Very short introductions by Allecto AS

Abolitionism: A Very Short Introduction Richard S. Newman (Professor of History, Professor of History, Rochester Institute of Technology) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

15 Aug 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 176pp h175mm x w111mm x s10mm 134g 10 hts ISBN13: 9780190213220 ISBN13: 978-0-19-021322-0 ISBN10: 0190213221 EAN: 9780190213220 x Description: The abolitionist movement launched the global human rights struggle in the 18th and 19th centuries and redefined the meaning of equality throughout the Atlantic world. Even in the 21st century, it remains a touchstone of democratic activism-a timeless example of mobilizing against injustice. As famed black abolitionist Frederick Douglass commented in the 1890s, the antislavery struggle constituted a grand army of activists whose labors would cast a long shadow over American history. This introduction to the abolitionist movement, written by African American and abolition expert Richard Newman, highlights the key people, institutions, and events that shaped the antislavery struggle between the American Revolutionary and Civil War eras as well as the major themes that guide scholarly understandings of the antislavery struggle. From early abolitionist activism in the Anglo American world and the impact of slave revolutions on antislavery reformers to the rise of black pamphleteers and the emergence of antislavery women before the Civil War, the study of the abolitionist movement has been completely reoriented during the past decade. Where before scholars focused largely on radical (white) abolitionists along the Atlantic seaboard in the years just before the Civil War, they now understand abolitionism via an ever-expanding roster of activists through both time and space. While this book will examine famous antislavery figures such as William Lloyd Garrison and Frederick Douglass, it will also underscore the significance of early abolitionist lawsuits, the impact of the Haitian Revolution on both black and white abolitionists in the United States, and women's increasingly prominent role as abolitionist editors, organizers, and orators. By drawing on the exciting insights of recent work on these and other themes, a very short introduction to the abolitionist movement will provide a compelling and up-todate narrative of the American antislavery struggle _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Accounting: A Very Short Introduction Christopher Nobes (Professor of Accounting at Royal Holloway (University of London) and at the University of Sydney) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

27 Mar 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h173mm x w114mm x s10mm 124g A number of black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199684311 ISBN13: 978-0-19-968431-1 ISBN10: 0199684316 EAN: 9780199684311 x Description: If you read the 'business pages' of a newspaper or if you listen to the financial news on the television or radio, you will often hear terms such as 'liability', 'balance sheet' or 'earnings'. These terms turn up in non-financial contexts as well: 'he was more of a liability than an asset'. If you invest in shares, have a building society account, or sit on a committee of the property company which owns your apartment block, you will receive financial statements every year. If you are a manager in a company, a hospital or a school, you will see accounting information often. This Very Short Introduction provides a guide to understanding and using accounting information. Christopher Nobes explains the main areas of accounting work, from bookkeeping and financial reporting to auditing and management accounting.

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Adam Smith: A Very Short Introduction Christopher J. Berry (Honorary Research Professor, University of Glasgow) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

08 Nov 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h175mm x w111mm x s9mm 122g 1 black and white image ISBN13: 9780198784456 ISBN13: 978-0-19-878445-6 ISBN10: 0198784457 EAN: 9780198784456 x Description: In 1776 Adam Smith (1723-90) wrote The Wealth of Nations , a book so foundational it has led to him being called the 'father of economics'. Today he is associated with the promotion of self-interest, a defence of greed and a criticism of any governmental 'interference' in market transactions which, if left to the 'invisible hand', will produce prosperity and liberty. Yet if Smith is actually read these associations are more a caricature than a faithful portrait. In this Very Short Introduction, Christopher Berry offers a balanced and nuanced view of this seminal thinker, embedding his fierce defence of free trade, competition, and assault on special interests in contemporary European history, politics, and philosophy. As Berry explores, Smith was far more than an economist. His book The Theory of Moral Sentiment, offered a complex account of ethics in the context of human social behaviour. His scope as a professor at the University of Glasgow, a major centre of the Scottish Enlightenment, was extensive. Beyond courses in philosophy and jurisprudence he also gave classes covering history, literature, and language. In addition to his two major works he also wrote a pioneering study of the history of astronomy as an illustration of the motivations that drive humans to seek answers to questions. He produced, again derived from his Glasgow classroom, an analysis of the development of grammar and language. As Christopher Berry shows, Adam Smith was no narrow thinker, but rather one who produced not only one of the greatest books in the history of social science, but also a wide-ranging body of work that remains significant today. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Adolescence: A Very Short Introduction Peter K. Smith (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

07 Jun 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w114mm x s9mm 120g 8 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199665563 ISBN13: 978-0-19-966556-3 ISBN10: 0199665567 EAN: 9780199665563 x Description: Adolescence is a turbulent period to live through, and a time of importance and concern to parents, teachers, and social workers. Marking the transition from the world of childhood to adult life, the adolescent faces many challenges and opportunities, including forming their own identity, relating to often conflicting demands from parents and peers, and negotiating first romantic relationships. In this Very Short Introduction, Peter K. Smith provides an engaging and informative overview of what we know and what we are learning about adolescence. Including both a guide to the classical research that has informed our knowledge, as well as the results of the modern research into the contemporary adolescent experience, Smith examines a number of aspects of adolescence, including the cultural and historical context, the biological changes to the adolescent brain, and the controversies that adolescence brings.

Advertising: A Very Short Introduction Winston Fletcher (Formerly founder Chairman of the World Advertising Research Center. Vice President of the History of Advertising Trust and Visiting Professor of Marketing at the University of Westminster) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2010

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w112mm x s10mm 142g 15 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199568925 ISBN13: 978-0-19-956892-5 ISBN10: 0199568928 EAN: 9780199568925 x Description: How advertising works is not a question that has a simple answer. Advertising is a diverse entity and different campaigns work (or fail to work) in a plethora of different ways. Most advertising persuades people to buy things, but how? And who does it aim to persuade? And how are these decisions made? In this Very Short Introduction Winston Fletcher, an expert with extensive knowledge of advertising from the inside, aims to answer these questions, and in doing so, dispels some of the myths and misunderstandings surrounding the industry. The book contains a short history of advertising and an explanation of how the industry works, and how each of the parties (the advertisers , the media and the agencies) are involved. It considers the extensive spectrum of advertisers and their individual needs. It also looks at the financial side of advertising and asks how advertisers know if they have been successful, or whether the money they have spent has in fact been wasted. Fletcher concludes with a discussion about the controversial and unacceptable areas of advertising such as advertising products to children and advertising products such as cigarettes and alcohol. He also discusses the benefits of advertising and what the future may hold for the industry. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Aerial Warfare: A Very Short Introduction Frank Ledwidge (Senior Fellow in Air Power and International Security at the Royal Air Force College at Cranwell) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

09 Apr 2020

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w111mm x s8mm 126g 13 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198804314 ISBN13: 978-0-19-880431-4 ISBN10: 0198804318 EAN: 9780198804314 x Description: Aerial warfare has dominated war-making for over 100 years, and despite regular announcements of its demise, it shows no sign of becoming obsolete. In this Very Short Introduction Frank Ledwidge offers a sweeping look at the history of aerial warfare, introducing the major battles, crises, and controversies where air power has taken centre stage, and the changes in technology and air power capabilities over time. Highlighting the role played by air power in the First and Second World Wars, he also sheds light on the lesser-known theatres where the roles of air forces have been clearly decisive in conflicts, in Africa, South America, and Asia.

Along the way, Ledwidge asks key questions about the roles air power can deliver, and whether it is conceptually different from other forms of combat. Considering whether bombing has ever been truly effective, he discusses whether wars can be won from the air, and concludes by analysing whether there is a future for manned air power, or if it is inevitable that drones will dominate 21st century war in the air. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. Previously published in hardback as Aerial Warfare: The Battle for the Skies. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Aesthetics: A Very Short Introduction Bence Nanay (Professor of Philosophy and BOF Research Professor, University of Antwerp, and Senior Research Associate, Peterhouse, University of Cambridge) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

07 Nov 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h173mm x w111mm x s9mm 115g 12 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198826613 ISBN13: 978-0-19-882661-3 ISBN10: 0198826613 EAN: 9780198826613 x Description: Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy that explores the nature of art, beauty, and taste. It doesn't just consider traditional artistic experiences such as artworks in a museum or an opera performance, but also everyday experiences such as autumn leaves in the park, or even just the light of the setting sun falling on the kitchen table. It is also about your experience when you choose the shirt you're going to wear today or when you wonder whether you should put more pepper in the soup. Aesthetics is everywhere. It is one of the most important aspects of our life. In this Very Short Introduction Bence Nanay introduces the field of aesthetics, considering both Western and non-Western aesthetic traditions, and exploring why it is sometimes misunderstood or considered to be too elitist - by artists, musicians, and even philosophers. As Nanay shows, so-called 'high art' has no more claims on aesthetics than sitcoms, tattoos, or punk rock. In fact, the scope of aesthetics extends far wider than that of art, high or low, including much of what we care about in life. It is not the job of aesthetics to tell you which artworks are good and which ones are bad. It is not the job of aesthetics to tell you what experiences are worth having. If an experience is worth having for you, it thereby becomes the subject of aesthetics. This realisation is important, because thinking about aesthetics in this inclusive way opens up new ways of understanding old questions about the social aspect of our aesthetic engagements, and the importance of aesthetic values for our own self. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

African American Religion: A Very Short Introduction Eddie S. Glaude, Jr. (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

08 Aug 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 160pp h173mm x w114mm x s10mm 124g ISBN13: 9780195182897 ISBN13: 978-0-19-518289-7 ISBN10: 0195182898 EAN: 9780195182897 x

Description: Since the first African American denomination was established in Philadelphia in 1818, churches have gone beyond their role as spiritual guides in African American communities and have served as civic institutions, spaces for education, and sites for the cultivation of individuality and identities in the face of limited or non-existent freedom. In this Very Short Introduction, Eddie S. Glaude Jr. explores the history and circumstances of African American religion through three examples: conjure, African American Christianity, and African American Islam. He argues that the phrase "African American religion " is meaningful only insofar as it describes how through religion, African Americans have responded to oppressive conditions including slavery, Jim Crow apartheid, and the pervasive and institutionalized discrimination that exists today. This bold claim frames his interpretation of the historical record of the wide diversity of religious experiences in the African American community. He rejects the common tendency to racialize African American religious experiences as an inherent proclivity towards religiousness and instead focuses on how religious communities and experiences have developed in the African American community and the context in which these developments took place. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

African History: A Very Short Introduction John Parker (Author) Richard Rathbone (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

22 Mar 2007

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 184pp h170mm x w110mm x s10mm 140g 29 halftones, 4 maps ISBN13: 9780192802484 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280248-4 ISBN10: 0192802488 EAN: 9780192802484 x Description: Essential reading for anyone interested in the African continent and the diversity of human history, this Very Short Introduction looks at Africa's past and reflects on the changing ways it has been imagined and represented. Key themes in current thinking about Africa's history are illustrated with a range of fascinating historical examples, drawn from over 5 millennia across this vast continent. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

African Politics: A Very Short Introduction Ian Taylor (Professor in International Relations and African Political Economy at the University of St Andrews) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

11 Oct 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h175mm x w111mm x s9mm 134g 10 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198806578 ISBN13: 978-0-19-880657-8 ISBN10: 0198806574 EAN: 9780198806578 x Description: Africa is a continent of 54 countries and over a billion people. However, despite the rich diversity of the African experience, it is striking that continuations and themes seem to be reflected across the continent, particularly south of the Sahara. Questions of underdevelopment, outside exploitation, and misrule are characteristic of many - if not most-states in Sub-Saharan Africa. In this Very Short Introduction Ian Taylor explores how politics is practiced on the African continent, considering the nature of the state in Sub-Saharan Africa and why its state structures are generally weaker than elsewhere in the world. Exploring the historical and contemporary factors which account for Africa's underdevelopment, he also analyses why some African countries suffer from high levels of political violence while others are spared. Unveilling the ways in which African state and society actually function beyond the formal institutional facade, Taylor discusses how external factors - both inherited and contemporary - act

upon the continent. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

African Religions: A Very Short Introduction Jacob K. Olupona (Professor of African and African American Studies, Professor of African Religious Studies, Professor of African and African American Studies, Professor of African Religious Studies, Harvard University and Harvard Divinity School) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

10 Feb 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 176pp h174mm x w115mm x s11mm 140g 10 b&w illustrations ISBN13: 9780199790586 ISBN13: 978-0-19-979058-6 ISBN10: 0199790582 EAN: 9780199790586 x Description: Africa is home to hundreds of ethnic groups, who together speak more than a thousand languages. It is not surprising, then, that Africa's enormous range of peoples, cultures, and ways of life has engendered a wide diversity of religious practices. This Very Short Introduction offers a wide-ranging look at the myriad indigenous religious traditions on the African continent. Drawing on archeological research, historical evidence, ethnographic studies, and archival materials such as missionary records, Jacob Olupona-one of the world's leading authorities on African religions-captures a wealth of information in a short compass. The book not only gives the reader a full and vivid sense of African religious belief-exploring myths, gods and local deities, ancestor worship, rites of passage, festivals, divination, and much more-but it also underscores the role these religions play in everyday African life. Indeed, traditional religions inform everything from birthing and death, marriage and family dynamics, to diet, dress and grooming, health care, and even governance. Monarchs, chiefs, and elders play both political and religious roles, imparting secular and spiritual guidance to their subjects, while also being guardians of religious centres such as shrines, temples, and sacred forests. The author also examines the spread of Christianity and Islam throughout Africa, both the moderate sects (which often blend aspects of indigenous faith into their own practice) and the more extreme fundamentalist sects, which the author states have had a dire effect on African life. In fact, radical forms of Christianity and Islam-both of which decry tradition religion as paganism-have driven a near total collapse of indigenous practice. But if traditional religions are engaged in a battle for their lives in Africa, Olupona shows that they are thriving elsewhere in the world-particularly in the Americas and in Europe. About the Series: Oxford's Very Short Introductions series offers concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects-from Islam to Sociology, Politics to Classics, Literary Theory to History, and Archaeology to the Bible. Not simply a textbook of definitions, each volume in this series provides trenchant and provocative-yet always balanced and complete-discussions of the central issues in a given discipline or field. Every Very Short Introduction gives a readable evolution of the subject in question, demonstrating how the subject has developed and how it has influenced society. Eventually, the series will encompass every major academic discipline, offering all students an accessible and abundant reference library. Whatever the area of study that one deems important or appealing, whatever the topic that fascinates the general reader, the Very Short Introductions series has a handy and affordable guide that will likely prove indispensable. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ageing: A Very Short Introduction Nancy A. Pachana (Professor of Geropsychology, University of Queensland) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

08 Dec 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w118mm x s10mm 132g 10 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198725329 ISBN13: 978-0-19-872532-9 ISBN10: 0198725329 EAN: 9780198725329 x Description: Ageing is an activity we are familiar with from an early age. In our younger years upcoming birthdays are anticipated with an excitement that somewhat diminishes as the years progress. As we grow older we are bombarded with advice on ways to overcome, thwart, resist, and, on the rare occasion, embrace, one's ageing. Have all human beings from the various historical epochs and cultures viewed aging with this same ambivalence? In this Very Short Introduction Nancy A. Pachana discusses the lifelong dynamic changes in biological, psychological, and social functioning involved in ageing. Increased lifespans in the developed and the developing world have created an urgent need to find ways to enhance our functioning and wellbeing in the later decades of life, and this need is reflected in policies and action plans addressing our ageing populations from the World Health Organization and the United Nations. Looking to the future, Pachana considers advancements in the provision for our ageing populations, including revolutionary models of nursing home care such as Green House nursing homes in the USA and Small Group Living homes in the Netherlands. She shows that understanding the process of ageing is not only important for individuals, but also for societies and nations, if the full potential of those entering later life is to be realised. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Agnosticism: A Very Short Introduction Robin Le Poidevin (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2010

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h173mm x w114mm x s9mm 128g 11 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199575268 ISBN13: 978-0-19-957526-8 ISBN10: 0199575266 EAN: 9780199575268 x Description: What is agnosticism? Is it just the 'don't know' position on God, or is there more to it than this? Is it a belief, or merely the absence of belief? Who were the first to call themselves 'agnostics'? These are just some of the questions that Robin Le Poidevin considers in this Very Short Introduction. He sets the philosophical case for agnosticism and explores it as a historical and cultural phenomenon. What emerges is a much more sophisticated, and much more interesting, attitude than a simple failure to either commit to, or reject, religious belief. Le Poidevin challenges some preconceptions and assumptions among both believers and non-atheists, and invites the reader to rethink their own position on the issues. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Agriculture: A Very Short Introduction Paul Brassley (Author) Dr Richard Soffe (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w114mm x s9mm 142g 9 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780198725961 ISBN13: 978-0-19-872596-1 ISBN10: 0198725965 EAN: 9780198725961 x Description: Agriculture, one of the oldest human occupations, is practised all over the world, using techniques ranging from the profoundly traditional to the most scientifically advanced. Without it we would starve. Yet how many of us understand what is happening in the fields that we see as we drive through the countryside? How often do we think about the origins of the food in our trolley? In this Very Short Introduction Paul Brassley and Richard Soffe explain what farmers do and why they do it. Beginning with the most basic resource, the soil, they show why it is important, and how farmers can increase its productivity, before turning to the plants and animals that grow on it, and tracing the connections between their biology and the various ways in which farmers work with them. The authors conclude by looking at some of the controversial issues facing contemporary agriculture: its sustainability; its impact on wildlife and landscape; issues of animal welfare; and the affect of climate change and the development of genetically modified organisms on farmers. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Albert Camus: A Very Short Introduction Oliver Gloag (Associate Professor of French and Francophone Studies at the University of North Carolina, Asheville) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

07 Nov 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h170mm x w111mm x s10mm 120g 8 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198792970 ISBN13: 978-0-19-879297-0 ISBN10: 0198792972 EAN: 9780198792970 x Description: Few would question that Albert Camus (1913-1960), novelist, playwright, philosopher and journalist, is a major cultural icon. His widely quoted works have led to countless movie adaptions, graphic novels, pop songs, and even t-shirts. In this Very Short Introduction, Oliver Gloag chronicles the inspiring story of Camus' life. From a poor fatherless settler in French-Algeria to the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, Gloag offers a comprehensive view of Camus' major works and interventions, including his notion of the absurd and revolt, as well as his highly original concept of pure happiness through unity with nature called "bonheur". This original introduction also addresses debates on coloniality, which have arisen around Camus' work. Gloag presents Camus in all his complexity a staunch defender of many progressive causes, fiercely attached to his French-Algerian roots, a writer of enormous talent and social awareness plagued by self-doubt, and a crucially relevant author whose major works continue to significantly impact our views on contemporary issues and events.

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Alexander the Great: A Very Short Introduction Hugh Bowden (Senior Lecturer in Ancient History at King's College London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

24 Jul 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h174mm x w111mm x s8mm 126g 8 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780198706151 ISBN13: 978-0-19-870615-1 ISBN10: 0198706154 EAN: 9780198706151 x Description: Alexander the Great became king of Macedon in 336 BC, when he was only 20 years old, and died at the age of 32, twelve years later. During his reign he conquered the Achaemenid Persian Empire, the largest empire that had ever existed, leading his army from Greece to Pakistan, and from the Libyan desert to the steppes of Central Asia. His meteoric career, as leader of an alliance of Greek cities, Pharaoh of Egypt, and King of Persia, had a profound effect on the world he moved through. Even in his lifetime his achievements became legendary and in the centuries that following his story was told and retold throughout Europe and the East. Greek became the language of power in the Eastern Mediterranean and much of the Near East, as powerful Macedonian dynasts carved up Alexander's empire into kingdoms of their own, underlaying the flourishing Hellenistic civilization that emerged after his death. But what do we really know about Alexander? In this Very Short Introduction, Hugh Bowden goes behind the usual historical accounts of Alexander's life and career. Instead, he focuses on the evidence from Alexander's own time - letters from officials in Afghanistan, Babylonian diaries, records from Egyptian temples - to try and understand how Alexander appeared to those who encountered him. In doing so he also demonstrates the profound influence the legends of his life have had on our historical understanding and the controversy they continue to generate worldwide. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Algebra: A Very Short Introduction Peter M. Higgins (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

22 Oct 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w118mm x s9mm 142g 14 black and white line drawings ISBN13: 9780198732822 ISBN13: 978-0-19-873282-2 ISBN10: 0198732821 EAN: 9780198732822 x Description: Algebra marked the beginning of modern mathematics, moving it beyond arithmetic, which involves calculations featuring given numbers, to problems where some quantities are unknown. Now, it stands as a pillar of mathematics, underpinning the quantitative sciences, both social and physical. This Very Short Introduction explains algebra from scratch. Over the course of ten logical chapters, Higgins offers a step by step approach for readers keen on developing their understanding of algebra. Using theory and example, he renews the reader's aquaintance with school mathematics, before taking them progressively further and deeper into the subject. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

American Business History: A Very Short Introduction Walter A. Friedman (Director of the Business History Initiative and Lecturer, Director of the Business History Initiative and Lecturer, Harvard Business School) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

15 Apr 2020

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 160pp h173mm x w110mm x s10mm 136g 10 illustrations ISBN13: 9780190622473 ISBN13: 978-0-19-062247-3 ISBN10: 0190622474 EAN: 9780190622473 x Description: By the early twentieth century, it became common to describe the United States as a "business civilization." President Coolidge in 1925 said, "The chief business of the American people is business." More recently, historian Sven Beckert characterized Henry Ford's massive manufactory as the embodiment of America: "While Athens had its Parthenon and Rome its Colosseum, the United States had its River Rouge Factory in Detroit..." How did business come to assume such power and cultural centrality in America? This volume explores the variety of business enterprise in the United States and analyzes its presence in the country's economy, its evolution over time, and its meaning in society. It introduces readers to formative business leaders (including Elbert Gary, Harlow Curtice, and Mary Kay Ash), leading firms (Mellon Bank, National Cash Register, Xerox), and fiction about business people (The Octopus, Babbitt, The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit). It also discusses Alfred Chandler, Joseph Schumpeter, Mira Wilkins, and others who made significant contributions to understanding of America's business history. This VSI pursues its three central themes - the evolution, scale, and culture of American business - in a chronological framework stretching from the American Revolution to today. The first theme is evolution: How has U.S. business evolved over time? How have American companies competed with one another and with foreign firms? Why have ideas about strategy and management changed? Why did business people in the mid-twentieth century celebrate an "organizational" culture promising long-term employment in the same company, while a few decades later entrepreneurship was prized? Second is scale: Why did business assume such enormous scale in the United States? Was the rise of gigantic corporations due to the industriousness of its population, or natural resources, or government policies? And third, culture: What are the characteristics of a "business civilization"? How have opinions on the meaning of business changed? In the late nineteenth century, Andrew Carnegie believed that America's numerous enterprises represented an exuberant "triumph of democracy." After World War II, however, sociologist William H. Whyte saw business culture as stultifying, and historian Richard Hofstadter wrote, "Once great men created fortunes; today a great system creates fortunate men." How did changes in the nature of business affect popular views? Walter A. Friedman provides the long view of these important developments. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

American Cultural History: A Very Short Introduction Eric Avila (Associate Professor of Chicano Studies, Urban Planning, and History, Associate Professor of Chicano Studies, Urban Planning, and History, University of California, Los Angeles) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

15 Aug 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 168pp h175mm x w114mm x s11mm 132g 10 ISBN13: 9780190200589 ISBN13: 978-0-19-020058-9 ISBN10: 0190200588 EAN: 9780190200589 x Description: In recent decades, culture-the values, attitudes, beliefs, and myths of a particular society and the objects through which they are organized-has earned prominent stature in the annals of American history. The United States often brings to mind Uncle Sam and the cowboys of the Old West, or the speeches of JFK and lyrics of Madonna. Words and images such as these have the power to represent, or contest, national, civic, and social identities. From the Boston Tea

Party to the Dodgers, from the blues to Andy Warhol, dime novels to Disneyland, the history of American culture tells us how previous generations of Americans have imagined themselves, their nation, and their relationship to the world and its peoples. This Very Short Introduction lays out a chronological map of American culture, its thematic currents, and its creation by social groups ranging from the straight-laced Puritans of colonial New England to the techies of today's Silicon Valley. In doing so, it emphasizes the role of culture in the shaping of national identity. Across the lines of race, class, gender, sexuality, religion, ethnicity, generation, and geography, diverse Americans have helped to forge a national culture with an ultimately global reach, inventing stories to underscore the problems and possibilities of an American way of life. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

American Foreign Relations: A Very Short Introduction Andrew Preston (Professor of American History, Professor of American History, University of Cambridge) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

13 May 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 168pp h176mm x w115mm x s10mm 122g 10 hts ISBN13: 9780199899395 ISBN13: 978-0-19-989939-5 ISBN10: 0199899398 EAN: 9780199899395 x Description: For better or worse, be it militarily, diplomatically, politically, economically, or culturally, Americans have had a profound role in shaping the wider world beyond them. Unsurprisingly, most non-Americans have passionate views about the nature of U.S. foreign policy. America has been a savior to some, a curse to others-and both have good reason to feel that way. And yet, such views are often also based on a caricature of American actions and intentions. For their part, Americans themselves have strong opinions about their role in the world and how it has evolved over time. Yet these views are shrouded as much in myth as they are grounded in fact. American Foreign Relations, then, suffers from being a subject of immense worldwide importance but almost complete misunderstanding; it provokes strong emotions and much debate in newspapers daily, but is accompanied by little comprehension. This Very Short Introduction aims to offer analysis of key events, episodes, crises, and individuals in the making of American foreign relations. It will discuss events such as the Revolutionary War, the Louisiana Purchase, the War of 1812, manifest destiny, the Mexican War, the Civil War, industrialization, the beginnings of globalization, the Spanish-American War, imperialism, the annexation of the Philippines, informal imperialism and the Open Door policy, World War I, isolationism, World War II, the Cold War from its origins to its end (including the Korean and Vietnam Wars), the Iraq Wars, 9/11, and Afghanistan. Such topics will be situated within an analytical narrative that follows chronology generally, but not strictly or comprehensively. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

American History: A Very Short Introduction Paul S. Boyer (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

13 Sep 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 184pp h173mm x w116mm x s10mm 141g 10 b/w halftones ISBN13: 9780195389142 ISBN13: 978-0-19-538914-2 ISBN10: 019538914X EAN: 9780195389142 x

Description: This brief history of America will span the earliest migrations to the present, reflecting Paul S. Boyer's interests in social, intellectual, and cultural history, including popular culture and religion. It will reflect his personal view of American history, in which a sense of paradox and irony loom large. While noting positive achievements-political, economic, social, and cultural-he will also discuss the United States's failures to live up to its oftstated ideals; although America has figured in the world's imagination (and its own self-image) as a "land of opportunity" offering "liberty and justice for all," the reality has often fallen short. For example, the establishment of the North American colonies had very different meanings for colonists from the British Isles and Europe, for Native peoples, and for enslaved Africans brought against their will. The late nineteenth century saw not only impressive industrial expansion and the creation of vast fortunes but also appalling conditions in urban-immigrant slums and a degraded, exploited labor force. The twentieth-century emergence of a suburban society of consumer abundance meant a better life for many and laid the groundwork for impressive cultural creativity, yet left behind crime-ridden inner cities and spawned a stultifying mass culture. The immigrants who have renewed and revitalized the nation have also stirred hostility and resentment. While American popular culture has demonstrated global appeal, the projection of U.S. military power abroad, from the Philippines early in the twentieth century to Iraq early in the twentyfirst, has sometimes failed in its purpose and damaged the nation's international standing. Although this book will not be a muckraking expose or anachronistic moral tract, neither will it be a celebratory panegyric or a bland recital of facts. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

American Immigration: A Very Short Introduction David A. Gerber (Distinguished Professor of History, University at Buffalo, Distinguished Professor of History, University at Buffalo, (SUNY)) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

30 Jun 2011

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 160pp h173mm x w115mm x s10mm 141g 12 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780195331783 ISBN13: 978-0-19-533178-3 ISBN10: 0195331788 EAN: 9780195331783 x Description: Americans have come from every corner of the globe, and they have been brought together by a variety of historical processes-conquest, colonialism, the slave trade, territorial acquisition, and voluntary immigration. A thoughtful look at immigration, anti-immigration sentiments, and the motivations and experiences of the migrants themselves, this book offers a compact but wide-ranging look at one of America's hottest issues. Historian David Gerber begins by examining the many legal efforts to curb immigration and to define who is and is not an American, ranging from the Naturalization Law of 1795 (which applied only to "free-born white persons") to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, the Emergency Quota Act of 1921, and the reform-minded Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which opened the door to millions of newcomers, the vast majority from Asia and Latin America. The book also looks at immigration from the perspective of the migrant-farmers and industrial workers, mechanics and domestics, highly trained professionals and small-business owners-who willingly pulled up stakes for the promise of a better life. Throughout, the book sheds light on the relationships between race and ethnicity in the life of these groups and in the formation of American society, and it stresses the marked continuities across waves of immigration and across different racial and ethnic groups. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

American Legal History: A Very Short Introduction G. Edward White (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

03 Dec 2013

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 168pp h173mm x w114mm x s10mm 132g 10 b&w illustrations ISBN13: 9780199766000 ISBN13: 978-0-19-976600-0 ISBN10: 0199766002 EAN: 9780199766000 x Description: Law has played a central role in American history. From colonial times to the present, law has not just reflected the changing society in which legal decisions have been made-it has played a powerful role in shaping that society, though not always in positive ways. In this Very Short Introduction, eminent legal scholar G. Edward White-author of the ongoing, multi-volume Law in American History-offers a compact overview that sheds light on the impact of law on a number of key social issues. Rather than offer a straight chronological history, the book instead traces important threads woven throughout our nation's past, looking at how law shaped Native American affairs, slavery, business, and home life, as well as how it has dealt with criminal and civil offenses. White shows that law has not always been used to exemplary ends. For instance, a series of decisions by the Marshall court essentially marginalized Amerindians, indigenous people of the Americas, reducing tribes to wards of the government. Likewise, law initially legitimated slavery in the United States, and legal institutions, including the Supreme Court, failed to resolve the tensions stirred up by the westward expansion of slavery, eventually sparking the Civil War. White also looks at the expansion of laws regarding property rights, which were vitally important to the colonists, many of whom left Europe hoping to become land owners; the evolution of criminal punishment from a public display (the stocks, the gallows) to a private prison system; the rise of tort law after the Civil War; and the progress in legal education, moving from informal apprenticeships and lax standards to modern law schools and rigorous bar exams. In this illuminating look at the pivotal role of law in American life, White offers us an excellent first step to a better appreciation of the function of law in our society. About the Series: Oxford's Very Short Introductions series offers concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects-from Islam to Sociology, Politics to Classics, Literary Theory to History, and Archaeology to the Bible. Not simply a textbook of definitions, each volume in this series provides trenchant and provocative-yet always balanced and complete-discussions of the central issues in a given discipline or field. Every Very Short Introduction gives a readable evolution of the subject in question, demonstrating how the subject has developed and how it has influenced society. Eventually, the series will encompass every major academic discipline, offering all students an accessible and abundant reference library. Whatever the area of study that one deems important or appealing, whatever the topic that fascinates the general reader, the Very Short Introductions series has a handy and affordable guide that will likely prove indispensable. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

American Military History: A Very Short Introduction Joseph T. Glatthaar (Stephenson Distinguished Professor of History, Stephenson Distinguished Professor of History, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

10 Dec 2020

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 160pp h175mm x w111mm 10 illustrations ISBN13: 9780199859252 ISBN13: 978-0-19-985925-2 ISBN10: 0199859256 EAN: 9780199859252 x Description: Since the first English settlers landed at Jamestown with the legacy of centuries of European warfare in tow, the military has been an omnipresent part of America. In American Military History: A Very Short Introduction, Joseph T. Glatthaar explores this relationship from its origins in the thirteen colonies to today's ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. During the Revolutionary War, tension grew between local militias and a standing army. The Founding Fathers attempted to strike a balance, enshrining an army, navy, and a "well-regulated Militia" in the Constitution. The US soon witnessed the rise of a professional military, a boon to its successes in the War of 1812, the Mexican War, and the Civil War. However, after the Civil War, the US struggled to learn that the purpose of a peacetime army is to prepare for war. When war did arrive, it arrived with a vengeance, gutting the trenches of the Great War with effective innovations: tanks, planes, machine guns, and poison gas. The US embraced the technology that would win both world wars and change the nature of battle in the Second World War. The US emerged from World War II as the most powerful nation in the war, but over the next several decades it was forced to confront the limits of its power. The nuclear era brought encounters defined by stalemate-from the Cold War conflicts of Korea and Vietnam to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Since 9/11, the US has been frustrated by unconventional warfare, including terrorism and cyberwar, largely negating the technological advantage it had held. Glatthaar examines all these challenges, looking to the future of the U.S. military and its often proud and complicated legacy. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

American Naval History: A Very Short Introduction Craig L. Symonds (Ernest J. King Professor of Maritime History, Ernest J. King Professor of Maritime History, U.S. Naval War College) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

26 Mar 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 168pp h176mm x w114mm x s11mm 130g 11 ISBN13: 9780199394760 ISBN13: 978-0-19-939476-0 ISBN10: 0199394768 EAN: 9780199394760 x Description: This fast-paced narrative traces the emergence of the United States Navy as a global power from its birth during the American Revolution through to its current superpower status. The story highlights iconic moments of great drama pivotal to the nation's fortunes: John Paul Jones' attacks on the British during the Revolution, the Barbary Wars, and the arduous conquest of Iwo Jima. The book illuminates the changes-technological, institutional, and functional-of the U.S. Navy from its days as a small frigate navy through the age of steam and steel to the modern era of electronics and missiles. Historian Craig L. Symonds captures the evolving culture of the navy and debates between policymakers about what role the institution should play in world affairs. Internal and external challenges dramatically altered the size and character of the navy, with long periods of quiet inertia alternating with rapid expansion emerging out of crises. The history of the navy reflects the history of the nation as a whole, and its many changes derive in large part from the changing role of the United States itself.

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American Political History: A Very Short Introduction Donald Critchlow (Professor of History, Professor of History, Arizona State University, Tempe) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

02 Jan 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w114mm x s9mm 146g 10 illustrations ISBN13: 9780199340057 ISBN13: 978-0-19-934005-7 ISBN10: 0199340056 EAN: 9780199340057 x Description: The Founding Fathers who drafted the United States Constitution in 1787 distrusted political parties, popular democracy, centralized government, and a strong executive office. Yet the country's national politics have historically included all those features. In American Political History: A Very Short Introduction, Donald Critchlow takes on this contradiction between original theory and actual practice. This brief, accessible book explores the nature of the two-party system, key turning points in American political history, representative presidential and congressional elections, struggles to expand the electorate, and critical social protest and third-party movements. The volume emphasizes the continuity of a liberal tradition challenged by partisan divide, war, and periodic economic turmoil. American Political History: A Very Short Introduction explores the emergence of a democratic political culture within a republican form of government, showing the mobilization and extension of the mass electorate over the lifespan of the country. In a nation characterized by great racial, ethnic, and religious diversity, American democracy has proven extraordinarily durable. Individual parties have risen and fallen, but the dominance of the two-party system persists. Fierce debates over the meaning of the U.S. Constitution have created profound divisions within the parties and among voters, but a belief in the importance of constitutional order persists among political leaders and voters. Americans have been deeply divided about the extent of federal power, slavery, the meaning of citizenship, immigration policy, civil rights, and a range of economic, financial, and social policies. New immigrants, racial minorities, and women have joined the electorate and the debates. But American political history, with its deep social divisions, bellicose rhetoric, and antagonistic partisanship provides valuable lessons about the meaning and viability of democracy in the early 21st century. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

American Political Parties and Elections: A Very Short Introduction L. Sandy Maisel (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

05 Jul 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 208pp h174mm x w114mm x s12mm 176g 10 halftones ISBN13: 9780190458164 ISBN13: 978-0-19-045816-4 ISBN10: 019045816X EAN: 9780190458164 x Description: Few Americans and even fewer citizens of other nations understand the electoral process in the United States. Still fewer understand the role played by political parties in the electoral process or the ironies within the system. Participation in elections in the United States is much lower than in the vast majority of mature democracies. Perhaps this is because of the lack of competition in a country where only two parties have a true chance of winning, despite the fact that a large number of citizens claim allegiance to neither and think badly of both. Or perhaps it is because in the U.S. campaign contributions disproportionately favor incumbents in most legislative elections, or that largely unregulated groups such as the now notorious 527s have as much impact

on the outcome of a campaign as do the parties or the candidates' campaign organizations. These factors offer a very clear picture of the problems that underlay our much trumpeted electoral system. The second edition of this Very Short Introduction introduces the reader to these issues and more. Drawing on updated data and new examples from the 2016 presidential nominations, L. Sandy Maisel provides an insider's view of how the system actually works while shining a light on some of its flaws. He also illustrates the growing impact of campaigning through social media, the changes in campaign financing wrought by the Supreme Court recent decisions, and the Tea Party's influence on the sub-presidential nominating process. As the United States enter what is sure to be yet another highly contested election year, it is more important than ever that Americans take the time to learn the system that puts so many in power. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

American Politics: A Very Short Introduction Richard M. Valelly (Claude C. Smith '14 Professor of Political Science, Claude C. Smith '14 Professor of Political Science, Swarthmore College) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

23 Feb 2013

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 152pp h156mm x w131mm x s9mm 138g 10 b/w halftones ISBN13: 9780195373851 ISBN13: 978-0-19-537385-1 ISBN10: 0195373855 EAN: 9780195373851 x Description: This book introduces the vital elements of American politics, emphasizing how these elements have evolved into the form they take today. By using a historical-institutional approach to the various parts of American politics, Valelly communicates that the American political system is, and always has been, a work in progress-one unfolding within, and also constantly updating, an eighteenth-century constitutional framework. Valelly begins by asking what Americans want from their politics and answers with a four-part analysis: (1) the politics of "peace and prosperity," (2) the sometimes illiberal politics of conformity and Americanization, (3) the politics of large-scale problem-solving (e.g., the abolition of slavery) and "perfection of the Union," and (4) the deep public desire for constitutional continuity. The last item provides the organizational framework/theme for the rest of the book. Additional chapters treat parties and polarization (stressing that contemporary polarization reinforces constitutional persistence because it provides for a mix of policy immobility and power-sharing between parties that bitterly disagree); a survey of the basic institutions: the Presidency, Congress, the judicial branch, the unelected bureaucracy of the independent agencies, and state and local governments. A third group of chapters deals with political communication, public opinion, voting and the boundaries of the electorate, and the politics of government steering of the economy. Finally, Valelly considers the puzzle of the persistence for more than two centuries of the basic constitutional forms established in 1787. The author employs a mix of quantitative data and historical examples to illustrate the main themes. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

American Slavery: A Very Short Introduction Heather Andrea Williams (Associate professor of history, Associate professor of history, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

12 Aug 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 160pp h173mm x w111mm x s8mm 126g ISBN13: 9780199922680 ISBN13: 978-0-19-992268-0 ISBN10: 0199922683 EAN: 9780199922680 x Description: Europeans, Africans, and American Indians practiced slavery long before the first purchase of a captive African by a white land-owner in the American colonies; that, however, is the image of slavery most prevalent in the minds of Americans today. This Very Short Introduction begins with the Portuguese capture of Africans in the 1400s and traces the development of American slavery until its abolition following the Civil War. Historian Heather Andrea Williams draws upon the rich recent scholarship of numerous highly-regarded academics as well as an analysis of primary documents to explore the history of slavery and its effects on the American colonies and later the United States of America. Williams examines legislation that differentiated American Indians and Africans from Europeans as the ideology of white supremacy flourished and became an ingrained feature of the society. These laws reflected the contradiction of America's moral and philosophical ideology that valorized freedom on one hand and justified the enslavement of a population deemed inferior on another. She explores the tense and often violent relationships between the enslaved and the enslavers, and between abolitionists and proslavery advocates as those who benefited from the institution fought to maintain and exert their power. Williams is attentive to the daily labors that enslaved people performed, reminding readers that slavery was a system of forced labor with economic benefits that produced wealth for a new nation, all the while leaving an indelible mark on its history. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

American Women's History: A Very Short Introduction Susan Ware (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

11 Feb 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 160pp h173mm x w114mm x s9mm 146g 10 illustrations ISBN13: 9780199328338 ISBN13: 978-0-19-932833-8 ISBN10: 0199328331 EAN: 9780199328338 x Description: What does U.S. history look like with women at the center of the story? From Pocahantas to military women serving in the Iraq war, this survey chronicles the contributions, recognized and unrecognized, that women have made to the American experience. Committed to a multicultural approach to women's history, the narrative opens not with the European settlers who came to America but with the Native American peoples who were already there. Women who seized opportunities for political and cultural influence during and after the American Revolution were mainly white women. Women's domestic and waged labor shaped the Northern economy, and slavery affected the lives of Southern women, both free and enslaved. Women took the lead in 19th century movements such as temperance, moral reform, and abolitionism, as well as women's rights. The demand for the vote first enunciated at Seneca Falls in 1848 culminated in the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920. New patterns of work, leisure, and education shaped modern women's lives after 1920, as did international events such as the Great Depression, World War II, and the Cold War. Women played especially large roles in the civil rights movement and the revival of feminism, as well as in the backlash these movements provoked. Moving beyond the well-documented lives of white middle-class women, this survey recognizes the diversity of American women's experiences defined by race, ethnicity, and class, but also geography, sexual orientation, age, and religion. At the core of the narrative is the recognition that gender-the

changing historical and cultural constructions of roles assigned to the biological differences of the sexes-is central to understanding the history of American women's lives, and the history of the United States. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Anaesthesia: A Very Short Introduction Aidan O'Donnell (Consultant Anaesthetist, Waikato Hospital, Hamilton, New Zealand) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

26 Apr 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w113mm x s9mm 124g 15 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199584543 ISBN13: 978-0-19-958454-3 ISBN10: 0199584540 EAN: 9780199584543 x Description: What do anaesthetists do? How does anaesthesia work? What are the risks? And how does the anaesthetist know if you are really asleep? Anaesthesia is a mysterious and sometimes threatening process. In this Very Short Introduction, Aidan O'Donnell takes the reader on a tour through the whole of the modern anaesthetic practice. He begins by explaining general anaesthesia: what it is, how it is produced, and how it differs from natural sleep and other forms of unconsciousness. He goes on to consider the main categories of anaesthetic drugs, including anaesthetic vapours, intravenous agents, muscle relaxants, and analgesics, together with explanations of how they work and what their purpose is. Set against the historical background of anaesthetic and surgical practice, O'Donnell examines the large role anaesthetists play in specialised areas such as intensive care medicine, pain medicine, and childbirth; and finally, he considers the risks of anaesthesia, putting in to context that anaesthesia is a very safe process. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Analytic Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction Michael Beaney (Professor of History of Analytic Philosophy, Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin, and Professor of Philosophy, King's College London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

07 Dec 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h172mm x w110mm x s8mm 139g 9 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198778028 ISBN13: 978-0-19-877802-8 ISBN10: 0198778023 EAN: 9780198778028 x Description: Originating in the pioneering work of Gottlob Frege, Bertrand Russell, G. E. Moore, and Ludwig Wittgenstein in the four decades around the turn of the twentieth century, analytic philosophy established itself in various forms in the 1930s. After the Second World War, it developed further in North America, in the rest of Europe, and is now growing in influence as the dominant philosophical tradition right across the world, from Latin America to East Asia. In this Very Short Introduction Michael Beaney introduces some of the key ideas of the founders of analytic philosophy by exploring certain fundamental philosophical questions and showing how those ideas can be used in offering answers. Considering the work of Susan Stebbing, he also explores the application of analytic philosophy to critical thinking, and emphasizes the conceptual creativity that lies at the heart of fruitful analysis. Throughout, Beaney illustrates why clarity of thinking, precision of expression, and rigour of argumentation are rightly seen as virtues of analytic philosophy.

Anarchism: A Very Short Introduction Colin Ward (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

21 Oct 2004

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 128pp h173mm x w111mm x s8mm 117g numerous halftones ISBN13: 9780192804778 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280477-8 ISBN10: 0192804774 EAN: 9780192804778 x Description: The word 'anarchism' tends to conjure up images of aggressive protest against government, and - recently - of angry demonstrations against bodies such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. But is anarchism inevitably linked with violent disorder? Do anarchists adhere to a coherent ideology? What exactly is anarchism? In this Very Short Introduction, Colin Ward considers anarchism from a variety of perspectives: theoretical, historical, and international, and by exploring key anarchist thinkers from Kropotkin to Chomsky. He looks critically at anarchism by evaluating key ideas within it, such as its blanket opposition to incarceration, and policy of 'no compromise' with the apparatus of political decision-making. Among the questions he ponders are: can anarchy ever function effectively as a political force? Is it more 'organized' and 'reasonable' than is currently perceived? Whatever the politics of the reader, Ward's argument ensures that anarchism will be much better understood after reading this book. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ancient Assyria: A Very Short Introduction Karen Radner (Professor of Ancient Near Eastern History, University College London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w143mm x s8mm 141g Approx 10 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780198715900 ISBN13: 978-0-19-871590-0 ISBN10: 0198715900 EAN: 9780198715900 x Description: Assyria was one of the most influential kingdoms of the Ancient Near East. In this Very Short Introduction, Karen Radner sketches the history of Assyria from city state to empire, from the early 2nd millennium BC to the end of the 7th century BC. Since the archaeological rediscovery of Assyria in the mid-19th century, its cities have been excavated extensively in Iraq, Syria, Turkey and Israel, with further sites in Iran, Lebanon, and Jordan providing important information. The Assyrian Empire was one of the most geographically vast, socially diverse, multicultural, and multi-ethnic states of the early first millennium BC.Using archaeological records, Radner provides insights into the lives of the inhabitants of the kingdom, highlighting the diversity of human experiences in the Assyrian Empire. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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Ancient Egypt: A Very Short Introduction Ian Shaw (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

22 Jul 2004

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 208pp h174mm x w111mm x s12mm 178g numerous halftones and line drawings ISBN13: 9780192854193 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285419-3 ISBN10: 0192854194 EAN: 9780192854193 x Description: The ancient Egyptians are an enduring source of fascination - mummies and pyramids, curses and rituals have captured the imagination of generations. We all have a mental picture of ancient Egypt, but is it the right one? How much do we really know about this great civilization? In this absorbing introduction, Ian Shaw describes how our current ideas about Egypt are based not only on the thrilling discoveries made by early Egyptologists but also on fascinating new kinds of evidence produced by modern scientific and linguistic analyses. He also explores the changing influences on our responses to these finds, through such media as literature, cinema and contemporary art. Each chapter deals with a different aspect of ancient Egypt, from despotic pharaohs to dismembered bodies, and from hieroglyphs to animal-headed gods. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ancient Egypt: A Very Short Introduction, 2nd edition Ian Shaw (Research Fellow in Egyptian Archaeology, University of Liverpool) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Jan 2021

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w111mm 20 black & white illustrations ISBN13: 9780198845461 ISBN13: 978-0-19-884546-1 ISBN10: 0198845464 EAN: 9780198845461 x Description: Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring The ancient Egyptians are an enduring source of fascination - mummies and pyramids, curses and rituals have captured the imagination of generations. We all have a mental picture of ancient Egypt, but is it the right one? How much do we really know about this great civilization? This second edition of Ancient Egypt: A Very Short Introduction explores the history and culture of pharaonic Egypt, inlcuding ideas about Egyptian kingship, ancient Egyptian writing systems, and the history of Egyptology. Ian Shaw introduces the reader to issues relating to ethnicity, race, gender, and sexual relations; the latest ideas about death, funerary rites and mummification; and thoughts on religion and ethics in ancient Egypt. He also looks at the phenomenon of Egyptomania, whereby certain books and films have sensationalised aspects of Egyptian culture. Finally, Shaw takes the story to the present day by illustrating the impact of the Arab Spring on approaches to Egyptian museums and cultural heritage. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ancient Egyptian Art and Architecture: A Very Short Introduction Christina Riggs (Senior Lecturer, School of Art History and World Art Studies, University of East Anglia) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w114mm x s8mm 122g Approx 20 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199682782 ISBN13: 978-0-19-968278-2 ISBN10: 019968278X EAN: 9780199682782 x Description: From Berlin to Boston, and St Petersburg to Sydney, ancient Egyptian art fills the galleries of some of the world's greatest museums, while the architecture of Egyptian temples and pyramids has attracted tourists to Egypt for centuries. But what did Egyptian art and architecture mean to the people who first made and used it - and why has it had such an enduring appeal? In this Very Short Introduction, Christina Riggs explores the visual arts produced in Egypt over a span of some 4,000 years. The stories behind these objects and buildings have much to tell us about how people in ancient Egypt lived their lives in relation to each other, the natural environment, and the world of the gods. Demonstrating how ancient Egypt has fascinated Western audiences over the centuries with its impressive pyramids, eerie mummies, and distinctive visual style, Riggs considers the relationship between ancient Egypt and the modern world. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ancient Greece: A Very Short Introduction Paul Cartledge (A.G. Leventis Professor of Greek Culture, Cambridge University, and Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

13 Oct 2011

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 216pp h168mm x w102mm x s13mm 190g 15 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199601349 ISBN13: 978-0-19-960134-9 ISBN10: 0199601348 EAN: 9780199601349 x Description: The contribution of the Ancient Greeks to modern western culture is incalculable. In the worlds of art, architecture, myth, literature, and philosophy, the world we live in would be unrecognizably different without the formative influence of Ancient Greek models. Ancient Greek civilization was defined by the city - in Greek, the polis, from which we derive 'politics'. It is above all this feature of Greek civilization that has formed its most enduring legacy, spawning such key terms as aristocracy, oligarchy, tyranny and - last but by no means least - democracy. This stimulating Very Short Introduction to Ancient Greece takes the polis as its starting point. Paul Cartledge uses the history of eleven major Greek cities to illuminate the most important and informative themes in Ancient Greek history, from the first documented use of the Greek language around 1400 BCE, through the glories of the Classical and Hellenistic periods, to the foundation of the Byzantine empire in around CE 330. Covering everything from politics, trade, and travel to slavery, gender, religion, and philosophy, it provides the ideal concise introduction to the history and culture of this remarkable civilization that helped give birth to the world as we know it. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new

ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction Julia Annas (Professor of Philosophy, Professor of Philosophy, University of Arizona) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2001

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h178mm x w114mm x s9mm 133g black and white halftones and line drawings ISBN13: 9780192853578 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285357-8 ISBN10: 0192853570 EAN: 9780192853578 x Description: The tradition of ancient philosophy is a long, rich and varied one, in which a constant note is that of discussion and argument. This book introduces readers to some ancient debates to engage with the ancient developments of some themes. Getting away from the presentation of ancient philosophy as a succession of Great Thinkers, the book gives readers a sense of the freshness and liveliness of ancient philosophy, and of its wide variety of themes and styles. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ancient Warfare: A Very Short Introduction Harry Sidebottom (Greyfriar's Hall, Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

18 Sep 2004

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 192pp h174mm x w110mm x s12mm 168g Half-tones and drawings throughout ISBN13: 9780192804709 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280470-9 ISBN10: 0192804707 EAN: 9780192804709 x Description: Greek and Roman warfare differed from other cultures and was unlike any other forms of warfare before and after. The key difference is often held to be that the Greeks and Romans practised a 'Western Way of War', where the aim is an open, decisive battle, won by courage instilled in part by discipline. Harry Sidebottom looks at how and why this 'Western Way of War' was constructed and maintained by the Greeks and Romans, why this concept is so popular and prevalent today, and at whether or not this is an accurate interpretation. All aspects of ancient warfare are thoroughly examined - from philosophy and strategy to the technical skills needed to fight. He looks at war in the wider context - how wars could shape classical society, and how the individual's identity could be constructed by war, for example the Christian soldier fighting in God's name. He also explores the ways in which ancient society thought about conflict: Can a war be just? Why was siege warfare particularly bloody? What role did divine intervention play in the outcome of a battle? Taking fascinating examples from the Iliad, Tacitus, and the Persian Wars, Sidebottom uses arresting anecdotes and striking visual images to show that the any understanding of ancient war is an ongoing process of interpretation. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Angels: A Very Short Introduction David Albert Jones (Director, The Anscombe Bioethics Centre, Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

13 Oct 2011

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w116mm x s10mm 127g 17 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199547302 ISBN13: 978-0-19-954730-2 ISBN10: 0199547300 EAN: 9780199547302 x Description: What are angels? Where were they first encountered? Can we distinguish angels from gods, fairies, ghosts, and aliens? And why do they remain so popular? This Very Short Introduction outlines some of the more prominent stories and speculations about angels in Judaism, Islam, Christianity and postChristian spiritualities. It reflects on the way that angels have been portrayed in art, whether as young men in the Hebrew Scriptures, androgynous winged creatures of the pre-Raphaelites or the masculine statue of the Angel of the North. It will also consider angels in films such as Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire, and Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life, as well as angels in literature. From the idea of the angel as a messenger, through to the image of angels sent to protect and help those in need, this is an examination of the implications of angels. It will ask why people find the idea of angels attractive, helpful or consoling, and why they remain so powerful in modern culture. It advances the view that reflecting on angels can teach us something about human existence and whether or not we believe that they exist in their own right, the angels can still illuminate our thoughts. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Anglicanism: A Very Short Introduction Mark Chapman (Ripon College, Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h175mm x w111mm x s10mm 132g 16 halftones ISBN13: 9780192806932 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280693-2 ISBN10: 0192806939 EAN: 9780192806932 x Description: What is Anglicanism? How is it different from other forms of Christianity, and how did it come to have so many different versions throughout the world? Although originally united by location and a common belief, Anglicanism has gradually lost its pre-eminence as the English state church due to increasing pluralisation and secularisation. While there are distinctive themes and emphases which emerge from its early history and theology, there is little sense of unity in Anglicanism today. In Anglicanism: A Very Short Introduction, Mark Chapman highlights the diversity of contemporary Anglicanism by exploring its fascinating history, theology, and structures. Putting the history and development of the religion into context, Chapman reveals what it is that holds Anglicanism together despite the recent crises that threaten to tear it apart. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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Animal Behaviour: A Very Short Introduction Tristram D. Wyatt (Senior Research Associate, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Feb 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w113mm x s12mm 144g 27 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780198712152 ISBN13: 978-0-19-871215-2 ISBN10: 0198712154 EAN: 9780198712152 x Description: How animals behave is crucial to their survival and reproduction. The application of new molecular tools such as DNA fingerprinting and genomics is causing a revolution in the study of animal behaviour, while developments in computing and image analysis allow us to investigate behaviour in ways never previously possible. By combining these with the traditional methods of observation and experiments, we are now learning more about animal behaviour than ever before. In this Very Short Introduction Tristram D. Wyatt discusses how animal behaviour has evolved, how behaviours develop in each individual (considering the interplay of genes, epigenetics, and experience), how we can understand animal societies, and how we can explain collective behaviour such as swirling flocks of starlings. Using lab and field studies from across the whole animal kingdom, he looks at mammals, butterflies, honeybees, fish, and birds, analysing what drives behaviour, and exploring instinct, learning, and culture. Looking more widely at behavioural ecology, he also considers some aspects of human behaviour. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Animal Rights: A Very Short Introduction David DeGrazia (Associate Professor of Philosophy at George Washington University, Washington DC) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2002

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h173mm x w110mm x s8mm 127g 12 Halftones ISBN13: 9780192853608 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285360-8 ISBN10: 0192853600 EAN: 9780192853608 x Description: Do animals have moral rights? If so, what does this mean? What sorts of mental lives do animals have, and how should we understand welfare? By presenting models for understanding animals' moral status and rights, and examining their mental lives and welfare, David DeGrazia explores the implications for how we should treat animals in connection with our diet, zoos, and research. Animal Rights distinguishes itself by combining intellectual rigour with accessibility, offering a distinct moral voice with a non-polemical tone. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Anthropocene: A Very Short Introduction Erle C. Ellis (Professor of Geography and Environmental Systems at the University of Maryland) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

05 Apr 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 208pp h175mm x w110mm x s10mm 179g 45 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198792987 ISBN13: 978-0-19-879298-7 ISBN10: 0198792980 EAN: 9780198792987 x Description: The proposal that the impact of humanity on the planet has left a distinct footprint, even on the scale of geological time, has recently gained much ground. Global climate change, shifting global cycles of the weather, widespread pollution, radioactive fallout, plastic accumulation, species invasions, the mass extinction of species - these are just some of the many indicators that we will leave a lasting record in rock, the scientific basis for recognizing new time intervals in Earth's history. The Anthropocene, as the proposed new epoch has been named, is regularly in the news. Even with such robust evidence, the proposal to formally recognize our current time as the Anthropocene remains controversial both inside and outside the scholarly world, kindling intense debates. The reason is clear. The Anthropocene represents far more than just another interval of geologic time. Instead, the Anthropocene has emerged as a powerful new narrative, a concept through which age-old questions about the meaning of nature and even the nature of humanity are being revisited and radically revised. This Very Short Introduction explains the science behind the Anthropocene and the many proposals about when to mark its beginning: the nuclear tests of the 1950s? The beginnings of agriculture? The origins of humans as a species? Erle Ellis considers the many ways that the Anthropocene's "evolving paradigm" is reshaping the sciences, stimulating the humanities, and foregrounding the politics of life on a planet transformed by humans. The Anthropocene remains a work in progress. Is this the story of an unprecedented planetary disaster? Or of newfound wisdom and redemption? Ellis offers an insightful discussion of our role in shaping the planet, and how this will influence our future on many fronts.

Antisemitism: A Very Short Introduction Steven Beller (Visiting Scholar at George Washington University, Washington D.C., and former Research Fellow in History at Peterhouse College, Cambridge) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

29 Oct 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w116mm x s9mm 126g 9 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780198724834 ISBN13: 978-0-19-872483-4 ISBN10: 0198724837 EAN: 9780198724834 x Description: Antisemitism, as hatred of Jews and Judaism, has been a central problem of Western civilization for millennia, and its history continues to invite debate. This Very Short Introduction untangles the history of the phenomenon, from ancient religious conflict to 'new' antisemitism in the 21st century. Steven Beller reveals how Antisemitism grew as a political and ideological movement in the 19th century, how it reached its dark apogee in the worst genocide in modern history - the Holocaust - and how Antisemitism still persists around the world today.

In the new edition of this thought-provoking Very Short Introduction, Beller brings his examination of this complex and still controversial issue up to date with a discussion of Antisemitism in light of the 2008 financial crash, the Arab Spring, and the on-going crisis between Israel and Palestine. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Anxiety: A Very Short Introduction Daniel Freeman (Author) Jason Freeman (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

31 May 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h174mm x w116mm x s10mm 136g Approx 10 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199567157 ISBN13: 978-0-19-956715-7 ISBN10: 0199567158 EAN: 9780199567157 x Description: Are we born with our fears or do we learn them? Why do our fears persist? What purpose does anxiety serve? How common are anxiety disorders, and which treatments are most effective? What's happening in our brain when we feel fear? And what are Colombian worry dolls? This Very Short Introduction draws on the best scientific research to offer a highly accessible explanation of what anxiety is, why it is such a normal and vital part of our emotional life, and the key factors that cause it. Insights are drawn from psychology, neuroscience, genetics, epidemiology, and clinical trials. Providing a fascinating illustration of the discussion are two interviews conducted specifically for the book, with the actor, writer, director, and television presenter Michael Palin and former England football manager Graham Taylor. The book covers in detail the six major anxiety disorders: phobias; panic disorder and agoraphobia; social anxiety; generalised anxiety disorder; obsessive compulsive disorder; and post-traumatic stress disorder. With a chapter devoted to each disorder, Daniel and Jason Freeman take you through the symptoms, prevalence, and causes of each one. A final chapter describes the treatments available for dealing with anxiety problems. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Applied Mathematics: A Very Short Introduction Alain Goriely (Professor of Mathematical Modelling, Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

08 Mar 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h175mm x w113mm x s9mm 132g 44 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198754046 ISBN13: 978-0-19-875404-6 ISBN10: 0198754043 EAN: 9780198754046 x Description: Mathematics is playing an increasing important role in society and the sciences, enhancing our ability to use models and handle data. While pure mathematics is mostly interested in abstract structures, applied mathematics sits at the interface between this abstract world and the world in which we live. This area of mathematics takes its nourishment from society and science and, in turn, provides a unified way to understand problems arising in diverse fields.

This Very Short Introduction presents a compact yet comprehensive view of the field of applied mathematics, and explores its relationships with (pure) mathematics, science, and engineering. Explaining the nature of applied mathematics, Alain Goriely discusses its early achievements in physics and engineering, and its development as a separate field after World War II. Using historical examples, current applications, and challenges, Goriely illustrates the particular role that mathematics plays in the modern sciences today and its far-reaching potential. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Archaeology: A Very Short Introduction Paul Bahn (Freelance writer, translator, and broadcaster in archaeology) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 136pp h174mm x w116mm x s8mm 130g 22 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199657438 ISBN13: 978-0-19-965743-8 ISBN10: 0199657432 EAN: 9780199657438 x Description: This entertaining Very Short Introduction reflects the enduring popularity of archaeology - a subject which appeals as a pastime, career, and academic discipline, encompasses the whole globe, and surveys 2.5 million years. From deserts to jungles, from deep caves to mountain tops, from pebble tools to satellite photographs, from excavation to abstract theory, archaeology interacts with nearly every other discipline in its attempts to reconstruct the past. In this new edition, Paul Bahn brings the text up to date, including information about new discoveries and interpretations in the field, and highlighting the impact of developments such as the potential use of DNA and stable isotopes in teeth, as well the effect technology and science are having on archaeological exploration. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Architecture: A Very Short Introduction Andrew Ballantyne (Professor of Architecture, University of Newcastle) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

22 Aug 2002

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h178mm x w112mm x s10mm 127g 25 halftones ISBN13: 9780192801791 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280179-1 ISBN10: 0192801791 EAN: 9780192801791 x Description: This highly original and sophisticated look at architecture helps us to understand the cultural significance of the buildings that surround us. It avoids the traditional style-spotting approach in favour of giving an idea of what it is about buildings that moves us, and what it is that makes them important artistically and culturally. The book begins by looking at how architecture acquires meaning through tradition, and concludes with the exoticism of the recent avant garde. Illustrations of particular buildings help to anchor the general points with specific examples, from ancient Egypt to the present day. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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Aristocracy: A Very Short Introduction Professor William Doyle (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

25 Nov 2010

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h173mm x w115mm x s9mm 122g 15 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199206780 ISBN13: 978-0-19-920678-0 ISBN10: 0199206783 EAN: 9780199206780 x Description: Aristocracies or nobilities dominated the social, economic, and institutional history of all European counties until only a few generations ago. The relics of their power, in traditions and behaviour, in architecture and the arts, are still all around us. This short introduction shows how ideas of aristocracy originated in ancient times, were transformed in the middle ages, and have only fallen apart over the last two centuries. The myths in which aristocracies have always sought to shroud themselves are stripped away, but the true sources of their enduring power are also revealed. Their outlook and behaviour affected the rest of society in innumerable and sometimes surprising ways, but perhaps most surprising was the way in which a centuries-old aristocratic hegemony crumbled away over the last two hundred years. In this Very Short Introduction William Doyle considers why this happend and what remains today. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Aristotle: A Very Short Introduction Jonathan Barnes (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

12 Oct 2000

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h173mm x w114mm x s11mm 136g black and white halftones and line drawings ISBN13: 9780192854087 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285408-7 ISBN10: 0192854089 EAN: 9780192854087 x Description: The influence of Aristotle, the prince of philosophers, on the intellectual history of the West is second to none. In this book Jonathan Barnes examines Aristotle's scientific researches, his discoveries in logic and his metaphysical theories, his work in psychology and in ethics and politics, and his ideas about art and poetry, placing his teachings in their historical context. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Art History: A Very Short Introduction Dana Arnold (Professor of Art History, University of East Anglia) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

06 Feb 2020

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h170mm x w111mm x s10mm 132g 19 black and while illustrations ISBN13: 9780198831808 ISBN13: 978-0-19-883180-8 ISBN10: 0198831803 EAN: 9780198831808 x Description: Art history encompasses the study of the history and development of painting, sculpture and the other visual arts. In this Very Short Introduction, Dana Arnold presents an introduction to the issues, debates, and artefacts that make up art history. Beginning with a consideration of what art history is, she explains what makes the subject distinctive from other fields of study, and also explores the emergence of social histories of art (such as Feminist Art History and Queer Art History). Using a wide range of images, she goes on to explore key aspects of the discipline including how we write, present, read, and look at art, and the impact this has on our understanding of art history. This second edition includes a new chapter on global art histories, considering how the traditional emphasis on periods and styles in art originated in western art and can obscure other critical approaches and artwork from non-western cultures. Arnold also discusses the relationship between art and history, and the ways in which art can tell a different history from the one narrated by texts.

Art Theory: A Very Short Introduction Cynthia A. Freeland (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

13 Feb 2003

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 184pp h177mm x w112mm x s11mm 142g numerous halftones ISBN13: 9780192804631 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280463-1 ISBN10: 0192804634 EAN: 9780192804631 x Description: In today's art world many strange, even shocking, things qualify as art. In this Very Short Introduction Cynthia Freeland explains why innovation and controversy are valued in the arts, weaving together philosophy and art theory with many fascinating examples. She discusses blood, beauty, culture, money, museums, sex, and politics, clarifying contemporary and historical accounts of the nature, function, and interpretation of the arts. Freeland also propels us into the future by surveying cutting-edge web sites, alongside the latest research on the brain's role in perceiving art. This clear, provocative book engages with the big debates surrounding our responses to art and is an invaluable introduction to anyone interested in thinking about art. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Artificial Intelligence: A Very Short Introduction Margaret A. Boden (Research Professor of Cognitive Science, University of Sussex) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

06 Sep 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 184pp h176mm x w110mm x s10mm 141g 3 black and white images ISBN13: 9780199602919 ISBN13: 978-0-19-960291-9 ISBN10: 0199602913 EAN: 9780199602919 x Description: The applications of Artificial Intelligence lie all around us; in our homes, schools and offices, in our cinemas, in art galleries and - not least - on the Internet. The results of Artificial Intelligence have been invaluable to biologists, psychologists, and linguists in helping to understand the processes of memory, learning, and language from a fresh angle. As a concept, Artificial Intelligence has fuelled and sharpened the philosophical debates concerning the nature of the mind, intelligence, and the uniqueness of human beings. In this Very Short Introduction , Margaret A. Boden reviews the philosophical and technological challenges raised by Artificial Intelligence, considering whether programs could ever be really intelligent, creative or even conscious, and shows how the pursuit of Artificial Intelligence has helped us to appreciate how human and animal minds are possible. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Asian American History: A Very Short Introduction Madeline Y. Hsu (Associate Professor of History, Associate Professor of History, The University of Texas at Austin) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

16 Aug 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 184pp h173mm x w121mm x s10mm 138g 8 ISBN13: 9780190219765 ISBN13: 978-0-19-021976-5 ISBN10: 0190219769 EAN: 9780190219765 x Description: Asians have migrated to North America for centuries, in search of opportunities and conveyed by increasingly dense, international circuits of trade, labor markets, and family networks. Drawn by the riches promised by the relatively undeveloped, but not unpopulated, New World, Asians joined a diverse array of immigrants arriving in capacities such as merchants, farmers, fishermen, soldiers, missionaries, artists and artisans, industrial and agricultural laborers, technicians and scientists, journalists, sailors, diplomats, tourists, bankers, students, and entrepreneurs of every stripe. They contributed significantly to the massive transformation of the United States into the wealthiest and most powerful nation in the world, particularly on the west coast and Hawaii. Unlike their European counterparts, however, Asians challenged American conceptions of racial homogeneity and national culture which produced legislative and institutional efforts to segregate them through immigration laws, restrictions on citizenship, and limits on employment, property ownership, access to public services, and civil rights. Only with World War II, the Cold War, and the Civil Rights era's remaking of racial ideologies and forging of a more egalitarian, multiethnic democracy Asian Americans have gained ground and acceptance, albeit in the still stereotyped category of 'model minorities'. Asian American History: A Very Short Introduction provides a narrative interpretation of key themes that emerge in the history of Asian migrations to North America. Clearly written and elegantly argued, this book complements typical American history narratives by highlighting how Asian immigration has shaped the evolution of ideological and legal interpretations of America as a 'nation of immigrants'. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area.

These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Astrobiology: A Very Short Introduction David C. Catling (Deptartment of Earth and Space Sciences and Astrobiology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

24 Oct 2013

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h171mm x w110mm x s10mm 143g 10 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199586455 ISBN13: 978-0-19-958645-5 ISBN10: 0199586454 EAN: 9780199586455 x Description: Astrobiology is the study of the origin and development of life on this and other planets. What fascinates people about astrobiology is that it seeks answers to long-standing unsolved questions: How quickly did life evolve on Earth and why did life persist here? Is there life elsewhere in the Solar System or beyond? The research of astrobiology has become more crucial than ever in recent decades, as biologists have discovered microbes that live in ever more extreme settings, such as bubbling hot springs, in acid, or deep within rocks. Rooted in strong and rigorous research, astrobiology incorporates the work of microbiologists, geologists, and astronomers. In this Very Short Introduction, David C. Catling introduces the origins of astrobiology and demonstrates its impact on current astronomical research and potential future discoveries. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Astrophysics: A Very Short Introduction James Binney (Professor of Physics at the University of Oxford, Head of the Sub-Department of Theoretical Physics and Professorial Fellow at Merton College.) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

24 Mar 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h173mm x w114mm x s9mm 138g 42 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780198752851 ISBN13: 978-0-19-875285-1 ISBN10: 0198752857 EAN: 9780198752851 x Description: Astrophysics is the physics of the stars, and more widely the physics of the Universe. It enables us to understand the structure and evolution of planetary systems, stars, galaxies, interstellar gas, and the cosmos as a whole. In this Very Short Introduction, the leading astrophysicist James Binney shows how the field of astrophysics has expanded rapidly in the past century, with vast quantities of data gathered by telescopes exploiting all parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, combined with the rapid advance of computing power, which has allowed increasingly effective mathematical modelling. He illustrates how the application of fundamental principles of physics - the consideration of energy and mass, and momentum - and the two pillars of relativity and quantum mechanics, has provided insights into phenomena ranging from rapidly spinning millisecond pulsars to the collision of giant spiral galaxies. This is a clear, rigorous introduction to astrophysics for those keen to cut their teeth on a conceptual treatment involving some mathematics.

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area.

These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Atheism: A Very Short Introduction Julian Baggini (Editor of The Philosophers' Magazine) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Jun 2003

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 136pp h174mm x w111mm x s9mm 115g numerous halftones ISBN13: 9780192804242 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280424-2 ISBN10: 0192804243 EAN: 9780192804242 x Description: Atheism is often considered to be a negative, dark, and pessimistic belief which is characterized by a rejection of values and purpose and a fierce opposition to religion. Atheism: A Very Short Introduction sets out to dispel the myths that surround atheism and show how a life without religious belief can be positive, meaningful, and moral. It also confronts the failure of officially atheist states in the Twentieth Century. The book presents an intellectual case for atheism that rests as much upon positive arguments for its truth as on negative arguments against religion. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Augustine: A Very Short Introduction Henry Chadwick (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

22 Feb 2001

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h179mm x w113mm x s9mm 129g halftones and drawings ISBN13: 9780192854520 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285452-0 ISBN10: 0192854526 EAN: 9780192854520 x Description: By his writings, the surviving bulk of which exceeds that of any other ancient author, Augustine came to influence not only his contemporaries but also the West since his time. This Very Short Introduction traces the development of Augustine's thought, discussing his reaction to the thinkers before him, and themes such as freedom, creation, and the trinity. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Australia: A Very Short Introduction Professor Kenneth Morgan (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

31 May 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w113mm x s10mm 130g 10 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199589937 ISBN13: 978-0-19-958993-7 ISBN10: 0199589933 EAN: 9780199589937 x Description: In this Very Short Introduction Kenneth Morgan provides a wide-ranging and thematic introduction to modern Australia. He examines the main features of its history, geography, and culture since the beginning of the white settlement in New South Wales in 1788. Drawing attention to the distinctive features of Australian life he places contemporary developments in a historical perspective, highlighting the importance of Australia's indigenous culture and making connections between Australia and the wider word. Balancing the successful growth of Australian institutions and democratic traditions, he considers the struggles that occurred in the making of modern Australia. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Autism: A Very Short Introduction Uta Frith (Professor of Cognitive Development, University College London, and Deputy Director of the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, UCL) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Oct 2008

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h174mm x w111mm x s9mm 128g 25 B&W halftones ISBN13: 9780199207565 ISBN13: 978-0-19-920756-5 ISBN10: 0199207569 EAN: 9780199207565 x Description: What causes autism? Is it a genetic disorder, or due to some unknown environmental hazard? Are we facing an autism epidemic? What are the main symptoms, and how does it relate to Asperger syndrome? Everyone has heard of autism, but the disorder itself is little understood. It has captured the public imagination through films and novels portraying individuals with baffling combinations of disability and extraordinary talent, and yet the reality is more often that it places a heavy burden on sufferers and their families. This Very Short Introduction offers a clear statement on what is currently known about autism and Asperger syndrome. Explaining the vast array of different conditions that hide behind these two labels, and looking at symptoms from the full spectrum of autistic disorders, it explores the possible causes for the apparent rise in autism and also evaluates the links with neuroscience, psychology, brain development, genetics, and environmental causes including MMR and Thimerosal. This short, authoritative, and accessible book also explores the psychology behind social impairment and savantism, and throughout, sheds light on what it is like to live inside the mind of the sufferer. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Autobiography: A Very Short Introduction Laura Marcus (Goldsmiths' Professor of English Literature and Fellow of New College, Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

15 Oct 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h176mm x w112mm x s9mm 132g 8 black and white images ISBN13: 9780199669240 ISBN13: 978-0-19-966924-0 ISBN10: 0199669244 EAN: 9780199669240 x Description: Autobiography is one of the most popular of written forms. From Casanova to Benjamin Franklin to the Kardashians, individuals throughout history have recorded their own lives and experiences. These personal writings are central to the work of literary critics, philosophers, historians and psychologists, who have found in autobiographies from across the centuries not only an understanding of the ways in which lives have been lived, but the most fundamental accounts of what it means to be a self in the world. In this Very Short Introduction Laura Marcus defines what we mean by 'autobiography', and considers its relationship with similar literary forms such as memoirs, journals, letters, diaries, and essays. Analysing the core themes in autobiographical writing, such as confession, conversion and testimony; romanticism and the journeying self; Marcus discusses the autobiographical consciousness (and the roles played by time, memory and identity), and considers the relationship between psychoanalysis and autobiography. Exploring the themes of self-portraiture and performance, Marcus also discusses the ways in which fiction and autobiography have shaped each other. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Babylonia: A Very Short Introduction Trevor Bryce (University of Queensland) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

06 Oct 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h173mm x w122mm x s9mm 140g 14 black & white images ISBN13: 9780198726470 ISBN13: 978-0-19-872647-0 ISBN10: 0198726473 EAN: 9780198726470 x Description: The history of Ancient Babylonia in ancient Mesopatamia is epic. After playing host to three great empires, the Hammurabic and Kassite empires, and the Neo-Babylonian Empire ruled by Nebuchadnezzar, it was conquered by the Persians. Entered triumphantly by Alexander the Great, it later provided the setting for the Conquerer's deathbed. Squabbled over by his heirs, Babylonia was subsequently dominated by the Parthian and Roman empires. In this Very Short Introduction, Trevor Bryce takes us on a journey of more than 2,000 years across the history and civilization of ancient Babylonia, from the emergence of its chief city, Babylon, as a modest village on the Euphrates in the 3rd millennium BC through successive phases of triumph, decline, and resurgence until its royal capital faded into obscurity in the Roman imperial era. Exploring key historical events as well as the day-to-day life of an ancient Babylonian, Bryce provides a comprehensive guide to one of history's most profound civilizations. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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Bacteria: A Very Short Introduction Sebastian G. B. Amyes (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

30 May 2013

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w114mm x s9mm 126g ISBN13: 9780199578764 ISBN13: 978-0-19-957876-4 ISBN10: 0199578761 EAN: 9780199578764 x Description: Bacteria form a fundamental branch of life. They are the oldest forms of life as we know it, and they are still the most prolific living organisms. They inhabit every part of the Earth's surface, its ocean depths, and even terrains such as boiling hot springs. They are most familiar as agents of disease, but benign bacteria are critical to the recycling of elements and all ecology, as well as to human health. In this Very Short Introduction, Sebastian Amyes explores the nature of bacteria, their origin and evolution, bacteria in the environment, and bacteria and disease. In looking at our efforts to manage co-evolving bacteria, he also considers the challenges of resistance to antibiotics. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Banking: A Very Short Introduction John O. S. Wilson (Author) John Goddard (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 184pp h173mm x w118mm x s10mm 142g ISBN13: 9780199688920 ISBN13: 978-0-19-968892-0 ISBN10: 0199688923 EAN: 9780199688920 x Description: Banks are of central importance for economic growth, the allocation of capital, competitiveness, and financial stability. Propelled by technological advances in financial analysis and financial deregulation, the banking industry's investment played a key role in enhancing national economic growth in the early 21st century. The global financial crisis in 2007 revealed the banking world's feet of clay. Since 2007, the turmoil in the global financial system has prompted a fundamental reappraisal of the scale, scope, governance, performance, safety and soundness of banks and other financial institutions. In this Very Short Introduction John Goddard and John Wilson explore the world of banking, describing the role of central banks in national and global economies, and analysing the increasing supervision and regulation imposed on the banking industry. Looking to the future, the authors consider proposals for reform of the banking industry, and the prospects of a resolution of the closely-related banking and sovereign debt crises. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Barthes: A Very Short Introduction Jonathan Culler (Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Cornell University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

21 Feb 2002

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w114mm x s10mm 136g 13 halftones and 5 line drawings ISBN13: 9780192801593 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280159-3 ISBN10: 0192801597 EAN: 9780192801593 x Description: This acclaimed short study, originally published in 1983, and now thoroughly updated, elucidates the varied theoretical contributions of Roland Barthes (1915-80), the 'incomparable enlivener of the literary mind' whose lifelong fascination was with the way people make their world intelligible. He has a multi-faceted claim to fame: to some he is the structuralist who outlined a 'science of literature', and the most prominent promoter of semiology; to others he stands not for science but pleasure, espousing a theory of literature which gives the reader a creative role. This book describes the many projects, which Barthes explored and which helped to change the way we think about a range of cultural phenomena - from literature, fashion, wrestling, and advertising to notions of the self, of history, and of nature. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Beauty: A Very Short Introduction Roger Scruton (Research Professor, Institute for the Psychological Sciences, Arlington, Virginia) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

24 Mar 2011

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 208pp h171mm x w107mm x s13mm 157g Approximately 20 black and white photographs ISBN13: 9780199229758 ISBN13: 978-0-19-922975-8 ISBN10: 0199229759 EAN: 9780199229758 x Description: Beauty can be consoling, disturbing, sacred, profane; it can be exhilarating, appealing, inspiring, chilling. It can affect us in an unlimited variety of ways. Yet it is never viewed with indifference. In this Very Short Introduction the renowned philosopher Roger Scruton explores the concept of beauty, asking what makes an object - either in art, in nature, or the human form - beautiful, and examining how we can compare differing judgements of beauty when it is evident all around us that our tastes vary so widely. Is there a right judgement to be made about beauty? Is it right to say there is more beauty in a classical temple than a concrete office block, more in a Rembrandt than in last year's Turner Prize winner? Forthright and thought-provoking, and as accessible as it is intellectually rigorous, this introduction to the philosophy of beauty draws conclusions that some may find controversial, but, as Scruton shows, help us to find greater sense of meaning in the beautiful objects that fill our lives. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Behavioural Economics: A Very Short Introduction Michelle Baddeley (Professor in Economics and Finance of the Built Environment, University College London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

26 Jan 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h173mm x w117mm x s10mm 131g 8 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198754992 ISBN13: 978-0-19-875499-2 ISBN10: 019875499X EAN: 9780198754992 x Description: Traditionally economists have based their economic predictions on the assumption that humans are super-rational creatures, using the information we are given efficiently and generally making selfish decisions that work well for us as individuals. Economists also assume that we're doing the very best we can possibly do - not only for today, but over our whole lifetimes too. But increasingly the study of behavioural economics is revealing that our lives are not that simple. Instead, our decisions are complicated by our own psychology. Each of us makes mistakes every day. We don't always know what's best for us and, even if we do, we might not have the self-control to deliver on our best intentions. We struggle to stay on diets, to get enough exercise and to manage our money. We misjudge risky situations. We are prone to herding: sometimes peer pressure leads us blindly to copy others around us; other times copying others helps us to learn quickly about new, unfamiliar situations. This Very Short Introduction explores the reasons why we make irrational decisions; how we decide quickly; why we make mistakes in risky situations; our tendency to procrastination; and how we are affected by social influences, personality, mood and emotions. The implications of understanding the rationale for our own financial behaviour are huge. Behavioural economics could help policy-makers to understand the people behind their policies, enabling them to design more effective policies, while at the same time we could find ourselves assaulted by increasingly savvy marketing. Michelle Baddeley concludes by looking forward, to see what the future of behavioural economics holds for us. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Bestsellers: A Very Short Introduction John Sutherland (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

25 Oct 2007

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h174mm x w112mm x s7mm 128g 10 halftones ISBN13: 9780199214891 ISBN13: 978-0-19-921489-1 ISBN10: 0199214891 EAN: 9780199214891 x Description: 'I rejoice', said Doctor Johnson, 'to concur with the Common Reader.' For the last century, the tastes and preferences of the common reader have been reflected in the American and British bestseller lists, and this Very Short Introduction takes an engaging look through the lists to reveal what we have been reading - and why. John Sutherland shows that bestseller lists monitor one of the strongest pulses in modern literature and are therefore worthy of serious study. Along the way, he lifts the lid on the bestseller industry, examines what makes a book into a bestseller, and asks what separates bestsellers from canonical fiction. Exploring the relationship between bestsellers and the fashions, ideologies, and cultural concerns of the day, the book includes short case-studies and lively summaries of bestsellers through the years: from In His Steps - now almost totally forgotten, but the biggest all-time bestseller between 1895 and 1945, to Gone with the Wind and The Andromeda Strain, and The Da Vinci Code. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area.

Biblical Archaeology: A Very Short Introduction Eric H. Cline (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

28 Sep 2009

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 168pp h173mm x w112mm x s10mm 130g 10 halftones ISBN13: 9780195342635 ISBN13: 978-0-19-534263-5 ISBN10: 0195342631 EAN: 9780195342635 x Description: Public interest in biblical archaeology is at an all-time high, as television documentaries pull in millions of viewers to watch shows on the Exodus, the Ark of the Covenant, and the so-called Lost Tomb of Jesus. Important discoveries with relevance to the Bible are made virtually every year-during 2007 and 2008 alone researchers announced at least seven major discoveries in Israel, five of them in or near Jerusalem. Biblical Archaeology offers a passport into this fascinating realm, where ancient religion and modern science meet, and where tomorrow's discovery may answer a riddle that has lasted a thousand years. Archaeologist Eric H. Cline here offers a complete overview of this exciting field. He discusses the early pioneers, such as Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie and William Foxwell Albright, the origins of biblical archaeology as a discipline, and the major controversies that first prompted explorers to go in search of objects and sites that would "prove" the Bible. He then surveys some of the most well-known biblical archaeologists, including Kathleen Kenyon and Yigael Yadin, the sites that are essential sources of knowledge for biblical archaeology, such as Hazor, Megiddo, Gezer, Lachish, Masada, and Jerusalem, and some of the most important discoveries that have been made, including the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Mesha Inscription, and the Tel Dan Stele. Subsequent chapters examine additional archaeological finds that shed further light on the Hebrew Bible and New Testament, the issue of potential frauds and forgeries, including the James Ossuary and the Jehoash Tablet, and future prospects of the field. Biblical Archaeology: A Very Short Introduction captures the sense of excitement and importance that surrounds not only the past history of the field but also the present and the future, with fascinating new discoveries made each and every season. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Big Data: A Very Short Introduction Dawn E. Holmes (Faculty Member, Department of Statistics and Applied Probability, University of California, Santa Barbara) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Oct 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h172mm x w110mm x s8mm 121g 18 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198779575 ISBN13: 978-0-19-877957-5 ISBN10: 0198779577 EAN: 9780198779575 x Description: Since long before computers were even thought of, data has been collected and organized by diverse cultures across the world. Once access to the Internet became a reality for large swathes of the world's population, the amount of data generated each day became huge, and continues to grow exponentially. It includes all our uploaded documents, video, and photos, all our social media traffic, our online shopping, even the GPS data from our cars.

'Big Data' represents a qualitative change, not simply a quantitative one. The term refers both to the new technologies involved, and to the way it can be used by business and government. Dawn E. Holmes uses a variety of case studies to explain how data is stored, analysed, and exploited by a variety of bodies from big companies to organizations concerned with disease control. Big data is transforming the way businesses operate, and the way medical research can be carried out. At the same time, it raises important ethical issues; Holmes discusses cases such as the Snowden affair, data security, and domestic smart devices which can be hijacked by hackers.

Biogeography: A Very Short Introduction Mark V. Lomolino (Professor of Biology, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

09 Apr 2020

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h175mm x w110mm x s10mm 136g 32 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780198850069 ISBN13: 978-0-19-885006-9 ISBN10: 0198850069 EAN: 9780198850069 x Description: Biogeography is the study of geographic variation in all characteristics of life - ranging from genetic, morphological and behavioural variation among regional populations of a species, to geographic trends in diversity of entire communities across our planet's sufrace. From the ancient hunters and gatherers to the earliest naturalists, Charles Darwin, Alfred Russel Wallace, and scientists today, the search for patterns in life has provided insights that proved invaluable for understanding the natural world. And many, if not most, of the compelling kaleidoscope of patterns in biological diversity make little sense unless placed in an explicit geographic context. The Very Short Introduction explains the historical development of the field of biogeography, its fundamental tenets, principles and tools, and the invaluable insights it provides for understanding the diversity of life in the natural world. As Mark Lomolino shows, key questions such as where species occur, how they vary from place to place, where their ancestors occurred, and how they spread across the globe, are essential for us to develop effective strategies for conserving the great menagerie of life across our planet.

Biography: A Very Short Introduction Hermione Lee (Wolfson College, Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

09 Jul 2009

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 192pp h174mm x w113mm x s11mm 158g 15 b&w halftone ISBN13: 9780199533541 ISBN13: 978-0-19-953354-1 ISBN10: 0199533547 EAN: 9780199533541

x Description: Biography is one of the most popular, best-selling, and widely-read of literary genres. But why do certain people and historical events arouse so much interest? How can biographies be compared with history and works of fiction? Does a biography need to be true? Is it acceptable to omit or conceal things? Does the biographer need to personally know the subject? Must a biographer be subjective? In this Very Short Introduction Hermione Lee considers the cultural and historical background of different types of biographies, looking at the factors that affect biographers and whether there are different strategies, ethics, and principles required for writing about one person compared to another. She also considers contemporary biographical publications and considers what kind of 'lives' are the most popular and in demand. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Biometrics: A Very Short Introduction Michael Fairhurst (Professor of Computer Vision, University of Kent) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

04 Dec 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h176mm x w112mm x s8mm 118g 11 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198809104 ISBN13: 978-0-19-880910-4 ISBN10: 0198809107 EAN: 9780198809104 x Description: We live in a society which is increasingly interconnected, in which communication between individuals is mostly mediated via some electronic platform, and transactions are often carried out remotely. In such a world, traditional notions of trust and confidence in the identity of those with whom we are interacting, taken for granted in the past, can be much less reliable. Biometrics - the scientific discipline of identifying individuals by means of the measurement of unique personal attributes - provides a reliable means of establishing or confirming an individual's identity. These attributes include facial appearance, fingerprints, iris patterning, the voice, the way we write, or even the way we walk. The new technologies of biometrics have a wide range of practical applications, from securing mobile phones and laptops to establishing identity in bank transactions, travel documents, and national identity cards. This Very Short Introduction considers the capabilities of biometrics-based identity checking, from first principles to the practicalities of using different types of identification data. Michael Fairhurst looks at the basic techniques in use today, ongoing developments in system design, and emerging technologies, all aimed at improving precision in identification, and providing solutions to an increasingly wide range of practical problems. Considering how they may continue to develop in the future, Fairhurst explores the benefits and limitations of these pervasive and powerful technologies, and how they can effectively support our increasingly interconnected society. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Black Holes: A Very Short Introduction Katherine M. Blundell (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

10 Dec 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 120pp h174mm x w114mm x s8mm 100g ISBN13: 9780199602667 ISBN13: 978-0-19-960266-7 ISBN10: 0199602662 EAN: 9780199602667

x Description: Black holes are a constant source of fascination to many due to their mysterious nature. In this Very Short Introduction, Katherine Blundell addresses a variety of questions, including what a black hole actually is, how they are characterized and discovered, and what would happen if you came too close to one. She explains how black holes form and grow - by stealing material that belongs to stars, as well as how many there may be in the Universe. She also explores the large black holes found in the centres of galaxies, and how black holes give rise to quasars and other spectacular phenomena in the cosmos. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Blood: A Very Short Introduction Christopher Cooper (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

22 Sep 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h173mm x w125mm x s9mm 132g 26 black and white images ISBN13: 9780199581450 ISBN13: 978-0-19-958145-0 ISBN10: 0199581452 EAN: 9780199581450 x Description: Blood is vital to most animals. In mammals it transports oxygen and food, carries away waste, and contains the white cells that attack invading microbes. Playing a central role in life, it has had profound cultural and historical significance and plays an important role in religious ritual. Blood was one of the four humours in early Western medicine and is still probably the major diagnostic tool in the doctor's armoury. In this Very Short Introduction, Chris Cooper analyses the components of blood, explains blood groups, and looks at transfusions, blood tests, and blood-borne diseases. He considers what the future may hold, including the possibility of making artificial blood, and producing blood from stem cells in the laboratory.

Borders: A Very Short Introduction Alexander C. Diener (Assistant Professor of Geography, Assistant Professor of Geography, University of Kansas) (Author) Joshua Hagen (Professor of Geography, Professor of Geography, Marshall University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

17 Sep 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w117mm x s9mm 119g 10 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199731503 ISBN13: 978-0-19-973150-3 ISBN10: 0199731500 EAN: 9780199731503 x Description: Compelling and accessible, this Very Short Introduction challenges the perception of borders as passive lines on a map, revealing them instead to be integral forces in the economic, social, political, and environmental processes that shape our lives. Highlighting the historical development and continued relevance of borders, Alexander C. Diener and Joshua Hagen offer a powerful counterpoint to the idea of an imminent borderless world, underscoring the impact

borders have on a range of issues, such as economic development, inter- and intra-state conflict, global terrorism, migration, nationalism, international law, environmental sustainability, and natural resource management. Diener and Hagen demonstrate how and why borders have been, are currently, and will undoubtedly remain hot topics across the social sciences and in the global headlines for years to come. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Branding: A Very Short Introduction Robert Jones (Strategist, Wolff Olins, and visiting professor, University of East Anglia) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

22 Jun 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w111mm x s11mm 141g 10 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198749912 ISBN13: 978-0-19-874991-2 ISBN10: 0198749910 EAN: 9780198749912 x Description: Branding is possibly the most powerful commercial and cultural force on the planet. Iconic names such as Coca-Cola, Nike, Manchester United, Harry Potter, and Google are known and recognized by millions of people worldwide. As the market economy spreads across the world, brands are becoming ever more prevalent. The Apple brand has been valued at $98 billion - more than the GDP of Slovakia. Every day, we're exposed to more than 3500 brand messages. And even though people are increasingly brand-aware and brand-sceptical, they are nevertheless seduced by brands. We may reject the whole brand system, but we still wouldn't be parted from our Apple Macs. Brands are impossible to escape. In this Very Short Introduction Robert Jones discusses the rising omnipresence of brands, and analyses how they work their magic. He considers the incredible potency of brands as a commercial, social, and cultural force, and looks at the many different kinds of brands that exist - from products, services, and artistic properties, to companies, charities, sports clubs, and political parties. Defining what we mean by the word 'brand', he explores both the positive and negative aspects of brands. Finally Jones considers the business of branding, and asks whether the idea of brands and branding is starting to decline, or whether it has a long future ahead. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

British Cinema: A Very Short Introduction Charles Barr (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

16 Jan 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h174mm x w111mm 20 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199688333 ISBN13: 978-0-19-968833-3 ISBN10: 0199688338 EAN: 9780199688333 x Description: Cinema has had a hugely influential role on global culture in the 20th century at multiple levels: social, political, and educational. The part of British cinema in this has been controversial - often derided as a whole, but also vigorously celebrated, especially in terms of specific films and filmmakers. In this Very Short Introduction, Charles Barr considers films and filmmakers, and studios and sponsorship, against the wider view of changing artistic, socio-political, and industrial climates over the decades of the 20th Century. Considering British cinema in the wake of one of the most familiar of cinematic reference points - Alfred Hitchcock - Barr traces how British cinema has developed its own unique path, and has since been celebrated for its

innovative approaches and distinctive artistic language. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

British Politics: A Very Short Introduction Tony Wright (Emeritus Professor of Government, UCL) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

3rd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

09 Jul 2020

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h173mm x w109mm x s9mm 126g 15 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780198827320 ISBN13: 978-0-19-882732-0 ISBN10: 0198827326 EAN: 9780198827320 x Description: At a time when politics in Britain is experiencing unprecedented turmoil, this Very Short Introduction examines the past, present, and possible future of British politics. Tony Wright puts current events into a longer and larger perspective, ranging from political ideas to political institutions, and offering an overview of the British political tradition. Throughout, he identifies key characteristics and ideas of British politics, and investigates what makes it distinctive, while emphasizing how these characteristics are reflected in the way the political system functions. This new edition includes key material on Brexit, analysing the divisions revealed by the Brexit vote and the extent to which Britain now has a politics of identity, and considering whether the referendum itself has fundamentally altered the constitutional landscape. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

British Politics: A Very Short Introduction Tony Wright (Professorial Fellow in the Department of Politics at Birkbeck College, University of London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

30 May 2013

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w114mm x s9mm 120g 15 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199661107 ISBN13: 978-0-19-966110-7 ISBN10: 0199661103 EAN: 9780199661107 x Description: Tony Wright's Very Short Introduction to British Politics is an interpretative essay on the British political system, rather than an abbreviated textbook on how it currently works. He identifies key characteristics and ideas of the British tradition, and investigates what makes British politics distinctive, while emphasizing throughout how these characteristics are reflected in the way the political system functions. Each chapter is organized around a key theme, such as the constitution or political accountability, which is first established and then explored with examples and illustrations. In this new edition Wright considers how the system has recently changed and continues to do so, in light of the coalition government and the fall of New Labour, as well as the impact of the financial crisis and issues such as terrorism and immigration. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area.

