'The feeling that the very concept of objective truth is fading out of the world ... this prospect frightens me much more than bombs'On the 70th anniversary of George Orwell's death, a new collection of his brilliant essays written during the Second World WarFascism and Democracy collects five brilliant examples of Orwell's writing during the darkest days of World War Two. Grappling with the principles of democracy and the potential of reform, the meaning of literature and free speech in times of violence, and the sustainability of objective truth, Orwell offers a compelling portrayal of a nation where norms and ideals can no longer be taken for granted. Like the best of Orwell's writing, these essays also serve as timeless reminders of the fragility of freedom.

In this volume, Aziz sets out to correct the injustice that has been committed in Pakistan ever since its creation, and still continues. The history text books in the country have been woefully distorted for political ends. In this book, he has critiqued and provided the corrections for 66 text books being taught in the Social Studies, Pakistan Studies and History disciplines to students from grades 1 to 14. It’s indeed a courageous effort that unfortunately went unnoticed in his time. But then again, according to Aziz, he wrote this for posterity after all.

Dr. John Coleman, author of The Committee of 300, tells how Mayer Amschel, the founder of the "Red Shield"dynasty acquired his first fortune. It is a far cry from the myths and legends that still surround the man who began as a rag and bone merchant and pawnbroker, working out of a small house on Judenstrasse, Frankfurt on the Main, Germany, where he lived with his wife and family. The events attributed to history are often caused by a "hidden hand" pulling the strings of kings, princes and potentates from behind the scenes. The phenomena is explained and the legends that have grown up around the Rothschilds are demolished by this book that also reveals the Rothschild's intriguing that brought down men like Napoleon and Tsar Alexander II of Russia. Legends has it that Mayer Amschel Rothschild's "genius and financial skills" were inherited by his sons, but the truth is quite a different story, as Dr. Coleman makes very clear in this well documented account that goes far beyond the best known legends cloaking the true character of the family. Exactly how Mayer Amschel Rothschild "stuck it lucky" and the steps he took that brought the family from obscurity to "virtual rulers of all Europe," makes fascinating reading. This outstanding book is not only about the past, it is also about the present and the future. It will help to explain many of the events that perplex the ordinary people like the war in Iraq and the war threats against Iran.

Just over a sixth of the world's population subscribes to the Muslim belief that 'there is no god but God, and Muhammad is his Messenger'. Michael Cook gives an incisive account of the man who inspired this faith, drawing on the traditional Muslim sources to describe Muhammad's life and teaching. He also attempts to stand back from this traditional picture to question how far it is historically justified.

Microsculpture is a unique photographic study of insects in mind-blowing magnification that celebrates the wonders of nature and science. “You will never look at a beetle or a moth the same way again.” — WIRED “Art meets science to dazzling effect.” — Guardian “You have never seen insects in such astounding detail before.” — New Scientist Award-winning photographer Levon Biss’s work captures in breathtaking detail the beauty of the insect world and are printed in large-scale format to provide an unforgettable viewing experience. Each image in Microsculpture is created from approximately 8,000 individual photographs. Segments of the specimen are lit and photographed separately using microscope lenses, then “stacked” to maintain sharp focus throughout. These images are then combined to create a single high-resolution file. From start to finish, each portrait takes approximately four weeks to create. Dr. James Hogan, entomology department curator of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, writes in his foreword, “This collection of photographs is a celebration of nature and photographic art, but it also shows how science and art can be effectively combined to produce something new and exciting.” The vivid colors, unusual features, and never-before-seen details of the insects in this unique oversize coffee table book capture the true wonders of nature and science.

Microsculpture is a unique photographic study of insects in mind-blowing magnification that celebrates the wonders of nature and science. “You will never look at a beetle or a moth the same way again.” — WIRED “Art meets science to dazzling effect.” — Guardian “You have never seen insects in such astounding detail before.” — New Scientist Award-winning photographer Levon Biss’s work captures in breathtaking detail the beauty of the insect world and are printed in large-scale format to provide an unforgettable viewing experience. Each image in Microsculpture is created from approximately 8,000 individual photographs. Segments of the specimen are lit and photographed separately using microscope lenses, then “stacked” to maintain sharp focus throughout. These images are then combined to create a single high-resolution file. From start to finish, each portrait takes approximately four weeks to create. Dr. James Hogan, entomology department curator of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, writes in his foreword, “This collection of photographs is a celebration of nature and photographic art, but it also shows how science and art can be effectively combined to produce something new and exciting.” The vivid colors, unusual features, and never-before-seen details of the insects in this unique oversize coffee table book capture the true wonders of nature and science.

