Penguin Group

Vile Bodies
, 2008
The Bright Young Things of 1920s Mayfair, with their paradoxical mix of innocence and sophistication, exercise their inventive minds and vile bodies in every kind of capricious escapade, whether it is promiscuity, dancing, cocktail parties or sports cars. A vivid assortment of characters, among them the struggling writer Adam Fenwick-Symes and the glamorous, aristocratic Nina Blount, hunt fast and furiously for ever greater sensations and the hedonistic fulfilment of their desires. Evelyn Waugh's acidly funny and experimental satire shows a new generation emerging in the years after the First World War, revealing the darkness and vulnerability beneath the glittering surface of the high life. Подробнее
The Wal-Mart Effect: How an Out-of-town Superstore Became a Superpower Wal-Mart is the biggest company on earth, ever. Around 7.2 billion people shop there in a year – more than one visit for every person on the planet. It’s expanding across the globe from Brazil to Eastern Europe. And it has the power to change our world … Charles Fishman takes us into the heart of the most successful superstore in history to show how the ‘Wal-Mart effect’ shapes lives everywhere, whether for overnight cleaners in America, bicycle-makers in China or salmon farmers in Chile. Now Wal-Mart’s influence is so great it can determine everything from the design of deodorant to the shape of a town, working practices to market forces themselves, Fishman asks: how did a shop manage to do all this? And what will the ultimate cost of low prices be? Подробнее
War and Peace
, 2010
Considered by many to be the greatest novel ever written, Tolstoy's masterpiece is a story of family life set against the backdrop of war. The novel begins in 1805 in the crowded and gossip-filled rooms of a St Petersburg party and follows the fortunes of the aristocratic Bolkonsky and Rostov families as Napoleon's armies sweep through Europe, culminating in the French invasion of Russia in 1812 and Napoleon's defeat. Tolstoy's vast novel takes in both the epic sweep of national events and the private experience of individuals, from the keen young soldier to Napoleon himself, and at the heart of it all the complicated triangle of affection that binds his central characters. Подробнее
The Winter King: A Novel of Arthur There was snow when Arthur's tale began. It was a lifetime ago, in the last year of High King Uther's reign... However you count the years it was long ago, once upon a time, in a land called Britain, and I was there. Derfel, once a captain in Arthur's warband, recalls the dramatic days of wilful Guinevere, arrogant Lancelot, abstracted Merlin and intolerant Bishop Sansum, vying for mastery amid faction and bitter chaos. But, above all he tells the story of Arthur, royal bastard, unwise lover and inspired warlord, the only man who can hold Uther's throne for its infant heir and unite Britain's squabbling kingdoms against the enemy at their gates. Evoking the human realities behind the legends of romance and chivalry, Bernard Cornwell weaves a brutal, magnificent epic of war and love, magic and politics, as the old gods retreat before the spread of Christianity, and the Saxon invaders reach deeper into the heart of Britain... Подробнее
The Witches
, 2007
A book about 'real witches' — the ones that absolutely loathe children and are always plotting to get rid of them. Great new Quentin Blake cover as well as a whole new exciting end section about Roald Dahl and his world. Подробнее
The World is Flat: The Globalized World in the Twenty-first Century The beginning of the twenty-first century will be remembered, Friedman argues, not for military conflicts or political events, but for a whole new age of globalization – a ‘flattening’ of the world. The explosion of advanced technologies now means that suddenly knowledge pools and resources have connected all over the planet, levelling the playing field as never before, so that each of us is potentially an equal – and competitor – of the other. The rules of the game have changed forever – but does this ‘death of distance’, which requires us all to run faster in order to stay in the same place, mean the world has got too small and too flat too fast for us to adjust? Friedman brilliantly demystifies the exciting, often bewildering, global scene unfolding before our eyes, one which we sense but barely yet understand. The World is Flat is the most timely and essential update on globalization, its successes and its discontents, powerfully illuminated by a world-class writer. In his new chapters: 'If It's Not Happening, It's Because You're Not Doing It' and 'What Happens When We All Have Dog's Hearing?' the author explores both the benefits and disadvantages of the very latest developments in global communication. The emergent popularity of blogging, pod-casting, YouTube and MySpace enable the modern world citizen to broadcast their views to a potential audience of billions, and the proliferation of Internet access to even the poorest communities gives everyone who wants to the tools to address issues of social injustice and inequality. On the other hand the technology that seems to improve communication on a global scale causes it to deteriorate on a local scale. Identifying ours as 'The Age of Interruption', Friedman discusses the annoyance and dangers of BlackBerrys in meeting rooms, hands-free kits in conversation and using a phone or iPod whilst driving. In an age when we are always 'connected' via email or mobile phone how can we hope to concentrate on one thing without interruption? As expected the author has revitalised this new edition of The World Is Flat with timely insights into the nature of our flat world. Подробнее