Buddha: A Very Short Introduction Michael Carrithers (Professor of Anthropology, Professor of Anthropology, University of Durham) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2001

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 128pp h179mm x w113mm x s8mm 119g halftones and drawings ISBN13: 9780192854537 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285453-7 ISBN10: 0192854534 EAN: 9780192854537 x Description: Michael Carrithers guides us through the complex and sometimes conflicting information that Buddhist texts give about the life and teaching of the Buddha. He discusses the social and political background of India in the Buddha's time, and traces the development of his thought. He also assesses the rapid and widespread assimilation of Buddhism and its contemporary relevance. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction Damien Keown (Emeritus Professor of Buddhist Ethics, Goldsmith's College, London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

28 Feb 2013

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 184pp h174mm x w114mm x s11mm 139g 16 black and white halftones and 3 maps ISBN13: 9780199663835 ISBN13: 978-0-19-966383-5 ISBN10: 0199663831 EAN: 9780199663835 x Description: Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction introduces the reader to the teachings of the Buddha and to the workings of Buddhism in daily life. Damien Keown looks at the distinctive features of Buddhism, examining who the Buddha was and what his teachings were. By considering how Buddhist thought has developed over the centuries, Keown considers how contemporary dilemmas can be faced from a Buddhist perspective. In this new edition Keown provides new perspectives on Buddhist thought, including up-to-date material about the evolution of Buddhism throughout Asia, the material culture of Buddhism and its importance, new teachings on the ethics of war and peace, and changes to ethnicity, class, and gender. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Buddhist Ethics: A Very Short Introduction Damien Keown (Reader in Buddhism, Goldsmith's College, University of London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Jun 2005

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h173mm x w110mm x s9mm 132g numerous halftones & text boxes ISBN13: 9780192804570 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280457-0 ISBN10: 019280457X EAN: 9780192804570 x Description: The latter half of the twentieth century witnessed a growing interest in Buddhism, and it continues to capture the imagination of many in the West who see it as either an alternative or a supplement to their own religious beliefs. Numerous introductory books have appeared in recent years to cater for this growing interest, but almost none devotes attention to the specifically ethical dimension of the tradition. For complex cultural and historical reasons, ethics has not received as much attention in traditional Buddhist thought as it has in the West, and publications on the subject are few and far between. Here, Damien Keown, author of Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction , illustrates how Buddhism might approach a range of fascinating moral issues ranging from abortion and suicide to cloning. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Buddhist Ethics: A Very Short Introduction Damien Keown (Goldsmiths, University of London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

09 Jul 2020

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h173mm x w112mm x s9mm 138g 10 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198850052 ISBN13: 978-0-19-885005-2 ISBN10: 0198850050 EAN: 9780198850052 x Description: With over 520 million followers, Buddhism is now the world's fourth largest religion. Over the last seventy years or so there has been a growing interest in Buddhism, and it continues to capture the imagination of many in the West, who see it as either an alternative or a supplement to their own religious beliefs. For complex cultural and historical reasons, ethics has not received as much attention in traditional Buddhist thought as it has in the West. In this Very Short Introduction, Damien Keown explores how Buddhism approaches a range of moral issues of our age, including our relationship with our environment, our treatment of animals, and our stance on abortion, on sexuality and gender, on violence and war. This new edition also includes a discussion of the ethical challenges posed by cutting-edge developments in science and biomedical technologies, including neuroscience, artificial intelligence, transhumanism, and gene editing. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Business and Sustainability: A Very Short Introduction Dorothy Maxwell (Director, The Sustainable Business Group and Visiting Lecturer Imperial College London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

15 Jun 2019

Publishing Status:

Cancelled

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h174mm x w111mm 10 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198791751 ISBN13: 978-0-19-879175-1 ISBN10: 0198791755 EAN: 9780198791751 x Description: Doing business impacts both people and the planet. Managing and enhancing the relationship businesses have with the environment and society they interact with is what sustainable business is about. More generally, sustainability issues are increasingly prominent in all aspects of human life - our work, education, what we buy, and how we spend our free time. Awareness of the environmental and social footprint behind everyday products and services such as the food we eat, the homes we live in, transport choices, what clothing we wear, and the holidays we take is growing. For the businesses that produce these products and services, there is increasing pressure to demonstrate they are managing their footprint sustainably. This is intensified by environmental risks, such as resource scarcity and erratic weather from climate change, becoming more urgent. Similarly, social problems such as child labour, poor working conditions, and human trafficking are becoming more visible to the consumer. In this Very Short Introduction Dorothy Maxwell discusses how businesses manage these increasingly complex sustainability challenges. Using examples from household name companies, she considers the ways in which the challenges have been met so far, and the future for sustainable business. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Byzantium: A Very Short Introduction Peter Sarris (Reader in Late Roman, Medieval and Byzantine History at the University of Cambridge) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Jul 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w113mm x s9mm 148g 15 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199236114 ISBN13: 978-0-19-923611-4 ISBN10: 0199236119 EAN: 9780199236114 x Description: After surviving the fifth century fall of the Western European Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire flourished as one of the most powerful economic, cultural, and military forces in Europe for a thousand years. In this Very Short Introduction Peter Sarris introduces the reader to the unique fusion of Roman political culture, Greek intellectual tradition and Christian faith that took place in the imperial capital of Byzantium under the emperor Constantine and his heirs. Using examples from Byzantine architecture, art and literature, Sarris shows how their legacy was re-worked and re-invented in the centuries ahead, in the face of external challenges and threats. Charting the impact of warfare with the Persian and Islamic worlds to the east, Sarris explores the creativity of Byzantine statecraft and strategy, as well as the empire's repeated (but ultimately forlorn) attempts to enlist aid from the Christian powers of Western Europe to ensure its survival. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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C. S. Lewis: A Very Short Introduction James Como (Professor of Rhetoric Emeritus, York College, City University of New York) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

07 Feb 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h175mm x w113mm x s10mm 126g 10 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198828242 ISBN13: 978-0-19-882824-2 ISBN10: 0198828241 EAN: 9780198828242 x Description: Beloved by children and adults worldwide, the writings of C.S. Lewis have a broad and enduring appeal. Although he is best known for the iconic Chronicles of Narnia series, C. S. Lewis was actually a man of many literary parts. Already well-known as a scholar in the thirties, he became a famous broadcaster during World War Two and wrote in many genres, including satire (The Screwtape Letters), science fiction ( Perelandra), a novel (Till We Have Faces), and many other books on Christian belief, such as Mere Christianity and Miracles. His few sermons remain touchstones of their type. In addition to these, Lewis wrote hundreds of poems and articles on social and cultural issues, many books and articles in his field of literary criticism and history, and thousands of letters. At Oxford University he became a charismatic lecturer and conversationalist. Taken together his writings have engaged and influenced, often very deeply, millions of readers. Now Lewis societies, television documentaries, movies, radio plays, and theatrical treatments of his work and life have become common, and he is frequently quoted by journalists, critics, and public thinkers. This Very Short Introduciton delves into the vast corpus of C. S. Lewis' work, discussing its core themes and lasting appeal. As James Como shows, C. S. Lewis' life is just as interesting as his work. A complex man, he came to his knowledge, beliefs, and wisdom only after much tortuous soul-searching and many painful events. Moving chronologically through Lewis' life, Como provides throughout a picture of the whole man, his work, and his enduring legacy. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Calvinism: A Very Short Introduction Jon Balserak (Senior Lecturer in Religious Studies, University of Bristol) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

08 Dec 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h175mm x w111mm x s9mm 130g 6 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198753711 ISBN13: 978-0-19-875371-1 ISBN10: 0198753713 EAN: 9780198753711 x Description: In this Very Short Introduction, Jon Balserak explores major ideas associated with the Calvinist system of thought. Beginning during the Protestant Reformation in cities like Zurich, Geneva, and Basel, Calvinismaalso known as Reformed Theologyaspread rapidly throughout Europe and the New World, eventually making its way to the African Continent and the East. Balserak examines how Calvinist thought and practice spread and took root, helping shape church and society. Much of contemporary thought, especially western thought, on everything from theology to civil government, economics, the arts, work and leisure, education, and the family has been influenced by Calvinism. Balserak explores this influence. He also examines common misconceptions and objections to Calvinism, and sets forth a Calvinist understanding of God, the world, humankind, and the meaning of life. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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Canada: A Very Short Introduction Donald Wright (Professor of Political Science, University of New Brunswick) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

06 Aug 2020

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h175mm x w113mm x s9mm 124g 7 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780198755241 ISBN13: 978-0-19-875524-1 ISBN10: 0198755244 EAN: 9780198755241 x Description: Canada is not one nation, but three: English Canada, Quebec, and First Nations. Yet as a country Canada is very successful, in part because it maintains national diversity through bilingualism, multiculturalism, and federalism. Alongside this contemporary openness Canada also has its own history to contend with; with a legacy of broken treaties and residential schools for its Indigenous peoples, making reconciliation between Canada and First Nations an ongoing journey, not a destination. Drawing on history, politics, and literature, this Very Short Introduction starts at the end of the last ice age, when the melting of the ice sheets opened the northern half of North America to Indigenous peoples, and covers up to today's anthropogenic climate change, and Canada's climate politics. Donald Wright emphasizes Canada's complexity and diversity as well as its different identities and its commitment to rights, and explores its historical relationship to Great Britain, and its ongoing relationship with the United States. Finally, he examines Canada's northern realities and its northern identities. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Cancer: A Very Short Introduction Nick James (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2011

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h173mm x w118mm x s9mm 126g 15 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199560233 ISBN13: 978-0-19-956023-3 ISBN10: 0199560234 EAN: 9780199560233 x Description: In 1961 John F. Kennedy pledged to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade. Nine years later, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon. Ten years later, Richard Nixon echoed this pledge by declaring a 'war' on cancer. More than 30 years later, however, cancer remains one of the largest causes of death worldwide, with around 1 in 3 developing the disease. Curing cancer is not 'rocket science', but the question is, why has cancer proved to be harder to tackle than the moon landings turned out to be? Cancer research is a major economic activity. There are constant improvements in treatment techniques that result in better cure rates and increased quality and quantity of life for those with the disease, yet stories of breakthroughs in a cure for cancer are often in the media. In this Very Short Introduction Nick James, founder of the CancerHelp UK website, examines the trends in diagnosis and treatment of the disease, as well as its economic consequences. Asking what cancer is and what causes it, he considers issues surrounding expensive drug development, what can be done to reduce the risk of developing cancer, and the use of complementary and alternative therapies. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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Capitalism: A Very Short Introduction James Fulcher (Teaches Sociology at the University of Leicester) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

25 Jun 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w114mm x s9mm 143g Approx 15 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780198726074 ISBN13: 978-0-19-872607-4 ISBN10: 0198726074 EAN: 9780198726074 x Description: What is capitalism? Is capitalism the same everywhere? Is there an alternative? The word 'capitalism' is one that is heard and used frequently, but what is capitalism really all about, and what does it mean? This Very Short Introduction addresses questions such as 'what is capital?' before discussing the history and development of capitalism through several detailed case studies, ranging from the tulipomania of 17th century Holland, the Great Depression of the 1930s, and in this new edition, the impact of the global financial crisis that started in 2007-8. James Fulcher looks at the different forms that capitalism takes in Britain, Japan, Sweden, and the United States, and explores whether capitalism has escaped the nation-state by going global. It ends by asking whether there is an alternative to capitalism, discussing socialism, communal and cooperative experiments, and the alternatives proposed by environmentalists. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Catholicism: A Very Short Introduction Gerald O'Collins, SJ (Adjunct Professor, Australian Catholic University and Research Fellow, University of Divinity) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

06 Jul 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w113mm x s8mm 128g 9 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198796855 ISBN13: 978-0-19-879685-5 ISBN10: 0198796854 EAN: 9780198796855 x Description: Despite a long history of external threats and internal strife, the Roman Catholic Church remains a vast and influential presence in our modern world. But what were its origins, and how has it changed and adapted over the centuries? After Pope Benedict XVI dramatically resigned in early 2013 (the first Pope to resign since the fifteenth century), and Pope Francis was elected, many wondered what direction he would lead the Church in, and whether the Church could modernise in the face of the demands of our world. In this Very Short Introduction, Gerald O'Collins covers the history of the Catholic Church, and considers some of the key issues facing Catholicism today, such as the catastrophic revelations about clerical child abuse, the impact of the growth of Islam, and the destruction in the Middle East of ancient Christian church communities. He also shows how Catholics are being increasingly challenged by an opposition between their traditional Christian values and rights which are endorsed by the secular world, such as the right to physician assisted suicide or same-sex marriage, and considers the future for the largest and oldest institution in the world. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area.

Causation: A Very Short Introduction Stephen Mumford (Author) Rani Lill Anjum (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

15 Oct 2013

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h173mm x w114mm x s10mm 118g Approx 10 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199684434 ISBN13: 978-0-19-968443-4 ISBN10: 019968443X EAN: 9780199684434 x Description: Causation is the most fundamental connection in the universe. Without it, there would be no science or technology. There would be no moral responsibility either, as none of our thoughts would be connected with our actions and none of our actions with any consequences. Nor would we have a system of law because blame resides only in someone having caused injury or damage. Any intervention we make in the world around us is premised on there being causal connections that are, to a degree, predictable. It is causation that is at the basis of prediction and also explanation. This Very Short Introduction introduces the key theories of causation and also the surrounding debates and controversies. Do causes produce their effects by guaranteeing them? Do causes have to precede their effects? Can causation be reduced to the forces of physics? And are we right to think of causation as one single thing at all? ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chaos: A Very Short Introduction Leonard Smith, M.D. (Senior Research Fellow in Mathematics, University of Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

22 Feb 2007

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 200pp h174mm x w111mm x s11mm 168g 30 halftones and line drawings ISBN13: 9780192853783 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285378-3 ISBN10: 0192853783 EAN: 9780192853783 x Description: Chaos exists in systems all around us. Even the simplest system of cause and effect can be subject to chaos, denying us accurate predictions of its behaviour, and sometimes giving rise to astonishing structures of large-scale order. Our growing understanding of Chaos Theory is having fascinating applications in the real world - from technology to global warming, politics, human behaviour, and even gambling on the stock market. Leonard Smith shows that we all have an intuitive understanding of chaotic systems. He uses accessible maths and physics (replacing complex equations with simple examples like pendulums, railway lines, and tossing coins) to explain the theory, and points to numerous examples in philosophy and literature (Edgar Allen Poe, Chang-Tzu, Arthur Conan Doyle) that illuminate the problems. The beauty of fractal patterns and their relation to chaos, as well as the history of chaos, and its uses in the real world and implications for the philosophy of science are all discussed in this Very Short Introduction. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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Charles Dickens: A Very Short Introduction Jenny Hartley (Emeritus Professor at the University of Roehampton) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

10 Nov 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h176mm x w139mm x s9mm 122g 8 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198714996 ISBN13: 978-0-19-871499-6 ISBN10: 0198714998 EAN: 9780198714996 x Description: Charles Dickens is credited with creating some of the world's best-known fictional characters, and is widely regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian age. Even before reading the works of Dickens many people have met him already in some form or another. His characters have such vitality that they have leapt from his pages to enjoy flourishing lives of their own: The Artful Dodger, Miss Havisham, Scrooge, Fagin, Mr Micawber, and many many more. His portrait has been in our pockets, on our ten-pound notes; he is a national icon, indeed himself a generator of what Englishness signifies. In this Very Short Introduction Jenny Hartley explores the key themes running through Dickens's corpus of works, and considers how they reflect his attitudes towards the harsh realities of nineteenth century society and its institutions, such as the workhouses and prisons. Running alonside this is Dickens's relish of the carnivalesque; if there is a prison in almost every novel, there is also a theatre. She considers Dickens's multiple lives and careers: as magazine editor for two thirds of his working life, as travel writer and journalist, and his work on behalf of social causes including ragged schools and fallen women. She also shows how his public readings enthralled the readers he wanted to reach but also helped to kill him. Finally, Hartley considers what we mean when we use the term 'Dickensian' today, and how Dickens's enduring legacy marks him out as as a novelist different in kind from others.

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. * This book was previously published in hardback as Charles Dickens: An Introduction _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chemistry: A Very Short Introduction Peter Atkins (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

26 Feb 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 128pp h174mm x w114mm x s7mm 118g ISBN13: 9780199683970 ISBN13: 978-0-19-968397-0 ISBN10: 0199683972 EAN: 9780199683970 x Description: Most people remember chemistry from their schooldays as largely incomprehensible, a subject that was fact-rich but understanding-poor, smelly, and so far removed from the real world of events and pleasures that there seemed little point, except for the most introverted, in coming to terms with its grubby concepts, spells, recipes, and rules. Peter Atkins wants to change all that. In this Very Short Introduction to Chemistry, he encourages us to look at chemistry anew, through a chemist's eyes, in order to understand its central concepts and to see how it contributes not only towards our material comfort, but also to human culture. Atkins shows how chemistry provides the infrastructure of our world, through the chemical industry, the fuels of heating, power generation, and transport, as well as the fabrics of our clothing and furnishings. By considering the remarkable achievements that chemistry has made, and examining its place between both physics and biology, Atkins presents a fascinating, clear, and rigorous exploration of the world of chemistry - its structure, core concepts, and exciting contributions to new cutting-edge

technologies. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Child Psychology: A Very Short Introduction Usha Goswami (Professor of Cognitive Developmental Neuroscience and Director, Centre for Neuroscience in Education, University of Cambridge, and Fellow, St John's College, Cambridge) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

27 Nov 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w114mm x s8mm 137g Approx 12 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199646593 ISBN13: 978-0-19-964659-3 ISBN10: 0199646597 EAN: 9780199646593 x Description: This Very Short Introduction provides an up-to-date, authoritative, and accessible guide to modern child psychology, from birth to early adolescence. Beginning with infancy, Usha Goswami considers the process of attachment and 'bonding', showing how secure attachments enable the development of self-understanding. Exploring childhood learning, ranging from aspects of language and thinking to cognitive reasoning, Goswami looks at how babies and toddlers develop an understanding of the physical, biological, and social worlds, and develop complex abilities like language and morality. Demonstrating how learning is shaped by the environments surrounding the child; at home, school, with peers, and in wider society, Goswami emphasizes the importance of childhood friendships and siblings for psychological development. Introducing the key theories in child psychology, Goswami explains why children develop as they do and how society can further optimize their development through the adolescent years. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Children's Literature: A Very Short Introduction Kimberley Reynolds (Professor of Children's Literature, School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics, Newcastle University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

06 Oct 2011

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w121mm x s12mm 148g 15 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199560240 ISBN13: 978-0-19-956024-0 ISBN10: 0199560242 EAN: 9780199560240 x Description: Children's literature takes many forms - works adapted for children in antiquity, picture books and pop-ups - and now includes the latest online games and eBooks. This vast and amorphous subject is both intimately related to other areas of literary and cultural investigation but also has its own set of concerns, issues and challenges. From familiar authors including Beatrix Potter and Roald Dahl, classic books such as Pooh, Alice in Wonderland, and The Secret Garden, to modern works including Harry Potter and the Twilight series, thisVery Short Introduction provides an overview of the history of children's literature as it has developed in English, whilst at the same time introducing key debates, developments, and figures in the field.

Raising questions about what shape the future of literature for children should take, and exploring the crossover with adult fiction, Reynolds shows that writing for children - whether on page or screen - has participated in shaping and directing ideas about culture, society and childhood. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chinese Literature: A Very Short Introduction Sabina Knight (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

03 Feb 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 160pp h173mm x w115mm x s18mm 146g 10 b/w halftones ISBN13: 9780195392067 ISBN13: 978-0-19-539206-7 ISBN10: 019539206X EAN: 9780195392067 x Description: Perhaps nowhere else has literature been as conscious a collective endeavor as in China, and China's survival over three thousand years may owe more to its literary traditions than to its political history. This Very Short Introduction tells the story of Chinese literature from antiquity to the present, focusing on the key role literary culture played in supporting social and political concerns. Embracing traditional Chinese understandings of literature as encompassing history and philosophy as well as poetry and poetics, storytelling, drama, and the novel, Sabina Knight discusses the philosophical foundations of literary culture as well as literature's power to address historical trauma and cultivate moral and sensual passions. From ancient historical records through the modernization and globalization of Chinese literature, Knight draws on lively examples to underscore the close relationship between ethics and aesthetics, as well as the diversity of Chinese thought. Knight also illuminates the role of elite patronage; the ways literature has served the interests of specific groups; and questions of canonization, language, nationalism, and cross-cultural understanding. The book includes Chinese characters for names, titles, and key terms. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Choice Theory: A Very Short Introduction Michael Allingham (Fellow and Senior Tutor at Magdalen College, Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h178mm x w113mm x s9mm 121g 5 halftones, numerous figures ISBN13: 9780192803030 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280303-0 ISBN10: 0192803034 EAN: 9780192803030 x Description: We make choices all the time - about trivial matters, about how to spend our money, about how to spend our time, about what to do with our lives. And we are also constantly judging the decisions other people make as rational or irrational. But what kind of criteria are we applying when we say that a choice is rational? What guides our own choices, especially in cases where we don't have complete information about the outcomes? What strategies should be applied in making decisions which affect a lot of people, as in the case of government policy? This book explores what it means to be rational in all these contexts. It introduces ideas from economics, philosophy, and other areas, showing how the theory applies to decisions in everyday life, and to particular situations such as gambling and the allocation of resources.

Christian Art: A Very Short Introduction Beth Williamson (Lecturer in history of art at the University of Bristol) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

24 Jun 2004

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h174mm x w112mm x s9mm 127g numerous halftones ISBN13: 9780192803283 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280328-3 ISBN10: 019280328X EAN: 9780192803283 x Description: Christian images have a long history within the Western art tradition from the narrative and devotional works of the Medieval and Renaissance periods, to the radical new interpretations of the twenty-first century. This fascinating new book explores the changing nature of the representation of key themes and subjects found in Christian art, covering the Eucharist, the crucifixion, the Virgin Mary, and the saints. Other sections deal with the changes to Christian art after the sixteenth-century Reformation, and with Christian art in the modern world. Within these themes, the book explores the work of major artists such as Memling, Holbein, El Greco and Rossetti, and well-known examples including the frescoes of St Francis at Assisi. Didactic and consciously devotional works are discussed alongside the controversial work of contemporary artists such as Andres Serrano and Chris Ofili. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Christian Ethics: A Very Short Introduction D. Stephen Long (Professor of Systematic Theology, Marquette University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

29 Jul 2010

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h172mm x w115mm x s14mm 126g 15 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199568864 ISBN13: 978-0-19-956886-4 ISBN10: 0199568863 EAN: 9780199568864 x Description: This Very Short Introduction to Christian ethics introduces the topic by examining its sources and historical basis. D. Stephen Long presents a discussion of the relationship between Christian ethics, modern, and postmodern ethics, and explores practical issues including sex, money, and power. Long recognises the inherent difficulties in bringing together 'Christian' and 'ethics' but argues that this is an important task for both the Christian faith and for ethics. Arguing that Christian ethics are not a precise science, but the cultivation of practical wisdom from a range of sources, Long also discusses some of the failures of the Christian tradition, including the crusades, the conquest, slavery, inquistions, and the Galileo affair. Placing them in the context of the theory and practice of ethics and their historical persepctive, he notes the challenges they raise for Christian ethics. He concludes with a discussion of their implications in the modern era, considering how this affects our lives in the present age. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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Christianity: A Very Short Introduction Linda Woodhead, MBE (Professor of Sociology of Religion at Lancaster University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

04 Sep 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h174mm x w114mm x s11mm 116g Approx 19 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199687749 ISBN13: 978-0-19-968774-9 ISBN10: 0199687749 EAN: 9780199687749 x Description: At a time when Christianity is flourishing in the Southern hemisphere but declining in much of the West, this Very Short Introduction offers an important overview of the world's largest religion. Exploring the cultural and institutional dimensions of Christianity, and tracing its course over two millennia, Linda Woodhead provides a fresh, lively, and candid portrait of Christianity's past and present. Addressing topics including the competition for power between different forms of Christianity, the churches' use of power, and its struggles with modernity, this new edition includes up to date information on the growth and geographical spread of Eastern Christianity, reflecting the global nature of Christianity in our ever-shifting contemporary culture. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Circadian Rhythms: A Very Short Introduction Russell Foster (Head of Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology; Director of Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute; and Fellow of Brasenose College, University of Oxford) (Author) Leon Kreitzman (Visitor, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Mar 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w111mm x s10mm 147g 20 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780198717683 ISBN13: 978-0-19-871768-3 ISBN10: 0198717687 EAN: 9780198717683 x Description: The earth's daily rotation affects just about every living creature. From dawn through to dusk, there are changes in light, temperature, humidity, and rainfall. However, these changes are regular, rhythmic and, therefore, predictable. Thus, the near 24 hour circadian rhythm is innate: a genetically programmed clock that essentially ticks of its own accord. This Very Short Introduction explains how organisms can "know" the time and reveals what we now understand of the nature and operation of chronobiological processes. Covering variables such as light, the metabolism, human health, and the seasons, Foster and Kreitzman illustrate how jet lag and shift work can impact on human well-being, and consider circadian rhythms alongside a wide range of disorders, from schizophrenia to obesity. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Citizenship: A Very Short Introduction Professor Richard Bellamy (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

25 Sep 2008

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w111mm x s9mm 119g 15 line drawings ISBN13: 9780192802538 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280253-8 ISBN10: 0192802534 EAN: 9780192802538 x Description: Interest in citizenship has never been higher. But what does it mean to be a citizen of a modern, complex community? Why is citizenship important? Can we create citizenship, and can we test for it? In this fascinating Very Short Introduction, Richard Bellamy explores the answers to these questions and more in a clear and accessible way. He approaches the subject from a political perspective, to address the complexities behind the major topical issues. Discussing the main models of citizenship, exploring how ideas of citizenship have changed through time from ancient Greece to the present, and examining notions of rights and democracy, he reveals the irreducibly political nature of citizenship today. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

City Planning: A Very Short Introduction Carl Abbott (Professor Emeritus of Urban Studies and Planning, Professor Emeritus of Urban Studies and Planning, Portland State University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

15 Aug 2020

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 160pp h175mm x w111mm 10 illustrations ISBN13: 9780190944346 ISBN13: 978-0-19-094434-6 ISBN10: 019094434X EAN: 9780190944346 x Description: City planning is a practice and a profession. It is also a set of goals and-sometimes utopian-aspirations. Formal thought about the shaping of cities as physical spaces and social environments calls on the same range of disciplines and approaches that we use for understanding cities themselves, from art and literature through the social and natural sciences. Surrounding the core profession of city planning, also known as urban or town planning, are related fields of architecture, landscape design, engineering, geography, political science and policy, sociology, and social work. In addition, the legions of community and environmental activists influence debates and controversies within the field. This Very Short Introduction is organized around eight key aspects of city planning: street layout; congestion and decentralization; the response to suburbanization; the conservation and regeneration of older districts; cities as natural systems; cities and regions; social class and ethnicity; and disasters and resilience. The underlying assumption throughout is that decisions that we make today about cities and metropolitan regions are best understood as the continuation of past efforts to solve fundamental problems that have shifted and evolved over multiple generations. At its best, city planning utilizes technical tools to achieve goals set by community action and political debate. Carl Abbott's addition to Oxford's long-running Very Short Introduction series is a brief but concentrated look at past decisions about the management of urban growth and their effects on the creation of the twenty-first century city. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Civil Engineering: A Very Short Introduction David Muir Wood (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

27 Sep 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h171mm x w141mm x s9mm 144g Approx 18 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199578634 ISBN13: 978-0-19-957863-4 ISBN10: 019957863X EAN: 9780199578634 x Description: Civil engineering produces the structures of all human settlements worldwide and is a vital discipline for many aspects modern life, underlying housing, transport, and our major areas and buildings related to work, study, and leisure. In this Very Short Introduction, David Muir Wood demonstrates the nature and importance of civil engineering not only in the history of civilization and urbanization, but its range of facets today, and its challenges for the future. Beginning with the challenge of creating a settlement on a deserted island, which sets out the problems that civil engineers need to solve, he looks at the social and environmental considerations as well as the science, technology, and craft of building bridges, tunnels, houses, and areas of recreation. He highlights the lives of some major civil engineers, including Brunel and Bazalgette, considers the challenges of managing water and energy, and looks at our increasing sensitivity to building and the environment. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Classical Literature: A Very Short Introduction William Allan (Fellow in Classics, University College, Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

27 Mar 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w114mm x s10mm 126g Approx. 8 black and white illustrations and 2 maps ISBN13: 9780199665457 ISBN13: 978-0-19-966545-7 ISBN10: 0199665451 EAN: 9780199665457 x Description: From popular histories through to reworkings of classical subject matter by contemporary poets, dramatists, and novelists, the classical world and the masterpieces of its literature continue to fascinate readers and audiences in a huge variety of media. In this Very Short Introduction, William Allan explores what the 'classics' are and why they continue to shape our Western concepts of literature. Presenting a range of material from both Greek and Latin literature, he illustrates the variety and sophistication of these works, and considers examples from all the major genres. Ideal for the general reader interested in works of classic literature, as well as students at A-Level and University, this is a lively and lucid guide to the major authors and literary forms of the ancient period. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Classical Mythology: A Very Short Introduction Helen Morales (University Lecturer in Classics, and Director of Studies in Classics, Newnham College, Cambridge) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Aug 2007

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h172mm x w110mm x s9mm 144g 24 halftones, 1 map ISBN13: 9780192804761 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280476-1 ISBN10: 0192804766 EAN: 9780192804761 x Description: From Zeus and Europa, to Diana, Pan, and Prometheus, the myths of ancient Greece and Rome seem to exert a timeless power over us. But what do those myths represent, and why are they so enduringly fascinating? Why do they seem to be such a potent way of talking about our selves, our origins, and our desires? This imaginative and stimulating Very Short Introduction goes beyond a simple retelling of the stories to explore the rich history and diverse interpretations of classical myths. It is a wide-ranging account, examining how classical myths are used and understood in both high art and popular culture, taking the reader from the temples of Crete to skyscrapers in New York, and finding classical myths in a variety of unexpected places: from arabic poetry and Hollywood films, to psychoanalysis, the bible, and New Age spiritualism. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Classics: A Very Short Introduction John Henderson (Author) Mary Beard (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

24 Feb 2000

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h179mm x w112mm x s9mm 144g black and white halftones and line drawings ISBN13: 9780192853851 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285385-1 ISBN10: 0192853856 EAN: 9780192853851 x Description: This Very Short Introduction to Classics links a haunting temple on a lonely mountainside to the glory of ancient Greece and the grandeur of Rome, and to Classics within modern culture-from Jefferson and Byron to Asterix and Ben-Hur. We are all Classicists - we come into touch with the Classics daily: in our culture, politics, medicine, architecture, language, and literature. What are the true roots of these influences, however, and how do our interpretations of these aspects of the Classics differ from their original reception? This introduction to the Classics begins with a visit to the British Museum to view the frieze which once decorated the Apollo Temple at Bassae. Through these sculptures, John Henderson and Mary Beard prompt us to consider the significance of Classics as a means of discovery and enquiry, its value in terms of literature, philposophy, and culture, and its importance as a source of imagery. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Clausewitz: A Very Short Introduction Michael Howard, QC (formerly King's College, London, and University of Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2002

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 96pp h176mm x w113mm x s7mm 89g 1 halftone ISBN13: 9780192802576 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280257-6 ISBN10: 0192802577 EAN: 9780192802576 x Description: Karl von Clausewitz's study On War was described by the American strategic thinker Bernard Brodie as 'not simply the greatest, but the only great book about war'. It is hard to disagree. Even though he wrote his only major work at a time when the range of firearms was fifty yards, much of what he had to say remains relevant today. Michael Howard explains Clausewitz's ideas in terms both of his experiences as a professional soldier in the Napoleonic Wars, and of the intellectual background of his time. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Climate Change: A Very Short Introduction Mark A. Maslin (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

3rd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 216pp h174mm x w128mm x s12mm 188g Approx 30-35 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780198719045 ISBN13: 978-0-19-871904-5 ISBN10: 0198719043 EAN: 9780198719045 x Description: Climate change is still, arguably, the most critical and controversial issue facing the world in the twenty-first century. Previously published as Global Warming: A Very Short Introduction, the new edition is now Climate Change: A Very Short introduction, reflecting an important change in the terminology of the last decade. In the third edition, Mark Maslin includes crucial updates from the last few years, including the results of the 2013 IPCC Fifth Assessment Report, the effects of ocean acidification, and the impact of changes to global population and health. Exploring all of the key topics in the debate, Maslin makes sense of the complexities climate change involves, from political and social issues to environmental and scientific. Looking at its predicated impacts, he explores all of the controversies, and also explains the various proposed solutions. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Climate: A Very Short Introduction Mark A. Maslin (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

27 Jun 2013

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h174mm x w114mm x s10mm 155g 10 black and white line drawings ISBN13: 9780199641130 ISBN13: 978-0-19-964113-0 ISBN10: 0199641137 EAN: 9780199641130 x Description: In this wide-ranging Very Short Introduction to climate, Mark Maslin considers all aspects of the global climate system, exploring and explaining the different components that control climate on Earth. He considers the processes that allow energy to reach the Earth and how it is redistributed around the planet by the ocean-atmosphere system; the relationship and differences between climate and the weather; how climate has affected life on Earth and human settlements; and the cyclic and quasi-cyclic features of climate such as the Milankovitch cycles and El Nino. He concludes by touching on the issue of climate change, and outlines some of the approaches that are now being taken to tackle it. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Clinical Psychology: A Very Short Introduction Susan Llewelyn (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

27 Apr 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w113mm x s10mm 141g 6 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198753896 ISBN13: 978-0-19-875389-6 ISBN10: 0198753896 EAN: 9780198753896 x Description: Clinical psychology makes a significant contribution to mental health care across the world. The essence of the discipline is the creative application of the knowledge base of psychology to the unique, personal experiences of individuals who are facing difficulties or changes in their lives. Rather than addressing such experiences as primarily a medical, political or legal problem, clinical psychologists approach personal distress as an unhappy outcome of certain ways of thinking, behaving and relating, often occurring within difficult social, cultural or economic circumstances. Clinical psychologists work with people to try and help them change what is distressing or concerning them, based on a belief in the value of the individual to determine what happens to them and on the importance of using approaches which have been demonstrated through research to be effective. In this Very Short Introduction Susan Llewellyn and Katie Aafjes-van Doorn provide insights into the world of clinical psychologists and their clients or patients, and cover the range of domains of practice, the difficulties tackled, and the approaches and models used. They consider the challenges and controversies facing the profession today, and also how it varies across the globe. Finally, they discuss the key questions surrounding clinical psychology, such as whether it should compete or collaborate with psychiatry, how far it is yet another instrument of social control, what new technology can offer in the future, and whether clinical psychology can ever really be considered a science. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Cognitive Neuroscience: A Very Short Introduction Richard Passingham (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

22 Sep 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h175mm x w111mm x s10mm 121g 24 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198786221 ISBN13: 978-0-19-878622-1 ISBN10: 0198786220 EAN: 9780198786221 x Description: Up to the 1960s, psychology was deeply under the influence of behaviourism, which focused on stimuli and responses, and regarded consideration of what may happen in the mind as unapproachable scientifically. This began to change with the devising of methods to try to tap into what was going on in the 'black box' of the mind, and the development of 'cognitive psychology'. With the study of patients who had suffered brain damage or injury to limited parts of the brain, outlines of brain components and processes began to take shape, and by the end of the 1970s, a new science, cognitive neuroscience, was born. But it was with the development of ways of accessing activation of the working brain using imaging techniques such as PET and fMRI that cognitive neuroscience came into its own, as a science cutting across psychology and neuroscience, with strong connections to philosophy of mind. Experiments involving subjects in scanners while doing various tasks, thinking, problem solving, and remembering are shedding light on the brain processes involved. The research is exciting and new, and often makes media headlines. But there is much misunderstanding about what brain imaging tells us, and the interpretation of studies on cognition. In this Very Short Introduction Richard Passingham, a distinguished cognitive neuroscientist, gives a provocative and exciting account of the nature and scope of this relatively new field, and the techniques available to us, focusing on investigation of the human brain. He explains what brain imaging shows, pointing out common misconceptions, and gives a brief overview of the different aspects of human cognition: perceiving, attending, remembering, reasoning, deciding, and acting. Passingham concludes with a discussion of the exciting advances that may lie ahead.

Colonial America: A Very Short Introduction Alan Taylor (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

23 Oct 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 168pp h121mm x w174mm x s9mm 148g 8 b/w halftones, 3 maps ISBN13: 9780199766239 ISBN13: 978-0-19-976623-9 ISBN10: 0199766231 EAN: 9780199766239 x Description: By long convention, "American history" began during the early seventeenth century along the Atlantic Seaboard with the English colonies at Jamestown in Virginia and Plymouth in New England. From that eastern origin, America supposedly expanded westward, reaching only the Appalachian mountains by the end of the colonial period. In this version of history, earlier Spanish and contemporary French settlements seemed irrelevant except as enemies that brought out the best in the English as they remade themselves into Americans. Indians appeared only as wild and primitive peoples engaged in an ultimately futile resistance to American destiny. And historians formerly treated African slaves in passing as unfortunate aberrations in a fundamentally upbeat story of Englishmen becoming freer and more prosperous by colonizing an abundant continent of "free land." During the past generation, however, historians have broadened our understanding of colonial America by adopting both a trans-Atlantic and a trans-continental perspective, examining the interplay of Europe, Africa, and the Americas through the flows of goods, people, plants, animals, capital, and ideas. In this Very Short Introduction, Alan Taylor presents the current scholarly understanding of

colonial America to a broader audience. American colonization derived from a global expansion of European exploration and commerce, beginning in the fifteenth century. In an Atlantic and global perspective, the English had to share the stage with the French, Spanish, Dutch, and Russians, each of whom created alternative Americas. By comparing the diverse colonies of rival empires, Taylor aims to recover what was truly distinctive about the English enterprise in North America. In particular, he intends to pay greater attention to slavery as central to the economy, culture, and political thought of the colonists and, by taking a "Continental approach," to restore the importance of native peoples to the colonial story. To adapt to the new land, the colonists needed the expertise, guidance, alliance, and trade of the Indians who dominated the interior. The new historical approach emphasizes the ability of the diverse natives to adapt to the newcomers and to compel concessions from them. In sum, colonial America produced an unprecedented mixing of radically diverse peoples-African, European, and Indian-under stressful circumstances for all. The colonial intermingling of peoples,microbes, plants, and animals from different continents was unparalleled in speed and volume in global history. Everyone had to adjust to a new world of unpredictable social and cultural hybrids that compromised and complicated the ambitious plans of empire-builders. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Colonial Latin American Literature: A Very Short Introduction Rolena Adorno (Reuben Post Halleck Professor of Spanish, Reuben Post Halleck Professor of Spanish, Yale University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

04 Nov 2011

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 168pp h173mm x w121mm x s10mm 132g 10 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199755028 ISBN13: 978-0-19-975502-8 ISBN10: 0199755027 EAN: 9780199755028 x Description: A vivid account of the literary culture of the Spanish-speaking Americas from the time of Columbus to Latin American Independence, this Very Short Introduction explores the origins of Latin American literature in Spanish and tells the story of how Spanish literary language developed and flourished in the New World. A leading scholar of colonial Latin American literature, Rolena Adorno examines the writings that debated the justice of the Spanish conquests, described the novelties of New World nature, expressed the creativity of Hispanic baroque culture in epic, lyric, and satirical poetry, and anticipated Latin American Independence. The works of Spanish, creole, and Amerindian authors highlighted here, including Bartolome de las Casas, Felipe Guaman Poma, Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, and Andres Bello, have been chosen for the merits of their writings, their participation in the larger literary and cultural debates of their times, and their resonance among readers today. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Combinatorics: A Very Short Introduction Robin Wilson (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

28 Apr 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h174mm x w114mm x s9mm 158g 68 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198723493 ISBN13: 978-0-19-872349-3 ISBN10: 0198723490 EAN: 9780198723493 x Description: How many possible sudoku puzzles are there? In the lottery, what is the chance that two winning balls have consecutive numbers? Who invented Pascal's triangle? (it was not Pascal) Combinatorics, the branch of mathematics concerned with selecting, arranging, and listing or counting collections of objects, works to answer all these questions. Dating back some 3000 years, and initially consisting mainly of the study of permutations and combinations, its scope has broadened to include topics such as graph theory, partitions of numbers, block designs, design of codes, and latin squares. In this Very Short Introduction Robin Wilson gives an overview of the field and its applications in mathematics and computer theory, considering problems from the shortest routes covering certain stops to the minimum number of colours needed to colour a map with different colours for neighbouring countries. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Comedy: A Very Short Introduction Matthew Bevis (Fellow in English, Keble College, University of Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2013

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h121mm x w174mm x s9mm 132g 15 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199601714 ISBN13: 978-0-19-960171-4 ISBN10: 0199601712 EAN: 9780199601714 x Description: To consider comedy in its many incarnations is to raise diverse but related questions: what, for instance, is humour, and how may it be used (or abused)? When do we laugh, and why? What is it that writers and speakers enjoy - and risk - when they tell a joke, indulge in bathos, talk nonsense, or encourage irony? This Very Short Introduction explores comedy both as a literary genre, and as a range of non-literary phenomena, experiences and events. Matthew Bevis studies the classics of comic drama, prose fiction and poetry, alongside forms of pantomime, comic opera, silent cinema, popular music, Broadway shows, music-hall, stand-up and circus acts, rom-coms, sketch shows, sit-coms, caricatures, and cartoons. Taking in scenes from Aristophanes to The Office, from the Roman Saturnalia to Groundhog Day, Bevis also considers comic theory from Aristotle to Freud and beyond, tracing how comic achievements have resisted as well as confirmed theory across the ages. This book takes comedy seriously without taking it solemnly, and offers an engaging study of the comic spirit which lies at the heart of our shared social and cultural life. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Communism: A Very Short Introduction Leslie Holmes (Professor of Political Science and Deputy Director of the Contemporary Europe Research Centre, University of Melbourne) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

27 Aug 2009

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h174mm x w111mm x s10mm 154g 15 b&w halftones ISBN13: 9780199551545 ISBN13: 978-0-19-955154-5 ISBN10: 0199551545 EAN: 9780199551545 x Description: The collapse of communism was one of the most defining moments of the twentieth century. At its peak, more than a third of the world's population had lived under communist power. What is communism? Where did the idea come from and what attracted people to it? What is the future for communism? This Very Short Introduction considers these questions and more in the search to explore and understand communism. Explaining the theory behind its ideology, and examining the history and mindset behind its political, economic and social structures, Leslie Holmes examines the highs and lows of communist power and its future in today's world. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Comparative Literature: A Very Short Introduction Ben Hutchinson (Professor of European Literature, University of Kent) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

05 Apr 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h175mm x w110mm x s0mm 125g 8 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198807278 ISBN13: 978-0-19-880727-8 ISBN10: 0198807279 EAN: 9780198807278 x Description: Comparative Literature is both the past and the future of literary studies. Its history is intimately linked to the political upheavals of modernity: from colonial empire-building in the nineteenth century, via the Jewish diaspora of the twentieth century, to the postcolonial culture wars of the twenty-first century, attempts at 'comparison' have defined the international agenda of literature. But what is comparative literature? Ambitious readers looking to stretch themselves are usually intrigued by the concept, but uncertain of its implications. And rightly so, in many ways: even the professionals cannot agree on a single term, calling it comparative in English, compared in French, and comparing in German. The very term itself, when approached comparatively, opens up a Pandora's box of cultural differences. Yet this, in a nutshell, is the whole point of comparative literature. To look at literature comparatively is to realize just how much can be learned by looking over the horizon of one's own culture; it is to discover not only more about other literatures, but also about one's own; and it is to participate in the great utopian dream of understanding the way nations and languages interact. In an age that is paradoxically defined by migration and border crossing on the one hand, and by a retreat into monolingualism and monoculturalism on the other, the cross-cultural agenda of comparative literature has become increasingly central to the future of the Humanities. We are all, in fact, comparatists, constantly making connections across languages, cultures, and genres as we read. The question is whether we realise it. This Very Short Introduction tells the story of Comparative Literature as an agent of international relations, from the point of view both of scholarship and of cultural history more generally. Outlining the complex history and competing theories of comparative literature, Ben Hutchinson offers an accessible means of entry into a notoriously slippery subject, and shows how comparative literature can be like a Rorschach test, where people see in

it what they want to see. Ultimately, Hutchinson places comparative literature at the very heart of literary criticism, for as George Steiner once noted, 'to read is to compare'. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Complexity: A Very Short Introduction John H. Holland (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

24 Jul 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 112pp h173mm x w114mm x s9mm 109g 15 black and white line drawings ISBN13: 9780199662548 ISBN13: 978-0-19-966254-8 ISBN10: 0199662541 EAN: 9780199662548 x Description: The importance of complexity is well-captured by Hawking's comment: "Complexity is the science of the 21st century". From the movement of flocks of birds to the Internet, environmental sustainability, and market regulation, the study and understanding of complex non-linear systems has become highly influential over the last 30 years. In this Very Short Introduction, one of the leading figures in the field, John Holland, introduces the key elements and conceptual framework of complexity. From complex physical systems such as fluid flow and the difficulties of predicting weather, to complex adaptive systems such as the highly diverse and interdependent ecosystems of rainforests, he combines simple, well-known examples - Adam Smith's pin factory, Darwin's comet orchid, and Simon's 'watchmaker' - with an account of the approaches, involving agents and urn models, taken by complexity theory. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Computer Science: A Very Short Introduction Subrata Dasgupta (Computer Science Trust Fund Eminent Scholar Endowed Chair) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

24 Mar 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h174mm x w113mm x s9mm 130g 8 black and white diagrams ISBN13: 9780198733461 ISBN13: 978-0-19-873346-1 ISBN10: 0198733461 EAN: 9780198733461 x Description: Over the past sixty years, the spectacular growth of the technologies associated with the computer is visible for all to see and experience. Yet, the science underpinning this technology is less visible and little understood outside the professional computer science community. As a scientific discipline, computer science stands alongside the likes of molecular biology and cognitive science as one of the most significant new sciences of the post Second World War era. In this Very Short Introduction, Subrata Dasgupta sheds light on these lesser known areas and considers the conceptual basis of computer science. Discussing algorithms, programming, and sequential and parallel processing, he considers emerging modern ideas such as biological computing and cognitive modelling, challenging the idea of computer science as a science of the artificial. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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Concentration Camps: A Very Short Introduction Dan Stone (Professor of Modern History, Royal Holloway, University of London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

09 May 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h175mm x w115mm x s9mm 126g 10 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198723387 ISBN13: 978-0-19-872338-7 ISBN10: 0198723385 EAN: 9780198723387 x Description: Concentration camps are a relatively new invention, a recurring feature of twentieth century warfare, and one that is important to the modern global consciousness and identity. Although the most famous concentration camps are those under the Nazis, the use of concentration camps originated several decades before the Third Reich, in the Philippines and in the Boer War, and they have been used again in numerous locations, not least during the genocides in Bosnia and Rwanda. Over the course of the twentieth century they have become defining symbols of humankind's lowest point and basest acts. In this Very Short Introduction, Dan Stone gives a global history of concentration camps, and shows that it is not only "mad dictators" who have set up camps, but instead all varieties of states, including liberal democracies, that have made use of them. Setting concentration camps against the longer history of incarceration, he explains how the ability of the modern state to control populations led to the creation of this extreme institution. Looking at their emergence and spread around the world, Stone argues that concentration camps serve the purpose, from the point of view of the state in crisis, of removing a section of the population that is perceived to be threatening, traitorous, or diseased. Drawing on contemporary accounts of camps, as well as the philosophical literature surrounding them, Stone considers the story camps tell us about the nature of the modern world as well as about specific regimes.

Confucianism: A Very Short Introduction Daniel K. Gardner (Dwight W. Morrow Professor of History, Dwight W. Morrow Professor of History, Smith College) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

08 Aug 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 152pp h173mm x w114mm x s11mm 141g 10 black & white halftones ISBN13: 9780195398915 ISBN13: 978-0-19-539891-5 ISBN10: 0195398912 EAN: 9780195398915 x Description: To understand China, it is essential to understand Confucianism. First formulated in the sixth century BCE, the teachings of Confucius would come to dominate Chinese society, politics, economics, and ethics. In this Very Short Introduction, Daniel K. Gardner explores the major philosophical ideas of the Confucian tradition, showing their profound impact on state ideology and imperial government, the civil service examination system, domestic life, and social relations over the course of twenty-six centuries. Gardner focuses on two of the Sage's most crucial philosophical problems-what makes for a good person, and what constitutes good government-and demonstrates the enduring significance of these questions today. This volume shows the influence of the Sage's teachings over the course of Chinese history-on state ideology, the civil service examination system, imperial government, the family, and social relations-and the fate of Confucianism in China in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, as China developed alongside a modernizing West and Japan. Some Chinese intellectuals attempted to reform the Confucian tradition to address new needs;

others argued for jettisoning it altogether in favor of Western ideas and technology; still others condemned it angrily, arguing that Confucius and his legacy were responsible for China's feudal, ''backward'' conditions in the twentieth century and launching campaigns to eradicate its influences. Yet Chinese continue to turn to the teachings of Confucianism for guidance in their daily lives. In addition to a survey of the philosophy and history of Confucianism, Gardner offers an examination of the resurgence of Confucianism in China today, and explores what such a revival means for the Chinese government and the Chinese people. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Conscience: A Very Short Introduction Paul Strohm (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Jun 2011

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h170mm x w111mm x s9mm 128g c. 15 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199569694 ISBN13: 978-0-19-956969-4 ISBN10: 019956969X EAN: 9780199569694 x Description: Where does our conscience come from? How reliable is it? In the West conscience has been relied upon for two thousand years as a judgement that distinguishes right from wrong. It has effortlessly moved through every period division and timeline between the ancient, medieval, and modern. The Romans identified it, the early Christians appropriated it, and Reformation Protestants and loyal Catholics relied upon its advice and admonition. Today it is embraced with equal conviction by non-religious and religious alike. Considering its deep historical roots and exploring what it has meant to successive generations, Paul Strohm highlights why this particularly European concept deserves its reputation as 'one of the prouder Western contributions to human rights and human dignity throughout the world.' Using examples from popular culture including the Disney classic Pinocchio, as well as examples from contemporary politics, he explores the work of thinkers such as Nietzsche, Freud, and Aquinas, to show how and why conscience remains a motivating and important principle in the contemporary world. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Consciousness: A Very Short Introduction Susan Blackmore (Visiting Professor in Psychology, University of Plymouth) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

14 Sep 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w112mm x s9mm 130g 25 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198794738 ISBN13: 978-0-19-879473-8 ISBN10: 0198794738 EAN: 9780198794738 x Description: Consciousness, 'the last great mystery for science', remains a hot topic. How can a physical brain create our experience of the world? What creates our identity? Do we really have free will? Could consciousness itself be an illusion? Exciting new developments in brain science are continuing the debates on these issues, and the field has now expanded to include biologists, neuroscientists, psychologists, and philosophers. This controversial book clarifies the potentially confusing arguments, and the major theories, whilst also outlining the amazing pace of discoveries in neuroscience. Covering areas such as the construction of self in the brain, mechanisms of attention, the neural correlates of consciousness, and the

physiology of altered states of consciousness, Susan Blackmore highlights our latest findings. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Contemporary Art: A Very Short Introduction Julian Stallabrass (Reader in Art History, Courtauld Institute of Art, London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Mar 2006

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w111mm x s10mm 151g 24 halftones ISBN13: 9780192806468 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280646-8 ISBN10: 0192806467 EAN: 9780192806468 x Description: Contemporary art has never been so popular - but what is 'contemporary' about contemporary art? What is its role today, and who is controlling its future? Bloody toy soldiers, gilded shopping carts, and embroidered tents. Contemporary art is supposed to be a realm of freedom where artists shock, break taboos, flout generally received ideas, and switch between confronting viewers with works of great emotional profundity and jaw-dropping triviality. But away from shock tactics in the gallery, there are many unanswered questions. Who is really running the art world? What effect has America's growing political and cultural dominance had on art? Julian Stallabrass takes us inside the international art world to answer these and other controversial questions, and to argue that behind contemporary art's variety and apparent unpredictability lies a grim uniformity. Its mysteries are all too easily explained, its depths much shallower than they seem. Contemporary art seeks to bamboozle its viewers while being the willing slave of business and government. This book is your antidote and will change the way you see contemporary art. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Contemporary Art: A Very Short Introduction Julian Stallabrass (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

10 Dec 2020

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 192pp h174mm x w111mm 29 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198826620 ISBN13: 978-0-19-882662-0 ISBN10: 0198826621 EAN: 9780198826620 x Description: Contemporary art has never been so popular - but the art world is changing. In a landscape of increasing globalization there is growing interest in questions over the nature of contemporary art today, and the identity of who is controlling its future. In the midst of this, contemporary art continues to be a realm of freedom where artists shock, break taboos, flout generally received ideas, and switch between confronting viewers with works of great emotional profundity and jaw-dropping triviality. In this Very Short Introduction Julian Stallabrass gives a clear view on the diverse and rapidly moving scene of contemporary art. Exploring art's striking globalisation from the 1990s onwards, he analyses how new regions and nations, such as China, have leapt into astonishing prominence, overturning the old Euro-American dominance on aesthetics. Showing how contemporary art has drawn closer to fashion and the luxury goods market as artists have become accomplished marketers of their work, Stallabrass discusses the reinvention of artists as brands. This new edition also considers how once powerful art criticism has mutated into a

critical and performative writing at which many artists excel. Above all, behind the insistent rhetoric of freedom and ambiguity in art, Stallabrass explores how big business and the super-rich have replaced the state as the primary movers of the contemporary art scene, especially since the financial crisis, and become a powerful new influence over the art world. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Contemporary Fiction: A Very Short Introduction Robert Eaglestone (Professor of Contemporary Literature and Thought, Royal Holloway, University of London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

25 Jul 2013

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 136pp h174mm x w115mm x s8mm 116g One or two black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199609260 ISBN13: 978-0-19-960926-0 ISBN10: 0199609268 EAN: 9780199609260 x Description: Contemporary fiction is a wide and diverse field, now global in dimension, with an enormous range of novels and writers that continues to grow at a fantastic speed. In this Very Short Introduction, Robert Eaglestone provides a clear and engaging exploration of the major themes, patterns, and debates of contemporary fiction. From genre, form, and experimentalism to the legacies of modernism and postmodernism, the relationship between globalization and terrorism, and the impact of technology, Eaglestone examines how works both reflect the world in which we live and the artistic concerns of writers and readers alike. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Continental Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction Simon Critchley (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

22 Feb 2001

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h179mm x w112mm x s11mm 146g numerous halftones ISBN13: 9780192853592 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285359-2 ISBN10: 0192853597 EAN: 9780192853592 x Description: Simon Critchley's Very Short Introduction shows that Continental philosophy encompasses a distinct set of philosophical traditions and practices, with a compelling range of problems all too often ignored by the analytic tradition. He discusses the ideas and approaches of philosophers such as Kant, Hegel, Nietzsche, Husserl, Heidegger, Sartre, Habermas, Foucault, and Derrida, and introduces key concepts such as existentialism, nihilism, and phenomenology by explaining their place in the Continental tradition. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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Copernicus: A Very Short Introduction Owen Gingerich (Professor Emeritus of Astronomy and History of Science, Professor Emeritus of Astronomy and History of Science, Harvard University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

11 Aug 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 120pp h174mm x w112mm x s7mm 100g 10 ISBN13: 9780199330966 ISBN13: 978-0-19-933096-6 ISBN10: 0199330964 EAN: 9780199330966 x Description: Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543) is a pivotal figure in the birth of modern science, the astronomer who "stopped the sun and set the earth in motion." Born in Poland, educated at Cracow and then in Italy, he served all of his adult life as a church administrator. His vision of a suncentered universe, shocking to many and unbelievable to most, turned out to be the essential blueprint for a physical understanding of celestial motions, thereby triggering what is commonly called "the Copernican revolution." A first edition of his world-changing treatise, De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium, has most recently been auctioned for more than $2 million. In this book, leading historian of science Owen Gingerich sets Copernicus in the context of a rapidly changing world, where the recent invention of printing with moveable type not only made sources more readily available to him, but also fueled Martin's Luther's transformation of the religious landscape. In an era of geographical exploration and discovery, new ideas were replacing time-honored concepts about the extent of inhabited continents. Gingerich reveals Copernicus' heliocentric revolution as an aesthetic achievement not dictated by observational "proofs," but another new way of looking at the ancient cosmos. Deftly combining astronomy and history, this Very Short Introduction offers a fascinating portray of the man who launched the modern vision of the universe. Out of Gingerich's engaging biography emerges the image of a scientist, intellectual, patriot, and reformer, who lived in an era when political as well as religious beliefs were shifting. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Coral Reefs: A Very Short Introduction Charles R. Sheppard (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

26 Jun 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h174mm x w114mm x s10mm 116g Approximately 15 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199682775 ISBN13: 978-0-19-968277-5 ISBN10: 0199682771 EAN: 9780199682775 x Description: Coral reefs have been long regarded with awe by the millions of people who have encountered them over the centuries. Early seafarers were wary of them, naturalists were confused by them, yet many coastal people benefited greatly from these mysterious rocky structures that grew up to the surface of the sea. They have been rich in their supply of food, and they provided a breakwater from storms and high waves to countless coastal communities that developed from their protection. Their scale is enormous and their value high. Found in countless locations around the world, from the Indo-Pacific coral reef province to the Caribbean and Australia, they support both marine and human life. In this Very Short Introduction, Charles Sheppard provides an account of what coral reefs are, how they are formed, how they have evolved, and the biological lessons we can learn from them. Today, the vibrancy and diversity of these fascinating ecosystems are under threat from over exploitation and could face future extinction, unless our conservation efforts are stepped up in order to save them. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new

Corporate Social Responsibility: A Very Short Introduction Jeremy Moon (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

11 Dec 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 180pp h174mm x w114mm x s10mm 158g 10 black and white line drawings ISBN13: 9780199671816 ISBN13: 978-0-19-967181-6 ISBN10: 0199671818 EAN: 9780199671816 x Description: Corporate social responsibility has been defined as 'the responsibility of enterprises for their impacts on society'. Is Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) just window dressing or is it a contradiction in terms? In this Very Short Introduction, Jeremy Moon shows that CSR holds much more value than it first appears, and shows how it has come of age in recent years. Illustrating the sorts of CSR investments companies make, the ways in which they practice CSR, and the challenges this brings, Moon considers how the principles migrated from their US roots to become a global business phenomenon. Exploring the place of CSR in different economic, social, political, and managerial contexts, this short guide considers the many positives, but also challenges, that CSR can present for companies, societies, and governments worldwide.

Corruption: A Very Short Introduction Leslie Holmes (Professor of Political Science, University of Melbourne, Australia) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Apr 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h174mm x w112mm x s9mm 132g 6 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199689699 ISBN13: 978-0-19-968969-9 ISBN10: 0199689695 EAN: 9780199689699 x Description: Corruption is one of the biggest global issues, ahead of extreme poverty, unemployment, the rising cost of food and energy, climate change, and terrorism. It is thought to be one of the principal causes of poverty around the globe. Its significance in the contemporary world cannot be undervalued. In this Very Short Introduction Leslie Holmes considers why the international community has only highlighted corruption as a problem in the past two decades, despite its presence throughout the millennia. Holmes explores the phenomenon from several different perspectives, from the cultural differences affecting how corruption is defined, its impact, and its various causes to the possible remedies. Providing evidence of corruption and considering ways to address it around the world, this is an important introduction to a significant and serious global issue. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Cosmology: A Very Short Introduction Peter Coles (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Aug 2001

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h179mm x w114mm x s9mm 136g numerous halftones and line figures ISBN13: 9780192854162 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285416-2 ISBN10: 019285416X EAN: 9780192854162 x Description: This book is a simple, non-technical introduction to cosmology, explaining what it is and what cosmologists do. Peter Coles discusses the history of the subject, the development of the Big Bang theory, and more speculative modern issues like quantum cosmology, superstrings, and dark matter. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Country Music: A Very Short Introduction Richard Carlin (Executive Editor, art, art history, and music, Executive Editor, art, art history, and music, Oxford University Press) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

25 Nov 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 160pp h172mm x w112mm x s10mm 126g 10 halftones ISBN13: 9780190902841 ISBN13: 978-0-19-090284-1 ISBN10: 0190902841 EAN: 9780190902841 x Description: Country Music: A Very Short Introduction presents a compelling overview of the music and its impact on American culture. Country music has long been a marker of American identity; from our popular culture to our politics, it has provided a soundtrack to our national life. While traditionally associated with the working class, country's appeal is far broader than any other popular music style. While this music rose from the people, it is also a product of the popular music industry, and the way the music has been marketed to its audience is a key part of its story. Key artists, songs, and musical styles are highlighted that are either touchstones for a particular social event (such as Tammy Wynette's "Stand By Your Man," which produced both a positive and negative backlash as a marker of women's roles in society at the beginning of the liberation movement) or that encompass broader trends in the industry (for example, Jimmie Rodgers' "T for Texas" was an early example of the appropriation of black musical forms by white artists to market them to a mainstream audience). While pursuing a basically chronological outline, the book is structured around certain recurring themes (such as rural vs. urban; tradition vs. innovation; male vs. female; white vs. black) that have been documented through the work of country artists from the minstrel era to today. Truly the voice of the people, country music expresses both deep patriotism as well as a healthy skepticism towards the powers that dominate American society. Country Music: A Very Short Introduction illuminates this rich tradition and assesses its legacy in American popular music culture. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Crime Fiction: A Very Short Introduction Richard Bradford (Research Professor of English at the University of Ulster) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h171mm x w108mm x s9mm 122g 4 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199658787 ISBN13: 978-0-19-965878-7 ISBN10: 0199658781 EAN: 9780199658787 x Description: Crime fiction has been one of the most popular genres since the 19th century, but has roots in works as varied as Sophocles, Herodotus, and Shakespeare. In this Very Short Introduction Richard Bradford explores the history of the genre, by considering the various definitions of 'crime fiction' and looking at how it has developed over time. Discussing the popularity of crime fiction worldwide and its various styles; the role that gender plays within the genre; spy fiction, and legal dramas and thrillers; he explores how the crime novel was shaped by the work of British and American authors in the 18th and 19th centuries. Highlighting the works of notorious authors such as Edgar Allan Poe, Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, and Raymond Chandler - to name but a few - he considers the role of the crime novel in modern popular culture and asks whether we can, and whether we should, consider crime fiction serious 'literature'. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Criminal Justice: A Very Short Introduction Julian V. Roberts (Professor of Criminology, University of Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

27 Aug 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w117mm x s9mm 141g 8 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780198716495 ISBN13: 978-0-19-871649-5 ISBN10: 0198716494 EAN: 9780198716495 x Description: The criminal justice system is wide ranging; from the crimes themselves and policing to the sentencing of offenders and prisons. In this Very Short Introduction Julian V. Roberts draws upon the latest research and current practices from a number of different countries around the world. Focusing on the adversarial model of justice found in common law countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, he discusses topics such as the uses of imprisonment, the effects of capital punishment, and the purposes of sentencing. Considering the role of the victim throughout the criminal justice system, as well as public knowledge and attitudes towards criminal justice, Roberts critically assesses the way in which the system functions and its importance around the world. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Criminology: A Very Short Introduction Tim Newburn (Professor of Criminology and Social Policy, The London School of Economics and Political Science) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

10 Apr 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h175mm x w114mm x s11mm 143g 14 black and white images ISBN13: 9780199643257 ISBN13: 978-0-19-964325-7 ISBN10: 0199643253 EAN: 9780199643257 x Description: Crime is big news. From murder to theft to drug gangs, crime and criminal justice affect the lives of millions of people worldwide. Hardly surprisingly, crime has been pushed high up the public policy agenda across the world. But how can we measure crime, or evaluate the effectiveness of preventative measures? Does the threat of prison reduce someone's likelihood of reoffending, or would rehabilitation be more constructive? In this Very Short Introduction Tim Newburn considers how we can study trends in crime, and use them to inform preventative policy and criminal justice. Analysing the history of the subject, he reflects on our understanding of crime and responses to crime in earlier historical periods. Considering trends in crime in the developed world, Newburn discusses its causes, exploring the relationship between drugs and crime, analysing what we know about why people stop offending, and looking at both formal and informal responses to crime. Newburn concludes by discussing what role criminology can plausibly be anticipated to have in crime control and politics, and what its limits are. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Critical Theory: A Very Short Introduction Stephen Eric Bronner (Rutgers University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

16 Oct 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w111mm x s9mm 124g 9 b/w halftones ISBN13: 9780190692674 ISBN13: 978-0-19-069267-4 ISBN10: 0190692677 EAN: 9780190692674 x Description: Critical theory emerged in the 1920s from the work of the Frankfurt School, the circle of German-Jewish academics who sought to diagnose - and, if at all possible, cure - the ills of society, particularly fascism and capitalism. In this book, Stephen Eric Bronner provides sketches of leading representatives of the critical tradition (such as George Lukacs and Ernst Bloch, Theodor Adorno and Walter Benjamin, Herbert Marcuse and Jurgen Habermas) as well as many of its seminal texts and empirical investigations. This Very Short Introduction sheds light on the cluster of concepts and themes that set critical theory apart from its more traditional philosophical competitors. Bronner explains and discusses concepts such as method and agency, alienation and reification, the culture industry and repressive tolerance, non-identity and utopia. He argues for the introduction of new categories and perspectives for illuminating the obstacles to progressive change and focusing upon hidden transformative possibilities. In this newly updated second edition, Bronner targets new academic interests, broadens his argument, and adapts it to a global society amid the resurgence of right-wing politics and neo-fascist movements. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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Cryptography: A Very Short Introduction Fred C. Piper (Author) Sean Murphy (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h177mm x w113mm x s9mm 139g numerous figures ISBN13: 9780192803153 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280315-3 ISBN10: 0192803158 EAN: 9780192803153 x Description: This book is a clear and informative introduction to cryptography and data protection - subjects of considerable social and political importance. It explains what algorithms do, how they are used, the risks associated with using them, and why governments should be concerned. Important areas are highlighted, such as Stream Ciphers, block ciphers, public key algorithms, digital signatures, and applications such as ecommerce. This book highlights the explosive impact of cryptography on modern society, with, for example, the evolution of the internet and the introduction of more sophisticated banking methods. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Crystallography: A Very Short Introduction A. M. Glazer (Emeritus Professor of Physics Oxford, Emeritus Fellow of Jesus College Oxford, Visiting Professor University of Warwick) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

24 Mar 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w111mm x s9mm 132g 41 black and white halftones and diagrams ISBN13: 9780198717591 ISBN13: 978-0-19-871759-1 ISBN10: 0198717598 EAN: 9780198717591 x Description: Crystals have fascinated us for centuries with their beauty and symmetry, and have often been invested with magical powers. The use of X-ray diffraction, first pioneered in 1912 by father and son William and Lawrence Bragg, enabled us to probe the structure of molecules, and heralded the scientific study of crystals, leading to an understanding of their atomic arrangements at a fundamental level. The new discipline, called X-ray crystallography, has subsequently evolved into a formidable science that underpins many other scientific areas. Starting from the determination of the structures of very simple crystals, such as that of common salt, today it has become almost routine to determine the positions of tens of thousands of atoms in a crystal. In this Very Short Introduction Mike Glazer shows how the discoveries in crystallography have been applied to the creation of new and important materials, to drugs and pharmaceuticals and to our understanding of genetics, cell biology, proteins, and viruses. Tracing the history of crystallography, he analyses astonishing developments in new sources of X-rays, as well as of neutrons, and in electron microscopy, and considers the impact they have on the study of crystals today. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Dada and Surrealism: A Very Short Introduction David Hopkins (Lecturer in Art History at Glasgow University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

08 Apr 2004

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 208pp h174mm x w113mm x s14mm 159g numerous halftones ISBN13: 9780192802545 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280254-5 ISBN10: 0192802542 EAN: 9780192802545 x Description: The avant-garde movements of Dada and Surrealism continue to have a huge influence on cultural practice, especially in contemporary art, with its obsession with sexuality, fetishism, and shock tactics. In this new treatment of the subject, Hopkins focuses on the many debates surrounding these movements: the Marquis de Sade's Surrealist deification, issues of quality (How good is Dali?), the idea of the 'readymade', attitudes towards the city, the impact of Freud, attitudes to women, fetishism, and primitivism. The international nature of these movements is examined, covering the cities of Zurich, New York, Berlin, Cologne, Barcelona, Paris, London, and recenlty discovered examples in Eastern Europe. Hopkins explores the huge range of media employed by both Dada and Surrealism (collage, painting, found objects, performance art, photography, film) , whilst at the same time establishing the aesthetic differences between the movements. He also examines the Dadaist obsession with the bodyas-mechanism in relation to the Surrealists' return to the fetishized/eroticized body. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Dante: A Very Short Introduction Peter Hainsworth (Emeritus Fellow, Lady Margaret Hall Oxford) (Author) David Robey (Emeritus Professor, University of Reading, and Emeritus Fellow, Wolfson College, Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

26 Feb 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h173mm x w114mm x s8mm 114g Approx 12 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199684779 ISBN13: 978-0-19-968477-9 ISBN10: 0199684774 EAN: 9780199684779 x Description: In this Very Short Introduction, Peter Hainsworth and David Robey take a different approach to Dante, by examining the main themes and issues that run through all of his work, ranging from autobiography, to understanding God and the order of the universe. In doing so, they highlight what has made Dante a vital point of reference for modern writers and readers, both inside and outside Italy. They emphasize the distinctive and dynamic interplay in Dante's writing between argument, ideas, and analysis on the one hand, and poetic imagination on the other. Dante was highly concerned with the political and intellectual issues of his time, demonstrated most powerfully in his notorious work, The Divine Comedy. Tracing the tension between the medieval and modern aspects, Hainsworth and Robey provide a clear insight into the meaning of this masterpiece of world literature. They highlight key figures and episodes in the poem, bringing out the originality and power of Dante's writing to help readers understand the problems that Dante wanted his audience to confront but often left up to the reader to resolve. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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Darwin: A Very Short Introduction Jonathan Howard (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

22 Feb 2001

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h179mm x w113mm x s9mm 123g halftones and drawings ISBN13: 9780192854544 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285454-4 ISBN10: 0192854542 EAN: 9780192854544 x Description: Darwin's theory that our ancestors were apes caused a furore in the scientific world and outside it when The Origin of Species was published in 1859. Arguments still rage about the implications of his evolutionary theory, and scepticism about the value of Darwin's contribution to knowledge is widespread. In this analysis of Darwin's major insights and arguments, Jonathan Howard reasserts the importance of Darwin's work for the development of modern biology. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Decadence: A Very Short Introduction David Weir (Professor Emeritus of Comparative Literature, Professor Emeritus of Comparative Literature, Cooper Union) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

16 Apr 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 160pp h175mm x w112mm x s10mm 138g 10 illustrations ISBN13: 9780190610227 ISBN13: 978-0-19-061022-7 ISBN10: 0190610220 EAN: 9780190610227 x Description: The historical trajectory of decadent culture runs from ancient Rome, to nineteenth-century Paris, Victorian London, fin de siecle Vienna, Weimar Berlin, and beyond. The first of these, the decline of Rome, provides the pattern for both aesthetic and social decadence, a pattern that artists and writers in the nineteenth century imitated, emulated, parodied, and otherwise manipulated for aesthetic gain. What begins as the moral condemnation of modernity in mid-nineteenth century France on the part of decadent authors such as Charles Baudelaire ends up as the perverse celebration of the pessimism that imperial decline, whether real or imagined, involves. This delight in decline informs the so-called breviary, or even bible, of decadence from JorisKarl Huysmans's A Rebours, Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, Aubrey Beardsley's drawings, Gustav Klimt's paintings, and numerous other works. In this Very Short Introduction, David Weir explores these conflicting attitudes towards modernity present in decadent culture by examining the difference between aesthetic decadence - the excess of artifice - and social decadence, which involves excess in a variety of forms, whether perversely pleasurable or gratuitously cruel. Such contrariness between aesthetic and social decadence led some of its practitioners to substitute art for life and to stress the importance of taste over morality, a maneuver with far-reaching consequences, especially as decadence enters the realm of popular culture today. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Decolonization: A Very Short Introduction Professor Dane Kennedy (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

28 Apr 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 136pp h173mm x w112mm x s8mm 128g 10 ISBN13: 9780199340491 ISBN13: 978-0-19-934049-1 ISBN10: 0199340498 EAN: 9780199340491 x Description: Millions of Africans, Asians, and other peoples were the subjects of colonial rule by overseas empires through the mid-twentieth century. By the end of the century, however, nearly all of these peoples had become citizens of independent nation-states. The United Nations grew from 51 member states at its founding in 1945 to 193 today. Its nearly four-fold increase is one measure of the historic shift in international relations that has occurred over the past half-century. Decolonization is the term commonly used to refer to this transition from a world of colonial empires to a world of nation-states in the years after World War II. Both ex-imperial states and post-colonial regimes have promoted a selective and sanitized version of decolonization that casts their own conduct in a positive light, characterizing the process as negotiated and the outcome as inevitable. This book draws on recent scholarship to challenge that view, demonstrating that considerable violence and instability accompanied the end of empire and that the outcome was often up for grabs. This book highlights three themes. The first is that global war between empires precipitated decolonization, creating the economic and political crises that gave colonial subjects the opportunity to seek independence. The second theme is that nation-state was not the only option pursued by anticolonial activists. Many of them sought pan- and trans-national polities instead, but a combination of international and institutional pressures made the nation-state the standard template. The third theme is that the struggle to escape imperial subjugation and create nation-states generated widespread violence and produced huge refugee populations, leading to political problems that persist to the present day. By focusing on these crucial points, Dane Kennedy reminds us how the tumultuous, even tragic, changes caused by the decolonization profoundly shaped the world we live in. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Dementia: A Very Short Introduction Kathleen Taylor (Research Visitor at the Department of Physiology Anatomy and Genetics University of Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

06 Aug 2020

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h175mm x w112mm x s9mm 136g 10 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198825784 ISBN13: 978-0-19-882578-4 ISBN10: 0198825781 EAN: 9780198825784 x Description: As more of us live longer, the fear of an old age devastated by brain diseases like dementia is growing. Many people are already facing the challenges posed by these progressive and terminal conditions, whether in person or because they are caring for loved ones. Dementia is now the fifth most common cause of death across the world. It is small wonder that understanding, preventing, and finally curing these illnesses is now a global priority. Recent advances in brain research have given scientists a better chance than ever of finding ways to help patients, carers, and clinicians dealing with dementia. Yet there is still no effective treatment. Why has progress been so slow? And what can we all do to reduce our chances of getting the disease? In this Very Short Introduction Kathleen Taylor offers a guide to the science of dementia and brain ageing. Never forgetting the human costs of brain disorders - movingly illustrated throughout the book - she also discusses their costs to society. Clearly explaining the research, she sets out the main ideas which have driven dementia science, and the new contenders hoping to make a breakthrough. Taylor also looks at risk factors, and how to lower our chances of

succumbing to dementia. Assessing current and potential treatments, including both drugs and other approaches, she explains, clearly and gently, what help is available for someone who is diagnosed with dementia, and how to boost the chances of living well with the condition. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Democracy: A Very Short Introduction Bernard Crick (Formerly Professor of Politics at Birkbeck College, University of London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

10 Oct 2002

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h177mm x w113mm x s9mm 115g numerous halftones ISBN13: 9780192802507 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280250-7 ISBN10: 019280250X EAN: 9780192802507 x Description: No political concept is more used, and misused, than that of democracy. Nearly every regime today claims to be democratic, but not all 'democracies' allow free politics, and free politics existed long before democratic franchises. This book is a short account of the history of the doctrine and practice of democracy, from ancient Greece and Rome through the American, French, and Russian revolutions, and of the usages and practices associated with it in the modern world. It argues that democracy is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for good government, and that ideas of the rule of law, and of human rights, should in some situations limit democratic claims. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Demography: A Very Short Introduction Sarah Harper (Professor of Gerontology, Oxford University, Director, Oxford Institute of Ageing, and Director of the Royal Institution, London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

07 Jun 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h175mm x w112mm x s9mm 120g 11 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198725732 ISBN13: 978-0-19-872573-2 ISBN10: 0198725736 EAN: 9780198725732 x Description: The generation into which each person is born, the demographic composition of that cohort, and its relation to those born at the same time in other places influences not only a person's life chances, but also the economic and political structures within which that life is lived; the person's access to social and natural resources (food, water, education, jobs, sexual partners); and even the length of that person's life. Demography, literally the study of people, addresses the size, distribution, composition, and density of populations, and considers the impact the drivers which mediate these will have on both individual lives and the changing structure of human populations. This Very Short Introduction considers the way in which the global population has evolved over time and space. Sarah Harper discusses the theorists, theories, and methods involved in studying population trends and movements, before looking at the emergence of new demographic sub-disciplines and addressing some of the future population challenges of the 21st century.

Depression: A Very Short Introduction Mary Jane Tacchi (Consultant Psychiatrist) (Author) Jan Scott (Professor of Psychological Medicine, Newcastle University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

26 Jan 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h173mm x w118mm x s8mm 120g 15 black and white images ISBN13: 9780199558650 ISBN13: 978-0-19-955865-0 ISBN10: 0199558655 EAN: 9780199558650 x Description: What is depression? What is bipolar disorder? How are they diagnosed and how are they treated? Can a small child be diagnosed with depression and treated with antidepressants - and should they be? Covering depression, manic depression, and bipolar disorder, this Very Short Introduction gives a brief account of the history of these concepts, before focussing on the descriptions and understanding of these disorders today. Jan Scott and Mary Jane Tacchi look at the introduction of modern treatments for people suffering from depression, recounting the stories behind the development and introduction of antidepressants and mood stabilizers. They examine the symptoms and signs of the different disorders, as well as the association between physical disorders and depression. Exploring the importance of depression and bipolar disorder in society, they also look at the link between creativity and mood disorders. Scott and Tacchi conclude by discussing treatments and the future for those with depression. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Derrida: A Very Short Introduction Dr. Simon Glendinning (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Aug 2011

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h173mm x w114mm x s9mm 129g 10 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780192803450 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280345-0 ISBN10: 019280345X EAN: 9780192803450 x Description: Jacques Derrida, the French philosopher, developed his critical technique known as 'deconstruction'. His work is associated with ideas surrounding both post-structuralism and post-modern philosophy, and he was known to have challenged some of the unquestioned assumptions of our philosophical tradition. In this Very Short Introduction, Simon Glendinning explores both the difficulty and significance of the work of Derrida. He presents Derrida's challenging ideas as making a significant contribution to, and providing a powerful reading of, our philosophical heritage. Defending Derrida against many of the charges that were placed against him, he attempts to show why Derrrida's work causes such extreme reactions. Glendinning explains Derrida's distinctive mode of engagement with our philosophical tradition, and shows that this is not a merely negative thing. By exploring his most famous and influential texts, Glendinning shows how and why Derrida's work of deconstruction is inspired not by a 'critical frenzy', but by a loving respect for philosophy.

Descartes: A Very Short Introduction Professor Tom Sorell (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2001

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 128pp h178mm x w114mm x s8mm 116g black and white halftones and line drawings ISBN13: 9780192854094 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285409-4 ISBN10: 0192854097 EAN: 9780192854094 x Description: Rene Descartes (1596-1650) had a remarkably short working life, and his output was small, yet his contributions to philosophy and science have endured to the present day. He is perhaps best known for his statement 'Cogito, ergo sum'. By a mixture of 'intuition' and 'deduction' Descartes derived from the 'cogito' principle first the existence of a material world. But Descartes did not intend the metaphysics to stand apart from his scientific work, which included important investigations into physics, mathematics, psychology, and optics. In this book Tom Sorrell shows that Descartes was, above all, an advocate and practitioner of a new mathematical approach to physics, and that he developed his metaphysics to support his programme in the sciences. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Deserts: A Very Short Introduction Nick Middleton (St. Anne's College, Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2009

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w111mm x s9mm 130g 21 halftones ISBN13: 9780199564309 ISBN13: 978-0-19-956430-9 ISBN10: 0199564302 EAN: 9780199564309 x Description: Deserts make up a third of the planet's land surface, but if you picture a desert, what comes to mind? A wasteland? A drought? A place devoid of all life forms? Deserts are remarkable places. Typified by drought and extremes of temperature, they can be harsh and hostile; but many deserts are also spectacularly beautiful, and on occasion teem with life. Nick Middleton explores how each desert is unique: through fantastic life forms, extraordinary scenery, and ingenious human adaptations. He demonstrates a desert's immense natural beauty, its rich biodiversity, and uncovers a long history of successful human occupation. This Very Short Introduction tells you everything you ever wanted to know about these extraordinary places and captures their importance in the working of our planet. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Design: A Very Short Introduction John Heskett (Formerly Professor of Design, Insitute of Design, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Jun 2005

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w112mm x s11mm 141g numerous halftones ISBN13: 9780192854469 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285446-9 ISBN10: 0192854461 EAN: 9780192854469 x Description: John Heskett wants to transform the way we think about design by showing how integral it is to our daily lives, from the spoon we use to eat our breakfast cereal, and the car we drive to work in, to the medical equipment used to save lives. Design combines 'need' and 'desire' in the form of a practical object that can also reflect the user's identity and aspirations through its form and decoration. This concise guide to contemporary design goes beyond style and taste to look at how different cultures and individuals personalize objects. Heskett also reveals how simple objects, such as a toothpick, can have their design modified to suit the specific cultural behaviour in different countries. There are also fascinating insights into how major companies such as Nokia, Ford, and Sony approach design. Finally, the author gives us an exciting vision of what design can offer us in the future, showing in particular how it can humanize new technology. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Development: A Very Short Introduction Ian Goldin (Senior Fellow, Oxford Martin School and Professor of Globalisation and Development, University of Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

05 Apr 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 216pp h175mm x w112mm x s12mm 162g 12 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780198736257 ISBN13: 978-0-19-873625-7 ISBN10: 0198736258 EAN: 9780198736257 x Description: What do we mean by development? How can citizens, governments and the international community foster development? The process by which nations escape poverty and achieve economic and social progress has been the subject of extensive examination for hundreds of years.The notion of development itself has evolved from an original preoccupation with incomes and economic growth to a much broader understanding of development. In this Very Short Introduction Ian Goldin considers the contributions that education, health, gender, equity, and other dimensions of human well-being make to development, and discusses why it is also necessary to include the role of institutions and the rule of law as well as sustainability and environmental concerns. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Developmental Biology: A Very Short Introduction Lewis Wolpert (University College London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2011

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h172mm x w116mm x s9mm 136g 30 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199601196 ISBN13: 978-0-19-960119-6 ISBN10: 0199601194 EAN: 9780199601196 x Description: From a single cell - a fertilized egg - comes an elephant, a fly, or a human. How does this astonishing feat happen? How does the egg 'know' what to become? How does it divide into the different cells, the separate tissues, the brain, the fingernail - every tiniest detail of the growing foetus? These are the questions that the field of developmental biology seeks to answer. It is an area that is closely linked to genetics, evolution, and molecular biology. The processes are deeply rooted in evolutionary history; the information is held in genes whose vital timings in switching on and off is orchestrated by a host of proteins expressed by other genes. Timing is of the essence. Here, the distinguished developmental biologist Lewis Wolpert gives a concise account of what we now know about development, discussing the first vital steps of growth, the patterning created by Hox genes and the development of form, embryonic stem cells, the timing of gene expression and its management, chemical signalling, and growth. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Diaspora: A Very Short Introduction Kevin Kenny (Professor of History, Professor of History, Boston College) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

22 Jul 2013

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 144pp h173mm x w114mm x s8mm 116g 10 b/w halftones ISBN13: 9780199858583 ISBN13: 978-0-19-985858-3 ISBN10: 0199858586 EAN: 9780199858583 x Description: Diaspora is an important concept in history, sociology, religious studies, ethnic studies, political science, and literary criticism, among other disciplines. Meanwhile, journalists, politicians, and cultural authorities use the term with increasing frequency when describing contemporary global migration. But what does diaspora mean? Until recently, the term referred principally to the dispersal and exile of the Jews. However, over the course of the twentieth century, involuntary migrants from Armenia, Africa, and Ireland came to be seen as diasporic. Since the 1980s, diaspora has proliferated to a remarkable extent-to the point where it risks losing its coherence. If diaspora is merely a synonym for "migration" or "ethnic group," why use the word at all? Kevin Kenny's Very Short Introduction to diaspora examines the origins of diaspora as a concept, its changing meanings over time, its current popularity, and its strengths and limitations as an explanatory device. Mediating between the multiple definitions currently in use, the book proposes a flexible approach to diaspora that can provide insights into the motives for migration; the networks through which migrants travel; the political, economic, and cultural connections they form among themselves, with their homelands, and with fellow diasporans in other locations around the world; the idea of return to a homeland, sometimes literally but more often metaphorically; and recent developments concerning refugees and globalization. The argument ranges broadly across time and space, using examples drawn mainly from Jewish, African, Irish, and Asian history. Diaspora emerges not as a thing that can be measured but as a concept that helps peoplemigrants, scholars, and social commentators alike-to make sense of the experience of migration.

Dictionaries: A Very Short Introduction Lynda Mugglestone (Professor of the History of English, Pembroke College, University of Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

18 Aug 2011

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w121mm x s17mm 126g 18 black and and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199573790 ISBN13: 978-0-19-957379-0 ISBN10: 0199573794 EAN: 9780199573790 x Description: Do, or should, dictionaries control language? How do they treat language change, both now and in the past? Which words do dictionaries leave out - and on what grounds? Dictionaries are far more than works which list the words and meanings of a language. In this Very Short Introduction Lynda Mugglestone shows that all dictionaries are partial and all are selective. They are human products, reflecting the dominant social and cultural assumptions of the time in which they were written. Dictionaries exist then not only as works which seek to document language, but also as cultural documents that are connected to the world in which they were produced. Exploring common beliefs about dictionaries, providing glimpses of behind the scenes dictionary makers at work, and confronting the problems of how a word is to be defined, Mugglestone shows that dictionaries are always, and inevitably, more than the crafting of a simple list of words. Concluding with a look at the range of modern dictionaries and transformations, from online dictionaries such as urbandictionary.com or wictionary to txt-spk and slang, she reveals the controversial nature of the debates about communication and language, showing that only in written and spoken English does the language of dictionaries exist in full. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Dinosaurs: A Very Short Introduction David Norman (Odell Fellow in the Natural Sciences, Reader in Palaeobiology, University of Cambridge) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

12 Sep 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 192pp h176mm x w115mm x s11mm 165g 22 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198795926 ISBN13: 978-0-19-879592-6 ISBN10: 0198795920 EAN: 9780198795926 x Description: Dinosaurs are fascinating creatures and their popularity seems never ending, fuelled by films such as Jurassic Park and documentaries such as Walking with Dinosaurs. Yet dinosaurs (or more precisely non-avian dinosaurs) last trod the Earth 65 million years ago. All we know of them today are their fossilised bones, the tracks and traces that they left behind and, in very rare instances, some of the soft tissues or even traces of their chemistry. In many respects dinosaurs present us with one of the ultimate forensic challenges: they comprise the fragmentary remains of creatures that died many tens of millions of years ago, rather than just recently, or a few tens of years ago, which is the problem usually faced by forensic pathologists. How much do we really know about them, and to what extent can their remains inform us about ancient worlds, and indeed about the history of our planet?

In this Very Short Introduction David Norman discusses how dinosaurs were first discovered and interpreted, and how our understanding of them has changed over the past 200 years. He looks at some of the amazing discoveries that have enabled us to gain new and unexpected insights into dinosaurs as animals with natural histories and behaviours, and considers some of the biggest questions in dinosaur biology, such as the implications of them having warm blood. Norman also shows how research upon dinosaurs has been enriched, particularly in recent decades, by technological break-throughs, which complement the informed speculation and luck which have played a part in many of the major discoveries. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Diplomacy: A Very Short Introduction Joseph M. Siracusa (Professor of Human Security and International Diplomacy and Discipline Head of Global Studies at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

26 Aug 2010

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h173mm x w115mm x s10mm 142g 15 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199588503 ISBN13: 978-0-19-958850-3 ISBN10: 0199588503 EAN: 9780199588503 x Description: Like making war, diplomacy has been around a very long time, at least since the Bronze Age. It was primitive by today's standards, there were few rules, but it was a recognizable form of diplomacy. Since then, diplomacy has evolved greatly, coming to mean different things, to different persons, at different times, ranging from the elegant to the inelegant. Whatever one's definition, few could doubt that the course and consequences of the major events of modern international diplomacy have shaped and changed the global world in which we live. Joseph M. Siracusa introduces the subject of diplomacy from a historical perspective, providing examples from significant historical phases and episodes to illustrate the art of diplomacy in action. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Documentary Film: A Very Short Introduction Patricia Aufderheide (Director of the Center for Social Media and Professor in the Visual Media Division, School of Communication, Director of the Center for Social Media and Professor in the Visual Media Division, School of Communication, American University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

28 Nov 2007

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 176pp h175mm x w114mm x s17mm 154g 13 halftones ISBN13: 9780195182705 ISBN13: 978-0-19-518270-5 ISBN10: 0195182707 EAN: 9780195182705 x Description: Documentary film can encompass anything from Robert Flaherty's pioneering ethnography Nanook of the North to Michael Moore's antiIraq War polemic Fahrenheit 9/11, from Dziga Vertov's artful Soviet propaganda piece Man with a Movie Camera to Luc Jacquet's heart-tugging wildlife epic March of the Penguins. In this concise, crisply written guide, Patricia Aufderheide takes readers along the diverse paths of documentary history

and charts the lively, often fierce debates among filmmakers and scholars about the best ways to represent reality and to tell the truths worth telling. Beginning with an overview of the central issues of documentary filmmaking-its definitions and purposes, its forms and founders-Aufderheide focuses on several of its key subgenres, including public affairs films, government propaganda (particularly the works produced during World War II), historical documentaries, and nature films. Her thematic approach allows readers to enter the subject matter through the kinds of films that first attracted them to documentaries, and it permits her to make connections between eras, as well as revealing the ongoing nature of documentary's core controversies involving objectivity, advocacy, and bias. Interwoven throughout are discussions of the ethical and practical considerations that arise with every aspect of documentary production. A particularly useful feature of the book is an appended list of "100 great documentaries" that anyone with a serious interest in the genre should see. Drawing on the author's four decades of experience as a film scholar and critic, this book is the perfect introduction not just for teachers and students but also for all thoughtful filmgoers and for those who aspire to make documentaries themselves. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Dreaming: A Very Short Introduction J. Allan Hobson (Director of the Neurophysiology and Sleep Laboratory and Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

21 Apr 2005

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w112mm x s12mm 152g 11 line figures ISBN13: 9780192802156 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280215-6 ISBN10: 0192802151 EAN: 9780192802156 x Description: What is dreaming, and what causes it? Why are dreams so strange and why are they so hard to remember? Replacing dream mystique with modern dream science, J. Allan Hobson provides a new and increasingly complete picture of how dreaming is created by the brain. Focusing on dreaming to explain the mechanisms of sleep, this book explores how the new science of dreaming is affecting theories in psychoanalysis, and how it is helping our understanding of the causes of mental illness. J. Allan Hobson investigates his own dreams to illustrate and explain some of the fascinating discoveries of modern sleep science, while challenging some of the traditionally accepted theories about the meaning of dreams. He reveals how dreaming maintains and develops the mind, why we go crazy in our dreams in order to avoid doing so when we are awake, and why sleep is not just good for health but essential for life. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Drugs: A Very Short Introduction Les Iversen (Visiting Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Oxford University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Jun 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h174mm x w110mm x s8mm 115g 12 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780198745792 ISBN13: 978-0-19-874579-2 ISBN10: 0198745796 EAN: 9780198745792

x Description: The twentieth century saw a remarkable upsurge of research on drugs, with major advances in the treatment of bacterial and viral infections, heart disease, stomach ulcers, cancer, and mental illnesses. These, along with the introduction of the oral contraceptive, have altered all of our lives. There has also been an increase in the recreational use and abuse of drugs in the Western world. This Very Short Introduction, in its second edition, gives a non-technical account of how drugs work in the body. Reviewing both legal (alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine) and illegal drugs, Les Iversen discusses why some are addictive, and whether drug laws need reform. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Druids: A Very Short Introduction Barry Cunliffe (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

27 May 2010

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h172mm x w111mm x s9mm 136g 15 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199539406 ISBN13: 978-0-19-953940-6 ISBN10: 0199539405 EAN: 9780199539406 x Description: Who were the Druids? What do we know about them? Do they still exist today? The Druids first came into focus in Western Europe - Gaul, Britain, and Ireland - in the second century BC. They are a popular subject; they have been known and discussed for over 2,000 years and few figures flit so elusively through history. They are enigmatic and puzzling, partly because of the lack of knowledge about them has resulted in a wide spectrum of interpretations. Barry Cunliffe takes the reader through the evidence relating to the Druids, trying to decide what can be said and what can't be said about them. He examines why the nature of the druid caste changed quite dramatically over time, and how successive generations have interpreted the phenomenon in very different ways. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Dynasty: A Very Short Introduction Jeroen Duindam (Professor of History, Leiden University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

07 Nov 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w112mm x s10mm 126g 10 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198809081 ISBN13: 978-0-19-880908-1 ISBN10: 0198809085 EAN: 9780198809081 x Description: For thousands of years bloodlines have been held as virtually unassailable credentials for leadership, with supreme political power perceived as a family affair across the globe and throughout history. At the heart of royal dynasties, kings were inflated to superhuman proportions, yet their status came at a price: whilst they may have reigned, they were very often ruled by others who sheltered behind the ruler's proclaimed omnipotence. Descent through the female line also occurred, subverting our common view of dynasty as built on father-son succession. Everywhere, women were important as mothers of boy-kings, and could even rule in their own right in some places. In this Very Short Introduction Jeroen Duindam connects the earliest history of kings and queens to contemporary examples of family-based

leadership. His sweeping overview of five millennia of dynastic rule brings to light recurring predicaments of families on the throne. Examining persistent family conflict and the dilemmas of leadership, he shows how the challenge of governing the family was balanced by the necessity of family scions, close or distant, for the survival of dynasties. Tensions between ageing fathers and eager sons can be found among ancient kings as well as in modern business empires. Guidebooks for rulers throughout history provided counsel that will appear strikingly familiar to contemporary leaders. The thoughts and confessions of rulers added a more personal touch to these rules of thumb. Throughout, Duindam sheds light not only on similarities, but also on divergence and change in dynastic practice. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Dyslexia: A Very Short Introduction Margaret J. Snowling (CBE, Professor in the Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, and President of St. John's College) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

06 Jun 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h175mm x w113mm x s8mm 132g 31 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198818304 ISBN13: 978-0-19-881830-4 ISBN10: 0198818300 EAN: 9780198818304 x Description: Since dyslexia was first described in the British Medical Journal in 1896, there has been debate about the definitions and diagnostic procedures used, with some casting doubt on its very existence. However, there is now a considerable body of research regarding the nature and characteristics of this relatively common learning disorder. The contemporary view of dyslexia has emerged from a century of research in medicine, psychology and more recently neuroscience, and we now understand enough about this learning disorder to guide policy and practice. This Very Short Introduction provides an accessible overview of this exciting field of research, beginning with its history, and drawing on testimony from people living with dyslexia. Considering the potential causes of dyslexia, and looking at both genetic and environment factors, Margaret Snowling shows how cross-linguistic studies have documented the prevalence of dyslexia in different languages. Discussing the various brain scanning techniques that have been used to find out if the brains of people with dyslexia differ in structure or function from those of typical readers, Snowling moves on to weigh up various strategies and interventions which can help people living with dyslexia today. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Early Music: A Very Short Introduction Professor Thomas Forrest Kelly (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

25 Apr 2011

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 144pp h173mm x w112mm x s9mm 122g 10 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199730766 ISBN13: 978-0-19-973076-6 ISBN10: 0199730768 EAN: 9780199730766 x

Description: The music of the medieval, Renaissance, and baroque periods have been repeatedly discarded and rediscovered ever since they were new. An interest in music of the past has been characteristic of a part of the musical world since the early 19th century. The revival of Gregorian chant in the early 19th century; the "Cecilian movement" in later 19th-century Germany seeking to immortalize Palestrina's music as a sound-ideal; Mendelssohn's revival of Bach: these are some of the efforts made in the past to restore still earlier music. In recent years this interest has taken on particular meaning, representing two specific trends: first, a rediscovery of little-known underappreciated repertories, and second, an effort to recover lost performing styles, with the conviction that such music will come to life anew with the right performance. Much has been gained in the 20th century from the study and revival of instruments, playing techniques, and repertories. In this VSI, Thomas Forrest Kelly frames chapters on the forms, techniques, and repertories practices of the medieval, Renaissance, and baroque periods with discussion of why old music has been and should be revived, as well as a short history of early music revivals. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Earth System Science: A Very Short Introduction Tim Lenton (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h174mm x w113mm x s9mm 149g 20-25 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780198718871 ISBN13: 978-0-19-871887-1 ISBN10: 019871887X EAN: 9780198718871 x Description: When humanity first glimpsed planet Earth from space, the unity of the system that supports humankind entered the popular consciousness. The concept of the Earth's atmosphere, biosphere, oceans, soil, and rocks operating as a closely interacting system has rapidly gained ground in science. This new field, involving geographers, geologists, biologists, oceanographers, and atmospheric physicists, is known as Earth System Science. In this Very Short Introduction, Tim Lenton considers how a world in which humans could evolve was created; how, as a species, we are now reshaping that world; and what a sustainable future for humanity within the Earth System might look like. Drawing on elements of geology, biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics, Lenton asks whether Earth System Science can help guide us onto a sustainable course before we alter the Earth system to the point where we destroy ourselves and our current civilisation. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ecology: A Very Short Introduction Jaboury Ghazoul (ETH Zurich and the University of Edinburgh) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

09 Jul 2020

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 184pp h174mm x w111mm A number of blakc and white images ISBN13: 9780198831013 ISBN13: 978-0-19-883101-3 ISBN10: 0198831013 EAN: 9780198831013 x Description: Understanding how our living environment works is essentially a study of ecological systems. Ecology is the science of how organisms interact with each other and with their environment, and how such interactions create self-organising communities and ecosystems. This science touches us all. The food we eat, the water we drink, the natural resources we use, our physical and mental health, and much of our cultural heritage are to a large degree products of ecological

interactions of organisms and their environment. This Very Short Introduction celebrates the centrality of ecology in our lives. Jaboury Ghazoul explores how ecology has evolved rapidly from natural history to become a predictive science that explains how the natural world works, and which guides environmental policy and management decisions. Drawing on a range of examples, he shows how ecological science can be applied to management and conservation, including the extent to which theory has shaped practice. Ecological science has also shaped social and cultural perspectives on the environment, a process that influences politics of the environment. Ghazoul concludes by considering the future of ecology, particularly in the light of current and future environmental challenges. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Economics: A Very Short Introduction Partha Dasgupta (Frank Ramsey Professor of Economics, University of Cambridge, and Fellow of St John's College, Cambridge) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

22 Feb 2007

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 192pp h175mm x w110mm x s12mm 144g 10 halftones, 2 line drawings, 3 tables ISBN13: 9780192853455 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285345-5 ISBN10: 0192853457 EAN: 9780192853455 x Description: Economics has the capacity to offer us deep insights into some of the most formidable problems of life, and offer solutions to them too. Combining a global approach with examples from everyday life, Partha Dasgupta describes the lives of two children who live very different lives in different parts of the world: in the Mid-West USA and in Ethiopia. He compares the obstacles facing them, and the processes that shape their lives, their families, and their futures. He shows how economics uncovers these processes, finds explanations for them, and how it forms policies and solutions. Along the way, Dasgupta provides an intelligent and accessible introduction to key economic factors and concepts such as individual choices, national policies, efficiency, equity, development, sustainability, dynamic equilibrium, property rights, markets, and public goods. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Education: A Very Short Introduction Gary Thomas (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

28 Mar 2013

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h173mm x w114mm x s10mm 145g 10 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199643264 ISBN13: 978-0-19-964326-4 ISBN10: 0199643261 EAN: 9780199643264 x Description: From the schools of ancient times to the present day, Gary Thomas explores how and why education has evolved has it has. Examining education worldwide, he explains the way schools work, noting how curricula are remarkably consistent around the world. Delving into some of the big questions, Thomas explores the history of education in this Very Short Introduction. Considering various styles such as progressive versus formal, he also explores the ideas of some

of the big theorists, including Piaget and Vygotsky. Looking at different forms of education and styles of teaching, he considers the ways in which education is being improved by matching styles of learning to teaching, and ensuring that schools are more inclusive and meaningful for a broader range of students. He finishes by considering the ways in which education may develop over the coming century. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Egyptian Myth: A Very Short Introduction Geraldine Pinch (Oriental Institute, Oxford University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

22 Apr 2004

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h175mm x w113mm x s10mm 137g numerous halftones, line drawings and text boxes ISBN13: 9780192803467 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280346-7 ISBN10: 0192803468 EAN: 9780192803467 x Description: The complex world of Egyptian myth is clearly illuminated in this fascinating new approach to ancient Egypt. Geraldine Pinch explores the cultural and historical background behind a wide variety of sources and objects, from Cleopatra's Needle and Tutankhamun's golden statue, to a story on papyrus of the gods misbehaving. What did they mean, and how have they been interpreted? The reader is taken on an exciting journey through the distant past, and shown how myths of deities such as Isis and Osiris influenced contemporary culture and have become part of our cultural heritage. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Eighteenth-Century Britain: A Very Short Introduction Paul Langford (Formerly Professor of Modern History, Formerly Professor of Modern History, University of Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

10 Aug 2000

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 128pp h178mm x w113mm x s8mm 110g 13 halftones, 2 maps ISBN13: 9780192853998 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285399-8 ISBN10: 0192853996 EAN: 9780192853998 x Description: First published as part of the best-selling The Oxford Illustrated History of Britain, Paul Langford's Very Short Introduction to EighteenthCentury Britain spans from the aftermath of the Revolution of 1688 to Pitt the Younger's defeat at attempted parliamentary reform. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Emile Zola: A Very Short Introduction Brian Nelson (Monash University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

06 Aug 2020

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h175mm x w112mm x s8mm 126g 10 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198837565 ISBN13: 978-0-19-883756-5 ISBN10: 0198837569 EAN: 9780198837565 x Description: Emile Zola was the leader of the literary movement known as 'naturalism' and is one of the great figures of the novel. In his monumental Les Rougon-Macquart (1871-93), he explored the social and cultural landscape of the late nineteenth century in ways that scandalized bourgeois society. Zola opened the novel up to a new realm of subjects, including the realities of working-class life, class relations, and questions of gender and sexuality, and his writing embodied a new freedom of expression, with his bold, outspoken voice often inviting controversy. In this Very Short Introduction, Brian Nelson examines Zola's major themes and narrative art. He illuminates the social and political contexts of Zola's work, and provides readings of five individual novels (The Belly of Paris, L'Assommoir, The Ladies' Paradise, Germinal, and Earth). Zola's naturalist theories, which attempted to align literature with science, helped to generate the stereotypical notion that his fiction was somehow nonfictional. Nelson, however, reveals how the most distinctive elements of Zola's writing go far beyond his theoretical naturalism, giving his novels their unique force. Throughout, he sets Zola's work in context, considering his relations with contemporary painters, his role in the Dreyfus Affair, and his eventual murder.

