List of Very Short Introduction Titles Part 1

Very Short Introductions online
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Advertising
Winston Fletcher
Print Publication Year: 2010 Published Online: Sep 2013 ISBN: 9780199568925 eISBN: 9780191777554 Item type: book Publisher: Oxford University Press DOI: 10.1093/actrade/9780199568925.001.0001
Advertising: A Very Short Introduction dispels the myths surrounding the advertising industry. Advertising is a diverse entity, and campaigns work (or fail to work) in a plethora of ways. How does the advertising industry work? What part do all the key players (the advertisers, the media, and the agencies) play? Where does the public sit in the world of advertising? This VSI examines how advertisers determine whether they have been successful, how they know if the money they have spent has been wasted, and what the benefits of advertising are and what the future may hold for the industry.
African History
John Parker and Richard Rathbone
African History: A Very Short Introduction looks at Africa's past and reflects on the changing ways it has been imagined and represented by examining the unity and diversity of African cultures, slavery, religion, colonial conquest, the diaspora, and the importance of history in understanding contemporary Africa. Africa has been known as the cradle of mankind, and its recoverable history stretches back to the Pharaohs. But the idea of study of African history itself is new. Why is it still contested and controversial? Who invented the idea of Africa? How is African history pieced together, given such a lack of documentary evidence? How did Africa interact with the world 1,000 years ago?
Agnosticism
Robin Le Poidevin
Agnosticism: A Very Short Introduction asks if there is more to agnosticism than merely the absence of belief. What is agnosticism? Who were the first to call themselves agnostics?
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Agnosticism is something we encounter in science and ethics and should be considered as an historical and cultural phenomenon. It is not confined to the religious sphere. Some of the preconceptions and assumptions amongst both believers and non-atheists are examined and the philosophical case for agnosticism is set out. Agnosticism is a more complex attitude than simply a failure to either commit to, or reject, religious belief.
American History
Paul S. Boyer
American History: A Very Short Introduction spans the earliest migrations to the present looking at the United States's failures to live up to its oft-stated ideals. The establishment of the North American colonies had very different meanings for colonists, native peoples, and enslaved Africans. The late nineteenth century saw industrial expansion, appalling conditions, and an exploited labor force. The twentieth-century emergence of a suburban society of consumer abundance meant a better life for many, yet left behind crime-ridden inner cities and spawned a stultifying mass culture. While American popular culture has demonstrated global appeal, the projection of U.S. military power abroad has sometimes failed in its purpose and damaged the nation's international standing.
American Immigration
David A. Gerber
American Immigration: A Very Short Introduction examines the many legal efforts to curb immigration and to define who is and is not an American. It 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 upped sticks for the promise of a better life. Americans have come from every corner of the globe, and have been brought together by a variety of historical processes conquest, colonialism, the slave trade, territorial acquisition, and voluntary immigration. What is the relationship between race and ethnicity in the life of these groups and in the formation of American society?
American Legal History

G. Edward White
Print Publication Year: 2013 Published Online: Dec 2013 ISBN: 9780199766000 eISBN: 9780199375240 Item type: book Publisher: Oxford University Press DOI: 10.1093/actrade/9780199766000.001.0001
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Law has played a central role in American history. From colonial times to the present, law has reflected the changing society in which legal decisions have been made and has played a powerful role in shaping that society, though not always in positive ways. American Legal History: A Very Short Introduction sheds light on the impact of law on several key social issues: Native American affairs, slavery, business, home life, and criminal and civil offences. The expansion of laws regarding property rights is also considered, as well as the evolution of criminal punishment, the rise of tort law after the Civil War; and the progress in legal education.
American Political Parties and Elections

L. Sandy Maisel
American Political Parties and Elections: A Very Short Introduction examines the electoral process in the United States and explains why it is widely misunderstood. Why is participation in elections so much lower in the U.S. than other mature democracies? What role do the political parties play in the electoral process? And, why do unregulated groups such as 527 advocacy organisations have as much if not more influence than candidates' campaign organizations? This VSI examines these and other issues to provide an insider's view of how the system actually works, and why there remains only two main political parties, despite the fact that many citizens claim allegiance to neither and think badly of both.
American Politics
Richard M. Valelly
American Politics: A Very Short Introduction introduces the vital elements of American politics. Using an historical-institutional approach, it explains how 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. It explores the issue of parties and polarization and surveys the basic institutions: the Presidency, Congress, the judicial branch, the unelected bureaucracy of the independent agencies, and state and local governments. It also deals with political communication, public opinion, voting and the boundaries of the electorate, and the politics of government steering of the economy.
The American Presidency

