"Bregje Hofstede is an extraordinary writer."—Rutger Bregmans, author of Utopia for Realists and Humankind: A Hopeful History Jenny Odell’s How to Do Nothing meets Matthew Walker’s Why We Sleep in this fascinating deep-dive into the science and history of sleep. In Search of Sleep is both a self-help manual for insomniacs, and a sweeping critique of the hustle culture that blinds us to the real reasons we lie awake at night: from politics to pandemics to poverty. Amsterdam-based writer Bregje Hofstede struggled with insomnia for 10 years, but advice from doctors and books always felt lacking in perspective. Wasn’t insomnia more than just an individual struggle? Might it also be a rational reaction to our increasingly turbulent world? Unlike the vast majority of books about sleep, In Search of Sleep examines insomnia as both a physical and psychological condition and an early warning sign that something is off in society. As Hofstede points out, studies show that insomnia increased during the pandemic and that people with less money sleep the worst. She also shows that sleeplessness is tied inextricably to loneliness, while meaningful relationships can provide the security we need to slumber. Interweaving neuroscience, cultural anthropology, history, and interviews with experts, In Search of Sleep invites us to see insomniacs as oracles, not oddballs, and offers a unique way forward for the sleep-deprived and the dreamless. If we are aware of both the small and large forces that keep us awake, then we can begin to take political action, reimagine the role of sleep in our own lives, and rid ourselves of insomnia for good.

'I am one of few Jewish survivors of World War Two, but one of many Jewish people to fight the Nazi regime. My story illustrates what happened to thousands of Jews and non-Jews alike. I have recorded the small details that made up our lives, the sheer luck that saved some of us and the atrocities that led to the deaths of so many, as a tribute to all those who suffered and died...' _______________ Selma van de Perre was seventeen when World War Two began. Until then, being Jewish in the Netherlands had been of no consequence. But by 1941 this simple fact had become a matter of life or death. Several times, Selma avoided being rounded up by the Nazis. Then, in an act of defiance, she joined the Resistance movement, using the pseudonym Margareta van der Kuit. For two years 'Marga' risked it all. Using a fake ID, and passing as Aryan she travelled around the country delivering newsletters, sharing information, keeping up morale - doing, as she later explained, what 'had to be done'. In July 1944 her luck ran out. She was transported to Ravensbruck, the women's concentration camp, as a political prisoner. Unlike her parents and sister - who, she would later discover, died in other camps - she survived by using her alias, pretending to be someone else. It was only after the war ended that she was allowed to reclaim her identity and dared to say once again: My name is Selma. Now, at ninety-nine, Selma remains a force of nature. Full of hope and courage, this is her story in her own words.