We're all nice. In fact, we're told we're too nice and we have to change to succeed: 'Play the game!'; 'Beat them down!'; 'Toughen up!'. Do we have to choose between betraying our own values and being left behind without a voice? Absolutely not. We can naturally be persuasive and successful every day without making enemies of ourselves or other people.

Influence is a science and renowned Yale professor Zoe Chance will help you master it in this fascinating book. Drawing on the latest behavioural research, entertaining real-life stories and the skills she teaches on her sell-out Yale University MBA course, Zoe Chance unpacks what influence is and how we are persuaded before setting out a series of powerful skills you can adopt to master the art of persuasion and influence. Her techniques include the Magic Question, Powerful Listening, the What Would It Take Question and Building Support. She also looks at how to use influence for maximum positive impact in the world - and how to defend yourself against the 'dark arts' of persuasion by other less scrupulous individuals or institutions.

Bold, entertaining and efficacious, this indispensable book is a call to action for all the nice people in the world wanting to practice influence without resorting to manipulation, bullying or corruption to create a brighter more positive future.

The most significant nonfiction writings of Zoë Wicomb, one of South Africa’s leading authors and intellectuals, are collected here for the first time in a single volume.

This compilation features critical essays on the works of such prominent South African writers as Bessie Head, Nadine Gordimer, Njabulo Ndebele, and J.M. Coetzee, as well as writings on gender politics, race, identity, visual art, sexuality and a wide range of other cultural and political topics. Also included are a reflection on Nelson Mandela and a revealing interview with Wicomb.

In these essays, written between 1990 and 2013, Wicomb offers insight on her nation’s history, policies, and people. In a world in which nationalist rhetoric is on the rise and diversity and pluralism are the declared enemies of right-wing populist movements, her essays speak powerfully to a wide range of international issues.

An explosive tale of betrayal and revenge, The Losers centers upon the members of an elite U.S. Special Forces unit sent into the Bolivian jungle on a search and destroy mission.

The team - Clay, Jensen, Roque, Pooch and Cougar - find themselves the target of a lethal betrayal instigated from inside by a powerful enemy known only as Max. Presumed dead, the group makes plans to even the score when they're joined by the mysterious Aisha, a beautiful operative with her own agenda.

Working together, they must remain deep undercover while tracking the heavily-guarded Max, a ruthless man bent on embroiling the world in a new high-tech global war.

“the bird is freed”
- Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 27, 2022

When Elon Musk took over Twitter, commentators were rooting for the visionary behind Tesla and SpaceX to succeed. Here was a tough leader who could grab back power from Twitter’s entitled workforce, motivate them to get “extremely hardcore,” and supercharge Twitter’s profit and potential. And it was all out of the goodness of his own heart, rooted in his fervent belief in the necessity of making Twitter friendlier to free speech. "I didn’t do it to make more money,” Musk said. “I did it to try and help humanity, whom I love.” 

Once Musk charged into the Twitter headquarters, the command-and-control playbook Musk honed at Tesla and SpaceX went off the rails immediately. Distilling hundreds of hours of interviews with more than sixty employees, thousands of pages of internal documents, Slack messages, presentations, as well as court filings and congressional testimony, Extremely Hardcore is the true story of how Musk reshaped the world’s online public square into his own personal megaphone. 

You’ll hear from employees who witnessed the destruction of their workplace in real-time, seeing years of progress to fight disinformation and hate speech wiped out within a matter of months. There’s the machine-learning savant who went all-in on Twitter 2.0 before getting betrayed by his new CEO, the father whose need for healthcare swept him into Musk’s inner circle, the trust and safety expert who became the subject of a harassment campaign his former boss incited, and the many other employees who tried to save the company from their new boss’s worst instincts. This is the story of Twitter, but it’s also a chronicle of the post-pandemic labor movement, a war between executives and a workforce newly awakened to their rights and needs.

Riveting, character-driven, and filled with jaw-dropping revelations, Extremely Hardcore is the definitive, fly-on-the-wall story of how Elon Musk lit $44 billion on fire and burned down Twitter. It’s the next best thing to being there, and you won’t have to sleep in the Twitter office to get the scoop.

  A fabulous rhyming celebration of what it means to be brave by award-winning author Caryl Hart and illustrator Zoe Waring. There are all sorts of ways to be brave every day In the things that we do and the things that we say Being brave can be showy - a fierce, fiery riot But more often it's gentle, or loving or quiet. Let us show you some ways to be brave that we know. If you want to be brave, why not give these a go? The perfect picture book to highlight and celebrate the different ways that children tackle the difficult things in life ... whether it's speaking up in class, or choosing to do something different to their friends, or struggling to make friends in the first place! From the award-winning author of Girls Can Do Anything and Thank You For The Little Things comes a brilliantly empowering story Perfect to read with little ones to help them recognise that incredible bravery they hold within themselves Fabulously vibrant illustrations from Zoe Waring, illustrator of SuperDaisy

This insightful book explores the answers to two ongoing debates: how should societal impact of research be measured and to what extent are national research evaluation systems fit for purpose? In exploring these two questions, the selection of expert contributors provide thought-provoking cross-European analysis and establish a comparative perspective on “impact� in the twenty-first century. Bringing together important national case studies from social sciences and humanities (SSH), Accountability in Academic Life provides a detailed insight into the complexities faced ensuring that publicly-funded research creates true value for society. Furthermore, leading SSH experts provide policy recommendations and insights to navigate the contemporary research landscape and improve research methods. This book will be invaluable for scholars and students in science policy studies, providing both accessible stand-alone topics and greater in-depth discussions. Policymakers interested in the improvement of research evaluation leading to better scientific outcomes will also find this informative and illuminating.

