestselling author.

Myron Bolitar's family takes center stage in this novel. When news of his estranged brother arrives, providing tantalizing clues to his whereabouts, Myron hopes to salvage a relationship about which he has his share of regrets. Harlan Coben is a #1 New York Times bestselling author.

In «23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism» one of today's most iconoclastic thinkers destroys the biggest myths about the world we live in. There's no such thing as a 'free' market. Globalization isn't making the world richer. We don't live in a digital world — the washing machine has changed lives more than the internet. Poor countries are more entrepreneurial than rich ones. Higher paid managers don't produce better results. This galvanizing, fact-packed book about money, equality, freedom and greed proves that the free market isn't just bad for people — it's an inefficient way of running economies too. Here Chang lays out the alternatives, and shows there's a better way.

Big/small — above/below — hairy/smooth? This monstrous collection has traditional opposites, but some silly ones, too.

Meet Oswald Hendryks Cornelius, Roald Dahl's most extraordinary adult creation... Aside from being thoroughly debauched, strikingly attractive and astonishingly wealthy, Uncle Oswald was the greatest bounder, bon vivant and fornicator of all time. In this instalment of his scorchingly frank memoirs, he tells of his early career and erotic education at the hands of a number of enthusiastic teachers, of discovering the invigorating properties of the Sudanese Blister Beetle, and of the gorgeous Yasmin Howcomely, his electrifying partner in a most unusual series of thefts...

When the Department — faded since the war and busy only with bureaucratic battles — hears rumour of a missile base near the West German border, it seems like the perfect opportunity to regain some political standing in the Intelligence market place. The Cold War is at its height and the Department is dying for a piece of the action. Swiftly becoming carried away by fear and pride, the Department and her officers send deactivated agent Fred Leiser back into East Germany, armed only with some schoolboy training and his memories of the war. In the land of eloquent silence that is Communist East Germany, Leiser's fate becomes inseparable from the Department's.

The AK-47, or 'Kalashnikov', is the most abundant and efficient firearm on earth. It is so light it can be used by children. It has transformed the way we fight wars, and its story is the chilling story of modern warfare. C. J. Chivers' extraordinary new book tells an alternative history of the world as seen through these terrible weapons. He traces them back to their origins in the early experiments of Gatling and Maxim, and examines the first appearance of the machine-gun. The quest for ever greater firepower and mobility culminated in the AK-47 at the beginning of the Cold War, a weapon so remarkable that, over sixty years after its invention and having broken free of all state control, it has become central to civil wars all over the world.

Out of his smoke-filled rooms in Baker Street stalks a figure to cause the criminal classes to quake in their boots and rush from their dens of inequity... The twelve mysteries gathered in this first collection of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson's adventures reveal the brilliant consulting detective at the height of his powers. Problems involving a man with a twisted lip, a fabulous blue carbuncle and five orange pips tax Sherlock Holmes' intellect alongside some of his most famous cases, including A Scandal in Bohemia and The Red-Headed League.

Young D'Artagnan arrives in Paris to join the King's elite guards, but almost immediately finds he is duelling with some of the very men he has come to swear allegiance to — Porthos, Athos and Aramis, inseparable friends: The Three Musketeers. Soon part of their close band, D'Artagnan's loyalty to his new allies puts him in the deadly path of Cardinal Richlieu's machinations. And when the young hero falls in love with the beautiful but inaccessible Constance, he finds himself in a world of murder, conspiracy and lies, with only the Musketeers to depend on. A stirring nineteenth-century tale of friendship and adventure, The Three Musketeers continues to be one of the most influential and popular pieces of French literature.

Everyone needs a holiday — but who knows where it will lead? Sophie and Andrew are looking for relief from the daily grind — if not each other — so when a friend puts them in touch with William and Beth, newlyweds looking to swap houses for the summer, it seems a solution of sorts. They find themselves in a stylish Connecticut home, a stone's throw from New York, while William and Beth take over their lived-in family house in South London, ideal for spending time with William's teenage sons. The weeks away work an unexpected magic for Sophie, who begins to find a sense of happiness... but Beth has no such luck and, no longer the centre of William's world, grows increasingly miserable. And so the two marriages — one crushed by the weight of years, one shiny and new — slide into reverse. But who can foreseen the dramatic consequences of their lives, and hearts, intertwining? This innocent holiday might just prove devastating...

