Like a Virgin: How Science is Redesigning the Rules of Sex
Aarathi Prasad
Oneworld (paperback), 2012
PRs 1095
Most cultures tell the tale of a maiden who gives birth untouched by a man. Is this just a myth, or could virgin birth become the way we make babies in the future? In Like a Virgin, biologist Aarathi Prasad explores inconceivable ideas about conception, from the “Jesus Christ” lizard’s ability to self-reproduce (it walks on water, too) to the hunt for a real-life virgin mother among geneticists in the 1950s. Prasad then transports us to the maverick laboratories that today are inventing the equivalent of “non-sexual selection”, from egg-fertilizing computer chips to artificial wombs for men. This adventurous romp to the frontiers of reproductive science will forever change the way you think about sex and parenthood. Aarathi Prasad is a biologist and science writer. She has appeared on television and radio, including as host of the BBC documentary “The Quest for a Virgin Birth,” and written for publications such as Wired, New Scientist, and The Guardian. A single mother, she previously worked in research genetics at Imperial College, London. This is her first book.
Review
“Think of her as the female equivalent of Brian Cox making science accessible for the masses... Entertaining and provocative, this promises to change the way you think about sex.” Stylist
“A fascinating examination of a future that may not be too distant, as well as an account of historical misconceptions about conception.” Kirkus Reviews
“[Prasad’s] elegantly written romp through the science and history of conception is conceivably as much fun as you’ll ever have thinking about sex without working up a sweat.” Publishers Weekly
The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order
Samuel P. Huntington
Penguin (paperback), 2016
PRs 800
“Sam Huntington, one of the West’s most eminent political scientists, presents a challenging framework for understanding the realities of global politics in the next century. The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order is one of the most important books to have emerged since the end of the Cold War.” —HENRY A. KISSINGER
Based on the author’s seminal article in Foreign Affairs, Samuel P. Huntington’s The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order is a provocative and prescient analysis of the state of world politics after the fall of communism. In this incisive work, the renowned political scientist explains how “civilizations” have replaced nations and ideologies as the driving force in global politics today and offers a brilliant analysis of the current climate and future possibilities of our world’s volatile political culture.
“An intellectual tour de force: bold, imaginative, and provocative. A seminal work that will revolutionize our understanding of international affairs.” —ZBIGNIEW BRZEZINSKI
“The book is studded with insights, flashes of rare brilliance, great learning, and in particular, an ability to see the familiar in a new and provocative way.” —MICHAEL ELLIOTT, THE WASHINGTON POST BOOK WORLD
“A benchmark for informed speculation on those always fascinating questions: Just where are we in history? What hidden hand is controlling our destiny?...A searching reflection on our global state.” —RICHARD BERNSTEIN, THE NEW YORK TIMES
“This is what is so stunning about The Clash of Civilizations: It is not just about the future, but may actually help to shape it.” —WANG GUNGWU, THE NATIONAL INTEREST
Daddy’s Boy
Shandana Minhas
Harper Collins (hardcover), 2016
PRs 995
Asfandyar Ikram has no idea that his father, Anis Nabi, is alive - until the day he learns of his death. As he arrives in Karachi for the last rites, he is greeted by three old men, his father’s friends. Over the next forty-eight hours, through strikes and rioting, Anis’s final wishes must be fulfilled - except, Asfandyar does not know what they are and the men will not reveal them. Instead, a mysterious woman arrives to distract him. As Asfandyar grapples with his murky patrimony, an extraordinary adventure unfolds in which the truth seems forever out of his reach. A powerful parable for Pakistan, Daddy’s Boy spins a chillingly vivid tale of desire and deception - and the ultimately devastating consequences of hypocrisy.
Ladies Coupe
Anita Nair
Penguin (paperback), 2015
PRs 800
Forty-five and single, Akhila has never been allowed to live her own life-always the daughter, the sister, the aunt, the provider-until the day she gets herself a one-way train ticket to the seaside town of Kanyakumari. In the intimate atmosphere of the ladies coupé, she gets to know her five fellow travellers. Riveted by their personal stories, Akhila begins to seek answers to the question that has been haunting her all her life: can a woman stay single and be happy, or does she need a man to feel complete?
Review
Modern India’s vivid, sticky beauty is evolved beautifully...Nair’s compassion for her characters shines through every carefully chosen word. (Sunday Tribune)
Nair’s strength lies in bringing alive the everyday thoughts, desires and doubts of these six ordinary women. —Times Literary Supplement
A deeply serious, enjoyably lucid book about real terrors and joys, full of sensual and surprising details. —Scotland on Sunday
Nair conveys her protagonist’s dilemmas with a freshness and charm. —The Times
White on Green: Celebrating the Drama of Pakistan Cricket
Richard Heller and Peter Osborne
Simon & Schuster (hardcover), 2016
PRs 1395
Following Peter Oborne’s award-winning global success with Wounded Tiger: A History of Cricket in Pakistancomes a new volume, written with Richard Heller, to celebrate the extraordinary story of Pakistan cricket. In White on Green, we discover a rich tapestry of stories about cricket in all its forms that will fascinate all who want to understand more about that country.
We hear from the players of Dera Ismail Khan, who appeared when their side lost by a world-record margin of an innings and 851 runs; and from the Khan sisters, who helped develop the women’s game in Pakistan, despite the threats from those who believed their actions to be immoral. But we also hear from the greats of Pakistan cricket, past and present, who provide a revealing picture of the special challenges they have faced, both at home and abroad.
Written with great warmth, affection and insight, White on Greenis an evocative portrait of a country that is too often condemned and too little understood by outsiders. It shows how the spirit of cricket can help overcome the most difficult environments and bring people together.
About the Author
Richard Heller was a long-serving columnist on the Mail on Sunday and then The Times, and is the author of two highly regarded cricket novels. A strong devotee of Pakistan cricket, he assisted on the preparation of Wounded Tiger. Peter Oborne is a regular commentator on politics for television, and chief political commentator of the Daily Telegraph. He is the author of several previous books including the acclaimed Alastair Campbell: New labour and the Rise of the Media Class, The Rise of Political Lying, The Triumph of the Political Class, and Basil D’Oliveira, Cricket and Conspiracy: The Untold Story which won the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award in 2004.