The Worst Witch
, 2004
Riding a broomstick is no easy matter! Mildred Hubble is the worst witch at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches — she's always getting her spells wrong. But she manages to get by until she turns Ethel, the teacher's pet, into her deadly enemy... Подробнее
The Worst Witch All at Sea
, 2013
'I think your work will improve no end if you accept my offer of Fenella's cat. And Tabby will have the time of his life down in the kitchen'. Poor Mildred is distraught. On the first day back at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches her beloved but useless cat, Tabby, is banished to the kitchen. Then the class go for a week by the seaside and Mildred can bear the separation no longer. Stowing Tabby away, she takes him with her. But trying to keep him out of sight of Miss Hardbroom and prying Ethel Hallow leads Mildred from one disaster to another, and soon she really is all at sea. In this long-awaited fourth book about the endearing Worst Witch there's enough excitement to more than satisfy all her many fans. Подробнее
The Worst Witch Saves the Day
, 2014
It's the start of a new term at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches and Mildred Hubble is determined not to be the worst witch this year. Everything starts so well. Mildred's class has a new form teacher — no more Miss Hardbroom for Mildred and her friends! But then the new teacher, Miss Granite, starts acting fishy; Mildred has a very bad hair day when a hair growth spell goes wrong and she has to put up with know-it-all Ethel Hallow being 'helpful'. To top it all, her beloved cat Tabby is having a nervous breakdown and refuses to fly. Подробнее
Zoom: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future
, 2008
If oil is a problem, it seems that cars are the solution. Working on innovative, environmental technologies and entirely new business models, the car industry could be launching society’s greatest leap forward in a hundred years. Zoom visits the boardrooms of oil executives and shows how some are fearlessly exploring new energy sources and designs. Elsewhere, Carson and Vaitheeswaran examine the alliances that are being formed to end our addiction to oil in both the West and the growing markets of China, India and Russia, as well as what Toyota and the Prius can teach us, economically and ecologically. Zoom also introduces the Thomas Edison of the twenty-first century, a legendary inventor whose revolutionary work with hydrogen-powered vehicles on a pure water loop is already having a positive impact on the environment and the marketplace. Подробнее
Secret Diary of a Demented Housewife
, 2007
When Susie's maiden aunt gives her a housekeeping journal, she expects Susie to use it for jotting down nutritious recipes and planning household budgets. But Susie has more important things on her mind... ... Like how to keep sane while trying to control a four-year-old diva who thinks she's Judy Garland, as well as a thrill-seeking toddler with a death wish. Not to mention managing a demanding husband who expects a home-cooked meal at least once a fortnight and inconsiderate parents who seem to think luxury spa breaks are more important than spending time with their grandchildren. On top of that, there's the small matter of the Lone Father at the children's play group who is clearly smitten and Susie's passing interest in Posh'n'Becks, Wayne'n'Colleen, Brad'n'Jen'n'Angelina ... Susie's journal chronicles a hectic year in the life of a stay at home mother, whose one ambition is to possess an outfit that is free of snot stains. Подробнее
The Sheltering Sky
, 2006
Some journeys are best left unmade. Kit and Port Moresby are Americans abroad. Struggling to save their marriage, they resolve to trade civilization for the wilderness of the Sahara. At first, the pair are seduced by the desert's beauty. But beneath the exquisite landscape lurk the dark undercurrents of an alien culture, and the relentless dangers of a hostile natural world. And as they travel deeper, they might not only lose their way. They could lose their lives ... Подробнее
The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism
, 2008
