Michael O'Mara

Our increasing reliance on digital technology has had a profound impact on our own abilities as humans. What can we do about it?In a fascinating journey through history and science, Human Being offers an insightful and provocative survey of twelve vital skills we used to call upon as a species — from navigation, conversation and memory to craft, solitude and sleep — and how we can work to reclaim them.As rapidly advancing technology embeds itself ever deeper within our lives, we rely less and less on our own capabilities. The impact on our skills and self-reliance has been immense, and, because the transition has happened so swiftly and quietly, none of us have been taught how to address the effects of our ever-increasing dependence on algorithms and artificial intelligence.Based on years of research by author Graham Lee, a digital skills educator with experience training tens of thousands of professionals, each chapter in Human Being highlights an example of when these key capabilities were at their peak, demonstrates how in a vanishingly short space of time we have embraced ways to undermine them, and provides clear, achievable guidance on how we can reverse these losses and regain our essential, human qualities.At once a celebration of human history and a timely call to action, Human Being empowers readers to build better habits around — and away from — technology, and reminds us just how extraordinary human achievement can be.

Chloe Rhodes is a freelance writer, blogger and author and a regular contributor to various magazines and journals. Chloe has written several books on a wide variety of subjects including food and drink, history and philosophy and family relationships. Her previous works for Michael O'Mara Books include A Certain Je Ne Sais Quoi: Words We Pinched From Other Languages, One For Sorrow . . . : A Book of Old-Fashioned Lore and Black Cats and Evil Eyes.

Discover how Zendaya conquered the worlds of film, TV and fashion to become the face of a generation. This is her life story, as never told before. Zendaya is a phenomenon. Beginning as a precocious child star on the Disney Channel, she has since graduated to adult roles in some of the biggest movies of the last five years, including The Greatest Showman, Dune and Marvel’s Spider-Man trilogy. In television, she is the star of Euphoria, which has become the second most-watched HBO show of all time after Game of Thrones — in large part thanks to her presence. Today she is, according to some industry analysts, «the most popular actor in the world».In this riveting and in-depth biography from the publishers of Harry, Adele and Billie Eilish, journalist and author Alison James explores every aspect of Zendaya’s life and career to date. Featuring a stunning, full-colour photographic plate section and spanning everything from her early forays into music, to her sensational ascent in the fashion world and her high-profile personal life — including her relationship with Spider-Man co-star Tom Holland — this is the most complete portrait yet of one of the world’s hottest stars.

This highly revelatory book, based on original research and completely new analysis, presents a compelling new suspect as the most notorious serial killer of all time: Jack the Ripper.Using a different analytical approach, for the first time, Sarah Bax Horton identifies a named perpetrator as Jack the Ripper by linking eye-witness accounts of the killer’s distinctive physical characteristics to his official medical records. It argues that his broken left arm, which left him unable to work in early 1888, was one of his triggers to kill as part of a serious physical and mental decline caused by severe epilepsy.This new perpetrator fits the profile as stated by the police of the day: a local man of low class of whom they became aware after the final murder, when they launched an unsuccessful surveillance operation against him. As has never been done before, the author — an experienced former government researcher with specific expertise in research and analysis — formulates a complete analysis of the killer and his methodology, including how he accosted his victims, where he took them to their deaths, his unique modus operandi of a blitz-style attack, and how he escaped from each crime scene without detection.Each of the six murders — from Martha Tabram to Marie Kelly — is discussed and reconstructed as perpetrated by this man, with his escalating violence clearly demonstrated.

In 1982, at the age of just 23 and halfway through her architecture studies, Elspeth Beard left her family and friends in London and set off on a 35,000-mile solo adventure around the world on her 1974 BMW R60/6.

Reeling from a recent breakup and with only limited savings from her pub job, a tent, a few clothes and some tools, all packed on the back of her bike, she was determined to prove herself. She had ridden bikes since her teens and was well traveled. But nothing could prepare her for what lay ahead.

When she returned to London nearly two and a half years later she was stones lighter and decades wiser. She'd ridden through unforgiving landscapes and countries ravaged by war, witnessed civil uprisings that forced her to fake documents, and fended off sexual attacks, biker gangs and corrupt police convinced she was trafficking drugs. She'd survived life-threatening illnesses, personal loss and brutal accidents that had left permanent scars and a black hole in her memory. And she'd fallen in love with two very different men.

