Most Wanted - November 2019

Jonathon Rowson

The game of chess, like the game of life and business, is about more than winning and losing. It is a set of relationships, an ever-shifting puzzle to be solved, an unfolding drama, and an arena that compels people to think, feel and decide under pressure. Three-time British Chess Champion/Grandmaster and former director of the RSA's Social Brain Centre, Jonathan Rowson shares his original, memorable insights on what it means to love, think and care deeply in our day to day lives.

Lee Child

Child has built a reputable worldwide as a leading writer in the thriller genre, with it being said that a title from his Jack Reacher series is purchased every second. The author now brings his skill to his first work of nonfiction, exploring the hero’s place within mythology, and offering insight into the reasons behind the hero’s central place throughout the history of storytelling. Pooling from the tales of Ancient Greek, Shakespeare, and Ian Fleming’s 007, the creator of one of the most globally recognized characters shows us why heroism is central to the nature of society.

Albert van der Meer, Daniel Griffin

Businesses of all shapes and sizes have utilised the practice of gamification to create engaging content for their audiences. From games to fitness apps, the combined studies of motivational psychology, design principles, and game mechanics merge to provide new ways to grab and hold attention. In Press Start, Albert van der Meer and Daniel Griffin examine these studies and outline the benefits of gamification in today’s economically driven world, and provide workable ways for professionals and businesses to apply the same marketing practice that has boosted sales for the likes of LinkedIn, Starbucks and Duolingo.

Alexis Willett

Whether to mark the occasion, ease the conversation, each and every beverage we drink has a multitude of effects on our minds, bodies and spirits. But how much do we know about the science behind each glass, mug, or carafe of our favourite libation? Alexis Willett traces in-depth the cultural path of the beverage from milk to martini, in a myth-busting and knowledge-quenching read.

Will Self

One of the U.K.’s boldest and most captivating writers turns the pen to himself, in a radical and striking memoir. The multi award-winning novelist and journalist has authored a “a hallucinatory, confessional version of his life (Kirkus)”

John O’Connell

The late singer-songwriter is regarded as one of the most innovative musicians of the 20th century. His idea of perfect happiness? Reading. Collected three years before Bowie’s death, music columnist and former editor of Time Out John O’Connell combines the 100 best-loved books of one of the greatest creative minds of our time, accompanied by a short essay of where each work sits within the context of Bowie’s wide-spanning career, to provide new insight into the literature that shaped the artist’s life and incredible legacy.

Gaia Vince

In this inspiring read, award-winning environmental journalist and former New Scientist editor Gaia Vince traces the story of our emotional evolution, explaining our success as a result of our cultivated culturedness. The tale of our intelligence is told through our four ‘evolutionary drivers’ -Fire, Language, Beauty and Time- as well as through recollection of the advances in population genetics, archaeology, palaeontology and neuroscience that has led us to alter the very earth we live on in both beneficial and harmful ways.

John Vincent, Julian Hitch

Co-founder of LEON John Vincent and Sufi Julian Hitch collaborate to apply the philosophy of ancient Chinese martial art, to improving efficiency and creating success in work, business, and life. When applied to professional environments and personal relationships, the mantras and eight wisdoms of ‘Wing Tsun’ will question our long-held beliefs on conflict and productivity, and encourage us to build greater awareness as to what success means to us.

Henning Beck

Award-winning neuroscientist and science slammer Henning Beck makes the case for our mistakes, arguing that striving for perfection is a futile pursuit when our mishaps naturally make way for some of the most original and creative breakthroughs within our minds. Scatterbrain is filled with memorable brain-boosting advice, and reassuring us it’s okay if we don’t remember it.

Buster Benson

Who ever thought we’d be told to argue more often? Buster Benson is here to show us how ‘constructive dialogue’ over simply winning the argument will distractly improve the quality of both our personal and professional relationships. With constructive, relatable and science-backed advice, Benson encourages us to recognize that conflict is inevitable, and reframe each as an opportunity to grow as better communicators as well as listeners. A business and life must-read.

Andrew Rader

The evolved human drive for growth, expansion, and exploration has led to scientific breakthroughs previously thought impossible. In this engaging book, MIT-trained scientist Andrew Rader traces the journey of our exploration, using historical events to plot our travels on land, sea, and beyond our planet, and asks what the future holds with this unquenchable desire for competitive expansion.