A lively journey through the story of language, from an infant's first word to the languages of the internet. Language never leaves you alone. It's there in your head, helping you think. It's there to help you make relationships – and to break them...

The thrilling story of archaeological adventure, and astonishing discoveries around the globe. Archaeology tells the story of our ancestors: how they lived, what they believed in and how their cultures developed over millennia. Brian Fagan introduc...

A thrilling journey through 100,000 years of art, from the first artworks ever made to art's central role in culture today. Art can help us see the world differently or understand our place in it a little more clearly. It can move us emotionally, e...

An accessible account of the history of economics through the ideas of great thinkers. Economics explains the world. For example, the fact that you're holding this book in your hands puts you in a special position. To many people around the globe, s...

A vibrant guide to the world of literature, from dramatic plays to engrossing novels. Literature has inspired every civilisation, from Greek myth to today's graphic novels. John Sutherland, who has researched, taught and written on the entire glori...

A lively, accessible history of mathematics throughout the ages and across the globe. Mathematics is fundamental to our daily lives. Science, computing, economics – all aspects of modern life rely on some kind of maths. But how did our ancestors th...

A superbly engaging guide to music around the world, from prehistory to the present. Music excites and moves us perhaps more than any other art form. From a Neanderthal's bone flute to the festivals of Glastonbury and Coachella, human beings have a...

A lucid guide to humankind's greatest thinkers, from Aristotle to Peter Singer. Philosophy begins with the nature of reality and how we should live. These were the concerns of Socrates, who spent his days in the ancient Athenian marketplace asking...

A vital guide to poetry from ancient times to the present. Poetry is language made special, so that it will be remembered and valued. It does not always work – over the centuries countless thousands of poems have been forgotten. This Little History...

A rich and engaging guide to psychology, the science devoted to understanding human nature. Psychology is the science devoted to understanding human nature. Its practitioners have long sought to understand behaviour, feelings and thoughts. In her f...