Emotion: A Very Short Introduction Dylan Evans (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

10 Oct 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h173mm x w110mm x s9mm 114g 10-12 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198834403 ISBN13: 978-0-19-883440-3 ISBN10: 0198834403 EAN: 9780198834403 x Description: Was love invented by European poets in the Middle Ages or is it part of human nature? Will winning the lottery really make you happy? Is it possible to build robots that have feelings? In this Very Sort Introduction Dylan Evans explores these and many other intriguing questions in this guide to the latest thinking about the emotions. Drawing on a wide range of scientific research, from anthropology and psychology to neuroscience and artificial intelligence, Evans takes the reader on a fascinating journey into the human heart, discussing the evolution of emotions and their biological basis, the science of happiness, and the role that emotions play in memory and decision making. Greeted by critics as a pop science classic when it was first published in 2001, the book has now been thoroughly revised and updated to incorporate new developments in our understanding of emotions, including new sections addressing the neural basis of empathy and the emotional impact of films. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Empire: A Very Short Introduction Stephen Howe (Tutor in Politics at Ruskin College, Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

22 Aug 2002

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h178mm x w112mm x s10mm 140g numerous halftones ISBN13: 9780192802231 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280223-1 ISBN10: 0192802232 EAN: 9780192802231 x Description: A great deal of the world's history is the history of empires. Indeed it could be said that all history is colonial history, if one takes a broad enough definition and goes far enough back. And although the great historic imperial systems, the land-based Russian one as well as the seaborne empires of western European powers, have collapsed during the past half century, their legacies shape almost every aspect of life on a global scale. Meanwhile there is fierce argument, and much speculation, about what has replaced the old territorial empires in world politics. Do the United States and its allies, transnational companies, financial and media institutions, or more broadly the forces of 'globalization', constitute a new imperial system? Stephen Howe interprets the meaning of the idea of 'empire' through the ages, disentangling the multiple uses and abuses of the labels 'empire', 'colonialism', etc., and examines the aftermath of imperialism on the contemporary world. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Energy Systems: A Very Short Introduction Nick Jenkins (Professor of Renewable Energy, Cardiff University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

12 Dec 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h175mm x w111mm x s9mm 126g 25 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198813927 ISBN13: 978-0-19-881392-7 ISBN10: 0198813929 EAN: 9780198813927 x Description: Modern societies require energy systems to provide energy for cooking, heating, transport, and materials processing, as well as for electricity generation. Energy systems include the primary fuel, its conversion, and transport to the point of use. In many cases this primary fuel is still a fossil fuel, a one-use resource derived from a finite supply within our planet, causing considerable damage to the environment. After 300 years of increasing reliance on fossil fuels, particularly coal, it is becoming ever clearer that the present energy systems need to change. In this Very Short Introduction Nick Jenkins explores our historic investment in the exploitation of fossil energy resources and their current importance, and discusses the implications of our increasing rate of energy use. He considers the widespread acceptance by scientists and policy makers that our energy systems must reduce emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases, and looks forward to the radical changes in fuel technology that will be necessary to continue to provide energy supplies in a sustainable manner, and extend access across the developing world. Considering the impact of changing to an environmentally benign and low-carbon energy system, Jenkins also looks at future low-carbon energy systems which would use electricity from a variety of renewable energy sources, as well as the role of nuclear power in our energy use. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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Energy: A Very Short Introduction Axel Kleidon (Max-Planck-Institute for Biogeochemistry) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Jun 2021

Publishing Status:

Cancelled

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h174mm x w111mm 33 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198832676 ISBN13: 978-0-19-883267-6 ISBN10: 0198832672 EAN: 9780198832676 x Description: The sun shines, the wind blows, water runs downhill, and wood burns into ashes. Each of these processes involves energy and its transformation to states of higher disorder or entropy. The two fundamental physical concepts of energy and entropy shape all the dynamics that take place around us at a fundamental level, and are at the core of questions about the development of life and the evolution of the Universe, as well as informing practical questions such as the maximum energy a power plant can generate, and how much renewable energy is available on Earth. This Very Short Introduction describes the basics of energy, entropy, and the laws of thermodynamics, and how these apply to processes in the world around us, from planetary dynamics to the climate system, life, and human activity. Axel Kleidon describes the different forms of energy seen in nature; the laws that govern its conversion from one form to another; and how these forms and conversions underlie processes in the world around us. He also considers how energy becomes dispersed, and considers the short- and long-term future of the Earth in terms of energy ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Engels: A Very Short Introduction Terrell Carver (Head of the Department of Politics at Bristol University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2010

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 128pp h174mm x w109mm x s5mm 113g 8 halftones ISBN13: 9780192804662 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280466-2 ISBN10: 0192804669 EAN: 9780192804662 x Description: It is by no means absurd to say that Engels invented Marxism. His work did more than Marx to make converts of the most influential political movement of modern times. He was not only the father of dialectical and historical materialism, the official philosophies of history and science in many communist countries; he was also the first Marxist historian, anthropologist, philosopher, and commentator on early Marx. In his later years Engels developed his materialist interpretation of history, his chief intellectual legacy, which has had revolutionary effects on the arts and social sciences. Terrell Carver traces its source and its effect on the development of Marxist theory and practice, assesses its utility, and discusses the difficulties which Marxists have encountered in defending it. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Engineering: A Very Short Introduction David Blockley (Emeritus Professor and Senior Research Fellow, University of Bristol) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

22 Mar 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h172mm x w114mm x s9mm 120g Approx 20 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199578696 ISBN13: 978-0-19-957869-6 ISBN10: 0199578699 EAN: 9780199578696 x Description: Engineering is part of almost everything we do - from the water we drink and the food we eat, to the buildings we live in and the roads and railways we travel on. In this Very Short Introduction, David Blockley explores the nature and practice of engineering, its history, its scope, and its relationship with art, craft, science, and technology. He considers the role of engineering in the modern world, demonstrating its need to provide both practical and socially acceptable solutions, and explores how engineers use natural phenomena to embrace human needs. From its early roots starting with Archimedes to some of the great figures of engineering such as Brunel and Marconi, right up to the modern day, he also looks at some of its challenges - when things go wrong - such as at Chernobyl. Ultimately, he shows how engineering is intimately part of who and what we are. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

English Literature: A Very Short Introduction Jonathan Bate (Professor of Shakespeare and Renaissance Literature at the University of Warwick) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

07 Oct 2010

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 192pp h174mm x w114mm x s11mm 158g 15 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199569267 ISBN13: 978-0-19-956926-7 ISBN10: 0199569266 EAN: 9780199569267 x Description: Sweeping across two millennia and every literary genre, acclaimed scholar and biographer Jonathan Bate provides a dazzling introduction to English Literature. The focus is wide, shifting from the birth of the novel and the brilliance of English comedy to the deep Englishness of landscape poetry and the ethnic diversity of Britain's Nobel literature laureates. It goes on to provide a more in-depth analysis, with close readings from an extraordinary scene in King Lear to a war poem by Carol Ann Duffy, and a series of striking examples of how literary texts change as they are transmitted from writer to reader. The narrative embraces not only the major literary movements such as Romanticism and Modernism, together with the most influential authors including Chaucer, Donne, Johnson, Wordsworth, Austen, Dickens and Woolf, but also little-known stories such as the identity of the first English woman poet to be honoured with a collected edition of her works. Written with the flair and passion for which Jonathan Bate has become renowned, this book is the perfect Very Short Introduction for all readers and students of the incomparable literary heritage of these islands. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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Enzymes: A Very Short Introduction Paul Engel (Emeritus Professor of Biochemistry, University College Dublin) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

08 Oct 2020

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 184pp h174mm x w111mm A number of black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780198824985 ISBN13: 978-0-19-882498-5 ISBN10: 019882498X EAN: 9780198824985 x Description: Enzymes are the astonishing, tiny molecular machines that make life possible. Each one of these small proteins speeds up a single chemical reaction inside a living organism many millionfold. Working together, teams of enzymes carry out all the processes that collectively we recognise as life, from making DNA to digesting food. This Very Short Introduction explains the why and the how of speeding up these reactions - catalysis - before going on to reveal how we have evolved these catalysts of such extraordinary power and exquisite selectivity. Paul Engel shows how X-ray crystallography has revealed the complex molecular shapes that allow enzymes to function at an extraordinarily sophisticated level. He also examines medical aspects of enzymes, both in the way faulty enzymes cause disease and in the way enzymes can be used for diagnosis and therapy. Finally, he looks at the many varied ways in which individual enzymes, taken out of their biological context, are used nowadays as tools - in washing powders, food production, waste treatment, and chemical synthesis. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Entrepreneurship: A Very Short Introduction Paul Westhead (Author) Mike Wright (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

28 Nov 2013

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h171mm x w114mm x s11mm 152g 6 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199670543 ISBN13: 978-0-19-967054-3 ISBN10: 0199670544 EAN: 9780199670543 x Description: There has been an explosion of interest in entrepreneurs in the popular media, as well as in business, policy, and education. But what do entrepreneurs do? What is entrepreneurship and why is it important? What is distinctive about entrepreneurs? And where do they come from? In this Very Short Introduction Paul Westhead and Mike Wright weave a pathway through the debates about entrepreneurship, providing a guide to the entrepreneurial process. They look at how the actions of entrepreneurs are shaped by the external environment and availability of resources, consider the types of organizations in which entrepreneurs can be found, and look at the diversity in their backgrounds, experience, and how they think and learn. Lastly, they consider the impact that entrepreneurs have on modern market economies and look at the future of entrepreneurship in our increasingly globalized world. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Environmental Economics: A Very Short Introduction Stephen Smith (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

22 Sep 2011

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w118mm x s12mm 120g 15 black and white pictures ISBN13: 9780199583584 ISBN13: 978-0-19-958358-4 ISBN10: 0199583587 EAN: 9780199583584 x Description: If environmental protection is costly, how much should we spend on pollution control? Is it worth reducing pollution to zero, or should we accept some level of pollution because of the economic benefits associated with it? How can we assess the benefits that people get from a lesspolluted atmosphere? In broad terms, environmental economics looks at how economic activity and policy affect the environment in which we live. Some production generates pollution, such as power station emissions causing acid rain and contributing to global warming, but household consumption decisions also affect the environment, where more consumption can mean more waste sent to polluting incinerators. However, pollution is not an inevitable consequence of economic activity - environmental policies can require polluting firms to clean up their emissions, and can encourage people to change their behaviour, through environmental taxes on polluting goods, for example. Generally, though, these measures will involve some costs, such as installing pollution control equipment. So there's a trade-off: a cleaner environment, but economic costs. In recent years, many economists have argued for greater use of incentive in the form of pollution charges and emissions trading rather than more traditional direct regulation of polluters. In this Very Short Introduction, Stephen Smith discusses environmental issues including pollution control, reducing environmental damage, and global climate change policies, answering questions about how we should balance environmental and economic considerations, and what form government policies should take. Including many illustrative case studies and examples he shows that this is an exciting field of economics, and one that is at the heart of many public debates and controversies. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Environmental Ethics: A Very Short Introduction Robin Attfield (Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, Cardiff University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

27 Dec 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h176mm x w115mm x s9mm 126g 6 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198797166 ISBN13: 978-0-19-879716-6 ISBN10: 0198797168 EAN: 9780198797166 x Description: Environmental ethics is a relatively new branch of philosophy, which studies the values and principles involved in combatting environmental problems such as pollution, loss of species and habitats, and climate change. As our environment faces evermore threats from human activities these core issues are becoming increasingly important. In this Very Short Introduction Robin Attfield traces the origins of environmental ethics as a discipline, and considers how it defends the independent value of living creatures, and the need to make decisions informed by the needs and interests of future generations. Exploring the diverse approaches to ethical decisions and judgements, he highlights the importance of making processes of production and consumption sustainable and of addressing human population levels, together with policies for preserving species, sub-species, and their habitats. Along the way Attfield discusses different movements such as Deep Ecology, Social Ecology, the Environmental Justice movement and the Green movement, and also considers the attitudes to the environment of the world's religions, including the

approach from the major religions and the contributions of the indigenous religions of Asia, Africa and North America. Analysing the current threat of climate change, and proposals for climate engineering, he demonstrates how responsibility for the environment ultimately lies with us all, from states and corporations to individuals, and emphasises how concerted action is required to manage our environment ethically and sustainably. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Environmental Law: A Very Short Introduction Elizabeth Fisher (Professor of Environmental Law, Corpus Christi, University of Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

26 Oct 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h175mm x w112mm x s10mm 148g 10 black and white figures ISBN13: 9780198794189 ISBN13: 978-0-19-879418-9 ISBN10: 0198794185 EAN: 9780198794189 x Description: Environmental law is the law concerned with environmental problems. It is a vast area of law that operates from the local to the global, involving a range of different legal and regulatory techniques. In theory, environmental protection is a no brainer. Few people would actively argue for pollution or environmental destruction. Ensuring a clean environment is ethically desirable, and also sensible from a purely self-interested perspective. Yet, in practice, environmental law is a messy and complex business fraught with conflict. Whilst environmental law is often characterized in overly simplistic terms, with a law being seen as be a magic wand that solves an environmental problem, the reality is that creating and maintaining a body of laws to address and avoid problems is not easy, and involves legislators, courts, regulators and communities. This Very Short Introduction provides an overview of the main features of environmental law, and discusses how environmental law deals with multiple interests, socio-political conflicts, and the limits of knowledge about the environment. Showing how interdependent societies across the world have developed robust and legitimate bodies of law to address environmental problems, Elizabeth Fisher discusses some of the major issues involved in environmental law's: nation statehood, power, the reframing role of law, the need to ensure real environmental improvements, and environmental justice. As Fisher explains, environmental law is, and will always be, necessary but inherently controversial. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Environmental Politics: A Very Short Introduction Andrew Dobson (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

28 Jan 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w114mm x s9mm 140g 9 black and white halftones and illustrations ISBN13: 9780199665570 ISBN13: 978-0-19-966557-0 ISBN10: 0199665575 EAN: 9780199665570 x Description: Environmental politics has many faces and operates at multiple scales: it preoccupies individuals as well as governments, drives local agreements as well as international treaties, results in minor business changes as well as wholesale business decisions, and fluctuates between a politics of protest and one of accommodation.

In this Very Short Introduction Andrew Dobson offers a lively and comprehensive commentary on the many facets of environmental politics today. Looking towards the future, he asks whether environmental politics will be comfortably accommodated by mainstream politics, or whether the advent of the Anthropocene - a whole new geological epoch driven by human impact on the environment - will herald a break with the politics of growth that has dominated social life since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Epicureanism: A Very Short Introduction Catherine Wilson (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

22 Dec 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w114mm x s9mm 128g 10 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199688326 ISBN13: 978-0-19-968832-6 ISBN10: 019968832X EAN: 9780199688326 x Description: Epicureanism is commonly associated with a carefree view of life and the pursuit of pleasures, particularly the pleasures of the table. However it was a complex and distinctive system of philosophy that emphasized simplicity and moderation, and considered nature to consist of atoms and the void. Epicureanism is a school of thought whose legacy continues to reverberate today. In this Very Short Introduction, Catherine Wilson explains the key ideas of the School, comparing them with those of the rival Stoics and with Kantian ethics, and tracing their influence on the development of scientific and political thought from Locke, Newton, and Galileo to Rousseau, Marx, Bentham, and Mill. She discusses the adoption and adaptation of Epicurean motifs in science, morality, and politics from the 17th Century onwards and contextualises the significance of Epicureanism in modern life. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Epidemiology: A Very Short Introduction Rodolfo Saracci (Honorary Director of Research in Epidemiology at the Italian National Research Council at Pisa, Italy) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

25 Feb 2010

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w112mm x s9mm 147g 15 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199543335 ISBN13: 978-0-19-954333-5 ISBN10: 019954333X EAN: 9780199543335 x Description: What is epidemiology? What are the causes of a new disease? How can pandemics be prevented? Epidemiology is the study of the changing patterns of disease and its main aim is to improve the health of populations. It's a vital field, central to the health of society, to the identification of causes of disease, and to their management and prevention. Epidemiology has had an impact on many areas of medicine; from discovering the relationship between tobacco smoking and lung cancer, to the origin and spread of new epidemics. However, it is often poorly understood, largely due to misrepresentations in the media.

In this Very Short Introduction Rodolfo Saracci dispels some of the myths surrounding the study of epidemiology. He provides a general explanation of the principles behind clinical trials, and explains the nature of basic statistics concerning disease. He also looks at the ethical and political issues related to obtaining and using information concerning patients, and trials involving placebos. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ethics: A Very Short Introduction Simon Blackburn (Professor of Philosophy, University of Cambridge) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 May 2003

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h178mm x w113mm x s9mm 121g 12 halftones ISBN13: 9780192804426 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280442-6 ISBN10: 0192804421 EAN: 9780192804426 x Description: Our self-image as moral, well-behaved creatures is dogged by scepticism, relativism, hypocrisy, and nihilism, by the fear that in a Godless world science has unmasked us as creatures fated by our genes to be selfish and tribalistic, or competitive and aggressive. In this 'sparklingly clear' (Guardian) introduction to ethics Simon Blackburn tackles the major moral questions surrounding birth, death, happiness, desire and freedom, showing us how we should think about the meaning of life, and how we should mistrust the soundbite-sized absolutes that often dominate moral debates. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ethics: A Very Short Introduction Simon Blackburn (Professor Emeritus, Cambridge University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Jan 2021

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w111mm ISBN13: 9780198868101 ISBN13: 978-0-19-886810-1 ISBN10: 0198868103 EAN: 9780198868101 x Description: Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring Our self-image as moral, well-behaved creatures is dogged by scepticism, relativism, hypocrisy, and nihilism, and by the fear that in a Godless world science has unmasked us as creatures fated by our genes to be selfish and tribalistic, or competitive and aggressive. Here, Simon Blackburn tackles the major moral questions surrounding birth, death, happiness, desire, and freedom, showing us how we should think about the meaning of life, and why we should mistrust the soundbite-sized absolutes that often dominate moral debates. This second edition of the Very Short Introduction on Ethics has revised and updated aspects of the original to reflect changing times and mores. It highlights the importance of an understanding of approaches to ethics and its foundations, confronted as we are with a fluid and uncertain world of eroding trust, swirling conspiracy theories, and a dismaying loss of respect in public discourse. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new

Ethnomusicology: A Very Short Introduction Timothy Rice (Professor of Ethnomusicology and director, Herb Alpert School of Music, Professor of Ethnomusicology and director, Herb Alpert School of Music, University of California, Los Angeles) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

27 Dec 2013

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 168pp h173mm x w114mm x s11mm 129g 10 b&w illustrations ISBN13: 9780199794379 ISBN13: 978-0-19-979437-9 ISBN10: 0199794375 EAN: 9780199794379 x Description: Ethnomusicologists believe that all humans, not just those we call musicians, are musical, and that musicality is one of the essential touchstones of the human experience. This insight raises big questions about the nature of music and the nature of humankind, and ethnomusicologists argue that to properly address these questions, we must study music in all its geographical and historical diversity. In this Very Short Introduction, one of the foremost ethnomusicologists, Timothy Rice, offers a compact and illuminating account of this growing discipline, showing how modern researchers go about studying music from around the world, looking for insights into both music and humanity. The reader discovers that ethnomusicologists today not only examine traditional forms of music-such as Japanese gagaku, Bulgarian folk music, Javanese gamelan, or Native American drumming and singing-but also explore more contemporary musical forms, from rap and reggae to Tex-Mex, Serbian turbofolk, and even the piped-in music at the Mall of America. To investigate these diverse musical forms, Rice shows, ethnomusicologists typically live in a community, participate in and observe and record musical events, interview the musicians, their patrons, and the audience, and learn to sing, play, and dance. It's important to establish rapport with musicians and community members, and obtain the permission of those they will work with closely over the course of many months and years. We see how the researcher analyzes the data to understand how a particular musical tradition works, what is distinctive about it, and how it bears the personal, social, and cultural meanings attributed to it. Rice also discusses how researchers may apply theories from anthropology and other social sciences, to shed further light on the nature of music as a human behavior and cultural practice. About the Series: Oxford's Very Short Introductions series offers concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects-from Islam to Sociology, Politics to Classics, Literary Theory to History, and Archaeology to the Bible. Not simply a textbook of definitions, each volume in this series provides trenchant and provocative-yet always balanced and complete-discussions of the central issues in a given discipline or field. Every Very Short Introduction gives a readable evolution of the subject in question, demonstrating how the subject has developed and how it has influenced society. Eventually, the series will encompass every major academic discipline, offering all students an accessible and abundant reference library. Whatever the area of study that one deems important or appealing, whatever the topic that fascinates the general reader, the Very Short Introductions series has a handy and affordable guide that will likely prove indispensable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Eugenics: A Very Short introduction Professor Philippa Levine (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

26 Jan 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w112mm x s8mm 130g 10 ISBN13: 9780199385904 ISBN13: 978-0-19-938590-4 ISBN10: 0199385904 EAN: 9780199385904

x Description: In 1883, Francis Galton, a cousin of Charles Darwin, coined the word "eugenics" to express his dream of perfecting the human race by applying the laws of genetic heredity. Adapting Darwin's theory of evolution to human society, eugenics soon became a powerful, international movement, committed to using the principles of heredity and statistics to encourage healthy and discourage unhealthy reproduction. Early in the twentieth century and across the world, doctors, social reformers, and politicians turned to the new science of eugenics as a means to improve and strengthen their populations. Eugenics advocates claimed their methods would result in healthier, fitter babies and would dramatically limit human suffering. The reality was a different story. In the name of scientific progress and of human improvement, eugenicists targeted the weak and the sick, triggering coercive legislation on issues as disparate as race, gender, immigration, euthanasia, abortion, sterilization, intelligence, mental illness, and disease control. Nationalists eagerly embraced eugenics as a means to legitimize their countries' superiority and racialized assumptions, and the Nazis notoriously used eugenics to shape their "final solution." In this lucid volume, Philippa Levine tackles the intricate and controversial history of eugenics, masterfully synthesizing the enormous range of policies and experiments carried out in the name of eugenics around the world throughout the twentieth century. She questions the widespread belief that eugenics disappeared after World War II and evaluates the impact of eugenics on current reproductive and genetic sciences. Charting the development of such controversial practices as artificial insemination, sperm donation, and population control, this book offers a powerful, extraordinarily timely reflection on the frequent interplay between genetics and ethics. Eugenics may no longer be a household word, but we feel its effects even today. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

European Union Law: A Very Short Introduction Anthony Arnull (Barber Professor of Jurisprudence and Director of Education, College of Arts & Law, Birmingham Law School) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

25 May 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h174mm x w118mm x s12mm 134g 8 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198749981 ISBN13: 978-0-19-874998-1 ISBN10: 0198749988 EAN: 9780198749981 x Description: The European Union is rarely out of the news and, as it deals with the consequences of the Brexit vote and struggles to emerge from the eurozone crisis, it faces difficult questions about its future. In this debate, the law has a central role to play, whether the issue be the governance of the eurozone, the internal market, 'clawing back powers from Europe' or reducing so-called 'Brussels red tape'. In this Very Short Introduction Anthony Arnull looks at the laws and legal system of the European Union, including EU courts, and discusses the range of issues that the European Union has been given the power to regulate, such as the free movement of goods and people. He considers why an organisation based on international treaties has proved capable of having far-reaching effects on both its Member States and on countries that lie beyond its borders, and discusses how its law and legal system have proved remarkably effective in ensuring that Member States respect the commitments they made when they signed the Treaties. Answering some of the key questions surrounding EU law, such as what exactly it is about, and how it has become part of the legal DNA of its Member States so much more effectively than other treaty-based regimes, Arnull considers the future for the European Union. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Evolution: A Very Short Introduction Brian Charlesworth (Senior Honorary Professorial Fellow, University of Edinburgh) (Author) Deborah Charlesworth (Senior Honorary Professorial Fellow, University of Edinburgh, and FRS) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

04 Jul 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w120mm x s9mm 130g 21 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198804369 ISBN13: 978-0-19-880436-9 ISBN10: 0198804369 EAN: 9780198804369 x Description: Less than 450 years ago, all European scholars believed that the Earth was at the centre of a Universe that was at most a few million miles in extent, and that the planets, sun, and stars all rotated around this centre. Less than 250 years ago, they believed that the Universe was created essentially in its present state about 6000 years ago. Even less than 150 years ago, the view that living species were the result of special creation by God was still dominant. The recognition by Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace of the mechanism of evolution by natural selection has completely transformed our understanding of the living world, including our own origins. In this Very Short Introduction Brian and Deborah Charlesworth provide a clear and concise summary of the process of evolution by natural selection, and how natural selection gives rise to adaptations and eventually, over many generations, to new species. They introduce the central concepts of the field of evolutionary biology, as they have developed since Darwin and Wallace on the subject, over 140 years ago, and discuss some of the remaining questions regarding processes. They highlight the wide range of evidence for evolution, and the importance of an evolutionary understanding for instance in combating the rapid evolution of resistance by bacteria to antibiotics and of HIV to antiviral drugs. This reissue includes some key updates to the main text and a completely updated Further Reading section. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Existentialism: A Very Short Introduction Thomas Flynn (Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor of Philosophy, Emory University, USA) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

12 Oct 2006

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w110mm x s9mm 150g 15 halftones ISBN13: 9780192804280 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280428-0 ISBN10: 0192804286 EAN: 9780192804280 x Description: Existentialism was one of the leading philosophical movements of the twentieth century. Focusing on its seven leading figures, Sartre, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Kierkegaard, de Beauvoir, Merleau-Ponty and Camus, this Very Short Introduction provides a clear account of the key themes of the movement which emphasized individuality, free will, and personal responsibility in the modern world. Drawing in the movement's varied relationships with the arts, humanism, and politics, this book clarifies the philosophy and original meaning of 'existentialism' - which has tended to be obscured by misappropriation. Placing it in its historical context, Thomas Flynn also highlights how existentialism is still relevant to us today. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new

Exploration: A Very Short Introduction Stewart A. Weaver (Professor of History, Professor of History, University of Rochester) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

19 Dec 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 152pp h173mm x w114mm x s8mm 120g 10 illustrations ISBN13: 9780199946952 ISBN13: 978-0-19-994695-2 ISBN10: 0199946957 EAN: 9780199946952 x Description: For as long as there have been civilizations, there has been the urge to venture outside of them, either in search of other civilizations or in search of novelty. Exploration: A Very Short Introduction surveys this quintessential human impulse, tracing it from pre-history to the present, from east to west around the globe, and from the depths of volcanoes to the expanses of space. Stewart Weaver arranges the history of world explorations into thematic chapters, each of which isolates the distinctive qualities and characteristics of exploration in a particular era, period, or place. He introduces the reader to the definition of exploration; to the Polynesians crossing vast seas on their canoes and other early explorers; through Columbus and the European discovery of the Americas. James Cook and the place of exploration in the Enlightenment form the subject of a chapter. So too do the natural histories and explorations of Alexander von Humboldt in South America and Lewis and Clark in North America. The book's final chapters chart exploration through imperial expansion and into new frontiers, guiding the reader through exploration in Africa and Central Asia, the race to the North and South Poles, and today's efforts in space and deep sea exploration. But what accounts for this urge? Through this unique survey of the history of exploration, Weaver clearly shows how the impulse to explore is also the foundation of the globalized world we inhabit today. Exploration combines a narration of explorers' daring feats with a wide-lens examination of what it fundamentally means to explore. As Weaver shows us, the act of exploration in the largest possible global context is the natural history of the earth itself. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Extinction: A Very Short Introduction Paul B. Wignall (Professor of Palaeoenvironments, University of Leeds) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

11 Jul 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h173mm x w111mm x s9mm 110g 19 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198807285 ISBN13: 978-0-19-880728-5 ISBN10: 0198807287 EAN: 9780198807285 x Description: Most people are familiar with the dodo and the dinosaur, but extinction has occurred throughout the history of life, with the result that nearly all the species that have ever existed are now extinct. Today, species are disappearing at an ever increasing rate, whilst past losses have occurred during several great crises. Issues such as habitat destruction, conservation, climate change, and, during major crises, volacanism and meteorite impact, can all contribute towards the demise of a group. In this Very Short Introduction, Paul B. Wignall looks at the causes and nature of extinctions, past and present, and the factors that can make a species vulnerable. Summarising what we know about all of the major and minor exctinction events, he examines some of the greatest debates in modern

science, such as the relative role of climate and humans in the death of the Pleistocene megafauna, including mammoths and giant ground sloths, and the roles that global warming, ocean acidification, and deforestation are playing in present-day extinctions

Fairy Tale: A Very Short Introduction Marina Warner (Writer, historian, cultural critic, and novelist; Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

02 Feb 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 192pp h174mm x w112mm x s12mm 146g 12 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199532155 ISBN13: 978-0-19-953215-5 ISBN10: 019953215X EAN: 9780199532155 x Description: From wicked queens, beautiful princesses, elves, monsters, and goblins, to giants, glass slippers, poisoned apples, magic keys, and mirrors, the characters and images of fairy tales have cast a spell over readers and audiences, both adults and children, for centuries. These fantastic stories have travelled across cultural borders, and been passed on from generation to generation, ever-changing, renewed with each re-telling. Few forms of literature have greater power to enchant us and rekindle our imagination than a fairy tale. But what is a fairy tale? Where do they come from and what do they mean? What do they try and communicate to us about morality, sexuality, and society? The range of fairy tales stretches across great distances and time; their history is entangled with folklore and myth, and their inspiration draws on ideas about nature and the supernatural, imagination and fantasy, psychoanalysis, and feminism. In this Very Short Introduction, Marina Warner digs into a rich hoard of fairy tales in all their brilliant and fantastical variations, in order to define a genre and evaluate a literary form that keeps shifting through time and history. Drawing on a glittering array of examples, from classics such as Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, and The Sleeping Beauty, the Grimm Brothers' Hansel and Gretel, and Hans Andersen's The Little Mermaid, to modern-day realizations including Walt Disney's Snow White, Warner forms a persuasive case for fairy tale as a crucial repository of human understanding and culture. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Family Law: A Very Short Introduction Jonathan Herring (Professor of Law, University of Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

27 Feb 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 136pp h174mm x w114mm x s9mm 112g Approx. 7 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199668526 ISBN13: 978-0-19-966852-6 ISBN10: 0199668523 EAN: 9780199668526 x Description: What is a family? What makes someone a parent? What rights should children have? Family Law: A Very Short Introduction gives the reader an insight not only into what the law is, but why it is the way it is. It examines how laws have had to respond to social changes in family life, from rapidly rising divorce rates to surrogate mothers, and gives insight into family courts which are required to deal with the chaos of family life and often

struggle to keep up-to-date with the social and scientific changes which affect it. It also looks to the future: what will families look like in the years ahead? What new dilemmas will the courts face? ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Fascism: A Very Short Introduction Kevin Passmore (Reader in History at Cardiff University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

29 May 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 184pp h175mm x w114mm x s10mm 160g 12 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199685363 ISBN13: 978-0-19-968536-3 ISBN10: 0199685363 EAN: 9780199685363 x Description: What is fascism? Is it revolutionary? Or is it reactionary? Can it be both? Fascism is notoriously hard to define. How do we make sense of an ideology that appeals to streetfighters and intellectuals alike? That is overtly macho in style, yet attracts many women? That calls for a return to tradition while maintaining a fascination with technology? And that preaches violence in the name of an ordered society? In the new edition of this Very Short Introduction, Kevin Passmore brilliantly unravels the paradoxes of one of the most important phenomena in the modern world-tracing its origins in the intellectual, political, and social crises of the late nineteenth century, the rise of fascism following World War I, including fascist regimes in Italy and Germany, and the fortunes of 'failed' fascist movements in Eastern Europe, Spain, and the Americas. He also considers fascism in culture, the new interest in transnational research, and the progress of the far right since 2002.

Fashion: A Very Short Introduction Rebecca Arnold (Oak Foundation Lecturer in History of Dress and Textiles at the Courtauld Institute of Art) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

22 Oct 2009

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h173mm x w113mm x s10mm 143g 15 b&w halftone ISBN13: 9780199547906 ISBN13: 978-0-19-954790-6 ISBN10: 0199547904 EAN: 9780199547906 x Description: Fashion is a dynamic global industry that plays an important role in the economic, political, cultural, and social lives of an international audience. It spans high art and popular culture, and plays a significant role in material and visual culture. This book introduces fashion's myriad influences and manifestations. Fashion is explored as a creative force, a business, and a means of communication. From Karl Lagerfeld's creative reinventions of Chanel's iconic style to the multicultural reference points of Indian designer Manish Arora, from the spectacular fashion shows held in nineteenth century department stores to the mix-and-match styles of Japanese youth, the book examines the ways that fashion both reflects and shapes contemporary culture. Using

historical and contemporary examples, it gives a clear understanding of how fashion has developed since the renaissance, while raising questions about its status, ethical credibility, and influence on consumers. The book provides insight into the structure of the fashion industry and how fashions are designed, promoted and consumed, in relation to relevant historical, social and cultural contexts. It is structured thematically, to look at the role and development of designers, the growth of shopping and the different businesses involved in making and selling fashionable clothes. Fashion's relationship to the wider culture is also explored, by considering its representation in art and collaborations between designers and artists, the moral controversies surrounding fashion, and attempts to produce ethical clothing, and the effects of globalisation on the fashion trade. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Federalism: A Very Short Introduction Mark J. Rozell (Dean, Dean, Schar School of Policy and Government) (Author) Clyde Wilcox (Professor of government, Professor of government, Georgetown University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

15 Nov 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w112mm x s10mm 126g ISBN13: 9780190900052 ISBN13: 978-0-19-090005-2 ISBN10: 0190900059 EAN: 9780190900052 x Description: Early Americans were suspicious of centralized authority and executive power. Casting away the yoke of England and its king, the founding fathers shared in this distrust as they set out to pen the Constitution. Weighing a need for consolidated leadership with a demand for states' rights, they established a large federal republic with limited dominion over the states, leaving most of the governing responsibility with the former colonies. With this dual system of federalism, the national government held the powers of war, taxation, and commerce, and the ability to pass the laws necessary to uphold these functions. Although the federal role has grown substantially since then, states and local governments continue to perform most of the duties in civil and criminal law, business and professional licensing, the management of infrastructure and public services: roads, schools, libraries, sanitation, land use and development, and etc. Despite the critical roles of state and local governments, there is little awareness-or understanding-of the nature and operations of the federal system. This Very Short Introduction provides a concise overview of federalism, from its origins and evolution to the key events and constitutional decisions that have defined its framework. Although the primary focus is on the United States, other federal systems, including Brazil, Canada, India, Germany, Russia, South Africa, Switzerland, and the EU, are addressed. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Feminism: A Very Short Introduction Margaret Walters (Freelance writer and reviewer) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

27 Oct 2005

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h174mm x w112mm x s10mm 142g numerous halftones ISBN13: 9780192805102 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280510-2 ISBN10: 019280510X EAN: 9780192805102

x Description: How much have women's lives really changed? In the West women still come up against the 'glass ceiling' at work, most earning considerably less than their male counterparts. What are we to make of the now commonplace insistence that feminism deprives men of their rights and dignities? And how does one tackle the issue of female emancipation in different cultural and economic environments - in, for example, the Middle East, the Indian sub-continent, and Africa? This book provides an historical account of feminism, exploring its earliest roots as well as key issues including voting rights, the liberation of the sixties, and its relevance today. Margaret Walters touches on the difficulties and inequities that women still face more than forty years after the 'new wave' of 1960s feminism, such as how successful women are at combining domesticity, motherhood, and work outside the house. She brings the subject completely up to date by providing an analysis of the current situation of women across the globe, from Europe and the United States to Third World countries. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Film Music: A Very Short Introduction Kathryn Kalinak (Professor of English and Film Studies, Professor of English and Film Studies, Rhode Island College) (Author) Series:

Very Short Int

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

11 Mar 2010

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w112mm x s9mm 141g 10 photos and screen stills ISBN13: 9780195370874 ISBN13: 978-0-19-537087-4 ISBN10: 0195370872 EAN: 9780195370874 x Description: The rich and deeply moving sounds of film music are as old as cinema itself. Even the very first projected moving images were accompanied by music in many places as a variety of performers - from single piano players to small orchestras - brought images to life through musical accompaniment. Film music has since become its own industry, an aesthetic platform for expressing creative visions and a commercial vehicle for growing musical stars of all varieties. This Very Short Introduction provides a lucid, accessible, and engaging overview of the subject of film music. Beginning with an analysis of the music from a well-known sequence in the film Reservoir Dogs, the book focuses on the most central issues in the practice of film music. Expert author Kay Kalinak takes readers behind the scenes to understand both the practical aspects of film music - what it is and how it is composed - and also the theories that have been developed to explain why film music works. This compact book not entertains with the fascinating stories of the composers and performers who have shaped film music across the globe but also gives readers a broad sense for the key questions in film music studies today. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Film Noir: A Very Short Introduction James Naremore (Emeritus Chancellors' Professor, Indiana University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

14 Mar 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h176mm x w113mm x s9mm 122g 12 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198791744 ISBN13: 978-0-19-879174-4 ISBN10: 0198791747 EAN: 9780198791744

x Description: Film noir, one of the most intriguing yet difficult to define terms in cinema history, is usually associated with a series of darkly seductive Hollywood thrillers from the 1940s and 50s - shadowy, black-and-white pictures about private eyes, femme fatales, outlaw lovers, criminal heists, corrupt police, and doomed or endangered outsiders. But as this VSI demonstrates, film noir actually predates the 1940s and has never been confined to Hollywood. International in scope, its various manifestations have spread across generic categories, attracted the interest of the world's great directors, and continue to appear even today. In this Very Short Introduction James Naremore shows how the term film noir originated in in French literary and film criticism, and how later uses of the term travelled abroad, changing its implications. In the process, he comments on classic examples of the films and explores important aspects of their history: their critical reception, their major literary sources, their methods of dealing with censorship and budgets, their social and cultural politics, their variety of styles, and their future in a world of digital media and video streaming. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Film: A Very Short Introduction Michael Wood (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

26 Jan 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h173mm x w115mm x s15mm 141g 15 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780192803535 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280353-5 ISBN10: 0192803530 EAN: 9780192803535 x Description: Film is considered by some to be the most dominant art form of the twentieth century. It is many things, but it has become above all a means of telling stories through images and sounds. The stories are often offered to us as quite false, frankly and beautifully fantastic, and they are sometimes insistently said to be true. But they are stories in both cases, and there are very few films, even in avant-garde art, that don't imply or quietly slip into narrative. This story element is important, and is closely connected with the simplest fact about moving pictures: they do move. Even the older meanings of the word 'film' - a membrane, a covering, a veil, an emanation - now seem to have something to do with moving pictures. Many people believe films are an instrument of illusion, an emphatic way of seeing what is not there; and this capacity has been both celebrated and condemned. 'Like a movie' mostly means like some sort of fairy-tale. But what about the reverse proposition: that more than any other invention film brings us close to the world as it actually is? 'Photography is truth', a character says in a film by Jean-Luc Godard. 'And cinema is the truth twenty-four times per second'. The same claim is made every day, albeit less epigrammatically, by newsreels and surveillance cameras. In this Very Short Introduction Michael Wood provides a brief history and examination of the nature of the medium of film, considering its role and impact on society as well as its future in the digital age. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Fire: A Very Short Introduction Andrew C. Scott (Royal Holloway, University of London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

07 May 2020

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h174mm x w113mm x s9mm 134g 43 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198830030 ISBN13: 978-0-19-883003-0 ISBN10: 0198830033 EAN: 9780198830030 x Description: Fire is rarely out of the headlines, from large natural wildfires raging across the Australian or Californian countrysides to the burning of buildings such as the disasters of Grenfell tower and Notre Dame. Fire on these scales can represent a serious risk to human life and property. But the advent of fire made and controlled by humans also represented a crucial point in our evolution, allowing us to cook our food, forge our weapons, and warm our homes. This Very Short Introduction covers the fundamentals of fire, whether wild or under human control, starting with the basics of ignition, combustion, and fuel. Andrew Scott considers both natural wildfires and the role of humans in making and suppressing fire. Despite frightening reports of wildfire destruction, he also shows how landscape fires have been part of our planet's history for 400 million years, and do not always have to be extinguished. He also considers the problem of fires in urban settings, including new ways to prevent fires. The cost of wildfire can be steep - as well as the burning, post-fire erosion and flooding can have a great impact on both humans and the environment. It can also have a lasting effect in shaping ecosystems and plant life. Scott ends by examining the relationship between fire and the climate, and considering the future of wildfire in a warming world. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Folk Music: A Very Short Introduction Mark Slobin (Professor of Music, Professor of Music, Wesleyan University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

01 Jan 2011

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w116mm x s11mm 132g 9 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780195395020 ISBN13: 978-0-19-539502-0 ISBN10: 0195395026 EAN: 9780195395020 x Description: This stimulating Very Short Introduction throws open the doors on a remarkably diverse musical genre, with a world-wide reach that goes far beyond America's shores to discuss folk music of every possible kind and in every corner of the globe. Written by award-winning ethnomusicologist Mark Slobin this is the first compact introduction to folk music that offers a truly global perspective. Slobin offers an extraordinarily generous portrait of folk music, one that embraces a Russian wedding near the Arctic Circle, a group song in a small rainforest village in Brazil, and an Uzbek dance tune in Afghanistan. He looks in detail at three poignant songs from three widely separated regions-northern Afghanistan, Jewish Eastern Europe, and the Anglo-American world-with musical notation and lyrics included. He goes on to sketch out the turbulent times of folk music today and tomorrow, confronting new possibilities, frameworks, and challenges. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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Food: A Very Short Introduction Lord John Krebs (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

26 Sep 2013

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h173mm x w115mm x s9mm 116g ISBN13: 9780199661084 ISBN13: 978-0-19-966108-4 ISBN10: 0199661081 EAN: 9780199661084 x Description: In this Very Short Introduction, Prof Lord John Krebs provides a brief history of human food, from our remote ancestors 3 million years ago to the present day. By looking at the four great transitions in human food - cooking, agriculture, processing, and preservation - he considers a variety of questions, including why people like some kinds of foods and not others; how your senses contribute to flavour; the role of genetics in our likes and dislikes; and the differences in learning and culture around the world. In turn he considers aspects of diet, nutrition, and health, and the disparity between malnutrition in some places and overconsumption in others. Finally, he considers some of the big issues - the obesity crisis, sustainable agriculture, the role of new technologies such as genetic modification of crops, and ends by posing the question: how will it be possible to feed a population of 9 billion in 2050, without destroying our natural environment? ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Forensic Psychology: A Very Short Introduction David V. Canter (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

17 Jun 2010

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w115mm x s11mm 145g 15 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199550203 ISBN13: 978-0-19-955020-3 ISBN10: 0199550204 EAN: 9780199550203 x Description: Lie detection, offender profiling, jury selection, insanity in the law, predicting the risk of re-offending , the minds of serial killers and many other topics that fill news and fiction are all aspects of the rapidly developing area of scientific psychology broadly known as Forensic Psychology. Forensic Psychology: A Very Short Introduction discusses all the aspects of psychology that are relevant to the legal and criminal process as a whole. It includes explanations of criminal behaviour and criminality, including the role of mental disorder in crime, and discusses how forensic psychology contributes to helping investigate the crime and catching the perpetrators. It also explains how psychologists provide guidance to all those involved in civil and criminal court proceedings, including both the police and the accused, and what expert testimony can be provided by a psychologist about the offender at the trial. Finally, David Canter examines how forensic psychology is used, particularly in prisons, to help in the management, treatment and rehabilitation of offenders, once they have been convicted. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Forensic Science: A Very Short Introduction Jim Fraser (University of Strathclyde, Glasgow) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

12 Mar 2020

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w111mm x s8mm 120g 17 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780198834410 ISBN13: 978-0-19-883441-0 ISBN10: 0198834411 EAN: 9780198834410 x Description: Forensic science is a subject of wide fascination. What happens at a crime scene? How does DNA profiling work? How can it help solve crimes that happened 20 years ago? In forensic science, a criminal case can often hinge on a piece of evidence such as a hair, a blood trace, half a footprint, or a tyre mark. Complex scientific findings must be considered carefully and dispassionately, and communicated with clarity, simplicity, and precision. High profile cases such as the Stephen Lawrence enquiry and the Madeleine McCann case have attracted enormous media attention and enhanced general interest in this area in recent years. In this Very Short Introduction, Jim Fraser introduces the concept of forensic science and explains how it is used in the investigation of crime. He begins at the crime scene itself, explaining the principles and processes of crime scene management, and drawing on his own personal experience of high profile cases including, the murder of Rachel Nickell and the unsolved murder of Jill Dando. Fraser explores how forensic scientists work; from the reconstruction of events to laboratory examinations. He considers the techniques they use, such as fingerprinting, and goes on to highlight the immense impact DNA profiling has had. Providing examples from forensic science cases in the UK, US, and other countries, he considers the techniques and challenges faced around the world. This new edition has been fully updated to take into account developments in areas such as DNA analysis and drug analysis, and the growing field of digital forensics. Topical areas explored include the growing significance of cognitive bias in forensic science, and recent research that raises doubts about the validity of some forensic techniques.

Forensic Science: A Very Short Introduction Jim Fraser (Professor of Forensic Science and Director of the University of Strathclyde's Centre for Forensic Science) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

25 Feb 2010

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w112mm x s9mm 134g 15 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199558056 ISBN13: 978-0-19-955805-6 ISBN10: 0199558051 EAN: 9780199558056 x Description: Forensic science is a subject of wide fascination. What happens at a crime scene? How does DNA profiling work? How can it help solve crimes that happened 20 years ago? In forensic science, a criminal case can often hinge on a piece of evidence such as a hair, a blood trace, half a footprint, or a tyre mark. High profile cases such as the Stephen Lawrence enquiry and the Madeleine McCann case have attracted enormous media attention and enhanced this interest in recent years. However, the public understanding of forensic science is poor, and largely based on TV shows such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, which exploit high-tech imagery for dramatic effect.

Forensic science is a complex activity at the interface of science and law. However, it also deals with real life issues and its results are interpreted within unique situations. Complex scientific findings must be considered carefully, dispassionately, and communicated with clarity, simplicity, and precision. In this Very Short Introduction, Jim Fraser introduces the concept of forensic science and explains how it is used in the investigation of crime. He begins at the crime scene itself, explaining the principles and processes of crime scene management. He explores how forensic scientists work; from the reconstruction of events to laboratory examinations. He considers the techniques they use, such as fingerprinting, and goes on to highlight the immense impact DNA profiling has had. Providing examples from forensic science cases in the UK, US, and other countries, he considers the techniques and challenges faced around the world. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Forests: A Very Short Introduction Jaboury Ghazoul (Professor of Ecosystem Management, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

28 May 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h175mm x w108mm x s10mm 132g Approx 20 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780198706175 ISBN13: 978-0-19-870617-5 ISBN10: 0198706170 EAN: 9780198706175 x Description: Since the dawn of human civilization, forests have provided us with food, resources, and energy. The history of human development is also one of forest loss and transformation, and yet even in our increasingly urbanized societies we remain surprisingly dependent on forests for a wide range of goods and services. Moreover, forests still retain a remarkable hold on our environmental values. In an era of continuing tropical deforestation and temperate forest resurgence, and in the midst of uncertainties of climate and land use changes, it is more important than ever to understand what forests are, how they contribute to our livelihoods, and how they underpin our cultural histories and futures. In this Very Short Introduction Jaboury Ghazoul explores our contrasting interactions with forests, as well as their origins, dynamics, and the range of goods and services they provide to human society. Ghazoul concludes with an examination of the recent history of deforestation, transitions to reforestation, and the future outlook for forests particularly in the context of expected climate change. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Fossils: A Very Short Introduction Keith Thomson (Professor and Director of Oxford University Museum of Natural History Museum) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2006

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w111mm x s10mm 140g 1 table, 3 line drawings, numerous halftones and black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780192805041 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280504-1 ISBN10: 0192805045 EAN: 9780192805041 x Description: Fossils have been vital to our understanding of the formation of the earth and the origins of all life on it. However, their impact has not been limited to debates about geology and evolution: attempts to explain their existence has shaken religion at its very roots, and they have remained a subject of ceaseless fascination for people of all ages and backgrounds. In this delightful book, Keith Thomson provides a remarkably all-encompassing explanation of fossils as a phenomenon. How did Darwin use fossils to support his theory of evolution? What are 'living fossils'? What fossils will we leave behind for future generations to examine? Building on the scientific aspects, he places fossils in a very human context, highlighting their impact on philosophy and mythology, our concept of time, and today's popular culture. What quickly becomes obvious is that the discovery of fossils and the ways in which they have been interpreted over time makes for fascinating reading. From the black market to the Piltdown Man, and from mythological dragons to living dinosaurs, fossils hold a permanent place in the popular imagination. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Foucault: A Very Short Introduction Gary Gutting (John A. O'Brien Chair in Philosophy (Emeritus), University of Notre Dame) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

10 Oct 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w109mm x s10mm 126g 12 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198830788 ISBN13: 978-0-19-883078-8 ISBN10: 0198830785 EAN: 9780198830788 x Description: Born in 1926 in France, Foucault is one of those rare philosophers who has become a cult figure. Over the course of his life he dabbled in drugs, politics, and the Paris SM scene, all whilst striving to understand the deep concepts of identity, knowledge, and power. From aesthetics to the penal system; from madness and civilisation to avant-garde literature, Foucault was happy to reject old models of thinking and replace them with versions that are still widely debated today. A major influence on Queer Theory and gender studies (he was openly gay and died of an AIDS-related illness in 1984), he also wrote on architecture, history, law, medicine, literature, politics, and of course philosophy. In this Very Short Introduction Gary Gutting presents a wide-ranging but non-systematic exploration of some highlights of Foucault's life and thought. Beginning with a brief biography to set the social and political stage, he then tackles Foucault's thoughts on literature, in particular the avant-garde scene; his philosophical and historical work; his treatment of knowledge and power in modern society; and his thoughts on sexuality. This new edition includes feminist criticisms of Foucault's apparently sexist treatment of the Jouy case, as well as a new chapter offering a unified overview of the College de France lectures, now a major focus of interest in Foucault.

Fractals: A Very Short Introduction Kenneth Falconer (Professor of Pure Mathematics, University of St Andrews) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2013

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h170mm x w115mm x s9mm 136g 44 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199675982 ISBN13: 978-0-19-967598-2 ISBN10: 0199675988 EAN: 9780199675982 x Description: Many are familiar with the beauty and ubiquity of fractal forms within nature. Unlike the study of smooth forms such as spheres, fractal geometry describes more familiar shapes and patterns, such as the complex contours of coastlines, the outlines of clouds, and the branching of trees. In this Very Short Introduction, Kenneth Falconer looks at the roots of the 'fractal revolution' that occurred in mathematics in the 20th century, presents the 'new geometry' of fractals, explains the basic concepts, and explores the wide range of applications in science, and in aspects of economics. This is essential introductory reading for students of mathematics and science, and those interested in popular science and mathematics. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Free Speech: A Very Short Introduction Nigel Warburton (Senior Lecturer in Philosophy, The Open University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

26 Feb 2009

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 128pp h174mm x w114mm x s7mm 106g 11 black and white line illustrations ISBN13: 9780199232352 ISBN13: 978-0-19-923235-2 ISBN10: 0199232350 EAN: 9780199232352 x Description: 'I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it' This slogan, attributed to Voltaire, is frequently quoted by defenders of free speech. Yet it is rare to find anyone prepared to defend all expression in every circumstance, especially if the views expressed incite violence. So where do the limits lie? What is the real value of free speech? Here, Nigel Warburton offers a concise guide to important questions facing modern society about the value and limits of free speech: Where should a civilized society draw the line? Should we be free to offend other people's religion? Are there good grounds for censoring pornography? Has the Internet changed everything? This Very Short Introduction is a thought-provoking, accessible, and up-to-date examination of the liberal assumption that free speech is worth preserving at any cost. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Free Will: A Very Short Introduction Thomas Pink (Lecturer in Philosophy, King's College, University of London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

24 Jun 2004

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h174mm x w112mm x s9mm 128g numerous halftones & line drawings ISBN13: 9780192853585 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285358-5 ISBN10: 0192853589 EAN: 9780192853585 x Description: Every day we seem to make and act upon all kinds of free choices - some of them trivial, and some so consequential that they may change the course of our life, or even the course of history. But are these choices really free? Or are we compelled to act the way we do by factors beyond our control? Is the feeling that we could have made different decisions just an illusion? And if our choices are not free, why should we be held morally responsible for our actions? This Very Short Introduction, written by a leading authority on the subject, looks at a range of issues surrounding this fundamental philosophical question, exploring it from the ideas of the Greek and medieval philosophers through to the thoughts of present-day thinkers. It provides a interesting and incisive introduction to this perennially fascinating subject. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Freemasonry: A Very Short Introduction Andreas Onnerfors (Associate Professor of the History of Sciences and Ideas, University of Gothenburg) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

07 Sep 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h175mm x w125mm x s9mm 143g 10 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198796275 ISBN13: 978-0-19-879627-5 ISBN10: 0198796277 EAN: 9780198796275 x Description: Freemasonry is one of the oldest and most widespread voluntary organisations in the world. Over the course of three centuries men (and women) have organized themselves socially and voluntarily under its name. With a strong sense of liberation, moral enlightenment, cosmopolitan openness and forward-looking philanthropy, freemasonry has attracted some of the sharpest minds in history and has created a strong platform for nascent civil societies across the globe. With the secrecy of internally communicated knowledge, the clandestine character of organization, and the enactment of rituals and the elaborate use of symbols, freemasonry has also opened up feelings of distrust, as well as allegations of secretiveness and conspiracy. This Very Short Introduction introduces the inner activities of freemasonry, and the rituals, symbols and practices. Looking at the development of the organizational structure of masonry from the local to the global level, Andreas OEnnerfors considers perceptions of freemasonry from the outside world, and navigates through the prevalent fictions and conspiracy theories. He also discusses how freemasonry has from its outset struggled with issues of exclusion based upon gender, race and religion, despite promoting tolerant openness and inclusion. Finally OEnnerfors shines a light on the rarely discussed but highly compelling history of female agency in masonic and para-masonic orders. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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French Cinema: A Very Short Introduction Dudley Andrew (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

06 Jun 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp ISBN13: 9780198718611 ISBN13: 978-0-19-871861-1 ISBN10: 0198718616 EAN: 9780198718611 x Description: It is often claimed that the French invented cinema. Dominating the production and distribution of cinema until World War 1, when they were supplanted by Hollywood, the French cinema industry encompassed all genres, from popular entertainment to avant-garde practice. The French invented the "auteur" and the "cine-club"; they incubated criticism from the 1920s to our own day that is unrivalled, and they boast more film journals, fan magazines, TV shows, and festivals devoted to film than anywhere else. This Very Short Introduction opens up French cinema through focusing on some of its most notable works, using the lens of the New Wave decade (1958-1968) that changed cinema worldwide. Exploring the entire French cinematic oeuvre, Dudley Andrew teases out distinguishing themes, tendencies, and lineages, to bring what is most crucial about French Cinema into alignment. He discusses how style has shaped the look of female stars and film form alike, analysing the "made up" aesthetic of many films, and the paradoxical penchant for French cinema to cruelly unmask surface beauty in quests for authenticity. Discussing how French cinema as a whole pits strong-willed characters against auteurs with high-minded ideas of film art, funded by French cinema's close rapport to literature, painting, and music, Dudley considers how the New Wave emerged from these struggles, becoming an emblem of ambition for cinema that persists today. He goes on to show how the values promulgated by the New Wave directors brought the three decades that preceded it into focus, and explores the deep resonance of those values today, fifty years later. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

French Literature: A Very Short Introduction John D. Lyons (Commonwealth Professor of French, University of Virginia, USA) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

22 Apr 2010

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w110mm x s10mm 136g 15 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199568727 ISBN13: 978-0-19-956872-7 ISBN10: 0199568723 EAN: 9780199568727 x Description: The heritage of literature in the French language is rich, varied, and extensive in time and space; appealing both to its immediate public, readers of French, and also to a global audience reached through translations and film adaptations. The first great works of this repertory were written in the twelfth century in northern France, and now, at the beginning of the twenty-first century, include authors writing in many parts of the world, ranging from the Caribbean to Western Africa. French Literature: A Very Short Introduction introduces this lively literary world by focusing on texts - epics, novels, plays, poems, and screenplays that concern protagonists whose adventures and conflicts reveal shifts in literary and social practices. From the hero of the medieval Song of Roland to the Caribbean heroines of I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem or the European expatriate in Japan in Fear and Trembling, these problematic protagonists allow us to understand what interests writers and readers across the wide world of French. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

French Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction Stephen Gaukroger (University of Sydney) (Author) Knox Peden (Flinders University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

06 Aug 2020

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h175mm x w113mm x s9mm 120g ISBN13: 9780198829171 ISBN13: 978-0-19-882917-1 ISBN10: 0198829175 EAN: 9780198829171 x Description: French culture is unique in that philosophy has played a significant role from the early-modern period onwards, intimately associated with political, religious, and literary debates, as well as with epistemological and scientific ones. While Latin was the language of learning there was a universal philosophical literature, but with the rise of vernacular literatures things changed and a distinctive national form of philosophy arose in France.

This Very Short Introduction covers French philosophy from its origins in the sixteenth century up to the present, analysing it within its social, political, and cultural context. Beginning with psychology and epistemology, Stephen Gaukroger and Knox Peden then move onto the emergence of radical philosophy in the eighteenth century, before considering post-revolutionary philosophy in the nineteenth century, philosophy in the world wars, the radical thought of the 1960s, and finally French philosophy today. Throughout, they explore the dilemma sustained by the markedly national conception of French philosophy, and its history of speaking out on matters of universal concern. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Freud: A Very Short Introduction Anthony Storr (Formerly Fellow, Formerly Fellow, Green College, Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

22 Feb 2001

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h179mm x w112mm x s11mm 155g halftones & drawings ISBN13: 9780192854551 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285455-1 ISBN10: 0192854550 EAN: 9780192854551 x Description: Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) revolutionized the way in which we think about ourselves. From its beginnings as a theory of neurosis, Freud developed psycho-analysis into a general psychology which became widely accepted as the predominant mode of discussing personality and interpersonal relationships. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Fundamentalism: A Very Short Introduction Malise Ruthven (Freelance writer and journalist, and Visiting Professor at the University of California, San Diego.) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

25 Jan 2007

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h174mm x w110mm x s9mm 142g numerous halftones ISBN13: 9780199212705 ISBN13: 978-0-19-921270-5 ISBN10: 0199212708 EAN: 9780199212705 x Description: Malise Ruthven tackles the polemic and stereotypes surrounding this complex phenomenon - one that eludes sim today, a conclusion impossible to ignore since the events in New York on September 11 2001. But what does 'fundamentalism' really mean? Since it was coined by American Protestant evangelicals in the 1920s, the use of the term 'fundamentalist' has expanded to include a diverse range of radical conservatives and ideological purists, not all religious. Fundamentalism could now mean both militant Israeli settlers as well as the Islamist radicals who oppose them, it can mean Christians, Hindus, animal liberationists, and even Buddhist nationalists. Ruthven investigates fundamentalism's historical, social, religious, political, and ideological roots, and tackles the polemic and stereotypes surrounding this complex phenomenon - one that eludes simple definition, yet urgently needs to be understood. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Fungi: A Very Short Introduction Nicholas P. Money (Professor of Botany and Western Program Director, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w114mm x s9mm 126g 26 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199688784 ISBN13: 978-0-19-968878-4 ISBN10: 0199688788 EAN: 9780199688784 x Description: The variety of the mycological world is far greater than most people imagine. Tens of thousands of fungal species have been described and many more are known only from the abundance of their genes in soil and water. Fungi are hugely important as agents of wood decay in forests, and, as parasites, they have caused the deaths of millions of people by ravaging crops and reshaping natural ecosystems. Fungi perform a variety of essential functions in ecosystems, and are important to both agriculture and biotechnology. Their importance is now becoming better appreciated among scientists, though there is much still to be understood concerning their taxonomy and evolution. This Very Short Introduction highlights the variety and extraordinary natures of fungi, revealing the remarkable facts of fungal biology and the global significance of these enchanting organisms. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Galaxies: A Very Short Introduction John Gribbin (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

27 Mar 2008

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 136pp h175mm x w110mm x s8mm 128g 20 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199234349 ISBN13: 978-0-19-923434-9 ISBN10: 0199234345 EAN: 9780199234349 x Description: Galaxies are the building blocks of the Universe: standing like islands in space, each is made up of many hundreds of millions of stars in which the chemical elements are made, around which planets form, and where on at least one of those planets intelligent life has emerged. Our own galaxy, the Milky Way, is just one of several hundred million other galaxies that we can now observe through our telescopes. Yet it was only in the 1920s that we realised that there is more to the Universe than the Milky Way, and that there were in fact other 'islands' out there. In many ways, modern astronomy began with this discovery, and the story of galaxies is therefore the story of modern astronomy. Since then, many exciting discoveries have been made about our own galaxy and about those beyond: how a supermassive black hole lurks at the centre of every galaxy, for example, how enormous forces are released when galaxies collide, how distant galaxies provide a window on the early Universe, and what the formation of young galaxies can tell us about the mysteries of Cold Dark Matter. In this Very Short Introduction, renowned science writer John Gribbin describes the extraordinary things that astronomers are learning about galaxies, and explains how this can shed light on the origins and structure of the Universe. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Galileo: A Very Short Introduction Stillman Drake (formerly Professor of the History of Science, formerly Professor of the History of Science, University of Toronto) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

22 Feb 2001

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h179mm x w113mm x s9mm 144g halftones and drawings ISBN13: 9780192854568 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285456-8 ISBN10: 0192854569 EAN: 9780192854568 x Description: In a startling reinterpretation of the evidence, Stillman Drake advances the hypothesis that Galileo's trial and condemnation by the Inquisition was caused not by his defiance of the Church, but by the hostility of contemporary philosophers. Galileo's own beautifully lucid arguments are used to show how his scientific method was utterly divorced from the Aristotelian approach to physics in that it was based on a search not for causes but for laws. Galileo's method was of overwhelming significance for the development of modern physics, and led to a final parting of the ways between science and philosophy. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Game Theory: A Very Short Introduction Ken Binmore (Emeritus Professor of Economics, University College London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2007

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 200pp h175mm x w110mm x s10mm 151g 25 line drawings and half tones ISBN13: 9780199218462 ISBN13: 978-0-19-921846-2 ISBN10: 0199218463 EAN: 9780199218462 x Description: Games are everywhere: Drivers manoeuvring in heavy traffic are playing a driving game. Bargain hunters bidding on eBay are playing an auctioning game. A firm negotiating next year's wage is playing a bargaining game. The opposing candidates in an election are playing a political game. The supermarket's price for corn flakes is decided by playing an economic game. Game theory is about how to play such games in a rational way. Even when the players have not thought everything out in advance, game theory often works for the same reason that mindless animals sometimes end up behaving very cleverly: evolutionary forces eliminate irrational play because it is unfit. Game theory has seen spectacular successes in evolutionary biology and economics, and is beginning to revolutionize other disciplines from psychology to political science. This Very Short Introduction introduces the fascinating world of game theory, showing how it can be understood without mathematical equations, and revealing that everything from how to play poker optimally to the sex ratio among bees can be understood by anyone willing to think seriously about the problem. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Gandhi: A Very Short Introduction Bhikhu Parekh (Professor of Political Theory, Professor of Political Theory, University of Hull) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions 37

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

22 Feb 2001

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h179mm x w113mm x s8mm 132g halftones and line drawings ISBN13: 9780192854575 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285457-5 ISBN10: 0192854577 EAN: 9780192854575 x Description: Gandhi (1869-1948) was one of the few men in history to fight simultaneously on moral, religious, political, social, economic, and cultural fronts. During his time as a lawyer in South Africa he developed his strategy of non-violence: the idea of opposing unjust laws by non-violent protest, which he made the basis of his successful struggle against British rule in India. In this Very Short Introduction to Gandhi's life and thought, Bhikhu Parekh outlines both Gandhi's major philosophical insights and the limitations of his thought. He looks at Gandhi's cosmocentric anthropology, his spiritual view of politics, his unique form of liberal communitarianism, and his theories of oppression, non-violent action, and active citizenship. He also considers how the success of Gandhi's principles was limited by his lack of coherent theories of evil, and of state and power, and how his hostility to modern civilization impeded his appreciation of its complexity. Gandhi's life and thought has had an enormous impact both within and outside India, and he continues to be widely revered, as one of the greatest moral and political leaders of the twentieth century. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new

Garden History: A Very Short Introduction Gordon Campbell (Fellow in Renaissance Studies University of Leicester) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

14 Mar 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 184pp h176mm x w114mm x s11mm 142g 15 black and white images ISBN13: 9780199689873 ISBN13: 978-0-19-968987-3 ISBN10: 0199689873 EAN: 9780199689873 x Description: Gardens take many forms, and have a variety of functions. They can serve as spaces of peace and tranquilty, a way to cultivate wildlife, or as places to develop agricultural resources. Globally, gardens have inspired, comforted, and sustained people from all walks of life, and since the Garden of Eden many iconic gardens have inspired great artists, poets, musicians, and writers. In this Very Short Introduction, Gordon Campbell embraces gardens in all their splendour, from parks, and fruit and vegetable gardens to ornamental gardens, and takes the reader on a globe-trotting historical journey through iconic and cultural signposts of gardens from different regions and traditions. Ranging from the gardens of ancient Persia to modern day allotments, he concludes by looking to the future of the garden in the age of global warming, and the adaptive spirit of human innovation. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Genes: A Very Short Introduction Jonathan Slack (Emeritus Professor at the University of Bath, UK and the University of Minnesota, USA) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

25 Sep 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 136pp h174mm x w115mm x s7mm 126g Approx 18 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199676507 ISBN13: 978-0-19-967650-7 ISBN10: 019967650X EAN: 9780199676507 x Description: In this exploration of the concept of the gene, Jonathan Slack looks at the discovery, nature, and role of genes in both evolution and development. Explaining the nature of genetic variation in the human population, how hereditary factors were identified as molecules of DNA, and how certain specific mutations can lead to disease, Slack highlights how DNA variants are used to trace human ancestry and migration, and can also used by forensic scientists to identify individuals in crime. He also explores issues such as the role of genetic heritability and IQ as well as the changes that occur in the genes of populations during evolution. An ideal guide for anyone curious about what genes are and how genetics can be put to use, this Very Short Introduction demonstrates the ways in which the gene concept has been understood and used by molecular biologists, population biologists, and social scientists around the world. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Genius: A Very Short Introduction Andrew Robinson (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

18 Dec 2010

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h173mm x w115mm x s10mm 121g Approx 15 black and white pictures ISBN13: 9780199594405 ISBN13: 978-0-19-959440-5 ISBN10: 0199594406 EAN: 9780199594405 x Description: Homer, Leonardo da Vinci, Mozart, Shakespeare, and Tolstoy; Curie, Darwin, Einstein, Galileo, and Newton. What do these worldfamous artists and scientists have in common?- apart from the fact that their achievements predate our own time by a century or more. Most of us would probably answer: all ten possessed something we call genius, which in each instance permanently changed the way that humanity perceived the world. But pressed to be more precise, we find it remarkably hard to define genius. Genius is highly individual and unique, of course, yet it shares a compelling, inevitable quality for professionals and the general public alike. Darwin's ideas are still required reading for every working biologist; they continue to generate fresh thinking and experiments around the world. So do Einstein's theories among physicists. Shakespeare's plays and Mozart's melodies and harmonies continue to move people in languages and cultures far removed from their native England and Austria. Contemporary 'geniuses' may come and go, but the idea of genius will not let go of us. Genius is the name we give to a quality of work that transcends fashion, celebrity, fame, and reputation: the opposite of a period piece. Somehow, genius abolishes both the time and the place of its origin. This Very Short Introduction uses the life and work of familiar geniuses-and some less familiar-to illuminate both the individual and the general aspects of genius. In particular: the roles of talent, heredity, parenting, education, training, hard work, intelligence, personality, mental illness, inspiration, eureka moments, and luck, in the making of genius. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Genomics: A Very Short Introduction John M. Archibald (Professor, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, and Senior Fellow of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Integrated Microbial Biodiversity Program) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

05 Apr 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h175mm x w110mm x s0mm 125g A number of black and white images ISBN13: 9780198786207 ISBN13: 978-0-19-878620-7 ISBN10: 0198786204 EAN: 9780198786207 x Description: Genomics has transformed the biological sciences. From epidemiology and medicine to evolution and forensics, the ability to determine an organism's complete genetic makeup has changed the way science is done and the questions that can be asked of it. Its most celebrated achievement was the Human Genome Project, a technologically challenging endeavor that took thousands of scientists around the world 13 years and over 3 billion US dollars to complete. In this Very Short Introduction John Archibald explores the science of genomics and its rapidly expanding toolbox. Sequencing a human genome now takes only a few days and costs as little as $1,000. The genomes of simple bacteria and viruses can be sequenced in a matter of hours on a device that fits in the palm of your hand. The resulting sequences can be used to better understand our biology in health and disease and to 'personalize' medicine. Archibald shows how the field of genomics is on the cusp of another quantum leap; the implications for science and society are profound.

Geoffrey Chaucer: A Very Short Introduction David Wallace (Judith Rodin Professor of English & Comparative Literature, University of Pennsylvania) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

05 Sep 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w111mm x s10mm 130g 16 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198767718 ISBN13: 978-0-19-876771-8 ISBN10: 0198767714 EAN: 9780198767718 x Description: Originally writing over 600 years ago, Geoffrey Chaucer is today enjoying a global renaissance. Why do poets, translators, and audiences from so many cultures, from the mountains of Iran to the islands of Japan, find Chaucer so inspiring? In part this is down to the character and sheer inventiveness of Chaucer's work. At the time Chaucer's writings were not just literary adventures, but also a means of convincing the world that poetry and science, tragedy and astrology, could all be explored through the English language. French was still England's aristocratic language of choice when Chaucer was born; Latin was used for university education, theological discussion, and for burying the dead. Could a hybrid tongue such as English ever generate great writing to compare with French and Latin? Chaucer, miraculously, believed that it could, through gradual expansion of expressiveness and scientific precision. He was never paid to do this; he was valued, rather, as a capable civil servant, regulating the export of wool and the building of seating for royal tournaments. Such experiences, however, fed his writing, leading him to achieve a range of social registers, from noble tragedy to barnyard farce, unrivalled for centuries. His tale-telling geography is vast, his fascination with varieties of religious belief endless, and his desire to voice female experience especially remarkable. Many Chaucerian poets and performers, today, are women. In this Very Short Introduction David Wallace introduces the life, performance, and poetry of Chaucer, and analyses his astonishing and enduring appeal. Previously published in hardback as Geoffrey Chaucer: A New Introduction ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Geography: A Very Short Introduction John A. Matthews (Author) David T. Herbert (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

22 May 2008

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 200pp h174mm x w110mm x s11mm 167g 20 halftones ISBN13: 9780199211289 ISBN13: 978-0-19-921128-9 ISBN10: 0199211280 EAN: 9780199211289 x Description: Modern Geography has come a long way from its historical roots in exploring foreign lands, and simply mapping and naming the regions of the world. Spanning both physical and human Geography, the discipline today is unique as a subject which can bridge the divide between the sciences and the humanities, and between the environment and our society. Using wide-ranging examples from global warming and oil, to urbanization and ethnicity, this Very Short Introduction paints a broad picture of the

current state of Geography, its subject matter, concepts and methods, and its strengths and controversies. The book's conclusion is no less than a manifesto for Geography's future. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Geology: A Very Short Introduction Jan Zalasiewicz (Professor of Palaeobiology, Department of Geology, University of Leicester) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

09 Aug 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h175mm x w110mm x s9mm 130g 25 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198804451 ISBN13: 978-0-19-880445-1 ISBN10: 0198804458 EAN: 9780198804451 x Description: Ranging across the 4.6 billion year history of the planet, geology is the subject that encompasses almost all that we see around us, in one way or another, and also much that we cannot see, beneath our feet, and on other planets. The fruits of geology provide most of the materials that give us shelter, and most of the energy that drives our modern lives. Within the study of geology lie some of the clues to the extraordinary impact our species is going to play out on the planet, in centuries and millennia to come. In this Very Short Introduction Jan Zalasiewicz gives a brief introduction to the fascinating field of geology. Describing how the science developed from its early beginnings, he looks at some of the key discoveries that have transformed it, before delving into its various subfields, such as sedimentology, tectonics, and stratigraphy. Analysing the geological foundations of the Earth, Zalasiewicz explains the interlocking studies of tectonics, geophysics, and igneous and metamorphic petrology and geochemistry; and describes how rocks are dated by radiometric dating. Considering the role and importance of geology in the finding and exploitation of resources (including fracking), he also discusses its place in environmental issues, such as foundations for urban structures and sites for landfill, and in tackling issues associated with climate change. Zalasiewicz concludes by discussing the exciting future and frontiers of the field, such as the exploration of the geology of Mars. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Geophysics: A Very Short Introduction William Lowrie (Professor Emeritus, Swiss Federal Institute Of Technology, Zurich) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

12 Apr 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h175mm x w114mm x s10mm 124g 31 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198792956 ISBN13: 978-0-19-879295-6 ISBN10: 0198792956 EAN: 9780198792956 x Description: Geophysics is the physics of the Earth. Central to the Earth Sciences today, it encompasses areas such as seismology, volcanism, plate tectonics, gravitational anomalies, and the Earth's magnetic field (present and past, as captured in rocks), all of which give clues to both the structure and the working of the Earth. In this Very Short Introduction, William Lowrie describes the internal and external processes that affect the planet, as well as the principles and

methods of geophysics used to investigate them. He explains how analysis of the seismic waves produced in earthquakes reveals the internal structure of the Earth. Geophysicists have established that the greatest source of energy powering geological processes is the Earth's internal heat. Deep inside the Earth, the temperature is high enough to produce a fluid outer core of molten iron. It is the motion in this molten iron layer that produces the Earth's magnetic field, which shields the planet against harmful radiation from the Sun and outer space, and thus makes the planet habitable. Lowrie describes how the magnetic field also magnetizes rocks during their formation, leaving a permanent record of the ancient field and its direction that geophysicists have learned to use to interpret past motions of the continents and tectonic plates. From analyses of Earth's deepest interior to measurements made from Earth-orbiting satellites, Lowrie shows how geophysical exploration is vitally important in the search for mineral resources, and emphasizes our need to understand the history of our planet and the processes that govern its continuing evolution. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Geopolitics: A Very Short Introduction Klaus Dodds (Professor of Geopolitics, Royal Holloway, University of London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

3rd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

08 Aug 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h172mm x w111mm x s10mm 132g 15 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198830764 ISBN13: 978-0-19-883076-4 ISBN10: 0198830769 EAN: 9780198830764 x Description: Geopolitics is a slippery term. From great power politics and speculation about resource scrambles, to everyday encounters and objects such as smart phones, it affects citizens, corporations, international bodies, social movements, and governments. Geopolitics is far more than simply the impact of geographical features such as rivers, mountains, and climate on political developments. Geography matters but not necessarily in the way that pundits and presidents assume. In this Very Short Introduction, Klaus Dodds tours the field of geopolitics, encompassing both its intellectual historical origins and its current concerns. As people struggle to cross borders, moving a few feet either side of a territorial boundary can be a matter of life or death, dramatically highlighting the connections between place and politics. Even far away from the front lines of states, geopolitics remains an important part of everyday life. A country's connectivity, location, size, and resources all affect how the people that live there understand and interact with the wider world. In this third edition Dodds includes new sections considering the rise of populism and economic nationalism as examples of how states, people, and corporations manage territorial frames for political projects such as Make America Great Again, One Belt, One Road, and Brexit. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

George Bernard Shaw: A Very Short Introduction Christopher Wixson (Eastern Illinois University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

08 Oct 2020

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w111mm 8 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198850090 ISBN13: 978-0-19-885009-0 ISBN10: 0198850093 EAN: 9780198850090

x Description: George Bernard Shaw has been called the second greatest playwright in English (after William Shakespeare) and one of the inventors of modern celebrity as the most famous public intellectual of his time. Beginning in the 1880s, as a critic and as a playwright, he transformed British drama, bringing to it intellectual substance, ethical imperatives, and modernity itself, setting the theatrical course for the subsequent century. That his legacy endures seventy years after his death is testament to the prescience of his thinking and his prolific creativity. This Very Short Introduction looks at Shaw's life, starting with his upbringing in Ireland, and then takes a chronological approach through his works. Considering Shaw's committed antagonism on behalf of a range of socio-political issues; his use of comedy as a mode for communicating serious ideas; and his rhetorical style that pushes conventional boundaries, Christopher Wixson provides an overview of the creative evolution of core themes throughout Shaw's long career.

German Literature: A Very Short Introduction Nicholas Boyle (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

28 Feb 2008

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 184pp h174mm x w110mm x s10mm 165g 15 black-and-white halftones ISBN13: 9780199206599 ISBN13: 978-0-19-920659-9 ISBN10: 0199206597 EAN: 9780199206599 x Description: German writers, from Luther and Goethe to Heine, Brecht, and Gunter Grass, have had a profound influence on the modern world. This Very Short Introduction presents an engrossing tour of the course of German literature from the late Middle Ages to the present, focussing especially on the last 250 years. Emphasizing the economic and religious context of many masterpieces of German literature, it highlights how they can be interpreted as responses to social and political changes within an often violent and tragic history. The result is a new and clear perspective which illuminates the power of German literature and the German intellectual tradition, and its impact on the wider cultural world. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

German Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction Andrew Bowie (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

27 May 2010

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h173mm x w112mm x s9mm 128g 15 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199569250 ISBN13: 978-0-19-956925-0 ISBN10: 0199569258 EAN: 9780199569250 x Description: German philosophy remains the core of modern philosophy. Without Kant, Frege, Wittgenstein, and Husserl there would be no AngloAmerican 'analytical' style of philosophy. Moreover, without Kant, Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, and Heidegger, the 'Continental Philosophy' of Derrida, Foucault, Deleuze, Badiou, and Zizek, which has had major effects on humanities subjects in recent years, is incomprehensible. Knowledge of German philosophy is, then, an indispensable prerequisite of theoretically informed study in the humanities as a whole.

German Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction discusses the idea that German philosophy forms one of the most revealing responses to the problems of 'modernity'. The rise of the modern natural sciences and the related decline of religion raises a series of questions, which recur throughout German philosophy, concerning the relationships between knowledge and faith, reason and emotion, and scientific, ethical, and artistic ways of seeing the world. There are also many significant philosophers who are generally neglected in most existing English-language treatments of German philosophy, which tend to concentrate on the canonical figures. This Very Short Introduction will include reference to these thinkers and suggests how they can be used to question more familiar German philosophical thought. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Glaciation: A Very Short Introduction David J. A. Evans (Professor of Physical Geography, Durham University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

11 Oct 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 200pp h175mm x w113mm x s11mm 154g 30 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198745853 ISBN13: 978-0-19-874585-3 ISBN10: 0198745850 EAN: 9780198745853 x Description: Vast, majestic, and often stunningly beautiful, glaciers lock up some 10% of the world's freshwater. These great bodies of ice play an important part in the Earth system, carving landscapes and influencing climate on regional and hemispheric scales, as well as having a significant impact on global sea level. Throughout time, the Earth has experienced various major glaciations in its deep history, long before the ice ages of the Quaternary, and the observed effects of climate change on glaciers have recently brought them to the forefront of public attention This Very Short Introduction offers an overview of glaciers and ice sheets as systems, considering the role of geomorphology and sedimentology in studying them, and their impacts on our planet in terms of erosional and depositional processes. Looking at our glaciers today, and their ongoing processes, David Evans considers the extent to which we can use this knowledge in reconstructing and interpreting ancient glacial landscapes. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Global Catastrophes: A Very Short Introduction Bill McGuire (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h173mm x w115mm x s10mm 120g 20 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780198715931 ISBN13: 978-0-19-871593-1 ISBN10: 0198715935 EAN: 9780198715931 x Description: Life on earth will come to an end. It's just a matter of when. In this Very Short Introduction, Bill McGuire explores the many potential catastrophes facing our planet and our species in the future, and looks at both the probability of these events happening and our chances of survival. From the likely consequences of global warming to the inevitable destruction of the earth in the far future, McGuire considers a range of 'end of the world scenarios', including the New Ice Age, asteroid and comet impact, supervolcanoes, and mega-tsunami. Updated with a number of recent case studies from around the world, this new edition brings our understanding of global disasters and risk research up

to date. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Global Economic History: A Very Short Introduction Robert C. Allen (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

15 Sep 2011

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 192pp h174mm x w126mm x s14mm 148g 15 black and white line drawings ISBN13: 9780199596652 ISBN13: 978-0-19-959665-2 ISBN10: 0199596654 EAN: 9780199596652 x Description: Why are some countries rich and others poor? In 1500, the income differences were small, but they have grown dramatically since Columbus reached America. Since then, the interplay between geography, globalization, technological change, and economic policy has determined the wealth and poverty of nations. The industrial revolution was Britain's path breaking response to the challenge of globalization. Western Europe and North America joined Britain to form a club of rich nations by pursuing four polices-creating a national market by abolishing internal tariffs and investing in transportation, erecting an external tariff to protect their fledgling industries from British competition, banks to stabilize the currency and mobilize domestic savings for investment, and mass education to prepare people for industrial work. Together these countries pioneered new technologies that have made them ever richer. Before the Industrial Revolution, most of the world's manufacturing was done in Asia, but industries from Casablanca to Canton were destroyed by western competition in the nineteenth century, and Asia was transformed into 'underdeveloped countries' specializing in agriculture. The spread of economic development has been slow since modern technology was invented to fit the needs of rich countries and is ill adapted to the economic and geographical conditions of poor countries. A few countries - Japan, Soviet Russia, South Korea, Taiwan, and perhaps China - have, nonetheless, caught up with the West through creative responses to the technological challenge and with Big Push industrialization that has achieved rapid growth through investment coordination. Whether other countries can emulate the success of East Asia is a challenge for the future. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Global Islam: A Very Short Introduction Nile Green (Ibn Khaldun Endowed Chair in World History, Ibn Khaldun Endowed Chair in World History, UCLA) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introduction

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

10 Dec 2020

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 160pp h175mm x w111mm 10 ISBN13: 9780190917234 ISBN13: 978-0-19-091723-4 ISBN10: 0190917237 EAN: 9780190917234 x Description: This book presents the first comprehensive survey of the multiple versions of Islam propagated across geographical, political, and cultural boundaries during the era of modern globalization. Showing how Islam was transformed through these globalizing transfers, it traces the origins, expansion and increasing diversification of Global Islam - from individual activists to organizations and then states - over the past 150 years.

Historian Nile Green surveys not only the familiar venues of Islam in the Middle East and the West, but also Asia and Africa, explaining the doctrines of a wide variety of political and non-political versions of Islam across the spectrum from Salafism to Sufism. This Very Short Introduction will help readers to recognize and compare the various organizations competing to claim the authenticity and authority of representing the one true Islam. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Globalization: A Very Short Introduction Manfred B. Steger (Professor of Sociology, University of Hawai'i-Manoa & Global Professorial Fellow, Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

5th Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

30 Jun 2020

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 184pp h175mm x w115mm x s10mm 141g 42 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198849452 ISBN13: 978-0-19-884945-2 ISBN10: 0198849451 EAN: 9780198849452 x Description: We live today in an interconnected world in which ordinary people can became instant online celebrities to fans thousands of miles away, in which religious leaders can influence millions globally, in which humans are altering the climate and environment, and in which complex social forces intersect across continents. This is globalization. In the fifth edition of his bestselling Very Short Introduction Manfred B. Steger considers the major dimensions of globalization: economic, political, cultural, ideological, and ecological. He looks at its causes and effects, and engages with the hotly contested question of whether globalization is, ultimately, a good or a bad thing. From climate change to the Ebola virus, Donald Trump to Twitter, trade wars to China's growing global profile, Steger explores today's unprecedented levels of planetary integration as well as the recent challenges posed by resurgent national populism. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Globalization: A Very Short Introduction Manfred B. Steger (Professor of Sociology, University of Hawai'i-Manoa and Honorary Professor of Global Studies, RMIT University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

4th Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

07 Apr 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h174mm x w114mm x s11mm 137g 42 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198779551 ISBN13: 978-0-19-877955-1 ISBN10: 0198779550 EAN: 9780198779551 x Description: 'Globalization' has become one of the defining buzzwords of our time - a term that describes a variety of accelerating economic, political, cultural, ideological, and environmental processes that are rapidly altering our experience of the world. It is by its nature a dynamic topic. This Very Short Introduction has been fully updated for a fourth edition, to include recent developments in global politics, the global economy, and environmental issues. Presenting globalization as a multifaceted process encompassing global, regional, and local aspects of social life, Manfred B. Steger looks at its causes and effects, examines whether it is a new phenomenon, and explores the question of whether, ultimately, globalization is a good or a bad thing. In this fourth edition Steger discusses some of the key features of recent years, such as the EU fiscal crisis, the rise of robot technology and new war technology with civilian usage such as drones, the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, and new identity discussions around gender fluidity and sex change in the media.

God: A Very Short Introduction John Bowker (Professor of Religious Studies) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

25 Sep 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h173mm x w114mm x s12mm 141g 8 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780198708957 ISBN13: 978-0-19-870895-7 ISBN10: 0198708955 EAN: 9780198708957 x Description: Who or what is God? How do different religions interpret God's existence? How can we know God? Many people believe in God; not just throughout history but also in the present day. But who or what is it they believe in? Many different and sometimes conflicting answers have been suggested to this question. This Very Short Introduction explores some of the answers provided by philosophers, poets, and theologians, and considers why some people believe in God and others do not. John Bowker explores how the major religions established their own distinctive beliefs about God and how they interpret God's existence, and concludes by looking at how our understanding of God continues to evolve. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Goethe: A Very Short Introduction Ritchie Robertson (Taylor Professor of German, University of Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

11 Feb 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h175mm x w114mm x s9mm 126g 8 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199689255 ISBN13: 978-0-19-968925-5 ISBN10: 0199689253 EAN: 9780199689255 x Description: In 1878 the Victorian critic Matthew Arnold wrote: 'Goethe is the greatest poet of modern times... because having a very considerable gift for poetry, he was at the same time, in the width, depth, and richness of his criticism of life, by far our greatest modern man.' In this Very Short Introduction Ritchie Robertson covers the life and work of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832): scientist, administrator, artist, art critic and supreme literary writer in a vast variety of genres. Looking at Goethe's poetry, novels and drama pieces, as well as his travel writing, autobiography, and essays on art and aesthetics, Robertson analyses some of the key themes in his works: love, nature, religion and tragedy. Dispelling the misconception of Goethe as a sedate Victorian sage, Robertson shows how much of his art was rooted in turbulent personal conflicts, and draws on recent research to present a complete portrait of the scientific work and political activity which accompanied Goethe's writings. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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Governance: A Very Short Introduction Mark Bevir (Professor of Political Science at University of California, Berkeley) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

25 Oct 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h115mm x w181mm x s8mm 136g c. 7 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199606412 ISBN13: 978-0-19-960641-2 ISBN10: 0199606412 EAN: 9780199606412 x Description: The word 'governance' is ubiquitous. The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund make loans conditional on 'good governance'. Climate change and avian flu appear as issues of 'global governance'. The European Union issues a White Paper on 'Governance'. The U.S. Forest Service calls for 'collaborative governance'. What accounts for the pervasive use of the term 'governance' and to what does it refer? It has a bewildering set of answers. The word 'governance' is used in a variety of contexts, but at a general level, it refers to all forms of social coordination and patterns of rule. In this Very Short Introduction, Mark Bevir considers not only the main theories of governance, but also their impact in a variety of areas including corporate, public, and global affairs. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Gravity: A Very Short Introduction Timothy Clifton (Lecturer in Theoretical Cosmology, Queen Mary, University of London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Feb 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 120pp h174mm x w122mm x s8mm 110g 11 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198729143 ISBN13: 978-0-19-872914-3 ISBN10: 0198729146 EAN: 9780198729143 x Description: Gravity is one of the four fundamental interactions that exist in nature. It also has the distinction of being the oldest, weakest, and most difficult force to quantize. Understanding gravity is not only essential for understanding the motion of objects on Earth, but also the motion of all celestial objects, and even the expansion of the Universe itself. It was the study of gravity that led Einstein to his profound realisations about the nature of space and time. Gravity is not only universal, it is also essential for understanding the behaviour of the Universe, and all astrophysical bodies within it. In this Very Short Introduction Timothy Clifton looks at the development of our understanding of gravity since the early observations of Kepler and Newtonian theory. He discusses Einstein's theory of gravity, which now supplants Newton's, showing how it allows us to understand why the frequency of light changes as it passes through a gravitational field, why GPS satellites need their clocks corrected as they orbit the Earth, and why the orbits of distant neutron stars speed up. Today, almost 100 years after Einstein published his theory of gravity, we have even detected the waves of gravitational radiation that he predicted. Clifton concludes by considering the testing and application of general relativity in astrophysics and cosmology, and looks at dark energy and efforts such as string theory to combine gravity with quantum mechanics. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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Habermas: A Very Short Introduction James Gordon Finlayson (Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Sussex) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 184pp h174mm x w111mm x s11mm 141g 13 black and white ISBN13: 9780192840950 ISBN13: 978-0-19-284095-0 ISBN10: 0192840959 EAN: 9780192840950 x Description: This book gives a clear and readable overview of the philosophical work of Jurgen Habermas, the most influential German philosopher alive today, who has commented widely on subjects such as Marxism, the importance and effectiveness of communication, the reunification of Germany, and the European Union. Gordon Finlayson provides readers with a clear and readable overview of Habermas's forbiddingly complex philosophy using concrete examples and accessible language. He then goes on to analyse both the theoretical underpinnings of Habermas's social theory, and its more concrete applications in the fields of ethics, politics, and law; and concludes with an examination how Habermas's social and political theory informs his writing on contemporary, political, and social problems. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Happiness: A Very Short Introduction Daniel M. Haybron (Associate Professor of Philosophy, Philosophy Department at Saint Louis University, USA) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

29 Aug 2013

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h173mm x w112mm x s9mm 130g ISBN13: 9780199590605 ISBN13: 978-0-19-959060-5 ISBN10: 0199590605 EAN: 9780199590605 x Description: Happiness is an everyday term in our lives, and most of us strive to be happy. But defining happiness can be difficult. In this Very Short Introduction, Dan Haybron considers the true nature of happiness. By examining what it is, assessing its importance in our lives, and how we can (and should) pursue it, he considers the current thinking on happiness, from psychology to philosophy. Illustrating the diverse routes to happiness, Haybron reflects on contemporary ideas about the pursuit of a good life and considers the influence of social context on our satisfaction and well-being. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hegel: A Very Short Introduction Peter Singer (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions 49

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Aug 2001

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h179mm x w114mm x s9mm 120g 20 halftones integrated ISBN13: 9780192801975 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280197-5 ISBN10: 019280197X EAN: 9780192801975 x Description: Many people regard Hegel's work as obscure and extremely difficult, yet his importance and influence are universally acknowledged. Professor Singer eliminates any excuse for remaining ignorant of the outlines of Hegel's philosophy by providing a broad discussion of his ideas and an account of his major works. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Heidegger: A Very Short Introduction Michael Inwood (Emeritus Fellow of Trinity College, Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

07 Feb 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h176mm x w115mm x s10mm 132g 10 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198828662 ISBN13: 978-0-19-882866-2 ISBN10: 0198828667 EAN: 9780198828662 x Description: Martin Heidegger, considered by some to be the greatest charlatan ever to claim the title of 'philosopher', by some as an apologist for Nazism, and by others as an acknowledged leader in continental philosophy, is probably the most divisive thinker of the twentieth century. In the second edition of this Very Short Introduction, Michael Inwood focuses on Heidegger's most important work, Being and Time, to explore its major themes of existence in the world, inauthenticity, guilt, destiny, truth, and the nature of time. These themes are then reassessed in the light of Heidegger's multifaceted later thought, and how, despite its diversity, it hangs together as a single, coherent project. Finally, Inwood turns to Heidegger's Nazism and anti-semitism, to reveal its deep connection with his personality and overall view of philosophy. This is an invaluable guide to the complex and voluminous thought of one of the twentieth century's greatest yet most enigmatic philosophers. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Heredity: A Very Short Introduction John Waller (Associate Professor of the History of Science and Medicine, Michigan State University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

07 Sep 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h174mm x w124mm x s10mm 132g 23 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198790457 ISBN13: 978-0-19-879045-7 ISBN10: 0198790457 EAN: 9780198790457 x Description: The concept of heredity is fundamental to how we see ourselves and others. It goes far beyond the obvious continuity of physical traits across generations. We routinely ascribe similarities in personality, intellect, outlook, and aptitude between family members to what's passed down in sperm and eggs. The simple idea that children take after their ancestors has long been central to science and medicine and to the breeding of plants and animals. It has also been used for ideological purposes to impute innate differences in character and rationality between males and females and among different ethnicities and social classes. Slavery, colonialism, and genocide, the unequal treatment of women, and the concentration of power and wealth in the hands of the few have been consistently rationalized in the language of heredity and 'natural' hierarchy. In this Very Short Introduction John Waller traces the diverse ideas about biological inheritance expressed by Europeans and their colonial descendants during two millennia of human history. He charts the changing ways in which scholars and laypersons have believed heredity to work, the development of spurious and self-serving beliefs about heredity by dominant groups, the recent revolution in our ability to understand the mechanics of heredity, and the difficult dilemmas our species is likely to face as we gain increasing mastery over the contents of our own genomes. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hermeneutics: A Very Short Introduction Jens Zimmermann (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h175mm x w115mm x s10mm 154g 10 black and white halftones and line drawings ISBN13: 9780199685356 ISBN13: 978-0-19-968535-6 ISBN10: 0199685355 EAN: 9780199685356 x Description: Hermeneutics is the branch of knowledge that deals with interpretation, a behaviour that is intrinsic to our daily lives. As humans, we decipher the meaning of newspaper articles, books, legal matters, religious texts, political speeches, emails, and even dinner conversations every day . But how is knowledge mediated through these forms? What constitutes the process of interpretation? And how do we draw meaning from the world around us so that we might understand our position in it? In this Very Short Introduction Jens Zimmermann traces the history of hermeneutic theory, setting out its key elements, and demonstrating how they can be applied to a broad range of disciplines: theology; literature; law; and natural and social sciences. Demonstrating the longstanding and wideranging necessity of interpretation, Zimmermann reveals its significance in our current social and political landscape. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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Herodotus: A Very Short Introduction Jennifer Tolbert Roberts (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2011

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h170mm x w111mm x s9mm 122g c. 15 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199575992 ISBN13: 978-0-19-957599-2 ISBN10: 0199575991 EAN: 9780199575992 x Description: Herodotus has come to be respected by most scholars as a responsible and important historian. Herodotus was both a critical thinker and a lively storyteller, a traveller who was both tourist and anthropologist. Like Homer, he set out to memorialize great deeds in words; more narrowly, he determined to discover the causes of the wars between Greece and Persia and to explain them to his fellow Greeks. In his hands, the Greeks' unforeseeable defeat of the Persian kings Darius and Xerxes, with their vast hosts, made for fascinating storytelling. Influenced by the work of the natural scientists and philosophers of his own and earlier eras, Herodotus also brought his literary talents to bear on a vast, unruly mass of information gathered from many interviews throughout his travels and left behind him the longest work that had ever been written in Greek - the first work of history, and one which continues to be read with enjoyment today. Herodotus: A Very Short Introduction introduces readers to what little is known of Herodotus's life and goes on to discuss all aspects of his work, including his fascination with his origins; his travels; his view of the world in relation to boundaries and their transgressions; and his interest in seeing the world and learning about non-Greek civilizations. We also explore the recurring themes of his work, his beliefs in dreams, oracles, and omens, the prominence of women in his work, and his account of the battles of the Persian Wars. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hieroglyphs: A Very Short Introduction Penelope Wilson (Department of Archaeology, University of Durham) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

12 Aug 2004

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h174mm x w111mm x s9mm 129g numerous halftones & line drawings ISBN13: 9780192805027 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280502-7 ISBN10: 0192805029 EAN: 9780192805027 x Description: Hieroglyphs were far more than a language. They were an omnipresent and all-powerful force in communicating the messages of ancient Egyptian culture for over three thousand years; used as monumental art, as a means of identifying Egyptianness, and for rarefied communication with the gods. In this exciting new study, Penelope Wilson explores the cultural significance of the script with an emphasis on previously neglected areas such as cryptography, the continuing decipherment into modern times, and examines the powerful fascination hieroglyphs still hold for us today. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hinduism: A Very Short Introduction Kim Knott (Professor of Religious and Secular Studies, Lancaster University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h174mm x w113mm x s9mm 132g 14 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780198745549 ISBN13: 978-0-19-874554-9 ISBN10: 0198745540 EAN: 9780198745549 x Description: Hinduism is practised by nearly eighty per cent of India's population, and by some seventy million people outside India. In this Very Short Introduction, Kim Knott offers a succinct and authoritative overview of this major religion, and analyses the challenges facing it in the twenty-first century. She discusses key preoccupations of Hinduism such as the centrality of the Veda as religious texts, the role of Brahmins, gurus, and storytellers in the transmission of divine truths, and the cultural and moral importance of epics such as the Ramayana. In this second edition Knott considers the impact of changes in technology and the flourishing of social media on Hinduism, and looks at the presence of Hinduism in popular culture, considering pieces such as Sita Sings the Blues. She also analyses recent developments in India, and the impact issues such as Hindu nationalism and the politicization of Hinduism have on Hindus worldwide. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

History: A Very Short Introduction John Arnold (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2000

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h172mm x w113mm x s9mm 127g black and white halftones and line drawings ISBN13: 9780192853523 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285352-3 ISBN10: 019285352X EAN: 9780192853523 x Description: There are many stories we can tell about the past, and we are not, perhaps, as free as we might imagine in our choice of which stories to tell, or where those stories end. John Arnold's Very Short Introduction is a stimulating essay about how we study and understand history. The book begins by inviting us to think about various questions provoked by our investigation of history, and explores the ways these questions have been answered in the past. Concepts such as causation, interpretation, and periodization, are introduced by means of concrete examples of how historians work, giving the reader a sense of the excitement of discovering not only the past, but also ourselves. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

HIV & AIDS: A Very Short Introduction Alan Whiteside (CIGI Chair in Global Health Policy, Balsillie School of International Development and Wilfred Laurier University and Professor Emeritus University of KwaZulu-Natal) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

24 Nov 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h173mm x w118mm x s10mm 136g 12 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198727491 ISBN13: 978-0-19-872749-1 ISBN10: 0198727496 EAN: 9780198727491 x Description: In 2008 it was believed that HIV/AIDS was without doubt the worst epidemic to hit humankind since the Black Death. The first case was identified in 1981; by 2004 it was estimated that about 40 million people were living with the disease, and about 20 million had died. Yet the outlook today is a little brighter. Although HIV/ AIDS continues to be a pressing public health issue the epidemic has stabilised globally, and it has become evident it is not, nor will it be, a global issue. The worst affected regions are southern and eastern Africa. Elsewhere, HIV is found in specific, usually, marginalised populations, for example intravenous drug users in Russia. Although there still remains no cure for HIV, there have been unprecedented breakthroughs in understanding the disease and developing drugs. Access to treatment over the last ten years has turned AIDS into a chronic disease, although it is still a challenge to make antiviral treatment available to all that require it. We also have new evidence that treatment greatly reduces infectivity, and this has led to the movement of 'Treatment as Prevention'. In this Very Short Introduction Alan Whiteside provides an introduction to AIDS, tackling the science, the international and local politics, the demographics, and the devastating consequences of the disease. He looks at the problems a developing international 'AIDS fatigue' poses to funding for sufferers, but also shows how domestic resources are increasingly being mobilised, despite the stabilisation of international funding. Finally Whiteside considers how the need to understand and change our behaviour has caused us to reassess what it means to be human and how we should operate in the globalizing world. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hobbes: A Very Short Introduction Richard Tuck (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

30 May 2002

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h175mm x w112mm x s10mm 142g 11 halftones ISBN13: 9780192802552 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280255-2 ISBN10: 0192802550 EAN: 9780192802552 x Description: Thomas Hobbes, the first great English political philosopher, has long had the reputation of being a pessimistic atheist, who saw human nature as inevitably evil and proposed a totalitarian state to subdue human failings. In this illuminating study, Richard Tuck re-evaluates Hobbes's philosophy and dispels these myths, revealing him to have been passionately concerned with the refutation of scepticism, and to have developed a theory of knowledge which rivalled that of Descartes in its importance. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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Hollywood: A Very Short Introduction Peter Decherney (Professor of English and Cinema Studies, University of Pennsylvania, Professor of English and Cinema Studies, University of Pennsylvania, University of Pennsylvania) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

28 Jan 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w114mm x s10mm 128g 10 illustrations ISBN13: 9780199943548 ISBN13: 978-0-19-994354-8 ISBN10: 0199943540 EAN: 9780199943548 x Description: In this engaging and readable book, Peter Decherney tells the story of Hollywood, from its nineteenth-century origins to the emergence of internet media empires. He recounts how the studio system rose out of the ashes of Thomas Edison's trust to create the handful of companies that have dominated global screens and imaginations for more than 100 years. Throughout, he reveals that the elements we take to be a natural part of the Hollywood experience-stars, genre-driven storytelling, blockbuster franchises, etc.-are really the product of cultural, political, and commercial forces. In many ways, Hollywood has remained the same for over a century. It has always been a global industry based in the U.S., and its storytelling has always unfolded across media, adapting plays, book, and comics and spinning off product tie-ins, television series, and social media campaigns. But major events have also continually remade Hollywood. The studios have weathered wars, disruptive new technologies, and competition by adopting a strategy of risk management and assimilation. This book explores the challenges of new technologies, including sound, home video, and computer graphics. And it examines Hollywood's responses to World War II, independent film movements, and regulations imposed by Washington. Hollywood: A Very Short Introduction is filled with discussions of well-known movies, stars, and directors, encapsulating the past century of research on Hollywood while adding many original insights and stories. It is the perfect introduction for readers who want to better understand the history and functioning of our screen-saturated world. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Home: A Very Short Introduction Michael Allen Fox (Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, Queen's University, Canada and Adjunct Professor, University of New England, Australia) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

08 Dec 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h173mm x w115mm x s9mm 130g 11 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198747239 ISBN13: 978-0-19-874723-9 ISBN10: 0198747233 EAN: 9780198747239 x Description: Thoughts and feelings about home traditionally provided people of all cultures with a firm sense of where they belonged, and why. But with the world rapidly changing, many of our basic notions are becoming problematic. Both internationally and within countries, populations are constantly on the move, seeking better opportunities and living conditions, or an escape from violence and war. In spite of, or perhaps even because of these trends, ideas about home continue to shape the way people everywhere frame an understanding of their lives.

