서양도서

Is it culture, the weather, geography? Perhaps ignorance of what the right policies are? Simply, no. None of these factors is either definitive or destiny. Otherwise, how to explain why Botswana has become one of the fastest growing countries in the world, while other African nations, such as Zimbabwe, the Congo, and Sierra Leone, are mired in poverty and violence? Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson conclusively show that it is man-made political and economic institutions that underlie economic success (or lack of it). Korea, to take just one of their fascinating examples, is a remarkably homogeneous nation, yet the people of North Korea are among the poorest on earth while their brothers and sisters in South Korea are among the richest. The south forged a society that created incentives, rewarded innovation, and allowed everyone to participate in economic opportunities. The economic success thus spurred was sustained because the government became accountable and responsive to citizens and the great mass of people. Sadly, the people of the north have endured decades of famine, political repression, and very different economic institutions?with no end in sight. The differences between the Koreas is due to the politics that created these completely different institutional trajectories. Based on fifteen years of original research Acemoglu and Robinson marshall extraordinary historical evidence from the Roman Empire, the Mayan city-states, medieval Venice, the Soviet Union, Latin America, England, Europe, the United States, and Africa to build a new theory of political economy with great relevance for the big questions of today, including: - China has built an authoritarian growth machine. Will it continue to grow at such high speed and overwhelm the West? - Are America’s best days behind it? Are we moving from a virtuous circle in which efforts by elites to aggrandize power are resisted to a vicious one that enriches and empowers a small minority? - What is the most effective way to help move billions of people from the rut of poverty to prosperity? More philanthropy from the wealthy nations of the West? Or learning the hard-won lessons of Acemoglu and Robinson’s breakthrough ideas on the interplay between inclusive political and economic institutions? Why Nations Fail will change the way you look at-and understand-the world.

The remarkable new novel from the author of the multimillion-selling international sensation The Midnight Library'A beautiful novel full of life-affirming wonder and imagination' BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH'What looks like magic is simply a part of life we don't understand yet . . .'When retired Maths teacher Grace Winters is left a run-down house on a Mediterranean island by a long-lost friend, curiosity gets the better of her. She arrives in Ibiza with a one-way ticket, no guidebook and no plan. Among the rugged hills and golden beaches of the Balearics Grace searches for answers about her friend's life, and how it ended. What she uncovers is stranger than she could have dreamed. But to dive into this impossible truth, Grace must first come to terms with her past. Filled with wonder and wild adventure, this is a story of hope and the life-changing power of a new beginning.

For the last 100,000 years, we Sapiens have accumulated enormous power. But despite allour discoveries, inventions, and conquests, we now find ourselves in an existential crisis. The world is on the verge of ecological collapse. Misinformation abounds. And we are rushing headlong into the age of AI—a new information network that threatens to annihilate us. For all that we have accomplished, why are we so self-destructive? Nexus looks through the long lens of human history to consider how the flow of information has shaped us, and our world. Taking us from the Stone Age, through the canonization of the Bible, early modern witch-hunts, Stalinism, Nazism, and the resurgence of populism today, Yuval Noah Harari asks us to consider the complex relationship between information and truth, bureaucracy and mythology, wisdom and power. He explores how different societies and political systems throughout history have wielded information to achieve their goals, for good and ill. And he addresses the urgent choices we face as non-human intelligence threatens our very existence. Information is not the raw material of truth; neither is it a mere weapon. Nexus explores the hopeful middle ground between these extremes, and in doing so, rediscovers our shared humanity.

A riveting, poetic and powerful work from the author of the International Booker Prize-winning novel The Vegetarian. 'Exquisite, painful and deeply courageous' Philippe Sands, Best Books of the Year, Guardian Gwangju, South Korea, 1980. Amid a violent student uprising a young boy named Dong-ho is killed. As his friend searches for Dong-ho's corpse, we also meet an editor struggling against censorship, a prisoner and a factory worker, each suffering from traumatic memories, and Dong-ho's grief-stricken mother. Through their collective heartbreak and acts of hope comes a tale of a brutalised people in search of a voice. A modern classic, Human Acts has been both a controversial bestseller and an award-winning book in Korea, and it confirmed Han Kang as a writer of international importance. '[Han Kang's] way of telling about the events of a 10-day insurgency in Gwangju, South Korea in 1980 and its psychological, spiritual and political aftermath opened my eyes' Susie Orbach, Best Books of the Year, Guardian

War is an intimate and sweeping account of one of the most tumultuous periods in presidential politics and American history. We see President Joe Biden and his top advisers in tense conversations with Russian president Vladimir Putin, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. We also see Donald Trump, conducting a shadow presidency and seeking to regain political power. With unrivaled, inside-the-room reporting, Woodward shows President Biden’s approach to managing the war in Ukraine, the most significant land war in Europe since World War II, and his tortured path to contain the bloody Middle East conflict between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas. Woodward reveals the extraordinary complexity and consequence of wartime back-channel diplomacy and decision-making to deter the use of nuclear weapons and a rapid slide into World War III. The raw cage-fight of politics accelerates as Americans prepare to vote in 2024, starting between President Biden and Trump, and ending with the unexpected elevation of Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee for president. War provides an unvarnished examination of the vice president as she tries to embrace the Biden legacy and policies while beginning to chart a path of her own as a presidential candidate. Woodward’s reporting once again sets the standard for journalism at its most authoritative and illuminating.

