Jamie Ryder

Descend into Xibalba. Emerge reborn. A Dark History of Tequila and Mezcal charts the tumultuous history of Mexico's indigenous spirits through the structure of the Maya underworld. Each section becomes a layer of Xibalba, each chapter a trial on the path toward understanding. Like Tezcatlipoca's smoking mirror reflecting both shadow and light, this book reflects mezcal and tequila’s complicated story against the full sweep of Mexican history. Navigate the Three Rivers of Mesoamerican cosmology with the mother drink of pulque in the cycle of life and death. Travel the Four Crossroads of colonisation, independence, upheaval and modernisation, where every political tremour reshaped what flowed into Mexico's cups. Face the Lords of Death, visionaries and villains, artists and free spirits, whose lives extended the mythology of tequila and mezcal. Enter the Houses of legendary brands, each one a monument to creativity and complexity. Finally, glimpse the Sixth Sun rising on the horizon, illuminating both the peril and the promise of the agave's future. This is not a cocktail manual or a travelogue. It’s a reckoning with uncomfortable truths and a celebration of legacy. By the end of the book, you’ll come away with a deeper respect for mezcal and tequila, and the people who bring them to life.

Did you know rum was once the spirit of America? How about tequila being the fuel of a revolution that changed Mexico forever? What about modern drink advertising starting with scotch whisky? These are the kind of timeless cultural links that appear across the history of alcoholic spirits all over the world. To understand these connections is to understand the evolution of society, with spirits like gin, rum, whisky and vodka all shaping politics, marketing and pop culture. A History Of Alcoholic Spirits: How Our Favourite Tipples Changed The World is an exploration of how all these themes come together. Discover the hidden histories of Western spirits like mezcal and vodka and the deep roots of Eastern spirits like Chinese baijiu and Korean soju. Meet the eclectic cast of characters responsible for creating the world’s most popular spirit categories and the crusaders who tried to tear them down in the name of decency and political gain. A History Of Alcoholic Spirits is an ideal introduction to the world of spirits for bartenders looking to improve their knowledge and people looking for new bottles to add to their home bars.

What does it mean to be a philosopher? Being a deep thinker? Taking a stand against the norms of society? Being really good at winning an argument? The beauty of philosophy is that there is no one answer and that it’s worth asking that question across every aspect of the human condition. In History’s Greatest Philosophers: Classical Wisdom for Modern Times, Jamie Ryder journeys through the lives of some of the world’s most radical thinkers, leaders, politicians and creatives to uncover the truth of philosophy and different wisdom traditions. From the political arenas of Cicero and Niccolo Machiavelli to the everyday living of Mary Wollstonecraft and Sojourner Truth, get a bird’s eye view into what it means to live and die by what you believe in. Discover ageless truths about the nature of the world and human relationships. Learn how to practice philosophy and not just talk about it.

Vikings. One of history’s most recognisable archetypes. These hardy warriors enjoyed fighting and conquering, but there was much more to the culture than physical might. A deep sense of spirituality and purpose permeated the Norse societies that dreamed beyond their borders. And Norse history is a tapestry of adventurers, kings, wayfarers, queens and conquerors who etched their names into legend. Norse Fighting Heroes tells the stories of some of the most (in)famous Vikings in history. From the wanderlust of Bjorn Ironside to the boundless ambition of Harald Hardrada, the lives of these people were anything but black and white. Get to the heart of their wants, loves, fears, reasons for living and dying.

Japanese mythology is filled with stories of larger-than-life characters that shaped the landscape of Japan. They are the folk heroes who slayed monsters, fought in epic battles and reflected the most complicated emotions of the people who created them. Through a mix of essays, short stories and anecdotes, Japanese Fighting Heroes follows the lives of samurai, warriors, outliers and iconoclasts who forged their own paths. Legendary fighters like the demon-killing Minamoto no Yorimitsu, philosophising samurai Miyamoto Musashi, and the One-Eyed Dragon Date Masamune. Creative heroes like the father of Japanese short stories Ryunosuke Akutagawa, the immortal poet Ono no Komachi, the hilarious Sei Shonagon and her insight into human nature. Trailblazers who broke down barriers like the feminist Hiratsuka Raicho, the statesman Fukuzawa Yukichi, the photographic genius Hiroshi Hamaya. These Japanese folk heroes led fascinating lives that provide insight into our own through the principles and practices they lived by. They struggled with universal ideals of honour, duty, courage and kindness, helping them transcend their culture. Whether you’re looking to learn about Japanese history, fall down a philosophy rabbit hole or pick up new mental health habits, these heroes can teach us timeless lessons. Japanese Fighting Heroes captures the essence of what it means to be human in any culture.

The sky has always fascinated me. The more I learn, the more questions I seem to have. Free radicals, refracting light, the knowledge that, if you travel high enough, everything will eventually give way to the blackness of space - each fact makes me more and more curious about what might be going on up there. There are stories wrapped up in this knowledge, plenty of stories