New Releases by Michael Bond

From the acclaimed science writer and author of Wayfinding, comes a journey into the world of superfans and an exploration of the human psychology of fandom. Fascinating and thought-provoking, Fans is a story of communities, of what happens to us when we interact with people who share our passions. The human brain is wired to reach out, and while our groupish tendencies can bring much strife (religious intolerance, racism, war), they are also the source of some of our greatest satisfactions. Fandoms offer much of the pleasure of tribalism with little of the harm: a feeling of belonging and of shared culture, a sense of meaning and purpose, improved mental well-being, reassurance that our most outlandish convictions will be taken seriously, and the freedom to try to emulate (and dress like) our hero. Fans takes the reader on a journey through a constellation of fandoms, and along the way demonstrates some fundamental truths about the human condition. Here, Michael Bond draws on the work of social psychologists and anthropologists to understand how people behave in groups and why such groups have such a profound effect on human culture.

Paddington Bear has been delighting adults and children alike with his earnest good intentions and humorous misadventures for over sixty years and is now a major movie star!

A funny, festive picture book about Paddington, the beloved, classic bear from darkest Peru.

A brand new glorious gift book of a much-loved classic. A celebration of words and pictures from the creator of Paddington Bear, Michael Bond, and contemporary genius Rob Biddulph!

A wise and insightful exploration of human navigation, what it means to be lost, and how we find our way. How is it that we can walk unfamiliar streets while maintaining a sense of direction? Come up with shortcuts on the fly, in places we’ve never traveled? The answer is the complex mental map in our brains. This feature of our cognition is easily taken for granted, but it’s also critical to our species’ evolutionary success. In From Here to There Michael Bond tells stories of the lost and found—Polynesian sailors, orienteering champions, early aviators—and surveys the science of human navigation. Navigation skills are deeply embedded in our biology. The ability to find our way over large distances in prehistoric times gave Homo sapiens an advantage, allowing us to explore the farthest regions of the planet. Wayfinding also shaped vital cognitive functions outside the realm of navigation, including abstract thinking, imagination, and memory. Bond brings a reporter’s curiosity and nose for narrative to the latest research from psychologists, neuroscientists, animal behaviorists, and anthropologists. He also turns to the people who design and expertly maneuver the world we navigate: search-and-rescue volunteers, cartographers, ordnance mappers, urban planners, and more. The result is a global expedition that furthers our understanding of human orienting in the natural and built environments. A beguiling mix of storytelling and science, From Here to There covers the full spectrum of human navigation and spatial understanding. In an age of GPS and Google Maps, Bond urges us to exercise our evolved navigation skills and reap the surprising cognitive rewards.

Paddington has warmed the hearts of generations of readers with his earnest good intentions and humorous misadventures. This edition of the classic novel contains the original text by Michael Bond and illustrations by Peggy Fortnum and R.W. Alley. Somehow Paddington always manages to find himself in strange situations. From a squishy miscommunication involving oysters and public transit to a case of mistaken identity, there’s never a dull moment when a certain bear is around! Paddington Races Ahead is the thirteenth classic novel about Michael Bond’s beloved classic character, Paddington Bear.

Celebrate the 60th anniversary of Paddington Bear with this final classic picture book adventure from beloved author Michael Bond. Paddington Bear’s adventures never go quite as planned. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t filled with fun and laughter! When Mr. Gruber takes Paddington on a special outing to St. Paul’s Cathedral, there is one surprise after another. And the biggest surprise of all comes when Paddington is mistaken for a choir bear and suddenly finds himself taking part in a most unusual rehearsal. For six decades, stories of Paddington have charmed readers all over the world. Now another generation of fans can join the beloved bear in this brand-new adventure written by Michael Bond and illustrated by artist R. W. Alley.

Paddington the beloved classic bear from Darkest Peru, now a major movie star is back in this fantastically funny, brand new illustrated novel from master storyteller Michael Bond! Hurrying forward, he held out a welcoming hand. "Sir Percival Rushmoor," he said. "I''m invigilating.""I''m sorry to hear that, Sir Percival," said Paddington. "I hope you feel better very soon." Paddington always finds himself in unusual situations so it is no surprise when he has a run-in with the police, appears in a TV cookery show, and gives one of his hard stares to a hypnotist!