Free markets, we’re told, mean free people. Yet around the world this ‘freedom’ is being paid for in blood. When a catastrophe occurs – whether war, terrorist attack or natural disaster – there are people cleaning up and cashing in, using chaos to force through brutal economic punishment. They are the shock doctors. Naomi Klein’s gripping and explosive book reveals who these global racketeers are, how their ideology has come to dominate our world – from raking in billions out of the tsunami, to plundering Russia and exploiting Iraq – and how they are making a killing. Подробнее
Shoot the Puppy: A Survival Guide to the Curious Jargon of Modern Life
, 2007
Are you a 'bobo' or a 'wombat'? Are you tempted by 'infobia' or to 'kick dead whales up the beach'? If your answer to any of these questions is 'What are you talking about?', then you definitely need a copy of Shoot the Puppy. Amusing, informative and newly updated for 2007, it guides the reader through the ever-growing heap of contemporary jargon from around the English-speaking world, showing where it comes from, what it means, and what it tells us about our contemporary world. Подробнее
Skeleton Coast: A novel from the Oregon Files 1896: Four Englishmen flee for their lives across the merciless Kalahari Desert carrying a stolen fortune in raw diamonds and hunted by a fierce African tribe. The thieves manage to reach the waiting HMS Rove – only to die with their pursuers in a vicious storm that buries them all under tons of sand… The present day: Juan Cabrillo and the crew of the covert combat ship Oregon have barely escaped a mission on the Congo River when they intercept a mayday from a defenceless boat under fire off the African coast. Cabrillo takes action, saving the beautiful Sloane Macintyre – who’s looking for a long-submerged ship that may hold a fortune in diamonds. But what surprises Cabrillo is her story about a crazy fisherman who claims to have been attacked on the open sea by giant metal snakes in the same area. What begins as a snake hunt leads Cabrillo on to the trail of a far more lethal quarry – a deranged militant and his followers who plan to unleash the devastating power of nature itself against all who oppose them. In his latest bestseller, Clive Cussler, the Grandmaster of Adventure, shows once again that when it comes to page-turning action, he’s the man to beat. Подробнее
The New Penguin Russian Course Whether you’re learning alone or attending classes, you’ll find this complete Russian language course for beginners both accessible and indispensable. Designed to provide the student with an excellent command of basic Russian (the equivalent of A’ level standard) the book features thirty lessons punctuated by revision exercises to ensure you have fully understood what you have learned. The emphasis is on acquiring vocabulary, experiencing conversational language and learning useful grammar. The book also includes a vocabulary of 1,500 words and a glossary of grammatical terms. Подробнее
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
, 2007
From the famous episodes of the whitewashed fence and the ordeal in the cave to the trial of Injun Joe, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is redolent of life in the Mississippi River towns in which Twain spent his own youth. A somber undercurrent flows through the high humor and unabashed nostalgia of the novel, however, for beneath the innocence of childhood lie the inequities of adult reality-base emotions and superstitions, murder and revenge, starvation and slavery. Подробнее
The Arabian Nights: A Selection The tales have their origins in the cultures of India, Persia and Arabia, and this edition, based on Richard F.Burton's unexpurgated translation, gives the reader all the sensuality and lushness of the original Arabic. Подробнее
Crime and Punishment A dark and compelling study of a young intellectual tempted towards crime through severe penury. Raskolnikov, a former student who is morbidly self-obsessed, murders an old woman money-lender with a borrowed hatchet in a desperate attempt to free himself from poverty. From the opening pages Dostoyevsky attaches us unflinchingly to his intense and mysterious anti-hero, creating a web of intimacy and tension which is increasingly claustrophobic. Crime and guilt — its traumatic and inevitable successor — are the central themes running through the novel and the notions of 'justifiable' murder and worldly retribution are depicted with a deft and razor-sharp precision. Crime and Punishment both haunts and disturbs, yet, as the critic John Jones wrote, it is 'the most accessible and exciting novel in the world'. Подробнее
The Europeans
, 2007
Eugenia`s wit, guile and sophistication, and Felix`s debonair vivacity form an uneasy alliance with the Puritan morality and the frugal, domestic virtues of the Americans. A rich and delicately balanced comedy of manners, The Europeans weighs the values of the established order against those of New England society, but makes no simple judgements, only subtle contrasts and beautifully observed comparisons. Подробнее

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