How did we get here? See which ideas shaped the course of history, and how philosophy played a significant role in human evolution.

History & Philosophy

The best microbooks of the week, selected by our team. Stay tuned to the latest trends in the world of literature and knowledge.

Radar 12min

Five true and improbable stories from World Cups that prove football is bigger than the scoreboard. From a fourteen-year-old ball boy who stole an Italian goalkeeper's notes to a parade of four million people that had to be evacuated by helicopter, this Radar twelve min gathers the most human moments from the biggest sporting event on the planet.

The wildest side of the World Cup

Five teams. Five different ways to change the history of the world's most popular sport. From Brazil in nineteen seventy, who played in the first World Cup broadcast in colour and kept the Jules Rimet Trophy forever, to Argentina in twenty twenty two, who played what many consider the greatest final ever. In this Radar twelve min, we cover what made each of these squads so special, with verified facts, little-known curiosities, and the context that the twenty twenty six World Cup will need.

The five teams that changed World Cup history

Understanding the science behind your decision making and behavior is a great asset in the battle to a more fulfilled life.

Psychology

Frantz Fanon wrote this at twenty-seven and changed the way the world understands racism. This microbook breaks down how colonialism forces people to wear psychological masks of language, desire, and intellectualism, and maps the path from alienation to authentic humanism and mutual recognition.

Black Skin, White Masks

In her first book, cognition researcher Bohannon explores the evolution of women's bodies in a fascinating way. She suggests that mammal milk production likely started around 205 million years ago when pre-mammals used a mucus-like substance to coat their eggs. She also explains how the first versions of human wombs appeared about 65 million years ago in an animal similar to a weasel squirrel. By comparing humans with other species, she suggests that our anatomy might have shaped our behavior. She proposes that early humans might not have been as aggressive because they lacked certain anatomical features in ducks. Bohannon argues that female ancestors may have been the first to walk on two legs because they needed to carry food for their offspring. She combines scientific research with humor, making complex ideas easy to understand. Her book offers a fresh perspective on human evolution, emphasizing the role of females in shaping our history.

Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution

‘’Killers of the Flower Moon’’ by David Grann is a piece that follows the investigation into the murders of Osage Indians, who at the beginning of the last century, thanks to oil reserves on their land, became one of the richest people in the world, but also the tragic victims of one of the most horrible, horrific, and shameful crimes in the American history.

Killers of the Flower Moon

In ‘’Empire of Pain’’ Patrick Radden Keefe presents a history of the Sackler family, whose name stands behind numerous scientific and cultural institutions in America and also behind pharmaceutical company Purdue Pharma, famous for manufacturing and promoting OxyContin, an opioid-based painkiller that brought addiction struggles and deaths to hundreds of thousands of Americans in the last few decades.

Empire of Pain

	Although it seems that anyone can read literature, only those equipped with the proper tools of literary criticism can read it critically. In ‘’How to Read Literature,’’ renowned literary theorist Terry Eagleton teaches us how to delve into the process of critical analysis of characters, plot, literary language, narration, and many more. 

 How to Read Literature

	Addiction is a complex phenomenon that has been obsessing people over centuries - that is why we need a thorough approach in its examination - the one Carl Erik Fisher has in the book ‘’The Urge.’’ In it, you will find how addiction was treated and contemplated through centuries, how Alcoholics Anonymous was created, whether addiction has biological, genetic, or social causes, how Fisher fought his addiction, and many more.

The Urge

	In ‘’How The World Really Works,’’ you will find everything you need to understand energy, food production, globalization, and much more. In other words, this bestseller is a comprehensive guide to understanding how some of the most fundamental ruling realities govern our survival and prosperity and shape our future.

How the World Really Works

Written in the form of a Socratic dialogue between a philosopher and a young man, “The Courage to Be Disliked” uses the theories of Alfred Adler – one of the three giants of nineteenth-century psychology alongside Freud and Jung – to guide readers to unlocking the power within themselves to become the people they truly want to be.

The Courage to Be Disliked

Build a solid career, learn how to run your business and inspire other people to do the same.

Career & Business

It's time to learn about the main pillars of society, world politics, and different cultures. 

Society & Politics

The best microbooks on Emotional Intelligence to make you overcome obstacles in your personal and professional life.

Emotional Intelligence

Robert Greene’s debut book – “The 48 Laws of Power” – is a practical manual for anyone interested in gaining power or arming themselves against it. Drawing from the philosophies of Sun Tzu, Machiavelli, Baltasar Gracián, and many others, the book doesn’t merely explicate the laws but also illustrates them through real-world historical examples that reveal the consequences of both their observance and violation.

The 48 Laws of Power

“The Black Swan” is one of the most influential works on uncertainty. It looks at the ways in which we fall into the trap of perceiving ourselves as all-knowing creatures who can predict the future when, in fact, we know nothing about what might happen in a year’s time or even tomorrow. Instead, we should embrace the fact that life is defined by Black Swans – unpredictable events that might occur at any moment.

The Black Swan

First translated into English in 2016, “Homo Deus” by Yuval Noah Harari is a broad-stroked exploration of how humans evolved to become the planet’s dominant species, and a tentative account of how our future may unfold. As in “Sapiens,” Harari reminds us once again who we are and how we got here, but this time he deals with yet another question: where are we going?

Homo Deus

Take a sneak-peek into the private lives of people who left a mark in world history.

Biographies & Memoirs

Nelson Mandela’s “Long Walk to Freedom” is one of the most celebrated memoirs of recent times, describing his battle against apartheid, tyranny, and colonialism.  It is a marvelous book chronicling his amazing and heroic life -  from the very humble start to the victorious end – and a testament to the greatness of the most prominent political and cultural icon of the 20th century. 

Long Walk to Freedom

A monumental feat of historical research, “Modern South India” by Rajmohan Gandhi tells the story of South India from the 17th century to our times – covering everything from the decline of the Vijayanagara Empire and the rise of the Deccan Sultanates to the effects of British colonialism and the aftermath of the War for Independence.

Modern South India

Who was St. Patrick, really? We know precisely little about Ireland’s patron saint, and yet, he is celebrated on March 17 every year around the world. In an attempt to glean more information on St. Patrick’s life, Flechner looked again at contemporary sources in their historical context. In doing so, he managed to fill some gaps in our knowledge of St. Patrick.

Saint Patrick Retold

GDP, Trade balance, foreign capital. Everything about global trade is here!

Economics

An introduction to “the lives, times and ideas” of several great economic thinkers – from Adam Smith to John Maynard Keynes, from David Ricardo to Karl Marx – “The Worldly Philosophers” by Robert Heilbroner examines, with authority and dispassion, the history of economic thought in a comprehensive and comprehensible manner. A living classic, the book has sold over four million copies ever since its first publication in 1953.

The Worldly Philosophers

Marcus Aurelius’ “Meditations” is one of the greatest works of ancient philosophy. Aurelius was a Roman Emperor and a strong believer in Stoicism, which he outlines in his books. Everyone has a purpose in life which is dictated by the universe. Humans, animals, and the inanimate world alike are part of a plan, and to follow this, we need to listen to our inner selves in order to find our purpose and our way in life.

Meditations

Personal Development

“Man’s Search for Meaning” describes Viktor Frankl’s experiences at four different Nazi concentration camps, as well as his original psychotherapeutic method called logotherapy. Devised before the war and validated by its evils, logotherapy focuses on the future, arguing that while we cannot avoid suffering, we can choose how to bear its burden and find meaning in work, love, and courage in difficult times.

History & Philosophy

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