Marek Kohn Knihy

Set against the backdrop of post-World War I London, the narrative revolves around Billie Carleton, a young actress whose tragic death from a cocaine overdose sparked a national discourse on drug use. The investigation into her death reveals a complex web of societal issues, including the stigmatization of the Chinese community and the exploitation of vulnerable women. The book explores how perceptions of drugs shifted from commonplace to dangerous, intertwining themes of race, class, and gender, and reflecting on their relevance in contemporary Britain.

A compelling argument about the importance of using more than one language in today's world In a world that has English as its global language and rapidly advancing translation technology, it's easy to assume that the need to use more than one language will diminish--but Marek Kohn argues that plural language use is more important than ever. In a divided world, it helps us to understand ourselves and others better, to live together better, and to make the most of our various cultures. Kohn, whom the Guardian has called "one of the best science writers we have," brings together perspectives from psychology, evolutionary thought, politics, literature, and everyday experience. He explores how people acquire languages; how they lose them; how they can regain them; how different languages may affect people's perceptions, their senses of self, and their relationships with each other; and how to resolve the fundamental contradiction of languages, that they exist as much to prevent communication as to make it happen.

Exploring the intersection of science and biography, this work delves into the unique English perspective on evolutionary theory. It highlights the lives and often eccentric personalities of key figures in the field, revealing the controversies and distinctive traits that shaped their contributions to our understanding of evolution. Through engaging narratives, the book sheds light on the cultural and historical context that influenced these groundbreaking ideas.

A fascinating journey through Europe's old towns, exploring why we treasure them-but also what they hide about a continent's fraught history Historic quarters in cities and towns across the middle of Europe were devastated during the Second World War-some, like those of Warsaw and Frankfurt, had to be rebuilt almost completely. They are now centers of peace and civility that attract millions of tourists, but the stories they tell about places, peoples, and nations are selective. They are never the whole story. These old towns and their turbulent histories have been key sites in Europe's ongoing theater of politics and war. Exploring seven old towns, from Frankfurt and Prague to Vilnius in Lithuania, the acclaimed writer Marek Kohn examines how they have been used since the Second World War to conceal political tensions and reinforce certain versions of history. Uncovering hidden stories behind these old and old-seeming facades, Kohn offers us a new understanding of the politics of European history-making-showing how our visits to old towns could promote belonging over exclusion, and empathy over indifference.