New Books

Independent Publishing of Independent Views

New Books

An Englishman in Riyadh

David Urch

ISBN 9780956071651

£12.99 Paperback pp 218

December 2009

Urch spent much of the 60’s in Riyadh teaching English

and launching the English language radio. This is his remarkable

story; one which lifts the lid on a closed society at the moment when

its significant natural resources in oil were to have such a dramatic effect on life in the desert Kingdom.

Proceeds of the sale go to the University of Buckingham

Bangladesh Scholarship

ReDiscovering Charity (published November 2009)

Andrew Lightbown and Nick Fane

(Re) Discovering Charity has been written as a three part pamphlet.

Part 1 seeks to explain what is meant by the term charity, in its

specifically Christian context. Charity is one of Christianity's

theological virtues, and accordingly forms part of Christianity's

basic morality, and yet the meaning of charity seems to have been

somewhat lost, to the extent that it is frequently attacked by those

who believe that charity creates dependency. (

Re) Discovering Charity seeks to move beyond belief, opinion and secular ideology

by analysing both the meaning of charity and, in parts 2 and 3 the characteristic manifestations of charity. Evidence suggests that far from creating dependency, true Christian Charity, fosters responsibility, hope and well being. Charity is, in fact, Christianity's effective response to social, spiritual and economic well-being.

Published in collaboration with Quicken Trust

£7.99 Paperback ISBN 9780956043511

The Butterfly Hunter

Anthony Crawforth

Henry Walter Bates is remembered today as the author of

A Naturalist on the River Amazons, a science travel book that when

it was first published in 1863, immediately became a best seller. His

adventures, as a peripatetic collector, were his way of making a living

free from the constraints of middle class Victorian Britain. His writing

was similar in style to Bruce Chatwin’s and brought the Amazons,

its flora, fauna and people, into the Victorian drawing room.

Bates was also a competent self taught natural scientist with finely

tuned observational skills. Aware of the direction in which evolutionary science was moving before he went to the Amazon; he related all he observed in the light of evolution by natural selection. His field observations were the first to give practical support to Charles Darwin’s theory as it developed.

Bates noticed that some palatable butterflies flying in the Amazons copied other unpalatable ones in shape, colour, pattern, and habits, so well that predators were fooled and left them alone, thinking they were all the same. Known today as Batesian mimicry, Darwin was intrigued and used this new knowledge as proof that species were not immutable, that change was occurring all around him all of the time, and sometimes that change led directly to new species.

£25 Hardback Published in July 2009

ISBN 978-095607161

Liberating Learning: Widening Participation

Edited by Patrick Derham and Michael Worton

In Liberating Learning: Widening Participation, teachers, philosophers,

historians, and chief executives put the state of contemporary

secondary education under the spotlight.

Their essays make the case that secondary education has been

impoverished by a narrow curriculum and rigid bureaucratic

assessment system, and that despite government attempts to widen

participation, the social gap in education remains wide.

Inspired by the liberal tradition, the authors call for a more generous approach that will kindle the interests of young people and give teachers more freedom. They examine the initiatives that are successfully raising aspirations and participation, and argue that the best way to get more people from diverse backgrounds into university is to liberate learning.

The contributors are: Simon Blackburn, Nigel Bowles, Patrick Derham, Dr Rachel Carr and Dr Hugh Rayment-Pickard, Niall Ferguson, Sarah Fletcher, AC Grayling, Simon Lebus, Ray Lewis, Sir Stuart Rose and John May, Michael Reiss, Elizabeth Swinbank and John Taylor and Michael Worton

£10 Paperback ISBN 978 0956071682

Paperback version £6.99

Shakin the Ketchup Bottle (published Nov 2009)

The Queen’s English Society

A fascinating collection of ideas observations anecdotes

and some really curious bits culled from “Quest”. The magazine

of the Queen’s English Society

How can a slim chance and a fat chance mean the same? This

is a book full of controversy or should that be controversy? It is

about whether spelling matters said John Gilpin as he rowed his

horse across the river.

This collection contains some of the bits that the editors have enjoyed most over the years since its first publication. The English are known for their sense of humour and their ability to laugh at themselves whilst retaining a pride in their traditions. Perhaps the way that the English language can laugh at itself goes to the very heart of Englishness. But there is an important sub text to all this amusement. The use of humour is the best way to illustrate and then learn the important lessons that are essential if we are to retain our ability to communicate clearly.

This book is for all those who love the language and who are amused by its lunacy, tickled by its inconsistencies but respect and want to preserve something of its majesty. It will make all readers entirely gruntled.

RRP £6.99 ISBN 9780956071668

The School for Gods

Stefano D’Anna

This book is a map and an escape plan. Its aim is to show you

the path followed by an ordinary man away from an hypnotic view

of the world and an accusing and plaintive interpretation of

existence to escape the rut of a programmed destiny. This book

would never have come to be nor could I have written a single line

had I not encountered the Dreamer and his teachings. This book is

the story of the rebirth of a common man who is the epitome of a

fallen defeated Humanity. His journey back to the essence is a new

exodus in search of list integrity.

£16.00 Paperback ISBN 978 0956071620

The Power of Numbers

Richard Ehrmann

Over the next fifty years Japan, Russia and many European Countries

face a sustained, outright fall in population – something that has never

happened in any advanced economy. For most other European

nations the prospect is one of ageing stagnation and high immigration.

In stark contrast, across Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the

Americas numbers are rising rapidly and will continue to do so

for some time yet. By 2050 most demographers think that population

growth in the developing world willalso stall. Long before that

happens, however, demographic divergence between today’s

developed and developing worlds will have revolutionised the economic, political and military balance of power across the world.

The Power of Numbers will set out the figures and projections, identify the winners and losers and conflicts that are likely to result from the coming upheaval.

Published in collaboration with The Policy Exchange

ISBN 978-1-906097-06-6

£12.99 Paperback