Alicia Witt and Jason London star in this family comedy directed by Kevan Peterson. When Melanie (Witt) and Phil (London) ask their son Danny (Julian Feder) what he wants for his birthday, they are greeted with the response that every parent dreads: a dog. When Danny selects his dog from the local shelter he lovingly names her Shelly in honour of all sheltered dogs. Realising that Shelly has a talent, Danny decides to enter her in the illustrious Wiener Dog Nationals race. Only one thing stands in their way: Ms Merryweather (Morgan Fairchild) and her champion dog Princess.

Neil LaBute directs this Hollywood remake of the 2007 British ensemble comedy farce. Comedian Chris Rock stars as Aaron, who is trying to get through his father's funeral in one piece despite the best efforts of his melodramatic mother (Loretta Devine), his baby-obsessed wife (Regina Hall) and his playboy brother (Martin Lawrence). Meanwhile, his father's secret gay lover (Peter Dinklage) turns up demanding money, and his beautiful cousin (Zoe Saldana) spends the day dodging her infatuated ex (Luke Wilson) while trying to look after her fiance (James Marsden) - who accidentally imbibed a hallucinogen while searching for a tranquiliser to calm his nerves.

The complete first and second series of the BBC's fast-paced modernised crime drama based on the characters created by Arthur Conan Doyle. Laptops, mobile phones and the internet are the new tools for crime in a modern London under threat from serial killers, bombings and gang warfare. Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch), the most brilliant intellect of his generation, has a unique analytical brain unlike anyone else's, and staves off the ever-present threat of boredom by solving crimes, the more intricate and baffling the better. Meanwhile, his friend and flatmate, John Watson (Martin Freeman), is an army doctor invalided home from the battlefields of Afghanistan. Episodes are: 'A Study in Pink', 'The Blind Banker', 'The Great Game', 'A Scandal in Belgravia', 'The Hounds of Baskerville' and 'The Reichenbach Fall'.

The complete first and second series of the BBC's fast-paced modernised crime drama based on the characters created by Arthur Conan Doyle. Laptops, mobile phones and the internet are the new tools for crime in a modern London under threat from serial killers, bombings and gang warfare. Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch), the most brilliant intellect of his generation, has a unique analytical brain unlike anyone else's, and staves off the ever-present threat of boredom by solving crimes, the more intricate and baffling the better. Meanwhile, his friend and flatmate, John Watson (Martin Freeman), is an army doctor invalided home from the battlefields of Afghanistan. Episodes are: 'A Study in Pink', 'The Blind Banker', 'The Great Game', 'A Scandal in Belgravia', 'The Hounds of Baskerville' and 'The Reichenbach Fall'.

A brilliant and heart-warming story about the power of imagination and the special bond between grandparent and grandchild. Come on an adventure to the beach, all without leaving your sitting room... From kite-flying and sandcastle building to splashing in the waves, everything's possible at OUR beach, the best place to be! Use your imagination and you can join in too! Celebrate the power of imagination and the closeness of the bond between grandparent and grandchild in this beautifully written and illustrated book by Rebecca Smith and Zoe Waring.

Joel Schumacher directs this drama based on the semi-autobiographical novel by Nick McDonell. Set in the world of the super-rich in Manhattan's Upper East Side, the film is a disturbing chronicle of privileged urban adolescence. Despite his unlimited potential, rich kid White Mike (Chace Crawford) has dropped out of his senior year at high school and spends his days selling marijuana to his ultra-privileged friends. But Mike's charmed existence hits a brick wall when his cousin is brutally murdered in an East Harlem project and his best friend is arrested for the crime. The supporting cast includes Emma Roberts, Ellen Barkin, 50 Cent and Rory Culkin. Keifer Sutherland narrates.

Double bill of futuristic horror films. In 'The Purge' (2013), Ethan Hawke stars as the head of a family forced to fight for their lives. With crime in America spiralling out of control and prison populations soaring, the government of the day implements a drastic new initiative to address the problem. For a 12-hour period once a year, all crime, including murder, is legal, as the police and other emergency services stand down for the night, allowing the population to regulate itself. 'The Purge' is deemed a success due to plummeting crime levels and record low unemployment figures. But after placing their upmarket home under its yearly lockdown, James and Mary Sandin (Hawke and Lena Headey) and their family find themselves under siege from a crazed group of masked killers when their teenage son (Max Burkholder) offers shelter to the mob's terrified prey. In 'The Purge: Anarchy' (2014), following on from events in the previous film, a year has passed and the time for society to purge itself of all murderous and violent urges has come back around. Desperate to get home to their children before 'The Purge' commences, a young couple (Zach Gilford and Kiele Sanchez) find themselves stranded when their car breaks down, leaving them at the mercy of a mob of masked attackers. Meanwhile, a man (Frank Grillo) looking to avenge the murder of his son becomes the reluctant protector of a mother and daughter (Carmen Ejogo and Zoe Soul) on the run. Can they all survive the night?