In this Very Short Introduction Michael Allen Fox considers the complex meaning of home and the essential importance of place to human psychology. Drawing on a wide array of international examples he discusses what dwelling is and the variety of dwellings. Fox also looks at the politics of the concept of 'home', homelessness, refugeeism and migration, and the future of home, and argues that home remains a central organizing concept in human life.

Homer: A Very Short Introduction Barbara Graziosi (Professor of Classics, Durham University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

11 Apr 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h175mm x w115mm x s9mm 116g 14 black and white figures ISBN13: 9780199589944 ISBN13: 978-0-19-958994-4 ISBN10: 0199589941 EAN: 9780199589944 x Description: Homer's mythological tales of war and homecoming,the Iliad and the Odyssey, are widely considered to be two of the most influential works in the history of western literature. Yet their author, 'the greatest poet that ever lived' is something of a mystery. By the 6th century BCE, Homer had already become a mythical figure, and today debate continues as to whether he ever existed. In this Very Short Introduction Barbara Graziosi considers Homer's famous works, and their impact on readers throughout the centuries. She shows how the Iliad and the Odyssey benefit from a tradition of reading that spans well over two millennia, stemming from ancient scholars at the library of Alexandria, in the third and second centuries BCE, who wrote some of the first commentaries on the Homeric epics. Summaries of these scholars' notes made their way into the margins of Byzantine manuscripts; from Byzantium the annotated manuscripts travelled to Italy; and the ancient notes finally appeared in the first printed editions of Homer, eventually influencing our interpretation of Homer's work today. Along the way, Homer's works have inspired artists, writers, philosophers, musicians, playwrights, and film-makers. Exploring the main literary, historical, cultural, and archaeological issues at the heart of Homer's narratives, Graziosi analyses the enduring appeal of Homer and his iconic works. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. This book was previously published in hardback as Homer. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hormones: A Very Short Introduction Martin Luck (Professor of Physiological Education, University of Nottingham) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

24 Jul 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h173mm x w111mm x s8mm 120g 10 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199672875 ISBN13: 978-0-19-967287-5 ISBN10: 0199672873 EAN: 9780199672875

x Description: Hormones play an integral part in the balance and workings of the body. While many people are broadly aware of their existence, there are many misconceptions and few are aware of the nature and importance of the endocrine system. In this Very Short Introduction, Martin Luck explains what hormones are, what they do, where they come from, and how they work. He explains how the endocrine system operates, highlighting the importance of hormones in the regulation of water and salt in the body, how they affect reproduction and our appetites, and how they help us adjust to different environments, such as travel across time zones. In this fresh and modern treatment, Luck also touches on the ethical and moral issues surrounding research methods, testing on animals, and hormone misuse. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Human Anatomy: A Very Short Introduction Leslie Klenerman (Formerly Emeritus Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Liverpool, Senior Demonstrator Anatomy Department, University of Cambridge) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

26 Feb 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h174mm x w114mm x s9mm 150g 50 black and white diagrams ISBN13: 9780198707370 ISBN13: 978-0-19-870737-0 ISBN10: 0198707371 EAN: 9780198707370 x Description: A vast subject that includes a strange vocabulary and an apparent mass of facts, human anatomy can at first appear confusing and offputting. But the basic construction of the human body - the skeleton, the organs of the chest and abdomen, the nervous system, the head and neck with its sensory systems and anatomy for breathing and swallowing - is vital for anyone studying medicine, biology, and health studies. In this Very Short Introduction Leslie Klenerman provides a clear, concise, and accessible introduction to the structure, function, and main systems of the human body, including a number of clear and simple illustrations to explain the key areas. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Human Evolution: A Very Short Introduction Bernard Wood (University Professor of Human Origins, George Washington University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

11 Jul 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h173mm x w109mm x s10mm 126g 16 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198831747 ISBN13: 978-0-19-883174-7 ISBN10: 0198831749 EAN: 9780198831747 x Description: The study of human evolution is advancing rapidly. Newly discovered fossil evidence is adding ever more pieces to the puzzle of our past, whilst revolutionary technological advances in the study of ancient DNA are completely reshaping theories of early human populations and migrations. In this Very Short Introduction Bernard Wood traces the history of paleoanthropology from its beginnings in the eighteenth century to the very latest

fossil finds. In this new edition he discusses how Ancient DNA studies have revolutionized how we view the recent (post-550 ka) human evolution, and the process of speciation. The combination of ancient and modern human DNA has contributed to discoveries of new taxa, as well as the suggestion of 'ghost' taxa whose fossil records still remain to be discovered. Considering the contributions of related sciences such as paleoclimatology, geochronology, systematics, genetics, and developmental biology, Wood explores our latest understandings of our own evolution.

Human Rights: A Very Short Introduction Andrew Clapham (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

21 Apr 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 224pp h174mm x w115mm x s12mm 161g 15 black and white halftones and line drawings ISBN13: 9780198706168 ISBN13: 978-0-19-870616-8 ISBN10: 0198706162 EAN: 9780198706168 x Description: Today it is usually not long before a problem gets expressed as a human rights issue. Indeed, human rights law continues to gain increasing attention internationally, and must move quickly in order to keep up with a social world that changes so rapidly. This Very Short Introduction, in its second edition, brings the issue of human rights up to date, considering the current controversies surrounding the movement. Discussing torture and arbitrary detention in the context of counter terrorism, Andrew Clapham also considers new challenges to human rights in the context of privacy, equality and the right to health. Looking at the philosophical justification for rights, the historical origins of human rights and how they are formed in law, Clapham explains what our human rights actually are, what they might be, and where the human rights movement is heading. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hume: A Very Short Introduction A. J. Ayer (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

12 Oct 2000

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h178mm x w114mm x s8mm 122g black and white halftones and line drawings ISBN13: 9780192854063 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285406-3 ISBN10: 0192854062 EAN: 9780192854063 x Description: Hume is one of the greatest of all British philosophers, and even in his own lifetime was celebrated as one of the pivotal figures of the Enlightenment. A central theme of his philosophy is the conviction that questions traditionally thought of as completely independent of the scientific realm-questions about the mind, about morality, and about God, for example-are actually best explained using the experimental methods characteristic of the natural sciences. Hume's 'naturalist' approach to a wide variety of philosophical topics resulted in highly original theories about perception, self-identity, causation, morality, politics, and religion, all of which are discussed in this stimulating introduction by A J Ayer, himself one of the twentieth century's most important philosophers. Ayer also gives an account of Hume's fascinating life and character, and includes generous quotations from Hume's lucid and often witty writings.

Humour: A Very Short Introduction Noel Carroll (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Jan 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h174mm x w114mm x s10mm 130g 15 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199552221 ISBN13: 978-0-19-955222-1 ISBN10: 0199552223 EAN: 9780199552221 x Description: Humour has been discovered in every known human culture and thinkers have discussed it for over two thousand years. Humour can serve many functions; it can be used to relieve stress, to promote goodwill among strangers, to dissipate tension within a fractious group, to display intelligence, and some have even claimed that it improves health and fights sickness. In this Very Short Introduction Noel Carroll examines the leading theories of humour including The Superiority Theory and The Incongruity Theory. He considers the relation of humour to emotion and cognition, and explores the value of humour, specifically in its social functions. He argues that humour, and the comic amusement that follows it, has a crucial role to play in the construction of communities, but he also demonstrates that the social aspect of humour raises questions such as 'When is humour immoral?' and 'Is laughing at immoral humour itself immoral?'. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Identity: A Very Short Introduction Florian Coulmas (Professor of Japanese Society and Sociolinguistics, IN-EAST, Duisburg-Essen University, Duisburg, Germany) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

14 Mar 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h176mm x w115mm x s10mm 132g 13 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198828549 ISBN13: 978-0-19-882854-9 ISBN10: 0198828543 EAN: 9780198828549 x Description: Identity has become one of the most widely used terms today, appearing in many different contexts. Anything and everything has an identity, and identity crises have become almost equally pervasive. Yet 'identity' is extremely versatile, meaning different things to different people and in different scientific disciplines. To many its meaning seems self-evident, since its various uses share common features, so often the term is used without a definition of what, exactly, is meant by it. This provokes the core question: What exactly is identity? In this Very Short Introduction Florian Coulmas provides a survey of the many faces of the concept of identity, and discusses its significance and varied meanings in the fields of philosophy, sociology, and psychology, as well as politics and law. Tracing our concern with identity to its deep roots in Europe's intellectual history, individualism, and the felt need to draw borderlines, Coulmas identifies the most important features used to mark off individual and collective identities, and demonstrates why they are deemed important. He concludes with a glimpse at the many ways in which literature has engaged with problems of identity throughout history.

Ideology: A Very Short Introduction Michael Freeden (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2004

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h179mm x w113mm x s9mm 124g numerous halftones ISBN13: 9780192802811 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280281-1 ISBN10: 019280281X EAN: 9780192802811 x Description: Ideology is one of the most controversial terms in the political vocabulary, exciting both revulsion and inspiration. This book examines the reasons for those views, and explains why ideologies deserve respect as a major form of political thinking. It investigates the centrality of ideology both as a political phenomenon and as an organizing framework of political thought and action. It explores the changing understandings of ideology as a concept, and the arguments of the main ideologies. By employing the latest insights from a range of disciplines, the reader is introduced to the vitality and force of a crucial resource at the disposal of societies, through which sense and purpose is assigned to the political world. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Indian Cinema: A Very Short Introduction Ashish Rajadhyaksha (Independent researcher) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

28 Jul 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h169mm x w112mm x s9mm 124g 17 black & white halftones ISBN13: 9780198723097 ISBN13: 978-0-19-872309-7 ISBN10: 0198723091 EAN: 9780198723097 x Description: One film out of every five made anywhere on earth comes from India. From its beginnings under colonial rule through to the heights of Bollywood , Indian Cinema has challenged social injustices such as caste, the oppression of Indian women, religious intolerance, rural poverty, and the pressures of life in the burgeoning cities. And yet, the Indian movie industry makes only about five percent of Hollywood's annual revenue. In this Very Short Introduction Ashish Rajadhyaksha delves into the political, social, and economic factors which, over time, have shaped Indian Cinema into a fascinating counterculture. Covering everything from silent cinema through to the digital era, Rajadhyaksha examines how the industry reflects the complexity and variety of Indian society through the dramatic changes of the 20th century, and into the beginnings of the 21st.

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Indian Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction Sue Hamilton (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions 48

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

22 Feb 2001

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h179mm x w113mm x s10mm 135g halftones and drawings ISBN13: 9780192853745 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285374-5 ISBN10: 0192853740 EAN: 9780192853745 x Description: India has a long, rich, and diverse tradition of philosophical thought, spanning some two and a half millennia and encompassing several major religious traditions. This Very Short Introduction emphasizes the diversity of Indian thought, and is structured around six schools which have achieved classic status. Sue Hamilton explores how the traditions have attempted to understand the nature of reality in terms of an inner or spiritual quest, and introduces distinctively Indian concepts such as karma and rebirth. She also shows how Indian thinkers have understood issues of reality and knowledge - issues which are also an important part of the Western philosophical tradition. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Infectious Disease: A Very Short Introduction Benjamin M. Bolker (Author) Marta Wayne (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

25 Jun 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h174mm x w114mm x s9mm 129g Approx 20 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199688937 ISBN13: 978-0-19-968893-7 ISBN10: 0199688931 EAN: 9780199688937 x Description: As doctors and biologists have learned, to their dismay, infectious disease is a moving target: new diseases emerge every year, old diseases evolve into new forms, and ecological and socioeconomic upheavals change the transmission pathways by which disease spread. By taking an approach focused on the general evolutionary and ecological dynamics of disease, this Very Short Introduction provides a general conceptual framework for thinking about disease. Ecology and evolution provide the keys to answering the 'where', 'why', 'how', and 'what' questions about any particular infectious disease: where did it come from? How is it transmitted from one person to another, and why are some individuals more susceptible than others? What biochemical, ecological, and evolutionary strategies can be used to combat the disease? Is it more effective to block transmission at the population level, or to block infection at the individual level? Through a series of case studies, Benjamin Bolker and Marta L. Wayne introduce the major ideas of infectious disease in a clear and thoughtful way, emphasising the general principles of infection, the management of outbreaks, and the evolutionary and ecological approaches that are now central to much research about infectious disease. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Infinity: A Very Short Introduction Ian Stewart (Emeritus Professor of Mathematics, University of Warwick) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Mar 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w113mm x s10mm 142g 33 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198755234 ISBN13: 978-0-19-875523-4 ISBN10: 0198755236 EAN: 9780198755234 x Description: Infinity is an intriguing topic, with connections to religion, philosophy, metaphysics, logic, and physics as well as mathematics. Its history goes back to ancient times, with especially important contributions from Euclid, Aristotle, Eudoxus, and Archimedes. The infinitely large (infinite) is intimately related to the infinitely small (infinitesimal). Cosmologists consider sweeping questions about whether space and time are infinite. Philosophers and mathematicians ranging from Zeno to Russell have posed numerous paradoxes about infinity and infinitesimals. Many vital areas of mathematics rest upon some version of infinity. The most obvious, and the first context in which major new techniques depended on formulating infinite processes, is calculus. But there are many others, for example Fourier analysis and fractals. In this Very Short Introduction, Ian Stewart discusses infinity in mathematics while also drawing in the various other aspects of infinity and explaining some of the major problems and insights arising from this concept. He argues that working with infinity is not just an abstract, intellectual exercise but that it is instead a concept with important practical everyday applications, and considers how mathematicians use infinity and infinitesimals to answer questions or supply techniques that do not appear to involve the infinite. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Information: A Very Short Introduction Luciano Floridi (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2010

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w113mm x s9mm 136g 15 black and white line drawings ISBN13: 9780199551378 ISBN13: 978-0-19-955137-8 ISBN10: 0199551375 EAN: 9780199551378 x Description: We live an information-soaked existence - information pours into our lives through television, radio, books, and of course, the Internet. Some say we suffer from 'infoglut'. But what is information? The concept of 'information' is a profound one, rooted in mathematics, central to whole branches of science, yet with implications on every aspect of our everyday lives: DNA provides the information to create us; we learn through the information fed to us; we relate to each other through information transfer - gossip, lectures, reading. Information is not only a mathematically powerful concept, but its critical role in society raises wider ethical issues: who owns information? Who controls its dissemination? Who has access to information? Luciano Floridi, a philosopher of information, cuts across many subjects, from a brief look at the mathematical roots of information - its definition and measurement in 'bits'- to its role in genetics (we are information), and its social meaning and value. He ends by considering the ethics of information, including issues of ownership, privacy, and accessibility; copyright and open source. For those unfamiliar with its precise meaning and wide applicability as a philosophical concept, 'information' may seem a bland or mundane topic. Those who have studied some science or philosophy or sociology will already be aware of its centrality and richness. But for all readers, whether from the humanities or sciences, Floridi gives a fascinating and inspirational introduction to this most fundamental of ideas. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area.

Innovation: A Very Short Introduction Mark Dodgson (Professor of Innovation Studies, University of Queensland) (Author) David Gann (Professor and Vice-President (Innovation) at Imperial College London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

06 Sep 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h175mm x w113mm x s10mm 132g 11 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198825043 ISBN13: 978-0-19-882504-3 ISBN10: 0198825048 EAN: 9780198825043 x Description: What is innovation? How is innovation used in business? How can we use it to succeed? Innovation, the ways ideas are made valuable, plays an essential role in economic and social development, and is an increasingly topical issue. Over the last 150 years our world has hit an accelerated rate of transformation. From aeroplanes to television and penicillin, and from radios to frozen food and digital money, the fruits of innovation surround us. This Very Short Introduction looks at what innovation is and why it affects us so profoundly. It examines how it occurs, who stimulates it, how it is pursued, and what its outcomes are, both positive and negative. Considering innovation today, and discussing future disruptive technologies such as AI, which have important implications for work and employment, Mark Dodgson and David Gann consider the extent to which our understanding of innovation has developed over the past century and how it might be used to interpret the global economy.

Intellectual Property: A Very Short Introduction Siva Vaidhyanathan (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

26 Jan 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 144pp h174mm x w115mm x s9mm 132g 10 ISBN13: 9780195372779 ISBN13: 978-0-19-537277-9 ISBN10: 0195372778 EAN: 9780195372779 x Description: We all create intellectual property. We all use intellectual property. Intellectual property is the most pervasive yet least understood way we regulate expression. Despite its importance to so many aspects of the global economy and daily life, intellectual property policy remains a confusing and arcane subject. This engaging book clarifies both the basic terms and the major conflicts surrounding these fascinating areas of law, offering a layman's introduction to copyright, patents, trademarks, and other forms of knowledge falling under the purview of intellectual property rights. Using vivid examples, noted media expert Siva Vaidhyanathan illustrates the powers and limits of intellectual property, distilling with grace and wit the complex tangle of laws, policies, and values governing the dissemination of ideas, expressions, inventions, creativity, and data collection in the modern world. Vaidhyanathan explains that intellectual property exists as it does because powerful interests want it to exist. The strongest economies in the world

have a keen interest in embedding rigid methods of control and enforcement over emerging economies to preserve the huge economic interests linked to their copyright industries-film, music, software, and publishing. For this reason, the fight over the global standardization of intellectual property has become one of the most important sites of tension in North-South global relations. Through compelling case studies, including those of Starbucks, Coca-Cola, Sony, Amazon, and Google Books, Vaidhyanathan shows that the modern intellectual property systems reflect three centuries of changes in politics, economics, technologies, and social values. Although it emerged from a desire to foster creativity while simultaneously protecting it, intellectual property today has fundamentally shifted to a political dimension. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Intelligence: A Very Short Introduction Ian J. Deary (Professor of Differential Psychology, University of Edinburgh) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

19 Mar 2020

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 184pp h174mm x w111mm x s8mm 142g 20-25 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198796206 ISBN13: 978-0-19-879620-6 ISBN10: 019879620X EAN: 9780198796206 x Description: Some people are cleverer than others. This everyday observation is the subject of an academic field that is often portrayed as confused and controversial, when in fact, the field of intelligence holds some of psychology's best-replicated findings. This Very Short Introduction describes what psychologists have discovered about how and why people differ in their thinking powers. Drawing on large scale data Ian Deary considers how many types of intelligence there are, and how intelligence changes with age. Along the way he tackles some of the most burning questions surrounding intelligence, such as whether larger brains are cleverer, and how genes and environments contribute to people's intelligence differences. He also considers the new field of cognitive epidemiology, which draws links between intelligence and better health, less illness, and longer life, and asks whether intelligence is increasing. In this new edition Deary also addresses the controversial question of whether men and women differ in intelligence. Throughout he provides a clear description of the data we can use to answer these questions and more.

Intelligence: A Very Short Introduction Ian J. Deary (Professor of Psychology, Professor of Psychology, Edinburgh University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

22 Feb 2001

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h179mm x w112mm x s8mm 138g drawings and halftones ISBN13: 9780192893215 ISBN13: 978-0-19-289321-5 ISBN10: 0192893211 EAN: 9780192893215 x Description: People value their powers of thinking and most of us are interested in why some people seem to drive a highly tuned Rolls Royce brain while others potter along with a merely serviceable Ford Fiesta. This Very Short Introduction describes what psychologists have discovered about how and why people differ in their thinking powers. The book takes readers from no knowledge about the science of human intelligence to a stage where they are able to make judgements for themselves about some of the key questions about human mental ability differences. Each chapter deals with a central issue that is both scientifically lively and of

considerable general interest, and is structured around a diagram which is explained in the course of the chapter. The issues discussed include whether there are several different types of intelligence, whether intelligence differences are caused by genes or the environment, the biological basis of intelligence differences, and whether intelligence declines or increases as we grow older. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

International Law: A Very Short Introduction Vaughan Lowe (Emeritus Chichele Professor of Public International Law and Fellow of All Souls College University of Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

28 Oct 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h174mm x w114mm x s8mm 114g 15 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199239337 ISBN13: 978-0-19-923933-7 ISBN10: 0199239339 EAN: 9780199239337 x Description: Interest in international law has increased greatly over the past decade, largely because of its central place in discussions such as the Iraq War and Guantanamo, the World Trade Organisation, the anti-capitalist movement, the Kyoto Convention on climate change, and the apparent failure of the international system to deal with the situations in Palestine and Darfur, and the plights of refugees and illegal immigrants around the world. This Very Short Introduction explains what international law is, what its role in international society is, and how it operates. Vaughan Lowe examines what international law can and cannot do and what it is and what it isn't doing to make the world a better place. Focussing on the problems the world faces, Lowe uses terrorism, environmental change, poverty, and international violence to demonstrate the theories and practice of international law, and how the principles can be used for international co-operation. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

International Migration: A Very Short Introduction Khalid Koser (Executive Director of the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Jun 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 136pp h174mm x w112mm x s8mm 123g 10 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780198753773 ISBN13: 978-0-19-875377-3 ISBN10: 0198753772 EAN: 9780198753773 x Description: In recent years, global migration has transformed in terms of its numbers and reach, its political significance, and its impact. The rising rates of international migration have been matched by growing public and media interest around the world. Today, the political and media attention on migration and greater public interest and concern feed into an international debate that is all too often poorly informed and one-sided. This Very Short Introduction looks at the phenomenon of international human migration - both legal and illegal - and offers an objective stance on the topic, and its benefits and challenges. Khalid Koser reveals the opportunities migration presents that must be taken advantage of in the current economic climate, and debunks common myths to demonstrate that society, as we now know it, cannot function without migrants. Using interviews with migrants from around the world, Koser presents the human side of issues such as asylum, human trafficking, migrant smuggling, and the international labour force, inviting readers to come to their own conclusions on the international migration situation today.

International Relations: A Very Short Introduction Christian Reus-Smit (Professor of International Relations, University of Queensland) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

30 Jun 2020

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h179mm x w112mm x s10mm 136g 10 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198850212 ISBN13: 978-0-19-885021-2 ISBN10: 0198850212 EAN: 9780198850212 x Description: International relations affects everyone's lives: their security, economic well-being, rights and freedoms, and the environment they share. Recently we have seen the transformation from a world of empires to today's world of sovereign states, which are enmeshed in a complex array of international institutions, all exercising degrees of political authority. The new global organization of political authority has far-reaching consequences. This Very Short Introduction untangles this complex world, providing an accessible framework for understanding the contours of global political change. Christian Reus-Smit treats theory as an indispensable tool for grasping international relations, but demystifies theorizing, introducing it as an everyday human practice. He surveys a range of theories, from realism to feminism: reading them as contrasting perspectives on the global organization of political authority. Historically, such organization has been shaped by diverse social forces, four of which are discussed in detail: shifting patterns of warfare, changing economic conditions, struggles for rights, and the politics of culture. Reus-Smit concludes with a reflection on the future of international relations in an era of profound global change. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

International Relations: A Very Short Introduction Paul Wilkinson (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

26 Jul 2007

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h179mm x w112mm x s9mm 127g numerous halftones ISBN13: 9780192801579 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280157-9 ISBN10: 0192801570 EAN: 9780192801579 x Description: Of undoubtable relevance today, in a post-9-11 world of growing political tension and unease, this Very Short Introduction covers the topics essential to an understanding of modern international relations. Paul Wilkinson explains the theories and the practice that underlie the subject, and investigates issues ranging from foreign policy, arms control, and terrorism, to the environment and world poverty. He examines the role of organizations such as the United Nations and the European Union, as well as the influence of ethnic and religious movements and terrorist groups which also play a role in shaping the way states and governments interact. This up-to-date book is required reading for those seeking a new perspective to help untangle and decipher international events. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

International Security: A Very Short Introduction Christopher S. Browning (Associate Professor of International Security, University of Warwick) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

24 Oct 2013

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w114mm x s10mm 135g Approx 10 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199668533 ISBN13: 978-0-19-966853-3 ISBN10: 0199668531 EAN: 9780199668533 x Description: The subject of international security is never out of the headlines. The subjects of war and peace, military strategy, the proliferation of nuclear weapons and revisionist states remain central to the discussion, but burgeoning concerns such as climate change, migration, poverty, health, and international terrorism have complicated the field. So what really matters? The traditional prioritization of state security or the security needs of individuals, humanity, and the biosphere? And where do the problems lie? Are states themselves as much a part of the problem as the solution for people's security needs? With globalization, the international security environment has become more interdependent than ever before with the establishment of complex networks that make responding to and managing security challenges increasingly difficult, but increasingly necessary. This Very Short Introduction shows that international security is both vibrant and deeply contested, with stakeholders frequently in disagreement over questions of priority and approach. Christopher S. Browning outlines the nature of the key debates about contemporary international security challenges, and discusses the inherent difficulties that exist in tackling them. He also asks to what extent such debates are infused with questions of power, politics, justice, morality, and responsibility. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Invasive Species: A Very Short Introduction Julie Lockwood (Rutgers University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

04 Aug 2021

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h174mm x w111mm 20 black-and-white illustrations ISBN13: 9780198818281 ISBN13: 978-0-19-881828-1 ISBN10: 0198818289 EAN: 9780198818281 x Description: Today there is no place on Earth that does not harbour invasive exotic species. Invasive plants and animals can be found on every continent, including Antarctica, and within all waterbodies, including all oceans. In our increasingly connected world, with speedy commercial and recreational travel and the global movement of biological matter for food, invasive species are showing up at such a fast rate that there is no way to accurately count how many currently exist or how many are likely to emerge in the coming decades. Monitoring these species and controlling their spread is essential, as we increasingly understand the negative impacts they pose: their threat to our health; the toll they take on our commercial production; and the threat they pose to native ecosystems. This Very Short Introduction provides a clear definition of an invasive species, and considers the myriad ways they are moved around the globe, and

the ecological, social, and economic impacts they often impose. Exploring the way Earth's biodiversity is being affected by global change, Julie Lockwood also discusses policy and management approaches to combating the ill-effects of invasive species, and how invasive species fit within the broader context of environmental change. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Iran: A Very Short Introduction Ali Ansari (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h174mm x w114mm x s8mm 114g 11 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199669349 ISBN13: 978-0-19-966934-9 ISBN10: 0199669341 EAN: 9780199669349 x Description: Iran has rarely been out of the headlines. Yet media interest and extensive coverage has tended to hinder rather than help our understanding of Iran as an idea, an identity, and a people, leading to a superficial understanding of what is a complex and nuanced political culture and civilization. This Very Short Introduction presents a radical reinterpretation of Iranian history and politics, placing the Islamic Revolution in the context of a century of political change and social transformation. By considering the various factors that have contributed towards the construction of the idea of Iran and the complex identity of Iranians themselves, Ali Ansari steers a clear path towards a more realistic understanding for us all. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Islam: A Very Short Introduction Malise Ruthven (University of Aberdeen) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

26 Jan 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 200pp h173mm x w114mm x s11mm 151g Approx 13 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199642878 ISBN13: 978-0-19-964287-8 ISBN10: 0199642877 EAN: 9780199642878 x Description: Islam features widely in the news, often in its most militant versions, but few people in the non-Muslim world really understand the nature of Islam. Malise Ruthven's Very Short Introduction contains essential insights into issues such as why Islam has such major divisions between movements such as the Shi'ites, the Sunnis, and the Wahhabis, and the central importance of the Shar'ia (Islamic law) in Islamic life. It also offers fresh perspectives on contemporary questions: Why is the greatest 'Jihad' (holy war) now against the enemies of Islam, rather than the struggle against evil? Can women find fulfilment in Islamic societies? How must Islam adapt as it confronts the modern world? In this new edition, Ruthven brings the text up-to-date by reflecting upon some of the most significant changes in the Muslim world in recent years; from the emergence of al-Qaeda and the attacks on New York and Washington on 9/11 and the ensuing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, to the uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa. Ruthven includes new material surrounding the concept of a globalized Islam, bringing into question the effects of

economic globalization, the effect of international events in Middle Eastern countries, the issues surrounding Islam and democracy, and the reception and perception of Islam in the West. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Islamic Ethics: A Very Short Introduction Tariq Ramadan (Professor of Islamic Studies at the Faculty of Theology at Oxford University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

15 Apr 2019

Publishing Status:

Cancelled

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h174mm x w111mm 15 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199589326 ISBN13: 978-0-19-958932-6 ISBN10: 0199589321 EAN: 9780199589326 x Description: The concept of 'ethics' involves the choice between what is 'right' and what is 'wrong', but no exact equivalent of the word 'ethics' exists in the Arabic language. Instead, the Arabic terms used to describe ethics cover a whole range of complimentary teachings with regard to concepts such as dignity, justice, and equality, about which Islamic legal scholars, thinkers and mystics have by no means always agreed. In this Very Short Introduction Tariq Ramadan examines the traditional contents of Islamic ethics and the dominant objectives of Islamic teachings. Analysing new approaches which are currently making their appearance, he shows how the ethical considerations of Islamic ethics are not far removed from those central to the Jewish, Catholic, Protestant and even Buddhist traditions. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Islamic Finance: A Very Short Introduction Adeel Malik (Author) Usman Hayat (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

15 Apr 2021

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp ISBN13: 9780198823537 ISBN13: 978-0-19-882353-7 ISBN10: 0198823533 EAN: 9780198823537 x Description: With a full scope of financial services, ranging from banking and capital markets to insurance and microfinance, Islamic finance has now become the most prominent form of faith-based finance in the world. After a period of double digit growth, the global assets of Islamic finance reached USD 2 trillion in 2015. Today more than 300 institutions are engaged in Islamic finance across the world. Despite this success, the field remains poorly understood. Confusion can arise from media condemnation of Islamic extremism and, at the same time, praise for Islamic finance even if both claim allegiance to the same religion. Compounding this confusion is the academic narrative that treats finance as a purely secular subject that has little to do with the ethos and rules of a religion. The complex terminologies, which are mostly rooted in Islam's legal injunctions and historical practices, can render the field even more incomprehensible. This Very Short Introduction demystifies Islamic finance by shedding light on its core principles and practices. Adeel Malik and Usman Hayat cover the main debates surrounding Islamic finance's performance and potential, comparing and contrasting Islamic financial instruments with those of conventional finance, and building connections between Islamic finance and other ethical traditions in finance. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Islamic History: A Very Short Introduction Adam J. Silverstein (Senior Lecturer in Jewish Studies and the Abrahamic Religions, King's College London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2010

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h173mm x w111mm x s10mm 155g 18 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199545728 ISBN13: 978-0-19-954572-8 ISBN10: 0199545723 EAN: 9780199545728 x Description: Does history matter? This book argues not that history matters, but that Islamic history does. This Very Short Introduction introduces the story of Islamic history; the controversies surrounding its study; and the significance that it holds - for Muslims and for non-Muslims alike. Opening with a lucid overview of the rise and spread of Islam, from the seventh to twenty first century, the book charts the evolution of what was originally a small, localised community of believers into an international religion with over a billion adherents. Chapters are also dedicated to the peoples - Arabs, Persians, and Turks - who shaped Islamic history, and to three representative institutions - the mosque, jihad, and the caliphate - that highlight Islam's diversity over time. Finally, the roles that Islamic history has played in both religious and political contexts are analysed, while stressing the unique status that history enjoys amongst Muslims, especially compared to its lowly place in Western societies where history is often seen as little more than something that is not to be repeated. Some of the questions that will be answered are: * How did Islam arise from the obscurity of seventh century Arabia to the headlines of twenty first century media? * How do we know what we claim to know about Islam's rise and development? * Why does any of this matter, either to Muslims or to non-Muslims? ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Islamic Law: A Very Short Introduction Mashood A. Baderin (Professor of Law, School of Law, SOAS, University of London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Feb 2021

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w111mm 8 black & white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199665594 ISBN13: 978-0-19-966559-4 ISBN10: 0199665591 EAN: 9780199665594 x Description: Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring Islamic law is one of the major legal systems in the world today, yet it is often misunderstood, particularly in the West. It is applicable in different forms as part of state law in countries across the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, and also has a strong influence on Muslim communities throughout the Western world. This Very Short Introduction provides an authoritative perspective on the evolution and nature of Islamic law. Mashood A. Baderin considers its theory, covering the history and nature of Islamic jurisprudence; its scope, covering Family Law, Inheritance Law, Financial Law, Penal Law, and International Law; and, finally, its practice. He takes into account both classical and modern scholarly perspectives in examining the various facets of Islamic law, to provide an overview of this key

legal system. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Isotopes: A Very Short Introduction Rob Ellam (Professor of Isotope Geochemistry, University of Glasgow; and Director, Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

19 May 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w114mm x s8mm 137g A number of black and white halftones and diagrams ISBN13: 9780198723622 ISBN13: 978-0-19-872362-2 ISBN10: 0198723628 EAN: 9780198723622 x Description: An isotope is a variant form of a chemical element, containing a different number of neutrons in its nucleus. Most elements exist as several isotopes. Many are stable while others are radioactive, and some may only exist fleetingly before decaying into other elements. In this Very Short Introduction, Rob Ellam explains how isotopes have proved enormously important across all the sciences and in archaeology. Radioactive isotopes may be familiar from their use in nuclear weapons, nuclear power, and in medicine, as well as in carbon dating. They have been central to establishing the age of the Earth and the origins of the solar system. Combining previous and new research, Ellam provides an overview of the nature of stable and radioactive isotopes, and considers their wide range of modern applications. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Italian Literature: A Very Short Introduction Peter Hainsworth (Emeritus Fellow, Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford) (Author) David Robey (Emeritus Professor, University of Reading) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Feb 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h173mm x w111mm x s9mm 130g 13 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199231799 ISBN13: 978-0-19-923179-9 ISBN10: 0199231796 EAN: 9780199231799 x Description: In this Very Short Introduction, Peter Hainsworth and David Robey consider Italian literature from the Middle Ages to the present day, looking at themes and issues which have recurred throughout its history and continue to be of importance today. Examining themes such as regional identities, political disunity, and the role of the national language, they also cover a wide range of authors and works, including Dante, Petrarch, Manzoni, Montale, and Calvino. They explore some of the distinctive traditions of the literature, such as its liking for theorizing its own position, its concern with politics, and its secular orientation in spite of the Catholic beliefs and practices of the Italian people. Concluding by looking at the ways in which Italian literature has changed over the last thirty years, they examine the influence of women's writing in Italian, and acknowledge the belated recognition of its importance.

Jane Austen A Very Short Introduction Oxford Editor (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

15 Jan 2022

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp ISBN13: 9780198725954 ISBN13: 978-0-19-872595-4 ISBN10: 0198725957 EAN: 9780198725954 x _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Japanese Literature: A Very Short Introduction Alan Tansman (Professor and Louis B. Agassiz Chair in Japanese, Professor and Louis B. Agassiz Chair in Japanese, University of California, Berkeley) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introduction

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

11 Mar 2021

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 160pp h175mm x w111mm 10 ISBN13: 9780199765256 ISBN13: 978-0-19-976525-6 ISBN10: 0199765251 EAN: 9780199765256 x Description: With a history stretching back nearly 1,500 years, written works originating from Japan encompass a vast range of forms and genres. Since the eighth century, poetry and the non-philosophical lyric voice have occupied a central position in Japanese cultural life. The art of narrative would soon follow, blossoming in the eleventh century with one of the world's great literary masterpieces, Murasaki Shikibu's The Tale of Genji. Japanese literature later developed other genres no less important than poetry and narrative, among them the diary, the free-flowing essay, drama, the picture book, and the literary treatise. While intensely attentive to its own tradition, Japanese literature has also embraced the outside world, particularly the influence of China. It is also embraced by the outside world in turn, exporting bestselling authors such as Haruki Murakami and Yukio Mishima. Beyond this, Japan boasts a powerful literary culture, made up of cultivated reading publics, both aristocratic and bourgeois, literary salons, specialized presses, authoritative judges of talent who cultivated and celebrated particular writers and styles, and a canon consisting of classics. A succinct introduction to one of the most dynamic and diverse world literatures, this Very Short Introduction traces the rich history of Japanese literature from its beginnings over a millennium ago to the present day. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jesus: A Very Short Introduction Richard Bauckham (Emeritus Professor of New Testament Studies, University of St Andrews, and Senior Scholar, Ridley Hall, Cambridge) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2011

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h171mm x w111mm x s9mm 129g c. 11 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199575275 ISBN13: 978-0-19-957527-5 ISBN10: 0199575274 EAN: 9780199575275 x Description: Two billion people today identify as Christians, with the implication that Jesus is the focus of their relationship with God, and their way of living in the world. Such followers of Jesus are now more numerous and make up a greater proportion of the world's population than ever before. Despite its decline in the West, Christianity is rapidly increasing in areas such as Africa and China. Richard Bauckham explores the historical figure of Jesus, evaluating the sources and concluding that they provide us with good historical evidence for his life and teaching. In order to place Jesus in his proper historical context, as a Jew from Galilee in the early first century of our era, Bauckham looks at Jewish religion and society in the land of Israel under Roman rule. He explores Jesus' symbolic practices as well as his teachings, looks at his public career and emphasises how his actions, such as healing and his association with notorious sinners, were just as important as his words. Bauckham shows that Jesus was devoted to the God of Israel, with a special focus on God's fatherly love and compassion, and like every Jewish teacher he expounded the Torah, but did so in his own distinctive way. With a discussion about the way Jesus understood himself and what finally led to his death as a criminal on a Roman cross, he concludes by considering the significance Jesus has come to have for Christian faith worldwide. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jewish History: A Very Short Introduction David N. Myers (Sady and Ludwig Kahn Professor of Jewish History, Sady and Ludwig Kahn Professor of Jewish History, UCLA) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

01 May 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w118mm x s11mm 130g 10 ISBN13: 9780199730988 ISBN13: 978-0-19-973098-8 ISBN10: 0199730989 EAN: 9780199730988 x Description: How have the Jews survived? For millennia, they have defied odds by overcoming the travails of exile, persecution, and recurring plans for their annihilation. Many have attempted to explain this singular success as a result of divine intervention. In this engaging book, David N. Myers charts the long journey of the Jews through history. At the same time, it points to two unlikely-and decidedly this-worldly-factors to explain the survival of the Jews: antisemitism and assimilation. Usually regarded as grave dangers, these two factors have continually interacted with one other to enable the persistence of the Jews. At every turn in their history, not just in the modern age, Jews have adapted to new environments, cultures, languages, and social norms. These bountiful encounters with host societies have exercised the cultural muscle of the Jews, preventing the atrophy that would have occurred if they had not interacted so extensively with the non-Jewish world. It is through these encounters-indeed, through a process of assimilation-that Jews came to develop distinct local customs, speak many different languages, and cultivate diverse musical, culinary, and intellectual traditions. Left unchecked, the Jews' well-honed ability to absorb from surrounding cultures might have led to their disappearance. And yet, the route toward full

and unbridled assimilation was checked by the nearly constant presence of hatred toward the Jew. Anti-Jewish expression and actions have regularly accompanied Jews throughout history. Part of the ironic success of antisemitism is its malleability, its talent in assuming new forms and portraying the Jew in diverse and often contradictory images-for example, at once the arch-capitalist and revolutionary Communist. Antisemitism not only served to blunt further assimilation, but, in a paradoxical twist, affirmed the Jew's sense of difference from the host society. And thus together assimilation and antisemitism (at least up to a certain limit) contribute to the survival of the Jews as a highly adaptable and yet distinct group. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Journalism: A Very Short Introduction Ian Hargreaves (Professor of Digital Economy, School of Journalism, Media, and Cultural Studies, Cardiff University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

28 Aug 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h174mm x w110mm x s13mm 156g Approximately 19 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199686872 ISBN13: 978-0-19-968687-2 ISBN10: 0199686874 EAN: 9780199686872 x Description: Journalism entered the twenty-first century caught in a paradox. The world had more journalism, across a wider range of media, than at any time since the birth of the western free press in the eighteenth century. Western journalists had found themselves under a cloud of suspicion: from politicians, philosophers, the general public, anti-globalization radicals, religious groups, and even from fellow journalists. Critics argued that the news industry had lost its moral bearings, focusing on high investment returns rather than reporting and analysing the political, economic, and social issues of the day. Journalism has a central and profound impact on our worldview; we find it everywhere from newspapers and television, to radio and the Internet. In the new edition of this thought-provoking and provocative Very Short Introduction, Ian Hargreaves examines the world of contemporary journalism. By looking not only at what journalism has been in the past, but also what it is becoming in the digital age, he examines the big issues relating to reportage, warfare, celebrity culture, privacy, and technology worldwide. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Judaism: A Very Short Introduction Norman Solomon (Member of Wolfson College, Oxford, and the Oxford University Teaching and Research Unit in Hebrew and Jewish Studies.) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

28 Aug 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h173mm x w114mm x s11mm 151g Approx 13 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199687350 ISBN13: 978-0-19-968735-0 ISBN10: 0199687358 EAN: 9780199687350 x Description: Normon Solomon's succinct book is an ideal introduction to Judaism as a religion and way of life. Demonstrating the diverse nature and ethnic origin of those with the Jewish faith, Solomon explores how the Jewish religion has developed in the 2,000 years since the days of the Bible.

This Very Short Introduction starts by outlining the basics of practical Judaism - its festivals, prayers, customs, and various sects - and goes on to consider how Judaism has responded to, and dealt with, a number of key issues and debates, including the impact of the Holocaust and the establishment of the State of Israel. In this new edition, Solomon considers issues of contemporary Judaism in the twenty first century. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jung: A Very Short Introduction Anthony Stevens (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions 40

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2001

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 192pp h179mm x w112mm x s12mm 165g halftones and drawings ISBN13: 9780192854582 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285458-2 ISBN10: 0192854585 EAN: 9780192854582 x Description: Though he was a prolific writer and an original thinker of vast erudition, Jung lacked a gift for clear exposition and his ideas are less widely appreciated than they deserve. In this concise introduction, Anthony Stevens explains clearly the basic concepts of Jungian psychology: the collective unconscious, complex, archetype, shadow, persona, anima, animus, and the individuation of the Self. He examines Jung's views on such disparate subjects as myth, religion, alchemy, `sychronicity', and the psychology of gender differences, and he devotes separate chapters to the stages of life, Jung's theory of psychological types, the interpretation of dreams, the practice of Jungian analysis, and to the unjust allegation that Jung was a Nazi sympathizer. Finally, he argues that Jung's visionary powers and profound spirituality have helped many to find an alternative set of values to the arid materialism prevailing in Western society. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Kabbalah: A Very Short Introduction Joseph Dan (Gershom Scholem Professor of Kabbalah, Department of Jewish Thought, Gershom Scholem Professor of Kabbalah, Department of Jewish Thought, Hebrew University of Jerusalem) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

23 Jun 2007

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 144pp h175mm x w112mm x s10mm 112g 12 halftones ISBN13: 9780195327052 ISBN13: 978-0-19-532705-2 ISBN10: 0195327055 EAN: 9780195327052 x Description: In Kabbalah: A Very Short Introduction, Joseph Dan, one of the world's leading authorities on Jewish mysticism, offers a concise and highly accurate look at the history and character of the various systems developed by the adherents of the Kabbalah. Dan sheds light on the many misconceptions about what Kabbalah is and isn't-including its connections to magic, astronomy, alchemy, and numerology-and he illuminates the relationship between Kaballah and Christianity on the one hand and New Age religion on the other. The book provides fascinating historical background, ranging from the mystical groups that flourished in ancient Judaism in the East, and the medieval schools of Kabbalah in Northern Spain and Southern France, to the

widening growth of Kabbalah through the school of Isaac Luria of Safed in the sixteenth century, to the most potent and influential modern Jewish religious movement, Hasidism, and its use of kabbalistic language in its preaching. The book examines the key ancient texts of this tradition, including the Sefer Yezira or "Book of Creation," The Book of Bahir, and the Zohar. Dan explains Midrash, the classical Jewish exegesis of scriptures, which assumes an infinity of meanings for every biblical verse, and he concludes with a brief survey of scholarship in the field and a list of books for further reading. Embraced by celebrities and integrated in many contemporary spiritual phenomena, Kabbalah has reaped a wealth of attention in the press. But many critics argue that the form of Kabbalah practiced in Hollywood is more New Age pabulum than authentic tradition. Can there be a positive role for the Kabbalah in the contemporary quest for spirituality? In Kabbalah, Joseph Dan debunks the myths surrounding modern Kabbalistic practice, offering an engaging and dependable account of this traditional Jewish religious phenomenon and its impact outside of Judaism. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Kafka: A Very Short Introduction Ritchie Robertson (St John's College, University of Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

28 Oct 2004

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h175mm x w111mm x s10mm 119g numerous halftones & text boxes ISBN13: 9780192804556 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280455-6 ISBN10: 0192804553 EAN: 9780192804556 x Description: 'When Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from troubled dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a monstrous insect ...' So begins Franz Kafka's most famous story Metamorphosis. Franz Kafka (1883-1924) is among the most intriguing and influential writers of the twentieth century. During his lifetime he worked as a civil servant and published only a handful of short stories, the best known being The Transformation. All three of his novels, The Trial, The Castle, and The Man Who Disappeared [America], were published after his death and helped to found Kafka's reputation as a uniquely perceptive interpreter of the twentieth century. Kafka's fiction vividly evokes bizarre situations: a commercial traveller is turned into an insect, a banker is arrested by a mysterious court, a fasting artist starves to death in the name of art, a singing mouse becomes the heroine of her nation. Attending both to Kafka's crisis-ridden life and to the subtleties of his art, Ritchie Robertson shows how his work explores such characteristically modern themes as the place of the body in culture, the power of institutions over people, and the possibility of religion after Nietzsche had proclaimed 'the death of God'. The result is an up-to-date and accessible portrait of a fascinating author which shows us ways to read and make sense of his perplexing and absorbing work. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Kant: A Very Short Introduction Roger Scruton (formerly Lecturer in philosophy 1971-79, Reader 1979-85, Professor of aesthetics 1985-92 at Birkbeck College, University of London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions 50

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2002

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h179mm x w114mm x s9mm 140g 8 halftones ISBN13: 9780192801999 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280199-9 ISBN10: 0192801996 EAN: 9780192801999 x Description: Kant is arguably the most influential modern philosopher, but also one of the most difficult. Roger Scruton tackles his exceptionally complex subject with a strong hand, exploring the background to Kant's work and showing why the Critique of Pure Reason has proved so enduring. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Keynes: A Very Short Introduction Robert Skidelsky (Emeritus Professor of Political Economy at the University of Warwick) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

07 Oct 2010

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 208pp h174mm x w114mm x s12mm 186g Approx 5 black and white photos ISBN13: 9780199591640 ISBN13: 978-0-19-959164-0 ISBN10: 0199591644 EAN: 9780199591640 x Description: John Maynard Keynes (1883-1946) is a central thinker of the twentieth century, not just an economic theorist and statesman, but also in economics, philosophy, politics, and culture. In this Very Short Introduction Lord Skidelsky, a renowned biographer of Keynes, explores his ethical and practical philosophy, his monetary thought, and provides an insight into his life and works. In the recent financial crisis Keynes's theories have become more timely than ever, and remain at the centre of political and economic discussion. With a look at his major works and his contribution to twentieth-century economic thought, Skidelsky considers Keynes's legacy on today's society. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Kierkegaard: A Very Short Introduction Patrick Gardiner (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

21 Feb 2002

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h176mm x w113mm x s9mm 126g Numerous halftones ISBN13: 9780192802569 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280256-9 ISBN10: 0192802569 EAN: 9780192802569 x Description: Soren Kierkegaard (1813-55), one of the most original thinkers of the nineteenth century, wrote widely on religious, psychological, and literary themes. This book shows how Kierkegaard developed his views in emphatic opposition to prevailing opinions. It describes his reaction to the ethical and religious theories of Kant and Hegel, and it also contrasts his position with doctrines advanced by men like Feuerbach and Marx. Kierkegaard's seminal diagnosis of the human condition, which emphasizes the significance of individual choice, has arguably been his most striking philosophical legacy, particularly for the growth of existentialism. Both that and his arresting but paradoxical conception of religious belief are critically discussed, and Patrick Gardiner concludes this lucid introduction by showing how Kierkegaard has influenced contemporary thought. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Knowledge: A Very Short Introduction Jennifer Nagel (Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Toronto) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

25 Sep 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h172mm x w114mm x s8mm 131g Approx 8 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199661268 ISBN13: 978-0-19-966126-8 ISBN10: 019966126X EAN: 9780199661268 x Description: What is knowledge? How does it differ from mere belief? Do you need to be able to justify a claim in order to count as knowing it? How can we know that the outer world is real and not a dream? Questions like these are ancient ones, and the branch of philosophy dedicated to answering them - epistemology - has been active for thousands of years. In this thought-provoking Very Short Introduction, Jennifer Nagel considers these classic questions alongside new puzzles arising from recent discoveries about humanity, language, and the mind. Nagel explains the formation of major historical theories of knowledge, and shows how contemporary philosophers have developed new ways of understanding knowledge, using ideas from logic, linguistics, and psychology. Covering topics ranging from relativism and the problem of scepticism to the trustworthiness of internet sources, Nagel examines how progress has been made in understanding knowledge, using everyday examples to explain the key issues and debates ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Korea: A Very Short Introduction Michael J. Seth (James Madison University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

06 Feb 2020

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h169mm x w110mm x s9mm 126g 10 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780198830771 ISBN13: 978-0-19-883077-1 ISBN10: 0198830777 EAN: 9780198830771 x Description: Having spent centuries in the shadows of its neighbours China and Japan, Korea is now the object of considerable interest for radically different reasons- the South as an economic success story and for its vibrant popular culture; the North as the home to one of the world's most repressive regimes, at once both bizarre and menacing. This Very Short Introduction explores the history, culture, and society of a deeply divided region. Michael Seth considers what it means to be Korean, and analyses how the various peoples of the Korean peninsula became one of the world's most homogeneous nations, before exploring how this nation evolved, in a single lifetime, into today's sharply contrasting societies. He also discusses how Korea fits into the larger narrative of both East Asian and world history, economically, politically, and socially.

Lakes: A Very Short Introduction Warwick F. Vincent (Professor and Canada Research Chair, Departement de biologie & Centre d''etudes nordiques (CEN), Universite Laval) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

08 Feb 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h175mm x w113mm x s10mm 130g 36 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198766735 ISBN13: 978-0-19-876673-5 ISBN10: 0198766734 EAN: 9780198766735 x Description: From the mysterious depths of Lake Vostok, Antarctica, to tropical floodplain lakes, inland seas, hydro-reservoirs and the variety of waterbodies in our local environment, lakes encompass a huge diversity of shapes, sizes, depths, colours, and even salinities. Often very large and very deep, they sustain important and unique ecosystems which can be hotspots of biodiversity, and are used by humans as sources of drinking water and food, in particular, fish. What is the origin of differences among lakes, and how does that affect the life within them? What are the seasons of a lake, and how do human actions alter lake ecosystems locally, and at a global scale? In this Very Short Introductions, Warwick Vincent outlines the essential features of lake environments and their biology, offering an up-to-date view of lake ecosystems. Vincent traces the origins of lake science (limnology) from the seminal work of Francois Forel on Lake Geneva at the edge of the Swiss Alps, to modern approaches such as environmental sensors, satellite observations, stable isotope analysis, and DNA-based technologies which are used to probe the microbial life support systems that lead from sunlight to fish. Drawing on varied case studies he considers the intimate relationship between humans and lakes, the value of lakes as indicators of environmental change, the impact of pollution,and our urgent need to improve the protection and management of these vitally important living resources via an integrated understanding of their ecology.

Landscape Architecture: A Very Short Introduction Ian Thompson (Reader in Landscape Architecture, Newcastle University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

29 May 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h175mm x w114mm x s11mm 122g 10 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199681204 ISBN13: 978-0-19-968120-4 ISBN10: 0199681201 EAN: 9780199681204 x Description: Landscape architecture plays an important role in shaping the places in which we live and work. But what is it? Landscape architects are involved, amongst other things, in the layout of business parks, the reclamation of derelict industrial sites, the restoration of historic city parks, and the siting and design of major pieces of infrastructure such as motorways, dams, power stations, and flood defences, as well as the planning of parks and gardens. Taking a historical perspective, Ian Thompson looks at both the roots of landscape architecture and the people that established it. This Very Short Introduction explores some of the misconceptions about landscape architecture and considers the discipline's origins in landscape gardening. Thompson takes a look at a number of areas, including the influence of Modernism, the difference between landscape design and landscape planning, and the way that planning legislation has driven the growth of the discipline. He also explores contemporary environmentalism, the debate as to whether landscape architecture is an art or a science, landscape architecture in the community, post-industrial projects, and its relationship with ecological urbanism. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Landscapes and Geomorphology: A Very Short Introduction Andrew S. Goudie (Author) Heather A. Viles (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

26 Aug 2010

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h172mm x w115mm x s9mm 139g 15 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199565573 ISBN13: 978-0-19-956557-3 ISBN10: 0199565570 EAN: 9780199565573 x Description: What were the landscapes of the past like? What will landscapes look like in the future? Landscapes are all around us, but most of us know very little about how they have developed, what goes on in them, and how they react to changing climates, tectonics and human activities. Examining what landscape is, and how we use a range of ideas and techniques to study it, Andrew Goudie and Heather Viles demonstrate how geomorphologists have built on classic methods pioneered by some great 19th century scientists to examine our Earth. Using examples from around the world, including New Zealand, the Tibetan Plateau, and the deserts of the Middle East, they examine some of the key controls on landscape today such as tectonics and climate, as well as humans and the living world. They also discuss some key 'landscape detectives' from the past, including Charles Darwin who did some important, but often overlooked, research on landscape. Concluding with the cultural importance of landscape, and exploring how this has led to the conservation of much 'earth heritage', they delve into the

future and look at how we can predict the response of landscapes to climate change in the future. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Languages: A Very Short Introduction Stephen Anderson (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

13 Jul 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w116mm x s9mm 137g Approximately 15 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199590599 ISBN13: 978-0-19-959059-9 ISBN10: 0199590591 EAN: 9780199590599 x Description: How many languages are there? What differentiates one language from another? Are new languages still being discovered? Why are so many languages disappearing? The diversity of languages today is varied, but it is steadily declining. In this Very Short Introduction, Stephen Anderson answers the above questions by looking at the science behind languages. Considering a wide range of different languages and linguistic examples, he demonstrates how languages are not uniformly distributed around the world; just as some places are more diverse than others in terms of plants and animal species, the same goes for the distribution of languages. Exploring the basis for linguistic classification and raising questions about how we identify a language, as well as considering signed languages as well as spoken, Anderson examines the wider social issues of losing languages, and their impact in terms of the endangerment of cultures and peoples. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Late Antiquity: A Very Short Introduction Gillian Clark (Emeritus Professor of Ancient History at the University of Bristol) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

24 Feb 2011

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w114mm x s12mm 136g 15 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199546206 ISBN13: 978-0-19-954620-6 ISBN10: 0199546207 EAN: 9780199546206 x Description: Late antiquity: decline or transformation, conflict or interaction? Late antiquity is the period (c.300 - c.800) in which barbarian invasions ended Roman Empire in Western Europe by the fifth century and Arab invasions ended Roman rule over the eastern and southern Mediterranean coasts by the seventh century. Asking 'what, where, and when' Gillian Clark presents an introduction to the concept of late antiquity and the events of its time. Not only a period of cultural clashes, political restructurings, and geographical controversies, Clark also demonstrates the sheer richness and diversity of religious life as well as the significant changes to trade, economy, archaeology, and towns. Encapsulating significant developments through vignettes, she reflects upon the period by asking the question 'How much can we recognise in the world of late antiquity?'

Law: A Very Short Introduction Raymond Wacks (Emeritus Professor of Law and Legal Theory, University of Hong Kong) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

24 Sep 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 192pp h174mm x w114mm x s10mm 148g 15 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780198745624 ISBN13: 978-0-19-874562-4 ISBN10: 0198745621 EAN: 9780198745624 x Description: Law is at the heart of every society, protecting rights, imposing duties, and establishing a framework for the conduct of almost all social, political, and economic activity. Despite this, the law often seems a highly technical, perplexing mystery, with its antiquated and often impenetrable jargon, obsolete procedures, and endless stream of complex statutes and legislation. In this Very Short Introduction Raymond Wacks introduces the major branches of the law, describing what lawyers do, and how courts operate, and considers the philosophy of law and its pursuit of justice, freedom, and equality. In this second edition, Wacks locates the discipline in our contemporary world, considering the pressures of globalization and digitalisation and the nature of the law in our culture of threatened security and surveillance. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Leadership: A Very Short Introduction Keith Grint (Professor of Public Leadership, Warwick Business School) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

16 Jan 2010

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h172mm x w115mm x s17mm 146g 15 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199569915 ISBN13: 978-0-19-956991-5 ISBN10: 0199569916 EAN: 9780199569915 x Description: The subject of leadership raises many questions: What is it? How does it differ from management and command? Are leaders born or bred? Who are the leaders? Do we actually need leaders? Inevitably, the answers are provocative and partial; leadership is a hugely important topic of debate. There are constant calls for 'greater' or 'stronger' leadership, but what this actually means, how we can evaluate it, and why it's important are not very clear. In this Very Short Introduction Keith Grint prompts the reader to rethink their understanding of what leadership is. He examines the way leadership has evolved from its earliest manifestations in ancient societies, highlighting the beginnings of leadership writings through Plato, Sun Tzu, Machiavelli and others, to consider the role of the social, economic, and political context undermining particular modes of leadership. Exploring the idea that leaders cannot exist without followers, and recognising that we all have diverse experiences and assumptions of leadership, Grint looks at the practice of management, its history, future, and influence on all aspects of society. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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Learning: A Very Short Introduction Mark Haselgrove (Associate Professor, The University of Nottingham) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

28 Jul 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 128pp h174mm x w117mm x s7mm 104g 25 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199688364 ISBN13: 978-0-19-968836-4 ISBN10: 0199688362 EAN: 9780199688364 x Description: What is learning? How does it take place? What happens when it goes wrong? The topic of learning has been central to the development of the science of psychology since its inception. Without learning there can be no memory, no language and no intelligence. Indeed it is rather difficult to imagine a part of psychology, or neuroscience, that learning does not touch upon. In this Very Short Introduction Mark Haselgrove describes learning from the perspective of associative theories of classical and instrumental conditioning, and considers why these are the dominant, and best described analyses of learning in contemporary psychology. Tracing the origins of these theories, he discusses the techniques used to study learning in both animals and humans, and considers the importance of learning for animal behaviour and survival. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Leibniz: A Very Short Introduction Dr Maria Rosa Antognazza (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

22 Sep 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h111mm x w183mm x s9mm 137g 7 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198718642 ISBN13: 978-0-19-871864-2 ISBN10: 0198718640 EAN: 9780198718642 x Description: Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716) was a man of extraordinary intellectual creativity who lived an exceptionally rich and varied intellectual life in troubled times. More than anything else, he was a man who wanted to improve the life of his fellow human beings through the advancement of all the sciences and the establishment of a stable and just political order. In this Very Short Introduction Maria Rosa Antognazza outlines the central features of Leibniz's philosophy in the context of his overarching intellectual vision and aspirations. Against the backdrop of Leibniz's encompassing scientific ambitions, she introduces the fundamental principles of Leibniz's thought, as well as his theory of truth and theory of knowledge. Exploring Leibniz's contributions to logic, mathematics, physics, and metaphysics, she considers how his theories sat alongside his concerns with politics, diplomacy, and a broad range of practical reforms: juridical, economic, administrative, technological, medical, and ecclesiastical. Discussing Leinbniz's theories of possible worlds, she concludes by looking at what is ultimately real in this actual world that we experience, the good and evil there is in it, and Leibniz's response to the problem of evil through his theodicy. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Leo Tolstoy: A Very Short Introduction Liza Knapp (Professor, Department of Slavic Languages, Columbia University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

15 Apr 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h175mm x w113mm x s10mm 132g 8 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198813934 ISBN13: 978-0-19-881393-4 ISBN10: 0198813937 EAN: 9780198813934 x Description: War and Peace and Anna Karenina are widely recognised as two of the greatest novels ever written. Their author, Leo Tolstoy, has been honoured as the father of the modern war story; as an innovator in psychological prose and forerunner of stream of consciousness; and as a genius at using fiction to reveal the mysteries of love and death. At the time of his death in 1910, Tolstoy was known the world over as both a great writer and as a merciless critic of institutions that perpetrated, bred, or tolerated injustice and violence in any form. Yet among literary critics and rival writers, it has become a commonplace to disparage Tolstoy's "thought" while praising his "art." In this Very Short Intorduction Liza Knapp explores the heart of Tolstoy's work. Focussing on his masterpieces of fiction which have stood the test of time, she analyses his works of non-fiction alongside them, and sketches out the core themes in Tolstoy's art and thought, and the interplay between them. Tracing the continuing influence of Tolstoy's work on modern literature, Knapp highlights those aspects of his writings that remain relevant today. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Liberalism: A Very Short Introduction Michael Freeden (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

25 Jun 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w114mm x s9mm 142g 8 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199670437 ISBN13: 978-0-19-967043-7 ISBN10: 0199670439 EAN: 9780199670437 x Description: Liberalism is one of the most central and pervasive political theories and ideologies, yet it is subject to different interpretations as well as misappropriations. Its history carries a crucial heritage of civilized thinking, of political practice, and of philosophical-ethical creativity. This Very Short Introduction unpacks the concept of liberalism and its various interpretations through three diverse approaches. Looking at its historical and theoretical development, analysing the liberal ideology, and understanding liberalism as a series of ethical and philosophical principles, this is a thorough exploration of the concept and practice of liberalism. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Liberation Theology: A Very Short Introduction Philip Kennedy (New York University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

15 Jul 2017

Publishing Status:

Cancelled

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp ISBN13: 9780198752875 ISBN13: 978-0-19-875287-5 ISBN10: 0198752873 EAN: 9780198752875 x Description: Increasing concern about a great and growing gulf between the superabundant wealth of a few and the deprivations of a massive majority of human beings provided the catalyst that generated liberation theology, the most significant type of theology to have emerged over the past sixty years. In the second half of the twentieth century the human population more than doubled to reach 6 billion by the end of the milliennium. The majority of people alive then suffered from poverty of one kind or another. Liberation theology since its inception has sought to speak about God from the vantage point of those who suffer from deprivation, racism, sexism, and political oppression. In this Very Short Introduction Philip Kennedy explains what liberation theology is and how it emerged historically. He looks at the types and methods of liberation theology, and considers the ideas of some of its practitioners; the criticisms leveled against it; and assessments of its viability today. Kennedy also discusses how the multifaceted nature of poverty can involve much more than economic deprivation, arguing that people can suffer from poverty on account of their race, sex, gender, culture, religion, ethnicity, or age. Such people live in poverty in the sense that they can be socially ostracized or bullied on account of their skin color or nationality. Tracing the beginnings of liberation theology in South America, Kennedy analyses the different forms it takes in other countries around the globe. As he shows, it is now possible to speak of Black, Asian, African, Hispanic, Feminist, Latino/Latina, Jewish, Womanist, Muslim, Political, Hindu, Queer, LGBT, and Disability liberation theologies. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Light: A Very Short Introduction Ian A. Walmsley (Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Hooke Professor of Experimental Physics at the University of Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

24 Sep 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w114mm x s8mm 141g ISBN13: 9780199682690 ISBN13: 978-0-19-968269-0 ISBN10: 0199682690 EAN: 9780199682690 x Description: Light enables us to see the world around us. Our sense of sight provides us with direct information about space and time, the physical arrangement of the world, and how it changes. This almost universal shared sensation of vision has led to a fascination with the nature and properties of light across the ages. But the light we see is just a small part of the whole spectrum of electromagnetic radiation, ranging from radio waves to gamma rays. In this Very Short Introduction Ian Walmsley discusses early attempts to explain light, and the development of apparently opposing particulate and wave theories by scientists such as Isaac Newton and Christiaan Huygens. He shows how light was recognized as an electromagnetic wave in the 19th century, and the development of the quantum mechanics view of wave-particle duality in the 20th century. He also describes the many applications of light, domestic and scientific, such as microwaves, DVDs, and lasers. We now use the whole range of electromagnetic radiation to peer both into the human body and deep into space. Turning to the future of optics, Walmsley concludes by looking at some of the most exciting new developments using quantum light sources in communications and computing.

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Lincoln: A Very Short Introduction Allen C. Guelzo (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

26 Feb 2009

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w111mm x s10mm 155g 10 halftones, 2 maps ISBN13: 9780195367805 ISBN13: 978-0-19-536780-5 ISBN10: 0195367804 EAN: 9780195367805 x Description: Beneath the surface of the apparently untutored and deceptively frank Abraham Lincoln ran private tunnels of self-taught study, a restless philosophical curiosity, and a profound grasp of the fundamentals of democracy. Now, in Lincoln: A Very Short Introduction, the award-winning Lincoln authority Allen C. Guelzo offers a penetrating look into the mind of one of our greatest presidents. If Lincoln was famous for reading aloud from joke books, Guelzo shows that he also plunged deeply into the mainstream of nineteenth-century liberal democratic thought. Guelzo takes us on a wide-ranging exploration of seven problems that confronted Lincoln and liberal democracy-equality, opportunity, the rule of law, slavery, freedom, and reconciliation. The book sets these problems and Lincoln's responses against the larger world of American and trans-Atlantic liberal democracy in the 19th century, comparing Lincoln not just to Andrew Jackson or John Calhoun, but to British thinkers such as Richard Cobden, Jeremy Bentham, and John Bright, and to French observers Alexis de Tocqueville and Francois Guizot. The Lincoln we meet here is an Enlightenment figure who struggled to create a common ground between a people focused on individual rights and a society eager to establish a certain moral, philosophical, and intellectual bedrock. Lincoln insisted that liberal democracy had a higher purpose, which was the realization of a morally right political order. But how to interject that sense of moral order into a system that values personal self-satisfaction-"the pursuit of happiness"-remains a fundamental dilemma even today. Abraham Lincoln was a man who, according to his friend and biographer William Henry Herndon, "lived in the mind." Guelzo paints a marvelous portrait of this Lincoln-Lincoln the man of ideas-providing new insights into one of the giants of American history. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Linguistics: A Very Short Introduction P. H. Matthews (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

24 Apr 2003

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h178mm x w113mm x s9mm 131g 17 halftones ISBN13: 9780192801487 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280148-7 ISBN10: 0192801481 EAN: 9780192801487 x Description: Linguistics falls in the gap between arts and science, on the edges of which the most fascinating discoveries and the most important problems are found. Rather than following the conventional organization of many contemporary introductions to the subject, the author of this stimulating guide begins his discussion with the oldest, 'arts' end of the subject and moves chronologically through to the newest research - the 'science' aspects. A series of short thematic chapters look in turn at such areas as the prehistory of languages and their common origins, language and evolution, language in time and space (the nature of change inherent in language), grammars and dictionaries (how systematic is language?), and phonetics. Explication of the newest discoveries pertaining to language in the brain completes the coverage of all major aspects of linguistics from a refreshing and insightful angle. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction Jonathan Culler (Class of 1916 Professor of English and Comparative Literature, Cornell University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

28 Jul 2011

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 184pp h174mm x w112mm x s9mm 141g 5 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199691340 ISBN13: 978-0-19-969134-0 ISBN10: 0199691347 EAN: 9780199691340 x Description: What is literary theory? Is there a relationship between literature and culture? In fact, what is literature, and does it matter? These are some of questions addressed by Jonathan Culler in this Very Short Introduction to literary theory. Often a controversial subject, said to have transformed the study of culture and society in the past two decades, literary theory is accused of undermining respect for tradition and truth and encouraging suspicion about the political and psychological implications of cultural projects rather than admiration for great literature. Here, Jonathan Culler explains 'theory', not by describing warring 'schools' but by sketching key 'moves' theory has encouraged, and speaking directly about the implications of theory for thinking about literature, human identity, and the power of language. In this new edition Culler takes a look at new material, including the 'death of theory', the links between the theory of narrative and cognitive science, trauma theory, ecocriticism, and includes a new chapter on 'Ethics and aesthetics'. This lucid introduction is useful for anyone who has wondered what all the fuss is about or who wants to think about literature today. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Locke: A Very Short Introduction John Dunn (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 May 2003

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 136pp h178mm x w114mm x s8mm 122g 8 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780192803948 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280394-8 ISBN10: 0192803948 EAN: 9780192803948 x Description: John Locke (1632-1704) one of the greatest English philosophers of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth century, argued in his masterpiece, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, that our knowledge is founded in experience and reaches us principally through our senses; but its message has been curiously misunderstood. In this book John Dunn shows how Locke arrived at his theory of knowledge, and how his exposition of the liberal values of toleration and responsible government formed the backbone of enlightened European thought of the eighteenth century. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Logic: A Very Short Introduction Graham Priest (Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the CUNY Graduate Center) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

02 Oct 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 184pp h175mm x w110mm x s10mm 156g 15 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198811701 ISBN13: 978-0-19-881170-1 ISBN10: 0198811705 EAN: 9780198811701 x Description: Logic is often perceived as having little to do with the rest of philosophy, and even less to do with real life. In this lively and accessible introduction, Graham Priest shows how wrong this conception is. He explores the philosophical roots of the subject, explaining how modern formal logic deals with issues ranging from the existence of God and the reality of time to paradoxes of probability and decision theory. Along the way, the basics of formal logic are explained in simple, non-technical terms, showing that logic is a powerful and exciting part of modern philosophy. In this new edition Graham Priest expands his discussion to cover the subjects of algorithms and axioms, and proofs in mathematics. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Love: A Very Short Introduction Ronald de Sousa (Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, University of Toronto) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

08 Jan 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w114mm x s8mm 137g 12 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199663842 ISBN13: 978-0-19-966384-2 ISBN10: 019966384X EAN: 9780199663842 x Description: Although there are many kinds of love, erotic love has been celebrated in art and poetry as life's most rewarding and exalting experience, worth living and dying for and bringing out the best in ourselves. And yet it has excused, and even been thought to justify, the most reprehensible crimes. Why should this be? This Very Short Introduction explores this and other puzzling questions. Do we love someone for their virtue, their beauty, or their moral or other qualities? Are love's characteristic desires altruistic or selfish? Are there duties of love? What do the sciences - neuroscience, evolutionary and social psychology, and anthropology - tell us about love? Many of the answers we give to such questions are determined not so much by the facts of human nature as by the ideology of love. Ronald de Sousa considers some of the many paradoxes raised by love, looking at the different kinds of love - affections, affiliation, philia, storage, agape, but focusses on eros, or romantic love. He considers whether our conventional beliefs about love and sex are deeply irrational and argues that alternative conceptions of love and sex, although hard to formulate and live by, may be worth striving for. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Machiavelli: A Very Short Introduction Quentin Skinner (Barber Beaumont Professor of the Humanities, Queen Mary University of London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

08 Aug 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h173mm x w113mm x s8mm 116g 6 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198837572 ISBN13: 978-0-19-883757-2 ISBN10: 0198837577 EAN: 9780198837572 x Description: Niccolo Machiavelli taught that political leaders must be prepared to do evil so that good may come of it, and his name has been a byword ever since for duplicity and immorality. Is his sinister reputation deserved? In answering this question Quentin Skinner traces the course of Machiavelli's adult life, from his time as Second Chancellor of the Florentine republic, during which he met with kings, the pope, and the Holy Roman Emperor; to the fall of the republic in 1512; to his death in 1527. It was after the fall of the Republic that Machiavelli composed his main political works: The Prince, the Discourses, and The History of Florence. In this second edition of his Very Short Introduction Skinner includes new material on The Prince, showing how Machiavelli developed his neo-classical political theory, through engaging in continual dialogue with the ancient Roman moralists and historians, especially Cicero and Livy. The aim of political leaders, Machiavelli argues, should be to act virtuously so far as possible, but to stand ready 'to be not good' when this course of action is dictated by necessity. Exploring the pivotal concept of princely virtu to be found in classical and Renaissance humanist texts, Skinner brings new light to Machiavelli's philosophy of a willingness to do whatever may be necessary - whether moral or otherwise -to maintain a position of power. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Machiavelli: A Very Short Introduction Quentin Skinner (Professor of Political Science, Professor of Political Science, University of Cambridge) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2001

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 128pp h178mm x w114mm x s8mm 112g black and white halftones and line drawings ISBN13: 9780192854070 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285407-0 ISBN10: 0192854070 EAN: 9780192854070 x Description: Niccolo Machiavelli taught that political leaders must be prepared to do evil that good may come of it, and his name has been a byword ever since for duplicity and immorality. Is his sinister reputation deserved? In answering this question Quentin Skinner focuses on three major works, The Prince, the Discourses, and The History of Florence, and distils from them an introduction to Machiavelli's doctrines of exemplary clarity. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Madness: A Very Short Introduction Andrew Scull (Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Science Studies) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2011

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h173mm x w121mm x s10mm 126g 18 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199608034 ISBN13: 978-0-19-960803-4 ISBN10: 0199608032 EAN: 9780199608034 x Description: Madness is something that frightens and fascinates us all. It is a word with which we are universally familiar, and a condition that haunts the human imagination. Through the centuries, in poetry and in prose, in drama and in the visual arts, its depredations are on display for all to see. A whole industry has grown up, devoted to its management and suppression. Madness profoundly disturbs our common sense assumptions; threatens the social order, both symbolically and practically; creates almost unbearable disruptions in the texture of daily living; and turns our experience and our expectations upside down. Lunacy, insanity, psychosis, mental illness - whatever term we prefer, its referents are disturbances of reason, the passions, and human action that frighten, create chaos, and yet sometimes amuse; that mark a gulf between the common sense reality most of us embrace, and the discordant version some humans appear to experience. Social responses to madness, our interpretations of what madness is, and our notions of what is to be done about it have varied remarkably over the centuries. In this Very Short Introduction, Andrew Scull provides a provocative and entertaining examination of the social, cultural, medical, and artistic responses to mental disturbance across more than two millennia, concluding with some observations on the contemporary accounts of mental illness. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Magic: A Very Short Introduction Owen Davies (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

26 Jan 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h173mm x w112mm x s8mm 138g 10 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199588022 ISBN13: 978-0-19-958802-2 ISBN10: 0199588023 EAN: 9780199588022 x Description: Defining 'magic' is a maddening task. Over the last century numerous philosophers, anthropologists, historians, and theologians have attempted to pin down its essential meaning, sometimes analysing it in such complex and abstruse depth that it all but loses its sense altogether. For this reason, many people often shy away from providing a detailed definition, assuming it is generally understood as the human control of supernatural forces. 'Magic' continues to pervade the popular imagination and idiom. People feel comfortable with its contemporary multiple meanings, unaware of the controversy, conflict, and debate its definition has caused over two and a half millennia. In common usage today 'magic' is uttered in reference to the supernatural, superstition, illusion, trickery, religious miracles, fantasies, and as a simple superlative. The literary confection known as 'magical realism' has considerable appeal and many modern scientists have ironically incorporated the word into their vocabulary, with their 'magic acid', 'magic bullets' and 'magic angles'. Since the so-called European Enlightenment magic has often been seen as a marker of primitivism, of a benighted earlier stage of human development. Yet across the modern globalized world hundreds of millions continue to resort to magic - and also to fear it. Magic provides explanations and remedies for those living in extreme poverty and without access to alternatives. In the industrial West, with its state welfare systems, religious fundamentalists decry the continued moral threat posed by magic. Under the guise of neo-Paganism, its practice has become a religion in itself. Magic continues to be a truly global issue.

This Very Short Introduction does not attempt to provide a concluding definition of magic: it is beyond simple definition. Instead it explores the many ways in which magic, as an idea and a practice, has been understood and employed over the millennia. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Magna Carta: A Very Short Introduction Nicholas Vincent (Professor of Medieval History at the University of East Anglia) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h173mm x w117mm x s9mm 120g Approx 10 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199582877 ISBN13: 978-0-19-958287-7 ISBN10: 0199582874 EAN: 9780199582877 x Description: The Magna Carta has long been considered the foundation stone of the British Constitution, yet few people today understand either its contents or its context. This Very Short Introduction introduces the document to a modern audience, explaining its origins in the troubled reign of King John, and tracing the significance of the role that it played thereafter as a totemic symbol of the subject's right to protection against the raw and absolute authority of the sovereign. Drawing upon the great advances that have been made in the past two decades in our understanding of thirteenth-century English history, Nicholas Vincent demonstrates why the Magna Carta continues to be of enormous popular interest. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Magnetism: A Very Short Introduction Stephen J. Blundell (Professor of Physics, Oxford University Department of Physics and Professorial Fellow of Mansfield College, Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w116mm x s9mm 142g 15 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199601202 ISBN13: 978-0-19-960120-2 ISBN10: 0199601208 EAN: 9780199601202 x Description: Magnetism is a strange force, mysteriously attracting one object to another apparently through empty space. It has been claimed as a great healer, with magnetic therapies being proposed over the centuries and still popular today. Why are its mysterious important to solve? In this Very Short Introduction, Stephen J. Blundell explains why. For centuries magnetism has been used for various exploits; through compasses it gave us navigation and through motors, generators, and turbines it has given us power. Blundell explores our understanding of electricity and magnetism, from the work of Galvani, Ampere, Faraday, and Tesla, and goes on to explore how Maxwell and Faraday's work led to the unification of electricity and magnetism, thought of as one of the most imaginative developments in theoretical physics. With a discussion of the relationship between magnetism and relativity, quantum magnetism, and its impact on computers and information storage,

Blundell shows how magnetism has changed our fundamental understanding of the Universe. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Malthus: A Very Short Introduction Donald Winch (Emeritus Professor of Intellectual History at the University of Sussex) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

27 Jun 2013

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h174mm x w114mm x s10mm 116g 2 black and white images ISBN13: 9780199670413 ISBN13: 978-0-19-967041-3 ISBN10: 0199670412 EAN: 9780199670413 x Description: Thomas Robert Malthus (1766-1834) was an English cleric whose ideas, as expounded in his most famous work the Essay on the Principle of Population, caused a storm of controversy. In this Very Short Introduction, Donald Winch explains and clarifies Malthus's ideas, assessing the profound influence he has had on modern economic thought. Concentrating on his writings, Winch sheds light on the context in which he wrote and why his work has remained controversial. Looking at Malthus's early life as well as the evolution of his theories from population to political economy, Winch considers why and how Malthus's writings have been so influential in the thought of later figures such as Darwin and Keynes. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mammals: A Very Short Introduction T. S. Kemp (Emeritus Research Fellow, St John's College, Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

12 Oct 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h175mm x w115mm x s9mm 130g 25 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198766940 ISBN13: 978-0-19-876694-0 ISBN10: 0198766947 EAN: 9780198766940 x Description: From a modest beginning in the form of a little shrew-like, nocturnal, insect eating ancestor that lived 200 million years ago, mammals evolved into the huge variety of different kinds of animals we see today. Many species are still small, and follow the lifestyle of the ancestor, but others have adapted to become large grazers and browsers, like the antelopes, cattle, rhinos, and elephants, or the lions, hyaenas, and wolves that prey upon them. Yet others evolved to be specialist termite eaters able to dig into the hardest mounds, or tunnel creating burrowers, and a few took to the skies as gliders and the bats. Many live partly in the water, such as otters, beavers, and hippos, while whales and dugongs remain permanently in the seas, incapable of ever emerging onto land. In this Very Short Introduction T. S. Kemp explains how it is a tenfold increase in metabolic rate - endothermy or "warm-bloodedness" - that lies behind the high levels of activity, and the relatively huge brain associated with complex, adaptable behaviour that epitomizes mammals. He describes the remarkable fossil record, revealing how and when the mammals gained their characteristics, and the tortuous course of their subsequent evolution, during which many bizarre forms such as sabre-toothed cats, and 30-tonne, 6-m high browsers arose and disappeared. Describing the wonderful adaptations that mammals evolved to suit their varied modes of life, he also looks at those of the mainly arboreal primates that culminated ultimately in Homo sapiens.

Management: A Very Short Introduction John Hendry (Fellow of Girton College, Cambridge and Emeritus Professor of Management, Henley Business School, University of Reading) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2013

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w114mm x s9mm 138g Approx 10 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199656981 ISBN13: 978-0-19-965698-1 ISBN10: 0199656983 EAN: 9780199656981 x Description: John Hendry, a leading management scholar, looks at the nature and practice of Management in this Very Short Introduction. Tracing the development of management over the last century, he looks not only at what managers do, but also provides an insight to modern management theory. He considers the influences of national and organizational culture, the relationship between power and domination, managing in different cultures, approaches to management, and at the accountability of managers and morality. This is an ideal introduction for anyone interested in, or studying, business and management. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mao: A Very Short Introduction Delia Davin (Emeritus Professor of Chinese Studies, University of Leeds) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

25 Apr 2013

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w114mm x s9mm 126g 10 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199588664 ISBN13: 978-0-19-958866-4 ISBN10: 019958866X EAN: 9780199588664 x Description: As a giant of 20th century history, Mao Zedong played many roles: peasant revolutionary, patriotic leader against the Japanese occupation, Marxist theoretician, modernizer, and visionary despot. This Very Short Introduction chronicles Mao's journey from peasant child to ruler of the most populous nation on Earth. He was a founder of both the Chinese Communist Party and the Red Army, and for many years he fought on two fronts, for control of the Party and in an armed struggle for the Party's control of the country. His revolution unified China and began its rise to world power status. He was the architect of the Great Leap Forward that he hoped would make China both prosperous and egalitarian, but instead ended in economic disaster resulting in millions of deaths. It was Mao's growing suspicion of his fellow leaders that led him to launch the Cultural Revolution, and his last years were dogged by ill-health and his despairing attempts to find a successor whom he trusted. Delia Davin provides an invaluable introduction to Mao, showing him in all his complexity; ruthless, brutal, and ambitious, a man of enormous talent and perception, yet a leader who is still detested by some and venerated by others.

Marine Biology: A Very Short Introduction Philip V. Mladenov (Retired Professor of Marine Science, University of Otago, New Zealand) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

04 Mar 2020

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 224pp h170mm x w111mm x s14mm 182g 39 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198841715 ISBN13: 978-0-19-884171-5 ISBN10: 019884171X EAN: 9780198841715 x Description: The oceans are our planet's most distinctive and imposing natural habitat. They cover 71 per cent of its surface; support a remarkably diverse and exquisitely adapted array of life forms, from microscopic viruses, bacteria, and plankton to the largest existing animals; and possess many of Earth's most significant, intriguing, and inaccessible ecosystems. In an era in which humans are significantly altering the global environment, the oceans are undergoing rapid and profound changes. The study of marine biology is thus taking on added importance and urgency as people struggle to understand and manage these changes to protect our marine ecosystems. Healthy oceans produce half of the oxygen we breathe; stabilize our climate; create ecosystems that protect our coasts from storms; provide us with abundant food; and host diverse organisms that provide us with natural products for medicine and biotechnology. In this Very Short Introduction, marine biologist Philip Mladenov provides an accessible and up-to-date overview of marine biology, offering a tour of marine life and marine processes that ranges from the unimaginably abundant microscopic organisms that drive the oceans' food web to the apex predators that we exploit for food; from polar ocean ecosystems to tropical coral reefs; and from the luxurious kelp beds of the coastal ocean to deepocean hydrothermal vents where life exists without the energy of the sun. Throughout the book he considers the human impacts on marine life including overfishing, plastic and nutrient pollution, the spread of exotic species, and ocean warming and acidification. He discusses the threats these pose to our welfare, and the actions required to put us on a path to a more sustainable relationship with our oceans so that they can be restored and protected for future generations. Mladenov concludes with a new chapter offering an inspiring vision for the future of our oceans in 2050 that can be realised if we are wise enough to accelerate actions already underway and be bold with implementing new approaches. The next decade will decide the state of the oceans that we leave behind for future generations. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Marine Biology: A Very Short Introduction Philip V. Mladenov (Director, Seven Seas Consulting Ltd and formerly Professor of Marine Science, University of Otago) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

13 Aug 2013

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 184pp h173mm x w115mm x s10mm 161g Approx 25 illustrations ISBN13: 9780199695058 ISBN13: 978-0-19-969505-8 ISBN10: 0199695059 EAN: 9780199695058

x Description: The marine environment is the largest, most important, and yet most mysterious habitat on our planet. It contains more than 99% of the world's living space; produces half of its oxygen; plays a critical role in regulating its climate; and supports a remarkably diverse and exquisitely adapted array of life forms, from microscopic viruses, bacteria, and plankton to the largest existing animals. As the 21st century progresses human activities, such as overfishing, coastal development, plastic pollution, oil spills, nutrient pollution, the spread of exotic species, and the emission of climate changing greenhouse gases are posing a significant threat to the marine environment and to many of its life forms. In this unique Very Short Introduction, Philip Mladenov provides a comprehensive overview of marine biology, providing a tour of marine life and marine processes that ranges from the polar oceans to tropical coral reefs; and from the intertidal to the hydrothermal vents of the deep sea. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Marketing: A Very Short Introduction Kenneth Le Meunier-FitzHugh (University of East Anglia) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Feb 2021

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w111mm 22 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198827337 ISBN13: 978-0-19-882733-7 ISBN10: 0198827334 EAN: 9780198827337 x Description: Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring Marketing is pivotal in today's world. Used for determining and satisfying the needs of the customer, it stands at the interface between an organisation and its environment. Marketing provides customer and competitor information to the organisation, as well as creating awareness of the company's offering. As globalization creates increasing challenges to established marketing practices, marketing efforts need to reposition and adapt continuously to maintain an organisation's ability to reach potential customers. This Very Short Introduction provides a general overview of the function and importance of marketing to modern organisations. Kenneth Le MeunierFitzHugh discusses how marketing remains central to creating competitive advantage, and why it needs to be forward looking and constantly reinventing itself in line with new developments in the marketplace, such as the growth of social media, and the importance of ethics and responsible marketing. He shows how this has led to the role of marketing expanding beyond advertising and promotion, encompassing a broader sense of customer relationship management. He also considers how marketers need to remain able to manage the marketing mix in response to their understanding of customer's purchasing habits. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Martin Luther: A Very Short Introduction Professor Scott H. Hendrix (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

21 Oct 2010

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h175mm x w115mm x s11mm 122g Approx 18 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199574339 ISBN13: 978-0-19-957433-9 ISBN10: 0199574332 EAN: 9780199574339

x Description: This introduction presents Martin Luther as historians now see him. Instead of singling him out as a modern hero, the book emphasizes the context in which Luther worked, the colleagues who supported him, and the opponents who adamantly opposed his agenda for change. Scott H. Hendrix explains the religious reformation and Luther's importance, without ignoring the political and cultural forces that led the reformation down paths Luther could neither foresee nor influence. This Very Short Introduction pays tribute to Luther's genius, but also recognizes the selfrighteous attitude that alienated contemporaries, offering a unique explanation for that behaviour. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Martyrdom: A Very Short Introduction Professor Jolyon Mitchell (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

29 Nov 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w112mm x s9mm 126g 20 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199585236 ISBN13: 978-0-19-958523-6 ISBN10: 0199585237 EAN: 9780199585236 x Description: Martyrdom is not only a sharply contested term and act, but it has a long history of provoking controversy. One person's 'martyr' is another's 'terrorist', and one person's 'martyrdom operation' is another's 'suicide bombing'. Suicide attacks have made recurring questions about martyrdom more pertinent to current discussions. What is martyrdom? Why are some people drawn towards giving up their lives as martyrs? What place does religion play in inciting and creating martyrs? How are martyrs made? Why are some martyrs and martyrdoms remembered more than others? How helpful is the distinction between active and passive martyrdoms? In order both to answer such questions and to understand the contemporary debates about martyrdom, it is helpful to consider its diverse roots. In this Very Short Introduction, Jolyon Mitchell provides a historical analysis to shed light on how the concept and practice of martyrdom has evolved, as well as the different ways in which it is used today. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Marx: A Very Short Introduction Peter Singer (Princeton University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

07 Mar 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h175mm x w114mm x s10mm 137g 12 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198821076 ISBN13: 978-0-19-882107-6 ISBN10: 0198821077 EAN: 9780198821076 x Description: Karl Marx is one of the most influential philosophers of all time, whose theories have shaped and directed political, economic, and social thought for 150 years. Considering Marx's life and impact, renowned philosopher Peter Singer identifies the central vision that unifies Marx's thought, enabling us to grasp Marx's views as a whole. Presenting Marx as a philosopher primarily concerned with human freedom, rather than as an economist or a social scientist, Singer explains Marx's key ideas on alienation, historical materialism, and the economic theory of Capital, in plain English. In this new edition, Singer explores whether Marx remains relevant to the twenty first century, and if so, how. Does the fact that eight billionaires now

own as much as the bottom half of the world's population give support to Marxist thinking? Does the ease with which conservative politicians can win over working class voters by appealing to nationalism undermines Marx's view of class struggle and the inevitability of victory for the proletariat? Singer ponders key questions such as these, and also discusses the place of the internet as a 'productive force' when analysed in Marxist theory. He concludes with an assessment of Marx's legacy, asking if there is any realistic prospect of replacing capitalism with a better system of production and distribution in the twenty first century. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Materials: A Very Short Introduction Christopher Hall (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h175mm x w109mm x s8mm 141g Approximately 20 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199672677 ISBN13: 978-0-19-967267-7 ISBN10: 0199672679 EAN: 9780199672677 x Description: The study of materials is a major field of research that supports and drives innovation in technology. Using modern scientific techniques, materials scientists and engineers explore and manipulate materials, and create new ones with remarkable strength and extraordinary optical and electrical properties. In this Very Short Introduction, Christopher Hall looks at a wide range of materials, from steel, wood, and rubber, to gold, silicon, and graphene, describing how materials are used, how their properties arise from their internal structure, and how useful and novel things are made from them. He concludes by looking at how the global scale of materials consumption now threatens the goal of sustainability. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mathematical Finance: A Very Short Introduction Mark H. A. Davis (Senior Research Fellow, Department of Mathematics, Imperial College London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

07 Feb 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h175mm x w114mm x s10mm 126g 41 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198787945 ISBN13: 978-0-19-878794-5 ISBN10: 0198787944 EAN: 9780198787945 x Description: In recent years the finance industry has mushroomed to become an important part of modern economies, and many science and engineering graduates have joined the industry as quantitative analysts, with mathematical and computational skills that are needed to solve complex problems of asset valuation and risk management. An important parallel story exists of scientific endeavour. Between 1965-1995, insightful ideas in economics about asset valuation were turned into a mathematical 'theory of arbitrage', an enterprise whose first achievement was the famous 1973 Black-Scholes formula, followed by extensive investigations using all the resources of modern analysis and probability. The growth of the finance industry proceeded hand-in-hand with these developments. Now new challenges arise to deal with the fallout from the 2008 financial crisis and to take advantage of new technology, which has revolutionized the practice of trading. This Very Short Introduction introduces readers with no previous background in this area to arbitrage theory and why it works the way it does.

Illuminating pricing theory, Mark Davis explains its applications to interest rates, credit trading, fund management and risk management. He concludes with a survey of the most pressing issues in mathematical finance today. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mathematics: A Very Short Introduction Timothy Gowers (Rouse Ball Professor of Mathematics, Cambridge University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

22 Aug 2002

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h178mm x w113mm x s10mm 141g 1 halftone and numerous figures ISBN13: 9780192853615 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285361-5 ISBN10: 0192853619 EAN: 9780192853615 x Description: The aim of this book is to explain, carefully but not technically, the differences between advanced, research-level mathematics, and the sort of mathematics we learn at school. The most fundamental differences are philosophical, and readers of this book will emerge with a clearer understanding of paradoxical-sounding concepts such as infinity, curved space, and imaginary numbers. The first few chapters are about general aspects of mathematical thought. These are followed by discussions of more specific topics, and the book closes with a chapter answering common sociological questions about the mathematical community (such as "Is it true that mathematicians burn out at the age of 25?") ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Matter: A Very Short Introduction Geoff Cottrell (Academic Visitor, Oxford University Dept. of Physics) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

11 Apr 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h179mm x w119mm x s10mm 136g 30 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198806547 ISBN13: 978-0-19-880654-7 ISBN10: 019880654X EAN: 9780198806547 x Description: What is matter? Matter is the stuff from which we and all the things in the world are made. Everything around us, from desks, to books, to our own bodies are made of atoms, which are small enough that a million of them can fit across the breadth of a human hair. Inside every atom is a tiny nucleus and orbiting the nucleus is a cloud of electrons. The nucleus is made out of protons and neutrons, and by zooming in further you would find that inside each there are even smaller particles, quarks. Together with electrons, the quarks are the smallest particles that have been seen, and are the indivisible fundamental particles of nature that have existed since the Big Bang, almost 14 billion years ago. The 92 different chemical elements that all normal matter is made from were forged billions of years ago in the Big Bang, inside stars, and in violent stellar explosions. This Very Short Introduction takes us on a journey from the human scale of matter in the familiar everyday forms of solids, liquids, and gases to plasmas, exotic forms of quantum matter, and antimatter. On the largest scales matter is sculpted by gravity into planets, stars, galaxies, and vast clusters of galaxies. All the matter that that we normally encounter however constitutes only 5% of the matter that exists. The remaining 95% comes in two mysterious forms: dark matter, and dark energy. Dark matter is necessary to stop the galaxies from flying apart, and dark energy is needed to explain the observed acceleration of the expansion of the universe. Geoff Cottrell explores the latest research into matter, and shows that there is still a lot we don't know about the stuff our

universe is made of. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Measurement: A Very Short Introduction David J. Hand (Senior Research Investigator and Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at Imperial College, London, and Chief Scientific Advisor to Winton Capital Management) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

06 Oct 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h174mm x w112mm x s8mm 116g 7 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198779568 ISBN13: 978-0-19-877956-8 ISBN10: 0198779569 EAN: 9780198779568 x Description: Measurement is a fundamental concept that underpins almost every aspect of the modern world. It is central to the sciences, social sciences, medicine, and economics, but it affects everyday life. We measure everything - from the distance of far-off galaxies to the temperature of the air, levels of risk, political majorities, taxes, blood pressure, IQ, and weight. The history of measurement goes back to the ancient world, and its story has been one of gradual standardization. Today there are different types of measurement, levels of accuracy, and systems of units, applied in different contexts. Measurement involves notions of variability, accuracy, reliability, and error, and challenges such as the measurement of extreme values. In this Very Short Introduction, David Hand explains the common mathematical framework underlying all measurement, the main approaches to measurement, and the challenges involved. Following a brief historical account of measurement, he discusses measurement as used in the physical sciences and engineering, the life sciences and medicine, the social and behavioural sciences, economics, business, and public policy. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Media Law: A Very Short Introduction Lucas A. Powe (Anne Green Regents Chair in Law and Professor of Government, University of Texas at Austin) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

29 Aug 2098

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 160pp h175mm x w111mm 10 ISBN13: 9780190219727 ISBN13: 978-0-19-021972-7 ISBN10: 0190219726 EAN: 9780190219727 x Description: Between 1964 and 1989, the US Supreme Court largely rewrote the constitutional law of the media. In doing so the Court protected virtually all materials from laws that penalized dissemination. But simultaneously the Court also approved some government policies that made access to information more difficult, causing Justice Potter Stewart to observe that the "Constitution is neither a Freedom of Information Act nor an Official Secrets Act." The media that existed during the twenty-five years of explosive legal change was relatively stable. Most Americans who wished to learn about news

and public affairs received quite similar information. Over the last twenty-five years, and especially the last decade, cable, social media, and the internet combined to transform the media. The law that developed to deal with the old media is the law that now applies to the new media. Yet the underlying assumptions of that law, especially that citizens rationally consider various sides of a debate, may no longer hold. Media Law: A Very Short Introduction provides a description of the development and status of the law relating to all media - newspapers, magazines, books, broadcasting, the Internet - in the United States and the United Kingdom. It deals with criticism of government, taxation, defamation, privacy, libel, access to people, data, and places, obscenity, blasphemy, and the various issues created by the Internet. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Medical Ethics: A Very Short Introduction Michael Dunn (Lecturer in Health and Social Care Ethics, The Ethox Centre, University of Oxford) (Author) Tony Hope (Emeritus Professor of Medical Ethics, University of Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

06 Dec 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h176mm x w113mm x s9mm 132g 18 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198815600 ISBN13: 978-0-19-881560-0 ISBN10: 0198815603 EAN: 9780198815600 x Description: The issue of medical ethics, from thorny moral questions such as euthanasia and the morality of killing to political questions such as the fair distribution of health care resources, is rarely out of today's media. This area of ethics covers a wide range of issues, from mental health to reproductive medicine, as well as including management issues such as resource allocation, and has proven to hold enduring interest for the general public as well as the medical practitioner. This Very Short Introduction provides an invaluable tool with which to think about the ethical values that lie at the heart of medicine. This new edition explores the ethical reasoning we can use to approach medical ethics, introducing the most important 'tools' of ethical reasoning, and discussing how argument, thought experiments, and intuition can be combined in the consideration of medical ethics. Considering its practical application, Tony Hope and Michael Dunn explore how medical ethics supports health professionals through the growing use of ethics expertise in clinical settings. They also contemplate the increasingly important place of medical ethics in the wider social context, particularly in this age of globalization, not only in healthcare practice, but also policy, discussions in the media, pressure group and activism settings, and in legal judgments. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Medical Law: A Very Short Introduction Charles Foster (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2013

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w112mm x s4mm 126g 10 black and white hafltones ISBN13: 9780199660445 ISBN13: 978-0-19-966044-5 ISBN10: 0199660441 EAN: 9780199660445 x Description: Medical law is concerned with our bodies, and what happens to them during and after our lives. When things go wrong with our bodies, we want to know what our rights are, and what governs the conduct of the clinicians into whose hands we put our lives and limbs. Dealing with matters of life and death, it can therefore have a fundamental impact on medical practice. Headlines in the media often involve the core issues of medical law - organ transplantation, abortion, withdrawal of treatment, euthanasia,

confidentiality, research on humans - these are topics that affect us all. Headlines can misrepresent, however. In order to fully understand the issues and their relevance, we have to delve into the cases and into the principles behind them. In this highly readable Very Short Introduction, Charles Foster explores different examples to illustrate the key problems and principles of medical law. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Medieval Britain: A Very Short Introduction John Gillingham (Author) Ralph A. Griffiths (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 192pp h179mm x w113mm x s12mm 165g 14 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780192854025 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285402-5 ISBN10: 019285402X EAN: 9780192854025 x Description: First published as part of the best-selling The Oxford Illustrated History of Britain, John Gillingham and Ralph A. Griffiths' Very Short Introduction to Medieval Britain covers the establishment of the Anglo-Norman monarchy in the early Middle Ages, through to England's failure to dominate the British Isles and France in the later Middle Ages. Out of the turbulence came stronger senses of identity in Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. Yet this was an age, too, of growing definition of Englishness and of a distinctive English cultural tradition. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Medieval Literature: A Very Short Introduction Elaine Treharne (Professor of English, Stanford University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

24 Sep 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w114mm x s9mm 128g ISBN13: 9780199668496 ISBN13: 978-0-19-966849-6 ISBN10: 0199668493 EAN: 9780199668496 x Description: This Very Short Introduction provides a compelling account of the emergence of the earliest literature in Britain and Ireland, including English, Welsh, Scottish, Irish, Anglo-Latin and Anglo-Norman. Introducing the reader to some of the greatest poetry, prose and drama ever written, Elaine Treharne discusses the historical and intellectual background to these works, and considers the physical production of the manuscripts and the earliest beginnings of print culture. Covering both well-known texts, such as Beowulf, The Canterbury Tales and the Mabinogion, as well as texts that are much less familiar, such as sermons, saints' lives, lyrics and histories, Treharne discusses major themes such as sin and salvation, kingship and authority, myth and the monstrous, and provides a full, but brief, account of one of the major periods in literary history. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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Medieval Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction Dr. John Marenbon (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

28 Jan 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w114mm x s10mm 151g 8 black and white halftones and line drawings ISBN13: 9780199663224 ISBN13: 978-0-19-966322-4 ISBN10: 019966322X EAN: 9780199663224 x Description: For many of us, the term 'medieval philosophy' conjures up the figure of Thomas Aquinas, and is closely intertwined with religion. In this Very Short Introduction John Marenbon shows how medieval philosophy had a far broader reach than the thirteenth and fourteenth-century universities of Christian Europe, and is instead one of the most exciting and diversified periods in the history of thought. Introducing the coexisting strands of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish philosophy, Marenbon shows how these traditions all go back to the Platonic schools of late antiquity and explains the complex ways in which they are interlinked. Providing an overview of some of the main thinkers, such as Boethius, Abelard, al-Farabi, Avicenna, Maimonides, and Gersonides, and the topics, institutions and literary forms of medieval philosophy, he discusses in detail some of the key issues in medieval thought: universals; mind, body and mortality; foreknowledge and freedom; society and the best life. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Memory: A Very Short Introduction Jonathan K. Foster (Clinical Professor affiliated with Curtin University, the University of Western Australia and the Telethon Institute.) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2009

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w110mm x s9mm 138g 22 halftones ISBN13: 9780192806758 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280675-8 ISBN10: 0192806750 EAN: 9780192806758 x Description: Why do we remember events from our childhood as if they happened yesterday, but not what we did last week? Why does our memory seem to work well sometimes and not others? What happens when it goes wrong? Can memory be improved or manipulated, by psychological techniques or even 'brain implants'? How does memory grow and change as we age? And what of so-called 'recovered' memories? This book brings together the latest research in neuroscience and psychology, and weaves in case-studies, anecdotes, and even literature and philosophy, to address these and many other important questions about the science of memory - how it works, and why we can't live without it. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Metaphysics: A Very Short Introduction Stephen Mumford (Department of Philosophy, University of Nottingham) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

30 Aug 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 128pp h173mm x w113mm x s8mm 117g c. 10 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199657124 ISBN13: 978-0-19-965712-4 ISBN10: 0199657122 EAN: 9780199657124 x Description: Metaphysics is one of the traditional four main branches of philosophy, alongside ethics, logic and epistemology. It is also an area that continues to attract and hold a fascination for many people yet it is associated with being complex and abstract. For some it is associated with the mystical or religious. For others it is known through the metaphysical poets who talk of love and spirituality. This Very Short Introduction goes right to the heart of the matter, getting to the basic and most important questions of metaphysical thought in order to understand the theory: What are objects? Do colours and shapes have some form of existence? What is it for one thing to cause another rather than just being associated with it? What is possible? Does time pass? By using these questions to initiate thought about the basic issues around substance, properties, changes, causes, possibilities, time, personal identity, nothingness and emergentism, Stephen Mumford provides a clear and simple path through this analytical tradition at the core of philosophical thought. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Methodism: A Very Short Introduction William J. Abraham (Albert Cook Outler Professor of Wesley Studies, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

19 Jan 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w112mm x s10mm 132g 8 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198802310 ISBN13: 978-0-19-880231-0 ISBN10: 0198802315 EAN: 9780198802310 x Description: Beginning as a renewal movement within Anglicanism in the eighteenth century, Methodism had become the largest Protestant denomination in the USA in the nineteenth century, and is today one of the most vibrant forms of Christianity. Representing a complex spiritual and evangelistic experiment that involves a passionate commitment to worldwide mission, it covers a global network of Christian denominations. In this Very Short Introduction William J. Abraham trace Methodism from its origins in the work of John Wesley and the hymns of his brother, Charles Wesley, in the eighteenth century, right up to the present. Considering the identity, nature, and history of Methodism, Abraham provides a fresh account of the place of Methodism in the life and thought of the Christian Church. Describing the message of Methodism, and who the Methodists are, he also considers the practices of Methodism, and discusses the global impact of Methodism and its decline in the homelands. Finally Abraham looks forward, and considers the future prospects for Methodism. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Michael Faraday: A Very Short Introduction Frank A. J. L. James (Professor of History of Science, The Royal Institution of Great Britain) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

25 Nov 2010

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 184pp h175mm x w115mm x s12mm 150g Approx 20 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199574315 ISBN13: 978-0-19-957431-5 ISBN10: 0199574316 EAN: 9780199574315 x Description: Michael Faraday is one of the best known scientific figures of all time. Known as the discoverer of electro-magnetic induction, the principle behind the electric generator and transformer, he has frequently been portrayed as the 'father' of electrical engineering from whence much of his popular fame derives. This Very Short Introduction dispels the myth that Faraday was an experimental genius working alone in his basement laboratory, making fundamental discoveries that were later applied by others. Instead, it portrays Faraday as a grand theorist of the physical world profoundly influencing later physicists such as Thomson (Kelvin), Maxwell, and Einstein. Frank A.J.L. James explores Faraday's life from his origins in eighteenth-century Westmorland and Yorkshire, his religious and scientific background, to the growth of his fame in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. As well as introducing his scientific research, he also puts Faraday in the various institutional contexts in which he lived and worked, including the Royal Institution, the Royal Society, Trinity House, and other agencies of the state. James therefore provides a commentary on the rapidly changing place of science in nineteenth-century society, especially in regards to its role in government and the growth of a professional scientific community. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Microbiology: A Very Short Introduction Nicholas P. Money (Professor of Botany and Western Program Director, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

04 Dec 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 136pp h174mm x w114mm x s8mm 131g Approx 23 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199681686 ISBN13: 978-0-19-968168-6 ISBN10: 0199681686 EAN: 9780199681686 x Description: In recent decades we have come to realize that the microbial world is hugely diverse, and can be found in the most extreme environments. Fungi, single-celled protists, bacteria, archaea, and the vast array of viruses and sub-viral particles far outnumber plants and animals. Microbes, we now know, play a critical role in ecosystems, in the chemistry of atmosphere and oceans, and within our bodies. The field of microbiology, armed with new techniques from molecular biology, is now one of the most vibrant in the life sciences. In this Very Short Introduction Nicholas P. Money explores not only the traditional methods of microscopy and laboratory culture but also the modern techniques of genetic detection and DNA sequencing, genomic analysis, and genetic manipulation. In turn he demonstrates how advances in microbiology have had a tremendous impact on the areas of medicine, agriculture, and biotechnology.