Charles O. Jones
Print Publication Year: 2007 Published Online: Sep 2013 Publisher: Oxford University Press
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ISBN: 9780195307016 eISBN: 9780199365548 Item type: book
DOI: 10.1093/actrade/9780195307016.001.0001
The American Presidency: A Very Short Introduction shows how assertive leaders such as Andrew Jackson, Theodore Roosevelt, and FDR enhanced the power of the presidency, and how such factors as philosophy (Reagan's anti-Communist conservatism), the legacy of previous presidencies (Jimmy Carter following Watergate), relations with Congress, and the impact of outside events have all influenced presidential authority. The Founders adopted the word president over governor and other alternatives because it suggested a light hand, as in one who presides, rather than rules. How are presidents selected? How has this changed over time? The expansion of executive powers amid the war on terrorism has brought the presidency to the center of heated public debate.
Anaesthesia
Aidan O'Donnell
Anaesthesia: A Very Short Introduction examines the modern anaesthetic practice. Anaesthesia is a mysterious and sometimes threatening process. What is anaesthesia? How is it produced? How does it differ from natural sleep and other forms of unconsciousness? Categories of anaesthetic drugs include: anaesthetic vapours, intravenous agents, muscle relaxants, and analgesics. Anaesthetists play a significant role in specialised areas such as intensive care medicine, pain medicine, and childbirth. This VSI looks at what anaesthetists do, how their role has changed over the years, and the risks and side effects of anaesthesia.
Anarchism
Colin Ward
Anarchism: A Very Short Introduction explores key anarchist thinkers from Kropotkin to Chomsky and considers anarchism from a variety of perspectives: theoretical, historical, and international. What exactly is anarchism and who are the anarchists? Can anarchy ever function effectively as a political force? Is it more organized and reasonable than is currently perceived? 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?
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Ancient Egypt
Ian Shaw
Ancient Egypt: A Very Short Introduction 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. We can identify influences on our responses to these finds, through such media as literature, cinema, and contemporary art. 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?
Ancient Greece
Paul Cartledge
Ancient Greece: A Very Short Introduction takes the polis as its starting point and 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 in around 1400 bce, through the glories of the Classical and Hellenistic periods, to the foundation of the Byzantine empire in around ce 330. Ancient Greek civilization was defined by the city, 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.
The Ancient Near East

Amanda H. Podany
Print Publication Year: 2013 Published Online: Dec 2013 ISBN: 9780195377996 eISBN: 9780199375233 Item type: book Publisher: Oxford University Press DOI: 10.1093/actrade/9780195377996.001.0001
The Ancient Near East: A Very Short Introduction describes a momentous time in human history and explains why the ancient Near East is known as the cradle of civilization. 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. The three thousand years of this era 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 bce represent a period of incredible
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innovation, from the invention of the wheel to early achievements in astronomy, law, and diplomacy.
Ancient Philosophy
Julia Annas
Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction introduces ancient debates and focuses on important and revealing features of the subject providing a sense of its freshness and liveliness, and of its wide variety of themes and styles. The tradition of ancient philosophy is a long, rich and varied one, in which a constant note is that of discussion and argument. What did ancient philosophers think about the conflict of reason and emotion within man? Are there any subjects that engaged the minds of ancient philosophers that do not concern their modern counterparts? What can we learn from the thoughts of the ancient philosophers?
Ancient Warfare
Harry Sidebottom
Ancient Warfare: A Very Short Introduction examines all aspects of ancient warfare, from philosophy and strategy to the technical skills needed to fight. How did wars shape classical society? How was the individual's identity constructed by war? Can a war be just? Why was siege warfare particularly bloody? What role did divine intervention play in the outcome of a battle? Greek and Roman warfare differed from other cultures and was unlike any other forms of warfare. 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. What is this Western Way of War?
Angels
David Albert Jones
Angels: A Very Short Introduction outlines prominent stories and speculations about angels in Judaism, Islam, Christianity, and post-Christian spiritualties. 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? Angels have been portrayed in art as young men in the Hebrew Scriptures, androgynous winged creatures of the pre-Raphaelites, and
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as the masculine statue of the Angel of the North. Examples are provided of angels in films such as Wings of Desire, and It's a Wonderful Life, as well as angels in literature.
Anglicanism
Mark Chapman
Anglicanism: A Very Short Introduction highlights the diversity of contemporary Anglicanism by exploring its history, theology, and structures. Although originally united by location and a common belief, Anglicanism has gradually lost its pre-eminence as the English state religion due to increasing pluralism and secularization. Whilst there are distinctive themes and emphases which emerge from its early history and theology, there is little sense of unity in Anglicanism today. Putting the history and development of the religion into context, this VSI reveals what holds Anglicanism together despite the recent crises that threaten to tear it apart.
The Anglo-Saxon Age

John Blair
The Anglo-Saxon Age: A Very Short Introduction covers the era from the emergence of the earliest English settlements around the year ad 450 to the Norman victory in 1066 providing a brief introduction to the political, social, religious, and cultural history of Anglo-Saxon Britain. The Anglo-Saxon age lasted for 600 years. This period encompassed an age that shaped England's landscape and culture in profound and long-lasting ways. Anglo-Saxon Britain was a fragmented, non-urban, warrior society: a multi-ethnic community. This gradually changed over time as the early medieval cultures united to give shape to the Britain that was to come.
The Animal Kingdom

