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The Secret Life of a Cemetery
Regular price $17.95 Save $-17.95A cozy and "enchanting" (Guardian) read that will transport you to the world’s most famous cemetery where the grounds are ruled by foxes, overgrown flora, and maybe even ghosts…
"Not only is this a book that answers, fact for fact, everything you ever wanted to know about Père-Lachaise but were afraid to ask, it is also a portrait of a person who truly loves his work."—The New York Times
For Benoît Gallot, Père Lachaise is best explored without a guide: You’re guaranteed to lose your way. You’ll feel as though you’ve stepped out of time, out of Paris, and into another place entirely. In his debut memoir, Gallot, head curator of Père Lachaise and son of a grave stonemason, pulls back the curtains on his otherworldly workplace—a cemetery crammed with tourists in the high season and mourners year round, but also a natural paradise, where foxes roam, birds flit between trees, and wildflowers and moss encroach onto tombstones.
In elegant, engrossing chapters, Gallot reveals the secret world of Père Lachaise—its Napoleonic origins, its unusual graves and monuments—alongside touching stories from his working life in the cemetery. Born into a family of undertakers, Gallot was named curator of Père-Lachaise in his early-thirties, inheriting the complex job of managing over 100 acres of green space, overseeing 70,000 graves, and arranging burials and cremations, all while contending with millions of tourists—plus film crews, birdwatchers, ghost hunters, and the occasional nude performance artist. Gallot, who also lives on the cemetery grounds with his wife and young children, demystifies his unusual and often misunderstood profession, which in reality requires much more contact with living people than dead ones. In doing so, he provides insight into the history of graveyards and our evolving relationship with death.
Gallot also shares vivid descriptions of flora and fauna, which have reemerged in recent years thanks to a huge rewilding effort. Initially unsure about the idea, he embraced it as the cemetery alleys blossomed and birdsong proliferated. Then in April 2020, with the city in lockdown, Gallot took an early-morning stroll and crossed paths with a fox—in the middle of Paris! He snapped a picture and posted it, unwittingly setting off a media frenzy. Gallot’s daily photographs of Père-Lachaise’s flourishing animal and plant life have attracted followers from around the world, helping to change the public perception of cemeteries, which ultimately exist as places for the living.
A bestseller in France, lauded as “a superb book … full of humor, empathy, and great sweetness” by the French literary press, The Secret Life of a Cemetery is a life-affirming read that will stand the test of time.
The Hiking Book From Hell
Regular price $18.95 Save $-18.95For fans of Bill Bryson and David Sedaris comes an anti-nature memoir that will resonate with anyone who would rather stay inside with a book than venture into the mountains, from one of Scandinavia’s biggest comedians.
“A smart, funny and honest exposé of the cult of the outdoors, from the sublime to the ridiculous.”—Foreword Reviews
Sometime around his forties, Are Kalvø starts losing his friends… to the mountains. Friends who used to meet him at the pub are now hiking and skiing every weekend, and when they do show up, all they talk about is feeling at one with nature (without a hint of irony). When Are realizes he’s the only person who hasn’t posted a selfie on a mountain, he starts to wonder: does he have it all wrong?
To find out, Are buys some ridiculously expensive gear and heads into the woods. The result of his sardonic trek is at once a smart and funny take-down of outdoors culture, and a reluctant surrender to nature’s undeniable pull. An adventure, a comedy, and a tragedy, The Hiking Book from Hell is destined to become a nature writing (and nature hating) classic.
My Head for a Tree
Regular price $28.95 Save $-28.95“The remarkable Bishnoi of India, whose unique religion ‘has environmental protection at its very core,’ recruited Goodman to tell their dramatic story…”—Booklist, STARRED review
Perfect for nature enthusiasts, My Head for a Tree is a timely and remarkable book about India’s Bishnoi people, passionate defenders of nature whose ecological wisdom carries a powerful message.
Meet the Bishnoi, followers of a religion with nature conservation at its heart. Today, Bishnois remain fierce defenders of trees and animals, living by principles set by their guru Jambhoji in the fifteenth century. They chase down armed poachers, rescue and care for injured animals, save endangered species, and lead heroic reforestation efforts in the Rajasthani desert. In a time of biodiversity loss and climate change, what lessons do they have to teach us?
The story of the Bishnoi is true, though it reads like a fable. In 1730, the Maharajah of Jodhpur sent his troops to chop down a forest in northwest India. When 363 local villagers, led by Amrita Devi, hugged the trees to protect them, the Maharajah’s men chopped off their heads. Who are these people who love trees so much that they would give their lives to save them?
My Head for a Tree takes us from temples, homes, and schoolrooms to animal sanctuaries, farms, and desert forests, revealing a thriving community of eco-warriors. Their stories inspire and challenge readers to live more kindly and defend nature with a passion. While you can only be born a Bishnoi, we can all follow their example.
Mind Myths
Regular price $19.95 Save $-19.95Challenge everything you think you know about your brain. Expose the myths. Embrace the complexity. Transform your understanding of human nature and behavior.
Modern culture bombards us with seductive brain myths—from the "left-brain/right-brain" fallacy to dopamine being the "happiness hormone." These oversimplified explanations promise easy answers to complex human behaviors, yet they fundamentally misrepresent how our minds actually work. Mind Myths exposes the dangerous gap between genuine neuroscience and the reductive myths that shape our understanding of addiction, pain, personality, and mental health.
This groundbreaking exploration reveals how centuries of scientific progress have been distorted by commercial interests and cultural biases. Through compelling case studies and rigorous analysis, the book dismantles popular misconceptions about brain imaging, personality tests, and pharmaceutical solutions while examining how social media algorithms exploit our psychological vulnerabilities. From the historical roots of phrenology to contemporary debates about psychedelic therapy, each chapter challenges readers to think beyond simplistic brain-based explanations.
Readers will gain the critical thinking tools needed to navigate an era of neuroscientific misinformation. By understanding how context, culture, and environment shape our mental lives, you'll develop a more sophisticated appreciation for human complexity. This isn't just about debunking myths—it's about reclaiming agency over your own mind and making informed decisions about your mental health, relationships, and personal development in an age of neurohype.
The Inbetween Leader
Regular price $28.95 Save $-28.95From Jody Wilson Raybould, #1 national bestselling author of 'Indian' in the Cabinet, True Reconciliation, and Reconciling History—and co-written with peace educator Roshan Danesh—comes a how-to guide for a new type of leadership.
We live in a time of paradox. At once, it feels like we are pulling together and pulling apart.
In this era of extreme polarization, traditional leadership models rooted in competition and hierarchy are failing to bridge the gap. In The Inbetween Leader, Wilson-Raybould and Danesh offer an alternative—one that fosters interconnectedness, empowers diverse teams, and maintains unity without erasing difference.
Drawing on Indigenous governance traditions and integrative worldviews, and building on discussions in the national bestsellers True Reconciliation and Reconciling History, Wilson-Raybould and Danesh show how leaders in workplaces, communities, and families can create environments where everyone feels valued and engaged. Featuring personal experiences, expert advice, and actionable strategies—and informed by Indigenous wisdom and frontline experience in government and peacebuilding—this is crucial reading for a new generation of leaders.