LETRAS

Es ésta una extraordinaria historia de amor, es decir, de celos y sexo, de traiciones y muerte, y también de las debilidades y paradojas que mar­can la vida de dos parejas, la compuesta por Tere­sa y Tomás, y la de Franz y su amante Sabina, cu­yos destinos se entrelazan irremediablemente. En esta novela ya clásica, el lector penetra en la trama de actos y pensamientos que el autor va te­jiendo con diabólica sabiduría en torno a sus per­sonajes. Y, de manera magistral, lo que parece simple anécdota -los celos de Teresa hacia To­más, el terco amor de éste por ella pese a su irre­frenable deseo de otras mujeres, el idealismo líri­co de Franz, amante de Sabina, y la necesidad de ésta, amante también de Tomás, de perseguir una libertad que tan sólo la conduce a la insoportable levedad del ser- se convierte en reflexión sobre los problemas filosóficos que nos afectan a cada uno de nosotros, todos los días.

La ambición y la intriga son las únicas pasio­nes de este hombre político, carente de escrú­pulos y moral, que navega a través de las con­vulsiones sociales y políticas de la Francia re­volucionaria y del imperio sin mudar el gesto. Como muy bien dice Zweig: «Los gobiernos, las formas de Estado, las opiniones, los hom­bres cambian, todo se precipita y desaparece en ese furioso torbellino del cambio de siglo, sólo uno se queda siempre en el mismo sitio, al servicio de todos y de todas las ideas: Joseph Fouché».

Érase una vez un pueblo donde las noches eran largas y la muerte cantaba su propia historia. En el pueblo vivía una niña que quería leer, un hambre que tocaba el acordeón y un joven judío que escribía cuentos hermosos para escapar del horror de la guerra. Al cabo de un tiempo la niña se convirtió en una ladrona que robaba libros y regalaba palabras. Con esas palabras se escribió una historia hermosa y cruel que ahora ya es una novela inolvidable

Congo is rich. Swaths of the war-torn African country lack basic infrastructure, and, after many decades of colonial occupation, its people are officially among the poorest in the world. But hidden beneath the soil are vast quantities of cobalt, lithium, copper, tin, tantalum, tungsten, and other treasures. Recently, this veritable periodic table of resources has become extremely valuable because these metals are essential for the global “energy transition”—the plan for wealthy nations to wean themselves off fossil fuels by shifting to sustainable forms of energy, such as solar and wind. The race to electrify the world’s economy has begun, and China has a considerable head start. From Indonesia to South America to Central Africa, Beijing has invested in mines and infrastructure for decades. But the U.S. has begun fighting back with massive investments of its own, as well as sanctions and disruptive tariffs. In this rush for green energy, the world has become utterly reliant on resources unearthed far away and willfully blind to the terrible political, environmental, and social consequences of their extraction. If the Democratic Republic of the Congo possesses such riches, why are its children routinely descending deep into treacherous mines to dig with the most rudimentary of tools, or in some cases their bare hands? Why are Indonesia’s seas and skies being polluted in a rush for battery metals? Why is the Western Sahara, a source for phosphates, still being treated like a colony? Who must pay the price for progress?

What is a meaningful life, and how do we make one? How do certain communities foster closeness, fulfillment, happiness, and energy? In Flourish, bestselling author and leading culture expert Daniel Coyle trains his eye on the groups and people who demonstrate exceptional connectivity, presence, and dynamism. He draws on research and original reporting—taking us inside an unlikely brotherhood of thirty-three men who were trapped in a Chilean mine, a tiny Michigan deli that blossomed into a $90 million ecosystem of businesses, an inventive Dutch soccer team that revolutionized the sport as we know it, and a disconnected Paris district that remade itself into a tight-knit neighborhood—to reveal the principles and practices that ignite and sustain thriving. He finds that flourishing groups do two things: They make meaning (creating deep connections) and build community (forging a common good). Through captivating real-world stories, rigorous scientific studies, and firsthand accounts, Coyle reveals what sets some groups apart—and offers you the tools and insights to flourish in your own life.

In Daretana’s greatest mansion, a high imperial officer lies dead—killed, to all appearances, when a tree erupted from his body. Even here at the Empire’s borders, where contagions abound and the blood of the leviathans works strange magical changes, it’s a death both terrifying and impossible. Assigned to investigate is Ana Dolabra, a detective whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricities. Rumor has it that she wears a blindfold at all times, and that she can solve impossible cases without even stepping outside the walls of her home. At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol, magically altered in ways that make him the perfect aide to Ana’s brilliance. Din is at turns scandalized, perplexed, and utterly infuriated by his new superior—but as the case unfolds and he watches Ana’s mind leap from one startling deduction to the next, he must admit that she is, indeed, the Empire’s greatest detective.