The classic story of everyone''s favourite bear, Paddington. Now available in board book format - perfect for tiny paws! Paddington Bear first met the Brown family at a railway station - Paddington Station, in fact. He had travelled all the way from Darkest Peru with only a jar of marmalade, a suitcase and a label reading ''Please look after this bear''. Without further ado, Mr and Mrs Brown welcomed the adventurous bear into their family, and in honour of their meeting place they named him Paddington. The Browns soon discover that Paddington is a most unusual bear, for ordinary things - like having a bath - become quite extraordinary when a bear called Paddington is around!

Paddington Bear has charmed readers of all ages for almost 60 years! Now part of the I Can Read line, Michael Bond''s classic character will delight beginning readers with his curious nature and nose for adventure. Paddington is not a bear to shy away from a tough job. But when he is left in charge of the local barber shop, his determination to keep the customers happy will surprise even himself! Paddington at the Barber Shop is a Level One I Can Read book, which means it’s perfect for children learning to sound out words and sentences.

When Paddington returns from his trip to Peru, he doesn’t waste any time getting back to business. The Stock Exchange, the ballet, the barber’s shop, Mr. Curry’s kitchen...nothing is safe when Paddington gets to work. First published in 1966, Paddington at Work is the seventh novel by Michael Bond, chronicling the adventures of this classic character. Paddington has warmed the hearts of generations of readers with his earnest good intentions and humorous misadventures. This brand-new edition of the classic novel contains the original text by Michael Bond and illustrations by Peggy Fortnum.

''From the very beginning there was not the slightest doubt that Olga da Polga was the sort of guinea-pig who would go places.'' Michael Bond''s guinea-pig has been charming readers for over 40 years. Catherine Rayner illustrates this stunning small format gift edition of Olga da Polga with glorious full colour watercolours and siilkscreen images.

When the Browns go on holiday to France, Paddington is put in charge of the "eyetinnery." But even with the whole trip planned down to the last marmalade sandwich, somehow Paddington takes the family off the beaten path on a voyage no one could forget. With Paddington in charge, one should always plan on a little bit of adventure! First published in 1961, Paddington Abroad is the fourth novel by Michael Bond chronicling the adventures of this classic character. Paddington has warmed the hearts of generations of readers with his earnest good intentions and humorous misadventures. This brand-new edition of the classic novel contains the original text by Michael Bond and illustrations by Peggy Fortnum.

Enjoy six hilarious picture books, all about Paddington the nation s favourite bear, now a major movie star in this special gift edition suitcase with carry-along handle. Paddington Bear is a distinguished small bear of earnest good intentions who gets drawn into mishap and adventure at every turn. Thankfully his great sense of logic and determination manage to get him out of most scrapes, albeit in perhaps some rather unconventional ways. Find out what happens when Paddington gets all the wrong kind of attention at the zoo, how he finds his way out of a maze, and how he helps out around the house with messy results The Paddington books contained in the suitcase are: Paddington and the Marmalade Maze Paddington and the Tutti Frutti Rainbow Paddington at the Palace Paddington at the Zoo Paddington Minds the House Paddington the Artist"

When the Brown family meets a bear on Paddington Station, their lives are never the same again, as ordinary things become extraordinary when a bear called Paddington is involved.

The Channel Tunnel is all very well as a mundane means of crossing La Manche but there are those who still believe in airships as the luxury transport of the future. In a rare spirit of entente cordiale, the governments of France and Britain agree to a trial run, and plan a grand inaugural flight involving their heads of state. But - quelle horreur! - the organisers have overlooked the most important part of every French occasion - the food and the wine. Honour is at stake and a desperate call for help goes out to Le Guide, France''s most distinguished gastronomic publication. Monsieur Pamplemousse, ex Surete sleuth turned food inspector, is called on to rectify matters.The assignment gets off to an inauspicious start. As he nears the launch site in Brittany, Monsieur Pamplemousse''s 2CV is run off the road by a carful of decidedly ungodly nuns. And the lady trapeze artist who rescues him clearly has something other than the evening''s acrobatics preying on her mind. When an old friend cuts him dead, he suspects the worst...

When one of five restaurant-owning brothers vanishes into thin air, Monsieur Pamplemousse''s detective skills are called into play. A delicious blend of gastronomic delight, teasing mystery, and pure comedy.

