Catalog Search Results
Author
Series
Pub. Date
1998
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...
Author
Series
Very short introductions volume 63
Pub. Date
[2002]
Description
From the publisher. This concise, accessible 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...
Author
Series
Very short introductions volume 87
Pub. Date
2003
Description
Offers a brief introduction to the Cold War, discussing its causes, the effects it had on world economics and politics, and the events leading to its end.
Author
Series
Pub. Date
2011
Description
An introduction to the major aspects of Muhammad's life and its importance, providing both Muslim and Western historical perspectives. It explains the prominent roles that Muhammad's persona has played in the Islamic world throughout history, from the medieval to the modern period
Author
Series
Pub. Date
2015.
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...
Author
Series
Pub. Date
[2016]
Description
"Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543) is a pivotal figure in the birth of modern science. His vision of a sun-centered universe, shocking to many and unbelievable to most, turned out to be the essential blueprint for a physical understanding of celestial motions, triggering what is commonly called the In Copernican revolution. Owen Gingerich sets Copernicus in the context of a rapidly changing world, revealing that the heliocentric revolution was not dictated...
Author
Series
Very short introductions volume 132
Pub. Date
2016.
Description
An accessible introduction to the world's fifth largest religion, this work presents Sikhism's meanings and myths, and its practices, rituals, and festivals, also addressing ongoing social issues such as the relationship with the Indian state, the diaspora, and caste.
Author
Series
Very short introductions volume 504
Pub. Date
2017.
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...
Author
Series
Pub. Date
2017.
Description
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 behaviors, and considers some of the biggest questions in dinosaur biology, such as the implications of them having warm...
Author
Series
Very short introductions volume 86
Pub. Date
[2017]
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...
Author
Series
Pub. Date
[2018]
Description
"The iconic images of Uncle Sam and Marilyn Monroe, or the "fireside chats" of Franklin D. Roosevelt and the oratory of Martin Luther King, Jr.: these are the words, images, and sounds that populate American cultural history. 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...
Author
Series
Pub. Date
2018.
Description
No one wants to live in poverty. Few people would want others to do so. Yet, we find ourselves in a situation where millions of people worldwide live in poverty. According to the World Bank in 2010, 1.2 billion people lived below the extreme poverty line with an income of U.S. $1.25 or less a day and 2.4 billion lived on less than U.S. $2 a day. Why is that? What has been done about it in the past? And what is being done about it now? In this Very...
Author
Series
Pub. Date
[2020]
Description
Art History: A Very Short Introduction considers the issues, debates, and artefacts that make up art history. It explores the emergence of social histories of art and, using a wide range of images, it discusses key aspects of the discipline including how we write about, 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...