Knowledge = Power

The Hero with a Thousand Faces is a work of comparative mythology by Joseph Campbell, in which the author discusses his theory of the mythological structure of the journey of the archetypal hero found in world myths.

William Shakespeare may have been  the greatest playwright in the English language, but how does he measure  up as a historian? In this brilliant comparison between the events and  characters in Shakespeare's history plays and the actual events that  inspired them, acclaimed historian John Julius Norwich examines the nine  works that together amount to an epic masterpiece on England's most  fascinating period. Beginning with the newly authenticated  "Edward III," and proceeding through "Richard II; Henry IV Parts I" and  "II; " and "Henry V; Henry VI Parts I, II," and "III; " and finally  "Richard III," Norwich holds the plays up to the light of history,  answering questions such as: Who was the real Falstaff? How realistic is  Shakespeare's depiction of Joan of Arc? At the same time, he provides a  vibrant narrative of medieval life from 1337 to 1485, the era of the  100 Years War and the Wars of the Roses. It was a time of uncertainty  and incessant warfare, a time during which the crown was constantly  contested, alliances were made and broken, peasants and townsmen alike  arose in revolt. Here was the raw material that Shakespeare used to  explore the role of the monarch and the meaning of statehood. But  where does history stop and drama begin? Norwich concludes that  Shakespeare was a reliable enough historian. He was, however, always  willing to take liberties with the facts for the sake of his drama. As  Norwich explains, "In the vast majority of instances when Shakespeare  departed from the historic truth he did so for the best of all reasons:  to make a better play." Beyond assessing Shakespeare's accuracy, Norwich  provides the crucial knowledge that will enhance everyone's  appreciation and understanding of these glorious plays. No one  but John Julius Norwich, praised for his three-part history of  Byanztium, could weave drama and history together into such a lucid and  absorbing account of a distant yet vitally important era. Illuminating  and accessible, Shakespeare's Kings is an indispensable companion  to Shakespeare's rich imagination -- an imagination that continues to  inform the way we view the past today.

“This is an essential book for those who wish to understand a city that remains a nexus of world affairs.” —Booklist (starred) Jerusalem is the epic history of three thousand years of faith, fanaticism,  bloodshed, and coexistence, from King David to the 21st century, from  the birth of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam to the Israel-Palestine  conflict. How did this small, remote town become the Holy  City, the “center of the world” and now the key to peace in the Middle  East? In a gripping narrative, Simon Sebag Montefiore reveals this  ever-changing city in its many incarnations, bringing every epoch and  character blazingly to life. Jerusalem’s biography is told through the  wars, love affairs, and revelations of the men and women who created,  destroyed, chronicled and believed in Jerusalem. As well as the many  ordinary Jerusalemites who have left their mark on the city, its cast  varies from Solomon, Saladin and Suleiman the Magnificent to Cleopatra,  Caligula and Churchill; from Abraham to Jesus and Muhammad; from the  ancient world of Jezebel, Nebuchadnezzar, Herod and Nero to the modern  times of the Kaiser, Disraeli, Mark Twain, Lincoln, Rasputin, Lawrence  of Arabia and Moshe Dayan. In this masterful narrative, Simon  Sebag Montefiore brings the holy city to life and draws on the latest  scholarship, his own family history, and a lifetime of study to show  that the story of Jerusalem is truly the story of the world.

An absorbing and original narrative history of American capitalism NAMED A BEST BOOK OF 2017 BY THE ECONOMIST From  the days of the Mayflower and the Virginia Company, America has been a  place for people to dream, invent, build, tinker, and bet the farm in  pursuit of a better life. Americana takes us on a  four-hundred-year journey of this spirit of innovation and ambition  through a series of Next Big Things -- the inventions, techniques, and  industries that drove American history forward: from the telegraph, the  railroad, guns, radio, and banking to flight, suburbia, and sneakers,  culminating with the Internet and mobile technology at the turn of the  twenty-first century. The result is a thrilling alternative history of  modern America that reframes events, trends, and people we thought we  knew through the prism of the value that, for better or for worse, this  nation holds dearest: capitalism.  In a winning, accessible  style, Bhu Srinivasan boldly takes on four centuries of American  enterprise, revealing the unexpected connections that link them. We  learn how Andrew Carnegie's early job as a telegraph messenger boy paved  the way for his leadership of the steel empire that would make him one  of the nation's richest men; how the gunmaker Remington reinvented  itself in the postwar years to sell typewriters; how the inner workings  of the Mafia mirrored the trend of consolidation and regulation in more  traditional business; and how a 1950s infrastructure bill triggered a  series of events that produced one of America's most enduring brands:  KFC. Reliving the heady early days of Silicon Valley, we are reminded  that the start-up is an idea as old as America itself. Entertaining, eye-opening, and sweeping in its reach, Americana is an exhilarating new work of narrative history.