The classic novel about Paddington—who''s now a major movie star! Paddington Bear had traveled all the way from Peru when the Browns first met him in Paddington Station. Since then, their lives have never been quite the same . . . for ordinary things become extraordinary when a bear called Paddington is involved. First published in 1958, A Bear Called Paddington is the first novel by Michael Bond, chronicling the adventures of this lovable bear. Paddington has charmed readers for generations with his earnest good intentions and humorous misadventures. This brand-new edition of the classic novel contains the original text by Michael Bond and illustrations by Peggy Fortnum.

Rise and shine! Paddington Bear has a busy day ahead. From sunup to sundown, Paddington has a lot of things to do, people to see, and tasty treats to eat. Paddington Bear has charmed readers for generations. Written in simple rhyme for younger fans, and paired with R. W. Alley''s lively art, this board book is a great introduction to Paddington and all of his activities.

Discover how in almost every area of our lives, our behaviour is influenced far more by others than we’d like to imagine Teenage cliques, jihadist cells, army units, polar expeditions, and football hooligans – on the face of it, each of these groups might seem exceptional, but the forces that bind and drive them can affect us all. In recent decades, psychologists have uncovered how and why our innate socialness holds huge sway over how we think and act, propelling us to both high achievement and unthinking cruelty. We are beholden to our peers, even when we think we’re calling the shots. This is the power of others. In this captivating work, science writer Michael Bond investigates the latest breakthroughs in social psychology to reveal how to guard against groupthink, build better teamwork, identify shared objectives, become more ethical, and survive moments of isolation. A fascinating blend of evolutionary theory, behavourial science, and remarkable case studies, The Power of Others will teach you to truly harness your collective self.

The garlic-laden winds of change are blowing through the vineyards of Burgundy. Under threat from the increasing use of pesticides is the helix pomotia: the humble snail, the main ingredient for escargot Bourgignon. Meanwhile, on the Canal de Bourgogne, Monsieur Pamplemousse is lecturing a group of international wine buffs on the fruits of the region, a task from which he is distracted by a Marilyn Monroe look-alike. It turns out that skulduggery among the vines will be the least of Monsieur Pamplemousse''s worries.

This is a read-along edition with audio synced to the text, performed by Stephen Fry. A brand new picture book featuring Paddington, the classic bear from Darkest Peru, as he takes part in a local family sports event, with hilarious results!

“Bears like Paddington are very rare,” says Mrs Bird, “and a good thing too, or it would cost us a small fortune in marmalade.”

‘ALL THIS COULD BE YOURS!’

“I’ve never known such a bear for smelling things out,” said Mrs Bird.

When Monsieur Pamplemousse got an urgent summons from the Director of Le Guide, he knew that there was trouble at the top. His faithful canine companion, Pommes Frites, noticed it too. But neither of them expected that the trouble would involve a nun who was in the habit of joining the Mile High Club or a full-scale smear campaign targeting Le Guide''s credibility as France''s première restaurant and hotel guide. Someone has been spreading worrying rumours among the staff and infiltrating the company files - awarding hotels prizes for bedbugs and praising egg and chips signature dishes. Even Pommes Frites has become a victim of the assault. It could all spell the ruin for Le Guide, but Pamplemousse is on the case.

Le Guide, France''s premier gastronomic guide, is failing to whet the appetite of its audience in America. Bribed by the Director with offers of some time off, Monsieur Pamplemousse agrees to flex his literary muscles in a bid to address the problem by writing a play. The result is the ex-detective''s directorial debut, complete with walk-on part for faithful bloodhound Pommes Frites. Everything rests on their special guest, Jay Corby, the acclaimed American food-critic, whose good opinion could change their transatlantic fortunes. But disaster strikes on opening night when a manoeuvre with a trapdoor causes Corby to storm out in a rage. Monsieur Pamplemousse must find him before he ruins everything for Le Guide. Once again he can rely on star sniffer dog Pommes Frites, who is hot on the trail of their only lead: a flimsy undergarment belonging to an exotic dancer they came across in a state of undress before the start of the show.

When Paddington and Mr Gruber visit Hampton Court they are joined by a group of tourists who all expect to come back home with them for tea! Luckily Paddington finds and a-mazing way out of the situation. Suggested level: junior, primary.