Microeconomics: A Very Short Introduction Avinash K. Dixit (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w114mm x s10mm 138g 17 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199689378 ISBN13: 978-0-19-968937-8 ISBN10: 0199689377 EAN: 9780199689378 x Description: Microeconomics - individuals' choices of where to live and work, how much to save, what to buy, and firms' decisions about location, hiring, firing, and investment - involves issues that concern us on a daily basis. But when people think about economics, they tend to place importance on the bigger picture - macroeconomics - including issues such as unemployment, inflation, and the competitiveness of nations. In this Very Short Introduction, Avinash Dixit argues that the microeconomy has a large impact on the economic world, arguably as much as the issues of macroeconomics. Dixit steers a clear path through the huge number of issues related to microeconomics, explaining what happens when things go well, as well as showing how they fail, why that happens, and what can be done about it. Using real-life examples from around the world, using the minimum of mathematics and including simple graphs, he provides insights into economics from psychology and sociology to explain economic behaviour and rational choice. An ideal introduction for anyone interested in business and economics. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Microscopy: A Very Short Introduction Terence Allen (Professor, University of Manchester) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

28 May 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h171mm x w108mm x s9mm 122g Approx 30 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780198701262 ISBN13: 978-0-19-870126-2 ISBN10: 0198701268 EAN: 9780198701262 x Description: Microscopy is a dynamic area of science, incorporating both basic classroom microscopes and sophisticated research style instruments that can be driven by light, electrons, or X-rays. The rate of advance in the area over the last 50 years has led to a number of technological advances. In this Very Short Introduction Terence Allen, an established expert on microscope techniques, describes the scientific principles behind the main forms of microscopy, and the exciting new developments in the field. Focusing on the main underlying principles, and introducing the power of what is achievable today using microscopes, Allen demonstrates how microscopy impinges on almost every aspect of our daily lives; from medical diagnosis to quality control in manufacture. Beginning with a brief history of the early stages of microscopy development, Allen then concludes with a comprehensive account of the diverse spectrum of microscopy available today. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new

Military Justice: A Very Short Introduction Eugene R. Fidell (Senior Research Scholar in Law and the Florence Rogatz Visiting Lecturer in Law, Senior Research Scholar in Law and the Florence Rogatz Visiting Lecturer in Law, Yale Law School) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

27 Oct 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 160pp h113mm x w181mm x s10mm 126g 10 ISBN13: 9780199303496 ISBN13: 978-0-19-930349-6 ISBN10: 0199303495 EAN: 9780199303496 x Description: You can't handle the truth. These iconic words, bellowed by Jack Nicholson as Colonel Jessup in the 1992 movie A Few Good Men, became an emblem of the conflict between honor and truth that the collective imagination often considers the quintessence of military justice. The military is the rare part of contemporary society that enjoys the privilege of policing its own members' behavior, with special courts and a separate body of rules. Whether one is for or against this system, military trials are fascinating and little understood. This book opens a window on the military judicial system, offering an accessible and balanced assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of military legal regimes around the world. It illuminates US military justice through a comparison with civilian and foreign models for the administration of justice, with a particular emphasis on the UK and Canadian military justice systems. Drawing on his experience as a serving officer, private practitioner, and law professor, Eugene R. Fidell presents a hard-hitting tour of the field, exploring military justice trends across different countries and compliance (or lack thereof) with contemporary human rights standards. He digs into critical issues such as the response to sexual assault in the armed forces, the challenges of protecting judicial independence, and the effect of social media and modern technology on age-old traditions of military discipline. A rich series of case studies, ranging from examples of misconduct, such as the devastating Abu Ghraib photos, to political tangles, such as the Guantanamo military commissions, throw light on the high profile and occasionally obscure circumstances that emerge from today's military operations around the world. As Fidell's account shows, by understanding the mechanism of military justice we can better comprehend the political values of a country. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Military Strategy: A Very Short Introduction Antulio J. Echevarria, II (Director of Research, Director of Research, U.S. Army War College) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

06 Mar 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 144pp h174mm x w113mm x s9mm 134g ISBN13: 9780199340132 ISBN13: 978-0-19-934013-2 ISBN10: 0199340137 EAN: 9780199340132 x Description: Since ancient times, poets, historians, and philosophers have contemplated warlords' exploits in battle and praised their ability to lead armies toward victory as the "art of the general." Today, this quality is designated military strategy. Military strategy plays a vital role in every conflict, because, as the United States' involvement in the Vietnam conflict showed, when the overarching strategy is weak it is possible to win every battle but still lose a war. Taking inspiration from the greatest military theoreticians of history, such as Sun Tzu, Niccolo Machiavelli, and Carl von Clausewitz, this Very Short Introduction highlights the dynamic relationship between the principal components of strategy: purpose, method, and means. Drawing on paradigmatic

examples, from Hannibal's war against Rome to Napoleon's victory at Austerlitz, from the Allies' campaign to overwhelm Hitler's fortress to the terror attacks of September 11, Antulio J. Echevarria II vividly illustrates the factors contributing to the success or failure of military strategy. Echevarria describes the major types of military strategy and their advantages and disadvantages: annihilation and dislocation; attrition and exhaustion; deterrence and coercion; terror and terrorism; targeted killing; and cyber power. He also explores the emerging nano- and bio-genetic technologies and explains how they are affecting today's military strategy. Clear and engaging, this book shows that military strategy is essential for understanding major events of the past and becomes even more critical today, in a world increasingly threatened by weapons of mass destruction, terrorist attacks, and new dimensions of conflict, such as cyberwar and space. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Minerals: A Very Short Introduction David J. Vaughan (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w114mm x s8mm 126g Approx 30 black and white line drawings ISBN13: 9780199682843 ISBN13: 978-0-19-968284-3 ISBN10: 0199682844 EAN: 9780199682843 x Description: Minerals existed long before any forms of life, playing a key role in the origin and evolution of life; an interaction with biological systems that we are only now beginning to understand. Exploring the traditional strand of mineralogy, which emphasises the important mineral families, the wellestablished analytical methods (optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction) and the dramatic developments made in techniques over recent decades, David Vaughan also introduces the modern strand of mineralogy, which explores the role minerals play in the plate tectonic cycle and how they interact with the living world. Demonstrating how minerals can be critical for human health and illness by providing essential nutrients and releasing poisons, Vaughan explores the multitude of ways in which minerals have aided our understanding of the world. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Miracles: A Very Short Introduction Yujin Nagasawa (Professor of Philosophy, University of Birmingham) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Nov 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h174mm x w110mm x s8mm 114g 10 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198747215 ISBN13: 978-0-19-874721-5 ISBN10: 0198747217 EAN: 9780198747215 x Description: Jesus turned water into wine, Mohammad split the moon into two, and Buddha walked and spoke immediately upon birth. According to recent statistics, even in the present age of advanced science and technology, most people believe in miracles. In fact, newspapers and television regularly report alleged miracles, such as recoveries from incurable diseases, extremely unlikely coincidences, and religious signs and messages on unexpected objects. In this book the award-winning author and philosopher Yujin Nagasawa addresses some of our most fundamental questions concerning miracles. What exactly is a miracle? What types of miracles are believed in the world's great religions? What do recent scientific findings tell us about miracles? Can we rationally believe that miracles have really taken place? Can there be acts that are more religiously significant than miracles? Drawing on a vast

variety of fascinating examples from across the major religions, Nagasawa discusses the lively debate on miracles that ranges from reported miracles in ancient scriptures in the East and West to cutting-edge scientific research on belief formation. Throughout, he drives us to ask ourselves if and how we can still believe in in miracles in the twenty-first century. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Modern Architecture: A Very Short Introduction Adam Sharr (Professor of Architecture, and Head of the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, Newcastle University, UK) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

06 Dec 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 192pp h176mm x w109mm x s11mm 150g 29 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198783442 ISBN13: 978-0-19-878344-2 ISBN10: 0198783442 EAN: 9780198783442 x Description: Somewhere between 1910 and 1970, architecture changed. Now that modern architecture has become familiar (sometimes celebrated, sometimes vilified), it's hard to imagine how novel it once seemed. Expensive buildings were transformed from ornamental fancies which referred to the classical and medieval pasts into strikingly plain reflections of novel materials, functions, and technologies. Modern architecture promised the transformation of cities from overcrowded conurbations characterised by packed slums and dirty industries to spacious realms of generous housing and clean mechanised production set in parkland. At certain times and in certain cultures, it stood for the liberation of the future from the past. This Very Short Introduction explores the technical innovations that opened-up the cultural and intellectual opportunities for modern architecture to happen. Adam Sharr shows how the invention of steel and reinforced concrete radically altered possibilities for shaping buildings, transforming what architects were able to imagine, as did new systems for air conditioning and lighting. While architects weren't responsible for these innovations, they were among the first to appreciate how they could make the world look and feel different, in connection with imagery from other spheres like modern art and industrial design. Focusing on a selection of modern buildings that also symbolize bigger cultural ideas, Sharr discusses what modern architecture was like, why it was like that, and how it was imagined. Considering the work of some of the historians and critics who helped to shape modern architecture, he demonstrates how the field owes as much to its storytellers as to its buildings. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Modern Art: A Very Short Introduction David Cottington (Professor of History of Art at Falmouth College of Art) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

24 Feb 2005

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w111mm x s10mm 148g numerous halftones ISBN13: 9780192803641 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280364-1 ISBN10: 0192803646 EAN: 9780192803641 x

Description: As public interest in modern art continues to grow, as witnessed by the spectacular success of Tate Modern and the Bilbao Guggenheim, there is a real need for a book that will engage general readers, offering them not only information and ideas about modern art, but also explaining its contemporary relevance and history. This book achieves all this and focuses on interrogating the idea of 'modern' art by asking such questions as: What has made a work of art qualify as modern (or fail to)? How has this selection been made? What is the relationship between modern and contemporary art? Is 'postmodernist' art no longer modern, or just no longer modernist - in either case, why, and what does this claim mean, both for art and the idea of 'the modern'? Cottington examines many key aspects of this subject, including the issue of controversy in modern art, from Manet's Dejeuner sur L'Herbe (1863) to Picasso's Les Demoiselles, and Tracey Emin's Bed, (1999); and the role of the dealer from the main Cubist art dealer Kahnweiler to Charles Saatchi. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Modern Brazil: A Very Short Introduction Anthony W. Pereira (Brazil Institute, King's College London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

08 Oct 2020

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h174mm x w111mm 9 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198812081 ISBN13: 978-0-19-881208-1 ISBN10: 0198812086 EAN: 9780198812081 x Description: Brazil is associated in many people's minds with conviviality, sensuality, and natural beauty. Yet the country behind these images and associations is something of an enigma. It is alternately praised as the "country of the future", a rising power ready to take its place at the top tables of global governance, or written off as a perennial disappointment, a country forever failing to reach its potential, mired in corruption, inequality, poverty, and violence. These oscillations between euphoria and despair obscure a country with its own unique trajectory through the 20th and 21st centuries. This Very Short Introduction offers an account of modern Brazil that covers some of the major features of the country's transformation, including the rise of the modern state in the mid-20th century, the violent repression of dictatorship, the domestic economic, political, and social challenges faced by the country today, and the role Brazil plays in dealing with some of the most important contemporary global problems. In doing so, Anthony Pereira highlights some of the peculiar features of Brazil's development, such as the tendency of its political leaders to engage in complicated, informal political deals; the state's welfare institutions that often exacerbate, rather than improve, the country's deep economic inequalities; and Brazil's long history of peaceful relations with its neighbours despite a high level of state violence against citizens.

Modern China: A Very Short Introduction Rana Mitter (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

25 Feb 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h174mm x w113mm x s9mm 148g 12 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780198753704 ISBN13: 978-0-19-875370-4 ISBN10: 0198753705 EAN: 9780198753704

x Description: China today is never out of the news: from international finance to human rights controversies, global coverage of its rising international presence, and the Chinese 'economic miracle'. It seems to be a country of contradictions: a peasant society with some of the world's most futuristic cities, heir to an ancient civilization that is still trying to find a modern identity. This Very Short Introduction offers the reader an entry to understanding the world's most populous nation, giving an integrated picture of modern Chinese society, culture, economy, politics, and art. In this new edition, Rana Mitter addresses China's current global position, accounting for the country's growth in global significance over the past decade. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Modern Drama: A Very Short Introduction Kirsten Shepherd-Barr (University Lecturer in Modern Drama, Faculty of English, University of Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

11 Feb 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w115mm x s9mm 120g 10 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199658770 ISBN13: 978-0-19-965877-0 ISBN10: 0199658773 EAN: 9780199658770 x Description: The story of modern drama is a tale of extremes, testing both audiences and actors to their limits through hostility and contrarianism. Spanning 1880 to the present, Kirsten E. Shepherd-Barr shows how truly international a phenomenon modern drama has become, and how vibrant and diverse in both text and performance. This Very Short Introduction explores the major developments of modern drama, covering two decades per chapter, from early modernist theatre through post-war developments to more recent and contemporary theatre. Shepherd-Barr tracks the emergence of new theories from the likes of Brecht and Beckett alongside groundbreaking productions to illuminate the fascinating evolution of modern drama. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Modern France: A Very Short Introduction Vanessa R. Schwartz (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

01 Oct 2011

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 152pp h173mm x w121mm x s18mm 120g 10 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780195389418 ISBN13: 978-0-19-538941-8 ISBN10: 0195389417 EAN: 9780195389418 x Description: In this Very Short Introduction, Vanessa Schwartz argues that modern France, as both a world stage and a global crossroads, is an essential actor in the development of contemporary culture. Indeed, French is the only language other than English spoken on five continents, and more people still visit France than anywhere else in the world. French fashion continues to dominate haute couture and, at the same time, French people are at the forefront of international "style," which was as true in the first half of the twentieth century as it is today. This tension between "Frenchness" as both particular and transnational remains one of the most compelling qualities of the culture. If French culture and culture producers are working around the globe, if Paris is an

international capital, the marvel is that France still manages to attract visitors from all over the world seeking out the drama of its historic castles and significant battlefields, its more than 300 cheeses and the renowned wines grown in its rich soil. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Modern India: A Very Short Introduction Craig Jeffrey (Director of the Australia India Institute) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Nov 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h172mm x w110mm x s8mm 119g 17 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198769347 ISBN13: 978-0-19-876934-7 ISBN10: 0198769342 EAN: 9780198769347 x Description: India is widely recognised as a new global powerhouse. It has become one of the world's emerging powers, rivalling China in terms of global influence. Yet people still know relatively little about the economic, social, political, and cultural changes unfolding in India today. To what extent are people benefiting from the economic boom? Does caste still exist in India? How is India's culture industry responding to technological change? And what of India's rapidly changing role internationally? This Very Short Introduction looks at the exciting world of change in contemporary India. Craig Jeffrey provides a compelling account of the recent history of the nation, investigating the contradictions that are plaguing modern India and the manner in which people, especially young people, are actively remaking the country in the twenty first century. One thing is clear: India is a country that is going to become increasingly important for the world over the next decades.

Modern Ireland: A Very Short Introduction Senia Paseta (Tutorial Fellow in Modern History, St Hugh's College, Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 184pp h177mm x w113mm x s12mm 141g numerous halftones ISBN13: 9780192801678 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280167-8 ISBN10: 0192801678 EAN: 9780192801678 x Description: This is a book about the Irish Question, or more specifically about Irish Questions. The term has become something of a catch-all, a convenient way to encompass numerous issues and developments which pertain to the political, social, and economic history of modern Ireland.The Irish Question has of course changed: one of the main aims of this book is to explore the complicated and shifting nature of the Irish Question and to assess what it has meant to various political minds and agendas. No other issue brought down as many nineteenth-century governments and no comparable twentieth-century dilemma has matched its ability to frustrate the attempts of British cabinets to find a solution; this inability to find a lasting answer to the Irish Question is especially striking when seen in the context of the massive shifts in British foreign policy brought about by two world wars, decolonization, and the cold war.

Senia Paseta charts the changing nature of the Irish Question over the last 200 years, within an international political and social historical context. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Modern Italy: A Very Short Introduction Anna Cento Bull (Professor of Italian Studies, University of Bath) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w111mm x s10mm 126g 10 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198726517 ISBN13: 978-0-19-872651-7 ISBN10: 0198726511 EAN: 9780198726517 x Description: The history of modern Italy is characterized by recurrent cultural and political projects of modernity, rejuvenation, and regeneration; projects which often had their roots in a widespread dissatisfaction with social and political reality, and perceived moral corruption. The Risorgimento, the movement leading to Italian Unification in 1861, explicitly linked the quest for national unity to a process of moral regeneration and progress. Later forms of nationalism and the rise of fascism in the first two decades of the twentieth century advocated a spiritual revolution and the moulding of new Italians through war and violence. The tragic outcome of Italian fascism led to the emergence of new visions of progress during the post-war First Republic, in which European integration was embraced with conviction. In the last 25 years a project of of modernization epitomized by Silvio Berlusconi has characterized Italian politics, invoking a mixture of nationalist themes and an uncritical embracing of consumer and media culture. In this Very Short Introduction Anna Cento Bull addresses the question of what modernity means to Italy, and asks what modern Italy stands for. She considers Italy's political system and style of government, and looks at its economic modernisation and issues with emigration, internal migration and immigration. Bull concludes by looking at the Italian culture and lifestyle, including modern art and architecture, cinema, literature, gastronomy, fashion and sport. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Modern Japan: A Very Short Introduction Christopher Goto-Jones (Professor of Modern Japan Studies, University of Leiden) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2009

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h174mm x w112mm x s10mm 155g 21 halftones ISBN13: 9780199235698 ISBN13: 978-0-19-923569-8 ISBN10: 0199235694 EAN: 9780199235698 x Description: Japan is arguably today's most successful industrial economy, combining almost unprecedented affluence with social stability and apparent harmony. Japanese goods and cultural products are consumed all over the world, ranging from animated movies and computer games all the way through to cars, semiconductors, and management techniques. In many ways, Japan is an icon of the modern world, and yet it remains something of an enigma to many, who see it as a confusing montage of the alien and the familiar, the ancient and modern. The aim of this Very Short Introduction is to explode the myths and explore the reality of modern Japan - by taking a concise look at its history, economy, politics, and culture.

Modern Latin American Literature: A Very Short Introduction Roberto Gonzalez Echevarria (Sterling Professor of Hispanic and Comparative Literature, Sterling Professor of Hispanic and Comparative Literature, Yale University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

24 Jan 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 152pp h173mm x w115mm x s10mm 120g 10 b/w halftones ISBN13: 9780199754915 ISBN13: 978-0-19-975491-5 ISBN10: 0199754918 EAN: 9780199754915 x Description: In the 1960s, Latin American literature became known worldwide as never before. Writers such as Jorge Luis Borges, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Carlos Fuentes, Pablo Neruda, Octavio Paz, and Mario Vargas Llosa all became part of the general culture of educated readers of English, French, German, and Italian. But few know about the literary tradition from which these writers emerged. This Very Short Introduction remedies this situation, providing an overview of modern Latin American literature from the late eighteenth century to the present. Roberto Gonzalez Echevarria covers a wide range of topics, discussing the birth of Modernismo, the first Latin American literary movement; how the end of World War I and the Mexican Revolution produced the avant-garde; and how the Cuban Revolution sparked a movement in the novel that came to be known as the Boom. Within this narrative, the author covers many of the major writers of Latin American literature, from Andres Bello and Jose Maria de Heredia through Borges and Garcia Marquez to Fernando Vallejo and Roberto Bolano. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Modern War: A Very Short Introduction Richard English (Bishop Wardlaw Professor of Politics, and Director of the Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence, University of St Andrews) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

25 Jul 2013

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w115mm x s9mm 141g Approx 11 black and white illustrations and maps ISBN13: 9780199607891 ISBN13: 978-0-19-960789-1 ISBN10: 0199607893 EAN: 9780199607891 x Description: Warfare is the most dangerous threat faced by modern humanity. It is also one of the key influences that has shaped the politics, economics, and society of the modern period. But what do we mean by modern war? What causes modern wars to begin? Why do people fight in them, why do they end, and what have they achieved? In this accessible and compelling Very Short Introduction, Richard English explores the assumptions we make about modern warfare and considers them against the backdrop of their historical reality.

Drawing on the wide literature available, including direct accounts of the experience of war, English provides an authoritative account of modern war: its origins, evolution, dynamics, and current trends. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Modernism: A Very Short Introduction Christopher Butler (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

29 Jul 2010

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 136pp h174mm x w114mm x s8mm 119g 15 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780192804419 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280441-9 ISBN10: 0192804413 EAN: 9780192804419 x Description: Is a tower block, your unmade bed, your lavatory basin, or the bicycle chained to the gate next door a work of art? Why should a novel have a beginning, a middle, and an end; or even a story? Whether we recognise it or not, virtually every aspect of our life today has been influenced in part by the aesthetic legacy of Modernism. In this Very Short Introduction Christopher Butler examines how and why Modernism began, explaining what it is and showing how it has gradually informed all aspects of 20th and 21st century life. Butler considers several aspects of modernism including some modernist works; movements and notions of the avant garde; and the idea of 'progress' in art. Butler looks at modernist ideas of the self, subjectivity, irrationalism, people and machines, and political definitions of modernism as a whole. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Molecular Biology: A Very Short Introduction Aysha Divan (Associate Professor, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds) (Author) Janice Royds (Honorary Senior Research Fellow, University of Otago, New Zealand) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

25 Aug 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h173mm x w126mm x s10mm 132g 28 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198723882 ISBN13: 978-0-19-872388-2 ISBN10: 0198723881 EAN: 9780198723882 x Description: Molecular Biology is the story of the molecules of life, their relationships, and how these interactions are controlled. It is an expanding field in life sciences, and its applications are wide and growing. We can now harness the power of molecular biology to treat diseases, solve crimes, map human history, and produce genetically modified organisms and crops, and these applications have sparked a multitude of fascinating legal and ethical debates. In this Very Short Introduction, Aysha Divan and Janice Royds examine the history, present, and future of Molecular Biology. Starting with the building blocks established by Darwin, Wallace and Mendel, and the discovery of the structure of DNA in 1953, they consider the wide range of applications for Molecular Biology today, including the development of new drugs, and forensic science. They also look forward to two key areas of evolving research such as personalised medicine and synthetic biology.

Molecules: A Very Short Introduction Philip Ball (Freelance science writer and consultant editor of Nature) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2003

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 184pp h176mm x w112mm x s11mm 141g numerous halftones and line drawings ISBN13: 9780192854308 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285430-8 ISBN10: 0192854305 EAN: 9780192854308 x Description: The processes in a single living cell are akin to that of a city teeming with molecular inhabitants that move, communicate, cooperate, and compete. In this Very Short Introduction, Philip Ball explores the role of the molecule in and around us - how, for example, a single fertilized egg can grow into a multi-celled Mozart, what makes spider's silk insoluble in the morning dew, and how this molecular dynamism is being captured in the laboratory, promising to reinvent chemistry as the central creative science of the century. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Monasticism: A Very Short Introduction Stephen J. Davis (Professor of Religious Studies, History, and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, Yale University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

08 Feb 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w114mm x s10mm 128g 9 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198717645 ISBN13: 978-0-19-871764-5 ISBN10: 0198717644 EAN: 9780198717645 x Description: Monasticism is a social and religious phenomenon which originated in antiquity and which still remains relevant in the twenty-first century. But what, exactly, is it, and how is it distinguished from other kinds of religious and non-religious practice? In this Very Short Introduction Stephen J. Davis discusses the history of monasticism, from our earliest evidence for it, and the different types which have developed from antiquity to the present day. He considers where monasteries are located, from East Asia to North America, and everywhere in between, and how their settings impact the everyday life and worldview of the monks and nuns who dwell there. Exploring how monastic communities are organized, he also looks at how aspects of life like food, sleep, sex, work, and prayer are regimented. Finally, Davis discusses what the stories about saints communicate about monastic identity and ethics, and considers what place there is for monasticism in the modern world. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Montaigne: A Very Short Introduction William M. Hamlin (Professor of English, Professor of English, Washington State University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introduction

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

05 Nov 2020

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 160pp h175mm x w111mm 10 ISBN13: 9780190848774 ISBN13: 978-0-19-084877-4 ISBN10: 0190848774 EAN: 9780190848774 x Description: The French author Michel de Montaigne is widely regarded as the founder and greatest practitioner of the personal essay. A member of the minor aristocracy, he worked as a judicial investigator, served as mayor of Bordeaux, and sought to bring stability to his war-torn country during the latter half of the sixteenth century. He is best known today, however, as the author of the Essays, a vast collection of meditations on topics ranging from love and sexuality to freedom, learning, doubt, self-scrutiny, and peace of mind. One of the most original books ever to emerge from Europe, Montaigne's masterpiece has been continuously and powerfully influential among writers and philosophers from its first appearance down to the present day. His extraordinary curiosity and discernment, combined with his ability to mix thoughtful judgment with revealing anecdote, make him one of the most readable of all writers. In Montaigne: A Very Short Introduction, William M. Hamlin provides an overview of Montaigne's life, thought, and writing, situating the Essays within the arc of Montaigne's lived experience and focusing on themes of particular interest for contemporary readers. Designed for a broad audience, this introduction will appeal to first-time students of Montaigne as well as to seasoned experts and admirers. Well-informed and lucidly written, Hamlin's book offers an ideal point of entry into the life and work of the world's first and most extraordinary essayist. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Moons: A Very Short Introduction David A. Rothery (Professor of Planetary Geosciences at the Open University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

26 Nov 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h174mm x w116mm x s10mm 151g 26 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780198735274 ISBN13: 978-0-19-873527-4 ISBN10: 0198735278 EAN: 9780198735274 x Description: Proving to be both varied and fascinating, moons are far more common than planets in our Solar System. Our own Moon has had a profound influence on Earth, not only through tidal effects, but even on the behaviour of some marine animals. Many remarkable things have been discovered about the moons of the giant outer planets from Voyager, Galileo, Cassini, and other spacecraft. Scientists have glimpsed volcanic activity on Io, found oceans of water on Titan, and captured photos of icy geysers bursting from Enceladus. It looks likely that microbial life beyond the Earth may be discovered on a moon rather than a planet. In this Very Short Introduction David Rothery introduces the reader to the moons of our Solar System, beginning with the early discoveries of Galileo and others, describing their variety of mostly mythological names, and the early use of Jupiter's moons to establish position at sea and to estimate the speed of light. Rothery discusses the structure, formation, and influence of our Moon, and those of the other planets, and ends with the recent discovery of moons orbiting asteroids, whilst looking forward to the possibility of finding moons of exoplanets in planetary systems far beyond our own.

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area.

Mormonism: A Very Short Introduction Richard Lyman Bushman (Gouverneur Morris Professor of History, Gouverneur Morris Professor of History, Columbia University (Emeritus)) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

01 Mar 2008

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 144pp h174mm x w111mm x s9mm 128g 12 illustrations ISBN13: 9780195310306 ISBN13: 978-0-19-531030-6 ISBN10: 0195310306 EAN: 9780195310306 x Description: Mormonism is frequently described as the most successful indigenous American religion. Mormon beliefs arouse curiosity because they depart from normal Christian doctrine, leading to the question: Are Mormons Christian? This introduction will include the history of the contemporary Mormonism, and an analysis and emphasis of Mormon beliefs, beginning with Joseph Smith, the founding prophet. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mountains: A Very Short Introduction Martin Price (University of the Highlands and Islands at Perth) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w121mm x s9mm 122g a number of black and white images ISBN13: 9780199695881 ISBN13: 978-0-19-969588-1 ISBN10: 0199695881 EAN: 9780199695881 x Description: Mountains cover a quarter of the Earth's land surface and are home to about 12 percent of the global population. They are the sources of all the world's major rivers, affect regional weather patterns, provide centres of biological and cultural diversity, hold deposits of minerals, and provide both active and contemplative recreation. Yet mountains are also significantly affected by climate change; as melting and retreating glaciers show. Given the manifold goods and services which mountains provide to the world, such changes are of global importance. In this Very Short Introduction, Martin Price outlines why mountains matter at the global level, and addresses the existing and likely impacts of climate change on mountain, hydrological and ecological systems. Considering the risks associated with the increasing frequency of extreme events and 'natural hazards' caused by climate change, he discusses the implications for both mountain societies and wider populations, and concludes by emphasizing the need for greater cooperation in order to adapt to climate change in our increasingly globalized world. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Muhammad: A Very Short Introduction Jonathan A.C. Brown (Assistant Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilization, University of Washington, Seattle) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

24 Mar 2011

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h171mm x w107mm x s12mm 128g 10 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199559282 ISBN13: 978-0-19-955928-2 ISBN10: 0199559287 EAN: 9780199559282 x Description: As the founder of Islam Muhammad is one of the most influential figures in history. The furor surrounding the Satanic Verses and the Danish cartoon crisis reminded the world of the tremendous importance of the prophet of Islam, Muhammad. Learning about his life and understanding its importance, however, has always proven difficult. Our knowledge of Muhammad comes from the biography of him written by his followers, but Western historians have questioned the reliability of this story in their quest to uncover the 'historical Muhammad'. As modern controversies have shown, whatever the truth about Muhammad's life, his persona has taken on numerous shapes and played a crucial role in Muslim life and civilization. This Very Short Introduction provides an introduction to the major aspects of Muhammad's life and its importance, providing both the Muslim and Western historical perspectives. It also explains the prominent roles that Muhammad's persona has played in the Islamic world, from the medieval to the modern period. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Multiculturalism: A Very Short Introduction Ali Rattansi (Visiting Professor of Sociology, City University, London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2011

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 200pp h173mm x w123mm x s14mm 152g 6 black and white photographs ISBN13: 9780199546039 ISBN13: 978-0-19-954603-9 ISBN10: 0199546037 EAN: 9780199546039 x Description: Multiculturalism appears to be in terminal crisis. It has been blamed for undermining national identity, diluting social cohesion, creating ethnic ghettos and cultural fragmentation, providing fertile ground for Islamic radicalism, encouraging perverse 'political correctness', and restricting liberal freedoms of expression, amongst other things. The public debate over multiculturalism has polarised opinion amongst the general public, policy makers, and politicians. But how much real evidence, beyond tabloid headlines and anecdotes, exists for these claims? In this Very Short Introduction, Ali Rattansi considers the actual evidence from social science research to provide a balanced assessment of the truth and falsity of the charges against multiculturalism. Dispelling many myths in the process, he also warns about the dangers that lurk in an uncritical endorsement of multiculturalism, and concludes by arguing that it is time to move on to a form of 'interculturalism'. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Multilingualism: A Very Short Introduction John C. Maher (Professor of Linguistics, International Christian University, Tokyo) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

25 May 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w114mm x s11mm 130g 8 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198724995 ISBN13: 978-0-19-872499-5 ISBN10: 0198724993 EAN: 9780198724995 x Description: The languages of the world can be seen and heard in cities and towns, forests and isolated settlements, as well as on the internet and in international organizations like the UN or the EU. How did the world acquire so many languages? Why can't we all speak one language, like English or Esperanto? And what makes a person bilingual? Multilingualism, language diversity in society, is a perfect expression of human plurality. About 6,500-7,000 languages are spoken, written and signed, throughout the linguistic landscape of the world, by people who communicate in more than one language (at work, or in the family or community). Many origin myths, like Babel, called it a 'punishment' but multilingualism makes us who we are and plays a large part of our sense of belonging. Languages are instruments for interacting with the cultural environment and their ecology is complex. They can die (Tasmanian), or decline then revive (Manx and Hawaiian), reconstitute from older forms (modern Hebrew), gain new status (Catalan and Maori) or become autonomous national languages (Croatian). Languages can even play a supportive and symbolic role as some territories pursue autonomy or nationhood, such as in the cases of Catalonia and Scotland. In this Very Short Introduction John C. Maher shows how multilingualism offers cultural diversity, complex identities, and alternative ways of doing and knowing to hybrid identities. Increasing multilingualism is drastically changing our view of the value of language, and our notion of the part language plays in national and cultural identities. At the same time multilingualism can lead to social and political conflict, unequal power relations, issues of multiculturalism, and discussions over 'national' or 'official' languages, with struggles over language rights of local and indigenous communities. Considering multilingualism in the context of globalization, Maher also looks at the fate of many endangered languages as they disappear from the world.

Music: A Very Short Introduction Nicholas Cook (1684 Professor of Music Emeritus, University of Cambridge) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Feb 2021

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h174mm x w111mm 21 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198726043 ISBN13: 978-0-19-872604-3 ISBN10: 019872604X EAN: 9780198726043 x Description: Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring The world teems with different kinds of music - traditional, folk, classical, jazz, rock, pop - and each type of music tends to come with its own way of thinking. Drawing on a wealth of accessible examples ranging from Beethoven to Chinese zither music, this Very Short Introduction considers the history of music and thinking about music, focussing on its social and cultural dimensions. Nicholas Cook balances the Western Classical traditions within the context of many other musical cultures in today's world, tracing the way in which their development since the eighteenth century has conditioned present-day thinking and practice both within and beyond the West. He also considers the nature of music as a real-time performance practice; the role of music in contexts of social and political action; and the nature of musical thinking, including the roles played in it by instruments, notations, and creative imagination.

In this new edition Cook explores the impact of digital technology on the production and consumption of music, including how it has transformed participatory music-making and the music business. He also discusses music's position in a globalized world, from the role it played in historical processes of colonisation and decolonisation to its present-day significance as a vehicle of cross-cultural communication. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Music: A Very Short Introduction Nicholas Cook (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

24 Feb 2000

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h179mm x w112mm x s9mm 126g black and white halftones and line drawings ISBN13: 9780192853820 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285382-0 ISBN10: 0192853821 EAN: 9780192853820 x Description: This stimulating Very Short Introduction to music invites us to really think about music and the values and qualities we ascribe to it. The world teems with different kinds of music-traditional, folk, classical, jazz, rock, pop-and each type of music tends to come with its own way of thinking. Drawing on a wealth of accessible examples ranging from Beethoven to Chinese zither music, Nicholas Cook attempts to provide a framework for thinking about all music. By examining the personal, social, and cultural values that music embodies, the book reveals the shortcomings of traditional conceptions of music, and sketches a more inclusive approach emphasizing the role of performers and listeners. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Myth: A Very Short Introduction Robert Segal (Sixth Century Chair in Religious Studies, University of Aberdeen) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Jul 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w113mm x s9mm 142g 9 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780198724704 ISBN13: 978-0-19-872470-4 ISBN10: 0198724705 EAN: 9780198724704 x Description: Where do myths come from? What is their function and what do they mean? In this Very Short Introduction Robert Segal introduces the array of approaches used to understand the study of myth. These approaches hail from disciplines as varied as anthropology, sociology, psychology, literary criticism, philosophy, science, and religious studies. Including ideas from theorists as varied as Sigmund Freud, Claude Levi-Strauss, Albert Camus, and Roland Barthes, Segal uses the famous ancient myth of Adonis to analyse their individual approaches and theories. In this new edition, he not only considers the future study of myth, but also considers the interactions of myth theory with cognitive science, the implications of the myth of Gaia, and the differences between story-telling and myth. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area.

Napoleon: A Very Short Introduction David A Bell (Department of History Princeton University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

15 Oct 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 160pp h175mm x w113mm x s9mm 124g 10 halftones ISBN13: 9780199321667 ISBN13: 978-0-19-932166-7 ISBN10: 0199321663 EAN: 9780199321667 x Description: This Very Short Introduction provides a concise, accurate, and lively portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte's character and career, situating him firmly in historical context. David Bell emphasizes the astonishing sense of human possibility-for both good and ill-that Napoleon represented. By his late twenties, Napoleon was already one of the greatest generals in European history. At thirty, he had become absolute master of Europe's most powerful country. In his early forties, he ruled a European empire more powerful than any since Rome, fighting wars that changed the shape of the continent and brought death to millions. Then everything collapsed, leading him to spend his last years in miserable exile in the South Atlantic. Bell emphasizes the importance of the French Revolution in understanding Napoleon's career. The revolution made possible the unprecedented concentration of political authority that Napoleon accrued, and his success in mobilizing human and material resources. Without the political changes brought about by the revolution, Napoleon could not have fought his wars. Without the wars, he could not have seized and held onto power. Though his virtual dictatorship betrayed the ideals of liberty and equality, his life and career were revolutionary. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Nazi Germany: A Very Short Introduction Jane Caplan (Professor Emeritus of Modern European History, University of Oxford, and Emeritus Fellow, St Antony's College, Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

08 Aug 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 200pp h174mm x w111mm x s13mm 152g 12 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198706953 ISBN13: 978-0-19-870695-3 ISBN10: 0198706952 EAN: 9780198706953 x Description: Any consideration of the 20th century would be incomplete without a discussion of Nazi Germany, an extraordinary regime which dominated European history for 12 years, and left a legacy that still echoes with us today. The incredible force of the destructive vision at the heart of Nazi Germany led to a second world war when the world was still aching from the first one, and an incomprehensible death count, both at home and abroad. In this Very Short Introduction, Jane Caplan's insightful analysis of Nazi Germany provides a highly relevant reminder of the fragility of democratic institutions, and the ways in which the exploitation of national fears, mass political movements, and frail political opposition can lead to the imposition of dictatorship. Considering the emergence and popular appeal of the Nazi party, she discusses the relationships between belief, consent, and terror in securing the regime, alongside the crucial role played by Hitler himself. Covering the full history of the regime, she includes an unflinching look at the dark stains of war, persecution, and genocide. At the same time, Caplan offers unexpected angles of vision and insights; asking readers to look behind the handful of over-used images of

Nazi Germany we are familiar with, and to engage critically with a history that that is so abhorrent it risks seeming beyond interpretation.

Nationalism: A Very Short Introduction Steven Grosby (Professor of Religion, Clemson University, South Carolina) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

08 Sep 2005

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w113mm x s10mm 139g numerous halftones, 3 maps, 1 line drawing ISBN13: 9780192840981 ISBN13: 978-0-19-284098-1 ISBN10: 0192840983 EAN: 9780192840981 x Description: This book examines the political and moral challenges that face the vast majority of human beings who consider themselves to be members of various nations. It explores nationality through the difficulties and conflicts that have arisen throughout history, and discusses nations and nationalism from social, philosophical, and anthropological perspectives. In this fascinating Very Short Introduction, Steven Grosby looks at the nation in history, the territorial element in nationality, and the complex ways nationality has co-existed with religion, and shows how closely linked the concept of nationalism is with being human. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Native American Literature: A Very Short Introduction Sean Teuton (Associate professor of English and American Indian Studies; director, American Indian Studies Program, Associate professor of English and American Indian Studies; director, American Indian Studies Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

15 Apr 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 176pp h174mm x w112mm x s10mm 134g 10 illustrations ISBN13: 9780199944521 ISBN13: 978-0-19-994452-1 ISBN10: 0199944520 EAN: 9780199944521 x Description: In North America, the Indigenous literature we know today reaches back thousands of years to when the continent's original inhabitants first circled fires and shared tales of emergence and creation, journey and quest, heroism and trickery. Sean Teuton tells the story of Indigenous literature, from the time when oral narrative inspired the first Indigenous writers in English, through later writers' appropriation of genres to serve the creative and political needs of the times. In this lucid narrative he leads readers into the Indigenous worlds from which the literatures grows, where views about land and society and the role of humanity in the cosmos continue to enliven western understanding. In setting Indigenous literature in historical moments he elucidates its various purposes, from its ancient role in bringing rain or healing the body, to its later service in resisting European invasion and colonization, into its current place as a world literature that confronts dominance while it celebrates imagination and the resilience of Indigenous lives.

Along the way readers encounter the diversity of Indigenous peoples who, owing to their differing lands, livelihoods, and customs, evolved literatures adapted to a nation's specific needs. While, in the nineteenth century, public lecture and journalism fortified eastern Indigenous writers against removal west, nearly a century later autobiography enabled western Indigenous authors to tell their side of the winning of the west. Throughout he treats Indigenous literature with such complexity. He describes the single-handed invention of a written Indigenous language, the first Indigenous language newspaper, and the literary occupation of Alcatraz Island. Returning to contemporary poetry, drama, and novel by authors such as D'Arcy McNickle, Leslie Silko, Sherman Alexie, Louise Erdrich, Craig Womack, Teuton demonstrates that, like Indigenous people, Indigenous literature survives because it adapts, honoring the past yet reaching for the future. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Navigation: A Very Short Introduction Jim Bennett (Keeper Emeritus, Science Museum, London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Feb 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w113mm x s11mm 138g 10 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780198733713 ISBN13: 978-0-19-873371-3 ISBN10: 0198733712 EAN: 9780198733713 x Description: From the Bronze Age mariners of the Mediterranean to contemporary sailors using satellite-based technologies, the history of navigation at sea, the art of finding a position and setting a course, is fascinating. The scientific and technological developments that have enabled accurate measurements of position were central to exploration, trade, and the opening up of new continents, and the resulting journeys taken under their influence have had a profound influence on world history. In this Very Short Introduction Jim Bennett looks at the history of navigation, starting with the distinctive cultures of navigation that are defined geographically - the Mediterranean Sea, and the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans. He shows how the adoption of mathematical methods, the use of instruments, the writing of textbooks and the publication of charts all combined to create a more standardised practice. Methods such as longitudefinding by chronometer and lunar distance were complemented by the routine business of recording courses and reckoning position 'by account'. Bennett also introduces the incredible array of instruments relied on by sailors, from astrolabes, sextants, and chronometers, to our more modern radio receivers, electronic equipment, and charts, and highlights the crucial role played by the individual qualities of endeavour and resourcefulness from mathematicians, scientists, and seamen in finding their way at sea. The story of navigation combines the societal, the technical, and the human, and it was vital for shaping the modern world.

Nelson Mandela: A Very Short Introduction Elleke Boehmer (Professor of World Literature in English, University of Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

17 Jul 2008

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 224pp h174mm x w111mm x s13mm 181g 20 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780192803016 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280301-6 ISBN10: 0192803018 EAN: 9780192803016 x Description: As well as being a remarkable statesman and one of the world's longest-detained political prisoners, Nelson Mandela has become an exemplary figure of non-racialism and democracy, a moral giant. Once a man with an unknown face, he became after his 1994 release one of the most internationally recognizable images of our time. Set within a biographical frame, this Very Short Introduction explores the reasons why his story is so important to us in the world at large today, and what his achievements signify. It shows how our picture of Mandela is a great deal more complicated than the legend suggests: quality of character is combined with his talents as a performer, his maverick ability to absorb transnational influences, his proximity to outstanding colleagues, his steely survival skills, and his postmodern ease with media image. It shows how many different interconnected stories, histories, values, and symbols combine in the famous name Nelson Mandela. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Neoliberalism: A Very Short Introduction Manfred B. Steger (Author) Ravi K. Roy (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

21 Jan 2010

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w112mm x s10mm 138g 15 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199560516 ISBN13: 978-0-19-956051-6 ISBN10: 019956051X EAN: 9780199560516 x Description: Anchored in the principles of the free-market economics, 'neoliberalism' has been associated with such different political leaders as Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, Bill Clinton, Tony Blair, Augusto Pinochet, and Junichiro Koizumi. In its heyday during the late 1990s, neoliberalism emerged as the world's dominant economic paradigm stretching from the Anglo-American heartlands of capitalism to the former communist bloc all the way to the developing regions of the global South. At the dawn of the new century, however, neoliberalism has been discredited as the global economy, built on its principles, has been shaken to its core by a financial calamity not seen since the dark years of the 1930s. So is neoliberalism doomed or will it regain its former glory? Will reform-minded G-20 leaders embark on a genuine new course or try to claw their way back to the neoliberal glory days of the Roaring Nineties? Is there a viable alternative to neoliberalism? Exploring the origins, core claims, and considerable variations of neoliberalism, this Very Short Introduction offers a concise and accessible introduction to one of the most debated 'isms' of our time. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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Neoliberalism: A Very Short Introduction Manfred B. Steger (Professor of Sociology, University of Hawai'i at Manoa and Global Professorial Fellow, Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University) (Author) Ravi K. Roy (Associate Professor of Political Science and Director, Quality & Innovation Leadership Incubator, Southern Utah University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Jan 2021

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w111mm 8 black and white halftones, 9 figures, and 3 maps ISBN13: 9780198849674 ISBN13: 978-0-19-884967-4 ISBN10: 0198849672 EAN: 9780198849674 x Description: Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring Anchored in the principles of free-market economics, neoliberalism emerged in the 1990s as the world's most dominant economic paradigm. It has been associated with various political leaders from Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, and Bill Clinton, to Tony Blair, Barack Obama, and Manmohan Singh. Neoliberalism even penetrated deeply into communist China's powerful economic system. However, the 2008 Global Financial Crisis and the related European Sovereign Debt Crisis triggered a decade of economic volatility and insecurity that boosted the fortunes of the 1 per cent while saddling the 99 per cent with stagnant wages and precarious work. As a result of this Great Recession, neoliberalism fortunes have waned considerably. This downward trend further accelerated with the recent surge of national populism around the world that brought to power outspoken critics of neoliberalism like Donald Trump, Boris Johnson, Jair Bolsonaro, and Narendra Modi. Is neoliberalism doomed or will it regain its former glory? And what are the major types of neoliberalism, and how did they evolve over the decades? Responding to these crucial questions, this Very Short introduction explores the considerable variations of neoliberalism around the world, and discusses the origins, evolution, and core ideas of neoliberalism. This new edition brings the story of neoliberalism up to date, and asks whether new versions of neoliberalism might succeed in drowning out the rising tide of national populism and its nostalgic longing for a return to territorial sovereignty and national greatness. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Networks: A Very Short Introduction Guido Caldarelli (Professor of Theoretical Physics in the IMT Alti Studi Lucca and a member of Complex System Institute of the National Research Council, Italy) (Author) Michele Catanzaro (Freelance journalist) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 136pp h119mm x w134mm x s8mm 116g Approx 12 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199588077 ISBN13: 978-0-19-958807-7 ISBN10: 0199588074 EAN: 9780199588077 x Description: From ecosystems to Facebook, from the Internet to the global financial market, some of the most important and familiar natural systems and social phenomena are based on a networked structure. It is impossible to understand the spread of an epidemic, a computer virus, large-scale blackouts, or massive extinctions without taking into account the network structure that underlies all these phenomena.

In this Very Short Introduction, Guido Caldarelli and Michele Catanzaro discuss the nature and variety of networks, using everyday examples from society, technology, nature, and history to explain and understand the science of network theory. They show the ubiquitous role of networks; how networks self-organize; why the rich get richer; and how networks can spontaneously collapse. They conclude by highlighting how the findings of complex network theory have very wide and important applications in genetics, ecology, communications, economics, and sociology. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Newton: A Very Short Introduction Rob Iliffe (Reader in the History of Science, Imperial College, London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

25 Jan 2007

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h175mm x w110mm x s9mm 140g numerous line drawings and halftones ISBN13: 9780199298037 ISBN13: 978-0-19-929803-7 ISBN10: 0199298033 EAN: 9780199298037 x Description: This Very Short Introduction uses Newton's own unpublished writings to provide fascinating insight into the man who kept the Royal Society under his thumb, was Head of the Mint, and whose contributions to our understanding of the heavens and the earth are considered by many to be unparalleled. The author begins with the legends surrounding Newton before next exploring the forces that shaped his life, introducing, along the way, many of the key thinkers and politicians of the time. Although Newton's science was largely revered (his reputation reached near-immortal status with the publication of the Principia), theologically, his beliefs were very controversial. He was a fanatical Protestant, and claimed that tribes like the Goths, Vandals, and Huns had tried to save the planet from the corruption of the Catholics. He was also convinced that he was specially chosen by God to protect the original, pure form of Christianity, and viewed any criticisms directed at him as a form of persecution. Resisting the urge to show how Newton's views on alchemy, mathematics, physics, and religion complemented one another, the author instead emphasises that these were the very different obsessions of an extremely complex man whose beliefs at the time dominated England's political, religious, and intellectual landscape. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Niels Bohr: A Very Short Introduction J.L. Heilbron (Professor of History, Emeritus, University of California, Berkeley) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

06 Feb 2020

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h170mm x w110mm x s10mm 126g Some black and white images ISBN13: 9780198819264 ISBN13: 978-0-19-881926-4 ISBN10: 0198819269 EAN: 9780198819264 x

Description: Niels Bohr, who pioneered the quantum theory of the atom, had a broad conception of his obligations as a physicist. They included not only a responsibility for the consequences of his work for the wider society, but also a compulsion to apply the philosophy he deduced from his physics to improving ordinary people's understanding of the moral universe they inhabit. In some of these concerns Bohr resembled Einstein, although Einstein could not accept what he called the "tranquilizing philosophy" with which Bohr tried to resolve such ancient conundrums as the nature (or possibility) of free will. In this Very Short Introduction John Heilbron draws on sources never before presented in English to cover the life and work of one of the most creative physicists of the 20th century. In addition to his role as a scientist, Heilbron considers Bohr as a statesman and Danish cultural icon, who built scientific institutions and pushed for the extension of international cooperation in science to all nation states. As a humanist he was concerned with the cultivation of all sides of the individual, and with the complementary contributions of all peoples to the sum of human culture. Throughout, Heilbron considers how all of these aspects of Bohr's personality influenced his work, as well as the science that made him, in the words of Sir Henry Dale, President of the Royal Society of London, probably the "first among all the men of all countries who are now active in any department of science." ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Nietzsche: A Very Short Introduction Michael Tanner (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

19 Oct 2000

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 128pp h179mm x w114mm x s8mm 115g ISBN13: 9780192854148 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285414-8 ISBN10: 0192854143 EAN: 9780192854148 x Description: The philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) was almost wholly neglected during his sane life, which came to an abrupt end in 1889. Since then he has been appropriated as an icon by an astonishingly diverse spectrum of people, whose interpretations of his thought range from the highly irrational to the firmly analytical. Thus Spoke Zarathustra introduced the 'superman' and The Twilight of the Idols developed the 'Will to Power' concept; these term, together with 'Sklavenmoral' and 'Herrenmoral', became confused with the rise of nationalism in Germany. Idiosyncratic and aphoristic, Nietzsche is always bracing and provocative, and temptingly easy to dip into. Michael Tanner's readable introduction to the philosopher's life and work examines the numerous ambiguities inherent in his writings. It also explodes the many misconceptions fostered in the hundred years since Nietzsche wrote, prophetically: 'Do not, above all, confound me with what I am not!' ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Nineteenth-Century Britain: A Very Short Introduction Christopher Harvie (Author) Colin Matthew (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

10 Aug 2000

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 192pp h179mm x w113mm x s12mm 155g 14 halftones, 4 maps ISBN13: 9780192853981 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285398-1 ISBN10: 0192853988 EAN: 9780192853981 x

Description: First published as part of the best-selling The Oxford Illustrated History of Britain, Christopher Harvie and Colin Matthew's Very Short Introduction to Nineteenth-Century Britain is a sharp but subtle account of remarkable economic and social change and an even more remarkable political stability. Britain in 1789 was overwhelmingly rural, agrarian, multilingual, and almost half Celtic. By 1914, when it faced its greatest test since the defeat of Napoleon, it was largely urban and English. Christopher Harvie and Colin Matthew show the forces behind Britain's rise to its imperial zenith, and the continuing tensions within the nations and classes of the 'union state'. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

North American Indians: A Very Short Introduction Theda Perdue (Author) Michael D. Green (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

16 Aug 2010

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w115mm x s10mm 141g 10 halftones & maps ISBN13: 9780195307542 ISBN13: 978-0-19-530754-2 ISBN10: 0195307542 EAN: 9780195307542 x Description: When Europeans first arrived in North America, between five and eight million indigenous people were already living there. But how did they come to be here? What were their agricultural, spiritual, and hunting practices? How did their societies evolve and what challenges do they face today? Eminent historians Theda Perdue and Michael Green begin by describing how nomadic bands of hunter-gatherers followed the bison and woolly mammoth over the Bering land mass between Asia and what is now Alaska between 25,000 and 15,000 years ago, settling throughout North America. They describe hunting practices among different tribes, how some made the gradual transition to more settled, agricultural ways of life, the role of kinship and cooperation in Native societies, their varied burial rites and spiritual practices, and many other features of Native American life. Throughout the book, Perdue and Green stress the great diversity of indigenous peoples in America, who spoke more than 400 different languages before the arrival of Europeans and whose ways of life varied according to the environments they settled in and adapted to so successfully. Most importantly, the authors stress how Native Americans have struggled to maintain their sovereignty-first with European powers and then with the United States-in order to retain their lands, govern themselves, support their people, and pursue practices that have made their lives meaningful. Going beyond the stereotypes that so often distort our views of Native Americans, this Very Short Introduction offers an historically accurate, deeply engaging, and often inspiring account of the wide array of Native peoples in America. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Northern Ireland: A Very Short Introduction Marc Mulholland (Professor of Modern History, St Catherine's College, University of Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

04 Mar 2020

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w111mm x s8mm 122g 15 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198825005 ISBN13: 978-0-19-882500-5 ISBN10: 0198825005 EAN: 9780198825005

x Description: From the Plantation of Ulster in the seventeenth century to the entry into peace talks in the late twentieth century the Northern Irish people have been engaged in conflict - Catholic against Protestant, Republican against Unionist. The traumas of violence in the Northern Ireland Troubles have cast a long shadow. For many years, this appeared to be an intractable conflict with no pathway out. Mass mobilisations of people and dramatic political crises punctuated a seemingly endless succession of bloodshed. When in the 1990s and early 21st century, peace was painfully built, it brought together unlikely rivals, making Northern Ireland a model for conflict resolution internationally. But disagreement about the future of the province remains, and for the first time in decades one can now seriously speak of a democratic end to the Union between Northern Ireland and Great Britain as a foreseeable possibility. The Northern Ireland problem remains a fundamental issue as the United Kingdom recasts its relationship with Europe and the world. In this completely revised edition of his Very Short Introduction Marc Mulholland explores the pivotal moments in Northern Irish history - the rise of republicanism in the 1800s, Home Rule and the civil rights movement, the growth of Sinn Fein and the provisional IRA, and the DUP, before bringing the story up to date, drawing on newly available memoirs by paramilitary militants to offer previously unexplored perspectives, as well as recent work on Nothern Irish gender relations. Mulholland also includes a new chapter on the state of affairs in 21st Century Northern Ireland, considering the question of Irish unity in the light of both Brexit and the approaching anniversary of the 1921 partition, and drawing new lessons for the future. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Northern Ireland: A Very Short Introduction Marc Mulholland (Fellow in Modern History at St Catherine's College, Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 184pp h173mm x w112mm x s11mm 160g numerous halftones and 2 maps ISBN13: 9780192801562 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280156-2 ISBN10: 0192801562 EAN: 9780192801562 x Description: From the Plantation of Ulster in the seventeenth century to the entry into peace talks in the late twentieth century the Northern Irish people have been engaged in conflict - Catholic against Protestant, Republican against Unionist. Marc Mulholland explores the pivotal moments in Northern Irish history - the rise of republicanism in the 1800s, Home Rule and the civil rights movement, the growth of Sinn Fein and the provisional IRA, and of the opposition, the DUP, led by Dr. Ian Paisley. His detailed examination of the violent upheaval of the last century, epitomized by the killing of 13 civilian demonstrators on Bloody Sunday, culminates in the controversy surrounding the current ongoing peace process. Over 300 years on, the question still remains: can two identities and national allegiances be accommodated in the same state without oppression, rebellion, or violence? ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Nothing: A Very Short Introduction Frank Close (Professor of Theoretical Physics and Fellow of Exeter College, University of Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

25 Jun 2009

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h174mm x w111mm x s9mm 135g 20 B&W halftones ISBN13: 9780199225866 ISBN13: 978-0-19-922586-6 ISBN10: 0199225869 EAN: 9780199225866 x Description: What is 'nothing'? What remains when you take all the matter away? Can empty space - a void - exist? This Very Short Introduction explores the science and the history of the elusive void: from Aristotle who insisted that the vacuum was impossible, via the theories of Newton and Einstein, to our very latest discoveries and why they can tell us extraordinary things about the cosmos. Frank Close tells the story of how scientists have explored the elusive void, and the rich discoveries that they have made there. He takes the reader on a lively and accessible history through ancient ideas and cultural superstitions to the frontiers of current research. He describes how scientists discovered that the vacuum is filled with fields; how Newton, Mach, and Einstein grappled with the nature of space and time; and how the mysterious 'aether' that was long ago supposed to permeate the void may now be making a comeback with the latest research into the 'Higgs field'. We now know that the vacuum is far from being empty - it seethes with virtual particles and antiparticles that erupt spontaneously into being, and it also may contain hidden dimensions that we were previously unaware of. These new discoveries may provide answers to some of cosmology's most fundamental questions: what lies outside the universe, and, if there was once nothing, then how did the universe begin? ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Nuclear Physics: A Very Short Introduction Frank Close (Professor Emeritus of theoretical physics, Oxford University, and fellow in physics, Exeter College Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 136pp h174mm x w113mm x s8mm 110g ISBN13: 9780198718635 ISBN13: 978-0-19-871863-5 ISBN10: 0198718632 EAN: 9780198718635 x Description: Nuclear physics began long before the identification of fundamental particles, with J. J. Thomson's discovery of the electron at the end of the 19th century, which implied the existence of a positive charge in the atom to make it neutral. In this Very Short Introduction Frank Close gives an account of how this area of physics has progressed, including the recognition of how heavy nuclei are built up in the cores of stars and in supernovae, the identification of quarks and gluons, and the development of quantum chromodynamics (QCD). Exploring key concepts such as the stability of different configurations of protons and neutrons in nuclei, Frank Close shows how nuclear physics brings the physics of the stars to Earth and provides us with important applications, particularly in medicine. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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Nuclear Power: A Very Short Introduction Maxwell Irvine (formerly Honorary Professor of Physics, Manchester University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

26 May 2011

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w115mm x s11mm 134g c.15 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199584970 ISBN13: 978-0-19-958497-0 ISBN10: 0199584974 EAN: 9780199584970 x Description: With the World desperate to find energy sources that do not emit carbon gasses, nuclear power is back on the agenda and in the news, following the increasing cost of fossil fuels and concerns about the security of their future supply. However, the term 'nuclear power' causes anxiety in many people and there is confusion concerning the nature and extent of the associated risks. Here, Maxwell Irvine presents a concise introduction to the development of nuclear physics leading up to the emergence of the nuclear power industry. He discusses the nature of nuclear energy and deals with various aspects of public concern, considering the risks of nuclear safety, the cost of its development, and waste disposal. Dispelling some of the widespread confusion about nuclear energy, Irvine considers the relevance of nuclear power, the potential of nuclear fusion, and encourages informed debate about its potential. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Nuclear Weapons: A Very Short Introduction Joseph Siracusa (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

3rd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

08 Oct 2020

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w111mm 8 black-and-white illustrations ISBN13: 9780198860532 ISBN13: 978-0-19-886053-2 ISBN10: 0198860536 EAN: 9780198860532 x Description: Nuclear weapons have not been used in anger since the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. Yet even after the Cold War, the Bomb is still the greatest threat facing humankind. As President Bill Clinton's first secretary of defence, Les Aspin, put it: 'The Cold War is over, the Soviet Union is no more. But the post-Cold War world is decidedly not post-nuclear'. For all the efforts to reduce nuclear stockpiles, the Bomb is here to stay. This Very Short Introduction looks at the science of nuclear weapons and how they differ from conventional weapons. Tracing the story of the nuclear bomb, Joseph Siracusa chronicles the race to acquire the H-bomb, a thermonuclear weapon with revolutionary implications; and the history of early arms control, nuclear deterrence, and non-proliferation. He also tracks the development of nuclear weapons from the origins of the Cold War in 1945 to the end of Moscow-dominated Communism in 1991, and examines the promise and prospect of missile defence, including Ronald Reagan's 'Star Wars' and George W. Bush's National Missile Defence. This third edition includes a new chapter on the development of nuclear weapons and the policies they have generated since the end of the Cold War. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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Nuclear Weapons: A Very Short Introduction Joseph M. Siracusa (Professor in Human Security and International Diplomacy and Deputy Dean of Global and Language Studies, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University, Australia) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Apr 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w114mm x s8mm 120g 7 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780198727231 ISBN13: 978-0-19-872723-1 ISBN10: 0198727232 EAN: 9780198727231 x Description: Despite not having been used in anger since Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the atomic bomb is still the biggest threat that faces us in the 21st century. As Bill Clinton's first secretary of defence, Les Aspin, aptly put it: 'The Cold War is over, the Soviet Union is no more. But the post-Cold War world is decidedly not post-nuclear'. For all the effort to reduce nuclear stockpiles to zero, it seems that the bomb is here to stay. This Very Short Introduction reveals why. The history and politics of the bomb are explained: from the technology of nuclear weapons, to the revolutionary implications of the H-bomb, and the politics of nuclear deterrence. The issues are set against a backdrop of the changing international landscape, from the early days of development through the Cold War. In this new edition, Joseph M. Siracusa includes a new concluding chapter, moving away from the emphasis of nuclear weapons in the 'age of terrorism', to the significant lessons to be learnt from the history of the nuclear weapons era. Siracusa shows that because 21st century nuclear proliferation has deep roots in the past, an understanding of the lessons of this nuclear history is paramount for future global policies to be successful. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Number Theory: A Very Short Introduction Robin Wilson (The Open University, UK) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

11 Jun 2020

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h169mm x w110mm x s9mm 134g 35 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780198798095 ISBN13: 978-0-19-879809-5 ISBN10: 0198798091 EAN: 9780198798095 x Description: Number theory is the branch of mathematics that is primarily concerned with the counting numbers. Of particular importance are the prime numbers, the 'building blocks' of our number system. The subject is an old one, dating back over two millennia to the ancient Greeks, and for many years has been studied for its intrinsic beauty and elegance, not least because several of its challenges are so easy to state that everyone can understand them, and yet no-one has ever been able to resolve them. But number theory has also recently become of great practical importance - in the area of cryptography, where the security of your credit card, and indeed of the nation's defence, depends on a result concerning prime numbers that dates back to the 18th century. Recent years have witnessed other spectacular developments, such as Andrew Wiles's proof of 'Fermat's last theorem' (unproved for over 250 years) and some exciting work on prime numbers. In this Very Short Introduction Robin Wilson introduces the main areas of classical number theory, both ancient and modern. Drawing on the work of many of the greatest mathematicians of the past, such as Euclid, Fermat, Euler, and Gauss, he situates some of the most interesting and creative problems in the area in their historical

context.

Numbers: A Very Short Introduction Peter M. Higgins (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

24 Feb 2011

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h173mm x w120mm x s17mm 135g 15 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199584055 ISBN13: 978-0-19-958405-5 ISBN10: 0199584052 EAN: 9780199584055 x Description: Numbers are integral to our everyday lives and feature in everything we do. In this Very Short Introduction Peter M. Higgins, the renowned mathematics writer, unravels the world of numbers; demonstrating its richness, and providing a comprehensive view of the idea of the number. Higgins paints a picture of the number world, considering how the modern number system matured over centuries. Explaining the various number types and showing how they behave, he introduces key concepts such as integers, fractions, real numbers, and imaginary numbers. By approaching the topic in a non-technical way and emphasising the basic principles and interactions of numbers with mathematics and science, Higgins also demonstrates the practical interactions and modern applications, such as encryption of confidential data on the internet. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Nutrition: A Very Short Introduction David Bender (Emeritus Professor of Nutritional Biochemistry, University College London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 128pp h174mm x w113mm x s8mm 122g Approximately 10 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199681921 ISBN13: 978-0-19-968192-1 ISBN10: 0199681929 EAN: 9780199681921 x Description: Nutrition is a topic of wide interest and importance. In spite of growing understanding of the underlying biochemistry, and health campaigns such as 'five-a-day', increasing obesity and reported food allergies and eating disorders, as well as the widely advertised 'supposed' benefits of food supplements mean that a clear explanation of the basic principles of a healthy diet are vital. In this Very Short Introduction, David Bender explains the basic elements of food, the balance between energy intake and exercise, the problems of over- and under-nutrition, and raises the question of safety of nutritional supplements. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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Objectivity: A Very Short Introduction Stephen Gaukroger (ARC Professorial Fellow, University of Sydney, Australia and Professor of Philosophy, University of Aberdeen) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

24 May 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 128pp h173mm x w113mm x s7mm 102g 12 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199606696 ISBN13: 978-0-19-960669-6 ISBN10: 0199606692 EAN: 9780199606696 x Description: - Is objectivity possible? - Can there be objectivity in matters of morals, or tastes? - What would a truly objective account of the world be like? - Is everything subjective, or relative? - Are moral judgments objective or culturally relative? Objectivity is both an essential and elusive philosophical concept. An account is generally considered to be objective if it attempts to capture the nature of the object studied without judgement of a conscious entity or subject. Objectivity stands in contrast to subjectivity: an objective account is impartial, one which could ideally be accepted by any subject, because it does not draw on any assumptions, prejudices, or values of particular subjects. Stephen Gaukroger shows that it is far from clear that we can resolve moral or aesthetic disputes in this way and it has often been argued that such an approach is not always appropriate for disciplines that deal with human, rather than natural, phenomena. Moreover, even in those cases where we seek to be objective, it may be difficult to judge what a truly objective account would look like, and whether it is achievable. This Very Short Introduction demonstrates that there are a number of common misunderstandings about what objectivity is, and explores the theoretical and practical problems of objectivity by assessing the basic questions raised by it. As well as considering the core philosophical issues, Gaukroger also deals with the way in which particular understandings of objectivity impinge on social research, science, and art. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Oceans: A Very Short Introduction Dorrik Stow (Director, Institute of Petroleum Engineering, Heriot Watt University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

27 Jul 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 216pp h174mm x w113mm x s11mm 161g 30 black and white images ISBN13: 9780199655076 ISBN13: 978-0-19-965507-6 ISBN10: 0199655073 EAN: 9780199655076 x Description: The importance of the oceans to life on Earth cannot be overstated. Liquid water covers more than 70% of our planet's surface and, in past geological time, has spread over 85%. Life on Earth began in the oceans over 3.5 billion years ago and remained there for the great majority of that time. Today the seas still provide 99% of habitable living space, the largest repository of biomass, and holds the greatest number of undiscovered species on the planet. Our oceans are vital for the regulation of climate, and with global warming and decreasing land area, they have become increasingly important as the source of food, energy in the form of oil and gas, and for their mineral wealth. Oceans also form a key part of the biogeochemical cycles of carbon, nitrogen, and other elements critical to life. Nutrients in upwelling areas are spread by ocean currents, and the plankton of the seas supports a wealth of wildlife. In this Very Short Introduction Dorrik Stow analyses these most important components of our blue planet and considers their relationship with, and

exploitation by, humans. He shows how the oceans are an essential resource to our overpopulated world, and discusses why exploration and greater scientific understanding of the oceans, their chemistry, and their mineral wealth are now a high priority. Stow also explores what we know of how oceans originate, and evolve and change; the shape of the seafloor and nature of its cover; the physical processes that stir the waters and mix such a rich chemical broth; and the inseparable link between oceans and climate. As polar ice melts and sea-levels rise, countless millions who have made their homes on low-lying lands close to the sea are threatened. As scientific exploration of the seas gathers pace, the new knowledge gained of the ocean-Earth systems and their interaction with the human environment is vital to our understanding of how we can preserve these ultimately fragile environments. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Organic Chemistry: A Very Short Introduction Graham Patrick (Lecturer in Organic Chemistry and Medicinal Chemistry, University of the West of Scotland) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Feb 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 200pp h174mm x w111mm x s12mm 152g 88 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198759775 ISBN13: 978-0-19-875977-5 ISBN10: 0198759770 EAN: 9780198759775 x Description: Organic chemistry is the chemistry of compounds of carbon. The ability of carbon to link together to form long chain molecules and ring compounds as well as bonding with many other elements has led to a vast array of organic compounds. These compounds are central to life, forming the basis for organic molecules such as nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids. In this Very Short Introduction Graham Patrick covers the whole range of organic compounds and their roles. Beginning with the structures and properties of the basic groups of organic compounds, he goes on to consider organic compounds in the areas of pharmaceuticals, polymers, food and drink, petrochemicals, and nanotechnology. He looks at how new materials, in particular the single layer form of carbon called graphene, are opening up exciting new possibilities for applications, and discusses the particular challenges of working with carbon compounds, many of which are colourless. Patrick also discusses techniques used in the field. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Organizations: A Very Short Introduction Mary Jo Hatch (C. Coleman McGehee Eminent Scholars Research Professor Emerita of Banking and Commerce, University of Virginia) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

24 Mar 2011

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h170mm x w106mm x s27mm 156g 15 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199584536 ISBN13: 978-0-19-958453-6 ISBN10: 0199584532 EAN: 9780199584536 x Description: Most of us recognize that organizations are everywhere. You meet them on every street corner in the form of families and shops, study in them, work for them, buy from them, pay taxes to them. But have you given much thought to where they came from, what they are today, and what

they might become in the future? How and why do they have so much influence over us, and what influences them? How do they contribute to and detract from the meaningfulness of lives, and how might we improve them so they better serve our needs and desires? This Very Short Introductions addresses all of these questions and considers many more. Mary Jo Hatch introduces the concept of organizations by presenting definitions and ideas drawn from the a variety of subject areas including the physical sciences, economics, sociology, psychology, anthropology, literature, and the visual and performing arts. Drawing on examples from prehistory and everyday life, from the animal kingdom as well as from business, government, and other formal organizations, Hatch provides a lively and thought provoking introduction to the process of organization. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Organized Crime: A Very Short Introduction Georgios A. Antonopoulos (Professor of Criminology, Teesside University) (Author) Georgios Papanicolaou (Reader in Criminology, Teesside University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

08 Mar 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h175mm x w114mm x s9mm 120g 8 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198795544 ISBN13: 978-0-19-879554-4 ISBN10: 0198795548 EAN: 9780198795544 x Description: For many people around the world, instances of what is described as organized crime may be part of their everyday experience; in their neighbourhoods, their streets, and the places they work and live. Policymakers, law enforcement, and the media rarely fail to bring up the issue when discussing the nature and seriousness of contemporary criminal threats, and the appropriate responses towards them. Many more people are familiar with the notion of organized crime, as the film and TV industry regularly draw on fictional and real figures and situations. Organized crime feels like a tangible, inescapable issue in today's world. In this Very Short introduction, Georgios A. Antonopoulos and Georgios Papanicolaou uncover the reality of organized crime in our world today. Shining a light on the people involved in organized crime, Antonopoulos and Papanicolaou question whether the term 'organized' is used to evoke the image, the operations, and power of a legitimate organization, such as a corporation. Discussing whether there are particular crimes that the label 'organized crime' applies to, or if any crime can be organized, they also consider what happens when organized crime extends beyond borders. Using examples from across the globe, they analyse the different cultural traditions of organized crime, such as the Mafia, Yakuza, and Triads, and also the nature of organized crime, from arms trafficking and drug dealing to extortion. Finally they explore the methods and agencies in place to control and prevent organized crime.

Orthodox Christianity: A Very Short Introduction A. Edward Siecienski (Associate Profesor of Religion and Pappas Professor of Byzantine Culture and Religion, Associate Profesor of Religion and Pappas Professor of Byzantine Culture and Religion, Stockton College University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

15 Jul 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 136pp h173mm x w109mm x s8mm 116g 10 halftones ISBN13: 9780190883270 ISBN13: 978-0-19-088327-0 ISBN10: 0190883278 EAN: 9780190883270 x Description: To many in the West, Orthodoxy remains shrouded in mystery, an exotic and foreign religion that survived in the East following the Great Schism of 1054 that split the Christian world into two camps-Catholic and Orthodox. However, as the second largest Christian denomination, Orthodox Christianity is anything but foreign to the nearly 300 million worshippers who practice it. For them, Orthodoxy is a living, breathing reality; a way of being Christian ultimately rooted in the person of Jesus and the experience of the early Church. Whether they are Greek, Russian, or American, Orthodox Christians are united by a common tradition and faith that binds them together despite differences in culture. True, the road has not always been smooth-Orthodox history is littered with tales of schisms and divisions, of persecutions and martyrdom, from the Sack of Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire and seat of the Ecumenical Patriarch, to the experience of the Russian Orthodox Church under the Soviet Union. Still, today Orthodoxy remains a vibrant part of the religious landscape, not only in those lands where it has made its historic home (Greece, Russia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe), but also increasingly in the West. Orthodox Christianity: A Very Short Introduction explores the enduring role of this religion, and the history, beliefs, and practices that have shaped it. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ovid: A Very Short Introduction Llewelyn Morgan (Professor of Classical Literature, University of Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

08 Oct 2020

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w111mm 10 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198837688 ISBN13: 978-0-19-883768-8 ISBN10: 0198837682 EAN: 9780198837688 x Description: "Vivam" is the very last word of Ovid's masterpiece, the Metamorphoses: "I shall live." If we're still reading it two millennia after Ovid's death, this is by definition a remarkably accurate prophecy. Ovid was not the only ancient author with aspirations to be read for eternity, but no poet of the Greco-Roman world has had a deeper or more lasting impact on subsequent literature and art than he can claim. In the present day no Greek or Roman poet is as accessible, to artists, writers, or the general reader: Ovid's voice remains a compellingly contemporary one, as modern as it seemed to his contemporaries in Augustan Rome. But Ovid was also a man of his time, his own story fatally entwined with that of the first emperor Augustus, and the poetry he wrote channels in its own way the cultural and political upheavals of the contemporary city, its public life, sexual mores, religion, and urban landscape, while also exploiting the superbly rich store of poetic convention that Greek literature and his Roman predecessors had bequeathed to him. This Very Short Introduction explains Ovid's background, social and literary, and introduces his poetry, on love, metamorphosis, Roman festivals, and his own exile, a restlessly innovative oeuvre driven by the irrepressible ingenium or wit for which he was famous. Llewelyn Morgan also explores Ovid's immense influence on later literature and art, spanning from Shakespeare to Bernini. Throughout, Ovid's poetry is revealed as enduringly scintillating, his personal story compelling, and the issues his life and poetry raise of continuing relevance and interest. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area.

Paganism: A Very Short Introduction Owen Davies (Reader in History, University of Hertfordshire) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

26 May 2011

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h173mm x w115mm x s10mm 142g c.15 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199235162 ISBN13: 978-0-19-923516-2 ISBN10: 0199235163 EAN: 9780199235162 x Description: 'Paganism' is an evocative word that, even today, conjures up deep-seated emotions and prejudices. Until recently, it was primarily a derogatory term used by Christians to describe the non-Christian cultures confronted and vanquished by their Churches. For some it evokes images of sacrifice and barbaric behaviour, while for others it symbolises a peace-loving, nature-worshipping spiritual relationship with the earth. This Very Short Introduction explores the meaning of paganism - through a chronological overview of the attitudes towards its practices and beliefs from the ancient world through to the present day. Owen Davies largely looks at paganism through the eyes of the Christian world, and how, over the centuries, notions and representations of its nature were shaped by religious conflict, power struggles, colonialism, and scholarship. Despite the expansion of Christianity and Islam, Pagan cultures continue to exist around the world, whilst in the West new formations of paganism constitute one of the fastest-growing religions. Focussing on paganism in Europe, but exploring the nature of paganism globally, Davies looks at how Europeans discovered new cultures through colonial expansion, missionary work, and anthropological study. Contemporary social paganism can be a liberating and social force, and the idea of a global Pagan theology is now on the religious map. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Pain: A Very Short Introduction Rob Boddice (Assistant Professor, Department of History and Cultural Studies, Freie Universitat Berlin) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

27 Jul 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w110mm x s9mm 119g 15 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198738565 ISBN13: 978-0-19-873856-5 ISBN10: 0198738560 EAN: 9780198738565 x Description: What is pain? Has the experience of pain always been the same? How is pain related to the emotions, to culture, and to pleasure? What happens to us when we feel pain? How does pain work in the body and in the brain? In this Very Short Introduction, Rob Boddice explores the history, culture, and medical science of pain. Charting the shifting meanings of pain across time and place, he focusses on how the experience and treatment of pain have changed. He describes historical hierarchies of pain experience that related pain to social class and race, and the privileging of human states of pain over that of other animals. From the pain concepts of classical antiquity to expressions of pain in contemporary art, and modern medical approaches to the understanding, treatment, and management of pain, Boddice weaves a multifaceted account of this central human experience. Ranging from neuroscientific innovations in experimental medicine to the constructionist arguments of social scientists, pain is shown to

resist a timeless definition. Pain is physical and emotional, of body and mind, and is always experienced subjectively and contextually.

Pandemics: A Very Short Introduction Christian W. McMillen (Associate professor of history, Associate professor of history, University of Virginia) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 176pp h173mm x w122mm x s10mm 134g 10 ISBN13: 9780199340071 ISBN13: 978-0-19-934007-1 ISBN10: 0199340072 EAN: 9780199340071 x Description: The 2014 Ebola epidemic demonstrated the power of pandemics and their ability not only to destroy lives locally but also to capture the imagination and terrify the world. Christian W. McMillen provides a concise yet comprehensive account of pandemics throughout human history, illustrating how pandemic disease has shaped history and, at the same time, social behavior has influenced pandemic disease. Extremely interesting from a medical standpoint, the study of pandemics also provides unexpected, broader insights into culture and politics. This Very Short Introduction describes history's major pandemics - plague, tuberculosis, malaria, smallpox, cholera, influenza, and HIV/AIDS highlighting how each disease's biological characteristics affected its pandemic development. McMillen discusses state responses to pandemics, such as quarantine, isolation, travel restrictions, and other forms of social control, and pays special attention to the rise of public health and the explosion of medical research in the wake of pandemics, especially as the germ theory of disease emerged in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Today, medicine is able to control all of these diseases, yet some of them are still devastating in much of the developing world. By assessing the relationship between poverty and disease and the geography of epidemics, McMillen offers an outspoken and thought-provoking point of view on the necessity for global governments to learn from past experiences and proactively cooperate to prevent any future epidemic. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Particle Physics: A Very Short Introduction Frank Close (Professor of Physics at Oxford University and a Fellow of Exeter College) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

13 May 2004

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h173mm x w111mm x s9mm 145g numerous line drawings and halftones ISBN13: 9780192804341 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280434-1 ISBN10: 0192804340 EAN: 9780192804341 x Description: In this compelling introduction to the fundamental particles that make up the universe, Frank Close takes us on a journey into the atom to examine known particles such as quarks, electrons, and the ghostly neutrino. Along the way he provides fascinating insights into how discoveries in particle physics have actually been made, and discusses how our picture of the world has been radically revised in the light of these developments. He concludes by looking ahead to new ideas about the mystery of antimatter, the number of dimensions that there might be in the universe, and to what the next 50 years of research might reveal.

Paul: A Very Short Introduction E. P. Sanders (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

22 Feb 2001

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h179mm x w112mm x s11mm 138g halftones and drawings ISBN13: 9780192854513 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285451-3 ISBN10: 0192854518 EAN: 9780192854513 x Description: Paul is the most powerful human personality in the history of the Church. A missionary, theologian, and religious genius, in his epistles he laid the foundations on which later Christian theology was built. In his highly original introduction to Paul's life and thought, E. P. Sanders, whose research on Paul has substantially influenced recent scholarship, pays equal attention to Paul's fundamental convictions and the sometimes convoluted ways in which they were worked out. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Peace: A Very Short Introduction Oliver P. Richmond (Research Professor at the Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute and the Department of Politics, Manchester University.) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w114mm x s9mm 126g Approximately 8 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199656004 ISBN13: 978-0-19-965600-4 ISBN10: 0199656002 EAN: 9780199656004 x Description: The concept of peace has always attracted radical thought, action, and practices. It has been taken to mean merely an absence of overt violence or war, but in the contemporary era it is often used interchangeably with 'peacemaking', 'peacebuilding', 'conflict resolution', and 'statebuilding'. The modern concept of peace has therefore broadened from the mere absence of violence to something much more complicated. In this Very Short Introduction, Oliver Richmond explores the evolution of peace in practice and in theory, exploring our modern assumptions about peace and the various different interpretations of its applications. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Pentecostalism: A Very Short Introduction William K. Kay (Professor of Theology, Glyndwr University, Wales) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2011

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w127mm x s9mm 132g Approx 15 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199575152 ISBN13: 978-0-19-957515-2 ISBN10: 0199575150 EAN: 9780199575152 x Description: In religious terms Pentecostalism was probably the most vibrant and rapidly-growing religious movement of the 20th century. Starting as a revivalistic and renewal movement within Christianity, it encircled the globe in less than 25 years and grew in North America and then in those parts of the world with the highest birth-rates. Characterised by speaking in tongues, miracles, television evangelism and megachurches, it is also noted for its small-group meetings, empowerment of individuals, liberation of women and humanitarian concerns. Without the financial and military support of the state (as was the case with communism), it flourished in almost every conceivable socio-political environment. Even in Europe, where religion most frequently appeared tired and out of date, Pentecostalism might draw large crowds or, within mainline Christian congregations, flourish in a more muted charismatic form. When these two forms are added together, Pentecostalism and neoPentecostalism are thought to account for around 450 million people. William K Kay outlines the origins and growth of Pentecostalism, looking at not only the theological aspects of the movement, but also the sociological influences of its political and humanitarian viewpoints. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Perception: A Very Short Introduction Brian Rogers (Emeritus Professor of Experimental Psychology) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

26 Oct 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 184pp h175mm x w119mm x s10mm 168g 54 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198791003 ISBN13: 978-0-19-879100-3 ISBN10: 0198791003 EAN: 9780198791003 x Description: Perception is one of the oldest and most deeply investigated topics in the field of psychology, and it is also raises some profound philosophical questions. It is concerned with how we use the information reaching our senses to guide and control our behaviour as well as to create our particular, subjective experiences of the surrounding world. In this Very Short Introduction, Brian J. Rogers discusses the philosophical question of what it means to perceive, as well as describing how we are able to perceive the particular characteristics of objects and scenes such as their lightness, colour, form, depth, and motion. What we perceive, however, does not always correspond to what exists in the world and, as Rogers shows, the study of illusions can be useful in telling us something about the nature and limitations of our perceptual processes. Rogers also explores perception from an evolutionary perspective, explaining how evolutionary pressures have shaped the perceptual systems of humans and other animals. He shows that perception is not necessarily a separate and independent process but rather part of a 'perceptual system', involving both the extraction of perceptual information and the control of action. Rogers goes on to cover the significant progress made recently in the understanding of perception through the use of precise and controlled psychophysical methods, single cell recordings, and imaging techniques. There have also been many insights from attempts to model perceptual processes in artificial systems. As Rogers shows, these attempts have revealed how

difficult it is to programme machines to perform even the most simple of perceptual tasks that we take for granted. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Philosophical Method: A Very Short Introduction Editor Oxford (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

10 Sep 2020

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w111mm 9 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198810001 ISBN13: 978-0-19-881000-1 ISBN10: 0198810008 EAN: 9780198810001 x Description: What are philosophers trying to achieve? How can they succeed? Does philosophy make progress? Is it in competition with science, or doing something completely different, or neither? Timothy Williamson tackles some of the key questions surrounding philosophy in new and provocative ways, showing how philosophy begins in common sense curiosity, and develops through our capacity to dispute rationally with each other. Discussing philosophy's ability to clarify our thoughts, he explains why such clarification depends on the development of philosophical theories, and how those theories can be tested by imaginative thought experiments, and compared against each other by standards similar to those used in the natural and social sciences. He also shows how logical rigour can be understood as a way of enhancing the explanatory power of philosophical theories. Drawing on the history of philosophy to provide a track record of philosophical thinking's successes and failures, Williams overturns widely held dogmas about the distinctive nature of philosophy in comparison to the sciences, demystifies its methods, and considers the future of the discipline. From thought experiments, to deduction, to theories, this Very Short Introduction will cause you to totally rethink what philosophy is. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. Previously published in hardback as Doing Philosophy _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Philosophy in the Islamic World: A Very Short Introduction Peter Adamson (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w124mm x s8mm 136g a number of black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199683673 ISBN13: 978-0-19-968367-3 ISBN10: 0199683670 EAN: 9780199683673 x Description: In the history of philosophy, few topics are so relevant to today's cultural and political landscape as philosophy in the Islamic world. Yet, this remains one of the lesser-known philosophical traditions. In this Very Short Introduction, Peter Adamson explores the history of philosophy among Muslims, Jews, and Christians living in Islamic lands, from its historical background to thinkers in the twentieth century. Introducing the main philosophical themes of the Islamic world, Adamson integrates ideas from the Islamic and Abrahamic faiths to consider the broad

philosophical questions that continue to invite debate: What is the relationship between reason and religious belief? What is the possibility of proving God's existence? What is the nature of knowledge? Drawing on the most recent research in the field, this book challenges the assumption of the cultural decline of philosophy and science in the Islamic world by demonstrating its rich heritage and overlap with other faiths and philosophies. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Philosophy of Biology: A Very Short Introduction Samir Okasha (Professor of Philosophy of Science, University of Bristol) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

07 Nov 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h175mm x w112mm x s9mm 122g A number of black and white images ISBN13: 9780198806998 ISBN13: 978-0-19-880699-8 ISBN10: 019880699X EAN: 9780198806998 x Description: Over the last forty years the philosophy of biology has emerged as an important sub-discipline of the philosophy of science. Covering some of science's most divisive topics, such as philosophical issues in genetics, it also encompasses areas where modern biology has increasingly impinged on traditional philosophical questions, such as free will, essentialism, and nature vs nurture. In this Very Short Introduction Samir Okasha outlines the core issues with which contemporary philosophy of biology is engaged. Offering a whistlestop tour of the history of biology, he explores key ideas and paradigm shifts throughout the centuries, including areas such as the theory of evolution by natural selection; the concepts of function and design; biological individuality; and the debate over adaptationism. Throughout Okasha makes clear the relevance of biology for understanding human beings, human society, and our place in the natural world, and the importance of engaging with these issues.

Philosophy of Law: A Very Short Introduction Raymond Wacks (Emeritus Professor of Law and Legal Theory) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

27 Feb 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w115mm x s11mm 130g Approximately 15 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199687008 ISBN13: 978-0-19-968700-8 ISBN10: 0199687005 EAN: 9780199687008 x Description: The concept of law lies at the heart of our social and political life. Legal philosophy, or jurisprudence, explores the notion of law and its role in society, illuminating its meaning and its relation to the universal questions of justice, rights, and morality. In this Very Short Introduction Raymond Wacks analyses the nature and purpose of the legal system, and the practice by courts, lawyers, and judges. Wacks reveals the intriguing and challenging nature of legal philosophy with clarity and enthusiasm, providing an enlightening guide to the central questions of legal theory. In this revised edition Wacks makes a number of updates including new material on legal realism, changes to the approach to the analysis of law and legal theory, and updates to historical and anthropological jurisprudence. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new

Philosophy of Mind: A Very Short Introduction Barbara Gail Montero (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

15 May 2020

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp ISBN13: 9780198809074 ISBN13: 978-0-19-880907-4 ISBN10: 0198809077 EAN: 9780198809074 x Description: Is the neurophysiology of pain all there is to pain? How do words and mental pictures come to represent things in the world? Do computers think, and if so, are their thought processes significantly similar to our thought processes? Or is there something distinctive about human thought that precludes replication in a computer? These are some of the puzzles that motivate the philosophical discipline called _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Philosophy of Religion: A Very Short Introduction Tim Bayne (Professor of Philosophy, Monash University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

08 Mar 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h175mm x w115mm x s9mm 126g 8 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198754961 ISBN13: 978-0-19-875496-1 ISBN10: 0198754965 EAN: 9780198754961 x Description: What is the philosophy of religion? How can we distinguish it from theology on the one hand and the psychology/sociology of religious belief on the other? What does it mean to describe God as 'eternal'? And should religious people want there to be good arguments for the existence of God, or is religious belief only authentic in the absence of these good arguments? In this Very Short Introduction Tim Bayne introduces the field of philosophy of religion, and engages with some of the most burning questions that philosophers discuss. Considering how 'religion' should be defined, and whether we even need to be able to define it in order to engage in the philosophy of religion, he goes on to discuss whether the existence of God matters. Exploring the problem of evil, Bayne also debates the connection between faith and reason, and the related question of what role reason should play in religious contexts. Shedding light on the relationship between science and religion, Bayne finishes by considering the topics of reincarnation and the afterlife. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Philosophy of Science: Very Short Introduction Samir Okasha (Professor of Philosophy of Science, University of Bristol) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w116mm x s9mm 126g 10 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198745587 ISBN13: 978-0-19-874558-7 ISBN10: 0198745583 EAN: 9780198745587 x Description: How much faith should we place in what scientists tell us? Is it possible for scientific knowledge to be fully 'objective'? What, really, can be defined as science? In the second edition of this Very Short Introduction, Samir Okasha explores the main themes and theories of contemporary philosophy of science, and investigates fascinating, challenging questions such as these. Starting at the very beginning, with a concise overview of the history of science, Okasha examines the nature of fundamental practices such as reasoning, causation, and explanation. Looking at scientific revolutions and the issue of scientific change, he asks whether there is a discernible pattern to the way scientific ideas change over time, and discusses realist versus anti-realist attitudes towards science. He finishes by considering science today, and the social and ethical philosophical questions surrounding modern science. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction Edward Craig (Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at Cambridge University and Fellow of Churchill College Cambridge) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

08 Oct 2020

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w111mm 19 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198861775 ISBN13: 978-0-19-886177-5 ISBN10: 019886177X EAN: 9780198861775 x Description: How ought we to live? What really exists? How do we know? This Very Short Introduction discusses some of the key questions philosophy engages with. Edward Craig explores important themes in ethics, and the nature of knowledge and the self, through readings from Plato, Hume, Descartes, Hegel, Darwin, and Buddhist writers. Throughout, he emphasizes why we do phiilosophy, explains how different areas of philosophy are related, and explores the contexts in which philosophy was and is done. This new edition includes a new chapter on free will, discussing determinism and indeterminism in the context of Descartes and Hegel's work. Craig also covers the Problem of Evil, and Kant's argument on the source of moral obligation. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction Edward Craig (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

21 Feb 2002

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h176mm x w113mm x s9mm 131g numerous halftones and line drawings ISBN13: 9780192854216 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285421-6 ISBN10: 0192854216 EAN: 9780192854216 x Description: How ought we to live? What really exists? How do we know? This book introduces important themes in ethics, knowledge, and the self, via readings from Plato, Hume, Descartes, Hegel, Darwin, and Buddhist writers. It emphasizes throughout the point of doing philosophy, explains how different areas of philosophy are related, and explores the contexts in which philosophy was and is done. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Photography: A Very Short Introduction Steve Edwards (Research Lecturer in Art History at the Open University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

24 Aug 2006

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h175mm x w112mm x s10mm 155g 25 black and white ISBN13: 9780192801647 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280164-7 ISBN10: 0192801643 EAN: 9780192801647 x Description: Photographs are an integral part of our daily lives from sensationalist images in tabloid papers and snapshots, to art photograpy displayed in galleries and sold through international art markets. In this thought-provoking exploration of the subject, Edwards combines a sense of the historical development of photography with an analysis of its purpose and meaning within a wider cultural context. He interrogates the way we look and think about photographs, and considers such issues as truth and recording, objectivity and fine art, identity and memory. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Physical Chemistry: A Very Short Introduction Peter Atkins (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

24 Apr 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w110mm x s10mm 128g 26 black and white line drawings ISBN13: 9780199689095 ISBN13: 978-0-19-968909-5 ISBN10: 0199689091 EAN: 9780199689095

x Description: With the development of a variety of exciting new areas of research involving computational chemistry, nano- and smart materials, and applications of the recently discovered graphene, there can be no doubt that physical chemistry is a vitally important field. It is also perceived as the most daunting branch of chemistry, being necessarily grounded in physics and mathematics and drawing as it does on quantum mechanics, thermodynamics, and statistical thermodynamics. With his typical clarity and hardly a formula in sight, Peter Atkins' Very Short Introduction explores the contributions physical chemistry has made to all branches of chemistry. Providing an insight into its central concepts Atkins reveals the cultural contributions physical chemistry has made to our understanding of the natural world. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Physics: A Very Short Introduction Sidney Perkowitz (Charles Howard Candler Professor Emeritus of Physics, Emory University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

08 Aug 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w111mm x s10mm 130g 18 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198813941 ISBN13: 978-0-19-881394-1 ISBN10: 0198813945 EAN: 9780198813941 x Description: Physics, the fundamental science of matter and energy, encompasses all levels of nature from the subatomic to the cosmic, and underlies much of the technology around us. Understanding the physics of our universe is an essential aspect of humanity's quest to understand our environment and our place within it. Doing physics enables us to explore the interaction between environment and human society, and can help us to work towards the future sustainability of the planet. This Very Short Introduction provides an overview of how this pervasive science came to be and how it works: who funds it, how physicists are trained and how they think, and how physics supports the technology we all use. Sidney Perkowitz presents the theories and outcomes of pure and applied physics from ideas of the Greek natural philosophers to modern quantum mechanics, cosmology, digital electronics and energy production. Considering its most consequential experiments, including recent results in elementary particles, gravitational waves and materials science, he also discusses outside the lab, the effects of physics on society, culture, and humanity's vision of its place in the universe.