In an age before email, the internet, mobile phones, satnavs and, in some parts of the world, readily available and reliable maps, Elspeth achieved something that would still seem remarkable today. Told with honesty and wit, this is the extraordinary and moving story of a unique and life-changing adventure.

Spend 24 hours with the ancient Chinese.Travel back to AD 17, during the fourth year of the reign of Wang Mang of the Han dynasty, a vibrant and innovative era full of conflicts and contradictions. But as different as the Han culture might have been to other great ancient civilizations, the inhabitants of ancient China faced the same problems as people have for time immemorial: earning enough money, coping with workplace dramas and keeping your home in order… although the equivalent in this era was more about bribing inspectors, avoiding bullying from abusive watchmen and trying to keep your house from being looted by Huns. In each chapter we meet one of 24 citizens of this ancient culture, from the midwife to the soldier, the priest to the performer and the bronze worker to the tomb looter, and see what an average day in ancient China was really like.

'A great book that helps you look after the most powerful computer you will ever have.' — Jay Jayamohan, Consultant Paediatric Neurosurgeon, John Radcliffe Hospital, OxfordAn essential guide for living better for longer. Packed full of exercises and practical tips to keep our most vital organ in shape, and breaking down the science between brain function and how sleep, exercise, diet and even socializing are imperative for maintaining our grey matter. What does it mean to have a healthy, happy brain? Especially in the current climate, where our lifestyles are changing dramatically and our movements are being restricted, getting to know the factors that affect our brain function and the things we can actively do to improve it is crucial.Written in an accessible and engaging way for the nonscientist, this will be a comprehensive and up-to-date look at our current understanding, what a…

Published in association with the Imperial War Museums, this book will provide the ultimate challenge to even the most knowledgeable military historian.

You might think you know a great deal about World War II but have you ever really tested your knowledge? This compelling book, published in association with Imperial War Museums, contains over 1,000 questions (and answers, if you need them) that cover every aspect of the Second World War, from its beginnings, though the widening of the conflict, the leaders and their strategies, armies, battles, weapons, bombing raids — everything to provide a real challenge to even the most committed history lover.

With multiple-choice questions, truth or fiction sections to baffle and intrigue, picture quizzes from the Imperial War Museums' archive — one of the largest military photographic archives in the world — and much more, you will find there is still something new to learn about this compelling conflict, and your answers will be ranked accordingly.

In this warm and engaging book, the late, great Sir Roger Moore reflects on life and ageing.

Delivered, along with his own hand-drawn sketches, to his publisher shortly before he passed away, in À Bientôt, Roger looks back on his life – and gives it his trademark sideways glance, too. Nostalgic, funny, charming and, most importantly, very human, his reflections on age and ageing encompass all aspects of this universal experience, from reminiscences on childhood and ‘what might have been’; keeping abreast of the ever-changing times; senior moments, memory and getting to grips with technology; the joys – and frustrations – of travel; work and play. Along with these he tells of the intense happiness – and some equally intense sadnesses – of family life.

Featuring his own sketches throughout, this book sees Roger at his most open and forthright. The true stories and situations he shares in this warm and intimate book reveal a ‘Bond Unbound’, the human being inside the action-adventure character that made him so famous the world over. Always upbeat and – as ever – endearingly self-effacing and unpretentious, in À bientôt he shares the joys he experienced every day along with the tiny triumphs that life brings to us all at the most unexpected times.

Sunday Times bestselling author Caroline Taggart brings her usual gently humorous approach to punctuation, pointing out what really matters and what doesn’t.

In Roman times, blocks of text were commonly written just as blocks without even wordspacingnevermindpunctuation to help the reader to interpret them. Orators using such texts as notes for a speech would prepare carefully so that they were familiar with the content and didn’t come a cropper over a confusion between, say, therapists and the rapists. As we entered the Christian era and sacred texts were widely read (by priests if not by the rest of us), it became ever more important to remove any likelihood of misinterpretation. To a potential murderer or adulterer, for example, there is a world of difference between ‘If you are tempted, yield not, resisting the urge to commit a sin’ and ‘If you are tempted, yield, not resisting the urge to commit a sin’. And the only surface difference is the positioning of a comma.

So yes, you SMS-addicts and ‘let it all hang out’ Sixties children, punctuation does matter. And, contrary to what people who tear their hair out over apostrophes believe, it is there to help – to clarify meaning, to convey emphasis, to indicate that you are asking a question or quoting someone else’s words. It also comes in handy for telling your reader when to pause for breath.

