You know all those studies that you read about, that show you will become cleverer if you eat more fish, or your skin will be better if you use a particular £50 cream……..well Ben Goldacre demolishes unscientific studies and makes you think again about everything you thought you knew. A very funny book, as well as scientifically fascinating.

•Links to: Psychology; Biology; Chemistry; Medicine.

Grayson Perry is one of our most successful and well-known modern artists. He is also known for dressing as a woman and calling himself “Claire” when wearing women’s clothes. In this book, Grayson Perry explores what it means to be a man in 21st century Britain, and why we might want to challenge some of our commonly-held beliefs about masculinity. In the process, he confronts his own masculine behaviours, and his identity as a man and an artist.

Links to: Psychology; Sociology; Art.

Paul Kalanithi was close to graduating in neurosurgery when he was diagnosed with cancer. He decided to write about his experience of the illness, looking at it from both a medical/scientific point of view, and a philosophical/religious perspective. The book follows his journey from his student days before his diagnosis, to the return of the illness just before his graduation. It is scientifically very detailed, and also emotionally challenging in its examination of what it means                   to have a terminal illness.

Links to: Medicine; Biology; Philosophy and Ethics.

A best-seller about the law? Surely not! But yes, this really interesting and accessible book explores the truth about how the law really works, as opposed to the glamorised images often presented in TV drama. The Secret Barrister (real name unknown), who is an actual barrister, reveals the faults in the criminal justice system and demonstrates how fairness is often one of the very last things that we                  might experience in court.

Links to: Law; Politics; Sociology.

A fascinating consideration of the idea of a “tipping point” – the moment when a small idea/product/trend suddenly becomes huge. Who would have thought that Hush Puppy shoes would go from being bought by a few small-town middle-aged men in the US to a global fashion phenomenon. How did this happen? Gladwell looks at many examples of how little things and little moments can have a transformative effect.

Links to: Sociology; Economics; Psychology; Business.

‘Politically Homeless’ is the very first book by comedian, impersonator, political commentator and ex-Becket student Matt Forde. Matt was obsessed with politics from an early age, and as a teenager was already aware of how the different political parties appealed to different social groups in the Nottingham area where he grew up. Matt honed his performance skills by doing Alan Partridge impressions in English lessons and performing in the Becket Extravaganza. At the same time, however, he was becoming seriously involved in political life.            His book is a funny, sharp look at  politics in Britain today.

Links to: Politics; Sociology

What do engineers actually do? Are all engineers the same? What kind of thinkers make good engineers? If you are the kind of person who looks at a problem and start to plan solutions, then maybe you should think about engineering.

This book looks at different engineers and different problems, allowing the reader to understand how engineers think, and how they solve what may seem at first to be impossible conundrums.

One good example is the invention of the ATM: “I hit upon the       idea of the chocolate bar dispenser but replacing chocolate with   cash.”

Links to: Physics; Product Design; Engineering.

With the subtitle “A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything”, this is a book for people who are fascinated by how the world works. Chapter 1 is entitled “What do schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers have in common?” and considers how incentives work (or don’t). And that gives a perfect insight into the preoccupations of this book – it considers those things that most of us don’t stop to question, and then gives us the frequently surprising answers.

Links to: Economics; Sociology; Psychology; Business

We can easily forget that the history of immigration to Britain is a very long one. Robert Winder goes back hundreds of years to tell the tales of how complex and diverse Britain’s origins really are, demonstrating that our assumptions about ourselves and our culture are usually far too simplistic. Our customs, our foods and even our language have origins far beyond the shores of this small island.

Links to: Sociology; History.

A favourite of readers across the world, this little book tells the story of a journey. Santiago, a shepherd boy, travels far from home in search of hidden treasure, but on the way discovers more than just treasure – he learns about listening to your heart and following your dreams.

Links to: Ethics; English Literature.

A more recent take on the dystopian novel, ‘Never let Me Go; imagines a world very similar to our own, but with one very important difference: some of the people are clones. Created so that their organs can be used in transplant surgery, the lives of the clones are short, but strangely like the lives of ordinary people. McEwan raises big ethical questions in this novel, making us confront our beliefs about the purpose of human life, and how far we can go in pushing the boundaries of science.

Links to: Ethics; Medicine; Literature

The first Afghan novel to be written in English, this book was a huge best-seller and made its author deservedly famous. It is the story of a friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father’s servant. However, it is also about the big themes of father-son relationships, betrayal and redemption. The setting of contemporary Afghanistan makes ‘The Kite Runner’ an essential read for anyone interested in the complex history of that country.

Links to: Literature; History; Politics

Another classic favourite, ‘The Go-Between’ was written in 1953 but captures the distant world of late Victorian England. Narrator Leo is staying with his wealthy friend for the summer holidays, and is drawn into acting as the “go-between” in the illicit relationship between his friend’s beautiful sister and the local farmer. He does not understand why social class prevents the two from being openly friendly, but also does not realise how he is being used by them both. Also made into a film, this is many readers’ favourite mid-20th century novel.

Links to: Literature; History; Sociology.