{"title":"Series: Why It Matters","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eWhy It Matters\u003c\/strong\u003e series invites readers to explore pivotal ideas and themes across diverse fields such as philosophy, finance, health, and history. Each title offers thoughtful insight into subjects that shape our understanding of the world, encouraging curiosity and deeper reflection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhether delving into the nuances of value investing, the intricacies of diet and wellness, or the rich experiences of travel and adventure, these books provide meaningful perspectives designed to inform and inspire. Perfect for readers eager to grasp why these topics truly \u003cem\u003ematter\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"modern-languages-by-katrin-kohl-9781509540549","title":"Modern Languages","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt might seem as if globalisation is making the whole world speak English. But spend time in any major city and you are likely to encounter a cornucopia of languages. Even monolingual people have different ways of speaking to their bosses or teachers, their intimate friends or their pets. And if you live in India or Nigeria, you might use five different languages during a typical day.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eKatrin Kohl makes a passionate case for why we must embrace languages in all their diversity. When you study a language, you open a unique doorway into the world, immerse yourself in a different way of seeing, and discover new ways of communicating with people from different cultures on their terms. Kohl argues that language diversity is of vital importance to human societies, sustaining the complexity of human nature, culture, and technology. We should care about preserving it as much as we care about preserving the diversity of our biological world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eModern Languages\u003c\/em\u003e explores these themes with depth and insight, offering readers a compelling perspective on the role and significance of language in our world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47362923102444,"sku":"9781509540549","price":23.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/12427743482725.jpg?v=1772902725"},{"product_id":"psychology-by-richard-wiseman-9781509550432","title":"Psychology","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou are remarkable: You experience a vast range of thoughts and feelings, including falling in love, remembering last Tuesday, and contemplating the meaning of life. And you can carry out all sorts of astonishing behaviours, such as sauntering down the street, singing in falsetto, and riding a unicycle. Psychologists study every aspect of how you think, feel, and behave.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePsychology\u003c\/em\u003e by Richard Wiseman takes you on a personal journey into this fascinating world, focusing on what makes for meaningful research. He explores how psychology reveals the hidden workings of the mind, boosts critical thinking, debunks myths, improves lives, and informs debates in politics, philosophy, and education. This insider’s guide lifts the lid on how psychologists go about their work, examines contemporary challenges associated with studying the mind, and encourages students and researchers to reflect on why they do what they do.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIf you’ve ever wanted to think like a psychologist, spot a liar, uncover the truth about happiness, or discover how to create a more altruistic society, then this book is for you.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47383966744812,"sku":"9781509550432","price":23.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/12526573482725.jpg?v=1773391584"},{"product_id":"archaeology-by-ann-b-stahl-9781509549870","title":"Archaeology","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHistory lies beneath our feet and in the landscapes around us. In contrast to the history that comes from studying texts, archaeology is the study of history through objects, monuments, and other traces of past lives: history that extends beyond the earliest writings into the deep past, revealing the varied pathways that led to the present, and the challenges—often similar to those we face today—that confronted our ancestors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAnn Stahl argues that archaeology is unique in its focus on the everyday lives of all peoples in all places and times. From ancient temples to humble homes, archaeologists piece together worlds that would otherwise be lost: knowledge that shows us how routine actions have shaped societies, how and why societies have changed in light of environment, politics, and culture—and perhaps what the future holds for our societies too.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eUsing compelling examples from a storied international career, Stahl provides the perfect summary of why archaeology is both a vitally important and enjoyable subject to study.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47423810601196,"sku":"9781509549870","price":23.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/81Gyz9JkMHL._SL1500.jpg?v=1774430677"},{"product_id":"journalism-by-michael-schudson-9781509538553","title":"Journalism","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDespite the criticisms that have been levelled at news organisations in recent years and the many difficulties they face, journalism matters. It matters, argues Schudson, because it orients people daily in the complex and changing worlds in which they live. It matters because it offers a fact-centred, documented approach to pertinent public issues. It matters because it keeps watch on the powerful, especially those in government, and can press upon them unpleasant truths to which they must respond. Corruption is stemmed, unwise initiatives stopped, public danger averted because of what journalists do.