Heretic and impostor or reformer and statesman? The contradictory Western visions of Muhammad In European culture, Muhammad has been vilified as a heretic, an impostor, and a pagan idol. But these aren’t the only images of the Prophet of Islam that emerge from Western history. Commentators have also portrayed Muhammad as a visionary reformer and an inspirational leader, statesman, and lawgiver. In Faces of Muhammad , John Tolan provides a comprehensive history of these changing, complex, and contradictory visions. Starting from the earliest calls to the faithful to join the Crusades against the “Saracens,” he traces the evolution of Western conceptions of Muhammad through the Reformation, the Enlightenment, and the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and up to the present day. Faces of Muhammad reveals a lengthy tradition of positive portrayals of Muhammad that many will find surprising. To Reformation polemicists, the spread of Islam attested to the corruption of the established Church, and prompted them to depict Muhammad as a champion of reform. In revolutionary England, writers on both sides of the conflict drew parallels between Muhammad and Oliver Cromwell, asking whether the prophet was a rebel against legitimate authority or the bringer of a new and just order. Voltaire first saw Muhammad as an archetypal religious fanatic but later claimed him as an enemy of superstition. To Napoleon, he was simply a role a brilliant general, orator, and leader. The book shows that Muhammad wears so many faces in the West because he has always acted as a mirror for its writers, their portrayals revealing more about their own concerns than the historical realities of the founder of Islam.

Insects are essential for life as we know it. As they become more scarce, our world will slowly grind to a halt; we simply cannot function without them. Drawing on the latest ground-breaking research and a lifetime's study, Dave Goulson reveals the shocking decline of insect populations that has taken place in recent decades, with potentially catastrophic consequences. He passionately argues that we must all learn to love, respect and care for our six-legged friends. Eye-opening, inspiring and riveting, Silent Earth is part love letter to the insect world, part elegy, part rousing manifesto for a greener planet. It is a call to arms for profound change at every level - in government policy, agriculture, industry and in our own homes and gardens. Although time is running out, it is not yet too late for insect populations to recover. We may feel helpless in the face of many of the environmental issues that loom on our horizon, but Goulson shows us that we can all take simple steps to encourage insects and counter their destruction.

“The hoverflies are only props. No, not only, but to some extent. Here and there, my story is about something else.” A mesmerizing memoir of extraordinary brilliance by an entomologist, The Fly Trap chronicles Fredrik Sjöberg’s life collecting hoverflies on a remote island in Sweden. Warm and humorous, self-deprecating and contemplative, and a major best seller in its native country, The Fly Trap is a meditation on the unexpected beauty of small things and an exploration of the history of entomology itself.   What drives the obsessive curiosity of collectors to catalog their finds? What is the importance of the hoverfly? As confounded by his unusual vocation as anyone, Sjöberg reflects on a range of ideas—the passage of time, art, lost loves—drawing on sources as disparate as D.H. Lawrence and the fascinating and nearly forgotten naturalist René Edmond Malaise. From the wilderness of Kamchatka to the loneliness of the Swedish isle he calls home, Sjöberg revels in the wonder of the natural world and leaves behind a trail of memorable images and stories.

Beneath our feet, a fascinating drama unfolds: Ants are waging war and staging rebellions, growing fungi as crops and raising aphids as livestock, making vaccines and, generally, living lives that—up close—look surprisingly human. Evolutionary biologist Susanne Foitzik and biophysicist Olaf Fritsche reveal all in Empire of Ants, inviting readers to live alongside the workers, soldiers, and conquerors of the insect world—and the researchers who study them. (How do we observe the behavior of ants just a few millimeters in size—or monitor activity in a brain as small as the tip of a needle?) Ants’ global dominance (there are 10 quadrillion ants worldwide) and supreme staying power (they have existed since the dinosaurs) give a sense of scale to our own empire- building and destroying. Empire of Ants may leave its human readers asking: Who really runs the world?

Nothing brings people together like a common enemy, and witches were the greatest enemy of all. Scotland, 1563: Crops failed. People starved. And the Devil's influence was stronger than ever—at least, that's what everyone believed. If you were a woman living in Scotland during this turbulent time, there was a very good chance that you, or someone you knew, would be tried as a witch. During the chaos of the Reformation, violence against women was codified for the first time in the Witchcraft Act—a tool of theocratic control with one chilling to root out witches and rid the land of evil. What followed was a dark and misogynistic chapter in history that fanned the flames of witch hunts across the globe, including in the United States and beyond. In How to Kill a Witch, Zoe Venditozzi and Claire Mitchell, hosts of the popular Witches of Scotland podcast, unravel the grim yet absurdly bureaucratic process of identifying, accusing, trying, and executing women as witches. With sharp wit and keen feminist insight, they reveal the inner workings of a patriarchal system designed to weaponize fear and oppress women. This captivating (and often infuriating) account, which weaves a rich tapestry of trial transcripts, witness accounts, and the documents that set the legal grounds for the witch hunts, exposes how this violent period of history mirrors today's struggles for justice and equality. How to Kill a Witch is a powerful, darkly humorous reminder of the dangers of superstition, bias, and ignorance, and a warning to never forget the past… while raising the question of whether it could ever happen again.