Introducing Sociology (pocket-sized version)

What is sociology? Simply, it is the study of how society functions, or in some cases, does not function. Various competing schools of sociology have attempted to fit observations of social phenomena into different conceptual systems. Introducing Sociology traces the origins of these systems from Enlightenment thought and the pioneering work of Auguste Comte to subsequent developments in Karl Mar…

Introducing Buddha

  'An exemplary introduction ... persuasive and intelligently critical.' Times Educational Supplement Meditation, Karma, Zen, Tantric, Nirvana - these are some of the many Buddhist ideas that have entered our Western popular idiom, usually inappropriately and half-baked. What is the truth of Buddhism, its history and variety of practices? This vast and complex non-theistic religion is w…

Introducing Hinduism (COMPACT EDITION)

Hinduism is said to be the world's oldest religion. Yet the word 'Hindu' is of foreign 18th-century origin. Hinduism is defined as a polytheistic religion, but Mahatma Gandhi famously declared that one can be a Hindu without believing in any god. Hinduism appears to accommodate endless contradictions. It is a religion at least as much of myth as of history - it has no historical founder, no singl…

Introducing Critical Theory

The last few decades have seen an explosion in the production of critical theories, with deconstructionists, poststructuralists, postmodernists, second-wave feminists, new historicists, cultural materialists, postcolonialists, black critics and queer theorists, among a host of others, all vying for our attention. The world around us can look very different depending on the critical theory …

Introducing Cultural Studies

  Cultural Studies signals a major academic revolution as we begin the new millennium. But what exactly is it, and how is it applied? It is a discipline that claims not to be a discipline - a radical critical approach for understanding racial, national, social and gender identities. Introducing Cultural Studies provides an incisive tour through the minefield of this complex subject, chartin…

Introducing Darwin and Evolution

Progress in genetics today would not have been possible without Darwin's revolution, but the mysterious man who undermined belief in God's creation was remarkably timid. He spent most of his life in seclusion, a semi-invalid, riddled with doubts, fearing the controversy his theories might unleash. In this classic bestseller, Jonathan Miller unravels Darwin's life and his contribution to biolo…

Introducing Cultural Studies: A Graphical Novel (EBOOK:PDF)

Cultural Studies signals a major academic revolution as we begin the new millennium. But what exactly is it, and how is it applied? It is a discipline that claims not to be a discipline - a radical critical approach for understanding racial, national, social and gender identities. Introducing Cultural Studies provides an incisive tour through the minefield of this complex subject, charting its or…

Introducing Critical Theory: A Graphic Novel (EBOOK:PDF)

  The last few decades have seen an explosion in the production of critical theories, with deconstructionists, poststructuralists, postmodernists, second-wave feminists, new historicists, cultural materialists, postcolonialists, black critics and queer theorists, among a host of others, all vying for our attention. The world around us can look very different depending on the critical theory…

Introducing Genetics

Genetics is the newest of all sciences - nothing useful was known about inheritance until just over a century ago. Now genetics is exploding, and before long we will have the complete code, written in three thousand million letters of DNA, of what makes a human being. Introducing Genetics takes us from the early work of Mendel to the discovery of DNA, the human gene map and the treatment…

Introducing Hinduism

Hinduism is said to be the world's oldest religion. Yet the word 'Hindu' is of foreign 18th-century origin. Hinduism is defined as a polytheistic religion, but Mahatma Gandhi famously declared that one can be a Hindu without believing in any god. Hinduism appears to accommodate endless contradictions. It is a religion at least as much of myth as of history - it has no historical founder, no si…

Introducing Mathematics

What is mathematics, and why is it such a mystery to so many people? Mathematics is the greatest creation of human intelligence. It affects us all. We depend on it in our daily lives, and yet many of the tools of mathematics, such as geometry, algebra and trigonometry, are descended from ancient or non-Western civilizations. Introducing Mathematics traces the story of mathematics…

