Social & political philosophy – The Bell Bookshop

Why Machiavelli Matters Now

Emma — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

An exploration of Machiavelli’s poetry, love affairs, friendships, and his preoccupation with truth and perception.Who was Niccolo Machiavelli and why should we consider him relevant to the problems and vexations of the modern world? Stephen Bowd and Alexander Lee aim to ‘defamiliarize’ Machiavelli.Given that he is so well known, if only by name, and the subject of such grave misconceptions and prejudice, the authors set out to explain why he is not the ‘Machiavellian’ figure he is supposed to be, and that he was not just a political thinker.Examining his frequently bawdy poetry, his comedies and his love affairs and friendships, this book will lead modern readers on an exhilarating and thought-provoking journey through Machiavelli’s mind, bringing him to life and illuminating why such a seminal thinker should be of urgent interest to us today.

The Challenge of the Future

Emma — Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

In an era of instability, how do we build a better future?

We live in a time of unprecedented technological change and uncertainty, from AI to transhumanism. Humankind is faced with the question of what the future will be like and – more burningly – should be like. We confront increasing dangers from geopolitical instability, war and the climate crisis that threaten to render these developments either irrelevant or deadly.

The answer can’t just be to call a halt.

A. C. Grayling asks the question no one else is asking. What do we wish to keep from yesterday that will help us decide today what we want and don't want tomorrow. How we might navigate the complexities to build a fairer, more equal, sustainable future.

Prophecy

Emma — Thu, 07 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Today’s computer scientists play the same role as the oracles of the ancient world and the astrologers of the Middle Ages. Modern predictions not only advise on war, crop output, and marriages, but algorithms and statisticians also now determine whether we can get a loan, a job, an apartment, or an organ transplant. And when we cede ground to these predictions, we lose control of our own lives.

In this powerful, refreshing new look at the many ways prediction shapes our everyday lives, University of Oxford professor Carissa Véliz explains how putting too much stock in others’ predictions makes us vulnerable to charlatans, con artists, dubious technology, and self-deception. Examining a wide range of subjects both personal and societal, including medicine, climate, technology, society, and others, Véliz uncovers a number of insights: predictions about humans tend to be self-fulfilling; more data doesn’t guarantee better outcomes; AI is more likely to increase risk than decrease it; and a free and robust society requires not more prediction, but better preparation.

Véliz argues in this incisive and bracingly original book that the main promise of prediction is not knowledge of the future, but rather power over others. Prophecy is an invitation to defy those orders and live life on our own terms.

The Beginning Comes After the End

Emma — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

From one of the most significant thinkers of our day, 'The Beginning Comes After the End' is an optimistic call to arms for our turbulent times, which maps the extraordinary revolution in politics, thinking and human rights that we are living through.

Neurodiversity

Emma — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring Neurodiversity is the idea that human brains function in a variety of ways. By understanding that people take in, process, and respond to information differently, we can appreciate how these profound differences affect the ways in which we experience the world and form relationships with one another. In spite of the central simplicity of this concept, the consequences of fully understanding and exploring neurodiversity can be transformative. This Very Short Introduction looks at how neurodiversity has been understood in a variety of settings including education, research, workplace, health and social care, and criminal justice. Robert Chapman and Sue Fletcher-Watson also draw out interesting connections to models of disability, human rights, anti-capitalism, and intersectionality. Alongside this, they discuss how issues of gender, sexuality, neuroqueering, and decoloniality bear on neurodiversity. The book is an engaging read for students, thinkers, and practitioners interested in neurodiversity and its links to philosophy, psychology, sociology, political theory, medicine, and biology. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Centrists of the World Unite!

Emma — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

From the acclaimed author of The Aristocracy of Talent: the history, enduring genius and vital importance today of liberalism

We live in an age of extremes: populist leaders are setting the agenda, autocracies are on the march, and the liberal establishment is a bewildered blob, devoid of new ideas or fresh solutions. Having once powered progress in the form of democracy, mass welfare and defeating totalitarianism, liberals have the power to save the world again – but only if they rediscover the lost genius of their creed.

Guiding us skilfully and entertainingly through the intellectual, cultural and political histories of liberalism, this book lays out a centrist agenda for today’s problems. It reminds us of the dynamism and fixed principles that have shaped the successes of liberalism and warns us against splitting into sub-groups that fail to grapple with the common good. Wooldridge proposes that, as well as reviving social mobility, liberals today need to be much more critical of big business – particularly if it makes money by manipulating choices and spreading misinformation – and rethink the laissez-faire approach to immigration, social disorder, and substance abuse.

A powerful call to action, Centrists of the World Unite! shows us how liberals of all parties and none can come together in defending the values of liberal civilization from enemies without and within.

How to Own the Room

Emma — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

INCLUDES A NEW BONUS CHAPTER ON ‘HOW TO OWN THE ZOOM’
‘Full of helpful concepts… I’m finding it very useful.’ Philippa Perry
‘Plenty of tips and tricks.’ Sunday Times

Most books about public speaking don’t tell you what to do when you open your mouth and nothing comes out. And they don’t tell you how to get over the anxiety about performance that most people naturally have. They don’t tell you what to do in the moments when you are made, as a woman, to feel small. They don’t tell you how to own the room. This book does. From the way Michelle Obama projects ‘happy high status’, and the power of J.K. Rowling’s understated speaking style, to Virginia Woolf’s leisurely pacing and Oprah Winfrey’s mastery of inner conviction, what is it that our heroines do to make us sit up and listen – really listen – to their every word? And how can you achieve that impact in your own life? Here’s how.

Minority Rule

Emma — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

**The instant top 5 Sunday Times bestseller from political commentator Ash Sarkar, now available in paperback with a brand new afterword**

‘One of the boldest and most exciting thinkers of her generation’ NAOMI KLEIN
‘Delivers its message with punch and panache … A joy to read’ GUARDIAN
‘If leftists feel they have been stumbling around in the darkness, Minority Rule flicks on the light’ STANDARD

Minority rule (noun): an irrational fear fuelled by right-wing pundits, lobby journalists and billionaires, that minority groups are displacing majority populations.

We all know that the modern world is in crisis. But it’s not just a crisis for the climate, or of living standards – it’s a ‘blame crisis’. Whether it’s infighting on the left or the demonisation of immigrants on the right, there’s always a new talking point to distract us from real, systemic change.

Now is the time to realise that we have been duped into fighting with each other; now is the time to redirect our outrage towards those who deserve it.

In Minority Rule, political commentator Ash Sarkar offers a sharp and lively reality check. Whether it’s exposing the origins of the ‘white working class’, or examining how ‘non-events’ have taken over journalism, this book – now with a brand new afterword – will help you break the blame cycle for good.

The Unfragile Mind

Emma — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

‘Francis combines the precision of science with a profound insight into the human condition’ GUARDIAN FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF ADVENTURES IN HUMAN BEING AND RECOVERY Between a quarter and a fifth of young people in the UK now suffer a mental disorder. One in four adults are prescribed psychiatric medication. These numbers represent a huge and recent expansion in mental health labelling, but reveal nothing of the experience of those seeking help.In The Unfragile Mind, Gavin draws on conversations with patients, colleagues, and his thirty years of practice to explore the chequered history of psychiatry, the nature of mental health and ill-health, and the problems – including mood disorders, trauma, anxiety and addiction – that he addresses daily.The mind, he argues, is dynamic and adaptive – better addressed not with rigid labels and protocols, but with curiosity, kindness, humility and hope.