Caroline Taggart, who has made a name for herself expounding on the subjects of grammar, usage and words generally (and who for decades made her living putting in the commas in other people’s work), takes her usual gentle and gently humorous approach to punctuation. She points out what matters and what doesn’t; why using six exclamation marks where one will do is perfectly OK in a text but will lose you marks at school; why hang glider pilots in training really need a hyphen; and how throwing in the odd semicolon will impress your friends. Sometimes opinionated but never dogmatic, she is an ideal guide to the (perceived) minefield that is punctuation.

His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, KG, KT, OM, GBE has been at the forefront of British public life since he married Princess Elizabeth in 1947.

In the seventy years since, his wit (and the occasional ‘gaffe’) has continued to endear him to the nation, as he travelled the world taking his unique and charmingly British sense of humour to its far-flung corners. Hailed as a god by a tribe in Vanuatu, the Prince has had his fair share of brickbats from the media nearer home, but his outspokenness never fails to raise laughs – and eyebrows.

From notorious one-liners to less newsworthy witticisms and from plain speaking to blunt indifference, the Prince does what we all wish we could do now and again – forgets polite conversation and says what he thinks. In the year in which the Prince has stepped down from his royal duties, this joyous and timely book celebrates his wry humour and supremely wicked wit.

Ariana Grande captured the hearts of a nation with her One Love Manchester concert.

Less than a fortnight after a terrorist killed twenty-two people at her Manchester show, the petite princess stood tall at her tribute concert that united and healed a shaken nation. She was the emotional core of a powerful evening that reminded us all of music’s redemptive power.

But who is Ariana Grande? This candid book traces the US pop star’s story from her childhood in Florida, through her teenage years on Broadway and Nickelodeon, and onto her gleaming pop career which has seen her described as ‘the new Mariah Carey’.

This unauthorized biography of the songbird tells her eventful and inspirational story in full for the first time, and shows how she became an award-winning, chart-topping pop idol, as well as an empowering inspiration for a generation of girls.

It reveals that there is more to Ariana than the celebrity we all think we know, explaining how her smooth transition from a squeaky-clean teenage pop product to a sophisticated, bold artist was powered by a restless and resilient personality.

A must read for all her fans, this is a full, unflinching portrait of a pop sensation and inspiring, uncompromising woman – the small, sassy girl with the ponytail who conquered the world.

Published in association with Imperial War Museums, this is a fascinating anthology of first-hand stories from Spitfire heroes and heroines of the Second World War.

The Spitfire is the world’s most iconic aeroplane. Coming into its own during the Battle of Britain, it became famous during the Second World War as the only plane that could match the enemy fighters in the sky.

Yet, even today, the history of the Spitfire contains many hitherto hidden or little-known stories of the men and women behind the plane; not only the gifted creators and inventors who brought the Spitfire to life, or the brave fighter pilots from many countries who triumphed in battle, but also the thousands of other people whose lives were affected by their personal connection to it — engineers, ground crew, factory or office workers, and their families.

Spitfire Stories recounts the memories and stories of these people, from the birth of the Spitfire in the 1930s to the present day. Among these accounts is the extraordinary tale of the fighter pilot who only discovered, fifty years on, the tragic truth of his last Spitfire flight, the businessman whose blank cheque changed the course of the war, the ninety-five-year-old RAF engineer who was determined to be reunited with his beloved Spit before he died, and the little girl who inspired the plane’s creation — and went on to marry a movie star.

Using documents, letters and photographs from the Imperial War Museums’ unparalleled archive, plus exclusive first-hand interviews, these stories of the Spitfire are a revelatory collection of small but significant histories, to be treasured by all who love and admire the iconic plane.

Walk a day in a Roman’s sandals.

What was it like to live in one of the ancient world’s most powerful and bustling cities – one that was eight times more densely populated than modern day New York?

In this entertaining and enlightening guide, bestselling historian Philip Matyszak introduces us to the people who lived and worked there. In each hour of the day we meet a new character – from emperor to slave girl, gladiator to astrologer, medicine woman to water-clock maker – and discover the fascinating details of their daily lives.

In this fascinating and easily digestible book, The One Show’s resident scientist Marty Jopson takes us on a mouth-watering tour of the twenty-first century kitchen and the everyday food miracles that we all take for granted.

