Best of Random House Germany

Non-Fiction

Science & Nature A new look at old friends

Rights sold to: Australia (Black Inc.), Brazil (Sextante), Canada/World Eng. (Greystone), China (Phoenix- Power Cultural), Croatia (Fokus), Czech Republic (Kazda), (Art People), Estonia (Tänapäev), Finland (Gummerus), France (Les Arènes), Greece (Patakis), Hungary (Park), India (Penguin Random House India), Italy (Macro), Japan (Hayakawa), Peter Wohlleben Korea (Wisdomhouse), Latvia (Zvaigzne), The Netherlands The Hidden Life of Trees (Bruna), Norway (Cappelen [Das geheime Leben der Damm), Poland (Otwarte), Bäume] Portugal (Bertrand), Romania What they feel, how they (Publica), Russia (National Research University Higher School communicate – discovering a of Economics), Serbia (Laguna), hidden world Slovakia (Tatran), Slovenia (Nervara), Spain (Obelisco), Sweden (Norstedts), Taiwan Ludwig (Business Weekly), Turkey (Kitap 224 pages Kurdu/Andante), Ukraine (FLC) May 2015

Peter Wohlleben, born in Amazing things go on in the woods: there are trees 1964, studied forestry and communicating with one another, trees lovingly caring for spent over twenty years as a and looking after their offspring and their old and afflicted civil servant in the forestry neighbours, trees with sensibilities, emotions, a memory. commission. He gave up his Incredible? Perhaps. But true! job because he wanted to Forest ranger Peter Wohlleben tells some fascinating stories put his ideas of ecology into about the unexpected and extraordinary abilities of trees. To practice, and he now runs an this end, he cites both the latest scientific findings and his environmentally friendly own direct experience of woods, thus creating an exciting private piece of woodland. new encounter for readers: we make the acquaintance of a He holds lectures and living being that we thought we were familiar with but which seminars and has written we now see in all its vitality. And we enter a completely new books on subjects pertaining world… to woodlands and nature protection. His bestselling book The Hidden Life of Trees  #1 Spiegel bestseller has sold to more than 20 countries.  More than 535,000 copies sold

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Philosophy A competent and light-hearted approach to the big philosophical questions

Rights sold to:

Albania (Dudaj), Brazil (Ediouro),

Bulgaria (Hermes), China (Social

Science Acad. Press), Croatia

(VBZ), Czech Republic (Euro- media), Denmark (Borgen),

Finland (WSOY), France (Belfond), Greece (Patakis), Hungary (HVG), Iceland (Ormstunga), Israel (Matar), Italy (Garzanti), Japan (Yushokan), Korea (Book 21), Latvia (Jumava), Lithuania (Alma Littera), Mongolia (Monsudar), The Netherlands (Nieuw Amsterdam), Norway (Cappelen Damm), Richard David Precht Poland (Zysk), Portugal (Dom Who Am I – And If So, Quixote), Romania (Litera), Russia (AST), Serbia (Mono i How Many? Manana), Slovakia (Ikar), Slovenia [Wer bin ich - und wenn ja wie (Ucila), Spain (Ariel), Sweden viele?] (Norstedts), Taiwan (Apocalypse), Turkey (Pegasus), UK (Constable Goldmann & Robinson), US (Spiegel & Grau), 400 pages Vietnam (V-Point) September 2007

Richard David Precht, born What is truth? How do I know who I am? Why should I be in 1964, is a philosopher, good? There are many books about , but Richard journalist, and author, and David Precht's book "Who Am I?" is different from any other one of the most distinctive introductions. Never before has anyone introduced readers intellectuals in German- so competently and at the same time so light-heartedly and speaking countries. He is an elegantly to the big philosophical questions of life. honorary professor of From brain research and psychology to philosophy – Precht philosophy at the Leuphana tells us about the latest research and theories, putting the University in Lüneburg and pieces together like a jigsaw puzzle to make the amazing at the Hanns Eisler Academy picture scientists are drawing of humankind. The result is an of Music in . His books exciting journey of discovery to ourselves: clever, amusing Who Am I – And if so, How and entertaining! Many?, Love: A Disorderly Emotion and The Art of Not Being an Egoist are  #1 Spiegel bestseller international bestsellers and have been translated into 40  More than 1 million copies sold languages.

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Family & Parenting Let's put an end to the craze for trying to goad our children on!

