Fist of Five: James Joyce

February 2022 marks the centenary of James Joyce’s modernist masterpiece Ulysses, first published on February 2nd, 1922.

Today’s post, one of our occasional 'Fist of Five' series, recommends a selection of books on the theme of Joyce’s life and works.

Non-Fiction Books that Changed the Way I Think: Part II ...

Today's post is the second batch of recommendations from Miss Warner.

Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity and Poverty by Daron Acemoglu & James A. Robinson

Provocative treatise on nationhood and its relationship to economics and power. Shortlisted for the Financial Times and Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year Award 2012, and a must read if you are interested in socio-economics.

Why are some nations more prosperous than others? Why Nations Fail sets out to answer this question, with a compelling and elegantly argued new theory: that it is not down to climate, geography or culture, but because of institutions. Drawing on an extraordinary range of contemporary and historical examples, from ancient Rome through the Tudors to modern-day China, leading academics Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson show that to invest and prosper, people need to know that if they work hard, they can make money and actually keep it - and this means sound institutions that allow virtuous circles of innovation, expansion and peace.

Books of the Week

This week is LGBT+ History Week, and so today's recommendations all featured books connected with LGBT+ themes and ideas.  And if you're looking for further recommendations, why not try some of the books suggested on our LGBT+ reading list here.  

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

Recommended by Mrs Cummings

This is the most beautiful story of love and loss. Mateo and Rufus are total strangers who both get the call from Death-Cast giving them bad news: they have only 24 hours to live. They connect through the Last Friend app and try to live a lifetime in a single day.