Pilgrimage: A Very Short Introduction Ian Reader (Professor Emeritus, University of Manchester) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Apr 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h174mm x w112mm x s8mm 127g 15 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780198718222 ISBN13: 978-0-19-871822-2 ISBN10: 0198718225 EAN: 9780198718222

x Description: Pilgrimage is found in most religious cultures, with large numbers of sites - from globally renowned places to regional shrines - flourishing historically and in the modern day. Pilgrimage centres around the world, including Mecca in Saudi Arabia, Guadalupe in Mexico, Lourdes in France, Santiago de Compostela in Spain, Haridwar in India, and Shikoku in Japan, attract millions of pilgrims annually, while a flourishing 'spiritual tourism' industry has grown to promote the practice. In the present day, new pilgrimage locations, including 'secular' ones with no official affiliation, such as Graceland, Elvis Presley's house, continue to emerge across the world. In this Very Short Introduction Ian Reader explores the factors that affect how pilgrimage has changed over time, from contemporary international developments, such as mass transportation to changing social attitudes reflected in the motives of pilgrims through the ages. He demonstrates the social and international aspects of pilgrimage, showing how it has become a way of expressing social identity and cultural heritage, as well as being entwined with themes of entertainment and tourism. Reader explores the key issues and themes of pilgrimage through history to the present, looking at its various forms, how people take part, what is learnt from the journeys, and why pilgrimage remains popular in an increasingly secular age. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Plague: A Very Short Introduction Paul Slack (Emeritus Professor of Early Modern Social History, Oxford University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h173mm x w114mm x s9mm 141g 15 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199589548 ISBN13: 978-0-19-958954-8 ISBN10: 0199589542 EAN: 9780199589548 x Description: Throughout history plague has been the cause of many major catastrophes. It was responsible for the Black Death of 1348 and the Great Plague of London in 1665, and for devastating epidemics much earlier and much later, in the Mediterranean in the sixth century, and in China and India between the 1890s and 1920s. Today, it has become a metaphor for other epidemic disasters which appear to threaten us, but plague itself has never been eradicated. In this Very Short Introduction, Paul Slack explores the historical impact of plague over the centuries, looking at the ways in which it has been interpreted, and the powerful images it has left behind in art and literature. Examining what plague meant for those who suffered from it, and how governments began to fight against it, he demonstrates the impact plague has had on modern notions of public health and how it has shaped our history. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Planets: A Very Short Introduction David A. Rothery (Professor of Planetary Geosciences, The Open University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

25 Nov 2010

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w114mm x s9mm 131g 25 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199573509 ISBN13: 978-0-19-957350-9 ISBN10: 0199573506 EAN: 9780199573509 x Description: This Very Short Introduction looks deep into space and describes the worlds that make up our Solar System: terrestrial planets, giant planets, dwarf planets and various other objects such as satellites (moons), asteroids and Trans-Neptunian objects. It considers how our knowledge has advanced over the centuries, and how it has expanded at a growing rate in recent years. David A. Rothery gives an overview of the origin, nature, and evolution of our Solar System, including the controversial issues of what qualifies as a planet, and what conditions are required for a planetary body to be habitable by life. He looks at rocky planets and the Moon, giant planets and their satellites, and how the surfaces have been sculpted by geology, weather, and impacts. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Plants: A Very Short Introduction Timothy Walker (Director of the University of Oxford Botanic Garden) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

26 Apr 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w113mm x s8mm 114g 15 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199584062 ISBN13: 978-0-19-958406-2 ISBN10: 0199584060 EAN: 9780199584062 x Description: Plants form a fundamental element of the biosphere, and the evolution of plants has directly affected the evolution of animal life and the evolution of the Earth's climate. Plants have also become essential to humans not only in the form of cereal crops, fruit, and vegetables, but in their many other uses in wood and paper, and in providing medicines. Their aesthetic importance too in our parks and gardens as well as in wildflower meadows and great forests should not be underestimated. In this Very Short Introduction Timothy Walker, Director of the Botanical Gardens in Oxford, provides a concise account of the nature of plants, their variety, their evolution, and their importance and uses, stressing the need and efforts for their conservation for future generations. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Plate Tectonics: A Very Short Introduction Peter Molnar (Professor of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w114mm x s8mm 126g 38 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780198728269 ISBN13: 978-0-19-872826-9 ISBN10: 0198728263 EAN: 9780198728269 x Description: The 1960s revealed a new and revolutionary idea in geological thought: that the continents drift with respect to one another. After having been dismissed for decades as absurd, the concept gradually became part of geology's basic principles. We now know that the Earth's crust and upper mantle consist of a small number of rigid plates that move, and there are significant boundaries between pairs of plates, usually known as earthquake belts. Plate tectonics now explains much of the structure and phenomena we see today: how oceans form, widen, and disappear; why earthquakes and volcanoes are found in distinct zones which follow plate boundaries; how the great mountain ranges of the world were built. The impact of plate tectonics is studied closely as these processes continue: the Himalaya continues to grow, the Atlantic is widening, and new oceans are forming. In this Very Short Introduction Peter Molnar provides a succinct and authoritative account of the nature and mechanisms of plate tectonics and its impact on our understanding of Earth. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Plato: A Very Short Introduction Julia Annas (Regents Professor of Philosophy at the University of Arizona) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

13 Feb 2003

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 120pp h177mm x w112mm x s8mm 107g 12 halftones and numerous text boxes ISBN13: 9780192802163 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280216-3 ISBN10: 019280216X EAN: 9780192802163 x Description: This lively and accessible introduction to Plato focuses on the philosophy and argument of his writings, drawing the reader into Plato's way of doing philosophy, and the general themes of his thinking. This is not a book to leave the reader standing in the outer court of introduction and background information, but leads directly into Plato's argument. It looks at Plato as a thinker grappling with philosophical problems in a variety of ways, rather than a philosopher with a fully worked-out system. It includes a brief account of Plato's life and the various interpretations that have been drawn from the sparse remains of information. It stresses the importance of the founding of the Academy and the conception of philosophy as a subject. Julia Annas discusses Plato's style of writing: his use of the dialogue form, his use of what we today call fiction, and his philosophical transformation of myths. She also looks at his discussions of love and philosophy, his attitude to women, and to homosexual love, explores Plato's claim that virtue is sufficient for happiness, and touches on his arguments for the immortality of the soul and his ideas about the nature of the universe. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Poetry: A Very Short Introduction Bernard O'Donoghue (Emeritus Fellow, Wadham College, Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

10 Oct 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w111mm x s10mm 132g 5 black and white images ISBN13: 9780199229116 ISBN13: 978-0-19-922911-6 ISBN10: 0199229112 EAN: 9780199229116 x Description: Poetry, arguably, has a greater range of conceptual meaning than perhaps any other term in English. At the most basic level everyone can recognise it-it is a kind of literature that uses special linguistic devices of organization and expression for aesthetic effect. However, far grander claims have been made for poetry than this-such as Shelley's that the poets 'are the unacknowledged legislators of the world', and that poetry is 'a higher truth'. In this Very Short Introduction, Bernard O'Donoghue provides a fascinating look at the many different forms of writing which have been called 'poetry'from the Greeks to the present day. As well as questioning what poetry is, he asks what poetry is for, and considers contemporary debates on its value. Is there a universality to poetry? And does it have a duty of public utility and responsibility? ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Political Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction David Miller (Professor of Political Theory, University of Oxford. Official Fellow, Nuffield College, Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

26 Jun 2003

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h175mm x w113mm x s9mm 139g numerous halftones ISBN13: 9780192803955 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280395-5 ISBN10: 0192803956 EAN: 9780192803955 x Description: This book introduces readers to the concepts of political philosophy. It starts by explaining why the subject is important and how it tackles basic ethical questions such as 'how should we live together in society?' It looks at political authority, the reasons why we need politics at all, the limitations of politics, and whether there are areas of life that shouldn't be governed by politics. It explores the connections between political authority and justice, a constant theme in political philosophy, and the ways in which social justice can be used to regulate rather than destroy a market economy. David Miller discusses why nations are the natural units of government and whether the rise of multiculturalism and transnational co-operation will change this: will we ever see the formation of a world government? ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Politics: A Very Short Introduction Kenneth R. Minogue (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

24 Feb 2000

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 128pp h179mm x w112mm x s7mm 122g ISBN13: 9780192853882 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285388-2 ISBN10: 0192853880 EAN: 9780192853882 x Description: In this provocative but balanced essay, Kenneth Minogue discusses the development of politics from the ancient world to the twentieth century. He prompts us to consider why political systems evolve, how politics offers both power and order in our society, whether democracy is always a good thing, and what future politics may have in the twenty-first century. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Populism: A Very Short Introduction Cas Mudde (Author) Cristobal Rovira Kaltwasser (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

23 Feb 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 136pp h173mm x w112mm x s9mm 118g 10 ISBN13: 9780190234874 ISBN13: 978-0-19-023487-4 ISBN10: 0190234873 EAN: 9780190234874 x Description: Populism is a central concept in the current media debates about politics and elections. However, like most political buzzwords, the term often floats from one meaning to another, and both social scientists and journalists use it to denote diverse phenomena. What is populism really? Who are the populist leaders? And what is the relationship between populism and democracy? This book answers these questions in a simple and persuasive way, offering a swift guide to populism in theory and practice. Cas Mudde and Cristobal Rovera Kaltwasser present populism as an ideology that divides society into two antagonistic camps, the "pure people" versus the "corrupt elite," and that privileges the general will of the people above all else. They illustrate the practical power of this ideology through a survey of representative populist movements of the modern era: European right-wing parties, left-wing presidents in Latin America, and the Tea Party movement in the United States. The authors delve into the ambivalent personalities of charismatic populist leaders such as Juan Domingo Peron, H. Ross Perot, Jean-Marie le Pen, Silvio Berlusconi, and Hugo Chavez. If the strong male leader embodies the mainstream form of populism, many resolute women, such as Eva Peron, Pauline Hanson, and Sarah Palin, have also succeeded in building a populist status, often by exploiting gendered notions of society. Although populism is ultimately part of democracy, populist movements constitute an increasing challenge to democratic politics. Comparing political trends across different countries, this compelling book debates what the long-term consequences of this challenge could be, as it turns the spotlight on the bewildering effect of populism on today's political and social life. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Postcolonialism: A Very Short Introduction Robert J.C. Young (New York University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

05 Nov 2020

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 200pp h174mm x w111mm 16 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780198856832 ISBN13: 978-0-19-885683-2 ISBN10: 0198856830 EAN: 9780198856832 x Description: Postcolonialism explores the political, social, and cultural effects of decolonization, continuing the anti-colonial deconstruction of western dominance. This Very Short Introduction discusses both the history and key debates of postcolonialism, and considers its importance as a means of changing the way we think about the world. Robert J. C. Young examines the key strategies that postcolonial thought has developed to engage with the impact of sometimes centuries of western political and cultural domination. Situating the discussion in a wide cultural and geographical context, he draws on examples such as the status of indigenous peoples, of those dispossessed from their land, Algerian rai music, and global social and ecological movements. In this new edition he also includes updated material on race, slavery, and postcolonial gender politics. Above all, Young argues that postcolonialism offers a political philosophy of activism that contests the current situation of global inequality, which in a new way continues the anti-colonial struggles of the past and enables us to decolonize our own lives in the present. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Postcolonialism: A Very Short Introduction Robert J. C. Young (Professor of English and Critical Theory at Oxford University and a Fellow of Wadham College, Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

26 Jun 2003

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 192pp h173mm x w111mm x s11mm 165g 10 halftones ISBN13: 9780192801821 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280182-1 ISBN10: 0192801821 EAN: 9780192801821 x Description: This innovative and lively book is quite unlike any other introduction to postcolonialism. Robert Young examines the political, social, and cultural after-effects of decolonization by presenting situations, experiences, and testimony rather than going through the theory at an abstract level. He situates the debate in a wide cultural context, discussing its importance as an historical condition, with examples such as the status of aboriginal people, of those dispossessed from their land, Algerian rai music, postcolonial feminism, and global social and ecological movements. Above all, Young argues, postcolonialism offers a political philosophy of activism that contests the current situation of global inequality, and so in a new way continues the anticolonial struggles of the past. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Postmodernism: A Very Short Introduction Christopher Butler (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

10 Oct 2002

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h178mm x w112mm x s10mm 123g numerous halftones ISBN13: 9780192802392 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280239-2 ISBN10: 0192802399 EAN: 9780192802392 x Description: Postmodernism has been a buzzword in contemporary society for the last decade. But how can it be defined? In this Very Short Introduction Christopher Butler challenges and explores the key ideas of postmodernists, and their engagement with theory, literature, the visual arts, film, architecture, and music. He treats artists, intellectuals, critics, and social scientists 'as if they were all members of a loosely constituted and quarrelsome political party' - a party which includes such members as Cindy Sherman, Salman Rushdie, Jacques Derrida, Walter Abish, and Richard Rorty - creating a vastly entertaining framework in which to unravel the mysteries of the 'postmodern condition', from the politicizing of museum culture to the cult of the politically correct. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Poststructuralism: A Very Short Introduction Catherine Belsey (Chair of the Centre for Critical and Cultural Theory at Cardiff University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

22 Aug 2002

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 128pp h178mm x w112mm x s8mm 115g 9 halftones ISBN13: 9780192801807 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280180-7 ISBN10: 0192801805 EAN: 9780192801807 x Description: Poststructuralism changes the way we understand the relations between human beings, their culture, and the world. Following a brief account of the historical relationship between structuralism and poststructuralism, this Very Short Introduction traces the key arguments that have led poststructuralists to challenge traditional theories of language and culture. Whilst the author discusses such well-known figures as Barthes, Foucault, Derrida, and Lacan, she also draws pertinent examples from literature, art, film, and popular culture, unfolding the postructuralist account of what it means to be a human being. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Poverty: A Very Short Introduction Philip N. Jefferson (Centennial Professor of Economics, Swarthmore College) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

06 Aug 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h174mm x w111mm x s9mm 152g 4 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198716471 ISBN13: 978-0-19-871647-1 ISBN10: 0198716478 EAN: 9780198716471 x Description: No one wants to live in poverty. Few people would want others to do so. Yet, millions of people worldwide live in poverty. According to the World Bank, over 700 million people lived on less than US $2 a day in 2013. Why is that? What has been done about it in the past? And what is being done about it now? In this Very Short Introduction Philip N. Jefferson explores how the answers to these questions lie in the social, political, economic, educational, and technological processes that impact all of us throughout our lives. The degree of vulnerability is all that differentiates us. He shows how a person's level of vulnerability to adverse changes in their life is very much dependent on the circumstances of their birth, including where their family lived, the schools they attended, whether it was peacetime or wartime, whether they had access to clean water, and whether they are male or female. Arguing that whilst poverty is ancient and enduring, the conversation about it is always new and evolving, Jefferson looks at the history of poverty, and the practical and analytical efforts we have made to eradicate it, and the prospects for further poverty alleviation in the future.

Prehistory: A Very Short Introduction Chris Gosden (Professor of European Archaeology, Oxford University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

12 Jul 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h175mm x w113mm x s10mm 120g 10 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198803515 ISBN13: 978-0-19-880351-5 ISBN10: 0198803516 EAN: 9780198803515 x Description: Prehistory covers the period of some 4 million years before the start of written history, when our earliest ancestors, the Australopithecines, existed in Africa. But this is relatively recent compared to whole history of the earth of some 4.5 billion years. A key aspect of prehistory is that it provides a sense of scale, throwing recent ways of life into perspective. Humans and their ancestors lived in many different ways and the cultural variety we see now is just a tiny fraction of that which has existed over millions of years. Humans are part of the broader evolution of landscapes and communities of plants and animals, but Homo sapiens is also the only species to have made a real impact on planetary systems. To understand such an impact, we need a grasp of our longest term development and ways of life. In this new edition of his Very Short Introduction, Chris Gosden invites us to think seriously about who we are by considering who we have been. As he explains, many new discoveries have been made in archaeology over the last ten years, and a new framework for prehistory is emerging. A greater understanding of Chinese and central Asian prehistory has thrown Eurasian prehistory in quite a different light, with flows of the influence of culture over large areas now evident. This has eaten away at the traditional view of human progress around the invention of agriculture, the development of cities and (much later) the industrial revolution, and given us new geographies to think about. Chris Gosden explores the new landscape of our prehistory, and considers the way the

different geographical locations weave together. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Presocratic Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction Catherine Osborne (Lecturer in philosophy at the University of East Anglia) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

22 Apr 2004

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w112mm x s11mm 130g numerous halftones and text boxes ISBN13: 9780192840943 ISBN13: 978-0-19-284094-3 ISBN10: 0192840940 EAN: 9780192840943 x Description: This is a book about the invention of Western philosophy, and the first thinkers to explore ideas about the nature of reality, time, and the origin of the universe. It begins with the finding of the new papyrus fragment of Empedocles' poem, and uses the story of its discovery and interpretation to highlight the way our understanding of early philosophers is marked by their presentation in later sources. Generations of philosophers, both ancient and modern, have traced their inspiration back to the presocratics, even though we have very few of their writings left. In this book, Catherine Osborne invites her readers to dip their toes into the fragmentary remains of thinkers from Thales to Pythagoras, Heraclitus to Protagoras, to try to fill in the bits of a jigsaw that has been rejigged many times and in many different ways. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Privacy: A Very Short Introduction Raymond Wacks (Emeritus Professor of Law and Legal Theory) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

25 Feb 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h174mm x w144mm x s9mm 136g 12 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780198725947 ISBN13: 978-0-19-872594-7 ISBN10: 0198725949 EAN: 9780198725947 x Description: Some would argue that scarcely a day passes without a new assault on our privacy. In the wake of the whistle-blower Edward Snowden's revelations about the extent of surveillance conducted by the security services in the United States, Britain, and elsewhere, concerns about individual privacy have significantly increased. The Internet generates risks, unimagined even twenty years ago, to the security and integrity of information in all its forms. The manner in which information is collected, stored, exchanged, and used has changed forever; and with it, the character of the threats to individual privacy. The scale of accessible private data generated by the phenomenal growth of blogs, social media, and other contrivances of our information age pose disturbing threats to our privacy. And the hunger for gossip continues to fuel sensationalist media that frequently degrade the notion of a private domain to which we reasonably lay claim. In the new edition of this Very Short Introduction, Raymond Wacks looks at all aspects of privacy to include numerous recent changes, and considers how this fundamental value might be reconciled with competing interests such as security and freedom of expression.

Probability: A Very Short Introduction John Haigh (Reader in Statistics, University of Sussex) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

26 Apr 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h174mm x w113mm x s8mm 128g 11 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199588480 ISBN13: 978-0-19-958848-0 ISBN10: 0199588481 EAN: 9780199588480 x Description: Making good decisions under conditions of uncertainty - which is the norm - requires a sound appreciation of the way random chance works. As analysis and modelling of most aspects of the world, and all measurement, are necessarily imprecise and involve uncertainties of varying degrees, the understanding and management of probabilities is central to much work in the sciences and economics. In this Very Short Introduction, John Haigh introduces the ideas of probability and different philosophical approaches to probability, and gives a brief account of the history of development of probability theory, from Galileo and Pascal to Bayes, Laplace, Poisson, and Markov. He describes the basic probability distributions, and goes on to discuss a wide range of applications in science, economics, and a variety of other contexts such as games and betting. He concludes with an intriguing discussion of coincidences and some curious paradoxes. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Progressivism: A Very Short Introduction Walter Nugent (Andrew V. Tackes Professor of History Emeritus, Andrew V. Tackes Professor of History Emeritus, University of Notre Dame) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

16 Dec 2009

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w111mm x s10mm 136g 10 b/w halftones ISBN13: 9780195311068 ISBN13: 978-0-19-531106-8 ISBN10: 019531106X EAN: 9780195311068 x Description: After decades of conservative dominance, the election of Barack Obama may signal the beginning of a new progressive era. But what exactly is progressivism? What role has it played in the political, social, and economic history of America? This very timely Very Short Introduction offers an engaging overview of progressivism in America-its origins, guiding principles, major leaders and major accomplishments. A many-sided reform movement that lasted from the late 1890s until the early 1920s, progressivism emerged as a response to the excesses of the Gilded Age, an era that plunged working Americans into poverty while a new class of ostentatious millionaires built huge mansions and flaunted their wealth. As capitalism ran unchecked and more and more economic power was concentrated in fewer and fewer hands, a sense of social crisis was pervasive. Progressive national leaders like William Jennings Bryan, Theodore Roosevelt, Robert M. La Follette, and Woodrow Wilson, as well as muckraking journalists like Lincoln Steffens and Ida Tarbell, and social workers like Jane Addams and Lillian Wald answered the growing call for change. They fought for worker's compensation, child labor laws, minimum wage and maximum hours legislation; they enacted anti-trust laws, improved living conditions in urban slums, instituted the graduated income tax, won women the right to vote, and laid the groundwork for Roosevelt's New Deal. Nugent shows that the

progressives-with the glaring exception of race relations-shared a common conviction that society should be fair to all its members and that governments had a responsibility to see that fairness prevailed. Offering a succinct history of the broad reform movement that upset a stagnant conservative orthodoxy, this Very Short Introduction reveals many parallels, even lessons, highly appropriate to our own time. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Prohibition: A Very Short Introduction W. J. Rorabaugh (Dio Richardson Professor of History, Dio Richardson Professor of History, University of Washington) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

28 Jan 2020

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 152pp h175mm x w113mm x s10mm 126g 10 illustrations ISBN13: 9780190280109 ISBN13: 978-0-19-028010-9 ISBN10: 0190280107 EAN: 9780190280109 x Description: Americans have always been a hard-drinking people, but from 1920 to 1933 the country went dry. After decades of pressure from rural Protestants such as the hatchet-wielding Carry A. Nation and organizations such as the Women's Christian Temperance Union and Anti-Saloon League, the states ratified the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution. Bolstered by the Volstead Act, this amendment made Prohibition law: alcohol could no longer be produced, imported, transported, or sold. This bizarre episode is often humorously recalled, frequently satirized, and usually condemned. The more interesting questions, however, are how and why Prohibition came about, how Prohibition worked (and failed to work), and how Prohibition gave way to strict governmental regulation of alcohol. This book answers these questions, presenting a brief and elegant overview of the Prohibition era and its legacy. During the 1920s alcohol prices rose, quality declined, and consumption dropped. The black market thrived, filling the pockets of mobsters and bootleggers. Since beer was too bulky to hide and largely disappeared, drinkers sipped cocktails made with moonshine or poor-grade imported liquor. The all-male saloon gave way to the speakeasy, where together men and women drank, smoked, and danced to jazz. After the onset of the Great Depression, support for Prohibition collapsed because of the rise in gangster violence and the need for revenue at local, state, and federal levels. As public opinion turned, Franklin Delano Roosevelt promised to repeal Prohibition in 1932. The legalization of beer came in April 1933, followed by the Twenty-first Amendment's repeal of the Eighteenth that December. State alcohol control boards soon adopted strong regulations, and their legacies continue to influence American drinking habits. Soon after, Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith founded Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). The alcohol problem had shifted from being a moral issue during the century to a social, cultural, and political one during the campaign for Prohibition, and finally, to a therapeutic one involving individuals. As drinking returned to pre-Prohibition levels, a Neo-Prohibition emerged, led by groups such as Mothers against Drunk Driving, and ultimately resulted in a higher legal drinking age and other legislative measures. With his unparalleled expertise regarding American drinking patterns, W. J. Rorabaugh provides an accessible synthesis of one of the most important topics in US history, a topic that remains relevant today amidst rising concerns over binge-drinking and alcohol culture on college campuses. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Projects: A Very Short Introduction Andrew Davies (Chair in the Management of Projects, The Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment, University College London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

26 Oct 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h176mm x w112mm x s10mm 136g 10 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198727668 ISBN13: 978-0-19-872766-8 ISBN10: 0198727666 EAN: 9780198727668 x Description: What is a project? How are projects organized to deal with a complex, rapidly changing, and uncertain world? Why are projects the organization of the future? A project is a temporary organization and one-time process established to achieve a desired outcome. Projects range in size from small teams to large international joint-ventures and temporary coalitions of public and private organizations. What distinguishes projects from all other organizational activities - such as mass produced products and services - is that a project is finite in duration, lasting from hours, days, or weeks to years, and in some cases decades. Each project is disposable. It brings together people and resources to accomplish a goal and when the goal is accomplished, the organization disappears. When projects are complex, unpredictable, and changing, their plans have to be flexible and able to adjust to situations that cannot foreseen at the outset. In this Very Short Introduction Andrew Davies looks at how projects have developed since the industrial revolution to create the human-built world in which we live, work, and play. Considering some of our greatest endeavours such as the Erie Canal, Apollo Moon landing, Japanese product development, and Chinese ecocity projects, Davies identifies how projects are organized and managed to design and produce large and complex systems, cope with fast changing conditions, and deal with the immense uncertainties required to create breakthrough innovations in products and services. He concludes by considering how projects could be organized to address the challenges facing the post-industrial society of the 21st century.

Proteins: A Very Short Introduction Brian Henderson (Emeritus Professor of Biochemistry, UCL) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Feb 2019

Publishing Status:

Cancelled

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w111mm 27 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198807124 ISBN13: 978-0-19-880712-4 ISBN10: 0198807120 EAN: 9780198807124 x Description: Proteins form an essential part of all living creatures. Our muscles, our organs, our enzymes, and our antibodies are all composed structurally of these large molecules. TThese foundational units of life consist of a complex biological polymer, or more correctly co-polymer (composed of more than one monomer) - a macromolecule generated from long chains of at least 22 different amino acids. The different options available from 22 different monomers at each position in a protein chain allows the generation of astronomical numbers of different proteins and it is within this, so-called, protein hyperspace, that evolution works. In this Very Short Introduction Brian Henderson introduces the chemistry at work behind our biology. Considering the 4 billion year evolutionary history of proteins, he discusses their structure, and the carefully balanced interplay between protein synthesis (the process where new proteins are generated by biological cells) and degradation (the death of protein molecules). Henderson also considers what can happen when proteins go wrong, exploring

the wide variety of human pathological states which can result from protein unfolding or misfolding, including a range of genetic diseases. Looking forward, he shows how proteins have recently been found to have therapeutic potential, and touches on the fast growing use of therapeutic antibodies to treat human disease. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Protestantism: A Very Short Introduction Mark A. Noll (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Aug 2011

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 184pp h173mm x w114mm x s11mm 148g 15 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199560974 ISBN13: 978-0-19-956097-4 ISBN10: 0199560978 EAN: 9780199560974 x Description: Mark A. Noll presents a fresh and accessible history of Protestantism from the era of Martin Luther to the present day. Beginning with the founding of Lutheran, Reformed, Anglican, and Anabaptist churches in the sixteenth-century Reformation, he also considers the rise of other important Christian movements like Methodism and Pentecostalism. Focussing on worldwide developments, rather than just the familiar European and American histories, he considers the recent expansion of Protestant movements in Africa, China, India, and Latin America, emphasising the on-going and rapidly expanding story of Protestants worldwide. Noll examines the contributions from well-known figures including Martin Luther and John Calvin, along with many others, and explores why Protestant energies have flagged recently in the Western world yet expanded so dramatically elsewhere. Highlighting the key points of Protestant commonality including the message of Christian salvation, reliance on the Bible, and organization through personal initiative, he also explores the reasons for Protestantism's extraordinary diversity. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Psychiatry: A Very Short Introduction Tom Burns (Emeritus Professor of Social Psychiatry, Oxford. Honorary Professor of Psychiatry, UCL.) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

08 Nov 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h175mm x w112mm x s8mm 120g 10 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198826200 ISBN13: 978-0-19-882620-0 ISBN10: 0198826206 EAN: 9780198826200 x Description: Psychiatry is an endlessly controversial endeavour, incorporating emotively-charged questions over the reality of mental illness, the medicalization of everyday life, and the role of nature versus nurture which cause constant discussion today, and on which almost everyone has an opinion. In this Very Short Introduction Tom Burns explores the nature of psychiatry, focusing on what it can and cannot do, and discussing why its history has been beset by dramatic shifts in emphasis and types of treatment. Considering the main disorders that have shaped its practice (such as schizophrenia and manic depression), he analyses how it differs from (and overlaps with) psychology and psychotherapy. Many of the controversies arise from its dual origin 200 years ago and the separate development of psychiatry with a more 'medical' approach in the asylums, rather than the psychological approach which birthed psychoanalysis and various forms of psychotherapy. Discussing philosophical issues of psychiatry's legitimacy, Burns explores the mistakes psychiatry has made and the

blind alleys in its history, before looking forward to the likely changes in its practice with the coming of artificial intelligence and virtual reality. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Psychoanalysis: A Very Short Introduction Daniel Pick (Professor of History, Birkbeck College, University of London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Jul 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w113mm x s9mm 147g ISBN13: 9780199226818 ISBN13: 978-0-19-922681-8 ISBN10: 0199226814 EAN: 9780199226818 x Description: Since its inception, psychoanalysis has been hailed as a revolutionary theory of how the mind works, whilst some of its ideas such as the Oedipus complex have become part of everyday conversation. In Psychoanalysis: A Very Short Introduction, Daniel Pick offers a lucid, lively, and wideranging survey of psychoanalysis. This book offers the reader a flavour of what it might be like to enter treatment, and suggests the possible surprises that can await both analyst and patient, as well as the potential benefits. Yet whilst Freud's writings have shaped the way many of us understand dreams, desires, and destructiveness, as well as anxieties, blunders, and guilt, numerous critics have warned of the dangerous methods and time-bound assumptions of psychoanalysis, doubted the efficacy of its drawn-out methods, and dismissed its core claims as pseudo-science. Looking at modern ideas of the self, exploring the nature of unconscious aspects of relationships, and considering how psychoanalysis has evolved, Pick ponders the particular challenges now facing the analytic profession, and shows why psychoanalysis remains an important resource for investigating the mind, its creative functioning and many afflictions. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Psychology: A Very Short Introduction Gillian Butler (Oxford Health NHS Trust (retired)) (Author) Freda McManus (University of Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Jan 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w114mm x s11mm 134g 18 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199670420 ISBN13: 978-0-19-967042-0 ISBN10: 0199670420 EAN: 9780199670420 x Description: Psychology is part of everyone's experience: it influences the way we think about everything from education and intelligence, to relationships and emotions, advertising and criminality. People readily behave as amateur psychologists, offering explanations for what people think, feel, and do. But what exactly are psychologists trying to do? What scientific grounding do they have for their approach? This Very Short Introduction explores some of psychology's leading ideas and their practical relevance. In this new edition, Gillian Butler and Freda McManus explore a variety of new topics and ways of studying the brain. Until recently it was not possible to study the living human brain directly, so psychologists studied our behaviour, and used their observations to derive hypotheses about what was

going on inside. Now - through neuroscience - our knowledge of the workings of the brain has increased and improved technology provides us with a scientific basis on which to understand the structure and workings of the brain, and allows brain activity to be observed and measured. Exploring some of the most important advances and developments in psychology - from evolutionary psychology and issues surrounding adolescence and aggression to cognitive psychology - this is a stimulating introduction for anyone interested in understanding the human mind. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Psychopathy: A Very Short Introduction Essi Viding (Professor of Developmental Psychology, University College London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

07 Nov 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 136pp h174mm x w110mm x s9mm 110g 8-10 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198802266 ISBN13: 978-0-19-880226-6 ISBN10: 0198802269 EAN: 9780198802266 x Description: Psychopathy is a personality disorder that has long captured the public imagination. Newspaper column inches have been devoted to murderers with psychopathic features, and we also encounter psychopaths in films and books. Individuals with psychopathy are characterised in particular by lack of empathy and guilt, manipulation of other people and, in the case of criminal psychopathy, premeditated violent behaviour. They are dangerous and can incur immeasurable emotional, psychological, physical, and financial costs to their victims and their families. Despite the public fascination with psychopathy, there is often a very limited understanding of the condition, and several myths about psychopathy abound. For example, people commonly assume that all psychopaths are sadistic serial killers or that all violent and antisocial individuals are psychopaths. Yet, research shows that most psychopaths are not serial killers, and, equally, there are plenty of antisocial and violent offenders who are not psychopaths. This Very Short Introduction gives an overview of how we can identify individuals with or at risk of developing psychopathy, and how they differ from other people who display antisocial behavior. Essi Viding also explores the latest genetic, neuroscience, and psychology evidence in order to illuminate why psychopaths behave and develop the way they do, and considers whether it is possible to prevent or even treat psychopathy. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Psychotherapy: A Very Short Introduction Tom Burns (Professor of Social Psychiatry, University of Oxford) (Author) Eva Burns-Lundgren (UKCP/ACAT Psychotherapist) (Edited by) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

22 Jan 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h172mm x w114mm x s8mm 138g 8 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199689361 ISBN13: 978-0-19-968936-1 ISBN10: 0199689369 EAN: 9780199689361 x

Description: Psychotherapy and counselling are now widely available to help people overcome emotional and psychological difficulties in their lives. They involve spending time with a professional in an emotionally safe and structured relationship to explore and express the issues that cause distress and difficulty, whether long term self-doubts, relationship problems, or the impact of a trauma or crisis. As a society, we now take this focus on talking through and understanding our identity and relationships for granted, but it is hardly more than a century old. In this Very Short Introduction, Tom Burns and Eva Burns-Lundgren trace the development of psychotherapy from its origins in Freud's psychoanalysis to the range of different approaches - counselling, cognitive behaviour therapy, and other time-limited therapies, mindfulness, group and family therapies, and many more. Describing the processes central to them all and highlighting their differences, they demonstrate what problems each therapy are best suited for. They explain the principles behind the most commonly available types of psychotherapies and provide examples of what patients can expect when they seek such help. They conclude by examining the practice of psychotherapy - the types of training psychotherapists have, the safeguards that exist to keep practice reliable, and how one goes about choosing a psychotherapist. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Public Administration: A Very Short Introduction Stella Z. Theodoulou (Dean, College of Social & Behavioral Sciences & Professor of Political Science, California State University, Northridge) (Author) Ravi K. Roy (Director, Master of Public Administration Program, Southern Utah University and The W. Edwards Deming Fellow in Public Affairs, the W. Edwards Deming Institute) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

25 Aug 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h173mm x w119mm x s8mm 115g 10 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198724230 ISBN13: 978-0-19-872423-0 ISBN10: 0198724233 EAN: 9780198724230 x Description: Public administration ensures the development and delivery of the essential public services required for sustaining modern civilization. Covering areas from public safety and social welfare to transportation and education, the services provided through the public sector are inextricably part of our daily lives. However, mandatory budgetary cuts in recent years have caused public administrators to radically re-think how they govern in the modern age. In this Very Short Introduction Stella Theodoulou and Ravi Roy offer practical insight into the major challenges confronting the public sector in the globalized era. Tackling some of the most hotly debated issues of our time, including the privatization of public services and government surveillance, they take the reader on a global journey through history to examine the origins, development, and continued evolution of public administration. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Public Health: A Very Short Introduction Virginia Berridge (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

28 Jul 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w115mm x s9mm 126g 10 black and white images ISBN13: 9780199688463 ISBN13: 978-0-19-968846-3 ISBN10: 019968846X EAN: 9780199688463 x Description: Public health is a term much used in the media, by health professionals, and by activists. At the national or the local level there are ministries or departments of public health, whilst international agencies such as the World Health Organisation promote public health policies, and regional organisations such as the European Union have public health funding and policies. But what do we mean when we speak about 'public health'? In this Very Short Introduction Virginia Berridge explores the areas which fall under the remit of public health, and explains how the individual histories of different countries have come to cause great differences in the perception of the role and responsibilities of public health organisations. Thus, in the United States litigation on public health issues is common, but state involvement is less, while some Scandinavian countries have a tradition of state involvement or even state ownership of industries such as alcohol in connection with public health. In its narrowest sense, public health can refer to the health of a population, the longevity of individual members, and their freedom from disease, but it can also be anticipatory, geared to the prevention of illness, rather than simply the provision of care and treatment. In the way public health deals with healthy as well as sick people it is therefore a separate concept from health services, which deal with the sick population. Drawing on a wide range of international examples, Berridge demonstrates the central role of history to understanding the amorphous nature of public health today. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Puritanism: A Very Short Introduction Francis J. Bremer (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

24 Dec 2009

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 136pp h173mm x w112mm x s7mm 122g 12 halftones ISBN13: 9780195334555 ISBN13: 978-0-19-533455-5 ISBN10: 0195334558 EAN: 9780195334555 x Description: Written by a leading expert on the Puritans, this brief, informative volume offers a wealth of background on this key religious movement. This book traces the shaping, triumph, and decline of the Puritan world, while also examining the role of religion in the shaping of American society and the role of the Puritan legacy in American history. Francis J. Bremer discusses the rise of Puritanism in the English Reformation, the struggle of the reformers to purge what they viewed as the corruptions of Roman Catholicism from the Elizabethan church, and the struggle with the Stuart monarchs that led to a brief Puritan triumph under Oliver Cromwell. It also examines the effort of Puritans who left England to establish a godly kingdom in America. Bremer examines puritan theology, views on family and community, their beliefs about the proper relationship between religion and public life, the limits of toleration, the balance between individual rights and one's obligation to others, and the extent to which public character should be shaped by private religious belief. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Quantum Theory: A Very Short Introduction John Polkinghorne (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

30 May 2002

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 128pp h178mm x w112mm x s8mm 111g numerous figures ISBN13: 9780192802521 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280252-1 ISBN10: 0192802526 EAN: 9780192802521 x Description: Quantum Theory is the most revolutionary discovery in physics since Newton. This book gives a lucid, exciting, and accessible account of the surprising and counterintuitive ideas that shape our understanding of the sub-atomic world. It does not disguise the problems of interpretation that still remain unsettled 75 years after the initial discoveries. The main text makes no use of equations, but there is a Mathematical Appendix for those desiring stronger fare. Uncertainty, probabilistic physics, complementarity, the problematic character of measurement, and decoherence are among the many topics discussed. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Racism: A Very Short Introduction Ali Rattansi (Visiting Professor of Sociology, City, University of London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

09 Apr 2020

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 208pp h170mm x w111mm x s12mm 146g 8 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198834793 ISBN13: 978-0-19-883479-3 ISBN10: 0198834799 EAN: 9780198834793 x Description: There is often a demand for a short, sharp definition of racism, for example as captured in the popular formula Power + Prejudice= Racism. But in reality, racism is a complex, multidimensional phenomenon that cannot be captured by such definitions. In our world today there are a variety of racisms at play, and it is necessary to distinguish between issues such as individual prejudice, and systemic racisms which entrench racialiazed inequalities over time. This Very Short Introduction explores the history of racial ideas and a wide range of racisms - biological, cultural, colour-blind, and structural - and illuminates issues that have been the subject of recent debates. Is Islamophobia a form of racism? Is there a new antisemitism? Why has whiteness become an important source of debate? What is Intersectionality? What is unconscious or implicit bias, and what is its importance in understanding racial discrimination? Ali Rattansi tackles these questions, and also shows why African Americans and other ethnic minorities in the USA and Europe continue to suffer from discrimination today that results in ongoing disadvantage in these white dominant societies. Finally he explains why there has been a resurgence of national populist and far-right movements and explores their implications for the future of racism. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Racism: A Very Short Introduction Ali Rattansi (Visiting Professor of Sociology at City University, London.) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

22 Mar 2007

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 208pp h173mm x w110mm x s11mm 161g 8 halftones ISBN13: 9780192805904 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280590-4 ISBN10: 0192805908 EAN: 9780192805904 x Description: From subtle discrimination in everyday life and scandals in politics, to incidents like lynchings in the American South, cultural imperialism, and 'ethnic cleansing', racism exists in many different forms, in almost every facet of society. But what actually is race? How has racism come to be so firmly established? Why do so few people actually admit to being racist? How are race, ethnicity, and xenophobia related? Racism: A Very Short Introduction incorporates the latest research to demystify the subject of racism and explore its history, science, and culture. It sheds light not only on how racism has evolved since its earliest beginnings, but will also explore the numerous embodiments of racism, highlighting the paradox of its survival, despite the scientific discrediting of the notion of 'race' with the latest advances in genetics. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Radioactivity: A Very Short Introduction Claudio Tuniz (Assistant Director, Abdus Salam Centre for Theoretical Physics at Trieste, Italy) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h174mm x w117mm x s10mm 158g Approx 20 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199692422 ISBN13: 978-0-19-969242-2 ISBN10: 0199692424 EAN: 9780199692422 x Description: You cannot hide from radioactivity. Even the book you are holding is slightly radioactive, but there are more serious risks. Radioactivity the breakdown of unstable atomic nuclei, releasing radiation - is a fundamental process in nature. It is a process that has been harnessed to provide wide and important applications in science, medicine, industry, and energy production. But it remains much misunderstood - and feared, perhaps because nuclear radiation cannot be detected by human senses, and can undoubtedly do great harm if appropriate precautions are not taken. In recent times there have been increasing concerns about nuclear terrorism. The traces of radioactive atoms in rocks have allowed us to understand the nature and history of the Earth, in particular to date events in that history. Radioactive dating has been used for a variety of purposes, from determining the age of the first hominids to the dating of the Turin Shroud. The discovery of radioactivity has improved our survival kit, but also gave us the chance to reach a new level of awareness on the history of our species and its environmental impacts. In this Very Short Introduction, Claudio Tuniz explains the nature of radioactivity and discuss its role in nature. Describing radioactivity in the stars and in the Earth, he also looks at its wide range of applications in biomedicine and in science, as well as the mechanisms of nuclear fission and fusion, and the harnessing of nuclear power. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new

Rastafari: A Very Short Introduction Ennis B. Edmonds (Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Kenyon College, Gambier, Ohio) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

20 Dec 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h111mm x w175mm x s9mm 126g c. 10 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199584529 ISBN13: 978-0-19-958452-9 ISBN10: 0199584524 EAN: 9780199584529 x Description: From its obscure beginnings in Jamaica in the early 1930s, Rastafari has grown into an international socio-religious movement. It is estimated that 700,000 to 1 million people worldwide have embraced Rastafari, and adherents of the movement can be found in most of the major population centres and many outposts of the world. Rastafari: A Very Short Introduction provides an account of this widespread but often poorly understood movement. Ennis B. Edmonds looks at the essential history of Rastafari, including its principles and practices and its internal character and configuration. He examines its global spread, and its far-reaching influence on cultural and artistic production in the Caribbean and beyond. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Reading: A Very Short Introduction Belinda Jack (Fellow and Tutor, Christ Church, Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

09 May 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h175mm x w112mm x s9mm 126g 11 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198820581 ISBN13: 978-0-19-882058-1 ISBN10: 0198820585 EAN: 9780198820581 x Description: Today many people take reading for granted, but we remain some way off from attaining literacy for the global human population. And whilst we think we know what reading is, it remains in many ways a mysterious process, or set of processes. The effects of reading are myriad: it can be informative, distracting, moving, erotically arousing, politically motivating, spiritual, and much, much more. At different times and in different places reading means different things. In this Very Short Introduction Belinda Jack explores the fascinating history of literacy, and the opportunities reading opens. For much of human history reading was the preserve of the elite, and most reading meant being read to. Innovations in printing, paper-making, and transport, combined with the rise of public education from the late eighteenth century on, brought a dramatic rise in literacy in many parts of the world. Established links between a nation's levels of literacy and its economy led to the promotion of reading for political ends. But, equally, reading has been associated with subversive ideas, leading to censorship through multiple channels: denying access to education, controlling publishing, destroying libraries, and even the burning of authors and their works. Indeed, the works of Voltaire were so often burned that an enterprising Parisian publisher produced a fire-proof edition, decorated with a phoenix. But, as Jack demonstrates, reading is a collaborative act between an author and a reader, and one which can never be wholly controlled. Telling the story of reading, from the ancient world to digital reading and restrictions today, Belinda Jack explores why it is such an important aspect of our society. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new

Reality: A Very Short Introduction Jan Westerhoff (Department of Philosophy, University of Durham and School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

24 Nov 2011

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 136pp h173mm x w114mm x s9mm 110g 15 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199594412 ISBN13: 978-0-19-959441-2 ISBN10: 0199594414 EAN: 9780199594412 x Description: 'What is real?' has been one of the key questions of philosophy since its beginning in antiquity. It is a question that, due to such films as The Matrix, has also made its way into popular culture. But it is not just a question philosophers ask. It is also asked by scientists when they investigate whether the fundamental constituents of matter are actually 'out there' or just a mere abstraction from a successful theory. Cognitive scientists ask it when trying to find out which set of the bewildering array of data processed by our brain could constitute the basis for such supposedly fundamental entities like the free agent or the self. This Very Short Introduction discusses what reality is by looking at a variety of arguments, theories and thought-experiments from philosophy, physics, and cognitive science. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Reconstruction: A Very Short Introduction Allen C. Guelzo (Henry R. Luce Professor of the Civil War Era and Director of Civil War Era Studies, Henry R. Luce Professor of the Civil War Era and Director of Civil War Era Studies, Gettysburg College) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

28 Jan 2020

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 160pp h175mm x w110mm x s11mm 146g 10 illustrations ISBN13: 9780190454791 ISBN13: 978-0-19-045479-1 ISBN10: 0190454792 EAN: 9780190454791 x Description: The era known as Reconstruction is one of the unhappiest times in American history. It succeeded in reuniting the nation politically after the Civil War but in little else. Among its chief failures was the inability to chart a progressive course for race relations after the abolition of slavery and rise of Jim Crow. Reconstruction also struggled to successfully manage the Southern resistance towards a Northern, free-labor pattern. But the failures cannot obscure a number of notable accomplishments, with decisive long-term consequences for American life: the 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution, the election of the first African American representatives to the US Congress, and the avoidance of any renewed outbreak of civil war. Reconstruction suffered from poor leadership and uncertainty of direction, but it also laid the groundwork for renewed struggles for racial equality during the Civil Rights Movement. This Very Short Introduction delves into the constitutional, political, and social issues behind Reconstruction to provide a lucid and original account of a historical moment that left an indelible mark on American social fabric. Award-winning historian Allen C. Guelzo depicts Reconstruction as a "bourgeois

revolution" - as the attempted extension of the free-labor ideology embodied by Lincoln and the Republican Party to what was perceived as a Southern region gone astray from the Founders' intention in the pursuit of Romantic aristocracy. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Refugees: A Very Short Introduction Gil Loescher (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

09 Jul 2020

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp ISBN13: 9780198811787 ISBN13: 978-0-19-881178-7 ISBN10: 0198811780 EAN: 9780198811787 x Description: Refugees and other forced migrants are one of the great contemporary challenges the world is confronting. Throughout the world people leave their home countries to escape war, natural disasters, and cultural and political oppression. Unfortunately, even today, the international community struggles to provide an adequate response to this vast population in need. This Very Short Introduction covers a broad range of issues around the causes and impact of the contemporary refugee crisis for both receiving states and societies, for global order, and for refugees and other forced migrants themselves. Gil Loescher discusses the identity of refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced persons and how they differ from other forced migrants. He also investigates the long history of the refugee phenomenon and how refugees became a central concern of the international community during the twentieth and twenty first centuries, as well as considering the responses provided by governments and international aid organisations to refugee needs. Loescher concludes by focussing on the necessity of these bodies to understand the realities of the contemporary refugee situation in order to best respond to its current and future challenges. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Relativity: A Very Short Introduction Russell Stannard (Emeritus Professor of Physics, The Open University, UK) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

24 Jul 2008

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 128pp h174mm x w117mm x s7mm 117g 30 line drawings ISBN13: 9780199236220 ISBN13: 978-0-19-923622-0 ISBN10: 0199236224 EAN: 9780199236220 x Description: 100 years ago, Einstein's theory of relativity shattered the world of physics. Our comforting Newtonian ideas of space and time were replaced by bizarre and counterintuitive conclusions: if you move at high speed, time slows down, space squashes up and you get heavier; travel fast enough and you could weigh as much as a jumbo jet, be squashed thinner than a CD without feeling a thing - and live for ever. And that was just the Special Theory. With the General Theory came even stranger ideas of curved space-time, and changed our understanding of gravity and the cosmos. This authoritative and entertaining Very Short Introduction makes the theory of relativity accessible and understandable. Using very little mathematics, Russell Stannard explains the important concepts of relativity, from E=mc2 to black holes, and explores the theory's impact on science and on our understanding of the universe. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Religion in America: A Very Short Introduction Timothy Beal (Florence Harkness Professor of Religion and Director of the Baker-Nord Center for the Humanities, Florence Harkness Professor of Religion and Director of the Baker-Nord Center for the Humanities, Case Western Reserve University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

29 Jul 2008

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 144pp h174mm x w112mm x s9mm 140g 10 halftones ISBN13: 9780195321074 ISBN13: 978-0-19-532107-4 ISBN10: 0195321073 EAN: 9780195321074 x Description: It's hard to think of a single aspect of American culture, past or present, in which religion has not played a major role. The roles religion plays, moreover, become more bewilderingly complex and diverse every day. For all those who want-whether out of curiosity, necessity, or civic duty-a vivid picture and fuller understanding of the current reality of religion in America, this Very Short Introduction is the go-to book they need. Timothy Beal describes many aspects of religion in contemporary America that are typically ignored in other books on the subject, including religion in popular culture and counter-cultural groups; the growing phenomenon of "hybrid" religious identities, both individual and collective; the expanding numbers of new religious movements, or NRMs, in America; and interesting examples of "outsider religion," such as Paradise Gardens in Georgia and the People Love People House of God in Ohio. He also offers an engaging overview of the history of religion in America, from Native American traditions to the present day. Beal sees three major forces shaping the present and future of religion in America: first, unprecedented religious diversity, which will continue to grow in the decades to come; second, the information revolution and the emergence of a new network society; and third, the rise of consumer culture. Taken together, these forces offer the potential to create a new American pluralism that would enrich society in unimaginable ways, but they also threaten the great ideal of e pluribus unum. With visual aids that help readers navigate America's diverse religious landscape, this informative, thoughtful, and provocative book is a must-read in the emerging public conversation concerning religion in America. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Religion: A Very Short Introduction Thomas A. Tweed (Harold and Martha Welch Professor of American Studies and Professor of History, Harold and Martha Welch Professor of American Studies and Professor of History, University of Notre Dame) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

10 Dec 2020

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 160pp h175mm x w111mm 10 ISBN13: 9780190064679 ISBN13: 978-0-19-006467-9 ISBN10: 0190064676 EAN: 9780190064679 x Description: Religion plays a central role in human experience. Billions of people around the world practice a faith and act in accordance with it. Religion shapes how they enter the world and how they leave it - how they eat, dress, marry, and raise their children. It shapes their assumptions about who they are and who they want to be. Religion also identifies insiders and outsiders, who has power and who doesn't. It sanctifies injustice and combats it. It draws national

borders. It affects law, economy, and government. It destroys and restores the environment. It starts wars and ends them. Whether you notice it or not, religion plays a role in how billions conduct their lives. We are called, then, to understand this important factor in human life today. Beginning with the first signs of religion among ancient humans and concluding with a look at modern citizens and global trends, leading scholar Thomas Tweed examines this powerful and enduring force in human society. Tweed deftly documents religion as it exists around the world, addressing its role in both intensifying and alleviating contemporary political and environmental problems, from armed conflict to climate change. Religion: A Very Short Introduction offers a concise non-partisan overview of religion's long history and its complicated role in the world today. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Renaissance Art: A Very Short Introduction Geraldine A. Johnson (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

21 Apr 2005

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h172mm x w109mm x s10mm 157g numerous halftones ISBN13: 9780192803542 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280354-2 ISBN10: 0192803549 EAN: 9780192803542 x Description: Botticelli, Holbein, Leonardo, Durer, Michelangelo: the names are familiar, as are the works, such as the Last Supper fresco, or the monumental marble statue of David. But who were these artists, why did they produce such memorable images, and how would their original beholders have viewed these objects? Was the Renaissance only about great masters and masterpieces, or were "mistresses" also involved, such as women artists and patrons? And what about the 'minor'-pieces that Renaissance men and women would have encountered in homes, churches and civic spaces? This exciting and stimulating volume will answer such questions by considering both famous and lesser-known artists, patrons and works of art within the cultural and historical context of Renaissance Europe. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Renewable Energy: A Very Short Introduction Nick Jelley (Department of Physics and Lincoln College, University of Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

04 Mar 2020

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w111mm x s9mm 136g 29 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780198825401 ISBN13: 978-0-19-882540-1 ISBN10: 0198825404 EAN: 9780198825401 x Description: Energy is vital for a good standard of living, and much of the world's population does not have enough. Affordable and adequate sources of power that do not cause climate change or pollution are crucial; and renewables provide the answer. Wind and solar farms can now provide the cheapest electricity in many parts of the world. Moreover, they could provide all of the world's energy needs. But while market forces are fast helping the transition from fossil fuels to renewables, there are opposing pressures, such as the USA's proposed withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, and the vested interests in fossil fuels. This Very Short Introduction describes the main renewable sources of energy- solar, wind, hydropower, and biomass- as well as the less welldeveloped ones- geothermal, tidal, and wave. Nick Jelley explains the challenges of integrating renewables into electricity grids, and the need for energy storage and for clean heat; and discusses the opportunities in developing countries for renewable energy to empower millions. He also considers international efforts and policies to support renewables and tackle climate change; and explains recent innovations in wind and solar energy production, battery storage, and in the emerging power-to-gas provision for clean heating. Throughout, he emphasises what renewable energy can deliver, and its importance in tackling climate change, and in improving

health, welfare, and access to electricity. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Reptiles: A Very Short Introduction T. S. Kemp (Emeritus Research Fellow, St John's College) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

07 Feb 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h176mm x w125mm x s9mm 126g 32 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198806417 ISBN13: 978-0-19-880641-7 ISBN10: 0198806418 EAN: 9780198806417 x Description: For millions of years reptiles have walked, crawled, and slithered over the face of our Earth. From the mighty dinosaurs who dominated the land, the pterosaurs who took to the air, and the marine adapted ichthyosaurs, to the living reptiles today such as the lizards, snakes, crocodiles, and turtles, plus the single species of tuatara in New Zealand, reptiles have come in all shapes and sizes. In this Very Short Introduction Tom Kemp discusses the adaptations reptiles made to first leave the sea and colonise the land in dry conditions, such as their waterproof skin, their ability to expel almost dry waste products, their efficient use of external heat for maintaining their body temperature, and the amniotic egg that is laid and develops on dry land. Considering the different living groups of reptiles today, Kemp then describes how their respective bodies are adapted for their different ways of life, from snake feeding patterns to the way crocodiles breathe. Finally, Kemp assesses the threat of extinction to reptile species due to over-exploitation, habitat destruction, and climate change, and considers what can be done. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Revolutions: A Very Short Introduction Jack A. Goldstone (Virginia E. and John T. Hazel Jr. Professor of Public Policy and Director of the Center for Global Policy, Virginia E. and John T. Hazel Jr. Professor of Public Policy and Director of the Center for Global Policy, George Mason University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

18 Jan 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w115mm x s11mm 132g 10 black & white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199858507 ISBN13: 978-0-19-985850-7 ISBN10: 0199858500 EAN: 9780199858507 x Description: From 1789 in France to 2011 in Cairo, revolutions have shaken the world. In their pursuit of social justice, revolutionaries have taken on the assembled might of monarchies, empires, and dictatorships. They have often, though not always, sparked cataclysmic violence, and have at times won miraculous victories, though at other times suffered devastating defeat. This Very Short Introduction illuminates the revolutionaries, their strategies, their successes and failures, and the ways in which revolutions continue to dominate world events and the popular imagination. Starting with the city-states of ancient Greece and Rome, Jack Goldstone traces the development

of revolutions through the Renaissance and Reformation, the Enlightenment and liberal constitutional revolutions such as in America, and their opposite-the communist revolutions of the 20th century. He shows how revolutions overturned dictators in Nicaragua and Iran and brought the collapse of communism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, and examines the new wave of non-violent "colour" revolutions-the Philippines' Yellow Revolution, Ukraine's Orange Revolution-and the Arab Uprisings of 2011-12 that rocked the Middle East. Goldstone also sheds light on the major theories of revolution, exploring the causes of revolutionary waves, the role of revolutionary leaders, the strategies and processes of revolutionary change, and the intersection between revolutions and shifting patterns of global power. Finally, the author examines the reasons for diverse revolutionary outcomes, from democracy to civil war and authoritarian rule, and the likely future of revolution in years to come. About the Series: Oxford's Very Short Introductions series offers concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects-from Islam to Sociology, Politics to Classics, Literary Theory to History, and Archaeology to the Bible. Not simply a textbook of definitions, each volume in this series provides trenchant and provocative-yet always balanced and complete-discussions of the central issues in a given discipline or field. Every Very Short Introduction gives a readable evolution of the subject in question, demonstrating how the subject has developed and how it has influenced society. Eventually, the series will encompass every major academic discipline, offering all students an accessible and abundant reference library. Whatever the area of study that one deems important or appealing, whatever the topic that fascinates the general reader, the Very Short Introductions series has a handy and affordable guide that will likely prove indispensable. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rhetoric: A Very Short Introduction Richard Toye (Professor of Modern History, University of Exeter) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

28 Mar 2013

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 136pp h174mm x w114mm x s8mm 124g 8 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199651368 ISBN13: 978-0-19-965136-8 ISBN10: 0199651361 EAN: 9780199651368 x Description: Rhetoric is often seen as a synonym for shallow, deceptive language, and therefore as something negative. But if we view rhetoric in more neutral terms, as the 'art of persuasion', it is clear that we are all forced to engage with it at some level, if only because we are constantly exposed to the rhetoric of others. In this Very Short Introduction, Richard Toye explores the purpose of rhetoric. Rather than presenting a defence of it, he considers it as the foundationstone of civil society, and an essential part of any democratic process. Using wide-ranging examples from Ancient Greece, medieval Islamic preaching, and modern cinema, Toye considers why we should all have an appreciation of the art of rhetoric. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Risk: A Very Short Introduction Baruch Fischhoff (Department of Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University) (Author) John Kadvany (Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Energy) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

26 May 2011

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 184pp h173mm x w117mm x s11mm 140g 15 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199576203 ISBN13: 978-0-19-957620-3 ISBN10: 0199576203 EAN: 9780199576203 x Description: We find risks everywhere-from genetically modified crops, medical malpractice, and stem-cell therapy to intimacy, online predators, identity theft, inflation, and robbery. They arise from our own acts and they are imposed on us. In this Very Short Introduction, Baruch Fischhoff and John Kadvany draw on the sciences and humanities to explore and explain the many kinds of risk. Using simple conceptual frameworks from decision theory and behavioural research, they examine the science and practice of creating measures of risk, showing how scientists address risks by combining historical records, scientific theories, probability, and expert judgment.Risk: A Very Short Introduction describes what has been learned by cognitive scientists about how people deal with risks, applying these lessons to diverse examples, and demonstrating how understanding risk can aid choices in everyday life and public policies for health, safety, environment, finance, and many other topics. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ritual: A Very Short Introduction Barry Stephenson (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

22 Jan 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 144pp h174mm x w111mm x s9mm 129g 10 illustrations ISBN13: 9780199943524 ISBN13: 978-0-19-994352-4 ISBN10: 0199943524 EAN: 9780199943524 x Description: Ritual is part of what it means to be human. Like sports, music, and drama, ritual defines and enriches culture, putting those who practice it in touch with sources of value and meaning larger than themselves. Ritual is unavoidable, yet it holds a place in modern life that is decidedly ambiguous. What is ritual? What does it do? Is it useful? What are the various kinds of ritual? Is ritual tradition bound and conservative or innovative and transformational? Alongside description of a number of specific rites, this Very Short Introduction explores ritual from both theoretical and historical perspectives. Barry Stephenson focuses on the places where ritual touches everyday life: in politics and power; moments of transformation in the life cycle; as performance and embodiment. He also discusses the boundaries of ritual, and how and why certain behaviors have been studied as ritual while others have not. Stephenson shows how ritual is an important vehicle for group and identity formation; how it generates and transmits beliefs and values; how it can be used to exploit and oppress; and how it has served as a touchstone for thinking about cultural origins and historical change. Encompassing the breadth and depth of modern ritual studies, Barry Stephenson's Very Short Introduction also develops a narrative of ritual's place in social and cultural life. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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Rivers: A Very Short Introduction Nick Middleton (Fellow in Geography, St Anne's College, Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

26 Apr 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w113mm x s9mm 118g 12 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199588671 ISBN13: 978-0-19-958867-1 ISBN10: 0199588678 EAN: 9780199588671 x Description: Rivers have played an extraordinarily important role in creating the world in which we live. They create landscapes and provide water to people, plants and animals, nourishing both town and country. The flow of rivers has enthused poets and painters, explorers and pilgrims. Rivers have acted as cradles for civilization and agents of disaster; a river may be a barrier or a highway, it can bear trade and sediment, culture and conflict. A river may inspire or it may terrify. This Very Short Introduction is a celebration of rivers in all their diversity. Nick Middleton covers a wide and eclectic range of river-based themes, from physical geography to mythology, to industrial history and literary criticism. Worshipped and revered, respected and feared, rivers reflect both the natural and social history of our planet. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Robotics: A Very Short Introduction Alan Winfield (Professor, Bristol Robotics Laboratory) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w113mm x s8mm 128g Approx 18 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199695980 ISBN13: 978-0-19-969598-0 ISBN10: 0199695989 EAN: 9780199695980 x Description: Robotics is a key technology in the modern world. Robots are a well-established part of manufacturing and warehouse automation, assembling cars or washing machines, and, for example, moving goods to and from storage racks for Internet mail order. More recently robots have taken their first steps into homes and hospitals, and seen spectacular success in planetary exploration. Yet, despite these successes, robots have failed to live up to the predictions of the 1950s and 60s, when it was widely thought - by scientists and engineers as well as the public - that by turn of the 21st century we would have intelligent robots as butlers, companions, or co-workers. This Very Short Introduction explains how it is that robotics can be both a success story and a disappointment, how robots can be both ordinary and remarkable, and looks at their important developments in science and their applications to everyday life. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rocks: A Very Short Introduction Jan Zalasiewicz (Senior Lecturer in Geology, Leicester University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

08 Dec 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h173mm x w111mm x s9mm 124g 25 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198725190 ISBN13: 978-0-19-872519-0 ISBN10: 0198725191 EAN: 9780198725190 x Description: Rocks, more than anything else, underpin our lives. They make up the solid structure of the Earth and of other rocky planets, and are present at the cores of gas giant planets. We live on the rocky surface of the planet, grow our food on weathered debris derived from rocks, and we obtain nearly all of the raw materials with which we found our civilization from rocks. From the Earth's crust to building bricks, rocks contain our sense of planetary history, and are a guide to our future. In this Very Short Introduction Jan Zalasiewicz looks at the nature and variety of rocks, and the processes by which they are formed. Starting from the origin of rocks and their key role in the formation of the Earth, he considers what we know about the deep rocks of the mantle and core, and what rocks can tell us about the evolution of the Earth, and looks at those found in outer space and on other planets. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Roman Britain: A Very Short Introduction Peter Salway (Former Fellow, All Souls College, University of Oxford, and Emeritus Professor of the Open University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

28 May 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h171mm x w108mm x s8mm 128g 8 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780198712169 ISBN13: 978-0-19-871216-9 ISBN10: 0198712162 EAN: 9780198712169 x Description: For four centuries Britain was an integral part of the Roman Empire, a political system stretching from Turkey to Portugal and from the Red Sea to the Tyne and beyond. Its involvement with Rome started long before the Conquest launched by the Emperor Claudius in 43 AD, and it continued to be a part of the Roman world for some time after the final break with Roman rule. Bringing together archaeological investigation and historical scholarship, Peter Salway explores some of the key issues arising from this period in Britain's history, discussing the question of identity at this time and analysing the importance of widespread literacy in Roman Britain. Covering the period from Julius Caesar's first forays into Britain and Claudius' subsequent conquest, as well as Britain under the later Roman Empire, Salway outlines the key events of this time period, providing a focus on society in Roman Britain, and offering a thoughtful consideration of the aftermath of Roman rule. In the new edition of this Very Short Introduction, Peter Salway makes a number of essential updates in light of recent research in the area. He looks at issues of ethnicity, 'Britishness', and post-colonialism, provides alternative theories to the end of the Roman period in Britain, and draws parallels between the history of Roman Britain and a wide range of other periods, territories, and themes, including the modern experience of empires and national stereotypes. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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Romanticism: A Very Short Introduction Michael Ferber (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Sep 2010

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h176mm x w115mm x s10mm 149g Approx 15 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199568918 ISBN13: 978-0-19-956891-8 ISBN10: 019956891X EAN: 9780199568918 x Description: What is Romanticism? In this Very Short Introduction Michael Ferber answers this by considering who the romantics were and looks at what they had in common - their ideas, beliefs, commitments, and tastes. He looks at the birth and growth of Romanticism throughout Europe and the Americas, and examines various types of Romantic literature, music, painting, religion, and philosophy. Focusing on topics, Ferber looks at the 'Sensibility' movement, which preceded Romanticism; the rising prestige of the poet; Romanticism as a religious trend; Romantic philosophy and science; Romantic responses to the French Revolution; and the condition of women. Using examples and quotations he presents a clear insight into this very diverse movement, and offers a definition as well as a discussion of the word 'Romantic' and where it came from. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rousseau: A Very Short Introduction Robert Wokler (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions 48

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Aug 2001

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 188pp h180mm x w114mm x s11mm 158g 27 halftones ISBN13: 9780192801982 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280198-2 ISBN10: 0192801988 EAN: 9780192801982 x Description: One of the most profound thinkers of modern history, Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-78) was a central figure of the European Enlightenment. He was also its most formidable critic, condemning the political, economic, theological, and sexual trappings of civilization along lines that would excite the enthusiasm of romantic individualists and radical revolutionaries alike. In this study of Rousseau's life and works Robert Wokler shows how his philosophy of history, his theories of music and politics, his fiction, educational and religious writings, and even his botany, were all inspired by visionary ideals of mankind's self-realization in a condition of unfettered freedom. He explains how, in regressing to classical republicanism, ancient mythology, direct communion with God, and solitude, Rousseau anticipated some postmodernist rejections of the Enlightenment as well. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Russell: A Very Short Introduction A. C. Grayling (Reader in Philosophy, Birkbeck College, University of London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

21 Feb 2002

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w113mm x s11mm 144g 13 halftones ISBN13: 9780192802583 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280258-3 ISBN10: 0192802585 EAN: 9780192802583 x Description: Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) is one of the most famous and important philosophers of the twentieth century. In this account of his life and work A.C. Grayling introduces both his technical contributions to logic and philosophy, and his wide-ranging views on education, politics, war, and sexual morality. Russell is credited with being one of the prime movers of Analytic Philosophy, and with having played a part in the revolution in social attitudes witnessed throughout the twentieth-century world. This introduction gives a clear survey of Russell's achievements across their whole range. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Russian History: A Very Short Introduction Geoffrey Hosking (Emeritus Professor of Russian History, University College London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

29 Mar 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h173mm x w112mm x s10mm 134g 15 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199580989 ISBN13: 978-0-19-958098-9 ISBN10: 0199580987 EAN: 9780199580989 x Description: Spanning the divide between Europe and Asia, Russia is a multi-ethnic empire with a huge territory, strategically placed and abundantly provided with natural resources. But Russia's territory has a harsh climate, is cut off from most maritime contact with the outside world, and has open and vulnerable land frontiers. It has therefore had to devote much of its wealth to the armed forces, and the sheer size of the empire has made it difficult to mobilise resources and to govern effectively, especially given the diversity of its people. In this Very Short Introduction, Geoffrey Hosking discusses all aspects of Russian history, from the struggle by the state to control society, the transformation of the empire into a multi-ethnic empire, Russia's relationship with the West/Europe, the Soviet experience, and the post-Soviet era. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Russian Literature: A Very Short Introduction Catriona Kelly (Fellow of New College, Oxford, and Tutor in Russian) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions 53

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Aug 2001

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 184pp h179mm x w115mm x s11mm 138g 20 halftones, 2 maps ISBN13: 9780192801449 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280144-9 ISBN10: 0192801449 EAN: 9780192801449 x Description: This book is intended to capture the interest of anyone who has been attracted to Russian culture through the greats of Russian literature, either through the texts themselves, or encountering them in the cinema, or opera. Rather than a conventional chronology of Russian literature, the book will explore the place and importance of literature of all sorts in Russian culture. How and when did a Russian national literature come into being? What shaped its creation? How have the Russians regarded their literary language? The book will uses the figure of Pushkin, 'the Russian Shakespeare' as a recurring example as his work influenced every Russian writer who came after hime, whether poets or novelists. It will look at such questions as why Russian writers are venerated, how they've been interpreted inside Russia and beyond, and the influences of such things as the folk tale tradition, orthodox religion, and the West ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Saints: A Very Short Introduction Simon Yarrow (Senior Lecturer in History, University of Birmingham) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

11 Oct 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h175mm x w112mm x s10mm 132g 12 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199676514 ISBN13: 978-0-19-967651-4 ISBN10: 0199676518 EAN: 9780199676514 x Description: The idea of saints and sainthood are familiar to all, irrelevant of religious faith. In this Very Short Introduction, Simon Yarrow looks at the origins, ideas, and definitions of sainthood, sanctity, and saints in the early Church, tracing their development in history and explaining the social roles saints played in the ancient, medieval, and modern worlds. Along the way Yarrow considers the treatment of saints as objects of literary and artistic expression and interpretation, and as examples of idealised male and female heroism, and compares Christian saints and holy figures to venerated figures in other religious cultures, including Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. He concludes by considering the experiences of devotees to saints, and looking at how saints continue to be a powerful presence in our modern world.

Savannas: A Very Short Introduction Peter A. Furley (Emeritus Professor & Senior Honorary Professorial Fellow, University of Edinburgh) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Jun 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h174mm x w114mm x s9mm 137g 32 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780198717225 ISBN13: 978-0-19-871722-5 ISBN10: 0198717229 EAN: 9780198717225 x Description: Savannas form one of the largest and most important of the world's ecological zones. Covering one fifth of the Earth's land surface, they are home to some of the world's most iconic animals and form an extremely important global resource for plants and wildlife. However, increasing recognition of their land potential means that they are extremely vulnerable to accelerating pressures on usable land. This Very Short Introduction considers savannas as landscapes. Discussing their origin, topography, and global distribution, Peter A. Furley explores the dynamic nature of savannas and illustrates how they have shaped human evolution and movements. He goes on to discuss the unrelenting pressures that confront conservation and management and considers the future for savannas. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Scepticism: A Very Short Introduction Duncan Pritchard (Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, University of California, Irvine and Professor of Philisophy, University of Edinburgh) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

10 Oct 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 136pp h173mm x w108mm x s9mm 110g 8 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198829164 ISBN13: 978-0-19-882916-4 ISBN10: 0198829167 EAN: 9780198829164 x Description: Throughout history scepticism and the urge to question accepted truths has been a powerful force for change and growth. Today, as we are bombarded by adverts, scientific studies praising the latest superfoods, and political rhetoric, a healthy amount of scepticism is widely encouraged. But when is such scepticism legitimate - for example, as a driver of new ideas - and when is it problematic? And what role might adopting a sceptical outlook play in leading an intellectually virtuous life? In this Very Short Introduction Duncan Pritchard explores both the advantages of scepticism, in challenging outdated notions, and also how it can have unhelpful social consequences, in generating distrust. He considers the role of scepticism at the source of contemporary social and political movements such as climate change denial, post-truth politics, and fake news. Pritchard also examines the philosophical arguments for a radical form of scepticism which maintains that knowledge is impossible, and explores some of the main responses to these arguments. Finally, he considers the part scepticism might play in applying better thinking and learning to achieve a more meaningful life.

Schizophrenia: A Very Short Introduction Chris Frith (Professor in Neuropsychology at University College London and deputy director of the Functional Imaging Laboratory at the Institute of Neurology) (Author) Eve C. Johnstone (Professor and Head of the Department of Psychiatry in the University of Edinburgh) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2010

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 208pp h173mm x w111mm x s12mm 169g numerous halftones ISBN13: 9780192802217 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280221-7 ISBN10: 0192802216 EAN: 9780192802217 x Description: Schizophrenia is the archetypal form of madness. Schizophrenia is a common disorder and has a devastating effect on sufferers and their families-patients typically hear voices in their heads and hold bizarre beliefs. The schizophrenic patient presented to the public in sensational press reports and lurid films bears little resemblance to reality of the illness. This book describes what schizophrenia is really like, how the illness progresses, and the treatments that have been applied. It also summarizes the most up-to-date knowledge available about the biological bases of this disorder. Finally it attempts to give some idea of what it is like to have schizophrenia and what this disorder tells us about the relationship between mind and brain. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Schopenhauer: A Very Short Introduction Christopher Janaway (Birkbeck College, University of London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

21 Feb 2002

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h176mm x w113mm x s10mm 125g Halftones throughout ISBN13: 9780192802590 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280259-0 ISBN10: 0192802593 EAN: 9780192802590 x Description: Schopenhauer is the most readable of German philosophers. This book gives a succinct explanation of his metaphysical system, concentrating on the original aspects of his thought, which inspired many artists and thinkers including Nietzsche, Wagner, Freud, and Wittgenstein. Schopenhauer's central notion is that of the will - a blind, irrational force that he uses to interpret both the human mind and the whole of nature. Seeing human behaviour as that of a natural organism governed by the will to life, Schopenhauer developed radical insights concerning the unconscious and sexuality which influenced both psychologists and philosophers. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Science Fiction: A Very Short Introduction David Seed (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Jun 2011

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h170mm x w110mm x s9mm 142g 15 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199557455 ISBN13: 978-0-19-955745-5 ISBN10: 0199557454 EAN: 9780199557455 x Description: Science Fiction has proved notoriously difficult to define. It has been explained as a combination of romance, science and prophecy; as a genre based on an imagined alternative to the reader's environment; and as a form of fantastic fiction and historical literature. It has also been argued that science fiction narratives are the most engaged, socially relevant, and responsive to the modern technological environment. This Very Short Introduction doesn't offer a history of science fiction, but instead ties examples of science fiction to different historical moments, in order to demonstrate how science fiction has evolved over time. David Seed looks not only at literature, but also at drama and poetry, as well as film. Examining recurrent themes in science fiction he looks at voyages into space, the concept of the alien and alternative social identities, the role of technology in science fiction, and its relation to time - in the past, present, and future. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Scotland: A Very Short Introduction Rab Houston (Professor of Modern History, University of St. Andrews) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 192pp h173mm x w111mm x s11mm 162g 15 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199230792 ISBN13: 978-0-19-923079-2 ISBN10: 019923079X EAN: 9780199230792 x Description: Since Devolution in 1999 Scotland has become a focus of intense interest both within Britain and throughout the wider world. In this Very Short Introduction, Rab Houston explores how an independent Scottish nation emerged in the Middle Ages, how it was irrevocably altered by Reformation, links with England and economic change, and how Scotland influenced the development of the modern world. Examining politics, law, society, religion, education, migration, and culture, he examines how the nation's history has made it distinct from England, both before and after Union, how it overcame internal tensions between Highland and Lowland society, and how it has today arrived at a political, social and culture watershed. Authoritative, lucid, and ranging widely over issues of environment, people, and identity, this is Scotland's story without myths: an ideal introduction for those interested in the Scots, but also a balanced yet refreshing challenge to those who already feel at home in Scotland past and present. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Secularism: A Very Short Introduction Andrew Copson (Chief Executive of the British Humanist Association, and First Vice President of the International Humanist and Ethical Union) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Sep 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w112mm x s9mm 128g 8 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198747222 ISBN13: 978-0-19-874722-2 ISBN10: 0198747225 EAN: 9780198747222 x Description: Until the modern period the integration of church (or other religion) and state (or political life) had been taken for granted. The political order was always tied to an official religion in Christian Europe, pre-Christian Europe, and in the Arabic world. But from the eighteenth century onwards, some European states began to set up their political order on a different basis. Not religion, but the rule of law through non-religious values embedded in constitutions became the foundation of some states - a movement we now call secularism. In others, a de facto secularism emerged as political values and civil and criminal law altered their professed foundation from a shared religion to a non-religious basis. Today secularism is an increasingly hot topic in public, political, and religious debate across the globe. It is embodied in the conflict between secular republics - from the US to India - and the challenges they face from resurgent religious identity politics; in the challenges faced by religious states like those of the Arab world from insurgent secularists; and in states like China where calls for freedom of belief are challenging a state imposed nonreligious worldview. In this Very Short Introduction Andrew Copson tells the story of secularism, taking in momentous episodes in world history, such as the great transition of Europe from religious orthodoxy to pluralism, the global struggle for human rights and democracy, and the origins of modernity. He also considers the role of secularism when engaging with some of the most contentious political and legal issues of our time: 'blasphemy', 'apostasy', religious persecution, religious discrimination, religious schools, and freedom of belief and freedom of thought in a divided world. Previously published in hardback as Secularism: Politics, Religion, and Freedom ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sexual Selection: A Very Short Introduction Marlene Zuk (Professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities) (Author) Leigh W. Simmons (Professor in the School of Animal Biology at the University of Western Australia, and Director of the UWA Centre for Evolutionary Biology) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

06 Sep 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h176mm x w113mm x s11mm 124g A number of black and white images ISBN13: 9780198778752 ISBN13: 978-0-19-877875-2 ISBN10: 0198778759 EAN: 9780198778752 x Description: What is responsible for the differences between the sexes in so many animals, from the brilliant plumage of birds of paradise to the antlers on deer? And why are the traits that distinguish the sexes sometimes apparently detrimental to survival? Even when they look more or less alike, why do males and females sometimes behave differently? Questions like these have intrigued scientists and the public alike for many years, and new discoveries are showing us both how wildly variable the natural world is, and how some basic principles can help explain much of that variation. Like natural selection, sexual selection is a

process that results from differential representation of genes in successive generations. Under sexual selection, however, the crucial characteristics that determine whether an individual reproduces depend on sexual competition, rather than survival ability. This Very Short Introduction considers the history of our understanding of sexual selection, from Darwin's key insights to the modern day. Considering the investment animals place on reproduction, variation in mating systems, sexual conflict, and the origin of sexual dimorphism, Marlene Zuk and Leigh Simmons discuss questions such as whether females can really choose between males on aesthetic grounds, and how sexual conflict is resolved in different species. They conclude with a consideration of the thorny question of how, and even if, sexual selection theory applies to humans. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sexuality: A Very Short Introduction Veronique Mottier (Fellow of Jesus College, Cambridge & Professor in Sociology, University of Lausanne) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

24 Apr 2008

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w111mm x s10mm 142g 20 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199298020 ISBN13: 978-0-19-929802-0 ISBN10: 0199298025 EAN: 9780199298020 x Description: What shapes our sexuality? Is it a product of our genes, or of society, culture, and politics? How have concepts of sexuality and sexual norms changed over time? How have feminist theories, religion, and HIV/AIDS affected our attitudes to sex? Focusing on the social, political, and psychological aspects of sexuality, this Very Short Introduction examines these questions and many more, exploring what shapes our sexuality, and how our attitudes to sex have in turn shaped the wider world. Revealing how our assumptions about what is 'normal' in sexuality have, in reality, varied widely across time and place, this book tackles the major topics and controversies that still confront us when issues of sex and sexuality are discussed: from sex education, HIV\AIDS, and eugenics, to religious doctrine, gay rights, and feminism. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Shakespeare's Comedies: A Very Short Introduction Bart van Es (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h174mm x w113mm x s8mm 116g 6 to 8 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780198723356 ISBN13: 978-0-19-872335-6 ISBN10: 0198723350 EAN: 9780198723356 x Description: From The Two Gentlemen of Verona in the early 1590s to The Two Noble Kinsmen at the end of his career around 1614, Shakespeare wrote at least eighteen plays that can be called 'comedies': a far higher number than that for any other genre in which he wrote. So what is a Shakespearean comedy? We associate these plays with such themes as mistaken identities, happy marriages, and exuberant cross dressing, but how representative are these of the oeuvre as a whole?

In this Very Short Introduction, Bart van Es explores the full range of the playwright's comic writing, from the neat classical plotting of early works like The Comedy of Errors to the corrupt world of the so-called problem plays, written in the middle years of Shakespeare's life. Examining Shakespeare's influences and sources, van Es compares his plays to those of his rivals, and looks at the history of the plays in performance, from the biographies of Shakespeare's original actors to the plays' endless reinvention in modern stage productions and in films. Identifying the key qualities that make Shakespearean comedy distinctive, van Es traces the changing nature of Shakespeare's comic writing over the course of a career that spanned nearly a quarter century of theatrical change. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Shakespeare's Sonnets and Poems: A Very Short Introduction Jonathan F. S. Post (Distinguished Professor of English, UCLA) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

10 Oct 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h175mm x w117mm x s9mm 124g 7 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198717577 ISBN13: 978-0-19-871757-7 ISBN10: 0198717571 EAN: 9780198717577 x Description: Not for nothing is William Shakespeare considered possibly the most famous writer in history; his works have had a lasting effect on culture, vocabularies, and art. His plays contain some of our most well-known lines (how often have you heard the phrase 'To be or not to be'?), yet whilst his poems may often feel less familiar than his plays they have also seeped into our cultural history (who has not heard of ''Shall I compare thee to a summer's day'?). In this Very Short Introduction Jonathan Post introduces all of Shakespeare's poetry: the Sonnets; the two great narrative poems, Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece; A Lover's Complaint; and The Phoenix and Turtle. Describing Shakespeare's double identity as both poet and playwright, in conjunction with several of his contemporaries, Post evaluates the reciprocal advantages as well as the different strategies and strains that came with writing for the stage and the page. Tackling the debates surrounding the disputed authorship of Shakespeare's poems, he also considers the printing history of Shakespeare's canon, and the genres favoured by the bard. Exploring their reception, both with contemporary audiences and through the ages until today, Post explores the core themes of love and lust, and analyzes how the sonnets compare with other great love poetry of the English Renaissance. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Shakespeare's Tragedies: A Very Short Introduction Stanley Wells (Honorary President of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

27 Apr 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w111mm x s10mm 120g 10 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198785293 ISBN13: 978-0-19-878529-3 ISBN10: 0198785291 EAN: 9780198785293 x Description: Tragedy, including grief, pain and suffering, is a common theme in Shakespeare's plays, often leading to the death of at least one character, if not several. Yet such themes can also be found in Shakespearian plays which are classed as comedies, or histories. What is it which

makes a Shakespearian tragedy, and what dramatic themes and conventions did the bard draw upon when writing them? In this Very Short Introduction Stanley Wells considers what is meant by the word 'tragedy', and discusses nine of Shakespeare's iconic tragic plays. He explores how the early definitions and theoretical discussions of the concept of tragedy in Shakespeare's time would have influenced these plays, along with the literary influence of Seneca. Wells also considers Shakespeare's uses of the word 'tragedy' itself, analysing whether he had any overall concept of the genre in relation to the drama, and looking at the ways in which the theatrical conventions of his time shaped his plays, such as the use of boy players in women's roles and the physical structures of the playhouses. Offering a critical analysis of each of the nine plays in turn, Wells concludes by discussing why tragedy is regarded as fit subject for entertainment, and what it is about tragic plays that audiences find so enjoyable. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sikhism: A Very Short Introduction Eleanor Nesbitt (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

12 May 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h174mm x w112mm x s11mm 156g 12 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780198745570 ISBN13: 978-0-19-874557-0 ISBN10: 0198745575 EAN: 9780198745570 x Description: The Sikh religion has a following of over 20 million people worldwide. However,events such as the verbal and physical attacks on Sikhs just after September 11, where Sikhs were being mistaken for Muslims, suggest that the Sikh faith still remains mysterious to many. This Very Short Introduction introduces newcomers to the meaning of the Sikh religious tradition, its teachings, practices, rituals and festivals. Eleanor Nesbitt highlights and contextualizes the key threads in the history of Sikhism, from the first Gurus to martyrdom, militarization, and the increasingly significant diaspora. Examining gender, caste, and the changes that are currently underway in the faith, Nesbitt considers contemporary Sikh identities and their role in our world. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Silent Film: A Very Short Introduction Donna Kornhaber (Associate Professor of English, Associate Professor of English, University of Texas at Austin) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

05 Nov 2020

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 160pp h175mm x w111mm 10 illustrations ISBN13: 9780190852528 ISBN13: 978-0-19-085252-8 ISBN10: 0190852526 EAN: 9780190852528 x Description: Encompassing the thirty-five year span between the initial development of film technology in the mid-1890s and the adoption of synchronized sound in the late 1920s, the cinema's silent era is both one of the most important epochs of film history and one of the most misunderstood within the popular imagination. In this brief and readable account, these formative decades come vividly to life.

Covering the full scope of the silent era-from the invention of motion pictures to the rise of the Hollywood studios-and touching on films and filmmakers from every corner of the globe, Silent Film: A Very Short Introduction offers a window into film's first years as a worldwide entertainment phenomenon. From groundbreaking early shorts to the masterpieces of the cinema's classical era, from street-corner nickelodeons to grand movie palaces, from slapstick to the avant-garde, the silent era's artistic abundance and global variety are here put on full display. In the story of silent film, we see not just the origins of a new culture industry but also a legacy of imagination and innovation that continues to profoundly influence the cinema even to this day. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Slang: A Very Short Introduction Jonathon Green (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h174mm x w113mm x s8mm 114g 9 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780198729532 ISBN13: 978-0-19-872953-2 ISBN10: 0198729537 EAN: 9780198729532 x Description: Slang, however one judges it, shows us at our most human. It is used widely and often, typically associated with the writers of noir fiction, teenagers, and rappers, but also found in the works of Shakespeare and Dickens. It has been recorded since at least 1500 AD, and today's vocabulary, taken from every major English-speaking country, runs to over 125,000 slang words and phrases. This Very Short Introduction takes readers on a wide-ranging tour of this fascinating sub-set of the English language. It considers the meaning and origins of the word 'slang' itself, the ideas that a make a word 'slang', the long-running themes that run through slang, and the history of slang's many dictionaries. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sleep: A Very Short Introduction Steven W. Lockley (Neuroscientist, Brigham and Women's Hospital: Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA) (Author) Russell G. Foster (Chair Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Professor of Circadian Neuroscience, Senior Kurti Fellow Brasenose College, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

22 Mar 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h173mm x w114mm x s10mm 147g 15 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199587858 ISBN13: 978-0-19-958785-8 ISBN10: 019958785X EAN: 9780199587858 x Description: Why do we need sleep? How much sleep is enough? What is sleep? What happens when we don't get enough? We spend about a third of our lives asleep - it plays a crucial role in our health and wellbeing. References to sleep abound in literature and art, and sleep has been recognized as fundamental to the human condition for thousands of years. Over the past century, our knowledge of how sleep occurs, what it does, and what happens to our health if we do not have enough has developed hugely. The impact of poor sleep on our quality of life is also gaining recognition and the prevalence of sleep

disorders in the population appears to be increasing as we live ever stressful lives. This Very Short Introduction addresses the biological and psychological aspects of sleep, providing a basic understanding of what sleep is and how it is measured, looking at sleep through the human lifespan and the causes and consequences of major sleep disorders. Russell G. Foster and Steven W. Lockley go on to consider the impact of modern society, examining the relationship between sleep and work hours, and the impact of our 24/7 society. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Smell: A Very Short Introduction Matthew Cobb (School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

07 May 2020

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h175mm x w115mm x s10mm 140g A number of black and white images ISBN13: 9780198825258 ISBN13: 978-0-19-882525-8 ISBN10: 0198825250 EAN: 9780198825258 x Description: Our sense of smell - or olfaction as it is technically known - is our most enigmatic sense. It can conjure up memories, taking us back to very specific places and emotions, whilst powerful smells can induce strong feelings of hunger or nausea. In the animal kingdom smell can be used to find food, a mate, or a home; to sense danger; and to send and receive complex messages with other members of a species. Yet despite its fundamental importance in our mental life and in the existence of all animals, our scientific understanding of how smell works is limited. In this Very Short Introduction, Matthew Cobb describes the latest scientific research on smell in humans and other mammals, in insects, and even in fish. He looks at how smell evolved, how animals use it to navigate and communicate, and disorders of smell in humans. Understanding smell, especially its neurobiology, has proved a big challenge, but olfactory science has revealed genetic factors that determine what we can and cannot smell, and why some people like a given smell while others find it unbearable. He ends by considering future treatments for smell disorders, and speculating on the role of smell in a world of robots. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Social and Cultural Anthropology: A Very Short Introduction John Monaghan (Author) Peter Just (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

24 Feb 2000

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h179mm x w113mm x s12mm 137g halftones, line drawings ISBN13: 9780192853462 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285346-2 ISBN10: 0192853465 EAN: 9780192853462 x Description: If you want to know what anthropology is, look at what anthropologists do. This Very Short Introduction to Social and Cultural Anthropology combines an accessible account of some of the disciplines guiding principles and methodology with abundant examples and illustrations of anthropologists at work.

Peter Just and John Monaghan begin by discussing anthropologys most important contributions to modern thought: its investigation of culture as a distinctively human characteristic, its doctrine of cultural relativism, and its methodology of fieldwork and ethnography. They then examine specific ways in which social and cultural anthropology have advanced our understanding of human society and culture, drawing on examples from their own fieldwork. The book ends with an assessment of anthropologys present position, and a look forward to its likely future. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Social and Cultural Anthropology: A Very Short Introduction Peter Just (Professor of Anthropology, Professor of Anthropology, Williams College) (Author) John D. Monaghan (Professor of Anthropology, Professor of Anthropology, University of Illinois at Chicago) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

10 Jun 2021

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h174mm x w111mm 17 illustrations ISBN13: 9780198776994 ISBN13: 978-0-19-877699-4 ISBN10: 0198776993 EAN: 9780198776994 x Description: Social and cultural anthropology has made many important contributions to modern thought: through its investigation of culture as a distinctively human characteristic; its doctrine of cultural relativism; and its methodology of fieldwork and ethnography. This Very Short Introduction explores the fundamental concepts of the field and its methods, as well as its relevance to contemporary life. Throughout, Peter Just and John Monaghan ground their discussion in concrete examples drawn from their own field experiences in Mexico and Indonesia. This new edition also considers some of the developments of the new generation of social and cultural anthropologists. It explores the 'cultural construction' of social categories, in particular of gender, as well as discussing recent work on migration and the development of 'ontological anthropology.'

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introduction series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Social Psychology: A Very Short Introduction Richard J. Crisp (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

27 Aug 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 136pp h174mm x w124mm x s7mm 108g ISBN13: 9780198715511 ISBN13: 978-0-19-871551-1 ISBN10: 019871551X EAN: 9780198715511 x Description: Social psychology is about the people who populate our everyday lives, and how they affect our 'personal universe', defining who we are, and shaping our behaviour, beliefs, attitudes, and ideology. In an age where we've mapped the human genome and explored much of the physical world, the study of people's behaviour is one of the most exciting frontiers of scientific endeavor. In this Very Short Introduction Richard Crisp tells the story of social psychology, its history, concepts and major theories. Discussing the classic studies that have defined the discipline, Crisp introduces social psychology's key thinkers, and shows how their personal histories spurred them to understand

what connects people to people, and the societies in which we live. Taking us from the first ideas of the discipline to its most cutting edge developments, Crisp demonstrates how social psychology remains profoundly relevant to everyday life. From attitudes to attraction, prejudice to persuasion, health to happiness - social psychology provides insights that can change the world, and help us tackle the defining problems of the 21st century. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Social Work: A Very Short Introduction Sally Holland (Author) Jonathan Scourfield (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

28 May 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 136pp h174mm x w112mm x s8mm 110g 8 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780198708452 ISBN13: 978-0-19-870845-2 ISBN10: 0198708459 EAN: 9780198708452 x Description: Social workers spend their time trying to ease social suffering. They encounter the extreme casualties of social inequality: the victims of poverty, illness, addiction, and abuse; they work with abusers and offenders; and operate in the space between the State and the poor or marginalized. Social work is replete with vivid human stories: the troubled teenage boy who cannot settle in a foster home; the frail older woman who is desperate for social contact; the community seeking a way to tackle gang violence; the sex offender leaving prison; and the disputed territory of international adoption. Social work therefore holds a fundamental importance throughout the modern world. In this Very Short Introduction, Sally Holland and Jonathan Scourfield explain what social work is and look at its rich historical development. Reflecting international human stories of social problems and social work relationships, as well as the philosophies behind the practice and the evidence about what works throughout the world, they look at the various definitions, history, and debates about purpose and effectiveness, theory, and methods. Including wide ranging examples of social work practice around the world and within particular population groups, they reflect the international variation of social work theory and practice, as well as highlighting all of the main controversies and debates.

Socialism: A Very Short Introduction Michael Newman (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

28 Jul 2005

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 192pp h174mm x w112mm x s11mm 166g 19 black and white ISBN13: 9780192804310 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280431-0 ISBN10: 0192804316 EAN: 9780192804310 x Description: What is socialism? Does it have a future, or has it become an outdated ideology in the 21st century? Michael Newman examines and explains the successes and failures of modern socialism by taking an international perspective - ranging from communism in Cuba to social democracy in Sweden. Discussing its evolution from the industrial towns of the 19th century to its response to the feminist, green, and anti-capitalist movements today, Newman concludes that, with its values of equality, solidarity, and cooperation, socialism remains as relevant as ever but that it needs to learn lessons from the

past. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Socialism: A Very Short Introduction Michael Newman (Emeritus Professor, London Metropolitan University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

08 Oct 2020

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 200pp h174mm x w111mm 12 Black and White Illustrations ISBN13: 9780198836421 ISBN13: 978-0-19-883642-1 ISBN10: 0198836422 EAN: 9780198836421 x Description: What is socialism? Does it have a future, or has it become an outdated ideology in the 21st century? This Very Short Introduction considers the major theories in socialism, and explores its historical evolution from the French Revolution to the present day. Michael Newman argues that socialism has always been a diverse doctrine, while nevertheless containing a central core of interconnected values and goals: a critique of capitalism; an optimistic view of human beings; and the belief that it is possible to establish societies based on egalitarianism, social solidarity, and co-operation. In this new edition, he draws on case studies such as Cuba, Sweden, and Bolivia, to consider attempts to implement socialism in practice, before discussing New Left challenges to conventional notions of socialism on such questions as feminism, climate change, and direct action. Rejecting the widespread view that socialism is an out-dated doctrine, Newman argues that it remains ultimately relevant in today's world.

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books ar the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sociolinguistics: A Very Short Introduction John Edwards (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

21 Aug 2013

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w121mm x s9mm 138g 10 b/w halftones ISBN13: 9780199858613 ISBN13: 978-0-19-985861-3 ISBN10: 0199858616 EAN: 9780199858613 x Description: This Very Short Introduction deals with the social life of language: language in its sociocultural context. The field ranges from microanalyses to broadly-based policy and planning undertakings. As such, this book draws from sociolinguistics, the sociology of language, and psycholinguistics. The relationship between language and identity - whether of an individual or a group - is a strong thread linking all the topics covered in the book. The "ordinary," instrumental, communicative aspects of language cannot be adequately understood without paying attention to the "symbolic" features that powerfully underpin feelings and attributions of "groupness" and "belonging." The book therefore focuses more on macro sociological areas than to fine-grained analyses of variation in linguistic features (though the latter are not ignored). Edwards explains the differential social evaluations of languages and dialects, how names (and naming) are much more than simple designations, why some languages come to dominate others, as well as questions about the relationship between language and gender, sexist language, the language of poverty, the intertwining of language and religion, and politically driven language planning and policy. These matters have always been timely and of

great social interest. The book demonstrates the connections and continuities that exist within the language arena in which we all participate, and about which all of us have opinions, preferences and prejudices. This is the first short treatment that acquaints the educated non-specialist with the social life of language. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sociology: A Very Short Introduction Steve Bruce (Professor of Sociology, University of Aberdeen) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

11 Oct 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 136pp h175mm x w112mm x s8mm 112g ISBN13: 9780198822967 ISBN13: 978-0-19-882296-7 ISBN10: 0198822960 EAN: 9780198822967 x Description: Drawing on studies of social class, crime and deviance, education, work in bureaucracies and changes in religious and political organizations, this Very Short Introduction explores the tension between the individual's place in society and society's role in shaping the individual, and demonstrates the value of sociology for understanding the modern world. In this new edition Steve Bruce discusses the continuing arguments for social egalitarianism, considering issues such as gay marriage, women in combat roles, and the 2010 Equality Act to debunk contemporary arguments against parity. As gender divisions are increasingly questioned he looks ahead to the likely consequences of this for society. Delving into the theory of sociology, Bruce also argues that the habit of dividing sociology into apparently competing 'sects' is misleading, and shows how a new understanding of the disciplinary background of many of the most famous theorists, which shows that much social theory is actually philosophy or literary theory, will prove useful to today's sociologists. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Socrates: A Very Short Introduction C.C.W. Taylor (Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, Oxford University and Emeritus Fellow of Corpus Christi College) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Sep 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w111mm x s10mm 126g 9 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198835981 ISBN13: 978-0-19-883598-1 ISBN10: 0198835981 EAN: 9780198835981 x Description: Socrates has a unique position in the history of philosophy; it is no exaggeration to say that had it not been for his influence on Plato, the whole development of Western philosophy might have been unimaginably different. Yet Socrates wrote nothing himself, and our knowledge of him is derived primarily from the engaging and infuriating figure who appears in Plato's dialogues. In this Very Short Introduction, Christopher Taylor explores the life of Socrates and his philosophical activity, before looking to the responses his philosophical doctrines have evoked in the centuries since his betrayal and execution at fellow Athenian hands. Examining the relationship between the historical Socrates and the Platonic character, Taylor considers the complex question of how far it is possible to distinguish the philosopher's own thought from that of those others who

wrote about him, and explores the enduring image of Socrates as the ideal exemplar of the philosophic life - a thinker whose moral and intellectual integrity permeated every detail of his life. This new edition also includes a new chapter analysing the reception and influence of Socrates in 19th and 20th century philosophical thought. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Soft Matter: A Very Short Introduction Tom McLeish (FRS, Professor of Natural Philosophy, University of York) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

05 Nov 2020

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w111mm 48 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198807131 ISBN13: 978-0-19-880713-1 ISBN10: 0198807139 EAN: 9780198807131 x Description: Soft Matter science is concerned with soft materials such as polymers, colloids, liquid crystals, and foams, and has emerged as a rich interdisciplinary field over the last 30 years. Drawing on physics, chemistry, mathematics and engineering, soft matter links fundamental scientific ideas to everyday phenomena. One such example is 'polymers', encountered in plastic materials and melted cheese, which illustrate how 'sliminess' emerges from the flow and form of giant molecules. This Very Short Introduction delves into the field of soft matter, looking beneath the appearances of matter into its inner structure. Tom McLeish shows how Brownian Motion - the random local motion of molecules that gives rise to 'heat' - is an underlying principle of soft matter. From hair conditioner to honey, he discusses how the shared physical properties and characteristics of these materials influence the way they behave, and their industrial applications. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sound: A Very Short Introduction Mike Goldsmith (Freelance acoustician) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

10 Dec 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w114mm x s9mm 139g 20-30 black and white halftones and line drawings ISBN13: 9780198708445 ISBN13: 978-0-19-870844-5 ISBN10: 0198708440 EAN: 9780198708445 x Description: Sound is integral to how we experience the world, in the form of noise as well as music. But what is sound? What is the physical basis of pitch and harmony? And how are sound waves exploited in musical instruments? In this Very Short Introduction Mike Goldsmith looks at the science of sound and explores sound in different contexts, covering the audible and inaudible, sound underground and underwater, accoustic and electric, and hearing in humans and animals. He also considers the problem of sound out of place - noise and its reduction.

