Reference works Books

Smart and inclusive life advice This uplifting collection celebrates diverse heroes the world over and their perspective on life, politics, education, representation and beyond. From writers, thinkers, activists and leaders, each of these quotes...

How to enjoy thriving fragrant plants in your garden, on your balcony or in your courtyard. Smell the roses! Savour the lavender!Sweet, rich orange blossom; heady, aromatic daphne; sharp, refreshing mint; or subtle, alluring roses - nature's perfumes...

The New York Times bestselling author of the beloved classic How to Read Literature Like a Professor teaches you how to write everything from a report for your community association to a meaningful memoir in this masterful and...

The ideal gift for all amateur and seasoned astronomers.A comprehensive handbook to the planets, stars and constellations visible from the southern hemisphere. 6 pages for each month covering January–December 2023. Diagrams drawn for the latitude of...

Your complete one-volume guide to the year 2023. This fantastic and in-depth book includes month-by-month forecasts for every sign and all you need to know to find out what is in store for you in the year ahead.The only one-volume horoscope you’ll ever...

The amazing new i-SPY sticker book for kids age 3+Get little ones started on their very own spotting adventure with My First i-SPY sticker books! With more than 100 things to spot – from sheep to chickens, tractors to vegetables, children will love...

A stunningly illustrated A-Z celebration of popular indoor plants, from the creators of Dogphabet and Catphabet. Step inside the psychedelic world of Plantphabet, a magical A-Z celebration of indoor plants.Vividly brought to life in full-colour...

100 Symbols That Changed The World looks at the genesis and adoption of the world’s most recognizable symbols. Universal symbols have been used as a form of communication from the Bronze Age, when the dynasties of ancient Egypt began the evolution of...

A fascinating book, from a leading maths educator and demystifier, that shows how maths is relevant to our everyday lives.  Have you ever wondered how the meter in a taxi works? Or why a lift takes so long to respond to your call? Is there a...

Learn how to make and use nourishing compost for your garden with this handy little guidebook from an experienced National Trust head gardener. Learn how to make and use nourishing compost for your garden with this handy little guidebook from an...

When we learn, we change what we believe and how we interact with the world. This changes who we are as people and what we can achieve. Many people grow up being told they are ‘not a maths person’ or perhaps ‘not smart’. They come to believe their...

Keep it simple and do it well. The Merchant & Mills Sewing Book contains fifteen step-by-step projects aimed at guiding you gently but firmly through the basics of sewing. Each project you make from this book will be stylish, but above all, useful...

“Browse the delightful Bardisms to find a fitting quote for any mood, moment, or occasion. But read it through to learn how to enjoy Shakespeare and bring more of his language into your daily life.” — Jacob Weisberg, Editor of Slate magazine and author...

‘No Logo’ was a book that defined a generation when it was first published in 1999. For its 10th anniversary Naomi Klein has updated this iconic book. By the time you’re twenty-one, you’ll have seen or heard a million advertisements. But you won’t be...

Be More Barbie! For generations, Barbie has inspired women around the world. From the first Barbie doll released in 1959 to the pop-culture moment and huge box office success of the Barbie movie in 2023. She has been a doctor, a lawyer, a pilot, an...

Answers to the mysteries of the cosmos for inquiring minds.Explore the entire cosmos in 101 fascinating topics – from mind-blowing numbers, astonishing sights, to strange-but-true discoveries and everything in between. Feed your cosmic curiosity with...

Take it to the next level! Bursting with the biggest games, latest trends, and hottest news, Next Level Games Review 2023 is the ultimate annual gaming guide. Inside you’ll discover a recap of the last twelve months in gaming and a preview of what’s...

The perfect gift for nature lovers and weather watchers. A fascinating month-by-month collection of facts, figures and explanations related to UK weather alongside details of famous meteorologists and their influence. Discover historical facts, amazing...

Why should you take life advice from a big-bottomed marsupial? Because wombats have life sorted. Read and enjoy the wisdom of wombats... It's no surprise that the collective noun for wombats is 'a wisdom of wombats'. They're self-sufficient, amply...

Gastronomy of Italy – the seminal work on Italian food, first published in the 1990s – is revised and updated and illustrated with new photography. This classic book leaves no stone unturned in its exploration of Italian gastronomy. Anna Del Conte,...

Design your own crazy critters with this amazing book of mix-and-match crochet patterns. Choose the body parts that take your fancy from our extensive selection and use your favourite colours. Add stripes, spots or scales, and then turn to the sew-on...

Way back before man abandoned the woods for the cities—and traded his hunting rifle for a BlackBerry—he had to know how to do certain things to survive. He had to trap and build and grow things, using his calloused hands and valuable knowledge passed...