Beech Class at Marchwood School are learning about swamps as their special topic, but the class isn't impressed. They think that swamps are smelly and boring. But when one of the class members, Frank, suggests turning the entire classroom into a swamp, everyone gets very excited! Find out how Frank and his classmates transform the room into an atmospheric recreation of a swamp using plants, fairy lights and a special swamp potion! (Letter-sounds featured: /o/ (w)a (qu)a /sh/ -ti ) Swamp Squad is part of the Rocket Phonics systematic synthetic phonics programme from Reading Planet. Rocket Phonics ensures that every child achieves phonics success. This fully-decodable Target Practice reading book provides focused practice of a small group of letter-sounds. The book also includes useful notes and activities to support reading in school and at home as well as comprehension questions to check understanding. Reading age: 5-6/Year 1

Our beloved band of misfits are looking a bit different these days.

Peter Quill, still reeling from the loss of Gamora, must rally his team around him to defend the universe along with protecting one of their own.

A mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.

1 Academy Award nomination for:
- Best Visual Effects

Thunk! Something falls on Chimp's and Cat's heads. It's a rock chick that makes loud clacking noises. Can Chimp and Cat return the rock chick to its nest? (Letter-sounds featured: ch sh th ng) Rock Chick is part of the Rocket Phonics systematic synthetic phonics programme from Reading Planet. Rocket Phonics ensures that every child achieves phonics success. This fully-decodable Target Practice reading book provides focused practice of a small group of letter-sounds. The book also includes useful notes and activities to support reading in school and at home as well as comprehension questions to check understanding. Reading age: 4-5/Reception

Arlo is fascinated by his grandpa's metal detector and hopes they will find some precious coins with this amazing machine. They soon dig up all sorts of metal things, including a bent fork and an old car gear. Then suddenly, Arlo finds something sparkly deep in the ground. Could it be a shiny gold coin? (Letter-sounds featured: oi /eer/ ear air /y+oor/ -ure) Coin Hunt is part of the Rocket Phonics systematic synthetic phonics programme from Reading Planet. Rocket Phonics ensures that every child achieves phonics success. This fully-decodable Target Practice reading book provides focused practice of a small group of letter-sounds. The book also includes useful notes and activities to support reading in school and at home as well as comprehension questions to check understanding. Reading age: 4-5/Reception

This uplifting picture book showcases the amazing work our frontline staff do, the incredible skills they have and the important equipment they need to save a life, in a unique graphic novel-inspired non-fiction format. With a foreword by British celebrity Dr Zoe Williams.

Naz, a member of the River Clean team, discovers something strange in the woods in the middle of summer: an ice river! Join Naz and his friends from the River Clean team as they set out to discover the cause of the frozen river and to find a solution to thaw it out! (Letter-sounds featured: /k/ ch /sh/ ch /j/ -dge ) The River Bear is part of the Rocket Phonics systematic synthetic phonics programme from Reading Planet. Rocket Phonics ensures that every child achieves phonics success. This fully-decodable Target Practice reading book provides focused practice of a small group of letter-sounds. The book also includes useful notes and activities to support reading in school and at home as well as comprehension questions to check understanding. Reading age: 5-6/Year 1

In a landscape worthy of Cormac McCarthy, the river runs septic with blood. Edgar Wilson makes the sign of the cross on the forehead of a cow, then stuns it with a mallet. He does this over and over again, as the stun operator at Senhor Milo's slaughterhouse: reliable, responsible, quietly dispatching cows and following orders, wherever that may take him. It's important to calm the cows, especially now that they seem so unsettled: they have begun to run in panic into walls and over cliffs. Bronco Gil, the foreman, thinks it's a jaguar or a wild boar. Edgar Wilson has other suspicions. But what is certain is that there is something in this desolate corner of Brazil driving men, and animals, to murder and madness.

Everything you need to teach writing in the primary classroom. The Writing Book helps you to break down the mysteries of written English into comprehensible steps that will get your students writing with confidence and flair. Written in Zoe and Timothy Paramour's funny, frank and reassuring style, this follow up to The Grammar Book gives teachers clear and systematic guidance about how to develop children's written English. It covers vocabulary, register, word order and text layout, as well as sentence structure, length and syntax. It explores the features of different genres, the ways we can play with language and the reader's expectations to make writing more engaging. The Writing Book gives teachers a clear and consistent language they can use with their students to offer meaningful feedback, especially when children's writing lacks flair and energy. Written by teachers for teachers, it provides tips, tricks, and adaptable resources to make teachers' lives easier. This book makes it easy for teachers to identify everything their students need to know to become confident, competent writers.