Peter Holland
The Animal Kingdom: A Very Short Introduction presents a modern tour of the animal kingdom. Beginning with the definition of animals, this VSI goes on to show 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. This phylogenetic view is central to zoology today. The animal world is immensely diverse, and
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our understanding of it has been greatly enhanced by analysis of DNA and the study of evolution and development.
Animal Rights
David DeGrazia
Animal Rights: A Very Short Introduction explores the implications for how we should treat animals in connection with our diet, zoos, and research. Most people are opposed to cruelty and sense that animals have moral significance. At the same time, traditional views that sanction animal use with few constraints have heavily influenced beliefs and everyday practices. How should we understand the moral status of animals vis--vis human beings? Do animals have moral rights? If so, what does this mean? What kinds of beings are animals, what sorts of mental lives do they have, and how should we understand welfare?
The Antarctic
Klaus Dodds
Antarctic: A Very Short Introduction provides a modern account of Antarctica, highlighting the main issues facing the continent today, looks at how the Antarctic has been explored and represented, and considers the main exploratory and scientific achievements of the region. How has globalization impacted on the Antarctic's current and future status? 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 interesting 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.
Antisemitism
Steven Beller
Antisemitism: A Very Short Introduction examines and untangles the various strands of antisemitism seen throughout history, from medieval religious conflict to new antisemitism in the 21st century. Key figures such as Wagner, Nietzsche, and Marx have all played a role in this phenomenon, as well as key texts such as the forged Protocols of the Elders of Zion. How did this phenomenon grew as a political and ideological movement in
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the 19th century? How did it reach its dark apogee in the worst genocide in modern history the Holocaust? Why does antisemitism still persists around the world today?
Anxiety
Daniel Freeman and Jason Freeman
Anxiety: A Very Short Introduction explains what anxiety is, why it is a normal and vital part of our emotional life, and the factors that cause it. Are we born with fears or do we learn them? What purpose does anxiety serve? How can we treat anxiety disorders? What's happening in our brain when we feel fear? Insights are drawn from psychology, neuroscience, genetics, epidemiology, and clinical trials. The six main anxiety disorders are: phobias; panic disorder and agoraphobia; social anxiety; generalized anxiety disorder; obsessive-compulsive disorder; and post-traumatic stress disorder. The symptoms, prevalence, causes of each of these disorders, and the treatments for dealing with them, are covered.
The Apocryphal Gospels

Paul Foster
The Apocryphal Gospels: A Very Short Introduction explores their origins, discovery, and discusses how the various texts have been interpreted both by the Church and beyond. What are the apocryphal gospels? How do the apocryphal gospels reflect the diversity that existed within early Christianity? To what extent can they can be used to reconstruct an accurate portrait of the historical Jesus? These non-canonical texts, considered in the correct context, offer us an important window on the vibrant and multi-faceted face of early Christianity. They do have important limitations, however, and these are set against the limitations of using the New Testament gospels.
Archaeology
Paul Bahn
Archaeology: A Very Short Introduction reflects on the enduring popularity of archaeology a subject which encompasses the whole globe, and surveys 2.5 million years. Archaeology interacts with nearly every other discipline in its attempts to reconstruct the past. Archaeologists work in a wide range of environments including deserts, jungles, deep
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caves, and mountain tops. They use a variety of tools such as satellite photographs and as pebble tools, and a broad range of methods from excavation to abstract theory. What recent new discoveries and interpretations have we seen in the field of archeology? What has been impact of developments such as the use of DNA and stable isotopes in teeth? How important are developments in technology and science for archaeological exploration?
Architecture
Andrew Ballantyne
Architecture: A Very Short Introduction provides a highly original and sophisticated look at architecture and 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 VSI 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.
Aristocracy
William Doyle
Aristocracy: A Very 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 has crumbled away over the last two hundred years. This VSI considers why this happened and what remains today.
Art History
Dana Arnold
Art History: A Very Short Introduction provides the tools necessary to study art history. The challenge of using verbal and written language to analyse visual form and experience is
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explored, and the different ways of writing about art are examined. Topics covered include the canon of art history, the role of the gallery, blockbuster exhibitions, and the emergence of social histories of art (feminist or queer art history, for example). The traditional emphasis on Western periods and styles of art can obscure other critical approaches, as well as exclude art from non-western cultures, and this is discussed. The glossary can be used in conjunction with gallery visits to further enhance understanding.
Art Theory
Cynthia Freeland
In today's art world many strange, even shocking, things qualify as art. Art Theory: A Very Short Introduction discusses beauty, blood, culture, money, museums, sex, and politics, clarifying contemporary and historical accounts of the nature, function, and interpretation of the arts. It examines art on the Web, video art, museum CD-ROMs, and various theorists of the new media and of postmodern art. It surveys the latest research on the brain's role in perceiving art and engages with the big debates surrounding our responses to art, examining why innovation and controversy are valued in the arts.
Astrobiology
David C. Catling
Print Publication Year: 2013 Published Online: Oct 2013 ISBN: 9780199586455 eISBN: 9780191779923 Item type: book Publisher: Oxford University Press DOI: 10.1093/actrade/9780199586455.001.0001
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? Astrobiology: A Very Short Introduction explores some of the big unanswered questions about the universe, considers the origins of life on Earth and its evolution, and brings together the ideas of microbiologists, astronomers, planetary scientists, and geologists. It introduces the origins of astrobiology and demonstrates its impact on current astronomical research and potential future discoveries.
Atheism
Julian Baggini
Atheism is often considered to be a negative, dark, and pessimistic belief that is characterized by a rejection of values and purpose and a fierce opposition to religion.
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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. The book presents an intellectual case for atheism that rests as much upon positive arguments for its truth as on negative arguments against religion. It also confronts the failure of officially atheist states in the twentieth century.
Augustine
Henry Chadwick
Augustine: A 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. 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 thinkers in the West since his time. He was a key figure in the transition from pagan to specifically Christian philosophy. How did Augustine's thought develop? What were the key influences upon his thought? How important were themes such as free will, time, and ethics to him?
Australia
Kenneth Morgan
Australia: A Very Short Introduction provides a wide-ranging introduction to modern Australia, examining its history, geography, and culture since the beginning of the white settlement of New South Wales in 1788. Drawing attention to the distinctive features of Australian life, this VSI places contemporary developments in an historical perspective, highlighting the importance of Australia's indigenous culture and making connections between Australia and the wider world. Balancing the successful growth of Australian institutions and democratic traditions, the book considers the struggles that occurred in the making of modern Australia and Australia's political and cultural place in the 21st century.
Autism
Uta Frith
Autism: A Very Short Introduction asks: 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? It explores the relevance
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to autism of neuroscience, psychology, brain development, and genetics. 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.
The Avant Garde