The way you speak is who you are and the tones of your voice and the tricks of your emailing and tweeting and letter-writing, can be recognised unmistakably in the minds of those who know and love you. (Stephen Fry). From feral children to fairy-tale princesses, secrets codes, invented languages — even a language that was eaten — Planet Word uncovers everything you didn't know you needed to know about how language evolves. Learn the tricks to political propaganda, why we can talk but animals can't, discover 3,000-year-old clay tablets that discussed beer and impotence and test yourself at textese — do you know your RMEs from your LOLs? Meet the 105-year-old man who invented modern-day Chinese and all but eradicated illiteracy, and find out why language caused the go-light in Japan to be blue. From the dusty scrolls of the past to the unknown digital future, and with (heart) the first graphic to enter the OED, are we already well on our way to a language without words? In a round-the-world trip of a lifetime, discover all this and more as J.P. Davidson travels across our gloriously, endlessly intriguing multilingual Planet Word.

This brand new edition Insight Guide to Italy features a wealth of inspiring full-colour photography, including outstanding double page spreads. The top ten sights are identified to show you the very best of Italy and to help you plan your trip priorities. An 'Editor's Choice' section highlights the most unique experiences Italy has to offer, along with personal recommendations on what to see and do. An in-depth, fully revised and updated 'Places' section covers the entire country, region by region, with all the principal sites cross-referenced by number to the accompanying full-colour maps. Additional maps inside the front and back covers enable instant orientation and easy navigation. At the end of each regional section you can find useful restaurant listings, along with an indication of prices, suitable for all budgets. Other colour-coded sections cover history and interesting features. A comprehensive 'Travel Tips' section details transport, accommodation for all budgets, eating out, activities, language and an A-Z of other practical information, including useful contact numbers, to ensure your trip goes smoothly. The unique combination of insightful exploration alongside practical advice means that this guide truly is a pleasure to read before, during and after your visit.

'If you see the Black Banners coming, then go to them, even if you have to crawl' — Prophet Muhammad. Ali Soufan was for years the FBI's lead agent in the war against Al Qaeda, as well as its most effective interrogator. On September 11th 2001, he was handed a secret file that could have prevented the attacks, and he has prevented many others by gaining important confessions from Al Qaeda terrorists — without ever laying so much as a hand on them. He is also not afraid to critique the US government's approach to combating terrorism. In The Black Banners he takes us into hideouts, planning meetings, and interrogation rooms. He explains why the pervasive use of torture is not helping in the War on Terror, and how a more enlightened approach to intelligence is not only possible, but better. This is a gripping and important book that gives us a ringside seat in Bin Laden's lair.

This brand new edition Insight Guide to Spain features illuminating text written by expert, local writers alongside inspiring full-colour photography. This new edition contains over 250 brand-new photographs, vividly bringing Spain and its people to life at the turn of a page. The top attractions are highlighted to help you plan your trip priorities, and a brand new 'Best of' section features recommendations on many exclusively Spanish experiences. An in-depth 'Places' section covers the entire country, including its cities and diverse regions. All the principal sites are cross-referenced by number to the accompanying full-colour maps found throughout the guide, whilst additional maps inside the front and back covers enable instant orientation and easy navigation at a glance. This new edition also has a brand new Editor's Choice section, with illustrated spreads featuring the author's take on the most quirky and interesting things to do during your trip. Colour-coded sections explore Spain's intriguing history and also provide fascinating features, giving a rare insight into the culture and heritage of Spain and its people. A comprehensive 'Travel Tips' section covers transport, accommodation for all budgets, eating out, nightlife, shopping, museums, and much more. A quick-reference A-Z section of further practical information includes useful contact telephone numbers, invaluable travel information for people with disabilities and for those travelling with children, to ensure your trip goes smoothly. The unique combination of insightful exploration alongside practical advice means that this guide truly is a pleasure to read before, during and after your visit.

Michael McIntyre has become Britain's biggest comedy star. His debut stand-up DVD, Live & Laughing, was the fastest selling of all time, only to be eclipsed by his second, Hello Wembley, that sold over 1.4 million copies and was the 2009 Christmas number one. He hosts his own BAFTA nominated BBC1 series, Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow, and won the British Comedy Award for Best Live Stand-up in 2009 following his record breaking fifty-four date Arena tour. But how did he get there? Michael reveals all in his remarkably honest and hilarious autobiography Life & Laughing. His showbiz roots, his appalling attempts to attract the opposite sex, his fish-out-of-water move from public to state school and his astonishing journey from selling just one ticket at the Edinburgh Festival to selling half a million tickets on his last tour. Michael's story is riveting, poignant, romantic and above all very, very funny.

