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Simon Garfield

    March 19, 1960

    Simon Garfield is a British journalist and non-fiction author whose work often delves into social commentary, exploring human stories with empathy and keen observation. Through his writing, he offers insightful perspectives on contemporary society and its challenges. His narrative style brings a unique clarity to complex subjects, making his work both engaging and thought-provoking for readers.

    Simon Garfield
    The Wrestling
    Private Battles
    Our Hidden Lives
    The End of Innocence
    All the Knowledge in the World. The Extraordinary History of the Encyklopedia
    Mini: The true and secret history of the making of a motor car
    • 2023

      More than a decade on from the publication of the Sunday Times bestselling JUST MY TYPE, Simon Garfield presents a new series of beautifully designed pocket biographies of iconic typefaces

      Comic Sans
    • 2023

      More than a decade on from the publication of the Sunday Times bestselling JUST MY TYPE, Simon Garfield presents a new series of beautifully designed pocket biographies of iconic typefaces

      Albertus
    • 2023

      More than a decade on from the publication of the Sunday Times bestselling JUST MY TYPE, Simon Garfield presents a new series of beautifully designed pocket biographies of iconic typefaces

      Baskerville
    • 2022

      'Witty and geekily eclectic' The Times An erudite and amusing exploration' Financial Times 'Full of jawdropping facts' Mail on Sunday 'Remarkable . . . engrossing' Sunday Times 'A pleasure' Spectator 'An infectiously enthusiastic history' Times Literary Supplement The encyclopaedia once shaped our understanding of the world. Now these huge books sell for almost nothing on eBay while we derive information from our phones. What have we lost in this transition? All the Knowledge in the World tracks the story from Ancient Greece to Wikipedia, from modest single-volumes to the 11,000-volume Chinese manuscript that was too big to print. It exposes how encyclopaedias reflect our changing attitudes towards sexuality, race and technology, uncovers a fascinating part of our shared past and wonders whether the promise of complete knowledge - that most human of ambitions - will forever be beyond our grasp.

      All the Knowledge in the World
    • 2022

      The encyclopaedia once shaped our understanding of the world, created by countless scholars and meticulous editors. A good set conveyed absolute wisdom, with contributions from figures like Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud, and Marie Curie, aiding millions in their studies. Adults believed they had access to all explainable knowledge within their homes. However, these once-revered volumes now gather dust and sell for little online, as we increasingly rely on our devices for information. What have we lost in this shift? This work celebrates the groundbreaking publishing phenomenon of encyclopaedias, tracing their evolution from Ancient Greece to Wikipedia, and examining the transition from single volumes to massive collections. It details how Encyclopaedia Britannica dominated the market, inspired numerous competitors, and how door-to-door salesmen marketed these resources to parents. The text explores how encyclopaedias mirrored societal attitudes towards sexuality, race, and technology, while also revealing the errors and biases that plagued these trusted sources. With his engaging style, Simon Garfield highlights this significant aspect of our history and questions whether the quest for complete knowledge—a deeply human aspiration—will ever be fully realized.

      All the Knowledge in the World. The Extraordinary History of the Encyklopedia
    • 2021

      The End of Innocence

      • 576 pages
      • 21 hours of reading
      4.3(70)Add rating

      'A remarkable journalistic achievement.' Time Out'Powerful . Including interviews with key figures in the fight against the virus as well as those facing personal devastation and prejudice, The End of Innocence is an important and powerful story, compellingly told.

      The End of Innocence
    • 2020

      Dog's Best Friend

      • 352 pages
      • 13 hours of reading
      3.4(14)Add rating

      One of the first words we learn. Perhaps the best friend we'll have. An animal so much part of our lives that we speak to it like a child and spend small fortunes on its wellbeing and wardrobe. Dogs and humans: in the last 200 years no inter-species relationship has developed so fast nor come so far. Dogs accompany us in every walk of life, usually three times a day. How and why did this relationship begin? How has it changed over the centuries? And who's getting the upper hand? Dog's Best Friend investigates this unique bond by revisiting some of the most important milestones in our shared journey. It begins with the earliest visual evidence on ancient rock art, and ends at the laboratory that sequenced the first dog genome. En route we encounter the first Labradoodle in Australia, a misguidedly loyal Akita in Japan, an ill-fated Poodle trainer in the United States, and a hilariously disobedient Romanian rescue dog named Kratu at the Birmingham NEC. We will also meet Corgis and Dorgis at the Palace, the weightless mutniks of the Soviet space programme, a Dalmatian who impersonates Hitler, and an owner who claims his Border Collie can remember the names of more than a thousand soft toys

      Dog's Best Friend
    • 2018

      Mauve

      • 256 pages
      • 9 hours of reading
      3.4(25)Add rating

      The strange and wonderful story of how one colour changed the world, from the bestselling author of Just My Type and On the Map

      Mauve
    • 2018

      In Miniature

      • 304 pages
      • 11 hours of reading
      3.6(147)Add rating

      A rare treat, convivial and smart and brimming with intrigue. Simon Garfield excavates the curiouser of small worlds where not all is as it seems - obscure and wondrous, a bit bonkers and totally fascinating, and just my cup of tea KEGGIE CAREW, author of Dadland

      In Miniature
    • 2017

      A witty and entertaining journey through time from the bestselling author of Just My Type and On the Map

      Timekeepers