Ever wondered what modified starch is and why it’s in so much of the food we buy? What do instant mash and freeze-dried coffee have in common? What’s the real truth behind the five-second rule? And as the world population grows and the pressure on agriculture to produce more cost-effective and sustainable products increases, what could the future hold for both farmers and consumers?

From mindboggling microbiology to ingenious food processing techniques and gadgets, The Science of Food takes a look at the details that matter when it comes to what we eat and how we cook, and lays bare the science behind how it all works. By understanding the chemistry, physics and biology of the food we cook, buy and prepare, we can all become better consumers and happier cooks!

The definitive insider’s story of life behind the scenes and within the corridors of power at the biggest football club in the world.

When Martin Edwards became chairman of Manchester United in 1980, the club's estimated worth was £2 million. When he retired just over two decades later the club was valued at £1 billion. Under his expert business stewardship, Manchester United grew into one of the world's most recognized sporting brands and the richest and most famous football club on the planet.

Martin shares a multitude of wonderful memories and amazing stories and revelations of the great success story of United. He singled out Alex Ferguson as a future manager of the Reds and had the determination and courage to stand by his choice when everybody else, both inside and outside of the club, were calling for his head.

Martin Edwards is one of the great football chairmen who oversaw Manchester United as the club achieved its greatest successes and dominated domestic football. This autobiography of the former chairman and current life president presents a fascinating insight into English football’s most successful club.

Why is green the colour of envy? Why is black ‘evil’? Why is white pure? Why do we ‘feel blue’ or ‘see red’? Why do colours have different meanings for different cultures?

When we look at or talk about a colour in a particular setting, we are as likely to see its cultural or symbolic meaning as the shade itself. Why?

Sometimes our grasp of a colour relates to the random way we define it. Light blue is called 'blue' but, over the last century or two, light red has become pink, whereas in Russia light blue and dark blue are separate colours. Does language play a part in our perception of colours?

In most cases, the origins of why we view a colour in a certain way goes back hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Blue was not always a boy’s colour; pink was not always a girl’s. Indeed, less than one hundred years ago, in the West, it was the other way round.

This book offers a lively, anecdotal treatment of the cultural mysteries of colour, and focuses on the way we respond to colours, the significance we give them — and how these things change over time and from place to place. It tells the story of how we have come to view the world through lenses passed down to us by art, science, politics, fashion, sport and, not least, prejudice.

A brief, invaluable guide to the art of growing vegetables around the year and saving money in the process.

Vegetable Growing is a practical guide to frugal allotmenteering, including planning your plot, looking after the plants and practical tips for keeping your costs down, such as clever ways of making freebie alternatives to common growing tools.

An additional handy section offers advice on which fruit and veg will save you the most money, as well as a season-by-season guide and ideas for boosting your savings with foraged and wild food.

Written by Jonathan Stevens of the Real Men Sow blog, who recently embarked on a mission to find out how much he could save by growing his own fruit and vegetables on a half-sized allotment plot.

This is the story of the rise and rise of advertising giant Saatchi & Saatchi as it has never been told before. With over 200 astonishing first-hand accounts from the people who were really there, this is a fascinating insight into a remarkable success story and an unorthodox business.

Responsible for generating some of the most memorable and groundbreaking advertising of the last fifty years, Saatchi & Saatchi became infamous in their own right. Made up of maverick thinkers and ingenious talent, they broke rules and won big pitches, attracting the business of some of the world’s most successful companies.

For the first time, the extraordinary story of Saatchi & Saatchi’s meteoric rise is told by those instrumental in its success – creatives, account handlers, PAs and directors – each with their own fascinating stories to tell.

An exploration of space and time and a journey of discovery, through 13 of the most fascinating Christmas Lectures given at the Royal Institution of Great Britain over the last 200 years.

Started at the Royal Institution (Ri) in 1825 by Michael Faraday, the Christmas Lectures have been broadcast on television since the 1960s and have formed part of the British Christmas tradition for generations. First devised to attract young people to the magic of science through spectacular demonstrations, they are now watched by millions of people around the world every year.

Drawing on the incredible archive at the Ri, which is packed full of handwritten notebooks, photographs and transcripts, this book will focus on thirteen of the most captivating lectures given at the Ri on space and time, taking a look at what we thought we knew then and what has been discovered since.