David Cottington
The Avant Garde: A Very Short Introduction 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. The avant-garde is perhaps the most important and influential concept in the history of modern culture. What is the relation between the avantgarde and avant-garde qualities in a work of art, design, architecture, or any other cultural product? What does avant-gardism mean? Now that contemporary art has 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?
The Aztecs
David Carrasco
The Aztecs: A Very Short Introduction employs the disciplines of history, religious studies, and anthropology as it illuminates the complexities of Aztec life. This VSI looks beyond Spanish accounts that have coloured much of the Western narrative to let Aztec voices speak. It also discusses the arrival of the Spaniards, contrasts Aztec mythical traditions about the origins of their city with actual urban life in Mesoamerica, outlines the rise of the Aztec empire, explores Aztec religion, and sheds light on Aztec art. The VSI 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.
Bacteria
Sebastian G.B. Amyes
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. Bacteria: A Very Short Introduction
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explores the nature of bacteria, their origin and evolution, bacteria in the environment, and bacteria and disease. Bacteria 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. The resistance of bacteria to antibiotics is also considered.
Barthes
Jonathan Culler
Roland Barthes: A Very Short Introduction elucidates the varied theoretical contributions of Roland Barthes, whose lifelong fascination was with the way people make their world intelligible. It 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. 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.
The Beats
David Sterritt
The Beats: A Very Short Introduction offers an overview of the social, cultural, and aesthetic sensibilities of the Beats, bringing out the similarities that connected them, and also the many differences. 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. Members of the Beat Generation hoped to inspire others to purify their lives and souls, yet they urged the remaking of consciousness on a profoundly inward-looking basis. The idea was to revolutionize society by revolutionizing thought, not the other way around.
Beauty
Roger Scruton
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Beauty: A Very Short Introduction explores the concept of beauty, asking what makes an object either in art, in nature, or the human form beautiful. It strongly refutes the notion that judgements of beauty are purely subjective and relative, and that we can learn little from art criticism and study. Arguing that our experience of beauty is rationally founded, and that beauty is a real and universal value, this VSI shows how our sense of beauty has an indispensable part to play in the way we shape our world.
Bestsellers
John Sutherland
Bestsellers: A Very Short Introduction shows that bestseller lists monitor one of the strongest pulses in modern literature and are therefore worthy of serious study. It 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, this VSI includes short casestudies and lively summaries of bestsellers through the years, including both classic and contemporary novels, alongside some surprising titles and long-forgotten names
The Bible
John Riches
The Bible: A Very Short Introduction looks at the importance accorded to the Bible by different communities and cultures. Why has the Bible generated such a variety of uses and interpretations? How was it written? What is the canon and what role does Biblical criticism play? This VSI explores all these issues as well as examining why the Bible has been such an influence on Western culture and why it continues to exert an enormous influence over many people's lives. It also considers how the Bible has been appropriated by high and popular culture and its use for political ends.
Biblical Archaeology
Eric H Cline
Biblical Archaeology: A Very Short Introduction examines 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. The most well-known biblical
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archaeologists are discussed, such as Kathleen Kenyon and Yigael Yadin. The sites that are essential sources of knowledge are described, along with some of the most important discoveries that have been made, such as the Dead Sea Scrolls. Also examined are the archaeological finds that shed further light on the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, and the issue of potential frauds and forgeries.
Biography
Hermione Lee
Biography: A Very Short Introduction looks at the origins and development of biographical writing. 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? This VSI 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.
The Blues
Elijah Wald
The Blues: A Very Short Introduction surveys a genre which lies at the heart of American culture. Blues is more of a broad musical tradition than a musical genre, with a constantly evolving pop culture. It explores its roots in work and praise songs, and its popularization by W. C. Handy. It follows its evolution from Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith to Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix; identifies the impact of rural field recordings of Blind Lemon Jefferson and Charley Patton; explores the influence of blues on country music and jazz; and looks at the rhythm and blues trends of the 1940s and 1950s, from TBone Walker to Muddy Waters.
The Book of Mormon

Terryl L. Givens
The Book of Mormon: A Very Short Introduction examines the Book of Mormon primarily in terms of the claims that its narrators make for its historical genesis, its purpose as a sacred
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text, and its meaning for an audience which shifts over the course of the history it unfolds. Five governing themes revelation, Christ, Zion, scripture, and covenant serve as vectors for analysis of the Book's central doctrines and teachings, particularly in relation to familiar nineteenth-century religious preoccupations. This VSI samples characters and representative passages from the Book and surveys its contested origins and addresses questions of the record's historicity.
Borders
Alexander C. Diener and Joshua Hagen
Borders: A 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. The issue of borders includes considerations such as transnational communities, security threats from terrorist groups, migration regulation, rights of indigenous peoples, the legal status of the sea and outer space, environmental sustainability, and the emergence of neo-liberal economics. How have borders developed over time? What is their relevance today? Will we ever have a borderless world? Borders are likely to remain a hot topic across the social sciences and global headlines for years to come.
The Brain
Michael O'Shea
How does the brain work? The Brain, A Very Short Introduction 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. Our knowledge of subjects such as brain processes, perception, memory, motor control and the causes of altered mental states have been hugely improved by modern neurological research. These insights may pave the way for future developments, such as artificial intelligence, gene therapy, drugs by design, as well as revolutionizing transplants.
The British Constitution