Introducing Science

Our world is inconceivable without science. Its discoveries benefit us - antibiotics, computers, space travel, gene-mapping - and reveal the secrets of human evolution, the cosmos and our place in it. Science also threatens us with the risks of nuclear holocaust, eugenics and the pollution of our ecosystem. How do we reconcile the advantages of science with its perils? What do scientists actually …

Introducing Sociology

  What is sociology? Simply, it is the study of how society functions, or in some cases, does not function. Various competing schools of sociology have attempted to fit observations of social phenomena into different conceptual systems. Introducing Sociology traces the origins of these systems from Enlightenment thought and the pioneering work of Auguste Comte to subsequent developments in …

Introducing Statistics

From the medicine we take, the treatments we receive, the aptitude and psychometric tests given by employers, the cars we drive, the clothes we wear to even the beer we drink, statistics have given shape to the world we inhabit. For the media, statistics are routinely 'damning', 'horrifying', or, occasionally, 'encouraging'. Yet, for all their ubiquity, most of us really don't know what to make o…

Introducing Economics: A Graphic Guide (PAPERBACK)

Brand-new INTRODUCING guide to the subject that makes the world go roundEconomics was described by the English economist Lionel Robbins in 1935 as ‘the science of scarcity’ but these days economics is everywhere, and it’s never been more popular – as bestselling books such as Freakonomics attest.But what is economics really all about? What do the great economists think, and…

Introducing Cultural Studies: A Graphic Guide

Cultural Studies signals a major academic revolution as we begin the new millennium. But what exactly is it, and how is it applied? It is a discipline that claims not to be a discipline - a radical critical approach for understanding racial, national, social and gender identities. Introducing Cultural Studies provides an incisive tour through the minefield of this complex subject, charting its or…

Introducing Darwin: A Graphic Guide

Progress in genetics today would not have been possible without Darwin's revolution, but the mysterious man who undermined belief in God's creation was remarkably timid. He spent most of his life in seclusion, a semi-invalid, riddled with doubts, fearing the controversy his theories might unleash. In this classic bestseller, Jonathan Miller unravels Darwin's life and his contribution to biology …

Introducing Genetics: A Graphic Guide (PAPERBACK)

Compact INTRODUCING guide to Genetics by bestselling science writer Steve Jones.Genetics is the newest of all sciences - nothing useful was known about inheritance until just over a century ago. Now genetics is exploding, and before long we will have the complete code - written in three thousand million letters of DNA - of what makes a human being.Introducing Genetics takes us from the early work …

Introducing Mathematics: A Graphic Guide (PAPERBACK)

Compact INTRODUCING guide to the greatest creation of human intelligence.What is mathematics, and why is it such a mystery to so many people? Mathematics is the greatest creation of human intelligence. It affects us all. We depend on it in our daily lives, and yet many of the tools of mathematics, such as geometry, algebra and trigonometry, are descended from ancient or non-Western civilizations.I…

Introducing Philosophy of Science: A Graphic Guide (PAPERBACK)

Compact INTRODUCING guide to the theory behind science.Our world is inconceivable without science. Its discoveries benefit us - antibiotics, computers, space travel, gene-mapping - and reveal the secrets of human evolution, the cosmos and our place in it. Science also threatens us with the risks of nuclear holocaust, eugenics and the pollution of our ecosystem. How do we reconcile the advantages o…

Introducing Psychotherapy: A Graphic Guide (PAPERBACK)

  Compact INTRODUCING guide to the world of psychotherapy. What exactly is psychotherapy? And how can you choose which method is best for you? This title offers a comprehensive guide to some of the main aspects of psychotherapy including psychoanalysis, behavioural and cognitive techniques, and individual and group therapies, as well as exploring the lesser-known areas of complimentary and …

Introducing Media Studies: A Graphic Guide

No one can escape the influence of the media. Every day we watch hours of TV, listen to the radio, read newspapers and magazines, go to the cinema, sit in front of videos or surf the Web. These information commodities exercise enormous influence and power over all of us. "Introducing Media Studies" explores the complex relationship between the media, ideology, knowledge and power. It provides…