Series - Beginner's Guides

From the language of Shakespeare to the US presidential campaign trail, the Bible’s influence is all around us. It is the most-printed book of all time, yet, upon reading it, we are met not by one work...

Investigating a whole host of species from around the globe, the first short and affordable introduction to animal behaviorInvestigating a whole host of species from around the globe, the first short...

An unparalleled introduction to how the science of the small explains the biggest phenomena of lifeFrom the atom to our societies, this is an unparalleled introduction to how the science of the small...

Today, more than ever, we live in a global world. Whether it’s war, economics, politics, or law, our lives are influenced by a complex web of cross-border transactions. Dr Charles Jones ably provides...

Widely revered as the father of Western literature, Homer was the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, the epic poems which immortalised such names as Achilles, Cyclops, Menelaus, and Helen of Troy. In...

The New Testament writings are the foundational documents of early Christianity. But to fully understand them we need a broad historical awareness of the wider social, economic, political and religious...

A no-nonsense guide to the science of what we eat and how to make nutrition work for youShocking obesity rates, the rise of eating disorders, killer food allergies, super foods that cure cancer: as the...

Every aspect of the anti-capitalist world is covered in this helpful guide, from WOMBLES to Zapatistas, NGOs to environmentalism, Paris 1968 to Seattle, and beyond. Picking up where Naomi Klein left off,...

1917: the year a series of rebellions toppled three centuries of autocratic rule and placed a group of political radicals in charge of a world power. Here, suddenly, was the first modern socialist state,...

Whether it’s Tomb Raider or Roman coins, the conventional view of archaeology as a discipline solely preoccupied with long dead cultures is misleading. In fact, archaeology is better described as a mode...

Life does not become empty and meaningless in a godless universe. This is the contention at the heart of humanism, the philosophy concerned with making sense of the world through reason, experience and...

In this highly topical introduction, Professor Raymond Wacks explains and evaluates the leading theories of justice that have shaped our societies and their legislative and judicial systems, and explores...

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, and one of the most feared diagnoses a patient can face. The number of new cases is expected to rise by 70% over the next two decades, but few of us understand...

Jesus: A Beginner’s Guide introduces Jesus, the man and his enduring legacy. Separating fact from fiction, Professor Le Donne places Jesus within the context of first-century Judaism, and explores the...

The quintessential guide to living a meaningful life without God.Why should we believe in God without any evidence? How can there be meaning in life when death is final? With historical adherents including...

With one famous equation, E=mc2, Einstein proved all matter can be described as energy. It is everywhere and it is everything. In this newly updated and engaging introduction, renowned scientist Vaclav...

This definitive guide includes a unique chapter-by-chapter playlist for the reader. Jazz: A Beginner’s Guide is a lively and highly accessible introduction to a global musical phenomenon. Award-winning...

Joseph Stalin began life as a frail child, with an abusive father and an inferiority complex. This triggered an early desire for greatness and respect that would eventually turn the young Bolshevik idealist...

The wave of popular uprisings that swept through the Middle East promised to pave the way for democracy. It brought down dictators and captured the popular imagination, but for most of the region, peace...

The essential guide that allows both sides to be heard Rabbi Professor Dan Cohn-Sherbok presents the Israeli perspective, while Dr Dawoud El-Alami presents the Palestinian perspective Updated to cover...

No one saw it coming. No pundit, no pollster and no political leader predicted David Cameron’s Conservative Party would win a majority of seats in Parliament and his three main opponents would resign...

War has been a perennial feature of human history since ancient times, yet it remains a poorly understood phenomenon. It has done much to shape our world, from overthrowing leaders, establishing international...

World acclaimed scientist Vaclav Smil reveals everything there is to know about nature's most sought-after resourceOil is the lifeblood of the modern world. Without it, there would be no planes, no plastic,...

In the wake of the phenomenal success of crime shows like CSI, forensic science has never been so popular. The obsessive attention that Grissom and his crew afford seemingly insignificant details, such...

Every day we hear that the rise of populism threatens democracy around the world, but is this really true? Did populism cause the current crisis, or is it the other way around? To understand the state...

‘The principles of justice are chosen behind a veil of ignorance’ – John Rawls, A Theory of Justice What is justice? How can we know it? How can we make our society more just? The most significant political...

Markets, models, mechanisms and monopolies… most of us understand that economics is important, but what exactly is it – and what do economists do? In this fresh and engaging introduction, Oxford University’s...

Philosophers didn’t always busy themselves with life’s big questions. The earliest ancient philosophers were primarily concerned with the world of nature, including phenomena such as earthquakes and eclipses....

From premonitions to apparitions, spoon-bending to mind-reading, the paranormal has bemused and mystified humans for millennia. In this Beginner’s Guide, renowned author and scientist Dr Caroline Watt...

Why study history? What’s the point? Through compelling historical narratives, such as the assassination of President Kennedy, Dr David Nash introduces us to the central elements of the subject. Readers...