In the last two decades, free markets have swept the globe. But  traditional capitalism has been unable to solve problems like inequality  and poverty. In Muhammad Yunus' groundbreaking sequel to Banker to the Poor,  he outlines the concept of social business -- business where the  creative vision of the entrepreneur is applied to today's most serious  problems: feeding the poor, housing the homeless, healing the sick, and  protecting the planet. Creating a World Without Poverty reveals the next phase in a hopeful economic and social revolution that is already underway.

Dark Psychology

Here is THE book recounting the life and times of one of the most  respected men in the world, Warren Buffett. The legendary Omaha investor  has never written a memoir, but now he has allowed one writer, Alice  Schroeder, unprecedented access to explore directly with him and with  those closest to him his work, opinions, struggles, triumphs, follies,  and wisdom. The result is the personally revealing and complete  biography of the man known everywhere as “The Oracle of Omaha.” Although  the media track him constantly, Buffett himself has never told his full  life story. His reality is private, especially by celebrity standards.  Indeed, while the homespun persona that the public sees is true as far  as it goes, it goes only so far. Warren Buffett is an array of  paradoxes. He set out to prove that nice guys can finish first. Over the  years he treated his investors as partners, acted as their steward, and  championed honesty as an investor, CEO, board member, essayist, and  speaker. At the same time he became the world’s richest man, all from  the modest Omaha headquarters of his company Berkshire Hathaway. None of  this fits the term “simple.” When Alice Schroeder met Warren  Buffett she was an insurance industry analyst and a gifted writer known  for her keen perception and business acumen. Her writings on finance  impressed him, and as she came to know him she realized that while much  had been written on the subject of his investing style, no one had moved  beyond that to explore his larger philosophy, which is bound up in a  complex personality and the details of his life. Out of this came his  decision to cooperate with her on the book about himself that he would  never write. Never before has Buffett spent countless hours  responding to a writer’s questions, talking, giving complete access to  his wife, children, friends, and business associates—opening his files,  recalling his childhood. It was an act of courage, as The Snowball makes  immensely clear. Being human, his own life, like most lives, has been a  mix of strengths and frailties. Yet notable though his wealth may be,  Buffett’s legacy will not be his ranking on the scorecard of wealth; it  will be his principles and ideas that have enriched people’s lives. This  book tells you why Warren Buffett is the most fascinating American  success story of our time.

John Julius Norwich―called a “true master of narrative history” by Simon  Sebag Montefiore―returns with the book he has spent his distinguished  career wanting to write, A History of France: a portrait of the past two centuries of the country he loves best. Beginning  with Julius Caesar’s conquest of Gaul in the first century BC, this  study of French history comprises a cast of legendary  characters―Charlemagne, Louis XIV, Napoleon, Joan of Arc and Marie  Antionette, to name a few―as Norwich chronicles France’s often violent,  always fascinating history. From the French Revolution―after which  neither France, nor the world, would be the same again―to the storming  of the Bastille, from the Vichy regime and the Resistance to the end of  the Second World War, A History of France is packed with heroes  and villains, battles and rebellion, stories so enthralling that Norwich  declared, “I can honestly say that I have never enjoyed writing a book  more.” With his celebrated stylistic panache and expert command  of detail, Norwich writes in an inviting, intimate tone, and with a  palpable affection for France. One of our greatest contemporary  historians has deftly crafted a comprehensive yet concise portrait of  the country's historical sweep.

Robert Cialdini-Instant Influence

Critically acclaimed author John Julius Norwich weaves the turbulent  story of Sicily into a spellbinding narrative that places the island at  the crossroads of world history. “Sicily,” said Goethe, “is  the key to everything.” It is the largest island in the Mediterranean,  the stepping-stone between Europe and Africa, the link between the Latin  West and the Greek East. Sicily’s strategic location has tempted Roman  emperors, French princes, and Spanish kings. The subsequent struggles to  conquer and keep it have played crucial roles in the rise and fall of  the world’s most powerful dynasties.