For Cambridge philosopher Simon Blackburn, the "Because you're worth it" advertisement of cosmetics company L'Oréal is such a moral eyesore that it prompted him to explore the many facets of self-love - one of which is inherent in said slogan. Hence this book.
Hong Kong author and opera fanatic Philip Eisenbeiss' refreshing take on 18th-century Italian impresario Domenico Barbaja tells of how the wheeler-dealers 200 years ago, as they do now, played a crucial part in shaping music history.