When everything has been taken from you... There's nothing left to lose. Martin Harris has been in a coma for three days. When he wakes up, otherwise unharmed, he is shocked to discover that no one knows who he is — he no longer exists. Worse still, another man is living Martin's life. His identity, his home, even his wife have been stolen. He has lost everything. Except his memory... Will anyone believe that he is the real Martin Harris? If not, is he mad? Or is there a far darker explanation?

July, 1964. In bed at home in Kent, Winston Churchill is waking up. There's a visitor in the room, someone he hasn't seen for a while, a dark, mute bulk, watching him with tortured concentration. It's Mr Chartwell. In her terraced house in Battersea, Esther Hammerhans, young, vulnerable and alone, goes to answer the door to her new lodger. Through the glass she sees a vast silhouette the size of a mattress. It's Mr Chartwell. He is charismatic and dangerously seductive, and Esther and Winston Churchill are drawn together by his dark influence. But can they withstand Mr Chartwell's strange, powerful charms and strong hold? Can they even explain to anyone who or what he is? Or why he has come to visit? For Mr Chartwell is a huge, black dog. In this utterly original, moving, funny and exuberant novel, Rebecca Hunt explores how two unlikely lives collide as Mr Chartwell's motives are revealed to be far darker and deeper than they seem.

It's not you, it's me. That's the cowardly text message that Katie receives from Jack, her actor boyfriend of three years, when he dumps her. And things go from bad to worse when photos of Jack canoodling with a famous size-zero actress are splashed across every gossip magazine and tabloid soon after. Just how much humiliation can a girl take? With the paparazzi camped out on her doorstep, Katie decides to preserve what's left of her dignity. So she agrees to become her PR colleagues' next project. They will make her over (hair, teeth, clothes, Botox, boobs — the works) and turn her into an instant celebrity in order to win back her ex and show the world that an ordinary girl can rival a beautiful bimbo. But will a new life in the limelight be everything Katie dreamt of? Can she make it in the cut-throat world of the beautiful, rich and famous? Is Jack worth all the hassle or is there someone else out there who might love Katie just the way she is?

Master of explosive international intrigue Tom Clancy brings together his greatest characters and a new generation to fight the war on terror. Although his father had been reluctant to become a field operative, Jack Ryan Jr. wants nothing more. Privately training with a seasoned Special Forces drill instructor, he's honing his skills to transition his work within The Campus from intelligence analysis to hunting down and eliminating terrorists wherever he can — even has Jack Ryan Sr. campaigns for re-election as President of the United States. But what neither father nor son knows is that the political and the personal have just become equally dangerous. A devout enemy of Jack Sr. launches a privately funded vendetta to discredit him by connecting the presidential candidate to a mysterious killing in the past by John Clark, his longtime ally. A shadowy mercenary team is dispatched to capture the former Navy SEAL. With Clark on the run, it's up to Jack Ryan Jr., along with Ding Chavez, Dominic Caruso, and the rest of the Campus team, to stop a threat emerging in the Middle East: a corrupt Pakistani general has entered into a deadly pact with a fanatical terrorist to procure nuclear warheads, which can be used to blackmail any world power into submission. With the breakneck speed and military action scenes that have made him the premier thriller writer of our time, Tom Clancy delivers a novel of high-tech warfare in which the enemy within may be even more devastating than the enemy without.

Insight Guide Alaska is your comprehensive guide book to one of the world's most exciting destinations. Full-color photos throughout combine with the lively text to help you discover this vast state — Alaska is more than twice the size of Texas, is home to 17 of the nation's 20 highest peaks, and has more active glaciers than the rest of the inhabited world. Our Insight recommends section outlines top attractions and activities not to miss, while features by local writers cover a whole range of subjects — how to choose a cruise, staying in a wildlife refuge, getting around by ferry, native art and artifacts, the world's most challenging dog sled race, gold-panning and how to spot a bear. Over thirty Places chapters cover the entire state, from the Panhandle in the southeast to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in the far north. Evocative accounts of the state's national parks and varied wildernesses combine with lively descriptions of the main towns and cities, all illustrated in full color photographs. Maps throughout help you get around, and the travel tips cover all the practical information you'll need, such as how to get around, how much to budget for your trip, and extensive listings on where to stay and where to eat.