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eJournalism\u003c\/em\u003e challenges journalists to think hard about what they really do. It challenges sceptical news audiences to be mindful not only of media bias but also of their own biases and how these can distort their perception. And it holds out hope that journalism will be for years to come a path for ambitious, curious young people who love words or pictures or numbers and want to use them to improve the public conversation in familiar ways or in ways yet to be imagined.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47424435093740,"sku":"9781509538553","price":23.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781509538553.jpg?v=1774768475"},{"product_id":"theology-and-religion-by-graham-ward-9781509529704","title":"Theology and Religion","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGraham Ward argues that the study of theology and religion, as a single academic discipline, plays a vital role in helping us to understand politics, world affairs, and the nature of humanity itself. Religion can be used to justify inhumane actions, but it also feeds dreams, inspires hopes, and shapes aspirations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBy invoking a sense of wonder about the natural world, religion can promote scientific discoveries, and by focusing on shared experiences, religion helps to bind societies together. Some scientists now believe that religious feeling might be hard-wired into our DNA, a fundamental aspect of what makes us human.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBecause religion is rooted in the imagination itself, its study involves staring into the profundities of who we are. Religion will not go away, so it needs to be understood.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47455796297964,"sku":"9781509529704","price":23.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/81MvZB3ioDL._SL1500.jpg?v=1774799038"},{"product_id":"archaeology-by-ann-b-stahl-9781509549863","title":"Archaeology","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHistory lies beneath our feet and in the landscapes around us. In contrast to the history that comes from studying texts, archaeology is the study of history through objects, monuments, and other traces of past lives: history that extends beyond the earliest writings into the deep past, revealing the varied pathways that led to the present, and the challenges – often similar to those we face today – that confronted our ancestors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAnn Stahl argues that archaeology is unique in its focus on the everyday lives of all peoples in all places and times. From ancient temples to humble homes, archaeologists piece together worlds that would otherwise be lost: knowledge that shows us how routine actions have shaped societies, how and why societies have changed in light of environment, politics, and culture – and perhaps what the future holds for our societies too.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eUsing compelling examples from a storied international career, Stahl provides the perfect summary of why \u003cem\u003eArchaeology\u003c\/em\u003e is both a vitally important and enjoyable subject to study.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47460214604012,"sku":"9781509549863","price":83.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781509549863-archaeology.jpg?v=1774945684"},{"product_id":"geography-by-alexander-b-murphy-9781509523016","title":"Geography","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEver since humans sketched primitive maps in the dirt, the quest to understand our surroundings has been fundamental to our survival. Studying geography revealed that the earth was round, showed our ancestors where to plant crops, and helped them appreciate the diversity of the planet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eToday, the world is changing at an unprecedented pace, as a result of rising sea levels, deforestation, species extinction, rapid urbanisation, and mass migration. Modern technologies have brought people from across the globe into contact with each other, with enormous political and cultural consequences. As a subject concerned with how people, environments, and places are organised and interconnected, \u003cem\u003egeography\u003c\/em\u003e provides a critical window into where things happen, why they happen where they do, and how geographical context influences environmental processes and human affairs. These perspectives make the study of geography more relevant than ever, yet it remains little understood.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn this engrossing book, Alexander B. Murphy explains why \u003cem\u003egeography\u003c\/em\u003e is so important to the current moment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47463057457388,"sku":"9781509523016","price":23.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781509523016-geography.jpg?v=1775027576"},{"product_id":"history-by-lynn-hunt-9781509525546","title":"History","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe justify our actions in the present through our understanding of the past. But we live in a time when politicians lie brazenly about historical facts and meddle with the content of history books, while media differ wildly in their reporting of the same event. Frequently, new discoveries force us to re-evaluate everything we thought we knew about the past.