Must Read Non-Fiction For May 2025

“Kwantu means home” – Vusumzi Ngxande 

For decades, African spirituality has been demonised or met with suspicion. Many people have had to choose between being a believer, usually in the Christian faith, or believing in their ancestors. Yet often African cultural practices require the involvement of Ancestors in one form or another, which goes against Christian dogma.

Journey Kwantu is inspired by Vusumzi Ngxande’s popular podcast of the same name that delves into South African spiritual identity and beliefs and shows how it has evolved over hundreds of years. The book is rooted in extensive historical research, lived experiences and interviews with healers, teachers and ordinary people trying to live out their truth.

With a unique ability to simplify complex issues and ask taboo questions, the author endeavours to answers questions like, “Who are we?” and “How did we come to believe what we believe?” In the process he deals with issues he has struggled with on his own spiritual journey, such as death and the afterlife and the authority of the Ancestors vs the Power of God to more practical matters like performing rituals in urban areas and understanding lineage and its impact on one’s spiritual life.

Deeply perceptive and engaging, Journey Kwantu offers a guide and spiritual sustenance to African believers.

Shakespeare had an ear and hand that was able to capture our everyday thoughts and emotions, pin them to a page, and express them so well that still today they can make us feel stunned to be seen.

‘Better three hours too soon than a minute too late.’
‘Make not your thoughts your prisons.’
‘Wisely and slow. They stumble that run fast.’
‘And I have heard it said, unbidden guests are often welcomest when they’re gone.’

With a quote for every day of the year, this beautiful book gathers the finest lines from the lesser-known corners of Shakespeare’s plays and poems. While you may not be familiar with these 400-year-old phrases, you will be surprised by the immediate, easy resonance they have with modern day-to-day life and, hopefully, inspired to learn a few quotes, say them out loud, and drop them into conversation.

Each page bears a gift of Shakespearean delight – around which lies a treasure trove of trivia, miscellaneous fact, and opportunities for reflection.

The Crystals – son and father – draw attention to points of daily life, literary, linguistic, and theatrical interest through their entertaining commentary. They offer notes of context for anyone who wants to know who originally said the words, in which play, and why. And finally, the authors provide three indexes, allowing readers to help find the right quote for a task, or to follow-up on a quote’s original source.

Shakespeare’s words are a mirror for us to peer into, to see if any part of ourselves, familiar or strange, is visible. Each day as you read his lines, you’ll get glimpses of loves you’ve known, jealousies you’ve felt, relationships you’ve had, and situations you’ve encountered that bring a smile – or a wince – of familiarity.

Everyday Shakespeare shares the simple lines that encapsulate the wondrous complexity of life, and the enduring appeal of the Bard.

Shakespeare was not of an age, but for all time. – Ben Jonson

Do you ever worry what people think of you? Do you ever feel inadequate? Do you ever say ”yes” when you mean ”no”? Are you frightened of failure?

These are your erroneous zones – infuriating little quirks of personality that are barriers to a fuller, richer life. Just about everyone has erroneous zones – but now, with the help of this book, you can learn how to overcome and eliminate them for good.

Written by a top psychiatrist, YOUR ERRONEOUS ZONES is a must for everyone who has ever been dissatisfied with themselves and their lives. After all, nobody”s perfect – but you can go a long way by trying

Basic Space Innovation explores the dawn of a new era in business, driven by the groundbreaking advancements in space technology that are set to redefine our future.

This book delves into the rapidly expanding commercial space industry and the increasing investments by nations worldwide to build their space capabilities. The race to establish permanent human presence on Mars is just the beginning.

Discover how space innovation is unlocking unprecedented insights into our planet, revolutionizing communication networks, and pioneering breakthroughs in material science and biomedicine that could reshape technology and combat diseases. The book also examines how access to extraterrestrial resources might address critical shortages in energy and raw materials, offering solutions to some of humanity’s most pressing challenges.

Coming May 2025

203 countries. A decade of travel. Not a single plane in sight. This is the story of one man”s journey to be the first to visit every country in the world without flight . . .