Gerald Hüther / Uli Hauser Every Child is Highly Rights sold to: Gifted China (Beijing Huazhang), Croatia [Jedes Kind ist hoch begabt] (Harfa), Czech Republic (Euromedia), Finland (Schildts & The natural talents of our Söderstöms), Greece (Thymari), children and what we make of Hungary (Animus), Italy them (Apogeo), Korea (Must B), Poland (Dobra Literatura), Russia Knaus (Eksmo), Serbia (Laguna), Taiwan 192 pages (Heliopolis Culture) August 2012

Gerald Hüther was born in There is no such thing as a gene for intelligence or laziness. 1951 and is a professor of Every child comes into the world with very special gifts. neurobiology. The many Neuroscience can prove this. So let's put an end to that books he has written include notion of "gifted" that was so popular in the last century. This Instructions for Use of the would mean less frustration and stress when bringing up Human Brain, What We Are children and, more than anything else, more opportunities and What We Could Be, Let for all our children. Our Children Play, and This is a book that relieves parents and schools of the Children Need Roots. worrying concentration on out-dated criteria for good achievements, and it offers an overdue perspective in a Uli Hauser was born in 1962 debate that has for years been getting nowhere. and has worked with children and teenagers. He wrote Parents Need  Spiegel bestseller Boundaries and has been an editor in the "Germany and  130,000 copies sold Society" section of the weekly Stern.

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Social & Cultural Studies How human beings have been programmed for egoism and greed

Frank Schirrmacher Ego [Ego] Rights sold to: The game of life China (China Machine Press), Hungary (Göncöl), Italy (Codice), Blessing Korea (Woongjin), Spain (Ariel), 352 pages UK (Polity) February 2013

Frank Schirrmacher, born in This is the story of manipulation: sixty years ago, the 1959, received his theoretic model of a human being was developed by the at Cambridge and military and by economists. An egoistic creature geared only Heidelberg. He was the co- to achieving its goals to its own advantage and getting the editor in chief of the better of others – a modern Homo economicus. After a career Frankfurter Allgemeine in the Cold War this model went on to conquer everyday life Zeitung and has numerous in the 21st century. Stock exchanges are now geared to this publications to his name. For creature, human beings likewise. The model has turned into a The Methuselah Conspiracy, self-fulfilling prophecy; a new social monster made up of which has been translated egoism, distrust and fear has taken root; it can't help but into numerous languages, suspect the worst in others; and nothing said means what it the author received several sounds like. People have been relieved of the responsibility of awards. Frank Schirrmacher making their own decisions, and the great game of life carries died in 2014. on without us. In his revolutionary new book, Frank Schirrmacher has traced the path of this monster and makes it clear that the unintentional results of its game could be the end of democracy as we know it. Over 1 million copies of Frank Schirrmacher's books sold in Germany.

 Spiegel bestseller  140,000 copies sold

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Memoir "An engaging and thought-provoking portrait of a disappeared world." The Guardian

Maxim Leo Keep Your Hearts Prepared Rights sold to: China (Xinhua), Egypt (Adwan), [Haltet euer Herz bereit] Finland (Ajatus Kirjat), France Story of an East German (Actes Sud), The Netherlands family (Cossée), Norway (Vigmostad & Bjorke), Sweden (Historiska Blessing Media), UK/World English 272 pages (Pushkin Press) August 2009

Maxim Leo, born in 1970, Everything that once used to be important in the German studied political science at Democratic Republic is concentrated in the Leo family: hope the Free University in Berlin and belief in the founding fathers; the disappointment of and at the Institut d'Etudes their children and the relief of their grandchildren. Politiques de Paris. He was In this family, the struggles that were not allowed on the an RTL news presenter in public stage were fought out in private. It was here that 1995 and 1996 and has been ideology and real life met; for convictions were strong and an editor at the Berliner they were carried by the forceful personality of Grandpa Leo Zeitung since 1997. He was a – resistance fighter, spy, journalist and founding father of the nominee for the Egon Erwin anti-Fascist state. Contradiction was either useless or led to Kisch Prize in 2002, and was rows. Maxim’s critical father Wolf, a radical artist and awarded the Franco-German freethinker, loves Anne in spite of her loyalty to the state. Journalist Prize in 2002 and And the position of son Maxim is between that of his the Theodor Wolff Prize in parents, and it makes him discover that adolescent rebellion 2006. against “revolutionary” parents is just not on the cards. But then the country they were working for and fighting for suddenly no longer existed and their sense of life – both good and bad – disappeared.

