Catalog Search Results
Author
Series
Very short introductions volume 70
Pub. Date
2002.
Language
English
Description
From the Publisher: Father of the Enlightenment and the last guardian of the medieval world, Spinoza made a brilliant attempt to reconcile the conflicting moral and intellectual demands of his epoch and to present a vision of man as simultaneously bound by necessity and eternally free. Ostracized by the Jewish community in Amsterdam to which he was born, Spinoza developed a political philosophy that set out to justify the secular state ruled by a...
Author
Series
Very short introductions volume 65
Pub. Date
2002.
Language
English
Description
"Philip Bohlman asks: What is music? If the question is simple, the answers are not. In this fascinating introduction to the remarkable diversity of world music - from Swiss yodeling to pilgrims' chants, Yiddish folk songs to Àrt-Song' from Tunis - Bohlman explores the interpretation and, sometimes, misinterpretation of world music by the West."--Jacket.
Author
Series
Very short introductions volume 99
Language
English
Description
Atheism is often considered to be a negative or pessimistic belief which is characterized by a rejection of values and purpose and a fierce opposition to religion. This Very Short Introduction sets out to dispel the myths that surround atheism, arguing that most western atheism is so-named only because it exists in a tradition in which theism is the norm. Julian Baggini instead asserts that atheists are typically naturalists, who believe that meaning...
Author
Series
Very short introductions volume 94
Pub. Date
2003.
Language
English
Description
A brief introduction to the Celts which explores the archaeological, artistic, and linguistic evidence which reveals who they really were.
Author
Series
Very short introductions volume 87
Language
English
Description
"The Cold War dominated international life from the end of the Second World War to the fall of the Berlin Wall. But how did the dispute begin, and why did it move from its origins in post-war Europe to encompass virtually every corner of the globe? Robert J. McMahon considers these questions and more, providing a truly international history of the Cold War and examining its enduring legacy. He draws on the most recent scholarship and documents to...
Author
Series
Very short introductions volume 90
Pub. Date
[2003]
Language
English
Description
"Martin Redfern explores the most recent geological research, explaining how new advances in the understanding of plate tectonics, seismology, and satellite imagery have enabled us to begin to see the earth for what it is: a dynamic and ever-changing planet. This book brings the story of the Earth up to date, revealing our present understanding of the complex processes that govern our planet."--Jacket.
Author
Series
Very short introductions volume 81
Language
English
Formats
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? These are just some of the intriguing questions explored 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, this Very Short Introduction...
68) Engels
Author
Series
Very short introductions volume 91
Pub. Date
2003.
Language
English
Description
From the Publisher: It is by no means absurd to say that Engels invented Marxism. His work did more than Marx's to attract and make converts to 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-but was also the first Marxist historian, anthropologist, philosopher, and commentator on early Marx. In...
Author
Series
Very short introductions volume 80
Pub. Date
2003.
Language
English
Description
Our self-image as moral, well-behaved creatures is dogged by skepticism, 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...
Author
Series
Very short introductions volume 100
Language
English
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...
Author
Series
Very short introductions volume 88
Pub. Date
[2003]
Language
English
Description
From the Publisher: 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...
Author
Series
Very short introductions volume 93
Pub. Date
2003.
Language
English
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. Beginning at the 'arts' end of the subject with the common origins of languages, and finishing at the 'science' end with the newest discoveries regarding language in the brain, this stimulating guide covers all the major aspects of linguistics from a refreshing and insightful angle.-publisher description....
Author
Series
Very short introductions volume 85
Pub. Date
[2003]
Language
English
Description
"This introduction explores many of the social, political, and economic issues and developments which have helped to shape modern Ireland. As well as presenting a clear and accessible account of the past 200 years of Irish history. Senia Paseta also provides a fresh and impartial introduction to the complexities of this small island."--Jacket.
Author
Series
Pub. Date
2003.
Language
English
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, previously published as Stories of the Invisible. Philip Ball explores the role of the molecule in and around us - how, for example, a single fertilized egg can grow into a multicelled Mozart, what makes a spider's silk insoluble in the morning dew, and how this molecular...
Author
Series
Very short introductions volume 97
Pub. Date
2003.
Language
English
Description
"In this Very Short Introduction, David Miller demonstrates the practical importance of political philosophy and explores some of these fundamental issues, asking why democracy is the best form of government and which areas of life should be kept free from political interference. David Miller also examines the new challenges posed by feminism, multiculturalism, and globalization, and questions whether ideals of good government that were first developed...
Author
Series
Very short introductions volume 98
Pub. Date
2003.
Language
English
Description
"This 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 examining the abstract theory. He situates the debate in a wide cultural context discussing its importance as an historical condition, using examples such as the status of aboriginal people, of those dispossessed from their land,...
Author
Series
Very short introductions volume 96
Language
English
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...
Author
Series
Very short introductions volume 89
Pub. Date
2003.
Language
English
Description
An overview of schizophrenia covering its history, effects, symptoms, treatments, biological and environmental factors, and roles in violent crime and research of other mental illnesses.
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