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSo how can any certainty about history be established, and why does it matter? Lynn Hunt shows why the search for truth about the past, as a continual process of discovery, is vital for our societies. \u003ci\u003eHistory\u003c\/i\u003e has an essential role to play in ensuring honest presentation of evidence. In this way, it can foster humility about our present-day concerns, a critical attitude toward chauvinism, and an openness to other peoples and cultures. \u003ci\u003eHistory\u003c\/i\u003e, Hunt argues, is our best defense against tyranny.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIntroducing Polity's \u003ci\u003eWhy It Matters\u003c\/i\u003e series; in these short and lively books, world-leading thinkers make the case for the importance of their subjects and aim to inspire a new generation of students.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47463155597548,"sku":"9781509525546","price":23.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781509525546-history.jpg?v=1775029088"},{"product_id":"anthropology-by-tim-ingold-9781509519804","title":"Anthropology","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHumanity is at a crossroads. We face mounting inequality, escalating political violence, warring fundamentalisms and an environmental crisis of planetary proportions. How can we fashion a world that has room for everyone, for generations to come? What are the possibilities, in such a world, of collective human life?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThese are urgent questions, and no discipline is better placed to address them than anthropology. It does so by bringing to bear the wisdom and experience of people everywhere, whatever their backgrounds and walks of life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn this passionately argued book, \u003ci\u003eAnthropology\u003c\/i\u003e by Tim Ingold relates how a field of study once committed to ideals of progress collapsed amidst the ruins of war and colonialism, only to be reborn as a discipline of hope, destined to take centre stage in debating the most pressing intellectual, ethical and political issues of our time. He shows why anthropology matters to us all.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIntroducing Polity’s \u003ci\u003eWhy It Matters\u003c\/i\u003e series: In these short and lively books, world-leading thinkers make the case for the importance of their subjects and aim to inspire a new generation of students.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47470048542956,"sku":"9781509519804","price":23.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781509519804-anthropology.jpg?v=1775209485"},{"product_id":"literature-by-robert-eaglestone-9781509532322","title":"Literature","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e‘Facts alone are wanted in life,’ exclaims Mr Gradgrind at the beginning of Dickens’ \u003ci\u003eHard Times\u003c\/i\u003e. \u003ci\u003eLiterature\u003c\/i\u003e is not about facts alone, and – despite two and a half thousand years of arguments – no one can agree on what it is, or how to study it. But, argues Robert Eaglestone, it is precisely the open-ended nature of literature that makes it such a rewarding and useful subject.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEaglestone shows that studying literature can change who you are, turning you from a ‘reader’ into a ‘critic’: someone attuned to the ways we make meaning in our world. Literature is a living conversation which provides endless opportunities to rethink and reinterpret our societies and ourselves. With examples ranging from Sappho to \u003ci\u003eSkyrim\u003c\/i\u003e, this book shows how literature offers freer and deeper ways of thinking and being.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47471079031020,"sku":"9781509532322","price":23.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781509532322-literature.jpg?v=1775233266"},{"product_id":"philosophy-by-helen-beebee-9781509532162","title":"Philosophy","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe constantly disagree with each other on issues of fundamental importance. Does God exist? Should the latest scientific findings be trusted? Are there innate psychological differences between men and women?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn four lively chapters, Beebee and Rush explain philosophy’s role in addressing such questions. They consider what it means to be human, how we should engage in public debate, philosophy’s relationship with science and religion, and the nature of our moral choices.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFar from being only an abstract endeavour, philosophy engages with issues on a practical level, and philosophers draw inspiration from real-life situations. At its core, philosophy is about how to live and how to make sense of the world we inhabit. It is a set of tools and techniques for clearly and systematically considering our arguments and uncovering our hidden assumptions, which helps us to make more informed choices about what to believe and how to act. Philosophy is everywhere, and open to everyone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47471337373932,"sku":"9781509532162","price":35.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781509532162-philosophy.jpg?v=1775240484"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/collections\/series-why-it-matters.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}