This is the remarkably funny true story of some of the brave, brilliant and often barmy men that invented diving. It is a story of explosive tempers and exploding teeth, of how to juggle live hand grenades and steer a giant rubber octopus. A series of vivid portraits reveal the eccentric exploits of these underwater pioneers. They include Guy who held a world altitude record when only sixteen, wrote a film for Humphrey Bogart, invented snorkelling and loved his wife enough to shoot her. Roy wore a backet over his head and stole a coral reef. Bill wearied of fishing with dynamite and wrestling deadly snakes, so he sealed himself in a metal coffin to dangle half a mile beneath the ocean. Cameron, testing the bouncing bomb for dam busters, made a plastic ear for a dog, a false testicle for a stallion and invented a mantrap disguised as a lavatory. He ascended from a depth of 200 feet without breathing equipment to see if his lungs would burst, then studied the effects of underwater explosions by standing closer and closer until shattered by the blast. The book also traces the evolution of underwater exploration, from spear fishermen to conversationalists, from treasure hunters to archaeologists, from photographers to philosophers. The sea is a secretive and seductive place and the author describes, with incredible humour, knowledge and historical accuracy, the magic and mystery of being beneath the waves.

THE HUGELY INFLUENTIAL INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER

From Cass R. Sunstein and Richard H. Thaler, winner of the 2017 Nobel Prize in Economics, Nudge is the book that has changed the way we think about decision-making

Nudge is about choices - how we make them and how we can make better ones. Every day we make decisions: about the things that we buy or the meals we eat; about the investments we make or our children's health and education; even the causes that we champion or the planet itself. Unfortunately, we often choose poorly. We are all susceptible to biases that can lead us to make bad decisions. And, as Thaler and Sunstein show, no choice is ever presented to us in a neutral way. By knowing how people think, we can make it easier for them to choose what is best for them, their families and society. Using dozens of eye-opening examples and original research, the authors demonstrate how to nudge us in the right directions, without restricting our freedom of choice.

'How often do you read a book that is both important and amusing, both practical and deep? ... A must-read for anyone who wants to see both our minds and our society working better' Daniel Kahneman, author of Thinking, Fast and Slow

'I love this book. It is one of the few books I've read recently that fundamentally changes the way I think about the world' Steven D. Levitt, co-author of Freakonomics

Do you need to know your lime putty from your lime plaster? Want to improve your flatness tolerance? Stuck with an incomprehensible DIY manual? The Penguin Dictionary of Building is your answer. Ably steering you through the confusing maze of jargon and technical terms, this ever-popular text has sold over 150,000 copies and is invaluable for anyone interested in construction: students, professional architects, bricklayers, carpenters, glaziers, plasterers, plumbers or DIY enthusiasts. From abrasives to Z-purlin via the murder clause, this clear and comprehensive dictionary provides succinct and accurate explanations of the techniques, equipment and issues of the building world.

RHYME STEW by Roald Dahl is a collection of raucous rhymes for older children featuring characters from fairy tales, fables and nursery rhymes - as you've never seen them before! From the tortoise and the hare and Hansel and Gretel to Ali Baba and Aladdin, these traditional stories will never seem the same again once you have had a taste of Roald Dahl's hilarious verse and Quentin Blake's suitably lively illustrations.

Reissued in the exciting new Roald Dahl branding, this is an inventive and irreverant collection for older children and adults alike, which bubbles over with Roald Dahl's extraordinary humour and imagination.

You can listen to all of Roald Dahl's stories on Puffin audiobooks read by some very famous voices, including Kate Winslet, David Walliams and Steven Fry - plus there are added squelchy soundeffects from Pinewood Studios!
Also look out for new Roald Dahl apps in the App store and Google Play- including the disgusting TWIT OR MISS! and HOUSE OF TWITS inspired by the revolting Twits.

Tracy wasn't surprised that her dad disapproved of Kev, with his hair in spikes, his Dayglo socks and all the rest of his punk gear. But she liked the way he looked and enjoyed going round with him. Besides, she was determined to have a good time before she had to get some boring job and settle down, like her sister Mary.
That was why the trip to Holland seemed such a great idea. Of course it was Kev who suggested it, and Tracy knew that her parents would never let her go off with Kev, just the two of them. On the other hand, if there was a whole bunch of them going, including her friend Karen and some of the others from school, Dad might - just might - say yes.
As things turned out, persuading Dad to say yes was only the beginning of her troubles. In fact so much went wrong that it was hard, afterwards, to remember the good bits, and it wasn't until the whole awful business was over that Tracy realised she should have seen what was going on all along.

A wide-ranging collection of nature poems for children, chosen by Anne Harvey. This is the perfect collection for introducing children to the magic of poetry.

Includes poems from Thomas Hardy, Spike Milligan, Laurie Lee, Ian Serraillier, John Betjemen, William Blake, Geoffery Chaucer, Emily Dickinson, Philip Larkin, Helen Dunmore, and many more.

Oscar can't believe his ears when Ferris Fleet tells him that dragons aren't just fairy-tales, but it's true: dragons are really real, and hundreds once called World Nine home.

But that was before the Dragon-Chasers came; before they hunted down almost every dragon alive to steal their eggs and their gleaming rainbow skin. Now Fleet and his friends are doing everything they can to protect what few remain.

Oscar wants to help - and he may just get his chance. Because a stranger's arrived in Lonelyheart - a man who gives Oscar the creeps. A man they say is a hunter and a poacher, a man who wears a coat of gleaming rainbows . . .

Unresolved and unconscious trauma and distress can cause depression and other psychological states, but how can therapy help? How does it work? What sort of techniques are employed? In PERSONAL THERAPY Dr Brian Roet explains how therapeutic techniques can be used to release deep-seated emotions, to acknowledge our strengths and weaknesses, and help establish emotional equilibrium. His reassuring and practical advice explains how therapy can lead to enjoying a more fulfilling life.