Martin Loughlin
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The British Constitution: A Very Short Introduction explores one of the most unusual constitutional arrangements in the world. It considers the scope and nature of the British constitution and the challenges that have been generated by this approach. This VSI examines the origins of the British constitution and the alterations made to it in response to the changing nature of its state from England, to Britain, to the United Kingdom, to the impact of Britain's membership of the European Union. Lastly, it examines the future prospects of the British constitution in an ever-changing political environment.
The British Empire

Ashley Jackson
The British Empire: A Very Short Introduction explores how the British Empire became so powerful and far-reaching. From the eighteenth century until the 1950s the British Empire was the biggest political entity in the world. What was the British Empire and what were its main constituent parts? How was the Empire ruled? What were its economic effects? What were the cultural implications of empire, in Britain and its colonies? These questions are answered in this VSI and the life of the people living under imperial rule is examined. The legacies of the Empire and how it should be viewed in world history are also explored.
British Politics
Tony Wright
British Politics: A Very Short Introduction examines the British political system and what makes it distinctive. It identifies the key characteristics and ideas of the British tradition and emphasizes how these characteristics are reflected in the way the political system functions. Key themes, such as the constitution or political accountability, are explored with examples and illustrations. Recent changes to the system with the fall of New Labour and the election of a coalition government are considered, as well as the impact of the financial crisis and issues such as terrorism and immigration, and the development of devolution.
The Buddha
Michael Carrithers
The Buddha: A Very Short Introduction examines the complex and sometimes conflicting information that Buddhist texts give about the life and teaching of the Buddha. What can
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we learn about the social and political background of India in the Buddha's time? How did his thought develop into what constitutes Buddhist thought today? How has Buddhism survived so well through the centuries? What is the contemporary relevance of Buddhism? His teaching prospered throughout the subcontinent of India for more than 1,500 years and by the 13th century ad it had spread. Until the 20th century, the Buddha was probably the most influential thinker in human history.
Buddhism
Damien Keown
Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction introduces the reader to the teachings of the Buddha and to the workings of Buddhism in daily life. It 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, this VSI considers how contemporary dilemmas can be faced from a Buddhist perspective. This new edition 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.
Buddhist Ethics
Damien Keown
Buddhist Ethics: A Very Short Introduction illustrates how Buddhism might approach a range of fascinating dilemmas confronting the modern world, ethical moral issues ranging from abortion and suicide to cloning. 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. Why is it that ethics has not received as much attention in traditional Buddhist thought as it has in the West? Why are there so few publications on the subject?
Cancer
Nick James
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Cancer: A Very Short Introduction explains, in non-technical language, what cancer is and what it does. Why, despite constant improvements in treatment techniques, has cancer proved to be so hard to tackle? Why does cancer remain one of the largest causes of death worldwide? This VSI examines the different examples of cancer healthcare from around the world. It also investigates the political and economic context to cancer care and examines the trends in diagnosis and treatment of the disease. The future of cancer care and the alternative and complementary approaches to cancer care are also outlined.
Capitalism
James Fulcher
Capitalism: A Very Short Introduction outlines the history and development of capitalism and addresses important 21st-century issues, such as New Labour's relationship with capitalism, recent crises in capitalist systems, the significance of global capitalism, and distinctive national models of capitalism. The word capitalism is heard and used frequently. Most people have an opinion about capitalism. Has capital escaped the nationstate by going global? Is capitalism doomed? There are alternatives to capitalism, in the guises of socialism, communal and cooperative experiments, and alternatives proposed by environmentalists.
Catholicism
Gerald O'Collins
Catholicism: A Very Short Introduction offers a fresh introduction to the largest and oldest institution in the world. What are the origins of the Catholic Church? How has Catholicism changed and adapted to such vast and diverse cultural influences over the centuries? After an extended tour of the Church's history, this VSI describes the central beliefs of the Catholic Church about God and the human condition; the sacramental life of the Church and its moral life and teaching. It closes by summarizing certain basic characteristics of Catholicism, and addressing the great challenges faced by the Catholic Church in the 21st century, both internally and externally.
Causation
Stephen Mumford and Rani Lill Anjum
Print Publication Year: 2013 Published Online: Nov 2013 Publisher: Oxford University Press ISBN: 9780199684434 eISBN: 9780191779909 DOI: 10.1093/actrade/9780199684434.001.0001 Item type: book
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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. 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. Causation: A Very Short Introduction introduces the key theories of causation and also the surrounding debates and controversies.
The Cell
Terence Allen and Graham Cowling
The Cell: A Very Short Introduction describes 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. 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.
The Celts
Barry Cunliffe
The Celts: A Very Short Introduction seeks to reveal the true nature of the Celts. Were they 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 character has been obscured by a tangled web of preconceived ideas and stereotypes. This VSI aims to show what the Celts were really like, exploring subjects such as trade, migration, and the evolution of Celtic traditions. Along the way, it exposes how society's needs have shaped our visions of the Celts, and examines such colourful characters as St Patrick, C Chulainn, and Boudica.
Chaos
Leonard Smith
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Chaos: A Very Short Introduction shows that we all have an intuitive understanding of chaotic systems. It 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, ChangTzu, and 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.
Children's Literature
Kimberley Reynolds
