Rob Henderson

NATIONAL BESTSELLER In this "affecting...intriguing...heartbreaking" (Booklist) coming-of-age memoir, Rob Henderson vividly recounts growing up in foster care, enlisting in the US Air Force, attending elite universities, and pioneering the concept of "luxury beliefs"--ideas and opinions that confer status on the upper class while inflicting costs on the less fortunate. Rob Henderson was born to a drug-addicted mother and a father he never met, ultimately shuttling between ten different foster homes in California. When he was adopted into a loving family, he hoped that life would finally be stable and safe. But divorce, tragedy, poverty, and violence marked his adolescent and teen years, propelling Henderson to join the military upon completing high school. A "vivid, insightful, poignant, and powerful" (Nicholas A. Christakis, author of Blueprint) portrait of shattered families, desperation, and determination, Troubled recounts Henderson's expectation-defying young life and juxtaposes his story with those of his friends who wound up incarcerated or killed. As he navigates the peaks and valleys of social class, Henderson finds that he remains on the outside looking in. His greatest achievements--a military career, an undergraduate education from Yale, a PhD from Cambridge--feel like hollow measures of success. He argues that stability at home is more important than external accomplishments, and he illustrates the ways the most privileged among us benefit from a set of social standards that actively harm the most vulnerable.

'Masterpiece' Evening Standard 'Fascinating' The Economist Best Titles of 2024 In this vivid coming-of-age memoir, Rob Henderson recounts growing up in foster care, enlisting in the US Air Force, attending elite universities – and what he learnt from seeing life from both sides of the tracks. In this heartbreaking and thought-provoking memoir, Rob Henderson vividly recounts growing up in foster care, enlisting in the US Air Force, attending Yale and Cambridge, and pioneering the concept of ‘luxury beliefs’ – ideas and opinions that confer status on the more educated while inflicting costs on the less fortunate. Rave Reader Reviews ‘Eye-opening and heart-breaking’ ‘Inspiring’ ‘Incredible’ ‘Wow’ ‘Powerful and thought-provoking’

'Masterpiece' Evening Standard 'Fascinating' The Economist Best Titles of 2024 In this vivid coming-of-age memoir, Rob Henderson recounts growing up in foster care, enlisting in the US Air Force, attending elite universities – and what he learnt from seeing life from both sides of the tracks. Rob Henderson was born to a drug-addicted mother and a father he never met, ultimately shuttling between ten different foster homes in California. When he was adopted into a loving family, he hoped that life would finally be stable and safe. He was wrong: tragedy, poverty and violence marked his adolescent years. An unflinching portrait of shattered families, desperation, and determination, Troubled recounts how Henderson eventually managed to find an escape route through the military, which led to an academic career at Yale and Cambridge. As he reflects on the fate of many of his friends – drugs, death, prison – Henderson never escapes the feeling of being on the outside looking in, or a sense that his academic achievements are hollow compared to the love and protection that comes from stable family life. He dissects the hypocrisies of contemporary social class and shows how the most privileged among us benefit from a set of ‘luxury beliefs’ that actively harm the most vulnerable. Rave Reader Reviews ‘Eye-opening and heart-breaking’ ‘Inspiring’ ‘Incredible’ ‘Wow’ ‘Powerful and thought-provoking’

NATIONAL BESTSELLER One of The Economist's Best Books of the Year In this "affecting...intriguing...heartbreaking" (Booklist) coming-of-age memoir, Rob Henderson vividly recounts growing up in foster care, enlisting in the US Air Force, attending elite universities, and pioneering the concept of "luxury beliefs"--ideas and opinions that confer status on the upper class while inflicting costs on the less fortunate. Rob Henderson was born to a drug-addicted mother and a father he never met, ultimately shuttling between ten different foster homes in California. When he was adopted into a loving family, he hoped that life would finally be stable and safe. But divorce, tragedy, poverty, and violence marked his adolescent and teen years, propelling Henderson to join the military upon completing high school. A "vivid, insightful, poignant, and powerful" (Nicholas A. Christakis, author of Blueprint) portrait of shattered families, desperation, and determination, Troubled recounts Henderson's expectation-defying young life and juxtaposes his story with those of his friends who wound up incarcerated or killed. As he navigates the peaks and valleys of social class, Henderson finds that he remains on the outside looking in. His greatest achievements--a military career, an undergraduate education from Yale, a PhD from Cambridge--feel like hollow measures of success. He argues that stability at home is more important than external accomplishments, and he illustrates the ways the most privileged among us benefit from a set of social standards that actively harm the most vulnerable.

P&O has operated some of the most famous passenger ships of all time, including the Oriana and Canberra, across its long history. Its early liners travelled around the globe and played a huge role in cementing immigration to Australia and New Zealand, while acting as a gateway to the Far East and India. The modern era has seen the company continue to evolve into a cruising giant, P&O Cruises being part of Carnival Corporation today. This beautifully crafted colouring book celebrates the long heritage of P&O, the stunning interiors and exteriors of the vessels, and much more besides. Supplemented with fascinating insights from maritime experts Chris Frame, Rachelle Cross, Rob Henderson and Doug Cremer, it is sure to captivate and educate children and adults alike.