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English
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Oxford's Very Short Introductions series offers concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects -- from Islam to Sociology, Literary Theory to History, and Archaeology to the Bible. Not simply a textbook of definitions, each volume 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...
Author
Series
Very short introductions volume 3
Language
English
Description
"Since its origins in India over two thousand years ago, Buddhism has not only spread throughout Asia, but also around the world. In this new edition of the Very Short Introduction to Buddhism, Damien Keown looks at how the tradition began and how it evolved into its present-day form. Explaining its central teachings and practices as well as key topics such as karma and rebirth, meditation and ethics, Keown also includes updates related to the evolution...
Author
Series
Very short introductions volume 11
Language
English
Description
Outlines the basics of practical Judaism and considers 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.
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 Jewish people, Solomon explores how the religion has developed in the 2,000 years...
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Series
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English
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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,...
Author
Series
Very short introductions volume 14
Language
English
Formats
Description
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.
Author
Series
Very short introductions volume 25
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Language
English
Description
From the Publisher: Martin Heidegger (1889-1976) is probably the most divisive philosopher of the twentieth century: viewed by some as a charlatan and by others as a leader and central figure of modern philosophy. Michael Inwood's lucid introduction to Heidegger's thought focuses on his most important work, "Being and Time," and its major themes of existence in the world, inauthenticity, guilt, destiny, truth, and the nature of time. These themes...
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Series
Language
English
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...
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Series
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English
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Description
"The Koran has constituted a remarkably resilient core of identity and continuity for a religious tradition that is now in its fifteenth century. In this Very Short Introduction, Michael Cook provides a lucid and direct account of the significance of the Koran both in the modern world and in that of traditional Islam. He gives vivid accounts of its role in Muslim civilization, illustrates the diversity of interpretations championed by traditional...
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English
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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,...
Author
Series
Very short introductions volume 2
Language
English
Formats
Description
"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...
Author
Series
Very short introductions volume 8
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Pub. Date
2000
Language
English
Description
"In this provocative but balanced Very Short Introduction, 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."--Cover flap.
Author
Series
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Pub. Date
2000
Language
English
Formats
Description
"Using examples from their own research in Indonesia and Mexico, John Monaghan and Peter Just give the reader a sense of what it is like to be an anthropologist doing the unique fieldwork that sets anthropology apart from other social sciences. They also provide an account of the 'big' questions that have concerned anthropologists since the beginnings of the field: What is unique about human beings? How are groups of people - family, class, tribe,...
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Series
Language
English
Formats
Description
In this enlightening Very Short Introduction, Simon Critchley shows us 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. He also introduces key concepts such as existentialism,...
Author
Series
Very short introductions volume 51
Language
English
Formats
Description
Written in simple and accessible language, this non-technical introduction to cosmology, or the creation and development of the universe, explains the discipline, covers its history, details the latest developments, and explains what is known, what is believed, and what is purely speculative. In addition, the author discusses the development of the Big Bang theory, and more speculative modern issues like quantum cosmology, superstrings, and dark matter....
Author
Series
Very short introductions volume 54
Language
English
Formats
Description
Beginning with a discussion of familiar images of the French Revolution, this work looks at how the ancien régime became ancien as well as examining cases in which achievement failed to match ambition.
Author
Series
Very short introductions volume 45
Pub. Date
2001
Language
English
Formats
Description
Sigmund Freud revolutionized the way we think about ourselves. From its beginnings as a theory of neurosis, Freud developed psychoanalysis into a general psychology which became widely accepted as the predominant mode of discussing personality and interpersonal relationships. The author goes one step further and investigates the status of Freud's legacy today and the disputes that surround it.--From publisher description.
Author
Series
Very short introductions volume 49
Language
English
Formats
Description
Many people regard Hegel's work as obscure and extremely difficult, yet his importance and influence are universally acknowledged. In this short introduction, the author provides a broad discussion of Hegel's ideas and an account of his major works.
Author
Series
Publisher
OUP Oxford
Pub. Date
2001
Language
English
Formats
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...