Children's Literature: A Very Short Introduction provides an overview of the history of children's literature as it has developed in English, introducing key debates, developments, and figures in the field. 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. Raising questions about what shape the future of literature for children should take, and exploring the crossover with adult fiction, this VSI shows that writing for children whether on page or screen participated in shaping and directing ideas about culture, society, and childhood.
Chinese Literature
Sabina Knight
Chinese Literature: A 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, this VSI 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, lively examples underscore the close relationship between ethics and aesthetics, as well as the diversity of Chinese thought.
Choice Theory
Michael Allingham
Print Publication Year: 2002 Published Online: Sep 2013 ISBN: 9780192803030 eISBN: 9780191775710 Publisher: Oxford University Press DOI: 10.1093/actrade/9780192803030.001.0001
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Item type: book
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. Choice Theory: A Very Short Introduction introduces ideas from economics, philosophy, and other areas, showing how the theory applies to everyday decisions, and to particular situations such as gambling and resource allocation. But what kind of criteria are we applying when we say that a choice is rational? What guides our own choices? What strategies should be applied in making decisions that affect a lot of people? This VSI explores what it means to be rational in all these contexts.
Christian Art
Beth Williamson
Christian Art: A Very Short Introduction 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. How do didactic and consciously devotional works compare with the controversial work of contemporary artists such as Andres Serrano and Chris Ofili? 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. Over the centuries the nature of the representation of key themes and subjects found in Christian art such as the Eucharist, the crucifixion, the Virgin Mary, and the saints has changed considerably.
Christian Ethics
D. Stephen Long
Christian Ethics: A Very Short Introduction presents a discussion of the relationship between Christian ethics, modern, and postmodern ethics, and explores practical issues including sex, money, and power. What are the inherent difficulties in bringing together Christian and ethics? Christian ethics is not a precise science; rather, it is the cultivation of practical wisdom from a range of sources. This VSI looks at the failures of the Christian tradition, including the crusades, the conquest, slavery, inquisitions, and the Galileo affair. These events raise challenges for modern Christian ethics. They have implications in the modern era, that affect our lives in the present age.
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Christianity
Linda Woodhead
Christianity: A Very Short Introduction provides a candid portrait of Christianity's past and present by exploring its cultural and institutional dimensions, tracing its course over two millennia. How important is the competition for power between different forms of Christianity? How do the various churches within Christianity use their power? What form do the struggles Christianity has with modernity take? Those who previously had the least power in Christianity women and non-Europeans have become increasingly central to its unfolding story. Christianity is flourishing in the Southern hemisphere but declining in much of the West. What are the implications of this? What does the future hold for Christianity?
Citizenship
Richard Bellamy
Citizenship: A Very Short Introduction approaches its subject from a political perspective, to address the complexities behind the major topical issues and to examine the main models of citizenship that exist today. Interest in citizenship has never been higher. It has become a buzz-word for politicians of all varieties, moral leaders, and every kind of campaigning group from the global to the local level. But what does it mean to be a citizen of a modern, complex community? How have ideas of citizenship changed through time from ancient Greece to the present? Why is citizenship important? Can we create citizenship, and can we test for it?
Civil Engineering
David Muir Wood
Civil Engineering: A Very Short Introduction examines the nature and importance of civil engineering in the history of civilization and urbanization. This VSI sets out the problems that civil engineers need to solve and the science and technology that has enabled engineers to build bridges, tunnels, houses and buildings for all aspects of life. It also looks at the social and environmental considerations and the challenges facing civil engineers of the future managing water and energy and a growing sensitivity to buildings and the environment as well highlighting the lives of some major civil engineers of the past.
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Classical Mythology
Helen Morales
Classical Mythology: A Very Short Introduction explores the rich history and diverse interpretations of classical myths and examines how classical myths are used and understood in both high art and popular culture. The influence of classical myths can be found in the temples of Crete, skyscrapers in New York, Arabic poetry, Hollywood films, psychoanalysis, the Bible, and New Age spiritualism. 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 ourselves, our origins, and our desires?
Classics
Mary Beard and John Henderson
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 and how do our interpretations of these aspects of the Classics differ from their original reception? Classics: A Very Short Introduction begins with a visit to the British Museum to view the frieze that once decorated the Apollo Temple at Bassae. Through these sculptures, it prompts consideration of the significance of Classics as a means of discovery and enquiry, its value in terms of literature, philosophy, and culture, and its importance as a source of imagery.
Clausewitz
Michael Howard
Clausewitz: A Very Short Introduction 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. 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. Even though he wrote his only major work at a time when the range of firearms was 50 yards, much of what he had to say remains relevant today. This VSI outlines Clausewitz's enduring theory of war and how his theory relates to his actual experience in the Napoleonic Wars.
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Climate
Mark Maslin
Climate: A Very Short Introduction considers all aspects of the global climate system, exploring and explaining the different components that control the climate on Earth. Climate affects everything we do in life, from the clothes we wear to the illnesses we might catch. How does energy reach the Earth? How does the oceanatmosphere system redistribute energy around the plane? What is the relationship and what are the differences between climate and the weather? Climate affects life on Earth and human settlements in many different ways. Humans have to live their lives aware of the risk of cyclic and quasicyclic features of climate such as the Milankovitch cycles and El Nino.
The Cold War

