Recent ground-breaking and exciting studies have shown that cryptic crosswords are among the most effective ways to boost the power and agility of your brain. Why? The answer lies in the art of teasing out a clue, a discipline that calls for logic, interpre... read more

In Greek mythology, Ariadne gave Theseus a ball of red thread to guide him through the labyrinth, and the Red Thread offers a path through and a way to explore the ins and outs and twists and turns of the celebrated NYRB Classi... read more

In the early 1800s magistrates in the Australian colonies were often frustrated by the language used by reoffending convicts to disguise their... read more

The English language is full of beauty and surprises.
If you're a lover of the weird and wonderful, from fascinating etymology to the ten most overused and useless English phrases, this book isn't averse to a peppering of persiflage!
Did you know: - pilots an... read more

A powerful celebration of 30 brilliant speeches by women throughout the ages, from Joan of Arc to Michelle Obama, that have inspired change and altered the course of history.
Looking at the greatest speeches of all time, you'd be forgiv... read more

A hilarious, furious and profoundly useful short guide to the most maddening punctuation in English
 
Apostrophes are an f'ing pain. The rules about how to use them are complicated, and have evolved haphazardly.
 
Originally... read more

An amazing collection of the most beloved, original, inspiring, hysterical, heart-warming, compelling, rude and downright scary books that have enchanted children the world over. In 100 Children's Books That Inspired Our World, auth... read more

This is the first book to catalog comparative maps and tableaux that visualize the heights and lengths of the world's mountains and rivers. Produced predominantly in the nineteenth century, these beautiful... read more

Following up on the success of Strayapedia, Dom has put together a dictionary of all things 'Strayan. This is a funny, topical stocking stuffer for the Christmas market, and the perfect gift for anyone who ... read more

'The greatest enterprise of its kind in history,' was the verdict of British prime minister Stanley Baldwin in June 1928 when The Oxford English Dictionary was finally published. With its 15,490 pages and nearly ... read more

For John Freeman - literary critic, essayist, editor, poet and 'one of the preeminent book people of our time' (Dave Eggers) - it is a rare moment when words are not enough. But in the wake of the election of 2016, words felt useless, even indulgent. Acti... read more

Language is always changing. No one knows where it is going but the best way to future-cast is to look at the past. John Simpson animates for us a tradition of researching and editing, showing us both the technical le... read more