When Thor Pedersen set out on the adventure of a lifetime, he couldn”t have imagined the people he”d meet and the experiences he”d encounter along the way. But embarking on this epic voyage took him to the brink of his sanity, wiped his funds and tested the relationships he held dear.

Over the years he faced grave danger, from encounters with drunken armed soldiers to life-threatening illness and even traversing the high seas, with wild waves destabilising the cargo ship he”d hitched a ride on. He”d sleep on the street one night and dine in the homes of billionaires the next. He visited countries stricken with war-zones, and once had to take an 11,919 km detour, revisiting seven countries, traversing Baluchistan in Pakistan escorted by armed guards because he was denied a visa while in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Life becomes complicated without the luxury of flying.

Yet after years of challenges and milestones, Thor achieved something no other human ever has. The Impossible Journey is a triumphant memoir as he invites the world to share in this once in a lifetime adventure. He imparts the lessons, stories and unique perspectives on humanity he learned along the way.

The easiest guide to astrology, ever. Through 100+ easy-to-follow charts, diagrams, and graphs, expert astrologer Julia Topaz helps you decode the secrets of the stars so that you can move forward in life and love with cosmic clarity.

Brimming with scarily accurate insights, cheeky observations, and invaluable celestial wisdom, Astrolographs illuminates each sign’s unique traits, personality quirks, and compatibilities. Discover how the signs behave (or misbehave!) when it comes to romance, friendship, work, leisure, finances, and more, as you observe them:

• On vacation: See who packed seven suitcases, who is on a beach yoga retreat, and who missed their flight altogether.
• At the gym: Find out who is taking selfies in the mirror, who is hogging the treadmill, and who is in pigeon pose.
• Dating: Discover who chose a dating pic from their deep-sea fishing expedition, who wants someone to marathon romcom with, and who is most likely to slide into your DMs with love poems.
• And so much more!

This innovative and playful guide makes a perfect resource to share with friends and to give as a gift to anyone who loves reading their daily horoscope or exploring all the sun signs and their meanings.

Perfect for:

Fans of astrology books like The Astrology of You and Me and You Were Born for This

Anyone interested in astrology or seeking astrology books for beginners

Readers who enjoy personal transformation and self-help books

Fans of Julia Topaz’s work

Gift-giving to any zodiac lover for birthday, anniversary, or just for fun

Are you ready to talk?

Why have disagreements become so flammable?
Why are progressive people calling for censorship in comedy?
How has the so-called ”transgender debate” become so toxic and what can we do to help?
How is our empathy being manipulated by the internet?
How does AI operate like a psychopath?
How do we achieve progress in today”s, y”know, screaming hellscape?

We are understandably scared to have difficult conversations right now. But comedian and bestselling writer Deborah Frances-White is even more scared of not having them.

Having grown up in a cult which shut down any dissent, Deborah sees the same tactics being used in our rapidly changing society. She knows the value of freedom of speech, critical thinking and the ability to argue well. And as the host of hit podcast The Guilty Feminist, she has been having difficult conversations in public for almost a decade.

In her new, urgent page-turner Deborah examines how the world has come to this and what w can actually do about it. Most importantly, she explores how to change minds, including our own. Deborah invites us to boldly meet this moment in history with hope, clarity and courage. She has written, as Desiree Burch says, ”a book to leave you transformed.”

SHORTLISTED FOR THE ROYAL SOCIETY TRIVEDI SCIENCE BOOK PRIZE 2024

”Fascinating, witty and perspective-shifting . . . I finished it not only better informed about a captivating branch of mathematics, but with an invigorating sense of greater purchase on the world” OLIVER BURKEMAN

Thomas Bayes was an eighteenth-century Presbyterian minister and amateur mathematician whose obscure life belied the profound impact of his work. Fusing biography, razor-sharp science communication and intellectual history, Everything Is Predictable is a captivating tour of Bayes” theorem and its impact on modern life. From medical testing to artificial intelligence, Tom Chivers shows how a single compelling idea can have far-reaching consequences.