Robert J. McMahon
The Cold War: A Very Short Introduction argues that 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 VSI addresses all of these questions as it explores the key players, developments and dimensions of the Cold War era.
Colonial America
Alan Taylor
Colonial America: A Very Short Introduction presents the current scholarly understanding of the subject. During the past generation, historians have broadened that understanding 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. 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. Everyone had to adjust to a new world of
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unpredictable social and cultural hybrids that compromised and complicated the ambitious plans of empire-builders.
Colonial Latin American Literature

Rolena Adorno
Colonial Latin American Literature: A Very Short Introduction provides a vivid account of the literary culture of the Spanish-speaking Americas from the time of Columbus to Latin American Independence. This VSI 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. The works of Spanish, creole, and Amerindian authors highlighted here, including Bartolom de las Casas, Felipe Guaman Poma, Sor Juana Ins de la Cruz, and Andrs 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.
Comedy
Matthew Bevis
Comedy: A Very Short Introduction studies written forms of comedy such as prose fiction, poetry, caricatures, and cartoons. There are also performance forms of comedy such as comic drama, pantomime, comic opera, silent cinema, popular music, Broadway shows, music-hall, stand-up and circus acts, rom-coms, sketch shows, sit-coms. To consider comedy in its incarnations is to raise diverse questions: what 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? Comedy is both a literary genre and a forum for a range of non-literary phenomena, experiences, and events.
Communism
Leslie Holmes
Communism: A Very Short Introduction highlights the inner dynamics, crises, and demise of communism as a global system, explaining the theory behind its ideology, and examining the history and mindset behind its political, economic, and social structures. That system, at its zenith, ruled more than a third of the world's population across four continents, and
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threatened to destroy the West. Yet most of it eventually, and very suddenly, mutated into spectacular failure. The collapse of communism was one of the most defining moments of the twentieth century. The highs and lows of communist power and its future in today's world is examined.
The Computer
Darrel Ince
The Computer: A Very Short Introduction shows how computers have changed so much since the roomfilling, bulky magnetic tape running monsters of the mid20th century. They now form a vital part of most people's lives. And they are more ubiquitous than might be thoughtyou 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?
The Conquistadors
Matthew Restall and Felipe Fernandez-Armesto
The Conquistadors: A very Short Introduction investigates the facts and myths behind the Spanish invasion of the New World. 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. Subjects explored include 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.
Conscience
Paul Strohm
Conscience: A Very Short Introduction highlights what the particularly European concept of conscience has meant to successive generations and why it has a reputation as one of the most significant Western contributions to human rights and human dignity. In the West,
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conscience has been relied upon for 2,000 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.
Consciousness
Susan Blackmore
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 opening up debates on these issues, and the field has now expanded to include biologists, neuroscientists, psychologists, and philosophers. Consciousness: A Very Short Introduction clarifies the potentially confusing arguments and the major theories using illustrations, lively cartoons, and experiments. Topics include vision and attention, theories of self and will, experiments on action and awareness, altered states of consciousness, and the effects of brain damage and drugs.
Contemporary Art
Julian Stallabrass
Contemporary Art: A Very Short Introduction takes us inside the international art world 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 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?
Contemporary Fiction
Robert Eaglestone
Contemporary Fiction: A Very Short Introduction explores a wide and diverse field, now global in dimension, with an enormous range of novels and writers that continues to grow
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at a fantastic speed. This VSI provides an 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, it examines how works both reflect the world in which we live and the artistic concerns of writers and readers alike.
Continental Philosophy
Simon Critchley
Continental Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction shows that Continental philosophy encompasses a distinct set of philosophical traditions and practices, with a compelling range of problems often ignored by the analytic tradition. It 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. It discusses the reasons for the conflict between Continental and Anglo-American philosophy, and argues that philosophers should now attempt to overcome this divide.
Cosmology
Peter Coles
Cosmology: A Very Short Introductionexplains what cosmology is and what cosmologists do, looks at the history of the subject, the development of the Big Bang theory, and more speculative modern issues such as quantum cosmology, superstrings, and dark matter. The subject matter of cosmology is everything that exists. The whole system of things that is the Universe encompasses the very large and the very small, the astronomical scale of stars and galaxies and the microscopic world of elementary particles. Between the two lives a complex hierarchy of structure and pattern that comes from the interplay of forces and matter. The aim of cosmology is to place all known physical phenomena within a single coherent framework.
Critical Theory
Stephen Eric Bronner
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Critical Theory: A Very Short Introduction explores the concepts and themes that distinguished critical theory from its more traditional philosophical competitors. Critical theory emerged in the 1920s from the work of the Frankfurt School, the circle of German Jewish academics who sought to diagnose and cure the ills of society. Sketches of leading representatives of this critical tradition, such as George Lukcs and Ernst Bloch, Theodor Adorno and Walter Benjamin, Herbert Marcuse and Jurgen Habermas, as well as many of its seminal texts and empirical investigations, are presented. Concepts such as method and agency, alienation and reification, the culture industry and repressive tolerance, non identity and utopia are explained and discussed.
The Crusades
Christopher Tyerman
The Crusades: A Very Short Introduction examines this topic by bringing together issues of colonialism, cultural exchange, economic exploitation, and the relationship between past and present. Crusading fervour gripped Europe for over 200 years, creating one of the most extraordinary, vivid episodes in world history. The legacy of the ideas and imagery of the Crusades has resonated through the centuries, inspiring Hollywood movies and great works of literature. Despite their powerful hold on our imaginations, our knowledge of them remains obscured and 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?
Cryptography
Fred Piper and Sean Murphy
Cryptography: A Very Short Introduction provides 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 e-commerce. This VSI 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.
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The Cultural Revolution