Southeast Asia: A Very Short Introduction James R. Rush (Associate Professor of History, Associate Professor of History, Arizona State University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

29 Jun 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 160pp h176mm x w111mm x s9mm 138g 10 ISBN13: 9780190248765 ISBN13: 978-0-19-024876-5 ISBN10: 0190248769 EAN: 9780190248765 x Description: Straddling the equator, Southeast Asia comprises Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, and the Philippines, as well as Laos, Cambodia, Brunei, and East Timor. Despite its extraordinary diversity of ethnicities, religions, and political systems, Southeast Asia plays a key role in global economies and geopolitics, especially in light of its strategic position bordering China and India. This Very Short Introduction explores the contemporary character of Southeast Asia's national societies through the lens of their historical evolution, from the eras of indigenous kingdoms and colonies under Western rule to the present's independent nation states. Deftly combining historical analysis and geopolitical insights, the book paints a bird's eye view of contemporary Southeast Asia as a community of diverse societies and traditions as well as a political theater-of-action nested between India and China and tangled in global economic traffic patterns, balance of powers, and environmental forces. As James R. Rush explains, archaic structures, such as religious and ethnic rivalries, tenacious feudal hierarchies, and age-old trade and migration patterns, remain rooted in today's Southeast Asia beneath the surface of modern national governments. The book draws on a wide range of examples from the major nations, including the ethno-religious violence in Myanmar, the Muslim-led rebellion in the southern Philippines, the Thai-Cambodian territorial rivalries, the Confucian-inspired governance in Singapore, the military rule and democratization in Indonesia, the environmental consequences of agribusiness, mining, and unchecked urbanization, and the big-power alignments and tensions involving the United States, China, and Japan. By delving into the cultural, political, and geographical background of Southeast Asia, Rush shows that Southeast Asia is unquestionably modern, but it is modern in distinctively Southeast Asian ways. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Spanish Literature: A Very Short Introduction Jo Labanyi (Professor of Spanish and Director of the King Juan Carlos I of Spain Center, New York University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2010

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h175mm x w114mm x s10mm 141g 15 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199208050 ISBN13: 978-0-19-920805-0 ISBN10: 0199208050 EAN: 9780199208050 x Description: Spanish literature has given the world the figures of Don Quixote and Don Juan, and is responsible for the 'invention' of the novel in the 16th century. The medieval period produced literature in Castilian, Catalan, Galician, Latin, Arabic, and Hebrew, and today there is a flourishing literature in Catalan, Galician, and Basque as well as in Castilian-the language that has became known as 'Spanish'. A multilayered history of exile has produced a transnational literary production, while writers in Spain have engaged with European cultural trends.

This Very Short Introduction explores this rich literary history, which resonates with contemporary debates on transnationalism and cultural diversity. The book introduces a general readership to the ways in which Spanish literature has been read, in and outside Spain, explaining misconceptions, outlining the insights of recent scholarship and suggesting new readings. It highlights the precocious modernity of much early modern Spanish literature, and shows how the gap between modern ideas and social reality stimulated creative literary responses in subsequent periods; as well as how contemporary writers have adjusted to Spain's recent accelerated modernization. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Spinoza: A Very Short Introduction Roger Scruton (former Lecturer in Philosophy, Birckbeck College, University of London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

30 May 2002

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h178mm x w113mm x s10mm 128g xiv halftones ISBN13: 9780192803160 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280316-0 ISBN10: 0192803166 EAN: 9780192803160 x Description: Benedict de Spinoza (1632-77) was at once the father of the Enlightenment and the last sad guardian of the medieval world. In his brilliant synthesis of geometrical method, religious sentiment, and secular science, he attempted to reconcile the conflicting moral and intellectual demands of his epoch, and to present a vision of humanity as simultaneously bound by necessity and eternally free. In this book Roger Scruton presents a clear and systematic analysis of Spinoza's thought, and shows its relevance to today's intellectual preoccupations. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Spirituality: A Very Short Introduction Philip Sheldrake (Senior Research Fellow in the Cambridge Theological Federation, Honorary Professor of the University of Wales, and a regular visiting professor in the United States.) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

29 Nov 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h138mm x w148mm x s9mm 137g 3 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199588756 ISBN13: 978-0-19-958875-6 ISBN10: 0199588759 EAN: 9780199588756 x Description: It has been suggested that 'spirituality' has become a word that 'can define an era'. Why? Because paradoxically, alongside a decline in traditional religious affiliations, the growing interest in spirituality and the use of the word in a variety of contexts is a striking aspect of contemporary western cultures. Indeed, spirituality is sometimes contrasted attractively with religion, although this is problematic and implies that religion is essentially dogma, moralism, institutions, buildings, and hierarchies. The notion of spirituality expresses the fact that many people are driven by goals that concern more than material satisfaction. Broadly, it refers to the deepest values and sense of meaning by which people seek to live. Sometimes these values are conventionally religious. Sometimes they are

associated with what is understood as 'the sacred' in a broader sense - that is, of ultimate rather than merely instrumental importance. This Very Short Introduction, written by one of the most eminent scholars and writers on spirituality, explores the historical foundations of the thought and considers how it came to have the significance it is developing today. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sport: A Very Short Introduction Mike Cronin (Academic Director of Boston College in Ireland) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h173mm x w114mm x s8mm 120g 10 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199688340 ISBN13: 978-0-19-968834-0 ISBN10: 0199688346 EAN: 9780199688340 x Description: Sport is big business; international in nature and the focus of much media and cultural attention. In this Very Short Introduction, Mike Cronin charts the history of sport, from its traditional origins in folk football and cock fighting to its position as a global phenomenon today. Looking at a variety of sports from team games such as rugby, cricket, and football to games for individuals such as golf, tennis, and skiing, he considers how these first emerged and captivated the interest of ordinary people, and how sport has been transformed within our daily lives. Exploring the relationship between sport and class, gender, commerce, identity, and ethics, Cronin considers some of the central issues in sport today, including the high pay of professional footballers and the glamour of sports women, as well as fair play standards. Charting sport through the ages and around the world, this is a short guide to the history, development, and place of sport in contemporary global society. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Stars: A Very Short Introduction Andrew King (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

26 Jul 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 136pp h173mm x w116mm x s9mm 110g 13 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199602926 ISBN13: 978-0-19-960292-6 ISBN10: 0199602921 EAN: 9780199602926 x Description: Every atom of our bodies has been part of a star. Our very own star, the Sun, is crucial to the development and sustainability of life on Earth. This Very Short Introduction presents a modern, authoritative examination of how stars live, producing all the chemical elements beyond helium, and how they die, sometimes spectacularly, to end as remnants such as black holes. Andrew King shows how understanding the stars is key to understanding the galaxies they inhabit, and thus the history of our entire Universe, as well as the existence of planets like our own. King presents a fascinating exploration of the science of stars, from the mechanisms that allow stars to form and the processes that allow them to shine, as well as the results of their inevitable death. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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Statistics: A Very Short Introduction David J. Hand (Professor of Statistics, Imperial College, London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Oct 2008

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 136pp h174mm x w112mm x s8mm 125g 8 figures ISBN13: 9780199233564 ISBN13: 978-0-19-923356-4 ISBN10: 019923356X EAN: 9780199233564 x Description: Modern statistics is very different from the dry and dusty discipline of the popular imagination. In its place is an exciting subject which uses deep theory and powerful software tools to shed light and enable understanding. And it sheds this light on all aspects of our lives, enabling astronomers to explore the origins of the universe, archaeologists to investigate ancient civilisations, governments to understand how to benefit and improve society, and businesses to learn how best to provide goods and services. Aimed at readers with no prior mathematical knowledge, this Very Short Introduction explores and explains how statistics work, and how we can decipher them. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Stem Cells: A Very Short Introduction Jonathan Slack (Director, Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Feb 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h172mm x w115mm x s9mm 127g 15 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199603381 ISBN13: 978-0-19-960338-1 ISBN10: 0199603383 EAN: 9780199603381 x Description: The topic of stem cells has been very high profile in the media in recent years. There is much public interest in stem cells but also much confusion and misinformation, with some companies already offering 'stem cell products' and bogus 'stem cell therapies'. In this Very Short Introduction, Jonathan Slack introduces stem cells; what they are, what scientists do with them, what stem cell therapies are available today, and how they might be used in future. Despite important advances, clinical applications of stem cells are still in their infancy. Most real stem cell therapy today is some form of bone marrow transplantation. Slack introduces stem cells by explaining the difference between embryonic stem cells, which exist only in laboratory cultures, and tissue-specific stem cells, which exist in our bodies. Embryonic stem cells can become any cell type in the body, so diseases that may in future be treated by functional cells derived from these sorts of stem cell include diabetes, Parkinson's disease, heart disease, and spinal trauma. He then goes on to discuss the properties of tissue-specific stem cells and the important technique of bone marrow transplantation. Slack concludes by analysing how medical innovation has occurred in this area in the past, and draws out some of the lessons for the development of new therapies in the future. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Stoicism: A Very Short Introduction Brad Inwood (Professor of Philosophy and Classics, Yale University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

09 Aug 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 136pp h175mm x w114mm x s9mm 129g A number of black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780198786665 ISBN13: 978-0-19-878666-5 ISBN10: 0198786662 EAN: 9780198786665 x Description: Stoicism is two things: a long past philosophical school of ancient Greece and Rome, and an enduring philosophical movement that still inspires people in the twenty-first century to re-think and re-organize their lives in order to achieve personal satisfaction. What is the connection between them? This Very Short Introduction provides an introductory account of Stoic philosophy, and tells the story of how ancient Stoicism survived and evolved into the movement we see today. Exploring the roots of the school in the philosophy of fourth century BCE Greece, Brad Inwood examines its basic history and doctrines and its relationship to the thought of Plato, Aristotle and his successors, and the Epicureans. Sketching the history of the school's reception in the western tradition, he argues that, despite the differences between ancient and contemporary Stoics, there is a common core of philosophical insight that unites the modern version not just to Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius but also to the school's original founders, Zeno, Cleanthes, and Chrysippus. Inwood concludes by considering the place of Stoicism in modern life. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Structural Engineering: A Very Short Introduction David Blockley (Emeritus Professor and Senior Research Fellow, University of Bristol, UK) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

25 Sep 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w114mm x s11mm 122g Approx 20 black and white line illustrations ISBN13: 9780199671939 ISBN13: 978-0-19-967193-9 ISBN10: 0199671931 EAN: 9780199671939 x Description: Have you ever wondered how it's possible to build a skyscraper, a big bridge, a jumbo jet, or a cruise liner? Everything has structure. Structure is the difference between a random pile of components and a fully functional object. Through structure the parts connect to make the whole. Natural structures vary from the very smallest part of an atom to the entire cosmology of the universe. Man-made structures include buildings, bridges, dams, ships, aeroplanes, rockets, trains, cars and fair-ground rides and all forms of artefacts, even large artistic sculptures. The wide range of different industries in which structural engineers work includes construction, transport, manufacturing, and aerospace. In this Very Short Introduction, David Blockley explores, in non-technical language, what structural engineering is all about, including examples ranging from the Shard in London and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco to jumbo jets like the A380 and the Queen Elizabeth cruise liner. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new

Stuart Britain: A Very Short Introduction John Morrill (Professor of British and Irish History, Professor of British and Irish History, University of Cambridge) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

10 Aug 2000

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 112pp h179mm x w113mm x s7mm 101g 10 halftones, 1 map ISBN13: 9780192854001 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285400-1 ISBN10: 0192854003 EAN: 9780192854001 x Description: First published as part of the best-selling The Oxford Illustrated History of Britain, John Morrill's Very Short Introduction to Stuart Britain sets the Revolution into its political, religious, social, economic, intellectual, and cultural contexts. It thus seeks to integrate what most other surveys pull apart. It gives a graphic account of the effects of a century-long period during which population was growing inexorably and faster than both the food supply and the employment market. It looks at the failed attempts of successive governments to make all those under their authority obedient members of a unified national church; it looks at how Charles I blundered into a civil war which then took on a terrifying momentum of its own. The result was his trial and execution, the abolition of the monarchy, the house of lords, the bishops, the prayer book and the celebration of Christmas. As a result everything else that people took for granted came up for challenge, and this book shows how painfully and with what difficulty order and obedience was restored. Vividly illustrated and full of startling detail, this is an ideal introduction to those interested in getting into the period, and also contains much to challenge and stimulate those who already feel at home in Stuart England. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Superconductivity: A Very Short Introduction Stephen J. Blundell (Professor of Physics, Oxford University Department of Physics and Professorial Fellow of Mansfield College, Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2009

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w111mm x s9mm 146g 20 B&W halftones & line drawings ISBN13: 9780199540907 ISBN13: 978-0-19-954090-7 ISBN10: 019954090X EAN: 9780199540907 x Description: Superconductivity is one of the most exciting areas of research in physics today. Outlining the history of its discovery, and the race to understand its many mysterious and counter-intuitive phenomena, this Very Short Introduction explains in accessible terms the theories that have been developed, and how they have influenced other areas of science, including the Higgs boson of particle physics and ideas about the early Universe. It is an engaging and informative account of a fascinating scientific detective story, and an intelligible insight into some deep and beautiful ideas of physics. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Superstition: A Very Short Introduction Stuart Vyse (Independent scholar, psychologist, and author) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

26 Dec 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h169mm x w110mm x s10mm 130g 8-10 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198819257 ISBN13: 978-0-19-881925-7 ISBN10: 0198819250 EAN: 9780198819257 x Description: Do you touch wood for luck, or avoid hotel rooms on floor thirteen? Would you cross the path of a black cat, or step under a ladder? Is breaking a mirror just an expensive waste of glass, or something rather more sinister? Despite the dominance of science in today's world, superstitious beliefs - both traditional and new - remain surprisingly popular. A recent survey of adults in the United States found that 33 percent believed that finding a penny was good luck, and 23 percent believed that the number seven was lucky. Where did these superstitions come from, and why do they persist today? This Very Short Introduction explores the nature and surprising history of superstition from antiquity to the present. For two millennia, superstition was a label derisively applied to foreign religions and unacceptable religious practices, and its primary purpose was used to separate groups and assert religious and social authority. After the Enlightenment, the superstition label was still used to define groups, but the new dividing line was between reason and unreason. Today, despite our apparent sophistication and technological advances, superstitious belief and behaviour remain widespread, and highly educated people are not immune. Stuart Vyse takes an exciting look at the varieties of popular superstitious beliefs today and the psychological reasons behind their continued existence, as well as the likely future course of superstition in our increasingly connected world.

Symmetry: A Very Short Introduction Ian Stewart (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

30 May 2013

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w115mm x s9mm 142g Approx 40 black and white line drawings ISBN13: 9780199651986 ISBN13: 978-0-19-965198-6 ISBN10: 0199651981 EAN: 9780199651986 x Description: In the 1800s mathematicians introduced a formal theory of symmetry: group theory. Now a branch of abstract algebra, this subject first arose in the theory of equations. Symmetry is an immensely important concept in mathematics and throughout the sciences, and its applications range across the entire subject. Symmetry governs the structure of crystals, innumerable types of pattern formation, how systems change their state as parameters vary; and fundamental physics is governed by symmetries in the laws of nature. It is highly visual, with applications that include animal markings, locomotion, evolutionary biology, elastic buckling, waves, the shape of the Earth, and the form of galaxies. In this Very Short Introduction, Ian Stewart demonstrates its deep implications, and shows how it plays a major role in the current search to unify relativity and quantum theory. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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Synaesthesia: A Very Short Introduction Julia Simner (Professor of Psychology, University of Sussex) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

11 Jul 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h173mm x w110mm x s9mm 116g 15 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198749219 ISBN13: 978-0-19-874921-9 ISBN10: 019874921X EAN: 9780198749219 x Description: Can you taste words, feel flavours as a shape, or hear colors? If so you may well have synaesthesia, a neurological condition that gives rise to a 'merging of the senses'. This Very Short Introduction describes synaesthesia's many forms, and delves into the underlying neuroscience. Explaining the scientific basis for synaesthesia, Julia Simner considers how we can measure the effects synaesthesia has on the everyday lives of people living with it. Exploring the fascinating stories of different synaesthetes' experiences of the world, she also discusses the documented links between synaesthesia, childhood development, memory, personality, and artistic creativity, and the potential limitations synaesthesia might impose. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Synthetic Biology: A Very Short Introduction Jamie A. Davies (Professor of Experimental Anatomy, University of Edinburgh) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

09 Aug 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h175mm x w113mm x s10mm 114g 37 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198803492 ISBN13: 978-0-19-880349-2 ISBN10: 0198803494 EAN: 9780198803492 x Description: Synthetic biology is one of the 21st century's fastest growing fields of research, as important for technology as for basic science. Building on traditional genetic engineering, which was restricted to changing one or two genes, synthetic biology uses multi-gene modules and pathways to make very significant changes to what cells can do. Synthetic biologists aim to have an impact in fields as diverse as drug manufacture, biofuel production, tackling pollution, and medical diagnostics. Further ahead, synthetic biology may even make possible the long-standing goal of creating new life from non-living starting materials. This Very Short Introduction provides a concise explanation of what synthetic biology is, and how it is beginning to affect many fields of technology. Jamie Davies also discusses the considerable controversies surrounding synthetic biology, from questions over the assumption that engineering concepts can be applied to living systems easily, to scepticism over the claims for commercial promise, fears that the dangers of engineering life are worse than its benefits, and concerns over whether humans should be designing living systems at all. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Systems Biology: A Very Short Introduction Eberhard O. Voit (David D. Flanagan Chair Professor and Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar, W. H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory Medical School) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

09 Apr 2020

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w111mm x s9mm 124g 29 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780198828372 ISBN13: 978-0-19-882837-2 ISBN10: 0198828373 EAN: 9780198828372 x Description: Systems biology came about as growing numbers of engineers and scientists from other fields created algorithms which supported the analysis of biological data in incredible quantities. Whereas biologists of the past had been forced to study one item or aspect at a time, due to technical and biological limitations, it suddenly became possible to study biological phenomena within their natural contexts. This interdisciplinary field offers a holistic approach to interpreting these processes, and has been responsible for some of the most important developments in the science of human health and environmental sustainability. This Very Short Introduction outlines the exciting processes and possibilities in the new field of systems biology. Eberhard O. Voit describes how it enabled us to learn how intricately the expression of every gene is controlled, how signaling systems keep organisms running smoothly, and how complicated even the simplest cells are. He explores what this field is about, why it is needed, and how it will affect our understanding of life, particularly in the areas of personalized medicine, drug development, food and energy production, and sustainable stewardship of our environments. Throughout he considers how new tools are being provided from the fields of mathematics, computer science, engineering, physics, and chemistry to grasp the complexity of the countless interacting processes in cells which would overwhelm the cognitive and analytical capabilities of the human mind.

Zionism: A Very Short Introduction Michael Stanislawski (Nathan J. Miller Professor of Jewish History, Nathan J. Miller Professor of Jewish History, Columbia University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 152pp h173mm x w117mm x s9mm 118g 10 ISBN13: 9780199766048 ISBN13: 978-0-19-976604-8 ISBN10: 0199766045 EAN: 9780199766048 x Description: In this Very Short Introduction, Michael Stanislawski presents an impartial and disinterested history of Zionist ideology from its origins to the present. Sharp and accessible, he charts the crucial moments in the ideological development of Zionism, including the emergence of modern Jewish nationalism in early nineteenth century Europe, the founding of the Zionist movement by Theodor Herzl in 1897, right through to the rise of the aPeace Nowa movement, and the election of conservative prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Stanislawski's balanced analysis of these controversial events illuminates why, despite the undeniable success in its goal of creating a Jewish state, profound questions remain today about the long-term viability of Zionist ideology

in a rapidly destabilizing Middle East. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Taxation: A Very Short Introduction Stephen Smith (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Apr 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w114mm x s8mm 135g 10 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199683697 ISBN13: 978-0-19-968369-7 ISBN10: 0199683697 EAN: 9780199683697 x Description: Taxation is crucial to the functioning of the modern state. Tax revenues pay for public services - roads, the courts, defence, welfare assistance to the poor and elderly, and in many countries much of health care and education too. More than one third of national income in the industrialized (OECD) countries is on average taken in taxation. Taxes affect individuals in many ways. Taxes paid on income and spending directly reduce taxpayer disposable income, taxpayers face the hassle of tax returns and making payments, and they may be anxious about the possibility of investigation and enforcement action. People also adapt their activities in various ways to reduce the impact of taxation - putting money into tax-free savings accounts, or making shopping trips to other countries where taxes are lower. Taxation is therefore central to politics and public debate. Politicians that make reckless campaign promises about taxation then have to live with the uncomfortable consequences if elected. Businesses lobby for tax breaks that they claim will create jobs and prosperity. In this Very Short Introduction Stephen Smith shows how taxes have real effects on citizens and the economy that tax policy-makers have to balance. Although tax policy will always be a highly political issue, he argues that public decisions about taxation would be improved by a better understanding of the role of taxation, and of the nature and effects of different taxes. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Teeth: A Very Short Introduction Peter S. Ungar (Distinguished Professor and Chair of Anthropology, Distinguished Professor and Chair of Anthropology, Department of Anthropology, University of Arkansas) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

27 Mar 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w114mm x s10mm 122g Approximately 30 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199670598 ISBN13: 978-0-19-967059-8 ISBN10: 0199670595 EAN: 9780199670598 x Description: Teeth are amazing - the product of half a billion years of evolution. They provide fuel for the body by breaking apart other living things; and they must do it again and again over a lifetime without themselves being broken in the process. This means that plants and animals have developed tough or hard tissues for protection, and teeth have evolved ways to sharpen or strengthen themselves to overcome those defences. And just as different jobs require different tools, animals with different diets have different shaped teeth to deal with the variety of foods that they eat.

In this Very Short Introduction, Peter S. Ungar, an award-winning author and leading scientist, presents the story of teeth. Ungar outlines the key concepts, including insights into the origin of teeth and their evolution. Considering why teeth are important, he describes how they are made, and how they work, including their fundamental importance in the fossil record. Ungar finishes with a review of mammal teeth, looking at how they evolved and how recent changes to our diet are now affecting dental health. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Telescopes: A Very Short Introduction Geoffrey Cottrell (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

08 Dec 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w119mm x s10mm 130g 30 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198745860 ISBN13: 978-0-19-874586-0 ISBN10: 0198745869 EAN: 9780198745860 x Description: From the first, telescopes have made dramatic revelations about the Universe and our place in it. Galileo's observations of the Moon's cratered surface and discovery of Jupiter's four big satellites profoundly altered the perception of the heavens, overturning a two-thousand year cosmology that held the Earth to be the centre of the Universe. Over the past century, the rapid development of computer technology and sophisticated materials allowed enormous strides in the construction of telescopes. Modern telescopes range from large Earth-based optical telescopes and radio arrays linking up across continents, to space-based telescopes capturing the Universe in infrared, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays. In combination, they have enabled us to look deep into the Universe and far back in time, capturing phenomena from galactic collisions to the formation of stars and planetary systems, and mapping the faint glow remaining from the Big Bang. In this Very Short Introduction, Dr. Geoff Cottrell describes the basic physics of telescopes, the challenges of overcoming turbulence and distortion from the Earth's atmosphere, and the special techniques used to capture X-rays and gamma rays in space telescopes. He explains the crucial developments in detectors and spectrographs that have enabled the high resolution achieved by modern telescopes, and the hopes for the new generation of telescopes currently being built across the world. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Terrorism: A Very Short Introduction Charles Townshend (Professor of International History Emeritus, Keele University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

3rd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

07 Jun 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 184pp h175mm x w113mm x s11mm 140g 17 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198809098 ISBN13: 978-0-19-880909-8 ISBN10: 0198809093 EAN: 9780198809098 x Description: Is one person's terrorist another's freedom fighter? Is terrorism crime or war? Can there be a 'War on Terror'? For many, the terrorist attacks of September 2001 changed the face of the world, pushing terrorism to the top of political agendas, and leading to a series of world events including the war in Iraq and the invasion of Afghanistan. The recent terror attacks in various European cities have shown that terrorism remains a crucial issue today. Charting a clear path through the efforts to understand and explain modern terrorism, Charles Townshend examines the historical, ideological, and local roots

of terrorist violence. Starting from the question of why terrorists find it so easy to seize public attention, this new edition analyses the emergence of terrorism as a political strategy, and discusses the objectives which have been pursued by users of this strategy from French revolutionaries to Islamic jihadists. Considering the kinds of groups and individuals who adopt terrorism, Townshend discusses the emergence of ISIS and the upsurge in individual suicide action, and explores the issues involved in finding a proportionate response to the threat they present, particularly by liberal democratic societies. Analysing the growing use of knives and other edged weapons in attacks, and the issue of 'cyberterror', Townshend details the use of counterterrorist measures, from control orders to drone strikes, including the Belgian and French responses to the Brussels, Paris, Nice, and Rouen attacks. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Abrahamic Religions: A Very Short Introduction Charles L. Cohen (E. Gordon Fox Professor of American Institutions, Emeritus, E. Gordon Fox Professor of American Institutions, Emeritus, University of Wisconsin, Madison) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

22 Jan 2020

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 152pp h175mm x w110mm x s9mm 124g 10 halftones ISBN13: 9780190654344 ISBN13: 978-0-19-065434-4 ISBN10: 0190654341 EAN: 9780190654344 x Description: In the book of Genesis, God bestows a new name upon Abram-Abraham, a father of many nations. With this name and his Covenant, Abraham would become the patriarch of three of the world's major religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Connected by their mutual-if differentiated-veneration of the One God proclaimed by Abraham, these traditions share much beyond their origins in the ancient Israel of the Old Testament. This Very Short Introduction explores the intertwined histories of these monotheistic religions, from the emergence of Christianity and Islam to the violence of the Crusades and the cultural exchanges of al-Andalus. Each religion continues to be shaped by this history but has also reacted to the forces of modernity and politics. Movements such as the Reformation and that led by seventh-century Kharijites have emerged, intentioned to reform or restore traditional religious practice but quite different in their goals and effects. Relationships with states, among them Israel and Saudi Arabia, have also figured importantly in their development. The Abrahamic Religions: A Very Short Introduction brings these traditions together into a common narrative, lending much needed context to the story of Abraham and his descendants. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The American Presidency: A Very Short Introduction Charles O. Jones (Emeritus Professor of Political Science, Emeritus Professor of Political Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

01 Jul 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 208pp h174mm x w114mm x s12mm 156g 14 ISBN13: 9780190458201 ISBN13: 978-0-19-045820-1 ISBN10: 0190458208 EAN: 9780190458201

x Description: The American founding fathers were dedicated to the project of creating a government both functional and incapable of devolving into tyranny. To do this, they intentionally decentralized decision making among the legislative, executive, and judiciary branches. They believed this separation of powers would force compromise and achieve their goal of "separating to unify." In the second edition of this Very Short Introduction, Charles O. Jones delves into the constitutional roots of the American presidency to show how presidents faced the challenges of governing within a system of separation of powers. This updated edition of The American Presidency reviews crucial themes, including democratization of presidential elections, transitioning into and organizing a presidency, challenges in leading the permanent government, making law and policy, and reforming and changing the institution. It also introduces new case studies from the Obama administration, providing compelling insights into contemporary critical issues such as military power, the role of the First Lady, and the new trends in electoral campaigning-including the stunning advances in mass media and campaign technology. Jones lucidly shows that American presidents are not, and simply cannot be, as powerful as most Americans believe them to be. Accordingly, he stresses the necessity to acknowledge the president's political status and style within the constitutional structure: the president is not the presidency, and the presidency is not the government. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The American Revolution: A Very Short Introduction Robert J. Allison (Professor of History, Professor of History, Suffolk University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

15 Jun 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w114mm x s9mm 141g 10 hts ISBN13: 9780190225063 ISBN13: 978-0-19-022506-3 ISBN10: 0190225068 EAN: 9780190225063 x Description: Here is a brisk, accessible, and vivid introduction to arguably the most important event in the history of the United States-the American Revolution. Between 1760 and 1800, the American people cast off British rule to create a new nation and a radically new form of government based on the idea that people have the right to govern themselves. In this lively account, Robert Allison provides a cohesive synthesis of the military, diplomatic, political, social, and intellectual aspects of the Revolution, paying special attention to the Revolution's causes and consequences. The book recreates the tumultuous events of the 1760s and 1770s that led to revolution, such as the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party, as well as the role the Sons of Liberty played in turning resistance into full-scale revolt. Allison explains how and why Americans changed their ideas of government and society so profoundly in these years and how the War for Independence was fought and won. He highlights the major battles and commanders on both sides-with a particular focus on George Washington and the extraordinary strategies he developed to defeat Britain's superior forces-as well as the impact of French military support on the American cause. In the final chapter, Allison explores the aftermath of the American Revolution: how the newly independent states created governments based on the principles for which they had fought, and how those principles challenged their own institutions, such as slavery, in the new republic. He considers as well the Revolution's legacy, the many ways its essential ideals influenced other struggles against oppressive power or colonial systems in France, Latin America, and Asia. Sharply written and highly readable, The American Revolution: A Very Short Introduction offers a concise introduction to this seminal event in American history. About the Series: Oxford's Very Short Introductions series offers concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects-from Islam to Sociology, Politics to Classics, Literary Theory to History, and Archaeology to the Bible. Not simply a textbook of definitions, each volume in this series provides trenchant and provocative-yet always balanced and complete-discussions of the central issues in a given discipline or field. Every Very Short Introduction gives a readable evolution of the subject in question, demonstrating how the subject has developed and how it has influenced society. Eventually, the series will encompass every major academic discipline, offering all students an accessible and abundant reference library. Whatever the area of study that one deems important or appealing, whatever the topic that fascinates the general reader, the Very Short Introductions series has a handy and affordable guide that will likely prove indispensable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The American South: A Very Short Introduction Charles Reagan Wilson (Professor Emeritus of History and Southern Studies, Professor Emeritus of History and Southern Studies, University of Mississippi) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

24 Dec 2020

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 160pp h175mm x w111mm 10 ISBN13: 9780199943517 ISBN13: 978-0-19-994351-7 ISBN10: 0199943516 EAN: 9780199943517 x Description: The American South is a distinctive place with a dramatic history, and has significance beyond its regional context in the twenty first century. The American South: A Very Short Introduction explores the history of the South as a cultural crossroads, a meeting place between western Europe and West Africa. The South's beginnings illuminate the expansion of Europe into the New World, creating a colonial slave society that distinguished it from other parts of the United States but fostered commonalities with other colonial societies. The Civil War and civil rights movement transformed the South in differing ways and remain a part of a vibrant and contested public memory. More recently, the South's pronounced traditionalism in customs and values was in tension with the forces of modernization that slowly forced change in the twentieth century. Southerners' creative responses to these experiences have made the American South well known around the world in literature, film, music, and cuisine. Charles Reagan Wilson argues for the significance of creativity in the South, emerging from the diversity of peoples, cultures, and experiences that the regional context fostered. The South has now become the new center of immigration, adding to the complexity of the region's cultural, social, economic, and political life. In this book, the burdens and tragedies of southern history are placed beside the creative achievements that have come out of the region, producing a portrait of a complex American place. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The American West: A Very Short Introduction Stephen Aron (Professor of History and Vice Chair for Academic Personnel, Professor of History and Vice Chair for Academic Personnel, University of California, Los Angeles) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

08 Jan 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w114mm x s8mm 124g 10 illustrations ISBN13: 9780199858934 ISBN13: 978-0-19-985893-4 ISBN10: 0199858934 EAN: 9780199858934 x Description: Part geographical location, part time period, and part state of mind, the American West is a concept often invoked but rarely defined. Though popular culture has carved out a short and specific time and place for the region, author and longtime Californian Stephen Aron tracks "the West" from the building of the Cahokia Mounds around 900 AD to the post-World War II migration to California. His Very Short Introduction stretches the chronology, enlarges the geography, and varies the casting, providing a history of the American West that is longer, larger, and more complicated than popular culture has previously suggested. It is a history of how portions of North America became Wests, how parts of these became American, and how ultimately American Wests became the American West. Aron begins by describing the expansion of Indian North America in the centuries before and during its early encounters with Europeans. He then explores the origins of American westward expansion from the Seven Years' War to the 1830s, focusing on the western frontier at the time: the territory

between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River. He traces the narrative - temporally and geographically - through the discovery of gold in California in the mid-nineteenth century and the subsequent rush to the Pacific Slope. He shows how the passage of the Newlands Reclamation Act in 1902 brought an unprecedented level of federal control to the region, linking the West more closely to the rest of the United States, and how World War II brought a new rush of population (particularly to California), further raising the federal government's profile in the region and heightening the connections between the West and the wider world. Authoritative, lucid, and ranging widely over issues of environment, people, and identity, this is the American West stripped of its myths. The complex convergence of peoples, polities, and cultures that has decisively shaped the history of the American West serves as the key interpretive thread through this Very Short Introduction. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Ancient Near East: A Very Short Introduction Amanda H. Podany (Professor and Chair of History, Professor and Chair of History, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

03 Nov 2013

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w112mm x s10mm 143g 10 b/w illustrations ISBN13: 9780195377996 ISBN13: 978-0-19-537799-6 ISBN10: 0195377990 EAN: 9780195377996 x Description: The ancient Near East is known as the "cradle of civilization" - and for good reason. Mesopotamia, Syria, and Anatolia were home to an extraordinarily rich and successful culture. Indeed, it was a time and place of earth-shaking changes for humankind: the beginnings of writing and law, kingship and bureaucracy, diplomacy and state-sponsored warfare, mathematics and literature. This Very Short Introduction offers a fascinating account of this momentous time in human history. The three thousand years covered here - from around 3500 BCE, with the founding of the first Mesopotamian cities, to the conquest of the Near East by the Persian king Cyrus the Great in 539 BCErepresent a period of incredible innovation, from the invention of the wheel and the plow, to early achievements in astronomy, law, and diplomacy. As historian Amanda Podany explores this era, she overturns the popular image of the ancient world as a primitive, violent place. We discover that women had many rights and freedoms: they could own property, run businesses, and represent themselves in court. Diplomats traveled between the capital cities of major powers ensuring peace and friendship between the kings. Scribes and scholars studied the stars and could predict eclipses and the movements of the planets. Every chapter introduces the reader to a particular moment in ancient Near Eastern history, illuminating such aspects as trade, religion, diplomacy, law, warfare, kingship, and agriculture. Each discussion focuses on evidence provided in two or three cuneiform texts from that time. These documents, the cities in which they were found, the people and gods named in them, the events they recount or reflect, all provide vivid testimony of the era in which they were written. About the Series: Oxford's Very Short Introductions series offers concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects-from Islam to Sociology, Politics to Classics, Literary Theory to History, and Archaeology to the Bible. Not simply a textbook of definitions, each volume in this series provides trenchant and provocative-yet always balanced and complete-discussions of the central issues in a given discipline or field. Every Very Short Introduction gives a readable evolution of the subject in question, demonstrating how the subject has developed and how it has influenced society. Eventually, the series will encompass every major academic discipline, offering all students an accessible and abundant reference library. Whatever the area of study that one deems important or appealing, whatever the topic that fascinates the general reader, the Very Short Introductions series has a handy and affordable guide that will likely prove indispensable. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Anglo-Saxon Age: A Very Short Introduction John Blair (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

10 Aug 2000

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 112pp h179mm x w114mm x s6mm 103g 10 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780192854032 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285403-2 ISBN10: 0192854038 EAN: 9780192854032 x Description: First published as part of the best-selling The Oxford Illustrated History of Britain, John Blair's Very Short Introduction to the Anglo-Saxon Age covers the emergence of the earliest English settlements to the Norman victory in 1066. This book is a brief introduction to the political, social, religious, and cultural history of Anglo-Saxon England. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Animal Kingdom: A Very Short Introduction Peter Holland (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

24 Nov 2011

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h168mm x w104mm x s20mm 116g 18 black and white line drawings ISBN13: 9780199593217 ISBN13: 978-0-19-959321-7 ISBN10: 0199593213 EAN: 9780199593217 x Description: The animal world is immensely diverse, and our understanding of it has been greatly enhanced by analysis of DNA and the study of evolution and development ('evo-devo'). In this Very Short Introduction Peter Holland presents a modern tour of the animal kingdom. Beginning with the definition of animals (not obvious in biological terms), he takes the reader through the high-level groupings of animals (phyla) and new views on their evolutionary relationships based on molecular data, together with an overview of the biology of each group of animals. The phylogenetic view is central to zoology today and the volume will be of great value to all students of the life sciences, as well as providing a concise summary for the interested general reader. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Antarctic: A Very Short Introduction Klaus Dodds (Royal Holloway, University of London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h173mm x w116mm x s10mm 126g 10 black and white hafltones ISBN13: 9780199697687 ISBN13: 978-0-19-969768-7 ISBN10: 019969768X EAN: 9780199697687

x Description: The Antarctic is one the most hostile natural environments in the world. It is an extraordinary physical space, which changes significantly in shape and size with the passing of the seasons. Politically, it is unique as it contains one of the few areas of continental space not claimed by any nation-state. Scientifically, the continental ice sheet has provided us with vital evidence about the Earth's past climate. In this Very Short Introduction, Klaus Dodds provides a modern account of Antarctica, highlighting the main issues facing the continent today. Looking at how the Antarctic has been explored and represented in the last hundred years, Dodds considers the main exploratory and scientific achievements of the region. He explains how processes such as globalization mean that the Antarctic is increasingly involved in a wider circuit of ideas, goods, people, trade, and governance - all of which have an impact on the future of the region. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Apocryphal Gospels: A Very Short Introduction Paul B. Foster (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

26 Mar 2009

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w112mm x s7mm 142g 12 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199236947 ISBN13: 978-0-19-923694-7 ISBN10: 0199236941 EAN: 9780199236947 x Description: This Very Short Introduction offers a clear, accessible, and concise account of the apocryphal gospels - exploring their origins, their discovery, and discussing how the various texts have been interpreted both by the Church and beyond. Looking at texts from the Gospels from Nag Hammadi to the Dialogues with the Risen Saviour, Paul Foster shows how the apocryphal gospels reflect the diversity that existed within early Christianity, and examines the extent to which they can be used to reconstruct an accurate portrait of the historical Jesus. Including discussions of controversies and case-studies such as the alleged hoax surrounding the discovery of Secret Mark, Foster concludes that the non-canonical texts, considered in the correct context, offer us an important window on the vibrant and multi-faceted face of early Christianity. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Aztecs: A Very Short Introduction David Carrasco (Neil L. Rudenstine Professor of Latin America, Neil L. Rudenstine Professor of Latin America, Harvard University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

14 Dec 2011

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 152pp h168mm x w103mm x s19mm 137g 10 b/w halftones ISBN13: 9780195379389 ISBN13: 978-0-19-537938-9 ISBN10: 0195379381 EAN: 9780195379389 x Description: This Very Short Introduction employs the disciplines of history, religious studies, and anthropology as it illuminates the complexities of Aztec life. Readers meet a people highly skilled in sculpture, astronomy, city planning, poetry, and philosophy, who were also profoundly committed to cosmic regeneration through the thrust of the ceremonial knife and through warfare. David Carrasco looks beyond Spanish accounts that have colored

much of the Western narrative to let Aztec voices speak about their origin stories, the cosmic significance of their capital city, their methods of child rearing, and the contributions women made to daily life and the empire. Carrasco discusses the arrival of the Spaniards, contrasts Aztec mythical traditions about the origins of their city with actual urban life in Mesoamerica, and outlines the rise of the Aztec empire. He also explores Aztec religion, which provided both justification for and alternatives to warfare, sacrifice, and imperialism, and he sheds light on Aztec poetry, philosophy, painting, and especially monumental sculpture and architecture. He concludes by looking at how the Aztecs have been portrayed in Western thought, art, film, and literature as well as in Latino culture and arts. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Atmosphere: A Very Short Introduction Paul I. Palmer (Professor of Quantitative Earth Observation at the University of Edinburgh) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

06 Apr 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w110mm x s9mm 122g 31 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198722038 ISBN13: 978-0-19-872203-8 ISBN10: 0198722036 EAN: 9780198722038 x Description: The atmosphere is the thin, diffuse fluid that envelops the Earth's surface. Despite its apparent fragility, the existence of this fluid is vital for human and other life on Earth. In this Very Short Introduction Paul Palmer describes the physical and chemical characteristics of different layers in the atmosphere, and shows how the interactions where the atmosphere is in contact with land, ocean, and ice affect its observed physical and chemical properties. He also looks at how movement in the atmosphere, driven by heat from the sun, transports heat from lower latitudes to higher latitudes, and is a fundamental feature of the general circulation in the atmosphere. Finally, Palmer presents an overview of the types of measurements used to understand different parts of the atmosphere, and identifies the future challenges for atmospheric scientists. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Avant Garde: A Very Short Introduction David Cottington (Professor of Art History, Kingston University London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

31 Jan 2013

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h120mm x w174mm x s9mm 122g 13 black and white images ISBN13: 9780199582730 ISBN13: 978-0-19-958273-0 ISBN10: 0199582734 EAN: 9780199582730 x Description: 'The avant-garde' is perhaps the most important and influential concept in the history of modern culture. For over a hundred years it has governed critical and historical assessment of the quality and significance of an artist or a work of art, in any medium-if these have been judged to be 'avant-garde', then they have been worthy of consideration. If not, then by and large they have not, and neither critics nor historians have paid them much attention. In short, modern art is and has been whatever the 'avant-garde' has made, or has said it is.

But very little attempt has been made to explore why 'the avant-garde' carries so much authority, or how it came to do so. What is more, the term remains a difficult one to define, and is often used in a variety of ways. What is the relation between 'the avant-garde' - that is, the social entity (the 'club') - and 'avant-garde' qualities in a work of art (or design, or architecture, or any other cultural product)? What does 'avant-gardism mean? Moreover, now that contemporary art seems to have broken all taboos and is at the centre of a billion-pound art market, is there still an 'avant-garde'? If so, what is the point of it and who are the artists concerned? In this Very Short Introduction, David Cottington explores the concept of the 'avant-garde' and examines its wider context through the development of western modernity, capitalist culture, and the global impact of both. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Beats: A Very Short Introduction David Sterritt (Professor Emeritus of Theatre and Film, Professor Emeritus of Theatre and Film, Long Island University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

22 Aug 2013

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 144pp h174mm x w114mm x s9mm 116g 10 b/w halftones ISBN13: 9780199796779 ISBN13: 978-0-19-979677-9 ISBN10: 0199796777 EAN: 9780199796779 x Description: In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the Beat Generation writers revolutionized American literature with their iconoclastic approach to language and their angry assault on the conformity and conservatism of postwar society. They and their followers took aim at the hypocrisy and taboos of their time-particularly those involving sex, race, and class - in such provocative works as Jack Kerouac's On the Road (1957), Allen Ginsberg's Howl (1956), and William S. Burroughs's Naked Lunch (1959). This volume offers a concise overview of the social, cultural, and aesthetic sensibilities of the Beats, bringing out the similarities that connected them and also the many differences that made them a loosely knit collective rather than an organized movement. Principal figures in the saga include Neal Cassady, Gregory Corso, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, John Clellon Holmes, Carolyn Cassady, and Gary Snyder; locations range from Greenwich Village and San Francisco to Mexico, western Europe, and North Africa; topics include Beat approaches to literature, drugs, sexuality, art, music, and religion. Members of the Beat Generation hoped that their radical rejection of materialism, consumerism, and regimentation would inspire others to purify their lives and souls as well; yet they urged the remaking of consciousness on a profoundly inward-looking basis, cultivating "the unspeakable visions of the individual," in Kerouac's phrase. The idea was to revolutionize society by revolutionizing thought, not the other way around. This book explains how the Beats used their drastic visions and radical styles to challenge dominant values, fending off absorption into mainstream culture while preparing ground for the larger, more explosive social upheavals of the 1960s. More than half a century later, the Beats' impact can still be felt in literature, cinema, music, theater, and the visual arts. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Bible: A Very Short Introduction John Riches (Professor of Divinity and Biblical Criticism, Professor of Divinity and Biblical Criticism, University of Glasgow) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

24 Feb 2000

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h179mm x w113mm x s12mm 149g black and white halftones and line drawings ISBN13: 9780192853431 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285343-1 ISBN10: 0192853430 EAN: 9780192853431 x Description: It is sometimes said that the Bible is one of the most unread books in the world, yet has been a major force in the development of Western culture and continues to exert an enormous influence over many people's lives. This Very Short Introduction looks at the importance accorded to the Bible by different communities and cultures and attempts to explain why it has generated such a rich variety of uses and interpretations. It explores how the Bible was written, the development of the canon, the role of Biblical criticism, the appropriation of the Bible in high and popular culture, and its use for political ends. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Blues: A Very Short Introduction Elijah Wald (teaches blues history, teaches blues history, UCLA) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

19 Jun 2010

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w112mm x s13mm 128g 10 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780195398939 ISBN13: 978-0-19-539893-9 ISBN10: 0195398939 EAN: 9780195398939 x Description: Praised as "suave, soulful, ebullient" (Tom Waits) and "a meticulous researcher, a graceful writer, and a committed contrarian" (New York Times Book Review), Elijah Wald is one of the leading popular music critics of his generation. In The Blues, Wald surveys a genre at the heart of American culture. It is not an easy thing to pin down. As Howlin' Wolf once described it, "When you ain't got no money and can't pay your house rent and can't buy you no food, you've damn sure got the blues." It has been defined by lyrical structure, or as a progression of chords, or as a set of practices reflecting West African "tonal and rhythmic approaches," using a five-note "blues scale." Wald sees blues less as a style than as a broad musical tradition within a constantly evolving pop culture. He traces its roots in work and praise songs, and shows how it was transformed by such professional performers as W. C. Handy, who first popularized the blues a century ago. He follows its evolution from Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith through Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix; identifies the impact of rural field recordings of Blind Lemon Jefferson, Charley Patton and others; explores the role of blues in the development of both country music and jazz; and looks at the popular rhythm and blues trends of the 1940s and 1950s, from the uptown West Coast style of T-Bone Walker to the "down home" Chicago sound of Muddy Waters. Wald brings the story up to the present, touching on the effects of blues on American poetry, and its connection to modern styles such as rap. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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The Body: A Very Short Introduction Chris Shilling (Professor of Sociology, University of Kent.) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

28 Jan 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h174mm x w114mm x s8mm 112g 10 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780198739036 ISBN13: 978-0-19-873903-6 ISBN10: 0198739036 EAN: 9780198739036 x Description: The human body is thought of conventionally as a biological entity, with its longevity, morbidity, size and even appearance determined by genetic factors immune to the influence of society or culture. Since the mid-1980s, however, there has been a rising awareness of how our bodies, and our perception of them, are influenced by the social, cultural and material contexts in which humans live. Drawing on studies of sex and gender, education, governance, the economy, and religion, Chris Shilling demonstrates how our physical being allows us to affect the material and virtual world around us, yet also enables governments to shape and direct our thoughts and actions. Revealing how social relationships, cultural images, and technological and medical advances shape our perceptions and awareness, he exposes the limitations of traditional Western traditions of thought that elevate the mind over the body as that which defines us as human. Dealing with issues ranging from cosmetic and transplant surgery, the performance of gendered identities, the commodification of bodies and body parts, and the violent consequences of competing conceptions of the body as sacred, Shilling provides a compelling account of why body matters present contemporary societies with a series of urgent and inescapable challenges. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Book of Common Prayer: A Very Short Introduction Brian Cummings (Anniversary Professor at the University of York) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

06 Sep 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h175mm x w113mm x s10mm 124g 8 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198803928 ISBN13: 978-0-19-880392-8 ISBN10: 0198803923 EAN: 9780198803928 x Description: The Book of Common Prayer is one of the most influential books in history. First published in the reign of Edward VI, in 1549, it was a product of the English Reformation following the break with Rome. For nearly five centuries, it has formed the order of worship for established Christianity in England. More listeners have heard these prayers, it is said, than the soliloquies of Shakespeare. As British imperial ambitions spread, the Book of Common Prayer became the primary instrument (at least as much as the King James Bible) of English culture, firstly in Ireland in 1551. When the Puritans fled to America in 1620 it was to escape the discipline imposed by of the Book of Common Prayer, yet the book came to embody official religion in America before and after Independence, and is still in use. Today it is a global book: it was the first book printed in many languages, from north America to southern Africa, to the Indian sub-continent. In this Very Short Introduction Brian Cummings tells the fascinating history of the Book of Common Prayer, and explains why it is easily misunderstood. Designed in the 1540s as a radical Protestant answer to Catholic "superstition", within a century (during the English Civil Wars) radical Christians regarded the Book of Common Prayer as itself "superstitious" and even (paradoxically) "Papist". Changing in meaning and context over time, the Book of Common Prayer has

acted as a cultural symbol, affecting the everyday conduct of life as much as the spiritual, and dividing conformity from non-conformity, in social terms as well as religious, from birth to marriage to death. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Book of Mormon: A Very Short Introduction Terryl L. Givens (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

31 Aug 2009

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w111mm x s9mm 127g 7 ht, 2 line ISBN13: 9780195369311 ISBN13: 978-0-19-536931-1 ISBN10: 0195369319 EAN: 9780195369311 x Description: With over 140 million copies in print, and serving as the principal proselytizing tool of one of the world's fastest growing faiths, the Book of Mormon is undoubtedly one of the most influential religious texts produced in the western world. Written by Terryl Givens, a leading authority on Mormonism, this compact volume offers the only concise, accessible introduction to this extraordinary work. Givens examines the Book of Mormon first and foremost in terms of the claims that its narrators make for its historical genesis, its purpose as a sacred text, and its meaning for an audience which shifts over the course of the history it unfolds. The author traces five governing themes in particularrevelation, Christ, Zion, scripture, and covenant-and analyzes the Book's central doctrines and teachings. Some of these resonate with familiar nineteenth-century religious preoccupations; others consist of radical and unexpected takes on topics from the fall of Man to Christ's mortal ministries and the meaning of atonement. Givens also provides samples of a cast of characters that number in the hundreds, and analyzes representative passages from a work that encompasses tragedy, poetry, sermons, visions, family histories and military chronicles. Finally, this introduction surveys the contested origins and production of a work held by millions to be scripture, and reviews the scholarly debates that address questions of the record's historicity. Here then is an accessible guide to what is, by any measure, an indispensable key to understanding Mormonism. But it is also an introduction to a compelling and complex text that is too often overshadowed by the controversies that surround it. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Brain: A Very Short Introduction Michael O'Shea (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

08 Dec 2005

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w112mm x s10mm 143g 19 halftones and line drawings ISBN13: 9780192853929 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285392-9 ISBN10: 0192853929 EAN: 9780192853929 x Description: How does the brain work? How different is a human brain from other creatures' brains? Is the human brain still evolving? In this fascinating book, Michael O'Shea provides a non-technical introduction to the main issues and findings in current brain research, and gives a sense of how neuroscience addresses questions about the relationship between the brain and the mind. Chapters tackle subjects such as brain processes, perception, memory, motor control and the causes of 'altered mental states'. A final section discusses possible future developments in neuroscience, touching on artificial intelligence, gene

therapy, the importance of the Human Genome Project, drugs by design, and transplants. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The BRICS: A Very Short Introduction Professor Andrew F. Cooper (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w112mm x s9mm 126g 9 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780198723394 ISBN13: 978-0-19-872339-4 ISBN10: 0198723393 EAN: 9780198723394 x Description: In the wake of the post-Cold War era, the aftermath of 9/11, the 2008 global financial crisis, and the emergence of the G20 at the leaders level, few commentators expected a reshaping of the global system towards multipolarity, and away from the United States. And yet, the BRICS encompassing Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - has emerged as a challenge to the international status quo. But what is its capacity as a transformative force? And can it provide a significant counter-narrative to the Western dominated global order? In this Very Short Introduction Andrew Cooper explores the emergence of the BRICS as a concept. Drawing on historical precedent, Cooper provides a contemporary analysis of the BRICS' practice and influence as as a forum and a lobby group in advancing a distinctive but amorphous agenda amongst global politics. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The British Constitution: A Very Short Introduction Martin Loughlin (Professor of Public Law, London School of Economics & Political Science) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

25 Apr 2013

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w114mm x s9mm 143g 4 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199697694 ISBN13: 978-0-19-969769-4 ISBN10: 0199697698 EAN: 9780199697694 x Description: The British constitution is regarded as unique among the constitutions of the world. What are the main characteristics of Britain's peculiar constitutional arrangements? How has the British constitution altered in response to the changing nature of its state - from England, to Britain, to the United Kingdom? What impact has the UK's developing relations with the European Union caused? These are some of the questions that Martin Loughlin addresses in this Very Short Introduction. As a constitution, it is one that has grown organically in response to changes in the economic, political, and social environment, and which is not contained in a single authoritative text. By considering the nature and authority of the current British constitution, and placing it in the context of others, Loughlin considers how the traditional idea of a constitution came to be retained, what problems have been generated as a result of adapting a traditional approach in a modern political world, looking at what the future prospects for the British constitution are. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area.

The British Empire: A Very Short Introduction Ashley Jackson (Professor of Imperial and Military History at King's College, London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

30 May 2013

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h171mm x w114mm x s10mm 126g Approx 14 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199605415 ISBN13: 978-0-19-960541-5 ISBN10: 0199605416 EAN: 9780199605415 x Description: From the eighteenth century until the 1950s the British Empire was the biggest political entity in the world. The territories forming this empire ranged from tiny islands to vast segments of the world's major continental land masses. The British Empire left its mark on the world in a multitude of ways, many of them permanent. In this Very Short Introduction, Ashley Jackson introduces and defines the British Empire, reviewing its historiography by answering a series of key questions: What was the British Empire, and what were its main constituent parts? What were the phases of imperial expansion and contraction and the general causes of expansion and contraction? How was the Empire ruled? What were its economic effects? What were the cultural implications of empire, in Britain and its colonies? What was life like for people living under imperial rule? What are the legacies of the British Empire and how should we view its place in world history? ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Cell: A Very Short Introduction Terence Allen (Author) Graham J. Cowling (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2011

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h167mm x w103mm x s21mm 141g 15 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199578757 ISBN13: 978-0-19-957875-7 ISBN10: 0199578753 EAN: 9780199578757 x Description: All living things on Earth are composed of cells. A cell is the simplest unit of a self-contained living organism, and the vast majority of life on Earth consists of single-celled microbes, mostly bacteria. These consist of a simple 'prokaryotic' cell, with no nucleus. The bodies of more complex plants and animals consist of billions of 'eukaryotic' cells, of varying kinds, adapted to fill different roles - red blood cells, muscle cells, branched neurons. Each cell is an astonishingly complex chemical factory, the activities of which we have only begun to unravel in the past fifty years or so through modern techniques of microscopy, biochemistry, and molecular biology. In this Very Short Introduction, Terence Allen and Graham Cowling describe the nature of cells - their basic structure, their varying forms, their division, their differentiation from initially highly flexible stem cells, their signalling, and programmed death. Cells are the basic constituent of life, and understanding cells and how they work is central to all biology and medicine. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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The Celts: A Very Short Introduction Barry Cunliffe (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

26 Jun 2003

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h174mm x w110mm x s5mm 153g numerous halftones and maps ISBN13: 9780192804181 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280418-1 ISBN10: 0192804189 EAN: 9780192804181 x Description: Savage and bloodthirsty, or civilized and peaceable? The Celts have long been a subject of enormous fascination, speculation, and misunderstanding. From the ancient Romans to the present day, their real nature has been obscured by a tangled web of preconceived ideas and stereotypes. Barry Cunliffe seeks to reveal this fascinating people for the first time, using an impressive range of evidence, and exploring subjects such as trade, migration, and the evolution of Celtic traditions. Along the way, he exposes the way in which society's needs have shaped our visions of the Celts, and examines such colourful characters as St Patrick, Cu Chulainn, and Boudica. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Cold War: A Very Short Introduction Robert J. McMahon, PhD (University of Florida) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

27 Mar 2003

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 200pp h177mm x w113mm x s13mm 154g numerous halftones and maps ISBN13: 9780192801784 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280178-4 ISBN10: 0192801783 EAN: 9780192801784 x Description: The massive disorder and economic ruin following the Second World War inevitably predetermined the scope and intensity of the Cold War. But why did it last so long? And what impact did it have on the United States, the Soviet Union, Europe, and the Third World? Finally, how did it affect the broader history of the second half of the twentieth century - what were the human and financial costs? This Very Short Introduction provides a clear and stimulating interpretive overview of the Cold War, one that will both invite debate and encourage deeper investigation. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Cold War: A Very Short Introduction Robert J. McMahon, PhD (Ralph D. Mershon Professor of History Emeritus, Ohio State University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Feb 2021

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 208pp h174mm x w111mm 12 black & white images and 3 maps ISBN13: 9780198859543 ISBN13: 978-0-19-885954-3 ISBN10: 0198859546 EAN: 9780198859543 x Description: Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring The Cold War dominated international life from the end of World War II to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. But how did the conflict begin? Why did it move from its initial origins in Postwar Europe to encompass virtually every corner of the globe? And why, after lasting so long, did the war end so suddenly and unexpectedly? Robert McMahon considers these questions and more, as well as looking at the legacy of the Cold War and its impact on international relations today. The Cold War: A Very Short Introduction is a truly international history, not just of the Soviet-American struggle at its heart, but also of the waves of decolonization, revolutionary nationalism, and state formation that swept the non-Western world in the wake of World War II. McMahon places the 'Hot Wars' that cost millions of lives in Korea, Vietnam, and elsewhere within the larger framework of global superpower competition. He shows how the United States and the Soviet Union both became empires over the course of the Cold War, and argues that perceived security needs and fears shaped U.S. and Soviet decisions from the beginning-far more, in fact, than did their economic and territorial ambitions. He unpacks how these needs and fears were conditioned by the divergent cultures, ideologies, and historical experiences of the two principal contestants and their allies. Covering the years 1945-1990, this second edition uses recent scholarship and newly available documents to offer a fuller analysis of the Vietnam War, the changing global politics of the 1970s, and the end of the Cold War. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Common Law: A Very Short Introduction Joshua Getzler (Professor of Law and Legal History, University of Oxford; Fellow and Tutor in Law, St Hugh's College, Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

15 Apr 2021

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h174mm x w111mm 6 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780198705628 ISBN13: 978-0-19-870562-8 ISBN10: 019870562X EAN: 9780198705628 x Description: The common law began as England's national system of adjudication for correcting wrongs, protecting rights, and enforcing due administration of government in the Royal courts. Its origins can be traced back to 11th century England, and was soon exported to the rest of Britain and ultimately to the far-flung reaches of the British Empire. The common law has therefore enjoyed nearly a thousand years of development and elaboration, in many lands, influenced by but separate from the systems of continental Europe, with its own distinctive procedures of pleading, fact-finding, and remedies. It developed laws that govern much of today's world of trade, business, and finance; it defended ideas of personal liberty and equality before the law; and it helped establish principles of constitutional, legally-limited government, and administration. Thus the common law provides an original and crucial strand in the history of social organization, politics, and culture around the world. In this Very Short Introduction Joseph Getzler explains the evolution of the common law. The main institutions of the common law are described -

courts, procedures, judges and juries, and means of reporting, analysing, and learning the law; and the main categories of common-law rights and duties are delineated - property, contract, and tort, equitable claims, unjust enrichment, crime, constitutional and public law, and civil liberties. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Computer: A Very Short Introduction Darrel Ince (Head of Computing at the Open University and Professor of Computing) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

24 Nov 2011

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h171mm x w112mm x s9mm 126g 15 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199586592 ISBN13: 978-0-19-958659-2 ISBN10: 0199586594 EAN: 9780199586592 x Description: There is a companion web site asssociated with the book (http://vsicomputer.wordpress.com/). It contains chapter summaries, links to relevant material and posts about items of news relevant to the book's contents. Computers have changed so much since the room-filling, bulky magnetic tape running monsters of the mid 20th century. They now form a vital part of most people's lives. And they are more ubiquitous than might be thought - you may have more than 30 computers in your home: not just the desktop and laptop but think of the television, the fridge, the microwave. But what is the basic nature of the modern computer? How does it work? How has it been possible to squeeze so much power into increasingly small machines? And what will the next generations of computers look like? In this Very Short Introduction, Darrel Ince looks at the basic concepts behind all computers; the changes in hardware and software that allowed computers to become so small and commonplace; the challenges produced by the computer revolution - especially whole new modes of cybercrime and security issues; the Internet and the advent of 'cloud computing'; and the promise of whole new horizons opening up with quantum computing, and even computing using DNA. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Conquistadors: A Very Short Introduction Matthew Restall (Author) Dr. Felipe Fernandez-Armesto (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

24 Jan 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 144pp h173mm x w115mm x s9mm 114g 10 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780195392296 ISBN13: 978-0-19-539229-6 ISBN10: 0195392299 EAN: 9780195392296 x Description: With startling speed, Spanish conquistadors invaded hundreds of Native American kingdoms, took over the mighty empires of the Aztecs and Incas, and initiated an unprecedented redistribution of the world's resources and balance of power. They changed the course of history, but the myth they established was even stranger than their real achievements. This Very Short Introduction deploys the latest scholarship to shatter and replace the traditional narrative. Chapters explore New World civilizations prior to the invasions, the genesis of conquistador culture on both sides of the Atlantic, the roles black Africans and Native Americans played and the consequences of the invasions. The book reveals who the conquistadors were and what made their adventures possible.

The Crusades: A Very Short Introduction Christopher Tyerman (Lecturer in Medieval History at Hertford College and New College, Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Oct 2005

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 184pp h174mm x w111mm x s10mm 159g numerous maps and halftones ISBN13: 9780192806550 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280655-0 ISBN10: 0192806556 EAN: 9780192806550 x Description: Crusading fervour gripped Europe for over 200 years, creating one of the most extraordinary, vivid episodes in world history. Whether the Crusades are regarded as the most romantic of Christian expeditions, or the last of the barbarian invasions, they have fascinated generations ever since, and their legacy of ideas and imagery has resonated through the centuries, inspiring Hollywood movies and great works of literature. Even today, to invoke the Crusades is to stir deep cultural myths, assumptions and prejudices. Yet despite their powerful hold on our imaginations, our knowledge of them remains obscured an distorted by time. Were the Crusaders motivated by spiritual rewards, or by greed? Were the Crusades an experiment in European colonialism, or a manifestation of religious love? How were they organized and founded? With customary flair and originality, Christopher Tyerman picks his way through the many debates to present a clear and lively discussion of the Crusades; bringing together issues of colonialism, cultural exchange, economic exploitation, and the relationship between past and present. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Cultural Revolution: A Very Short Introduction Richard Curt Kraus (Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Professor Emeritus of Political Science, University of Oregon) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

17 Jan 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 152pp h173mm x w112mm x s17mm 140g 10 b/w halftones ISBN13: 9780199740550 ISBN13: 978-0-19-974055-0 ISBN10: 0199740550 EAN: 9780199740550 x Description: China's decade-long Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution shook the politics of China and the world. Even as we approach its fiftieth anniversary, the movement remains so contentious that the Chinese Communist Party still forbids fully open investigation of its origins, development, and conclusion. Drawing upon a vital trove of scholarship, memoirs, and popular culture, this Very Short Introduction illuminates this complex, often obscure, and still controversial movement. Moving beyond the figure of Mao Zedong, Richard Curt Kraus links Beijing's elite politics to broader aspects of society and culture, highlighting many changes in daily life, employment, and the economy. Kraus also situates this very nationalist outburst of Chinese radicalism within a global context, showing that the Cultural Revolution was mirrored in the radical youth movement that swept much of the world, and that had imagined or emotional links to China's red guards. Yet it was also during the Cultural Revolution that China and the United States tempered their long hostility, one

of the innovations in this period that sowed the seeds for China's subsequent decades of spectacular economic growth. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Dead Sea Scrolls: A Very Short Introduction Timothy H. Lim (Professor of Hebrew Bible & Second Temple Judaism, University of Edinburgh) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

11 May 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w111mm x s11mm 134g 10 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198779520 ISBN13: 978-0-19-877952-0 ISBN10: 0198779526 EAN: 9780198779520 x Description: Since their discovery in 1947, the Dead Sea Scrolls have become an icon in popular culture that transcends their status as ancient Jewish manuscripts. Everyone has heard of the Scrolls, but amidst the conspiracies, the politics, and the sensational claims, it can be difficult to separate the myths from the reality. In this Very Short introductions, Timothy Lim discusses the cultural significance of the finds, and the religious, political and legal controversies during the seventy years of study since the discovery. He also looks at the contribution the Scrolls have made to our understanding of the Old Testament or Hebrew Bible, and the origins of early Christianity. Exploring the most recent scholarly discussions on the archaeology of Khirbet Qumran, and the study of the biblical texts, the canon, and the history of the Second Temple Period, he considers what the scrolls reveal about sectarianism in early Judaism. Was the archaeological site of Qumran a centre of monastic life, a fortress, a villa, or a pottery factory? Why were some of their biblical texts so different from the ones that we read today? Did they have 'a Bible'? Who were the Essenes and why did they think that humanity is to be divided between 'the sons of light' and those in darkness? And, finally, do the Scrolls reflect the teachings of the earliest followers of Jesus?

The Devil: A Very Short Introduction Darren Oldridge (Senior Lecturer in History at the University of Worcester) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h174mm x w113mm x s8mm 114g Approx 12 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199580996 ISBN13: 978-0-19-958099-6 ISBN10: 0199580995 EAN: 9780199580996 x Description: Why do the innocent suffer in a world created by a loving God? Does this mean that God cannot prevent this suffering, despite His supposed omnipotence? Or is God not loving after all? This in brief is 'the problem of evil'. The Devil provides one solution to this problem: his rebellion against God and hatred of His works is responsible for evil. The Christian Devil has fascinated writers and theologians since the time of the New Testament, and inspired many dramatic and haunting works of art.

Today he remains a potent image in popular culture. The Devil: A Very Short Introduction presents an introduction to the Devil in the history of ideas and the lives of real people. Darren Oldridge shows us that he is a more important figure in western history than is often appreciated, and also a richly complex and contradictory one. Oldridge focuses on three main themes: the idea of the Devil being integral to western thought from the early Middle Ages to the beginnings of modernity; the principle of 'demonic inversion' (the idea that as the eternal leader of the opposition, the Devil represents the mirror image of goodness); and the multiplicity and instability of ideas about the Devil. While belief in the Devil has declined, the idea of an abstract force of evil is still remarkably strong. Oldridge concludes by exploring 'demonological' ways of thinking in our own time, including allegations of 'satanic ritual abuse' and the on-going 'war on terror'. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Earth: A Very Short Introduction Martin Redfern (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

26 Jun 2003

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h177mm x w113mm x s9mm 124g numerous halftones and line drawings ISBN13: 9780192803078 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280307-8 ISBN10: 0192803077 EAN: 9780192803078 x Description: For generations, the ground beneath the feet of our ancestors seemed solid and unchanging. Around 30 years ago, two things happened that were to revolutionize the understanding of our home planet. First, geologists realized that the continents themselves were drifting across the surface of the globe and that oceans were being created and destroyed. Secondly, pictures of the entire planet were returned from space. As the astronomer Fred Hoyle had predicted, this 'let loose an idea as powerful as any in history'. Suddenly, the Earth began to be viewed as a single entity; a dynamic, interacting whole, controlled by complex processes we scarcely understood. It began to seem less solid. As one astronaut put it, 'a blue jewel on black velvet; small, fragile and touchingly alone'. Geologists at last were able to see the whole as well as the detail; the wood as well as the trees. This book brings their account up to date with the latest understanding of the processes that govern our planet. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Elements: A Very Short Introduction Philip Ball (Freelance science writer and Consultant Editor of Nature) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

08 Apr 2004

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 192pp h174mm x w112mm x s12mm 161g numerous halftones & line drawings ISBN13: 9780192840998 ISBN13: 978-0-19-284099-8 ISBN10: 0192840991 EAN: 9780192840998 x Description: This Very Short Introduction traces the history and cultural impact of the elements on humankind, and examines why people have long sought to identify the substances around them. Looking beyond the Periodic Table, the author examines our relationship with matter, from the uncomplicated vision of the Greek philosophers, who believed there were four elements - earth, air, fire, and water - to the work of modern-day scientists in creating elements such as hassium and meitnerium. Packed with anecdotes, The Elements is a highly engaging and entertaining exploration of the fundamental question: what is the world

made from? ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The English Language: A Very Short Introduction Simon Horobin (Professor of English Language and Literature, University of Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

08 Feb 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h175mm x w113mm x s10mm 155g 13 black & white illustrations ISBN13: 9780198709251 ISBN13: 978-0-19-870925-1 ISBN10: 0198709250 EAN: 9780198709251 x Description: The English language is spoken by more than a billion people throughout the world. But where did English come from? And how has it evolved into the language used today? In this Very Short Introduction Simon Horobin investigates how we have arrived at the English we know today, and celebrates the way new speakers and new uses mean that it continues to adapt. Engaging with contemporary concerns about correctness, Horobin considers whether such changes are improvements, or evidence of slipping standards. What is the future for the English language? Will Standard English continue to hold sway, or we are witnessing its replacement by newly emerging Englishes?

The Enlightenment: A Very Short Introduction John Robertson (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

24 Sep 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h174mm x w121mm x s9mm 154g ISBN13: 9780199591787 ISBN13: 978-0-19-959178-7 ISBN10: 0199591784 EAN: 9780199591787 x Description: A foundational moment in the history of modern European thought, the Enlightenment continues to be a reference point for philosophers, scholars and opinion-formers. To many it remains the inspiration of our commitments to the betterment of the human condition. To others, it represents the elevation of one set of European values to the world, many of whose peoples have quite different values. But what is the relationship between the historical Enlightenment and the idea of 'Enlightenment', and can these two understandings be reconciled? In this Very Short Introduction, John Robertson offers a concise historical introduction to the Enlightenment as an intellectual movement of eighteenthcentury Europe. Discussing its intellectual achievements, he also explores how its supporters exploited new ways of communicating their ideas to a wider public, creating a new 'public sphere' for critical discussion of the moral, economic and political issues facing their societies. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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The Etruscans: A Very Short Introduction Christopher Smith (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w114mm x s11mm 147g Approximately 15 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199547913 ISBN13: 978-0-19-954791-3 ISBN10: 0199547912 EAN: 9780199547913 x Description: From around 900 to 400 BC, the Etruscans were the most innovative, powerful, wealthy, and creative people in Italy. Their archaeological record is both substantial and fascinating, including tomb paintings, sculpture, jewellery, and art. In this Very Short Introduction, Christopher Smith explores Etruscan history, culture, language, and customs. Examining the controversial debates about their origins, he explores how they once lived, placing this within the geographical, economic, and political context of the time. Smith concludes by demonstrating how the Etruscans have been studied and perceived throughout the ages, and the impact this has had on our understanding of their place in history. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The European Union: A Very Short Introduction John Pinder (Reader in Politics, University of Surrey) (Author) Simon Usherwood (Formerly Honorary Professor at the College of Europe, and Chairman of the Federal Trust, London, United Kingdom) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

4th Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

13 Feb 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 208pp h175mm x w112mm x s11mm 175g 11 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198808855 ISBN13: 978-0-19-880885-5 ISBN10: 0198808852 EAN: 9780198808855 x Description: The European Union (EU) stands out as a fascinatingly unique political organisation. On the one hand, it has shown the potential for developing deep and wide-ranging cooperation between member states, going far beyond that found anywhere else in the world. On the other, it is currently in the throes of a phase of profound uncertainty about its viability and future. Showing how and why the EU has developed from 1950 to the present day, this Very Short Introduction covers a range of topics, including the Union's early history, the workings of its institutions and what they do, the interplay between 'eurosceptics' and federalists, and the role of the Union beyond Europe in international affairs and as a peace-keeper. In this fully updated fourth edition, Pinder and Usherwood cover the migrant crisis and the UK's decision to leave the Union, set in the context of a body that is now involved in most areas of public policy. Discussing how the EU continues to draw in new members, they conclude by considering the future of the Union and the choices and challenges that may lie ahead. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Eye: A Very Short Introduction Michael F. Land (Emeritus Professor of Neurobiology, University of Sussex) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

12 Jun 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 128pp h175mm x w111mm x s10mm 104g Approximately 30 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199680306 ISBN13: 978-0-19-968030-6 ISBN10: 0199680302 EAN: 9780199680306 x Description: The eye is one of the most remarkable achievements of evolution, and has evolved up to 40 times in different parts of the animal kingdom. In humans, vision is the most important sense, and much of the brain is given over to the processing of visual information. In this Very Short Introduction, Michael Land describes the evolution of vision and the variety of eyes found in both humans and animals. He explores the evolution of colour vision in primates and the workings of the human eye, to consider how that contributes to our visual ability. He explains how we see in three dimensions and the basic principles of visual perception, including our impressive capacity for pattern recognition and the ability of vision to guide action. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The First World War: A Very Short Introduction Michael Howard, QC (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

25 Jan 2007

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h175mm x w110mm x s8mm 126g numerous maps and halftones ISBN13: 9780199205592 ISBN13: 978-0-19-920559-2 ISBN10: 0199205590 EAN: 9780199205592 x Description: By the time the First World War ended in 1918, eight million people had died in what had been perhaps the most apocalyptic episode the world had known. This Very Short Introduction provides a concise and insightful history of the 'Great War', focusing on why it happened, how it was fought, and why it had the consequences it did. It examines the state of Europe in 1914 and the outbreak of war; the onset of attrition and crisis; the role of the US; the collapse of Russia; and the weakening and eventual surrender of the Central Powers. Looking at the historical controversies surrounding the causes and conduct of war, Michael Howard also describes how peace was ultimately made, and the potent legacy of resentment left to Germany. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Founding Fathers: A Very Short Introduction R. B. Bernstein (Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Law, Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Law, New York Law School) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

26 Nov 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 184pp h173mm x w115mm x s11mm 161g 10 illustrations ISBN13: 9780190273514 ISBN13: 978-0-19-027351-4 ISBN10: 0190273518 EAN: 9780190273514 x Description: The Founding Fathers is a concise, accessible overview of the brilliant, flawed, and quarrelsome group of lawyers, politicians, merchants, military men, and clergy known as "the Founding Fathers"-who got as close to the ideal of the Platonic "philosopher-kings" as American or world history has ever seen. R. B. Bernstein reveals Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, Adams, Hamilton, and the other founders not as shining demigods but as imperfect human beings-people much like us-who nevertheless achieved political greatness. They emerge here as men who sought to transcend their intellectual world even as they were bound by its limits, men who strove to lead the new nation even as they had to defer to the great body of the people and learn with them the possibilities and limitations of politics. Bernstein deftly traces the dynamic forces that molded these men and their contemporaries as British colonists in North America and as intellectual citizens of the Atlantic civilization's Age of Enlightenment. He analyzes the American Revolution, the framing and adoption of state and federal constitutions, and the key concepts and problems that both shaped and circumscribed the founders' achievements as the United States sought its place in the world. Finally, he charts the shifting reputations of the founders and examines the specific ways that interpreters of the Constitution have used the Founding Fathers. A masterly blend of old and new scholarship, brimming with apt description and insightful analysis, this book offers a digestible account of how the Founding Fathers were formed, what they did, and how generations of Americans have viewed them. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The French Revolution: A Very Short Introduction William Doyle (Emeritus Professor of History and Senior Research Fellow at the University of Bristol) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

12 Dec 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h175mm x w112mm x s10mm 132g 11 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198840077 ISBN13: 978-0-19-884007-7 ISBN10: 0198840071 EAN: 9780198840077 x Description: The French Revolution is a time of history made familiar from Dickens, Baroness Orczy, and Tolstoy, as well as the legends of let them eat cake, and tricolours. Beginning in 1789, this period of extreme political and social unrest saw the end of the French monarchy, the death of an extraordinary number of people beneath the guillotine's blade during the Terror, and the rise of Napoleon, as well as far reaching consequences still with us today, such as the enduring ideology of human rights, and decimalization. In this Very Short Introduction, William Doyle introduces the French old regime and considers how and why it collapsed. Retelling the unfolding events of the revolution, he analyses why the revolutionaries quarrelled with the king, the church and the rest of Europe, why this produced Terror, and finally how it accomplished rule by a general. Doyle also discusses how and why the revolution destroyed the age-old cultural, institutional, and social structures in France and beyond. In this new edition, Doyle includes new sections highlighting the main developments in the field since the first edition, before exploring the legacy of the revolution in the form of rationality in public affairs and responsible government.

The Future: A Very Short Introduction Jennifer M. Gidley (President, World Futures Studies Federation (UNESCO Partner)) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Mar 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 184pp h174mm x w110mm x s10mm 144g 10 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198735281 ISBN13: 978-0-19-873528-1 ISBN10: 0198735286 EAN: 9780198735281 x Description: From the beginning of time, humans have been driven by both a fear of the unknown and a curiosity to know. We have always yearned to know what lies ahead, whether threat or safety, scarcity or abundance. Throughout human history, our forebears tried to create certainty in the unknown, by seeking to influence outcomes with sacrifices to gods, preparing for the unexpected with advice from oracles, and by reading the stars through astrology. As scientific methods improve and computer technology develops we become ever more confident of our capacity to predict and quantify the future by accumulating and interpreting patterns form the past, yet the truth is there is still no certainty to be had. In this Very Short Introduction Jennifer Gidley considers some of our most burning questions: What is "the future "?; Is the future a time yet to come?; Or is it a utopian place?; Does the future have a history?; Is there only one future or are there many possible futures? She asks if the future can ever be truly predicted or if we create our own futures - both hoped for and feared - by our thoughts, feelings, and actions, and concludes by analysing how we can learn to study the future. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Ghetto: A Very Short Introduction Bryan Cheyette (University of Reading) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

10 Sep 2020

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h175mm x w112mm x s11mm 122g 10 black-and-white illustrations ISBN13: 9780198809951 ISBN13: 978-0-19-880995-1 ISBN10: 0198809956 EAN: 9780198809951 x Description: For three hundred years the ghetto defined Jewish culture in the late medieval and early modern period in Western Europe. In the nineteenth-century it was a free-floating concept which travelled to Eastern Europe and the United States. Eastern European "ghettos", which enabled genocide, were crudely rehabilitated by the Nazis during World War Two as if they were part of a benign medieval tradition. In the United States, the word ghetto was routinely applied to endemic black ghettoization which has lasted from 1920 until the present. Outside of America "the ghetto" has been universalized as the incarnation of class difference, or colonialism, or apartheid, and has been applied to segregated cities and countries throughout the world. In this Very Short Introduction Bryan Cheyette unpicks the extraordinarily complex layers of contrasting meanings that have accrued over five hundred years to ghettos, considering their different settings across the globe. He considers core questions of why and when urban, racial, and colonial ghettos have appeared, and who they contain. Exploring their various identities, he shows how different ghettos interrelate, or are contrasted, across time and

space, or even in the same place. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Gothic: A Very Short Introduction Nick Groom (Professor in English, University of Exeter) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

27 Sep 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 184pp h156mm x w133mm x s10mm 164g Approx 15 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199586790 ISBN13: 978-0-19-958679-0 ISBN10: 0199586799 EAN: 9780199586790 x Description: The Gothic is wildly diverse. It can refer to ecclesiastical architecture, supernatural fiction, cult horror films, and a distinctive style of rock music. It has influenced political theorists and social reformers, as well as Victorian home decor and contemporary fashion. Nick Groom shows how the Gothic has come to encompass so many meanings by telling the story of the Gothic from the ancient tribe who sacked Rome to the alternative subculture of the present day. This unique Very Short Introduction reveals that the Gothic has predominantly been a way of understanding and responding to the past. Time after time, the Gothic has been invoked in order to reveal what lies behind conventional history. It is a way of disclosing secrets, whether in the constitutional politics of seventeenth-century England or the racial politics of the United States. While contexts change, the Gothic perpetually regards the past with fascination, both yearning and horrified. It reminds us that neither societies nor individuals can escape the consequences of their actions. The anatomy of the Gothic is richly complex and perversely contradictory, and so the thirteen chapters here range deliberately widely. This is the first time that the entire story of the Gothic has been written as a continuous history: from the historians of late antiquity to the gardens of Georgian England, from the mediaeval cult of the macabre to German Expressionist cinema, from Elizabethan Revenge Tragedy to American consumer society, from folk ballads to vampires, from the past to the present. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Great Depression and New Deal: A Very Short Introduction Eric Rauchway (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

11 Feb 2008

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 160pp h175mm x w112mm x s11mm 125g 10 maps & halftones ISBN13: 9780195326345 ISBN13: 978-0-19-532634-5 ISBN10: 0195326342 EAN: 9780195326345 x Description: The New Deal shaped our nation's politics for decades, and was seen by many as tantamount to the "American Way" itself. Now, in this superb compact history, Eric Rauchway offers an informed account of the New Deal and the Great Depression, illuminating its successes and failures.

Rauchway first describes how the roots of the Great Depression lay in America's post-war economic policies-described as "laissez-faire with a vengeance"-which in effect isolated our nation from the world economy just when the world needed the United States most. He shows how the magnitude of the resulting economic upheaval, and the ineffectiveness of the old ways of dealing with financial hardships, set the stage for Roosevelt's vigorous (and sometimes unconstitutional) Depression-fighting policies. Indeed, Rauchway stresses that the New Deal only makes sense as a response to this global economic disaster. The book examines a key sampling of New Deal programs, ranging from the National Recovery Agency and the Securities and Exchange Commission, to the Public Works Administration and Social Security, revealing why some worked and others did not. In the end, Rauchway concludes, it was the coming of World War II that finally generated the political will to spend the massive amounts of public money needed to put Americans back to work. And only the Cold War saw the full implementation of New Deal policies abroad-including the United Nations, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund. Today we can look back at the New Deal and, for the first time, see its full complexity. Rauchway captures this whole in a remarkably short space, making this book an ideal introduction to one of the great policy revolutions in history. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Habsburg Empire: A Very Short Introduction Martyn Rady (Masaryk Professor of Central European History at University College London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Mar 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w110mm x s9mm 122g 8 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198792963 ISBN13: 978-0-19-879296-3 ISBN10: 0198792964 EAN: 9780198792963 x Description: The Habsburgs are the most famous dynasty in continental Europe. From the thirteenth to the twentieth centuries, they ruled much of Central Europe, and for two centuries were also rulers of Spain. Through the Spanish connection, they acquired lands around the Mediterranean and a chunk of the New World, spreading eastwards to include the Philippines. Reaching from South-East Asia to what is now Ukraine, the Habsburg Empire was truly global. In this Very Short Introduction Martin Rady looks at the history of the Habsburgs, from their tenth-century origins in Switzerland, to the dissolution of the Habsburg Empire in 1918. He introduces the pantheon of Habsburg rulers, which included adventurers, lunatics, and at least one monarch who was so malformed that his true portrait could never be exhibited. He also discusses the lands and kingdoms that made up the Habsburg Empire, and the decisive moments that shaped their history. Dynasty, Europe, global power, and the idea of the multi-national state all converge on the history of the Habsburg Empire. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Harlem Renaissance: A Very Short Introduction Cheryl A. Wall (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

22 Jun 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 152pp h173mm x w112mm x s6mm 123g ISBN13: 9780199335558 ISBN13: 978-0-19-933555-8 ISBN10: 0199335559 EAN: 9780199335558 x Description: The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural awakening among African Americans between the two world wars. It was the cultural phase of the "New Negro" movement, a social and political phenomenon that promoted a proud racial identity, economic independence, and progressive politics. In this Very Short Introduction, Cheryl A. Wall captures the Harlem Renaissance's zeitgeist by identifying issues and strategies that engaged writers, musicians, and visual artists alike. She introduces key figures such as Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Claude McKay, and Jean Toomer, along with such signature texts as "Mother to Son," "Harlem Shadows," and Cane. In examining the "New Negro," she looks at the art of photographer James Van der Zee and painters Archibald Motley and Laura Wheeler and the way Marita Bonner, Jessie Fauset, and Nella Larsen explored the dilemmas of gender identity for New Negro women. Focusing on Harlem as a cultural capital, Wall covers theater in New York, where black musicals were produced on Broadway almost every year during the 1920s. She also depicts Harlem nightlife with its rent parties and clubs catering to working class blacks, wealthy whites, and gays of both races, and the movement of Renaissance artists to Paris. From Hughes's "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" to W.E.B. Du Bois's novel Dark Princess, black Americans explored their relationship to Africa. Many black American intellectuals met African intellectuals in Paris, where they made common cause against European colonialism and race prejudice. Folklore - spirituals, stories, sermons, and dance - was considered raw material that the New Negro artist could alchemize into art. Consequently, they applauded the performance of spirituals on the concert stage by artists like Roland Hayes and Paul Robeson. The Harlem Renaissance left an indelible mark not only on African American visual and performing arts, but, as Cheryl Wall shows, its legacies are all around us. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Hebrew Bible as Literature: A Very Short Introduction Tod Linafelt (professor of biblical literature, Theology Department, professor of biblical literature, Theology Department, Georgetown University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

03 Mar 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 128pp h173mm x w113mm x s7mm 104g ISBN13: 9780195300079 ISBN13: 978-0-19-530007-9 ISBN10: 0195300076 EAN: 9780195300079 x Description: The Hebrew Bible, or Christian Old Testament, contains some of the finest literature that we have. This biblical literature has a place not only in the synagogue or the church but also among the classics of world literature. The stories of Jacob and David, for instance, present the earliest surviving examples of literary characters whose development the reader follows over the length of a lifetime. Elsewhere, as in the books of Esther or Ruth, readers find a snapshot of a particular, fraught moment that will define the character. The Hebrew Bible also provides quite a few high points of lyric poetry, from the praise and lament of the Psalms to the double entendres in the love of poetry of the Song of Songs. In short, the Bible can be celebrated not only as religious literature but, quite simply, as literature. This book offers a thorough and lively introduction to the Bible's two primary literary modes, narrative and poetry, foregrounding the nuances of plot, character, metaphor, structure and design, and intertextual allusions. Tod Linafelt thus gives readers the tools to fully experience and appreciate the Hebrew Bible's literary achievement.

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The Hellenistic Age: A Very Short Introduction Peter Thonemann (Associate Professor in Ancient History, University of Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

08 Mar 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h173mm x w114mm x s9mm 120g 17 black & white illustrations; 2 maps ISBN13: 9780198746041 ISBN13: 978-0-19-874604-1 ISBN10: 0198746040 EAN: 9780198746041 x Description: The three centuries which followed the conquests of Alexander are perhaps the most thrilling of all periods of ancient history. This was an age of cultural globalization: in the third century BC, a single language carried you from the Rhone to the Indus. A Celt from the lower Danube could serve in the mercenary army of a Macedonian king ruling in Egypt, and a Greek philosopher from Cyprus could compare the religions of the Brahmins and the Jews on the basis of first-hand knowledge of both. Kings from Sicily to Tajikistan struggled to meet the challenges of ruling multi-ethnic states, and Greek city-states came together under the earliest federal governments known to history. The scientists of Ptolemaic Alexandria measured the circumference of the earth, while pioneering Greek argonauts explored the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic coast of Africa. Drawing on inscriptions, papyri, coinage, poetry, art, and archaeology, in this Very Short Introduction Peter Thonemann opens up the history and culture of the vast Hellenistic world, from the death of Alexander the Great (323 BC) to the Roman conquest of the Ptolemaic kingdom (30 BC). ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The History of Astronomy: A Very Short Introduction Michael Hoskin (Fellow of Churchill College, Cambridge) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

08 May 2003

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 136pp h178mm x w113mm x s8mm 117g 15 black and white ISBN13: 9780192803061 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280306-1 ISBN10: 0192803069 EAN: 9780192803061 x Description: Astronomy, perhaps the first of the sciences, was already well developed by the time of Christ. Seventeen centuries later, after Newton showed that the movements of the planets could be explained in terms of gravitation, it became the paradigm for the mathematical sciences. In the nineteenth century the analysis of star-light allowed astrophysicists to determine both the chemical composition and the radial velocities of celestial bodies, while the development of photography enabled distant objects invisible to the human eye, to be studied and measured in comfort. Technical developments during and since the Second World War have greatly enlarged the scope of the science by permitting the study of radiation. This is a fascinating introduction to the history of Western astronomy, from prehistoric times to the origins of astrophysics in the mid-nineteenth century. Historical records are first found in Babylon and Egypt, and after two millennia the arithmetical astronomy of the Babylonians merged with the Greek geometrical approach to culminate in the Almagest of Ptolemy. This legacy was transmitted to the Latin West via Islam, and led to Copernicus's claim that the Earth is in motion. In justifying this Kepler converted astronomy into a branch of dynamics, leading to Newton's universal law of gravity. The book concludes with eighteenth- and nineteenth-century applications of Newton's law, and the first explorations of the universe of stars. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new

The History of Chemistry: A Very Short Introduction Professor William H. Brock (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w114mm x s9mm 146g 17 black and white halftones and line drawings ISBN13: 9780198716488 ISBN13: 978-0-19-871648-8 ISBN10: 0198716486 EAN: 9780198716488 x Description: From man's first exploration of natural materials and their transformations to today's materials science, chemistry has always been the central discipline that underpins both the physical and biological sciences, as well as technology. In this Very Short Introduction, William H Brock traces the unique appeal of this fundamental science throughout history. Covering alchemy, earlymodern chemistry, pneumatic chemistry and Lavoisier's re-interpretation of chemical change, the rise of organic and physical chemistry, and the transforming power of synthesis, Brock explores the extraordinary and often puzzling transformations of natural and artificial materials, as well as the men and women who experimented, speculated, and explained matter and change. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The History of Childhood: A Very Short Introduction James Marten (Professor and Department Chair, History Department, Professor and Department Chair, History Department, Marquette University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

19 Sep 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 160pp h175mm x w114mm x s10mm 96g 10 halftones ISBN13: 9780190681388 ISBN13: 978-0-19-068138-8 ISBN10: 0190681381 EAN: 9780190681388 x Description: While children are a relatively unchanging fact of life, childhood is a constantly shifting concept. Through the millennia, the age at which a child becomes a youth and a youth becomes an adult has varied by gender, class, religion, ethnicity, place, and economic need. As author James Marten explores in this Very Short Introduction, so too have the realities of childhood, each life shaped by factors such as education, expectation, and conflict (or lack thereof). Indeed, ancient Roman children lived very differently than those born of today's Generation Z. Experiences of childhood have been shaped in classrooms and on factory floors, in family homes and orphanages, and on battlefields and in front of television sets. In addressing this diversity, The History of Childhood: A Very Short Introduction takes a global, expansive view of the features of childhood that have shaped childhood throughout history and continue to shape it now. From the rules of Confucian childrearing in twelfth-century China to the struggles of children living as slaves in the Americas or as cotton mill workers in Industrial Age Britain, Marten takes his inspiration from the idea that the lives of children reveal important and sometimes uncomfortable truths about civilization.

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The History of Cinema: A Very Short Introduction Geoffrey Nowell-Smith (Honorary Professorial Fellow in the School of History at Queen Mary, University of London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Nov 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h172mm x w110mm x s8mm 114g 10 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198701774 ISBN13: 978-0-19-870177-4 ISBN10: 0198701772 EAN: 9780198701774 x Description: Cinema was the first, and is arguably still the greatest, of the industrialized art forms that came to dominate the cultural life of the twentieth century. Today, it continues to adapt and grow as new technologies and viewing platforms become available, and remains an integral cultural and aesthetic entertainment experience for people the world over. Cinema developed against the backdrop of the two world wars, and over the years has seen smaller wars, revolutions, and profound social changes. Its history reflects this changing landscape, and, more than any other art form, developments in technology. In this Very Short Introduction, NowellSmith looks at the defining moments of the industry, from silent to sound, black and white to colour, and considers its genres from intellectual art house to mass market entertainment. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introduction series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The History of Life: A Very Short Introduction Michael J. Benton (Professor of Vertebrate Palaeontology) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2008

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 184pp h174mm x w111mm x s10mm 142g 20 halftones ISBN13: 9780199226320 ISBN13: 978-0-19-922632-0 ISBN10: 0199226326 EAN: 9780199226320 x Description: There are few stories more remarkable than the evolution of life on earth. This Very Short Introduction presents a succinct guide to the key episodes in that story - from the very origins of life four million years ago to the extraordinary diversity of species around the globe today. Beginning with an explanation of the controversies surrounding the birth of life itself, each following chapter tells of a major breakthrough that made new forms of life possible: including sex and multicellularity, hard skeletons, and the move to land. Along the way, we witness the greatest mass extinction, the first forests, the rise of modern ecosystems, and, most recently, conscious humans. Introducing ideas from a range of scientific disciplines, from evolutionary biology and earth history, to geochemistry, palaeontology, and systematics, Michael Benton explains how modern science pieces the evidence in this vast evolutionary puzzle together, to build up an accessible and up-to-date picture of the key developments in the history of life on earth. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The History of Mathematics: A Very Short Introduction Jacqueline A. Stedall (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h173mm x w115mm x s8mm 114g 15 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199599684 ISBN13: 978-0-19-959968-4 ISBN10: 0199599688 EAN: 9780199599684 x Description: Mathematics is a fundamental human activity that can be practised and understood in a multitude of ways; indeed, mathematical ideas themselves are far from being fixed, but are adapted and changed by their passage across periods and cultures. In this Very Short Introduction, Jacqueline Stedall explores the rich historical and cultural diversity of mathematical endeavour from the distant past to the present day. Arranged thematically, to exemplify the varied contexts in which people have learned, used, and handed on mathematics, she also includes illustrative case studies drawn from a range of times and places, including early imperial China, the medieval Islamic world, and nineteenth-century Britain. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The History of Medicine: A Very Short Introduction William F. Bynum (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

31 Jul 2008

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 192pp h174mm x w111mm x s10mm 147g 28 halftones ISBN13: 9780199215430 ISBN13: 978-0-19-921543-0 ISBN10: 019921543X EAN: 9780199215430 x Description: Against the backdrop of unprecedented concern for the future of health care, this Very Short Introduction surveys the history of medicine from classical times to the present. Focussing on the key turning points in the history of Western medicine, such as the advent of hospitals and the rise of experimental medicine, Bill Bynum offers insights into medicine's past, while at the same time engaging with contemporary issues, discoveries, and controversies. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The History of Physics: A Very Short Introduction J.L. Heilbron (Professor of History, Emeritus, University of California, Berkeley) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

08 Feb 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 192pp h175mm x w112mm x s11mm 144g 27 black and white images ISBN13: 9780199684120 ISBN13: 978-0-19-968412-0 ISBN10: 019968412X EAN: 9780199684120 x Description: How does the physics we know today - a highly professionalised enterprise, inextricably linked to government and industry - link back to its origins as a liberal art in Ancient Greece? What is the path that leads from the old philosophy of nature and its concern with humankind's place in the universe to modern massive international projects that hunt down fundamental particles and industrial laboratories that manufacture marvels? This Very Short Introduction introduces us to Islamic astronomers and mathematicians calculating the size of the earth whilst their caliphs conquered much of it; to medieval scholar-theologians investigating light; to Galileo, Copernicus, Kepler, and Newton, measuring, and trying to explain, the universe. We visit the 'House of Wisdom' in 9th-century Baghdad; Europe's first universities; the courts of the Renaissance; the Scientific Revolution and the academies of the 18th century; and the increasingly specialised world of 20th and 21st century science. Highlighting the shifting relationship between physics, philosophy, mathematics, and technology - and the implications for humankind's self-understanding - Heilbron explores the changing place and purpose of physics in the cultures and societies that have nurtured it over the centuries. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The History of Time: A Very Short Introduction Leofranc Holford-Strevens (Oxford University Press) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2010

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w111mm x s10mm 143g numerous b/w line illustrations and halftones ISBN13: 9780192804990 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280499-0 ISBN10: 0192804995 EAN: 9780192804990 x Description: Why do we measure time in the way that we do? Why is a week seven days long? At what point did minutes and seconds come into being? Why are some calendars lunar and some solar? The organisation of time into hours, days, months and years seems immutable and universal, but is actually far more artificial than most people realise. The French Revolution resulted in a restructuring of the French calendar, and the Soviet Union experimented with five and then six-day weeks. Leofranc Holford-Strevens explores these questions using a range of fascinating examples from Ancient Rome and Julius Caesar's imposition of the Leap Year, to the 1920s' project for a fixed Easter. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Holy Roman Empire: A Very Short Introduction Joachim Whaley (Professor of German History and Thought, University of Cambridge) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

09 Aug 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h175mm x w110mm x s11mm 157g 8 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198748762 ISBN13: 978-0-19-874876-2 ISBN10: 0198748760 EAN: 9780198748762 x Description: Voltaire's description of the Holy Roman Empire as 'neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire' is often cited to underline its worthlessness. German historians traditionally despised it because it had allegedly impeded German unification. Since 1945 scholars have been more positive but the empire's history and significance is still largely misunderstood. In this Very Short Introduction Joachim Whaley outlines the fascinating thousand-year history of the Holy Roman Empire. Founded in 800 on the basis of Charlemagne's Frankish kingdom, its imperial title went to the German monarchy which became established in the ninth and ten centuries. They claimed Charlemagne's legacy, including his role as protector of the papacy and guardian of the Church. Around 1500 the title Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation was adopted. An elective monarchy, the empire gradually developed from a feudal monarchy into a legal system that pacified the territories and cities of German-speaking Europe. By 1519 it had a supreme court and a regional enforcement system ended feuding. Throughout its lifetime, the empire's growth and history was shaped by the major developments in Europe, from the Reformation, to the Thirty Years War, to the French revolutionary wars, which led to Napoleon destroying the empire in 1806. The sense of a common history over a thousand years and the legal traditions established by the empire have shaped the history of Germanspeaking Europe ever since. Joachim Whaley analyses the empire's crucial impact and role in the history of European power and politics, and shows that there has never been a more durable political system in German history. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Ice Age: A Very Short Introduction Jamie Woodward (Professor of Physical Geography, University of Manchester) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

30 Jan 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 184pp h174mm x w114mm x s12mm 144g Approx, 35 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199580699 ISBN13: 978-0-19-958069-9 ISBN10: 0199580693 EAN: 9780199580699 x Description: The study of the Quaternary ice age has revolutionized ideas about Earth system change and the pace of landscape and ecosystem dynamics. The Ice Age: A Very Short Introduction looks at evidence from the continents, the oceans, and the ice core records, and the human stories behind it all. Jamie Woodward examines the remarkable environmental shifts that took place during the Great Ice Age of the Quaternary Period. He explores the evolution of ideas, evaluates the contributions of the leading players in the great debates, and presents some of the ingenious methods that have been used to retrieve information about the recent geological past. In an era of warming climate, the study of the ice age past is now more important than ever. This book examines the wonders of the Quaternary ice age - to show how ice age landscapes and ecosystems were repeatedly and rapidly transformed as plants, animals, and humans reorganized their

worlds. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Immune System: A Very Short Introduction Paul Klenerman (Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

26 Oct 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h175mm x w112mm x s8mm 131g 33 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198753902 ISBN13: 978-0-19-875390-2 ISBN10: 019875390X EAN: 9780198753902 x Description: The immune system is central to human health and the focus of much medical research. Growing understanding of the immune system, and especially the creation of immune memory (long lasting protection), which can be harnessed in the design of vaccines, have been major breakthroughs in medicine. In this Very Short Introduction, Paul Klenerman describes the immune system, and how it works in health and disease. In particular he focuses on the human immune system, considering how it evolved, the basic rules that govern its behaviour, and the major health threats where it is important. The immune system comprises a series of organs, cells and chemical messengers which work together as a team to provide defence against infection. Klenerman discusses these components, the critical signals that trigger them and how they exert their protective effects, including so-called "innate" immune responses, which react very fast to infection, and "adaptive" immune responses, which have huge diversity and a capacity to recognise and defend against a massive array of micro-organisms. Klenerman also considers what happens when our immune systems fail to be activated effectively, leading to serious infections, problems with inherited diseases, and also HIV/AIDS. At the opposite extreme, as Klenerman shows, an over-exaggerated immune response leads to inflammatory diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis and Rheumatoid Arthritis, as well as allergy and asthma. Finally he looks at the "Immune system v2.o" - how immune therapies and vaccines can be advanced to protect us against the major diseases of the 21st century. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Industrial Revolution: A Very Short Introduction Robert C. Allen (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Feb 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w114mm x s11mm 149g 10 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780198706786 ISBN13: 978-0-19-870678-6 ISBN10: 0198706782 EAN: 9780198706786 x Description: The 'Industrial Revolution' was a pivotal point in British history that occurred between the mid-eighteenth and mid-nineteenth centuries and led to far reaching transformations of society. With the advent of revolutionary manufacturing technology productivity boomed. Machines were used to spin and weave cloth, steam engines were used to provide reliable power, and industry was fed by the construction of the first railways, a great network of arteries feeding the factories. Cities grew as people shifted from agriculture to industry and commerce. Hand in hand with the growth of cities came rising levels of pollution

and disease. Many people lost their jobs to the new machinery, whilst working conditions in the factories were grim and pay was low. As the middle classes prospered, social unrest ran through the working classes, and the exploitation of workers led to the growth of trade unions and protest movements. In this Very Short Introduction, Robert C. Allen analyzes the key features of the Industrial Revolution in Britain, and the spread of industrialization to other countries. He considers the factors that combined to enable industrialization at this time, including Britain's position as a global commercial empire, and discusses the changes in technology and business organization, and their impact on different social classes and groups. Introducing the 'winners' and the 'losers' of the Industrial Revolution, he looks at how the changes were reflected in evolving government policies, and what contribution these made to the economic transformation. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Koran: A Very Short Introduction Michael Cook (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

24 Feb 2000

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h179mm x w113mm x s12mm 137g black and white halftones and line drawings ISBN13: 9780192853448 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285344-8 ISBN10: 0192853449 EAN: 9780192853448 x Description: The Koran has constituted a remarkably strong core of identity and continuity for a religious tradition that is now in its fifteenth century. This Very Short Introduction explores the significance of the Koran both in the modern world and in traditional Muslim culture. Michael Cook provides a lucid and direct account of the Koran as codex, as scripture, as liturgy, and as the embodiment of truth, and examines its means of formation and dissemination. He also discusses issues of interpretation for certain key verses, demonstrating that fecundity of the text for readers throughout the world. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Laws of Thermodynamics: A Very Short Introduction Peter W. Atkins (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

25 Mar 2010

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 120pp h174mm x w112mm x s7mm 109g 22 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199572199 ISBN13: 978-0-19-957219-9 ISBN10: 0199572194 EAN: 9780199572199 x Description: From the sudden expansion of a cloud of gas or the cooling of a hot metal, to the unfolding of a thought in our minds and even the course of life itself, everything is governed by the four Laws of Thermodynamics. These laws specify the nature of 'energy' and 'temperature', and are soon revealed to reach out and define the arrow of time itself: why things change and why death must come. In this Very Short Introduction Peter Atkins explains the basis and deeper implications of each law, highlighting their relevance in everyday examples. Using the minimum of mathematics, he introduces concepts such as entropy, free energy, and to the brink and beyond of the absolute zero temperature. These are not merely abstract ideas: they govern our lives.

