Hector Macdonald

For fans of Nudge, Sway, and The Art of Thinking Clearly, a fascinating dive into the many ways in which "competing truths" shape our opinions, behaviors, and beliefs.We like to think that there is a clear distinction between true and false. The reality is far murkier.Hector Macdonald has spent much of his career exploring the ways that two completely true statements about the same thing can give wildly different impressions to the people listening. For instance, the Internet can be described as a tool to disseminate knowledge or a system that spreads misinformation and hatred. Both statements are true, but they would paint radically different pictures for a cyber-novice.Now, in Truth: A User's Guide, Macdonald explains how these so-called "competing truths" are used both constructively and misleadingly by businesses, media, politicians, advertisers, and even regular people having regular conversations. He shows how understanding competing truths makes us better at navigating the world and more influential within it. Combining great storytelling with practical takeaways and a litany of fascinating, funny, and insightful case studies, Truth is a sobering and engaging read about how profoundly our mindsets and actions are influenced by the truths that those around us choose to tell.

Cutting-edge science and the logic of game theory combine to form an utterly original, spellbinding novel of suspense."First rule of game do whatever produces the optimal final outcome for you.""I didn't know we were playing a game.""But of course we are. . . ."An expert in animal behavior with a brilliant analytical mind, charismatic Oxford professor James Fieldhead needs a willing subject to test a groundbreaking device that may offer the key to understanding human emotions. Encouraged by Cara, his seductive new girlfriend, Ben Ashurst agrees to participate in the study, honored to be part of the first crucial stage of life-changing research. With a luxury resort on a pristine beach in Kenya as the site of the experiment, and Cara along for the ride, it seems a perfect way to spend the winter holiday. Yet beneath the surface of a sunny paradise awaits something cold and ruthless.As the experiment veers from abstract theory into terrifying reality, Ben finds there is no one he can confide in. Impetuous Cara is intimate one night, then distant the next, forcing Ben to wonder where her true allegiances lie.Snared in a masterfully crafted labyrinth of cunning, in which each step can lead closer to a solution or deeper into chaos, Ben scrambles to learn why he was chosen for this project. Fieldhead's obsession with game theory suggests a possible course of action. But every time Ben thinks he has discovered the winning move, he finds another level of deception, another betrayal of his trust.Moving from the sheltered colleges of Oxford to the magnificent landscape of Kenya, The Mind Game is full of intriguing characters and stunning plot twists. Just when you think you have mastered The Mind Game, you might just be mistaken . . . .From the Hardcover edition.

"Elegant and ingenious, it delivers exactly what it promises — a spy story in the grand tradition" - Daily Mail Drugs are everywhere. Some think they should be legal. Three world leaders want to make it happen. Until one of them is assassinated. Disgraced MI6 spymaster Madeleine Wraye knows just the man to track a killer and keep the remaining two reformers alive. But her exceptional protégé, Simon Arkell, hasn’t been seen in nine years. And there’s another problem: the assassin’s orders may be coming from someone dangerously close to home. The Day of the Jackal meets Tinker, Tailor in an explosive mix of espionage, conspiracy, narcotics and betrayal. The War on Drugs is lost: who will survive the final battle? "Rogue Elements is a beguiling throwback to the espionage fiction of yesteryear... striking characters and vivid action" - Sunday Times

paperback, fine (as new)

The Sydney Hobart yacht race is world the crowds at the Boxing Day start; the Harbour full of colour; giant super-maxis competing for line honours and glory. But in the wrong weather, it can be deadly. No one will ever forget the carnage of 1998. This year, Kirsten McKenzie must win. The bank she's inherited is in trouble, and desperately needs the PR boost of a race victory. Everyone thinks she'll do it - she's got the fastest boat and the best record. Everyone, that is, except a boy called Moses who claims to be able to see the future. He doesn't foresee victory. He sees a storm, mountains of water. He sees a disaster. Petra Woods is Director of the Sydney New Coastguard. She doesn't want to believe Moses's warning, but as the race draws closer and his other predictions start coming true, she might not have a choice. The only option may be to plunge in between the perfect race and the perfect storm. The Storm Prophet is a truly gripping thriller about a vision, a race and the merciless power of the sea.