"I can't choose between my two best friends. Can I have two maids of honor""My fiancé and I are considering a destination wedding. Are we obligated to cover our attendants' travel expenses""Do we have to invite our guests' children to our wedding""I'm...

Now available in paperback, this best-selling title is THE essential guide to knitting.Whether you want to knit socks, use sequins and embroidery to embellish knitting, adapt a pattern to fit you beautifully or produce the perfect pocket, you can find...

COLLINS COMPLETE DIY MANUAL has sold over 3 million copies and is the most comprehensive and authoritative DIY manual ever produced. For novices, DIY enthusiasts or professionals, this essential book continues to be the most in-depth, up-to-date and...

Uncover the transformative power of composition and elevate your photography!If you bought a book from the 1940s on photography composition, what would you imagine its chapters might be? "Rule of Thirds"? "Leading Lines"? "Using Patterns"? Exactly. Heck,...

Explore the world with a Collins wall map Fully updated world map to include the latest political changes. The map contains politically coloured mapping which shows each country and their capital city, major roads, and cities and towns clearly. Also...

The perfect gift for astronomy lovers this Christmas. A lens into the unexplored and unseen cosmos.A beautiful book showcasing the most stunning images from the first years of the James Webb Space Telescope, the most powerful infrared space observatory,...

The ideal gift for your astronomy-loving friends and family this Christmas. Follow the progress of constellations throughout the seasons with this beautiful companion to the night sky from Astronomy experts Collins. With the aid of easy-to-understand...

The perfect gift for your train-mad friends and family this Christmas. Hop aboard this fascinating journey through the early days of railway trains to the modern day superfast Maglevs which can reach speeds of 600km/h. Exquisitely illustrated with...

From the director of the wildly popular Bush Mechanics and Black As - a can-do guide for your next outback adventure filled with practical advice, ripper yarns and road-trip tips. Driving around Australia is one of life's biggest adventures, if you're...

"When discussing greatness, we have too often distilled it down to how many rings someone has won, neglecting to celebrate the incredible influence that players have had on the evolution of basketball. Kirk's book beautifully explains this other side...

What if you could change the future of your child’s health with 5 simple steps In this groundbreaking, evidence-based guide to raising resilient kids in our modern world, Dr. Elisa Song bridges the gap between conventional and holistic pediatrics and...

Take it to the next level! Bursting with the biggest games, latest trends, and hottest news, Next Level Games Review 2024 is the ultimate annual gaming guide. Next Level Games Review is back! Packed full of the biggest games, latest trends, and hottest...

A Book of Quotes With his unmistakable voice and childlike wonder, Sir David Attenborough has graced our television screens since 1954.This unauthorised collection celebrates the world's favourite naturalist and his perspective on plants, animals,...

The definitive history of Peter Jackson’s Middle-earth saga, Anything You Can Imagine takes us on a cinematic journey across all six films, featuring brand-new interviews with Peter, his cast & crew. From the early days of daring to dream it could be...

The home of trusted English dictionaries and thesauruses for school use.Help children age 7+ (KS2) develop their writing skills at home and in the classroom with this colourful, easy-to-use Collins Children’s Thesaurus, fully up-to-date to the latest Key...

For ten years, the knowledge seekers at mental_floss have been hunting and trapping the world’s rarest facts, locking them into captivating lists for the world to admire. Thanks to their tireless efforts, Mental Floss: The Book is packed with a...

The ultimate mini English dictionary to support you at work, at school and at home. This handy little dictionary offers clear definitions for all the words you need on a daily basis, providing spelling and pronunciations tips for the trickiest words. As...

The most comprehensive illustrated book on pests and diseases - and beneficial insects - for Australian gardeners.   this is the book that Australian gardeners have been waiting for! Packed with more than 750 stunning and detailed photographs, and...

Revised and updated edition for schools as well as for general use the Commonsense Cookery Book is a kitchen classic which has been teaching people kitchen basics for nearly a century. First published in 1914, and with one million copies sold, this is...

This handy, practical and inspirational little book is perfect for the pocket or art bag. It shows watercolour painters of all levels how to loosen up their paintings and maintain spontaneity by painting simple watercolour studies in no more than 10...

The first critical and analytical dictionary of Turkish Cinema, this book provides a comprehensive overview of Turkish cinema from its beginnings to the present day.Addressing the lacuna in scholarly work on the topic, this dictionary provides immense...

Salvific space is one of the central ideas in the Hindu traditions of pilgrimage, and concerns the ability of space, especially sites associated with bodies of water such as rivers and lakes, to grant salvific rewards. Focusing on religious, historical...