A beautiful, unsettling novel about rebellion and taboo, violence and eroticism, and the twisting metamorphosis of a soul Before the nightmares began, Yeong-hye and her husband lived an ordinary, controlled life. But the dreams-invasive images of blood and brutality-torture her, driving Yeong-hye to purge her mind and renounce eating meat altogether. It’s a small act of independence, but it interrupts her marriage and sets into motion an increasingly grotesque chain of events at home. As her husband, her brother-in-law and sister each fight to reassert their control, Yeong-hye obsessively defends the choice that’s become sacred to her. Soon their attempts turn desperate, subjecting first her mind, and then her body, to ever more intrusive and perverse violations, sending Yeong-hye spiraling into a dangerous, bizarre estrangement, not only from those closest to her, but also from herself. Celebrated by critics around the world, The Vegetarian is a darkly allegorical, Kafka-esque tale of power, obsession, and one woman’s struggle to break free from the violence both without and within her.

Book of the Year 2023 according to New Yorker, TIME magazine, Kirkus A powerful novel of the saving grace of language and human connection, from the Nobel Prize-winning author of The Vegetarian. 'Breathtaking . . . She is simply my favourite living writer to read, and think with, and see the world with' Max Porter In a classroom in Seoul, a young woman watches her Greek language teacher at the blackboard. She tries to speak but has lost her voice. Her teacher finds himself drawn to the silent woman, for day by day he is losing his sight. Soon they discover a deeper pain binds them. For her, in the space of just a few months, she has lost both her mother and the custody battle for her nine-year-old son. For him, it's the pain of growing up between Korea and Germany, being torn between two cultures and languages. Greek Lessons is a tender love letter to human connection, a novel to awaken the senses, vividly conjuring the essence of what it means to be alive. Translated by Deborah Smith and e. yaewon. 'Another stunning gem: quiet, sharply faceted, and devastating' Kirkus 'Han Kang is a writer like no other. In a few lines, she seems to traverse the entirety of human experience' Katie Kitamura

'Beasts of a Little Land is a stunning achievement’ TLS 'Spectacular' Lisa See, author of The Island of Sea Women 'Unforgettable' Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, author of The Mountains Sing As the Korean independence movement gathers pace, two children meet on the streets of Seoul. Fate will bind them through decades of love and war. They just don’t know it yet. It is 1917, and Korea is under Japanese occupation. With the threat of famine looming, ten-year-old Jade is sold by her desperate family to Miss Silver's courtesan school in the bustling city of Pyongyang. As the Japanese army tears through the country, she is forced to flee to the southern city of Seoul. Soon, her path crosses with that of an orphan named JungHo, a chance encounter that will lead to a life-changing friendship. But when JungHo is pulled into the revolutionary fight for independence, Jade must decide between following her own ambitions and risking everything for the one she loves. Sweeping through five decades of Korean history, Juhea Kim's sparkling debut is an intricately woven tale of love stretched to breaking point, and two people who refuse to let go.

1. The Wild Robot: When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is all alone on a remote, wild island. She has no idea how she got there or what her purpose is--but she knows she needs to survive. After battling a violent storm and escaping a vicious bear attack, she realizes that her only hope for survival is to adapt. 2. The Wild Robot Escapes: The thrilling sequel to the #1 New York Timesbestselling The Wild Robot, by award-winning author Peter Brown Shipwrecked on a remote, wild island, Robot Roz learned from the unwelcoming animal inhabitants and adapted to her surroundings--but can she survive the challenges of the civilized world and find her way home to Brightbill and the island? 3. The Wild Robot Protects: Life for Roz and the animals on their island is perfect: wild, natural, harmonious. Her son Brightbill has even found a mate! But then, one day an injured seal washes ashore and warns of dangerous, cloudy waters that are flowing toward the island—and soon the animals are forced inland to fight over dwindling resources.