 Winner of the European Prize for Literature 2011  50,000 copies sold

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History & Politics The political and very personal look back at a peaceful revolutionary

Joachim Gauck Winter in Summer – Spring in Autumn [Winter im Sommer – Frühling im Herbst] Rights sold to: Memoirs Czech Republic (Euromedia), Denmark (Gyldendal), Hungary (Luther), Japan (Ronsosha), Korea Siedler (Hanul), Poland (Swiat Ksiazki), 352 pages Romania (Curtea Veche) October 2009

Joachim Gauck, PhD, born A key figure in the recent history of Germany reminisces: in Rostock in 1940, was from Joachim Gauck, an active opponent of the political system in 1990 to 2000 Federal at the time of the peaceful revolution and, as Commissioner in charge of the first Federal Commissioner in charge of the documents of the records of the former the East German State Security Service (Stasi), one of the East German State Security central figures in the process of German unification. Service (Stasi). Since 2003, On the occasion of his 70th birthday, Joachim Gauck has he has been chairman of the written his memoirs. The result is a book that is both political organization "Against and emotionally moving – a book in which he outlines in clear Forgetting – For images the traumatic experience of lack of freedom and the Democracy". joyful experience of liberty, and describes the difficult transition from enforced powerlessness to a self-determined life.

 Spiegel bestseller  280,000 copies sold

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History A new look at the abusers and the victims

Miriam Gebhardt When the Soldiers Came [Als die Soldaten kamen] The rape of German women Rights sold to: at the end of World War II World Engl. (Polity), Finland (Minerva), Poland (Bellona), DVA Russia (Rosspen), Sweden 352 pages (Karneval), Turkey (Astana) March 2015

Miriam Gebhardt is a The soldiers who defeated the Nazi regime at the end of historian and journalist and World War II also brought new suffering to many women. teaches history at the Countless girls and women (and no few men as well) became University of Konstanz. She the victims of sexual violence – all over the country. In was awarded a PhD for her contrast to a widely held belief, it was not just "the Russians" study Fear of the Juvenile who were the offenders, but also American, French and Tyrant: A History of British soldiers. Upbringing in the 20th Using new source material, Miriam Gebhardt has outlined the Century (2009). DVA extent of the violence during the period of occupation at the published her books on end of the war – the first historically founded treatment of Rudolf Steiner: A modern this topic. She also impressively describes how these women prophet (2011) and Alice in later again became victims – of doctors who arbitrarily No-Man's Land. How the agreed to or turned down abortion; of social workers who put German Women's Movement pregnant women into homes. And last but not least of a Lost the Women (2012). society that right down to the present day would prefer not to talk about the mass crimes, that would rather just forget about the whole business.

 Spiegel bestseller  Selected by New Books in German  25,000 copies sold

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Current Affairs The latest and highly explosive report by the bestselling author

Rights sold to: Canada/World Engl. Jürgen Todenhöfer (Greystone), Croatia (Tim Press), Inside IS – 10 Days in the Czech Republic (Euromedia), Denmark (Bindslev), Egypt 'Islamic State' (Sefsafa), Hungary (Müvelt nep), [Inside IS - 10 Tage im Iran (Koolehposhti), Italy (Europa 'Islamischen Staat'] Edizioni), Japan (Hakusuisha), Poland (JUP), Russia (Eksmo), C.Bertelsmann Serbia (Laguna), Slovakia (Ikar), 288 pages Taiwan (Tonsan), Turkey With 48 colour illustrations (Andante) April 2015

Jürgen Todenhöfer, born in During the summer of 2014, Jürgen Todenhöfer spent several 1940, was a member of the months interviewing Islamists who had joined the Islamic German Bundestag and State (IS). These conversations confirmed what has since later an executive in a major become well known: that the perfidious objectives of the European media company. "Caliphate" is to set up a worldwide theocracy and that it will He has traveled widely in go to all lengths, including mass murder, even among war zones in the Middle Muslims, to reach its goal. Later in 2014, Todenhöfer travelled East, particularly in to Mosul and succeeded in being the first Western journalist and Iraq. His allowed into areas controlled by the Islamic State. books sold more than Todenhöfer’s book is a report of this perilous journey in which 350,000 copies and he reveals the everyday lives and motives of the IS fighters. generated a powerful No one thus far has succeeded in researching the IS so response in the media. With precisely and from so close a proximity as has Todenhöfer. His the royalties from his dramatic report from the "realm of evil" is a penetrating books, he finances many admonition that both a political solution to the spiral of humanitarian projects in violence and an effective strategy for fighting terrorism need the Middle East. to be found.

 #1 Spiegel bestseller  335,000 copies sold

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