In this concise and compelling introduction Atkins paints a lucid picture of the four elegant laws that, between them, drive the Universe. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Marquis de Sade: A Very Short Introduction John Phillips (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

28 Jul 2005

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h175mm x w113mm x s10mm 139g 20 halftones ISBN13: 9780192804693 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280469-3 ISBN10: 0192804693 EAN: 9780192804693 x Description: Were it not for the Marquis de Sade's explicit use of language and complete disregard for the artificially constructed taboos of a religious morality he despised, the novelty and profundity of his thought, and above all, its fundamental modernity, would have long since secured him a place alongside the greatest authors and thinkers of the European Enlightenment. This Very Short Introduction aims to disentangle the 'real' Marquis de Sade from his mythical and demonic reputation of the past two hundred years. Phillips examines Sade's life and work: his libertine novels, his championing of atheism, and his uniqueness in bringing the body and sex back into philosophy. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Maya: A Very Short Introduction Matthew Restall (Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of History and Anthropology, Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of History and Anthropology, Penn State University) (Author) Amara Solari (Associate Professor of Art History and Anthropology, Associate Professor of Art History and Anthropology, Penn State University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

13 Aug 2020

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 160pp h175mm x w111mm 10 illustrations ISBN13: 9780190645021 ISBN13: 978-0-19-064502-1 ISBN10: 0190645024 EAN: 9780190645021 x Description: The Maya forged one of the greatest societies in the history of the ancient Americas - and in all of human history. Long before contact with Europeans, Maya communities built spectacular cities with large, well-fed large populations. They mastered the visual arts, and developed a sophisticated writing system that recorded extraordinary knowledge in calendrics, mathematics, and astronomy. The Maya achieved all this without area-wide centralized control. There was never a single, unified Maya state or empire, but always numerous, evolving ethnic groups speaking dozens of distinct Mayan languages. The people we call "Maya" never thought of themselves as such; yet something definable, unique, and endlessly fascinating - what we call Maya culture has clearly existed for millennia. So what was their self-identity and how did Maya civilization come to be "invented?" With the Maya historically subdivided and misunderstood in so many ways, the pursuit of what made them "the Maya" is all the more important. In this

Very Short Introduction, Restall and Solari explore the themes of Maya identity, city-state political culture, art and architecture, the Maya concept of the cosmos, and the Maya experience of contact with - including invasion by - outsiders. Despite its brevity, this book is unique for its treatment of all periods of Maya civilization, from its origins to the present. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Meaning of Life: A Very Short Introduction Terry Eagleton (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2008

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 128pp h174mm x w111mm x s8mm 116g 12 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199532179 ISBN13: 978-0-19-953217-9 ISBN10: 0199532176 EAN: 9780199532179 x Description: 'Philosophers have an infuriating habit of analysing questions rather than answering them', writes Terry Eagleton, who, in these pages, asks the most important question any of us ever ask, and attempts to answer it. So what is the meaning of life? In this witty, spirited, and stimulating inquiry, Eagleton shows how centuries of thinkers - from Shakespeare and Schopenhauer to Marx, Sartre and Beckett - have tackled the question. Refusing to settle for the bland and boring, Eagleton reveals with a mixture of humour and intellectual rigour how the question has become particularly problematic in modern times. Instead of addressing it head-on, we take refuge from the feelings of 'meaninglessness' in our lives by filling them with a multitude of different things: from football and sex, to New Age religions and fundamentalism. 'Many of the readers of this book are likely to be as sceptical of the phrase "the meaning of life" as they are of Santa Claus', he writes. But Eagleton contends that in a world where we need to find common meanings, it is important that we set about answering the question of all questions; and, in conclusion, he suggests his own answer. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Mexican Revolution: A Very Short Introduction Alan Knight (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

28 Jan 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w114mm x s9mm 118g 8 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780198745631 ISBN13: 978-0-19-874563-1 ISBN10: 019874563X EAN: 9780198745631 x Description: The Mexican Revolution defined the sociopolitical experience of those living in Mexico in the twentieth century. Its subsequent legacy has provoked debate between those who interpret the ongoing myth of the Revolution and those who adopt the more middle-of-the-road reality of the regime after 1940. Taking account of these divergent interpretations, this Very Short Introduction offers a succinct narrative and analysis of the Revolution. Using carefully considered sources, Alan Knight addresses the causes of the upheaval, before outlining the armed conflict between 1910 and 1920, explaining how a durable regime was consolidated in the 1920s, and summing up the social reforms of the Revolution, which culminated in the radical years of the 1930s. Along the way, Knight places the conflict alongside other 'great' revolutions, and compares Mexico with the Latin American countries that avoided the violent upheaval. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Middle Ages: A Very Short Introduction Miri Rubin (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Oct 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h173mm x w114mm x s9mm 143g 10 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199697298 ISBN13: 978-0-19-969729-8 ISBN10: 0199697299 EAN: 9780199697298 x Description: The Middle Ages is a term coined around 1450 to describe a thousand years of European History. In this Very Short Introduction, Miri Rubin provides an exploration of the variety, change, dynamism, and sheer complexity that the period covers. From the provinces of the Roman Empire, which became Barbarian kingdoms after c.450-650, to the northern and eastern regions that became increasingly integrated into Europe, Rubin explores the emergence of a truly global system of communication, conquest, and trade by the end of the era. Presenting an insight into the challenges of life in Europe between 500-1500 - at all levels of society - Rubin looks at kingship and family, agriculture and trade, groups and individuals. Conveying the variety of European experiences, while providing a sense of the communication, cooperation, and shared values of the pervasive Christian culture, Rubin looks at the legacies they left behind. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Mongols: A Very Short Introduction Morris Rossabi (Professor of Chinese and Inner Asian History; Distinguished Professor of History, Professor of Chinese and Inner Asian History; Distinguished Professor of History, Columbia University; City University of New York) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

06 Jun 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 160pp h173mm x w111mm x s9mm 124g 3 maps, 6 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199840892 ISBN13: 978-0-19-984089-2 ISBN10: 019984089X EAN: 9780199840892 x Description: The Mongols carved out the largest land-based empire in world history, stretching from Korea to Russia in the north and from China to Syria in the south in the thirteenth century. Along with their leader Chinggis Khan they conjure up images of plunder and total destruction. Chinggis and his descendants introduced a level of violence that had perhaps never been seen in world history. Although this book does not ignore the devastation and killings wrought by the Mongols, it also reveals their contributions. Within two generations, they developed from conquerors and predators seeking booty to rulers who devised policies to foster the economies of the lands they had subjugated. Adopting political and economic institutions familiar to the conquered populations and recruiting native officials, they won over many of their nonMongol subjects. Mongol nobles were ardent patrons of art and culture. They supported and influenced the production of Chinese porcelains and textiles, Iranian tiles and illustrated manuscripts, and Russian metalwork. Their most significant contribution was to foster the greatest contacts among diverse civilizations in world history. The Mongol peace they imposed on much of Asia and their promotion of trade resulted in considerable travel and relations among numerous merchants, scientists, artists, missionaries, and entertainers of different ethnic groups. It is no accident that Europeans, including Marco Polo, first reached China in this period. Eurasian and perhaps global history starts with the Mongol

empire. Rossabi follows the Mongol empire through to collapse due to internal disunity. Struggles for succession and ill-planned and expensive military campaigns ultimately tore apart one of the most influential empires in world history. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Napoleonic Wars: A Very Short Introduction Mike Rapport (Department of History, University of Stirling) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

31 Jan 2013

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h156mm x w130mm x s10mm 132g c.10 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199590964 ISBN13: 978-0-19-959096-4 ISBN10: 0199590966 EAN: 9780199590964 x Description: The Napoleonic Wars have an important place in the history of Europe, leaving their mark on European and world societies in a variety of ways. In many European countries they provided the stimulus for radical social and political change - particularly in Spain, Germany, and Italy - and are frequently viewed in these places as the starting point of their modern histories. In this Very Short Introduction, Mike Rapport provides a brief outline of the wars, introducing the tactics, strategies, and weaponry of the time. Presented in three parts, he considers the origins and course of the wars, the ways and means in which it was fought, and the social and political legacy it has left to the world today. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The New Testament As Literature: A Very Short Introduction Kyle Keefer (Assistant Professor of Religious Studies, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies, Converse College, South Carolina) (Edited by) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

27 Nov 2008

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 136pp h173mm x w112mm x s10mm 127g ISBN13: 9780195300208 ISBN13: 978-0-19-530020-8 ISBN10: 0195300203 EAN: 9780195300208 x Description: The words, phrases, and stories of the New Testament permeate the English language. Indeed, this relatively small group of twentyseven works, written during the height of the Roman Empire, not only helped create and sustain a vast world religion, but also have been integral to the larger cultural dynamics of the West, above and beyond particular religious expressions. Looking at the New Testament through the lens of literary study, Kyle Keefer offers an engrossing exploration of this revered religious text as a work of literature, but also keeps in focus its theological ramifications. Unique among books that examine the Bible as literature, this brilliantly compact introduction offers an intriguing double-edged look at this universal text-a religiously informed literary analysis. The book first explores the major sections of the New Testament-the gospels, Paul's letters, and Revelation-as individual literary documents. Keefer shows how, in such familiar stories as the parable of the Good

Samaritan, a literary analysis can uncover an unexpected complexity to what seems a simple, straightforward tale. At the conclusion of the book, Keefer steps back and asks questions about the New Testament as a whole. He reveals that whether read as a single document or as a collection of works, the New Testament presents readers with a wide variety of forms and viewpoints, and a literary exploration helps bring this richness to light. A fascinating investigation of the New Testament as a classic literary work, this Very Short Introduction uses a literary framework-plot, character, narrative arc, genre-to illuminate the language, structure, and the crafting of this venerable text. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The New Testament: A Very Short Introduction Luke Timothy Johnson (Robert W. Woodruff Distinguished Professor, Robert W. Woodruff Distinguished Professor, Candler School of Theology, Emory University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Int

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

29 Jul 2010

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 160pp h173mm x w112mm x s9mm 131g 5 B&W line, 3 halftone, 2 maps ISBN13: 9780199735709 ISBN13: 978-0-19-973570-9 ISBN10: 0199735700 EAN: 9780199735709 x Description: As part of the Christian Bible, the New Testament is at once widely influential and (especially among the young and the educated) increasingly unknown. Those who want to know the basics can find in this introduction the sort of information that locates these ancient writings in their historical and literary context. Those who want to learn why these compositions have had such impact can find here an appreciation for the religious experiences of the first Christians that forced them to reinterpret their Jewish and Greek heritage and reshape their symbolic world. In addition to providing the broad conceptual and factual framework for the New Testament -- including the process by which distinct compositions became a sacred book -- this introduction provides as well a more detailed examination of specific compositions that have had particularly strong influence, including Paul's letters to the Corinthians and Romans, the four Gospels, and the Book of Revelation. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Norman Conquest: A Very Short Introduction George Garnett (Tutorial Fellow in Modern History, University of Oxford) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

02 May 2009

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w111mm x s9mm 147g 20 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780192801616 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280161-6 ISBN10: 0192801619 EAN: 9780192801616 x Description: The Norman Conquest in 1066 was the last time England was successfully invaded, and was one of the most profound turning points in English history, cataclysmically transforming a disparate collection of small nations into a European state. But what actually happened? How was the invasion viewed by those who witnessed it? And how has its legacy been seen by generations since? This fascinating Very Short Introduction reveals

how dramatically English life was changed, from its language to its law, and focuses on the differing ways the conquest has been viewed by historians and in folklore ever since. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Old Testament: A Very Short Introduction Michael Coogan (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

01 Mar 2008

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 160pp h175mm x w111mm x s10mm 142g 9 halftones ISBN13: 9780195305050 ISBN13: 978-0-19-530505-0 ISBN10: 0195305051 EAN: 9780195305050 x Description: Eminent biblical scholar Michael D. Coogan offers here a wide-ranging and stimulating exploration of the Old Testament, illuminating its importance as history, literature, and sacred text. Coogan explains the differences between the Bible of Jewish tradition (the "Hebrew Bible") and the Old Testament of Christianity, and also examines the different contents of the Bibles used by Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, and Protestants. He looks at the rise of modern biblical scholarship as well as the recovery of ancient Near Eastern literatures and their significance for biblical interpretation. One particularly interesting section examines three principal characters of the Old Testament-Abraham, Deborah, and David-illuminating important themes connected with them, such as Abraham and covenant and David as poet and warrior. Coogan explores the use of invented dialogue and historical fiction in the Old Testament, the presence of mythic elements in apparently historical accounts, and the relationship of ancient Israelite myths to those of their neighbors. The book considers the Old Testament's idea of divine justice, especially in Ecclesiastes and Job, and looks at notions of the afterlife in the ancient Near East and in ancient Israel. Coogan highlights the significance of the history and literature of the Old Testament and describes how non-biblical evidence, such as archaeological data and texts, has placed the Old Testament in a larger and more illuminating context. The book also discusses law and ritual in the Bible as well as the biblical understandings of prophecy. Here then is a marvelous overview of one of the great pillars of Western religion and culture, a book whose significance has endured for thousands of years and which remains vitally important today for Jews, Christians, and Muslims worldwide. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Orchestra: A Very Short Introduction D. Kern Holoman (Distinguished Professor of Music, Distinguished Professor of Music, University of California, Davis) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

25 Aug 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w118mm x s10mm 130g 10 b/w halftones ISBN13: 9780199760282 ISBN13: 978-0-19-976028-2 ISBN10: 0199760284 EAN: 9780199760282

x Description: In this Very Short Introduction, D. Kern Holoman considers the structure, roots, and day-to-day functioning of the modern philharmonic society. He explores topics ranging from the life of a musician in a modern orchestra, the recent wave of new hall construction from Berlin to Birmingham, threats of bankruptcies and strikes, and the eyebrow-raising salaries of conductors and general managers. At the heart of the book lies a troubling pair of questions: Can such a seemingly anachronistic organization long survive? Does the symphony matter in contemporary culture? Holoman responds to both with a resounding yes. He shows that the orchestra remains a potent political and social force, a cultural diplomat par excellence. It has adapted well to the digital revolution, and it continues to be seen as an essential element of civic pride. In a time of upheaval in how classical music is created, heard, distributed, and evaluated, the orchestra has managed to retain its historic role as a meeting place of intellectual currents, an ongoing forum for public enlightenment. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict: A Very Short Introduction Martin Bunton (Associate Professor, University of Victoria) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

29 Aug 2013

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h173mm x w112mm x s8mm 120g 15 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199603930 ISBN13: 978-0-19-960393-0 ISBN10: 0199603936 EAN: 9780199603930 x Description: The conflict between Palestine and Israel is one of the most highly publicized and bitter struggles in history. In this accessible and stimulating Very Short Introduction, Martin Bunton clearly explains the history of the problem, reducing it to its very essence - a modern territorial contest between two nations and one geographical territory. Adopting a fresh and original approach, each section covers a twenty-year span, to highlight the historical complexity of the conflict throughout successive decades. Each chapter starts with an examination of the relationships among people and events that marked particular years as historical moments in the evolution of the conflict, including the 1897 Basle Congress; the 1917 Balfour Declaration and British occupation of Palestine; and the 1947 UN Partition Plan and the war for Palestine. Providing a clear and fair exploration of the main issues, Bunton explores not only the historical basis of the conflict, but also looks at how and why partition has been so difficult and how efforts to restore peace continue today. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Periodic Table: A Very Short Introduction Eric R. Scerri (Lecturer in Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

08 Aug 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 184pp h174mm x w112mm x s9mm 141g 15 black and white line drawings ISBN13: 9780198842323 ISBN13: 978-0-19-884232-3 ISBN10: 0198842325 EAN: 9780198842323

x Description: The periodic table of elements, first encountered by many of us at school, provides an arrangement of the chemical elements, ordered by their atomic number, electron configuration, and recurring chemical properties, and divided into periodic trends. In this Very Short Introduction Eric R. Scerri looks at the trends in properties of elements that led to the construction of the table, and shows how the deeper meaning of the table's structure gradually became apparent with the development of atomic theory and, in particular, quantum mechanics, which underlies the behaviour of all of the elements and their compounds. This new edition, publishing in the International Year of the Periodic Table, celebrates the completion of the seventh period of the table, with the ratification and naming of elements 113, 115, 117, and 118 as nihonium, moscovium, tennessine, and oganesson. Eric R. Scerri also incorporates new material on recent advances in our understanding of the origin of the elements, as well as developments concerning group three of the periodic table. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Philosophy of Religion: A Very Short Introduction Jack Copeland (Professor of Philosophy and Head of the School of Philosophy and Religious Studies, University of Canterbury, New Zealand) (Author) Diane Proudfoot (Senior Lecturer in Philosophy, University of Canterbury, New Zealand) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

10 Jul 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h174mm x w111mm 20 B&W halftones ISBN13: 9780192853684 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285368-4 ISBN10: 0192853686 EAN: 9780192853684 x Description: From miracles and resurrection, to intelligent design and the nature of faith, this Very Short Introduction explores the central issues in the philosophy of religion. It looks at the arguments for and against the existence of God, discussing the relationship between faith and reason, religion and morality, and the problems raised by the diverse and apparently incompatible claims of different religions. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Psychology of Music: A Very Short Introduction Elizabeth Hellmuth Margulis (Professor and Director of the Music Cognition Lab, Professor and Director of the Music Cognition Lab, University of Arkansas) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

15 Nov 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 160pp h175mm x w112mm x s9mm 142g 10 ISBN13: 9780190640156 ISBN13: 978-0-19-064015-6 ISBN10: 0190640154 EAN: 9780190640156 x Description: Music has been examined from multiple perspectives: as a product of human history, for example, or a product of human culture. But there is also a long tradition, intensified in recent decades, of thinking about music as a product of the human mind. Whether considering composition, performance, listening, or appreciation, the constraints and capabilities of the human mind play a formative role. The field that has emerged around this approach is known as the psychology of music.

Written in a lively and accessible manner, this volume connects the science to larger questions about music that are of interest to practicing musicians, music therapists, musicologists, and the general public alike. For example: Why can one musical performance move an audience to tears, and another compel them to dance, clap, or snap along? How does a "pump up" playlist motivate someone at the gym? And why is that top-40 song stuck in everyone's head? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Psychology of Religion: A Very Short Introduction Ralph W Hood Jr (Professor of Psychology & LeRoy A. Martin Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

08 Nov 2018

Publishing Status:

Cancelled

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h174mm x w111mm 6 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198797913 ISBN13: 978-0-19-879791-3 ISBN10: 0198797915 EAN: 9780198797913 x Description: The growing study of the psychology of religion testifies to the continued interest in religion today, both from believers and those who view religion as a threat to progressive secular values. Ralph Hood explores the interface between psychology and religion, considering different faith traditions, beliefs, behaviour, and experiences. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Quakers: A Very Short Introduction Pink Dandelion (Reader in Quaker Studies and Director of the Centre for Postgraduate Quaker Studies, University of Birmingham) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

28 Feb 2008

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w112mm x s8mm 133g 20 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199206797 ISBN13: 978-0-19-920679-7 ISBN10: 0199206791 EAN: 9780199206797 x Description: The Quakers are a fascinating religious group both in their origins and in the variety of reinterpretations of the faith since. Emerging from the social unrest of the English civil war, the Quakers have gone on to have an influence way beyond their numbers: be it their continued stance against war or their pioneering work against slavery. At the same time, Quakers maintain a distinctive worship method to achieve the direct encounter with God which has been at the heart of the movement since its beginning. This book charts the history of Quakerism and its present-day diversity, and outlines its approach to worship, belief, theology and language, and ecumenism. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Reagan Revolution: A Very Short Introduction Gil Troy (Professor of History, Professor of History, McGill University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

17 Mar 2010

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w112mm x s11mm 147g 10 maps & halftones ISBN13: 9780195317107 ISBN13: 978-0-19-531710-7 ISBN10: 0195317106 EAN: 9780195317107 x Description: "They called it the Reagan revolution," Ronald Reagan noted in his Farewell Address. "Well, I'll accept that, but for me it always seemed more like the great rediscovery, a rediscovery of our values and our common sense." Nearly two decades after that 1989 speech, debate continues to rage over just how revolutionary those Reagan years were. The Reagan Revolution: A Very Short Introduction identifies and tackles some of the controversies and historical mysteries that continue to swirl around Reagan and his legacy, while providing an illuminating look at some of the era's defining personalities, ideas, and accomplishments. Gil Troy, a well-known historian who is a frequent commentator on contemporary politics, sheds much light on the phenomenon known as the Reagan Revolution, situating the reception of Reagan's actions within the contemporary liberal and conservative political scene. While most conservatives refuse to countenance any criticism of their hero, an articulate minority laments that he did not go far enough. And while some liberals continue to mourn just how far he went in changing America, others continue to mock him as a disengaged, do-nothing dunce. Nevertheless, as Troy shows, two and a half decades after Reagan's 1981 inauguration, his legacy continues to shape American politics, diplomacy, culture, and economics. Both Bill Clinton and George W. Bush modeled much of their presidential leadership styles on Reagan's example, while many of the debates of the '80s about the budget, tax cutting, defense-spending, and American values still rage. Love him or hate him, Ronald Reagan remains the most influential president since Franklin D. Roosevelt, and one of the most controversial. This marvelous book places the Reagan Revolution in the broader context of postwar politics, highlighting the legacies of these years on subsequent presidents and on American life today. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Reformation: A Very Short Introduction Peter Marshall (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

22 Oct 2009

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w112mm x s11mm 131g 15 b&w halftones ISBN13: 9780199231317 ISBN13: 978-0-19-923131-7 ISBN10: 0199231311 EAN: 9780199231317 x Description: The Reformation transformed Europe, and left an indelible mark on the modern world. It began as an argument about what Christians needed to do to be saved, but rapidly engulfed society in a series of fundamental changes. This Very Short Introduction provides a lively and up-to-date guide to the process. It explains doctrinal debates in a clear and non-technical way, but is equally concerned to demonstrate the effects the Reformation had on politics, society, art, and minorities. Peter Marshall argues that the Reformation was not a solely European phenomenon, but that varieties of faith exported from Europe transformed Christianity into a truly world religion. The complex legacy of the Reformation is also assessed; its religious fervour produced remarkable stories of sanctity and heroism, and some extraordinary artistic achievements, but violence, holy war, and martyrdom were equally its products. A paradox of the Reformation - that it intensified intolerance while establishing pluralism - is one we still wrestle with today.

The Renaissance: A Very Short Introduction Jerry Brotton (Senior Lecturer at Queen Mary, University of London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

27 Apr 2006

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w111mm x s10mm 143g 20 halftones ISBN13: 9780192801630 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280163-0 ISBN10: 0192801635 EAN: 9780192801630 x Description: More than ever before, the Renaissance stands as one of the defining moments in world history. Between 1400 and 1600, European perceptions of society, culture, politics and even humanity itself emerged in ways that continue to affect not only Europe but the entire world. This wide-ranging exploration of the Renaissance sees the period as a time of unprecedented intellectual excitement and cultural experimentation and interaction on a global scale, alongside a darker side of religion, intolerance, slavery, and massive inequality of wealth and status. It guides the reader through the key issues that defined the period, from its art, architecture, and literature, to advancements in the fields of science, trade, and travel. In its incisive account of the complexities of the political and religious upheavals of the period, the book argues that Europe's reciprocal relationship with its eastern neighbours offers us a timely perspective on the Renaissance that still has much to teach us today. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Roman Empire: A Very Short Introduction Christopher Kelly (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

24 Aug 2006

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w112mm x s10mm 146g 25 halftones ISBN13: 9780192803917 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280391-7 ISBN10: 0192803913 EAN: 9780192803917 x Description: The Roman Empire was a remarkable achievement. It had a population of sixty million people spread across lands encircling the Mediterranean and stretching from drizzle-soaked northern England to the sun-baked banks of the Euphrates in Syria, and from the Rhine to the North African coast. It was, above all else, an empire of force - employing a mixture of violence, suppression, order, and tactical use of power to develop an astonishingly uniform culture. This Very Short Introduction covers the history of the Empire from Augustus (the first Emperor) to Marcus Aurelius, describing how the empire was formed, how it was run, its religions and its social structure. It examines how local cultures were "romanised" and how people in far away lands came to believe in the emperor as a god. The book also examines how the Roman Empire has been considered and depicted in more recent times, from the writings of Edward Gibbon, to the differing attitudes of the Victorians and recent Hollywood blockbuster films. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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The Roman Republic: A Very Short Introduction David M. Gwynn (Lecturer in Ancient and Late Antique History, Royal Holloway, University of London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

30 Aug 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h173mm x w112mm x s9mm 145g 12 black and white halftones, and some maps ISBN13: 9780199595112 ISBN13: 978-0-19-959511-2 ISBN10: 0199595119 EAN: 9780199595112 x Description: The rise and fall of the Roman Republic occupies a special place in the history of Western civilization. From humble beginnings on the seven hills beside the Tiber, the city of Rome grew to dominate the ancient Mediterranean. Led by her senatorial aristocracy, Republican armies defeated Carthage and the successor kingdoms of Alexander the Great, and brought the surrounding peoples to east and west into the Roman sphere. Yet the triumph of the Republic was also its tragedy. In this Very Short Introduction, David M. Gwynn provides a fascinating introduction to the history of the Roman Republic and its literary and material sources, bringing to life the culture and society of Republican Rome and its ongoing significance within our modern world. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Russian Economy: A Very Short Introduction Richard Connolly (University of Birmingham) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

06 Aug 2020

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h175mm x w113mm x s9mm 118g 7 black & white illustrations; 4 tables ISBN13: 9780198848905 ISBN13: 978-0-19-884890-5 ISBN10: 0198848900 EAN: 9780198848905 x Description: Russia today is as prominent in international affairs as it was at the height of the Cold War. Yet the role that the economy plays in supporting Russia's position as a 'great power' on the international stage is poorly understood. For many, Russia's political influence far exceeds its weight in the global economy. However, Russia is one of the largest economies in the world; it is not only one of the world's most important exporters of oil and gas, but also of other natural resources, such as diamonds and gold. Its status as one of the largest wheat and grain exporters shapes commodity prices across the globe, while Russia's enormous arms industry, second only to the United States, provides it with the means to pursue an increasingly assertive foreign policy. All this means that Russia's economy is crucial in serving the country's political objectives, both within Russia and across the world. Russia today has a distinctly political type of economy that is neither the planned economy of the Soviet era, nor a market-based economy of the Euro-Atlantic variety. Instead, its economic system is characterised by a unique blend of state and market; control and freedom; and natural resources alongside human ingenuity. The Russian Economy: A Very Short Introduction introduces readers to the dimensions of the Russian economy that are often ignored by the media and public figures, or exaggerated and misunderstood. In doing so, it shows how Russia's economy is one of global significance, and helps explain why many of Russia's enduring features, such as the heavy hand of the state and the emphasis on military-industrial production, have persisted despite the immense changes that took place after the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991.

The Russian Revolution: A Very Short Introduction S. A. Smith (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

21 Feb 2002

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 192pp h176mm x w113mm x s12mm 167g numerous halftones and 2 maps ISBN13: 9780192853950 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285395-0 ISBN10: 0192853953 EAN: 9780192853950 x Description: This Very Short Introduction provides an analytical narrative of the main events and developments in Soviet Russia between 1917 and 1936. It examines the impact of the revolution on society as a whole-on different classes, ethnic groups, the army, men and women, youth. Its central concern is to understand how one structure of domination was replaced by another. The book registers the primacy of politics, but situates political developments firmly in the context of massive economic, social, and cultural change. Since the fall of Communism there has been much reflection on the significance of the Russian Revolution. The book rejects the currently influential, liberal interpretation of the revolution in favour of one that sees it as rooted in the contradictions of a backward society which sought modernization and enlightenment and ended in political tyranny. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Scientific Revolution: A Very Short Introduction Lawrence M. Principe (Drew Professor of the Humanities, Department of the History of Science and Technology and Department of Chemistry, John Hopkins University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

28 Apr 2011

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h173mm x w115mm x s10mm 138g 15 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199567416 ISBN13: 978-0-19-956741-6 ISBN10: 0199567417 EAN: 9780199567416 x Description: The sixteenth and seventeenth centuries witnessed such fervent investigations of the natural world that the period has been called the 'Scientific Revolution.' New ideas and discoveries not only redefined what human beings believed, knew, and could do, but also forced them to redefine themselves with respect to the strange new worlds revealed by ships and scalpels, telescopes and microscopes, experimentation and contemplation. Driven by religious devotion, by practical need, by the promise of fame and profit, or by the simple desire to know, a broad range of thinkers and workers explored and reconceptualized the world around them. Explanatory systems were made, discarded, and remade by some of the best-known names in the entire history of science - Copernicus, Galileo, Newton - and by many others less recognized but no less important. In this Very Short Introduction Lawrence M. Principe explores the exciting developments in the sciences of the stars (astronomy, astrology, and cosmology), the sciences of earth (geography, geology, hydraulics, pneumatics), the sciences of matter and motion (alchemy, chemistry, kinematics, physics), the sciences of life (medicine, anatomy, biology, zoology), and much more. The story is told from the perspective of the historical characters themselves, emphasizing their background, context, reasoning, and motivations, and dispelling well-worn myths about the history of science.

The Silk Road: A Very Short Introduction James A. Millward (Professor of History, Professor of History, School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

27 Mar 2013

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w114mm x s10mm 132g 9 b/w halftones, 1 map ISBN13: 9780199782864 ISBN13: 978-0-19-978286-4 ISBN10: 0199782865 EAN: 9780199782864 x Description: The phrase "silk road" evokes vivid images: of merchants leading camel caravans over deserts and steppes to trade exotic goods in the bazaars of glittering Oriental cities, of pilgrims braving bandits and frozen mountain passes to gather scriptures and spread their faith across continental expanses. Beyond the exotica, however, this VSI will be a sketch of the historical background against which the silk road flourished, and an essay on the significance of old-world intercultural exchange to Eurasian and world history generally. On the one hand, Millward treats the silk road broadly, as a metonym for the crossfertilizing communication between peoples across the Eurasian continent since at least the Neolithic era. On the other, he highlights specific examples of goods and ideas exchanged between the Mediterranean, Persian, Indian, and Chinese regions, along with the significance of these exchanges. While including silks, spices, travelers' tales of colorful locales, the main focus of the book is to outline the dynamics of Central Eurasian history that promoted silk road interactions, especially the role of nomad empires; and to highlight the importance of the biological, technological, artistic, intellectual, and religious interchanges across the continent. Millward shows that these exchanges had a profound effect on the old world that was akin to, if not yet on the scale of, modern globalization.

Millward also considers some of the more abstract contemporary uses to which the silk road concept has been put. It is, of course, a popular marketing device for boutiques, museums, restaurants, and tour operators from Venice to Kyoto. More than that, however, the silk road has ideological connotations, used sometimes to soften the face of Chinese expansion in Central Asia, or, in the US culture wars, as a challenge to the "clash of civilizations" understanding of intersocietal relations. Finally, while it has often been argued that the silk road declined or closed after the collapse of the Mongol empire or the opening of direct maritime communications from Europe to Asia, Millard disputes this view, showing how silk road phenomena continued through the early modern and modern expansion of Russian and Chinese states across Central Asia. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Soviet Union: A Very Short Introduction Stephen Lovell (Reader in Modern European History at King's College London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Jul 2009

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w112mm x s10mm 155g 15 b&w halftones ISBN13: 9780199238484 ISBN13: 978-0-19-923848-4 ISBN10: 0199238480 EAN: 9780199238484

x Description: Almost twenty years after the Soviet Unions' end, what are we to make of its existence? Was it a heroic experiment, an unmitigated disaster, or a viable if flawed response to the modern world? Taking a fresh approach to the study of the Soviet Union, this Very Short Introduction blends political history with an investigation into the society and culture at the time. Stephen Lovell examines aspects of patriotism, political violence, poverty, and ideology; and provides answers to some of the big questions about the Soviet experience. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Spanish Civil War: A Very Short Introduction Helen Graham (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

24 Mar 2005

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 192pp h173mm x w112mm x s11mm 146g numerous halftones ISBN13: 9780192803771 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280377-1 ISBN10: 0192803778 EAN: 9780192803771 x Description: This Very Short Introduction offers a powerfully-written explanation of the war's complex origins and course, and explores its impact on a personal and international scale. It also provides an ethical reflection on the war in the context of Europe's tumultuous twentieth century, highlighting why it has inspired some of the greatest writers of our time, and how it continues to resonate today in Britain, continental Europe, and beyond. Throughout the book, the focus is on the war as an arena of social change where ideas about culture were forged or resisted, and in which both Spaniards and non-Spaniards participated alike. These were conflicts that during the Second World War would stretch from Franco's regime, which envisaged itself as part of the Nazi new order, to Europe and beyond. Accordingly, this book examines Spanish participation in European resistance movements during World War II and also the ongoing civil war waged politically, economically, judicially and culturally inside Spain by Francoism after its military victory in 1939. History writing itself became a battleground and the book charts the Franco regime's attempt to appropriate the past. It also indicates its ultimate failure - as evident in new writings on the war and, above all, in the return of Republican memory now occurring in Spain during the opening years of the twenty-first century. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Sun: A Very Short Introduction Philip Judge (Senior Scientist, Senior Scientist, High Altitude Observatory, National Center for Atmospheric Research) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

07 May 2020

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 184pp h174mm x w110mm x s10mm 144g 34 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198832690 ISBN13: 978-0-19-883269-0 ISBN10: 0198832699 EAN: 9780198832690 x Description: The Sun, as our nearest star, is of enormous importance for life on Earth - providing the warm radiation and light which allowed complex life to evolve. The Sun plays a key role in influencing our climate, whilst solar storms and high-energy events can threaten our communication infrastructure and satellites.

This Very Short Introduction explores what we know about the Sun, its physics, its structure, origins, and future evolution. Philip Judge explains some of the remaining puzzles about the Sun that still confound us, using elementary physics, and mathematical concepts. Why does the Sun form spots? Why does it flare? As he shows, these and other nagging difficulties relate to the Sun's continually variable magnetism, which converts an otherwise dull star into a machine for flooding interplanetary space with variable radiation, high-energy particles and magnetic ejections. Throughout, Judge highlights the many reasons that the Sun is important, and why scientists engage in solar research. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Treaty of Versailles: A Very Short Introduction Michael S. Neiberg (Chair in War Studies, Chair in War Studies, US Army War College) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

15 Mar 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 136pp h176mm x w110mm x s8mm 114g 10 halftones ISBN13: 9780190644987 ISBN13: 978-0-19-064498-7 ISBN10: 0190644982 EAN: 9780190644987 x Description: Signed on June 28, 1919 between Germany and the principal Allied powers, the Treaty of Versailles formally ended World War I. Problematic from the very beginning, even its contemporaries saw the treaty as a mediocre compromise, creating a precarious order in Europe and abroad and destined to fall short of ensuring lasting peace. At the time, observers read the treaty through competing lenses: a desire for peace after five years of disastrous war, demands for vengeance against Germany, the uncertain future of colonialism, and, most alarmingly, the emerging threat of Bolshevism. A century after its signing, we can look back at how those developments evolved through the twentieth century, evaluating the treaty and its consequences with unprecedented depth of perspective. The author of several award-winning books, Michael S. Neiberg provides a lucid and authoritative account of the Treaty of Versailles, explaining the enormous challenges facing those who tried to put the world back together after the global destruction of the World War I. Rather than assessing winners and losers, this compelling book analyzes the many subtle factors that influenced the treaty and the dominant, at times ambiguous role of the "Big Four" leaders: Woodrow Wilson of the United States, David Lloyd George of Great Britain, Vittorio Emanuele Orlando of Italy, and Georges Clemenceau of France. The Treaty of Versailles was not solely responsible for the catastrophic war that crippled Europe and the world just two decades later, but it played a critical role. As Neiberg reminds us, to understand decolonization, World War II, the Cold War, and even the complex world we inhabit today, there is no better place to begin than with World War I and the treaty that tried, and perhaps failed, to end it. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Trojan War: A Very Short Introduction Eric H. Cline (Chair and Professor of Classical and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, Chair and Professor of Classical and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, George Washington University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

24 Apr 2013

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 152pp h173mm x w115mm x s9mm 139g 8 b/w halftones, 2 maps ISBN13: 9780199760275 ISBN13: 978-0-19-976027-5 ISBN10: 0199760276 EAN: 9780199760275 x Description: Homer's tale of the abduction of Helen to Troy and the ten-year war to bring her back to Greece has fascinated mankind for centuries since he related it in The Iliad and The Odyssey. More recently, it has given rise to countless scholarly articles and books, extensive archaeological excavations, epic movies, television documentaries, stage plays, art and sculpture, even souvenirs and collectibles. However, while the ancients themselves thought that the Trojan War took place and was a pivotal event in world history, scholars during the Middle Ages and into the modern era derided it as a piece of fiction. This book investigates two major questions: did the Trojan War take place and, if so, where? It ultimately demonstrates that a war or wars in the vicinity of Troy probably did take place in some way, shape, or form during the Late Bronze Age, thereby forming the nucleus of the story that was handed down orally for centuries until put into essentially final form by Homer. However, Cline suggests that although a Trojan War (or wars) probably did take place, it was not fought because of Helen's abduction; there were far more compelling economic and political motives for conflict more than 3,000 years ago. Aside from Homer, the book examines various classical literary sources: the Epic Cycle, a saga found at the Hittite capital of Hattusas, treatments of the story by the playwrights of classical Greece, and alternative versions or continuations of the saga such as Virgil's Aeneid, which add detail but frequently contradict the original story. Cline also surveys archaeological attempts to document the Trojan War through excavations at Hissarlik, Turkey, especially the work of Heinrich Schliemann and his successors Wilhelm Doerpfeld, Carl Blegen, and Manfred Korfmann. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Tudors: A Very Short Introduction John Guy (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

29 Aug 2013

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h171mm x w117mm x s10mm 152g 15 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199674725 ISBN13: 978-0-19-967472-5 ISBN10: 0199674728 EAN: 9780199674725 x Description: The monarchs of the Tudor period are among some of the most well-known figures in British history. John Guy presents a compelling and fascinating exploration of the Tudors in the new edition of this Very Short Introduction. Looking at all aspects of the period, from beginning to end, he considers Tudor politics, religion, and economics, as well as issues relating to gender and minority rule, and the art, architecture, and social and material culture of the time. Introducing all of the key Tudor monarchs, Guy considers the impact the Tudor period had not only at the time, but also the historical legacy it left behind. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area.

The U.S. Civil War: A Very Short Introduction Louis P. Masur (Distinguished Professor of American Studies and History, Distinguished Professor of American Studies and History, Rutgers University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

05 Nov 2020

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 152pp h175mm x w111mm 10 halftones ISBN13: 9780197513668 ISBN13: 978-0-19-751366-8 ISBN10: 0197513662 EAN: 9780197513668 x Description: More than one hundred and fifty years after the first shots were fired on Fort Sumter, the Civil War still captures the American imagination, and its reverberations can still be felt throughout America's social and political landscape. Louis P. Masur's The U.S. Civil War: A Very Short Introduction offers a masterful and eminently readable overview of the war's multiple causes and catastrophic effects. Masur begins by examining the complex origins of the war, focusing on the pulsating tensions over states rights and slavery. The book then proceeds to cover, year by year, the major political, social, and military events, highlighting two important themes: how the war shifted from a limited conflict to restore the Union to an all-out war that would fundamentally transform Southern society, and the process by which the war ultimately became a battle to abolish slavery. Masur explains how the war turned what had been a loose collection of fiercely independent states into a nation, remaking its political, cultural, and social institutions. But he also focuses on the soldiers themselves, both Union and Confederate, whose stories constitute nothing less than America's Iliad. In the final chapter Masur considers the aftermath of the South's surrender at Appomattox and the clash over the policies of reconstruction that continued to divide President and Congress, conservatives and radicals, Southerners and Northerners for years to come. In 1873, Mark Twain and Charles Dudley wrote that the war had "wrought so profoundly upon the entire national character that the influence cannot be measured short of two or three generations." This concise history of the entire Civil War era offers an invaluable introduction to the dramatic events whose effects are still felt today. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The U.S. Congress: A Very Short Introduction Donald A. Ritchie (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

17 Aug 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w112mm x s9mm 146g ISBN13: 9780190280147 ISBN13: 978-0-19-028014-7 ISBN10: 019028014X EAN: 9780190280147 x Description: In the second edition of The U.S. Congress, Donald A. Ritchie, a congressional historian for more than thirty years, takes readers on a fascinating, behind-the-scenes tour of Capitol Hill, pointing out the key players, explaining their behavior, and translating parliamentary language into plain English. No mere civics lesson, this eye-opening book provides an insider's perspective on Congress, matched with a professional historian's analytical insight. After a swift survey of the creation of Congress by the constitutional convention, he begins to unscrew the nuts and pull out the bolts. What is it like to campaign for Congress? To attract large donors? To enter either house with no seniority? He answers these questions and more, explaining committee assignments and committee work, the role of staffers and lobbyists, floor proceedings, parliamentary rules, and coalition building. Ritchie explores the great effort put into constituent service-as representatives and senators respond to requests from groups and individuals-as well

as media relations and news coverage. He also explores how the grand concepts we all know from civics class-checks and balances, advise and consent, congressional oversight-work in practice in an age of strong presidents and a muscular Senate minority. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The U.S. Constitution: A Very Short Introduction David J. Bodenhamer (Executive Director of The Polis Center and Professor of History, Executive Director of The Polis Center and Professor of History, Indiana UniversityPurdue University Indianapolis) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

26 Apr 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w111mm x s11mm 129g 10 ISBN13: 9780195378320 ISBN13: 978-0-19-537832-0 ISBN10: 0195378326 EAN: 9780195378320 x Description: Though the U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1788, its impact on our lives is as recent as today's news. Claims and counterclaims about the constitutionality of governmental actions are a habit of American politics. This document, which its framers designed to limit power, often has made political conflict inevitable. It also has accommodated and legitimized the political and social changes of a vibrant, powerful democratic nation. A product of history's first modern revolution, the Constitution embraced a new formula for government: it restrained power on behalf of liberty, but it also granted power to promote and protect liberty. The U.S. Constitution: A Very Short Introduction explores the major themes that have shaped American constitutional history- federalism, the balance of powers, property, representation, equality, rights, and security. Informed by the latest scholarship, this book places constitutional history within the context of American political and social history. We do not operate today under the same Constitution created by our founding fathers or the Constitution as completed by the Bill of Rights in 1791 or even the one revised by the Reconstruction amendments. Nor are we the same nation. As our circumstances have changed, so has our Constitution. Today we face serious challenges to the nation's constitutional legacy. Endless wars, a sharply divided electorate and deadlocked government, economic inequality, immigration, cybersecurity and privacy, and foreign interference in the nation's democratic processes, among a host of other issues, have placed demands on government and on society that test our constitutional values. Understanding how the Constitution has evolved will help us adapt its principles to the challenges of our age. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The U.S. Supreme Court: A Very Short Introduction Linda Greenhouse (Knight Distinguished Journalist in Residence and Joseph Goldstein Lecturer in Law, Knight Distinguished Journalist in Residence and Joseph Goldstein Lecturer in Law, Yale University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

10 Jul 2020

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 144pp h173mm x w112mm x s8mm 126g 11 b/w images ISBN13: 9780190079819 ISBN13: 978-0-19-007981-9 ISBN10: 0190079819 EAN: 9780190079819 x Description: For 30 years, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Linda Greenhouse chronicled the activities of the U.S. Supreme Court and its justices as a correspondent for the New York Times. In this Very Short Introduction, she draws on her deep knowledge of the court's history and of its written and

unwritten rules to show readers how the Supreme Court really works. Greenhouse offers a fascinating institutional biography of a place and its people-men and women who exercise great power but whose names and faces are unrecognized by many Americans and whose work often appears cloaked in mystery. How do cases get to the Supreme Court? How do the justices go about deciding them? What special role does the chief justice play? What do the law clerks do? How does the court relate to the other branches of government? Greenhouse answers these questions by depicting the justices as they confront deep constitutional issues or wrestle with the meaning of confusing federal statutes. Throughout, the author examines many individual Supreme Court cases to illustrate points under discussion, ranging from Marbury v. Madison, the seminal case which established judicial review, to the recent District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), which struck down the District of Columbia's gun-control statute and which was, surprisingly, the first time in its history that the Court issued an authoritative interpretation of the Second Amendment. To add perspective, Greenhouse also compares the Court to foreign courts, revealing interesting differences. For instance, no other country in the world has chosen to bestow life tenure on its judges. The second edition of Greenhouse's Very Short Introduction tracks the changes in the Court's makeup over the last eight years, considers the landmark decisions of the Obama and Trump eras, and reexamines the precarious fates of such precedents as Roe v. Wade. A superb overview packed with telling details, this volume offers a matchless introduction to one of the pillars of American government. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

15 Feb 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 144pp h173mm x w113mm x s9mm 114g 10 b/w images ISBN13: 9780199754540 ISBN13: 978-0-19-975454-0 ISBN10: 0199754543 EAN: 9780199754540 x Description: For thirty years, Linda Greenhouse, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The U.S. Supreme Court: A Very Short Introduction, chronicled the activities of the justices as the Supreme Court correspondent for the New York Times. In this concise volume, she draws on her deep knowledge of the court's history as well as of its written and unwritten rules to show the reader how the Supreme Court really works. No mere work of civics, this is an institutional biography of a place and its people - men and women who exercise great power but whose names and faces are unrecognized by many Americans and whose work often appears cloaked in mystery. How do cases get to the Supreme Court? How do the justices go about deciding them? What special role does the chief justice play? What do the law clerks do? How does the court relate to the other branches of government? Greenhouse answers these questions by depicting the justices as they confront deep constitutional issues or wrestle with the meaning of confusing federal statutes. The Supreme Court today, housed in a majestic building on Capitol Hill, with more than 400 employees, bears little resemblance to the ill-defined institution the Constitution's Framers launched with the expectation that it would be the weakest, "least dangerous," of the three branches. The court put to use the independence the Framers gave it, and in many ways has continued to define itself. This book is the court's story. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The United Nations: A Very Short Introduction Jussi M. Hanhimaki (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

11 Jun 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 192pp h175mm x w112mm x s11mm 165g 10 illustrations ISBN13: 9780190222703 ISBN13: 978-0-19-022270-3 ISBN10: 0190222700 EAN: 9780190222703 x Description: After seven decades of existence has the UN become obsolete? Is it ripe for retirement? As Jussi Hanhimaki proves in the second edition of this Very Short Introduction, the answer is no. In the second decade of the twenty-first century the UN remains an indispensable organization that continues to save lives and improve the world as its founders hoped. Since its original publication in 2008, this 2nd edition includes more recent examples of the UN Security Council in action and peacekeeping efforts while exploring its most recent successes and failures. After a brief history of the United Nations and its predecessor, the League of Nations, Hanhimaki examines the UN's successes and failures as a guardian of international peace and security, as a promoter of human rights, as a protector of international law, and as an engineer of socio-economic development. This updated edition highlights what continues to make the UN a complicated organization today, and the ongoing challenges between its ambitions and capabilities. Hanhimaki also provides a clear account of the UN and its various arms and organizations (such as UNESCO and UNICEF), and offers a critical overview of the UN Security Council's involvement in recent crises in Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, Ukraine, Libya, and Syria, and how likely it is to meet its overall goals in the future. Regardless of its obstacles, the UN is likely to survive for the foreseeable future. That alone makes trying to understand the UN in all its manifold magnificent and frustrating - complexity a worthy task. With this much-needed updated introduction to the UN, Jussi Hanhimaki engages the current debate over the organizations effectiveness as he provides a clear understanding of how it was originally conceived, how it has come to its present form, and how it must confront new challenges in a rapidly changing world. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Welfare State: A Very Short Introduction David Garland (Arthur T. Vanderbilt Professor of Law and Professor of Sociology) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h173mm x w113mm x s9mm 151g 19 black and white halftones and graphs ISBN13: 9780199672660 ISBN13: 978-0-19-967266-0 ISBN10: 0199672660 EAN: 9780199672660 x Description: Welfare states vary across nations and change over time. And the balance between markets and government; free enterprise and social protection is perennially in question. But all developed societies have welfare states of one kind or another - they are a fundamental dimension of modern government. And even after decades of free-market criticism and reform, their core institutions have proven resilient and popular. This Very Short Introduction describes the modern welfare state, explaining its historical and contemporary significance and arguing that far from being 'a failure' or 'a problem', welfare states are an essential element of contemporary capitalism, and a vital concomitant of democratic government. In this accessible and entertaining account, David Garland cuts through the fog of misunderstandings to explain in clear and simple terms, what welfare states

are, how they work, and why they matter. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Vikings: A Very Short Introduction Julian D. Richards (Department of Archaeology, The University of York) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

08 Sep 2005

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w111mm x s1mm 139g numerous maps and halftones ISBN13: 9780192806079 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280607-9 ISBN10: 0192806076 EAN: 9780192806079 x Description: The Viking reputation is of bloodthirsty seafaring warriors, repeatedly plundering the British Isles and the North Atlantic throughout the early Middle Ages. Yet Vikings were also traders, settlers, and farmers, with a complex artistic and linguistic culture, whose expansion overseas led them to cross the Atlantic for the first time in European history. Highlighting the latest archaeological evidence, Julian Richards reveals the whole Viking world: their history, society and culture, and their expansion overseas for trade, colonization, and plunder. We also look at the Viking identity, through their artistic expression, rune stones, their ships, and their religion. The Viking story is also brought up to date, by examining their legacy from the medieval Icelandic sagas to 19th Century nationalism, Wagner, and the Nazis. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Virtues: A Very Short Introduction Craig A. Boyd (Author) Kevin Timpe (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

15 Jan 2021

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w111mm 8-10 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780198845379 ISBN13: 978-0-19-884537-9 ISBN10: 0198845375 EAN: 9780198845379 x Description: From the four Cardinal Virtues (Prudence, Temperance, Courage and Justice), to the Seven Heavenly Virtues (Faith, Hope, Charity, Fortitude, Justice, Temperance, Prudence), the nature of the virtues has historically occupied thinkers and artists throughout the world. From the philosophy of Aristotle and Confucius, to Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologiae, to the paintings of Raphael, Botticelli and many more, the virtues have endured and evolved to fit a wide range of cultural, religious, and philosophical contexts through the centuries. Today philosophers and theologians - and more recently psychologists as well - see the virtues as an alternative to rule-oriented attitudes as offered, for example, by Kantianism and utilitarianism. This Very Short Introduction introduces readers to the various virtues: the moral virtues, the intellectual virtues, and the theological virtues, as well as the capital vices. Craig Boyd and Kevin Timpe discuss the relative strengths and weaknesses found in philosophical reflection on the virtues. They explore how to understand the virtues, their role in the moral life, their cultivation, and how they offer ways of thinking and acting that are alternatives to mere rule-following. They also consider the relationship of the virtues to our own emotions, desires, and rational capacities.

The World Trade Organization: A Very Short Introduction Amrita Narlikar (University Lecturer in International Relations at the Centre of International Studies, University of Cambridge) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

08 Sep 2005

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h174mm x w111mm x s10mm 154g 2 black and white illustrations, 2 line drawings, 1 table and numerous halftones ISBN13: 9780192806086 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280608-6 ISBN10: 0192806084 EAN: 9780192806086 x Description: The World Trade Organization (WTO) is scarcely ten years old, but even in these early years of its existence it has generated debate, controversy and even outrage. Rulings on beef hormones and tuna-dolphin cases provide graphic examples of how the organization regulates and intrudes into areas of individual consumer choice, ethical preferences, and cultural habits. This deep and far-ranging impact of the WTO on peoples' everyday lives means that it is not just an institution of interest to economists, but to everyone, a fact that was perhaps most graphically illustrated in the popular demonstrations at the 1999 Seattle Ministerial. Such protests have become a regular feature associated with most high-level meetings of the WTO. This VSI will provide a timely and carefully considered explanation of what the WTO is, what it does, and how it goes about executing its tasks. A clear understanding of the mandate, structure and functioning of the WTO is essential to appreciate the controversy behind the organization, and how far it deserves the reputation that it has come to acquire. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Theatre: A Very Short Introduction Marvin A. Carlson (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Oct 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h173mm x w114mm x s11mm 139g 9 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199669820 ISBN13: 978-0-19-966982-0 ISBN10: 0199669821 EAN: 9780199669820 x Description: From before history was recorded to the present day, theatre has been a major artistic form around the world. From puppetry to mimes and street theatre, this complex art has utilized all other art forms such as dance, literature, music, painting, sculpture, and architecture. Every aspect of human activity and human culture can be, and has been, incorporated into the creation of theatre. In this Very Short Introduction Marvin Carlson takes us through Ancient Greece and Rome, to Medieval Japan and Europe, to America and beyond, and looks at how the various forms of theatre have been interpreted and enjoyed. Exploring the role that theatre artists play - from the actor and director to the designer and puppet-master, as well as the audience - this is an engaging exploration of what theatre has meant, and still means, to people of all ages at all times. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new

Theology: A Very Short Introduction David F. Ford (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

24 Oct 2013

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 208pp h174mm x w114mm x s12mm 160g 11 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199679973 ISBN13: 978-0-19-967997-3 ISBN10: 0199679975 EAN: 9780199679973 x Description: This Very Short Introduction provides both the believer and non-believer with a balanced survey of the central questions of theology. David Ford's approach draws us in to considering the principles underlying religious belief, including the centrality of salvation to most major religions, the concept of God in ancient, modern, and postmodern contexts, the challenge posed to theology by prayer and worship, and the issue of sin and evil. He also probes the nature of experience, knowledge, and wisdom in theology, and discusses what is involved in interpreting theological texts. In this new edition, Ford considers the contemporary relevance of theology, including the effect of globalization and digitized communication, examines the theological responses to change and development in science, considers the impact of increased engagement between Islam and the West, and looks at the development and importance of theology between the different faiths. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thinking and Reasoning: A Very Short Introduction Jonathan B. T. Evans (Emeritus Professor, School of Psychology, Plymouth University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

12 Oct 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h175mm x w115mm x s9mm 118g 13 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198787259 ISBN13: 978-0-19-878725-9 ISBN10: 0198787251 EAN: 9780198787259 x Description: Our extraordinary capacity to reason and solve problems sets us aside from other animals, but our evolved thinking processes also leave us susceptibile to bias and error. The study of thinking and reasoning goes back to Aristotle, and was one of the first topics to be studied when psychology separated from philosophy. In this Very Short Introduction Jonathan Evans explores cognitive psychological approaches to understanding the nature of thinking and reasoning, problem solving, and decision making. He shows how our problem solving capabilities are hugely dependent on also having the imagination to ask the right questions, and the ability to see things from a completely new perspective. Beginning by considering the approaches of the behaviourists and the Gestalt psychologists, he moves on to modern explorations of thinking, including hypothetical thinking, conditionals, deduction, rationality, and intuition. Covering the role of past learning, IQ, and cognitive biases, Evans also discusses the idea that there may be two different ways of thinking, arising from our evolutionary history. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thomas Aquinas: A Very Short Introduction Fergus Kerr (School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2009

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h174mm x w112mm x s8mm 121g 21 halftones ISBN13: 9780199556649 ISBN13: 978-0-19-955664-9 ISBN10: 0199556644 EAN: 9780199556649 x Description: Thomas Aquinas, an Italian Catholic priest in the early thirteeth century, is considered to be one of the great Christian thinkers who had, and who still has, a profound influence on Western thought. He was a controversial figure who was exposed and engaged in conflict. This Very Short Introduction looks at Aquinas in a historical context, and explores the Church and culture into which Aquinas was born. It considers Aquinas as philosopher, and looks at the relationship between philosophy and religion in the thirteenth century. Fergus Kerr, in this engaging and informative introduction, will make The Summa Theologiae, Aquinas's greatest single work, accessible to new readers. It will also reflect on the importance of Thomas Aquinas in modern debates and asks why Aquinas matters now. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thought: A Very Short Introduction Tim Bayne (Professor of Philosophy, The University of Manchester) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

31 Jan 2013

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h174mm x w113mm x s9mm 129g ISBN13: 9780199601721 ISBN13: 978-0-19-960172-1 ISBN10: 0199601720 EAN: 9780199601721 x Description: There is no denying that thinking comes naturally to human beings. But what are thoughts? How is thought realized in the brain? Does thinking occur in public or is it a purely private affair? Do young children and non-human animals think? Is human thought the same everywhere, or are there culturally specific modes of thought? What is the relationship between thought and language? What kind of responsibility do we have for our thoughts? In this compelling Very Short Introduction, Tim Bayne looks at the nature of thought. Beginning with questions about what thought is and what distinguishes it from other kinds of mental states, he goes on to examine various interpretations of thought from philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, and anthropology. By exploring the logical structures of thought and the relationship between thought and other mental phenomena, as well as the mechanisms that make thought possible and the cultural variations that may exist in our thought processes, Bayne looks at what we know - and don't know - about our great capacity for thought. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Tibetan Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction Matthew T. Kapstein (Numata Visiting Professor of Buddhist Studies, Numata Visiting Professor of Buddhist Studies, The University of Chicago Divinity School) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

11 Oct 2013

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 152pp h173mm x w115mm x s10mm 140g ISBN13: 9780199735129 ISBN13: 978-0-19-973512-9 ISBN10: 0199735123 EAN: 9780199735129 x Description: The Tibetan Buddhist tradition has known over thirteen centuries of continuous development. During that time, it has spread among the neighboring peoples - the Mongol, Himalayan, and Siberian peoples, Manchus and Chinese. At its height is has been practiced in regions as far west as the Volga river and to the east in Beijing. Its capacity for creative adaptation is demonstrated by its recent growth in Europe and America. At the same time, it is at the center of political contestation in ethnically Tibetan regions of China, while its best known exponent, the Dalai Lama, has become one of the most admired religious leaders in the world today. But what does this religion teach? Just what is the position of the Dalai Lama, and how will his succession be assured? Is it true that Tibetan Buddhism in entirely suppressed in China? Scholar Matthew Kapstein offers a brief account responding to these questions and more in this Very Short Introduction, in terms that are accessible to students, general readers, journalists, and others who are curious to learn the most essential features of Tibetan Buddhist history, teachings, and practice. About the Series: Oxford's Very Short Introductions series offers concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects-from Islam to Sociology, Politics to Classics, Literary Theory to History, and Archaeology to the Bible. Not simply a textbook of definitions, each volume in this series provides trenchant and provocative-yet always balanced and complete-discussions of the central issues in a given discipline or field. Every Very Short Introduction gives a readable evolution of the subject in question, demonstrating how the subject has developed and how it has influenced society. Eventually, the series will encompass every major academic discipline, offering all students an accessible and abundant reference library. Whatever the area of study that one deems important or appealing, whatever the topic that fascinates the general reader, the Very Short Introductions series has a handy and affordable guide that will likely prove indispensable. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Tides: A Very Short Introduction David George Bowers (Emeritus Professor of Physical Oceanography, Bangor University) (Author) Emyr Martyn Roberts (Researcher, University of Bergen) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

12 Dec 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w112mm x s9mm 130g 40 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198826637 ISBN13: 978-0-19-882663-7 ISBN10: 019882663X EAN: 9780198826637 x Description: The tide is the greatest synchronised movement of matter on our planet. Every drop of seawater takes part in tidal motion, driven by the gravitational pull of the moon and sun. At the coast, we see the tide as a twice-daily rise and fall of sea level that moves the edge of the sea up and down a beach or cliff-face. In some places, the tide is small but at others it can rise in a few hours by the height of a three storey building; it then has to

be treated with great respect by those who live and work by the sea. In this Very Short Introduction David George Bowers and Emyr Martyn Roberts explore what we know about the tides. Blending clear explanations of well known tidal phenomena with recent insights in the deep ocean and coastal seas, Bowers and Roberts use examples from around the world, to tell the story of the tide, considering its nature and causes, its observation and prediction, and unusual tides and their relevance. They explore why tides have attracted the attention of some of the world's greatest scientists, from the initial challenge of explaining why there are two tides a day when the moon and sun pass overhead just once; a problem that was solved by Isaac Newton. In the 19th century, scientists unravelled the rhythms of the tide; good tidal predictions in the form of tide tables were then possible. The predictions were made on beautiful tide predicting machines constructed of brass and mahogany, some of which can still be seen in maritime museums. In the 20th century, the importance of tides as mixers of sea water became evident. As Bowers and Roberts explore, tidal mixing of the ocean is essential for maintaining its deep circulation, a key part of the climate-control system of our planet. In inshore waters, tidal mixing enhances biological productivity, influences sea temperature and turbidity and creates dramatic features such as maelstroms and tidal bores. In the 21st century, space probes are examining the effects of tidal processes on the moons of Jupiter and Saturn and the possibility of tidally-heated liquid oceans with their own ecosystems. Looking to the cutting edge of tidal research, Bowers and Roberts also consider how we can study the role of the tide in the geological and biological evolution of our own planet with innovative computer models.

Tocqueville: A Very Short Introduction Harvey C. Mansfield (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

13 Jul 2010

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 136pp h175mm x w114mm x s10mm 118g 8 halftones ISBN13: 9780195175394 ISBN13: 978-0-19-517539-4 ISBN10: 0195175395 EAN: 9780195175394 x Description: No one has ever described American democracy with more accurate insight or more profoundly than Alexis de Tocqueville. After meeting with Americans on extensive travels in the United States, and intense study of documents and authorities, he authored the landmark Democracy in America, publishing its two volumes in 1835 and 1840. Ever since, this book has been the best source for every serious attempt to understand America and democracy itself. Yet Tocqueville himself remains a mystery behind the elegance of his style. Now one of our leading authorities on Tocqueville explains him in this splendid new entry in Oxford's acclaimed Very Short Introductions series. Harvey Mansfield addresses his subject as a thinker, clearly and incisively exploring Tocqueville's writings-not only his masterpiece, but also his secret Recollections, intended for posterity alone, and his unfinished work on his native France, The Old Regime and the Revolution. Tocqueville was a liberal, Mansfield writes, but not of the usual sort. The many elements of his life found expression in his thought: his aristocratic ancestry, his ventures in politics, his voyages abroad, his hopes and fears for America, and his disappointment with France. All his writings show a passion for political liberty and insistence on human greatness. Perhaps most important, he saw liberty not in theories, but in the practice of self-government in America. Ever an opponent of abstraction, he offered an analysis that forces us to consider what we actually do in our politics-suggesting that theory itself may be an enemy of freedom. And that, Mansfield writes, makes him a vitally important thinker for today. Translator of an authoritative edition of Democracy in America, Harvey Mansfield here offers the fruit of decades of research and reflection in a clear, insightful, and marvelously compact introduction. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Topology: A Very Short Introduction Richard Earl (Senior Tutor in Mathematics at Worcester College, Oxford University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

12 Dec 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h175mm x w112mm x s10mm 130g 40 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198832683 ISBN13: 978-0-19-883268-3 ISBN10: 0198832680 EAN: 9780198832683 x Description: How is a subway map different from other maps? What makes a knot knotted? What makes the Moebius strip one-sided? These are questions of topology, the mathematical study of properties preserved by twisting or stretching objects. In the 20th century topology became as broad and fundamental as algebra and geometry, with important implications for science, especially physics. In this Very Short Introduction Richard Earl gives a sense of the more visual elements of topology (looking at surfaces) as well as covering the formal definition of continuity. Considering some of the eye-opening examples that led mathematicians to recognize a need for studying topology, he pays homage to the historical people, problems, and surprises that have propelled the growth of this field. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Tragedy: A Very Short Introduction Adrian Poole (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2006

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h175mm x w112mm x s9mm 135g numerous half tones ISBN13: 9780192802354 ISBN13: 978-0-19-280235-4 ISBN10: 0192802356 EAN: 9780192802354 x Description: What do we mean by 'tragedy' in present-day usage? When we turn on the news, does a report of the latest atrocity have any connection with the masterpieces of Sophocles, Shakespeare and Racine? What has tragedy been made to mean by dramatists, story-tellers, critics, philosophers, politicians and journalists over the last two and a half millennia? Why do we still read, re-write, and stage these old plays? This book argues for the continuities between 'then' and 'now'. Addressing questions about belief, blame, mourning, revenge, pain, witnessing, timing and ending, Adrian Poole demonstrates the age-old significance of our attempts to make sense of terrible suffering. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Translation: A Very Short Introduction Matthew Reynolds (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w110mm x s10mm 126g 8 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780198712114 ISBN13: 978-0-19-871211-4 ISBN10: 0198712111 EAN: 9780198712114 x Description: Translation is everywhere, and matters to everybody. Translation doesn't only give us foreign news, dubbed films and instructions for using the microwave: without it, there would be no world religions, and our literatures, our cultures, and our languages would be unrecognisable. In this Very Short Introduction, Matthew Reynolds gives an authoritative and thought-provoking account of the field, from ancient Akkadian to World English, from St Jerome to Google Translate. He shows how translation determines meaning, how it matters in commerce, empire, conflict and resistance, and why it is fundamental to literature and the arts. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Travel Writing: A Very Short Introduction Tim Youngs (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

02 Sep 2021

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp ISBN13: 9780198794110 ISBN13: 978-0-19-879411-0 ISBN10: 0198794118 EAN: 9780198794110 x Description: The history of travel writing goes back thousands of years. Long practised in several different cultures and languages around the world, it is as varied as the people who journey and their reasons for doing so. Pilgrims and atheists, agents of imperialism and revolutionaries, aristocrats and fugitive slaves, tourists and refugees, and scientists and artists, are all among its many types of author. Its different forms include the diary, letters, reports, guidebooks, journalism, poetry and blogs.. This Very Short Introduction examines the meanings and uses of travel writing from its appearance on clay tablets to the digital age. It shows how the genre not only describes places and the journeys to them, but also communicates the cultural and personal values of its authors, reinforcing and challenging their sense of identity and of the foreign. Tim Youngs discusses questions of the genre's definition and its literary forms, the representation of self and other, the effect of modes of transport on authors' experiences and their stories of travel, and attitudes towards the environment. Throughout he demonstrates how travel writing is a diverse genre that offers a full range of perspectives, often alert to its own processes and viewpoints, and one that casts a critical eye on its authors' home countries as well as on their destinations. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Trigonometry: A Very Short Introduction Glen Van Brummelen (Coordinator of Mathematics, Coordinator of Mathematics, Quest University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

06 Feb 2020

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 192pp h174mm x w111mm x s10mm 146g 80 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780198814313 ISBN13: 978-0-19-881431-3 ISBN10: 0198814313 EAN: 9780198814313 x Description: Born of the desire to understand the workings of motions of the heavenly bodies, trigonometry gave the ancient Greeks the ability to predict their futures. Most of what we see of the subject in school comes from these heavenly origins; 15th century astronomer Regiomontanus called it "the foot of the ladder to the stars". In this Very Short Introduction Glen Van Brummelen shows how trigonometry connects mathematics to science, and has today become an indispensable tool in predicting cyclic patterns like animal populations and ocean tides. Its historical journey through major cultures such as medieval India and the Islamic World has taken it through disciplines such as geography and even religious practice. Trigonometry has also been a major player in the most startling mathematical developments of the modern world. Its interactions with the concept of infinity led to Taylor and Fourier series, some of the most practical tools of modern science. The birth of complex numbers led to a shocking union of exponential and trigonometric functions, creating the most beautiful formulas and powerful modelling tools in science. Finally, as Van Brummelen shows, trigonometry allows us to explore the strange new worlds of non-Euclidean geometries, opening up bizarre possibilities for the shape of space itself. And indeed, one of those new geometries - spherical - takes us full circle back to ancient Greek astronomers and European navigators, who first used it to chart their ways across the heavens and the earth.

Trust: A Very Short Introduction Katherine Hawley (Professor of Philosophy, University of St Andrews) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Aug 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h174mm x w113mm x s8mm 128g Two black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199697342 ISBN13: 978-0-19-969734-2 ISBN10: 0199697345 EAN: 9780199697342 x Description: Trust is indispensable, yet it can be dangerous. Without trusting others, we cannot function in society, or even stay alive for very long, but being overly-trustful can be a bad strategy too. Trust is pragmatic, but it also has a moral dimension: trustworthiness is a virtue, and well-placed trust benefits us all. In this Very Short Introduction, Katherine Hawley explores the key ideas about trust and distrust. Considerings questions such as 'Why do we value trust?' and Why do we want to be trusted rather than distrusted?', Hawley raises issues about the importance of trust in both the personal and public spheres, including family and relationships as well as politics and society. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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Twentieth-Century Britain: A Very Short Introduction Kenneth O. Morgan (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2001

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h179mm x w113mm x s8mm 129g 11 halftones, 1 map ISBN13: 9780192853974 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285397-4 ISBN10: 019285397X EAN: 9780192853974 x Description: First published as part of the best-selling The Oxford Illustrated History of Britain, Kenneth Morgan's Very Short Introduction to TwentiethCentury Britain examines the forces of consensus and of conflict in twentieth-century Britain. The account covers the trauma of the First World War and the social divisions of the twenties; fierce domestic and foreign policy debates in the thirties; the impact of the Second World War for domestic transformation, popular culture and the loss of empire; the transition from the turmoil of the seventies to the aftermath of Thatcherism and the advent of New Labour. Throughout, cultural and artistic themes are woven into the analysis, along with the distinct national experiences of Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. The profound tension that shook the United Kingdom are juxtaposed against equally deep forces for stability, cohesion, and a sense of historic identity. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Typography: A Very Short Introduction Paul Luna (Emeritus Professor, Department of Typography and Graphic Communication, University of Reading) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

04 Dec 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h176mm x w109mm x s10mm 138g 25 black and white images ISBN13: 9780199211296 ISBN13: 978-0-19-921129-6 ISBN10: 0199211299 EAN: 9780199211296 x Description: Typography, the art of designing printed words, was once the domain of an elite few artists but has become an area with which millions of people engage daily. The widespread usage of digital devices from laptops to tablets and smart phones which are used for written communications means that we are regularly asked to make decisions about the fonts, sizes, and layouts we use in our writing. This broadening engagement with the field of typography has led to a perceptible shift from debates about legibility and technicalities to conversations about which fonts best reflect the writer's personality or style . In this Very Short Introduction, Paul Luna offers a broad definition of typography as design for reading, whether in print or on screens, where a set of visual choices are taken to make a written message more accessible, more easily transmitted, more significant, or more attractive. Considering the development of letterforms and the shapes of letter we use, Luna discusses the history behind our modern day letters and fonts, before considering the issues behind key typographic decisions, and the differences between printed and on-screen typography. Presenting any piece of typography as a fundamental design choice, Luna introduces the options available today, and explores the reasons why key typographic decisions are made. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Universities and Colleges: A Very Short Introduction David Palfreyman (Bursar and Fellow, New College, Oxford) (Author) Paul Temple (Reader Emeritus in Higher Education, UCL Institute of Education) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

28 Dec 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h174mm x w112mm x s10mm 136g 10 black and white image ISBN13: 9780198766131 ISBN13: 978-0-19-876613-1 ISBN10: 0198766130 EAN: 9780198766131 x Description: What is a university? What is the University? How have universities evolved over the centuries? How might they change over the coming decades as the physical and organisational entity most identified with 'higher education' being delivered to over 250 million students? What will be the impact of digital- and distance-learning, of commercial for-profit new entrants to the higher education market, of government austerity, of globalization, of student consumerism? Exploring the origins and the concept, the idea and the ideal, of the university, this Very Short Introduction discusses one of the world's oldest, most resilient, and most adaptable institutions. David Palfreyman and Paul Temple consider the links between universities and the economy, and the role of universities within society. Highlighting some of the key questions surrounding the position of universities, they ask how the university can be politically accountable for its taxpayer funding, if it needs to be autonomous to function effectively as a public good. Are professors professional enough in their teaching practices at a time that increasing tuition fees transform students more and more into consumers? And just what does 'academic freedom' for university faculties really entail? ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Utilitarianism: A Very Short Introduction Katarzyna De Lazari-Radek (Assistant Professor, University of Lodz, Institute of Philosophy) (Author) Peter Singer (Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics, Princeton University & Laureate Professor, University of Melbourne) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

27 Jul 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w112mm x s8mm 126g 10 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198728795 ISBN13: 978-0-19-872879-5 ISBN10: 0198728794 EAN: 9780198728795 x Description: Utilitarianism may well be the most influential secular ethical theory in the world today. It is also one of the most controversial. It clashes, or is widely thought to clash, with many conventional moral views, and with human rights when they are seen as inviolable. Would it, for example, be right to torture a suspected terrorist in order to prevent an attack that could kill and injure a large number of innocent people? In this Very Short Introduction Peter Singer and Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek provide an authoritative account of the nature of utilitarianism, from its nineteenth-century origins, to its justification and its varieties. Considering how utilitarians can respond to objections that are often regarded as devastating, they explore the utilitarian answer to the question of whether torture can ever be justified. They also discuss what it is that utilitarians should seek to maximize, paying special attention to the classical utilitarian view that only pleasure or happiness is of intrinsic value. Singer and de Lazari-Radek conclude by analysing the continuing importance of utilitarianism in the world, indicating how it is a force for new thinking on contemporary moral challenges like global poverty,

the treatment of animals, climate change, reducing the risk of human extinction, end-of-life decisions for terminally-ill patients, and the shift towards assessing the success of government policies in terms of their impact on happiness. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Utopianism: A Very Short Introduction Lyman Tower Sargent (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Sep 2010

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w113mm x s9mm 141g 15 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199573400 ISBN13: 978-0-19-957340-0 ISBN10: 0199573409 EAN: 9780199573400 x Description: There are many debates about utopia - What constitutes a utopia? Are utopias benign or dangerous? Is the idea of utopianism essential to Christianity or heretical? What is the relationship between utopia and ideology? This Very Short Introduction explores these issues and examines utopianism and its history. Lyman Sargent discusses the role of utopianism in literature, and in the development of colonies and in immigration. The idea of utopia has become commonplace in social and political thought, both negatively and positively. Some thinkers see a trajectory from utopia to totalitarianism with violence an inevitable part of the mix. Others see utopia directly connected to freedom and as a necessary element in the fight against totalitarianism. In Christianity utopia is labelled as both heretical and as a fundamental part of Christian belief, and such debates are also central to such fields as architecture, town and city planning, and sociology among many others Sargent introduces and summarizes the debates over the utopia in literature, communal studies, social and political theory, and theology. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

War and Religion: A Very Short Introduction Jolyon Mitchell (Professor and Director of CTPI, New College, the University of Edinburgh) (Author) Joshua Rey (Chaplain to the Lord Bishop of Southwark) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Mar 2021

Publishing Status:

Forthcoming

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w111mm 16 black & white illustrations ISBN13: 9780198803218 ISBN13: 978-0-19-880321-8 ISBN10: 0198803214 EAN: 9780198803218 x Description: Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring Is religion a force for war, or a force for peace? Some of the most terrible wars in history have been caused and motivated by religion. Much of the violence that fills our screens today springs from the same source. Yet some of the bravest pacifists have also been deeply religious people, and many of the laws and institutions that work to soften or prevent war have deep religious roots. This Very Short Introduction provides an overview of the history of religion and war, and a framework for analysing it. Ranging from the warrior gods of Ancient Greece and Rome, and the ethical drama of the Mahabharata, through the Islamic wars of conquest and the Crusades, to present day conflicts in Sri Lanka and the Balkans, it considers the entanglement of war and religion. Yet from Just War theory and the restraints on war-making imposed by

Islamic jurisprudence, through the Pax Christi of the middle ages, to the non-violence of Gandhi and Bacha Khan; there is also a story to be told of peace and religion as well. Jolyon Mitchell and Joshua Rey consider both sides of the age long drama of war and religion, challenging assumptions at the most fundamental level. Throughout, they encourage a more sophisticated and well-grounded view on these issues that have had such weight in the past, and continue to shape our present and future. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

War and Technology: A Very Short Introduction Alex Roland (Professor of History, Professor of History, Duke University) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

28 Sep 2016

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 152pp h173mm x w120mm x s9mm 120g 10 ISBN13: 9780190605384 ISBN13: 978-0-19-060538-4 ISBN10: 0190605383 EAN: 9780190605384 x Description: Humans were born armed. Before Homo sapiens first walked the Earth, proto-humans had manufactured spears and other tools not only to hunt and defend themselves but also to attack other humans. The war instinct is part of human nature, but the means to fight war depend on technology. Politics, economics, ideology, culture, strategy, tactics, and philosophy have all shaped war, but none of these factors has driven the evolution of warfare as much as technology. Expanding on this compelling thesis, this book traces the co-evolution of technology and war from the Stone Age to the age of cyberwar and nanotechnology. Alex Roland shines a light on the patterns of interaction between technology and warfare, describing the sensational inventions that changed the direction of war throughout history: fortified walls, the chariot, swift and nimble battleships, the gunpowder revolution, and finally aircraft, bombers, rockets, submarines, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and nuclear weapons. In the twenty-first century, scientific and engineering research is constantly transforming war and simultaneously producing countless technological innovations. Yet even now, the newest and best technology cannot guarantee victory. Rather, technology and warfare remain in a timeless dialectic, spurring change without ever stabilizing a military balance of power. New technologies continue to push warfare in unexpected directions, while warfare pulls technology into new stunning possibilities. In an era of computers, drones, and robotic systems, Roland reminds us that, although military technologies keep changing at a precipitous speed, the principles and patterns behind them abide. Brimming with dramatic narratives of battles and deep insights into military psychology, this Very Short Introduction is ultimately an original account of human history seen through the kaleidoscopic lens of war technology. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Water: A Very Short Introduction John Finney (Emeritus Professor of Physics, University College London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

27 Aug 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w116mm x s10mm 126g ISBN13: 9780198708728 ISBN13: 978-0-19-870872-8 ISBN10: 0198708726 EAN: 9780198708728 x Description: Water dominates the surface of Earth and is vital to life on our planet. It is a remarkable liquid which shows anomalous behaviour. In this Very Short Introduction John Finney introduces the science of water, and explores how the structure of water molecules gives rise to its physical and chemical properties. Considering water in all three of its states as ice and steam as well as liquid, Finney explains the great importance of an understanding of its structure and behaviour to a range of fields including chemistry, astrophysics, and earth and environmental sciences. Finney describes the role of water in biology, and ends with a discussion of the outstanding controversies concerning water, and some of the 'magical' properties which have been claimed for it. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Waves: A Very Short Introduction Mike Goldsmith (Freelance acoustician) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

06 Dec 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h174mm x w113mm x s9mm 128g 45 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198803782 ISBN13: 978-0-19-880378-2 ISBN10: 0198803788 EAN: 9780198803782 x Description: We live in a world of waves. The Earth shakes to its foundations, the seas and oceans tremble incessantly, sounds reverberate through land, sea, and air. Beneath the skin, our brains and bodies are awash with waves of their own, and the Universe is filled by a vast spectrum of electromagnetic radiation, of which visible light is the narrowest sliver. Casting the net even wider, there are mechanical waves, quantum wave phenomena, and the now clearly detected gravitational waves. Look closer and deeper and more kinds of waves appear, down to the most fundamental level of reality. This Very Short Introduction looks at all the main kinds of wave, their sources, effects, and uses. Mike Goldsmith discusses how wave motion results in a range of phenomena, from reflection, diffraction, interference, and polarization in the case of light waves to beats and echoes for sound. All waves, however different, share many of the same features, and, as Goldsmith shows, for all their complexities many of their behaviours are fundamentally simple. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Weather: A Very Short Introduction Storm Dunlop (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

26 Jan 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h174mm x w113mm x s10mm 157g 23 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199571314 ISBN13: 978-0-19-957131-4 ISBN10: 0199571317 EAN: 9780199571314 x Description: From deciding the best day for a picnic, to the devastating effects of hurricanes and typhoons, the weather impacts our lives on a daily basis. Although new techniques allow us to forecast the weather with increasing accuracy, most people do not realise the vast global movements and forces which result in their day-to-day weather. In this Very Short Introduction Storm Dunlop explains what weather is and how it differs from climate, discussing what causes weather, and how we measure it. Analysing the basic features and properties of the atmosphere, he shows how these are directly related to the weather experienced on the ground, and to specific weather phenomena and extreme weather events. He describes how the global patterns of temperature and pressure give rise to the overall circulation within the atmosphere, the major wind systems, and the major oceanic currents, and how features such as mountains and the sea affect local weather. He also looks at examples of extreme and dangerous weather, such as of tropical cyclones (otherwise known as hurricanes and typhoons), describing how 'Hurricane Hunters' undertake the dangerous task of flying through them. We measure weather in a number of ways: observations taken on the land and sea; observations within the atmosphere; and measurements from orbiting satellites. Dunlop concludes by looking at how these observations have been used to develop increasingly sophisticated long- and short-range weather forecasting, including ensemble forecasting. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Veterinary Science: A Very Short Introduction James Yeates (Chief Veterinary Officer of the RSPCA) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

08 Mar 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h175mm x w113mm x s10mm 140g 20 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198790969 ISBN13: 978-0-19-879096-9 ISBN10: 0198790961 EAN: 9780198790969 x Description: Every year billions of animals, from housecats to racehorses to pythons, are treated by veterinarians. The use of veterinary science to treat the health of animals has a long history; for the past five centuries it has developed as our understanding of animals' fundamental biology, pathology, and pharmacology has grown. Rapid global changes expected in the twenty-first century will require the profession to respond proactively, embracing new challenges and opportunities. James Yeates, Chief Veterinary Officer of the RSPCA, introduces the field of veterinary science, covering the history of its scientific and clinical aspects from early practices to recent challenges such as the outbreak of BSE and antibiotic resistance, and considering the differences between human medicine and veterinary medicine. Analysing the key roles played by diagnosis, treatment, and prevention with regard to the health of farm animals and pets, he relates this to wider aspects concerning public health, such as zoonoses (diseases that jump from animals to humans). Yeates also covers recent 'One Health' approaches involving the health of both humans and animals, seen as synergistic, and discusses the challenges for the future of veterinary medicine, including the ethical dilemmas in

balancing the interests of owners and animals when they do not coincide. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What Does It All Mean?: A Very Short Introduction to Philosophy Thomas Nagel (Professor of Philosophy, Professor of Philosophy, New York University) (Author) Series:

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press Inc

Publisher:

Oxford University Press Inc

Pub Date:

30 Sep 2004

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United States Paperback / softback 112pp h230mm x w135mm x s6mm 90g ISBN13: 9780195174373 ISBN13: 978-0-19-517437-3 ISBN10: 0195174372 EAN: 9780195174373 x Description: In this cogent and accessible introduction to philosophy, the distinguished author of Mortal Questions and The View From Nowhere sets forth the central problems of philosophical inquiry for the beginning student. Arguing that the best way to learn about philosophy is to think about its questions directly, Thomas Nagel considers possible solutions to nine problems-knowledge of the world beyond our minds, knowledge of other minds, the mind-body problem, free will, the basis of morality, right and wrong, the nature of death, the meaning of life, and the meaning of words. Although he states his own opinions clearly, Nagel leaves these fundamental questions open, allowing students to entertain other solutions and encouraging them to think for themselves. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

William Shakespeare: A Very Short Introduction Stanley Wells (Honorary President, The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2015

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h174mm x w111mm x s8mm 128g 8 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780198718628 ISBN13: 978-0-19-871862-8 ISBN10: 0198718624 EAN: 9780198718628 x Description: In this new offering from Stanley Wells, the pre-eminent Shakespearian scholar, comes a Very Short Introduction to the life and writings of the world's greatest and best-known dramatists: William Shakespeare. Looking at his early life and education, Wells explores Shakespeare's social and intellectual background and the literary traditions on which Shakespeare drew. Examining the theatres and theatrical profession of the time, he also considers how Shakespeare experienced this world, both as an actor and as a writer. Examining Shakespeare's narrative poems, sonnets, and all of his plays, Wells outlines their sources, style, and originality over the course of Shakespeare's career, to consider the fundamental impact his work has had for subsequent generations. Written with enthusiasm and flair by a scholar who has devoted a lifetime to the study of Shakespeare and his works, this is an engaging and authoritative introduction. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Viruses: A Very Short Introduction Dorothy H. Crawford (Emeritus Professor of Medical Microbiology, University of Edinburgh) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

05 Apr 2018

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h175mm x w110mm x s0mm 135g 18 black and white images ISBN13: 9780198811718 ISBN13: 978-0-19-881171-8 ISBN10: 0198811713 EAN: 9780198811718 x Description: Viruses are big news. From pandemics such as HIV, to swine flu, and SARS, we are constantly being bombarded with information about new lethal infections. In this Very Short Introduction Dorothy Crawford demonstrates how clever these entities really are. From their discovery and the unravelling of their intricate structures, Crawford demonstrates how these tiny parasites are by far the most abundant life forms on the planet. With up to two billion of them in each litre of sea water, viruses play a vital role in controlling the marine environment, and are essential to the ocean's delicate ecosystem. In this fully updated edition, Crawford recounts stories of renowned killer viruses such as the recent Ebola and Zika epidemics, as well as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, and considers the importance of air travel in facilitating the international spread of viruses in the twenty first century. Discussing the impact of global warming, which is increasing the range of vector-transmitted viruses such as dengue, yellow fever, and West Nile virus, she also considers the effect this will have on native populations in subtropical and temperate climates of the Americas, Australasia, and Europe. By examining our lifestyle in the 21st century, Crawford looks to the future to ask whether we can ever live in harmony with viruses, and considers the ways in which we may need to adapt to prevent emerging viruses with devastating consequences. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Witchcraft: A Very Short Introduction Malcolm Gaskill (Reader in Early Modern History, University of East Anglia) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

18 Jun 2010

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w115mm x s10mm 149g 15 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199236954 ISBN13: 978-0-19-923695-4 ISBN10: 019923695X EAN: 9780199236954 x Description: Witchcraft is a subject that fascinates us all, and everyone knows what a witch is - or do they? From childhood most of us develop a sense of the mysterious, malign person, usually an old woman. Historically, too, we recognize witch-hunting as a feature of pre-modern societies. But why do witches still feature so heavily in our cultures and consciousness? From Halloween to superstitions, and literary references such as Faust and even Harry Potter, witches still feature heavily in our society. In this Very Short Introduction Malcolm Gaskill challenges all of this, and argues that what we think we know is, in fact, wrong. Taking a historical perspective from the ancient world to contemporary paganism, Gaskill reveals how witchcraft has meant different things to different people and that in every age it has raised questions about the distinction between fantasy and reality, faith and proof. Telling stories, delving into court records, and challenging myths, Gaskill examines the witch-hunts of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and explores the reinvention of witchcraft - as history, religion, fiction, and metaphor. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area.

Wittgenstein: A Very Short Introduction A. C. Grayling (Reader in Philosophy, Reader in Philosophy, Birkbeck College, University of London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

22 Feb 2001

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h179mm x w113mm x s9mm 126g halftones and drawings ISBN13: 9780192854117 ISBN13: 978-0-19-285411-7 ISBN10: 0192854119 EAN: 9780192854117 x Description: Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951) was an extraordinarily original philospher, whose influence on twentieth-century thinking goes well beyond philosophy itself. In this book, which aims to make Wittgenstein's thought accessible to the general non-specialist reader, A. C. Grayling explains the nature and impact of Wittgenstein's views. He describes both his early and later philosophy, the differences and connections between them, and gives a fresh assessment of Wittgenstein's continuing influence on contemporary thought. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Volcanoes: A Very Short Introduction Michael J Branney (Author) Jan Zalasiewicz (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

11 Jul 2019

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 144pp h174mm x w111mm Some black and white images ISBN13: 9780199582204 ISBN13: 978-0-19-958220-4 ISBN10: 0199582203 EAN: 9780199582204 x Description: Volcanoes are some of the most dramatic expressions of the powerful tectonic forces at work in the Earth beneath our feet. But volcanism, a profoundly important feature of Earth, and indeed of other planets and moons too, encompasses much more than just volcanoes themselves. On a planetary scale, volcanism is an indispensable heat release mechanism, which on Earth allows the conditions for life. IIt releases gases into the atmosphere and produces enormous volumes of rock, and spectacular landscapes - landscapes which, during major eruptions, can be completely reshaped in a matter of hours. Through geological time volcanism has shaped both climate and biological evolution, and volcanoes can affect human life, too, for both good and ill. Yet, even after much study, some of the fundamental aspects of volcanicity remain mysterious. This Very Short Introduction takes the readers into the inferno of a racing pyroclastic current, and the heart of a moving lava flow, as understood through the latest scientific research. Exploring how volcanologists forensically decipher how volcanoes work, Michael Branney and Jan Zalasiewicz explain what we do (and don't) understood about the fundamental mechanisms of volcanism, and consider how volcanoes interact with other physical processes on the Earth, with life, and with human society.

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Voltaire: A Very Short Introduction Nicholas Cronk (Professor of French Literature in Oxford, a Fellow of St Edmund Hall, and Director of the Voltaire Foundation) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

23 Feb 2017

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h174mm x w113mm x s12mm 138g Approx 8 illustrations ISBN13: 9780199688357 ISBN13: 978-0-19-968835-7 ISBN10: 0199688354 EAN: 9780199688357 x Description: Voltaire (1694-1778), best remembered as the author of Candide, is one of the central actors - arguably the defining personality - of the European Enlightenment. In this Very Short Introduction, Nicholas Cronk explores Voltaire's remarkable career and demonstrates how his thinking is pivotal to our notion and understanding of the Enlightenment. In a fresh and modern examination of his writings, Cronk examines the nature of Voltaire's literary celebrity, demonstrating the extent to which his work was reactive and practical, and therefore made sense within the broader context of the debates to which he responded. The most famous living author in Europe in the 18th century, Cronk emphasises Voltaire's skills of 'performance' as a writer and his continued relevance today. He concludes by looking not only at Voltaire's impact in literature and philosophy, but also his influence on French political values and modern French politics. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Work: A Very Short Introduction Stephen Fineman (Professor Emeritus at the School of Management, University of Bath) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

29 Nov 2012

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 160pp h156mm x w138mm x s9mm 143g Approx 10 black and white illustrations ISBN13: 9780199699360 ISBN13: 978-0-19-969936-0 ISBN10: 0199699364 EAN: 9780199699360 x Description: The image of a job captures our imagination from an early age, usually prompted by the question 'What do you want to be when you grow up?'. Work - paid, unpaid, voluntary, or obligatory - is woven into the fabric of all human societies. For many of us, it becomes part of our identity. For others it is a tedious necessity. Living is problematic without paid work, and for many it is catastrophic. Steve Fineman tells the fascinating story of work - how we strive for security, reward, and often, meaning. Looking at how we classify 'work'; the cultural and social factors that influence the way we work; the ethics of certain types of work; and the factors that will affect the future of work, from globalization to technology, this Very Short Introduction considers work as a concept and as a practical experience, drawing upon ideas from psychology, sociology, management, and social history. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

World Music: A Very Short Introduction Philip V. Bohlman (Ludwig Rosenberger Distinguished Service Professor in Jewish History, Department of Music and the College, The University of Chicago) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

2nd Revised edition

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

15 Jul 2020

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 192pp h175mm x w112mm x s11mm 146g 10 black and white images, 2 maps ISBN13: 9780198829140 ISBN13: 978-0-19-882914-0 ISBN10: 0198829140 EAN: 9780198829140 x Description: The term 'world music' encompasses both folk and popular music across the globe, as well as the sounds of cultural encounter and diversity, sacred voices raised in worship, local sounds, and universal values. It emerged as an invention of the West from encounters with other cultures, and holds the power to evoke the exotic and give voice to the voiceless. Today, in both sound and material it has a greater presence in human societies than ever before. The politics of which world music are a part - globalization, cosmopolitanism, and nationalism - play an increasingly direct role in societies throughout the world, but are at the same time also becoming increasingly controversial. In this new edition of his Very Short Introduction, Philip Bohlman considers questions of meaning and technology in world music, and responds to the dramatically changing political world in which people produce and listen to world music. He also addresses the different ways in which world music is created, disseminated, and consumed, as the full reach of the internet and technologies that store and spread music through the exchange of data files spark a revolution in the production and availability of world music. Finally, Bohlman revises the way we think of the musician, as an increasingly mobile individual, sometimes because physical borders have fallen away, at other times because they are closing. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

World War II: A Very Short Introduction Gerhard L. Weinberg (Professor of History Emeritus, University of North Carolina, William Rand Kenan, Jr.) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

13 Nov 2014

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 152pp h174mm x w114mm x s8mm 122g Approx 14 black and white maps ISBN13: 9780199688777 ISBN13: 978-0-19-968877-7 ISBN10: 019968877X EAN: 9780199688777 x Description: The enormous loss of life and physical destruction caused by the First World War led people to hope that there would never be another such catastrophe. How then did it come about that there was a Second World War causing twice the 30 million deaths and many times more destruction as had been caused in the previous conflict? In this Very Short Introduction, Gerhard L. Weinberg provides an introduction to the origins, course, and impact of the war on those who fought and the ordinary citizens who lived through it. Starting by looking at the inter-war years and the German invasion of Poland in September 1939, he examines how the war progressed by examining a number of key events, including the war in the West in 1940, Barbarossa, The German Invasion of the Soviet Union, the expansion of Japan's war with China, developments on the home front, and the Allied victory from 1944-45. Exploring the costs and effects of the war, Weinberg concludes by considering the long-lasting mark World War II has left on society today. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area.

Writing and Script: A Very Short Introduction Andrew Robinson (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2009

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 176pp h174mm x w111mm x s10mm 148g 15 b&w halftone ISBN13: 9780199567782 ISBN13: 978-0-19-956778-2 ISBN10: 0199567786 EAN: 9780199567782 x Description: Without writing, there would be no records, no history, no books, and no emails. Writing is an integral and essential part of our lives; but when did it start? Why do we all write differently and how did writing develop into what we use today? All of these questions are answered in this Very Short Introduction. Starting with the origins of writing five thousand years ago, with cuneiform and Egyptian hieroglyphs, Andrew Robinson explains how these early forms of writing developed into hundreds of scripts including the Roman alphabet and the Chinese characters. He reveals how the modern writing symbols and abbreviations we take for granted today - including airport signage and text messaging - resemble ancient ones much more closely than we might think. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Humanism: A Very Short Introduction Stephen Law (Senior Lecturer in Philosophy, Heythrop College, University of London) (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

27 Jan 2011

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w112mm x s10mm 132g Approx 15 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199553648 ISBN13: 978-0-19-955364-8 ISBN10: 0199553645 EAN: 9780199553648 x Description: Religion is currently gaining a much higher profile. The number of faith schools is increasingly, and religious points of view are being aired more frequently in the media. As religion's profile rises, those who reject religion, including humanists, often find themselves misunderstood, and occasionally misrepresented. Stephen Law explores how humanism uses science and reason to make sense of the world, looking at how it encourages individual moral responsibility and shows that life can have meaning without religion. Challenging some of the common misconceptions, he seeks to dispute the claims that atheism and humanism are 'faith positions' and that without God there can be no morality and our lives are left without purpose. Looking at the history of humanism and its development as a philosophical alternative, he examines the arguments for and against the existence of God, and explores the role humanism plays in moral and secular societies, as well as in moral and religious education. Using humanism to determine the meaning of life, he shows that there is a positive alternative to traditional religious belief. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Science and Religion: A Very Short Introduction Thomas Dixon (Author) Series:

Very Short Introductions

Edition:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Pub Date:

01 Dec 2008

Publishing Status:

Active

Published in: United Kingdom Paperback / softback 168pp h174mm x w111mm x s9mm 148g 19 black and white halftones ISBN13: 9780199295517 ISBN13: 978-0-19-929551-7 ISBN10: 0199295514 EAN: 9780199295517 x Description: The debate between science and religion is never out of the news: emotions run high, fuelled by polemical bestsellers like The God Delusion and, at the other end of the spectrum, high-profile campaigns to teach 'Intelligent Design' in schools. Yet there is much more to the debate than the clash of these extremes. As Thomas Dixon shows in this balanced and thought-provoking introduction, many have seen harmony rather than conflict between faith and science. He explores not only the key philosophical questions that underlie the debate, but also the social, political, and ethical contexts that have made 'science and religion' such a fraught and interesting topic in the modern world, offering perspectives from non-Christian religions and examples from across the physical, biological, and social sciences.. Along the way, he examines landmark historical episodes such as the trial of Galileo by the Inquisition in 1633, and the famous debate between 'Darwin's bulldog' Thomas Huxley and Bishop Wilberforce in Oxford in 1860. The Scopes 'Monkey Trial' in Tennessee in 1925 and the Dover Area School Board case of 2005 are explained with reference to the interaction between religion, law, and education in modern America. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________