The sensational Korean bestsellerFor fans of WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR IS IN THE LIBRARY and THE ALCHEMIST_______________________-Welcome to the Marigold Mind Laundry where we wash away the stains from your heart. After young Jieun accidentally misuses her powers, causing her beloved family to vanish, she lives a million restless lives in search of them. Overnight, in the village of Marigold on top of a hill, she conjures up her Mind Laundry, where she cleanses painful experiences from the heart, transferring them into stains on a T-shirt and turning them into dazzling red petals. We meet five wounded souls: a frustrated young filmmaker; a tortured social-media influencer; a distraught mother who has discovered her husband’s other family; a young woman two-timed by her lover, and Yeonghui, a victim of bullying, who works as a delivery man to escape his pain in routine. After washing the pain and ironing their creases, Jieun discovers an astonishing revelation that will change her life. As we laugh, wonder and grow, MARIGOLD MIND LAUNDRY shows how we too can tap into the positivity and magic that lies in us all. Which bad memories would you like to wash away?__________-Korean readers love this book:'A life-changing novel' *****'A book that makes me reflect on my life' *****'Even better when you read it with a loved one' *****'I took leave from work because I needed to finish it in one sitting' *****

(New York, NY – February 28, 2024) For millions of readers around the world, Hogwarts is a magical place. Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company, announced today that it will publish Christmas at Hogwarts, a heartwarming and joyfully illustrated book sure to delight readers of all ages, celebrating Harry Potter’s first Christmas in the wizarding world. With text from one of the most beloved moments in J.K. Rowling’s bestselling original novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and luminous new full-color illustrations by Ziyi Gao, the 48-page jacketed hardcover (ISBN 9781546129950; $19.99 U.S.; All Ages) will be published simultaneously on October 15, 2024 in 31 countries globally, with Bloomsbury Children’s Books publishing in the U.K. In making the announcement, Ellie Berger, President, Scholastic Trade, said: “For over twenty-five years, Harry Potter has ignited a generation to love reading. With Christmas at Hogwarts, we’re thrilled to publish a timeless picture book for families to read-aloud together and enjoy alongside the original Harry Potter series. It’s a festive celebration of friendship, family, and sharing the joys of the season, and we hope it will inspire a new holiday reading tradition for many years to come.” About Christmas at Hogwarts “Christmas was coming. One morning in mid-December, Hogwarts woke to find itself covered in several feet of snow.” So begins Chapter 12 of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K Rowling, and the heartwarming story of Harry Potter’s first Christmas at Hogwarts. From the Great Hall decked with magnificent fir trees to cozy evenings in the Gryffindor Common Room to the joy of presents on Christmas morning, it’s a holiday filled with warmth, friendship, good food, and magical surprises that Harry will never forget. Ziyi Gao said, “Like countless children worldwide, I grew up immersed in the pages of Harry Potter, believing that my magical dream could one day become reality. Though the owl delivering my acceptance letter to Hogwarts missed me, I consider myself immensely fortunate to have become one of the illustrators for this beloved series of books, contributing to the construction of its world with my own vision. In this book, I have woven together elements from the enchanting wizarding world and traditional Christmas festivities. I wish to bring an immersive visual experience for every child and adult longing to spend a happy Christmas alongside Harry and his friends at Hogwarts.”

THE STORM IS COMING . . . Get ready for the breathtaking follow-up to global phenomenons Fourth Wing and Iron Flame from the no. 1 Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Yarros. ARE YOU READY TO BRAVE THE DARK? Pre-order your copy now! PRAISE FOR THE EMPYREAN SERIES 'Pure escapism - think Hunger Games meets Fifty Shades' The Sun 'We weren't expecting to become obsessed . . . but we very much are and we're not alone' Sunday Times Style 'This book contains an addictive, drug like essence that will make you relinquish all responsibility' Glamour 'Yarros had me hooked from the first chapter' Mail on Sunday 'The new publishing sensation' Daily Mail 'I couldn't put it down!' Millie Bobby Brown 'Yarros is the true inheritor of Harry Potter and inspires Hunger Games levels of devotion' Guardian 'A deliciously gripping dish, which I downed in one sitting' Stylist '2024 is the Year of the Dragon . . . Dive into a fantasy narrative featuring these mythical, winged creatures' Pop Sugar 'If I can convince you to read one book I recommend it would be this one' 'I didn't sleep, I didn't eat, and when I finished, I had the overwhelming urge to just start it all over again' 'There are some stories you read and enjoy but every so often you come across one that just obliterates everything and takes over your entire being within a few pages and becomes your world and personality. Well, this is the one' 'The world building in this was phenomenal. I lived, breathed and became a part of the college' 'You know when you finish a book, and it leaves an ache in your chest because it was so good, and now it's over? That's exactly how I feel after finishing Fourth Wing' OTHER BOOKS IN THE EMPYREAN SERIES: - FOURTH WING - IRON FLAME - ONYX STORM (21.01.2025 - available for pre-order now)