'There to fill the Sapiens-size hole in your life' Observer

A groundbreaking global overview of philosophy, travelling the world to provide a wide-ranging map of human thought

One of the great unexplained wonders of history is that philosophy flowered entirely separately in China, India and Ancient Greece at more or less the same time. These writings would have a profound impact on the development of distinctive cultures in different parts of the world.

In How the World Thinks Julian Baggini sets out to expand our horizons, exploring the philosophies of Japan, India, China and the Muslim world, as well as the lesser-known oral traditions of Africa and Australia's first peoples. Interviewing thinkers from around the globe, Baggini asks questions such as: why is the West is more individualistic than the East? What makes secularism a less powerful force in the Islamic world than in Europe? And how has China resisted pressures for greater political freedom?

Baggini shows that by gaining greater knowledge of how others think we take the first step to a greater understanding of ourselves.

'Terrific. The intellectual and spiritual generosity of this book makes it an essential text for our fractious and dangerously divided era' Richard Holloway, author of Stories We Tell Ourselves

'This bold fascinating book seeks to inhabit other philosophical traditions, with humility but without patronisingly exempting them from the critique he applies to ours... Deft [and] rigorous' Jane O'Grady, Financial Times

Randall Munroe is . . .'Nerd royalty' Ben Goldacre

'Totally brilliant' Tim Harford

'Laugh-out-loud funny' Bill Gates

'Wonderful' Neil Gaiman

AN INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER


The world's most entertaining and useless self-help guide, from the brilliant mind behind the wildly popular webcomic xkcd and the million-selling What If? and Thing Explainer

For any task you might want to do, there's a right way, a wrong way, and a way so monumentally bad that no one would ever try it. How To is a guide to the third kind of approach. It's full of highly impractical advice for everything from landing a plane to digging a hole.

'How strange science can fix everyday problems' New Scientist

'A brilliant book: clamber in for a wild ride' Nature

'Finally! Art without terror!' Phoebe Waller-Bridge

‘A completely joyful book about the joy of art. A cracking, easy read that puts art in our lives, our homes, our hearts’ Richard Curtis

‘A whole art education in one book. Written in accessible language, communicating the joy that is art, both to make and to look at. It’s what the art world needs – fresh air’ Philippa Perry

‘In this book, you hold in your hand a set of luminous keys to infinite doors in the world of art.’ Es Devlin

'The definitive 'how to' guide to not being intimidated by the world of art and artists. It brings joy, which is a powerful thing' Maria Balshaw, Director of Tate

What is art, where do I find it, and once I’m in front of it, what am I supposed to think about it?

Kate Bryan is a self-confessed art addict who has worked with art for over twenty years. But before she studied art history at university, she’d been into a gallery just twice in her life and had no idea she was entering an elitist world.

Now, she’s on a mission to help everybody come to art. Like playing or listening to music, or cooking and eating great food, reading or watching films, making art or looking at other people’s deserves to be an enriching part of all our lives.

So here, in HOW TO ART, is a nifty way to take art on your own terms. From where it is to what it is, to tips on how to actually enjoy really famous artworks like the Mona Lisa, to how to own art and make art at home, through to vital advice for making a career as an artist and even how to make your dog more cultural, How to Art gives art to everyone, and makes it fun.

Laced throughout with original artworks by the very down-to-earth artist David Shrigley.

---

‘Like food, art has that wonderful ability to bring us joy. Kate is the perfect expert to help us all develop a more meaningful relationship with art.’ Jamie Oliver

'After reading this book we guarantee you will look at art and museums in a new way - your OWN way. Love, Guerilla Girls.'

‘Art is a fundamental part of being alive and Kate’s book helps everybody get involved’ Russell Tovey, actor and presenter of TalkArt