Richard Curt Kraus
The Cultural Revolution: A Very Short Introduction illuminates China's decade-long Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. Moving beyond Mao Zedong, this VSI links Beijing's elite politics to broader aspects of society and culture, highlighting many changes in daily life, employment, and the economy. It 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. It was during the Cultural Revolution that China and the United States tempered their long hostility, which sowed the seeds for China's subsequent decades of spectacular economic growth.
Dada and Surrealism

David Hopkins
Dada and Surrealism: A Very Short Introduction focuses on the many debates surrounding these movements: the Marquis de Sade's Surrealist deification, issues of quality, the idea of the readymade, attitudes towards the city, the impact of Freud, attitudes to women, and primitivism. Where does the Dadaist obsession with the body-as-mechanism come from? Why are the Surrealists obsessed with the fetishized/eroticized body? 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. A huge range of media is employed by both movements (collage, painting, found objects, performance art, photography, film), but there are aesthetic differences between them.
The Dead Sea Scrolls

Timothy Lim
The Dead Sea Scrolls: A Very Short Introduction separates the myths of this momentous religious and cultural icon from the reality. This VSI presents the true facts and leading theories behind the cultural and historical background of the scrolls, and examines their significance for our understanding of the Old Testament and the origins of Christianity and Judaism. It tells the fascinating story of the scrolls since their discovery, explains the science behind their deciphering and dating, and investigates the cast of characters, scandals, and controversies that have hastened the scrolls' rise to the status of cultural icon.
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Democracy
Bernard Crick
Democracy: A Very Short Introduction 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. Considering the diverse range of interpretations of democracy, it looks at the controversies about such issues as who should have a right to vote. This VSI 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.
Derrida
Simon Glendinning
Derrida: A Very Short Introduction explores both the difficulty and significance of the work of Derrida. It explains the theory of deconstruction, presenting Derrida's challenging ideas as a significant contribution to and a powerful reading of, our philosophical heritage. Defending Derrida against many of the charges that were levelled against him by the analytical philosophical community, this VSI nevertheless shows why his work inspires such passionate criticism. It explores his most famous and influential texts to show how and why Derrida's work of deconstruction is inspired not by a critical frenzy, but by a loving respect for philosophy.
Descartes
Tom Sorell
Descartes: A Very Short Introduction explores the life and work of a man who made fundamental contributions to physics, mathematics, and optics, and reported useful observations in meteorology and physiology. Had he confined himself to the natural sciences, his achievement would have been remarkable enough. But his range was considerably wider. His famous statement Cogito, ergo sum is the first principle of his metaphysics, his theory of what has to be known for stable and exact science to be possible. This VSI shows that Descartes was, essentially, an advocate and practitioner of a new mathematical approach to physics, and that he developed his metaphysics to support his scientific programme.
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Deserts
Deserts: A Very Short Introduction explores the nature of deserts and the extent of their variety, climates, landscapes, wildlife, and human habitation. Typified by drought and extremes of temperature, deserts can be harsh and hostile; but many are also beautiful and, on occasion, teem with life. The uniqueness of deserts through an examination of their plants, animals, climatic conditions, scenery, resources, human occupants, and future potential are outlined. The beauty, biodiversity, and importance of deserts within a global context are highlighted and a case made for their preservation, protection, and further research.
Design
John Heskett
Design: A Very Short Introduction transforms the way we think about design. How does design affect our everyday activities? Do we appreciate its place in our daily lives? Simple objects, such as a spoon, can have their design modified to meet the needs of specific cultural behaviour. Different cultures and individuals personalize objects. Good design combines need and desire in the form of a practical object that reflects the user's identity and aspirations. How do major companies such as Nokia, Ford, and Sony approach design? How can design humanize new technology?
Developmental Biology
Lewis Wolpert
Developmental Biology: A Very Short Introduction provides 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. From a single cell a fertilised 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 of the growing foetus? These are the questions that the field of developmental biology seeks to answer.
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The Devil
Darren Oldridge
Focussing specifically on the Christian Devil, The Devil: A Very Short Introduction explores the many guises and roles he played in the Bible. He has fascinated writers and theologians since New Testament times, and inspired many dramatic and haunting works of art. Today he remains a potent image in popular culture. According to the principle of demonic inversion, the Devil represents the mirror image of goodness. While belief in him has declined, the idea of an abstract force of evil is still remarkably strong. Today we are more likely to speak about demonological ways of thinking, including allegations of satanic ritual abuse and the on-going war on terror.
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American Legal History

American Political Parties and Elections

The American Presidency

ISBN: 9780195307016 eISBN: 9780199365548 Item type: book

The Ancient Near East

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The Apocryphal Gospels

The Avant Garde

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The Cold War

Colonial Latin American Literature

The Cultural Revolution

Dada and Surrealism

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