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Very short introductions volume 226
Language
English
Description
"From the sudden expansion of a cloud of gas or the cooling of tea, to the unfolding of a thought in our minds and even the course of life itself, everything is governed by the four Laws of Thermodynamics. These laws specify the nature of 'energy' and 'temperature', and establish the arrow of time: why things change and why death must come." "Originally published as Four Laws that Drive the Universe, this topic is now brought into the Very Short Introduction...
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Very short introductions volume 5
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English
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Description
Hinduism is practiced by about 80 percent of India's population, and by about 30 million people outside India. But how is Hinduism defined, and what basis does the religion have? In this Very Short Introduction, Kim Knott provides clear insight into the beliefs and authority of Hindus and Hinduism, and considers the ways in which it has been affected by colonialism and modernity. The author also considers the challenges posed to Hinduism at the end...
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Series
Very short introductions volume 126
Language
English
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Description
What is socialism? Does it have a future, or has it become an outdated ideology in the 21st century? This Very Short Introduction considers the major theories in socialism, and explores its historical evolution from the French Revolution to the present day. Michael Newman argues that socialism has always been a diverse doctrine, while nevertheless containing a central core of interconnected values and goals: a critique of capitalism; an optimistic...
Author
Series
Very short introductions volume 609
Language
English
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Description
"For better or worse, be it militarily, diplomatically, politically, economically, or culturally, Americans have had a profound role in shaping the wider world beyond them. Unsurprisingly, most non-Americans have passionate views about the nature of U.S. foreign policy. America has been a savior to some, a curse to others-and both have good reason to feel that way. And yet, such views are often also based on a caricature of American actions and intentions....
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Series
Very short introductions volume 558
Language
English
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Description
"Humanity's impact on the planet has been profound. From fire, intensive hunting, and agriculture, it has accelerated into rapid climate change, widespread pollution, plastic accumulation, and the mass extinction of species--changes that have left a mark in the geological record of the rocks. Yet, the proposal for a new unit of geological time--the Anthropocene Epoch--has raised debate far beyond geological circles. The Anthropocene has emerged as...
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English
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Description
"American Poetry: A Very Short Introduction proposes a new theory of American poetry. Written in engaging language and enlivened with illuminating examples, it shows that two characteristics mark the vast, contentious literature. On the one hand, several of its major poets and critics claim that America needs a poetry equal to the country's own distinctiveness. On the other hand, American poetry welcomes techniques, styles, and traditions that originate...
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Series
Very short introductions volume 62
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English
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Description
From the Publisher: Schopenhauer is considered to be the most readable of German philosophers. This book gives a succinct explanation of his metaphysical system, concentrating on the original aspects of his thought, which inspired many artists and thinkers including Nietzsche, Wagner, Freud, and Wittgenstein. Schopenhauer's central notion is that of the will-a blind, irrational force that he uses to interpret both the human mind and the whole of...
Author
Series
Very short introductions volume 160
Language
English
Formats
Description
"Until recently, Africa was seen by the outside world as being without history, a continent left behind in the wider story of human progress. But our understanding of the African past is very different today. This Very Short Introduction examines the changing ways in which African history has been understood and represented by historians and by Africans themselves. Examples drawn from across the continent and from the African diaspora beyond are used...
Author
Series
Very short introductions volume 157
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English
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Description
Looks at the global phenomenon of human migration--both legal and illegal-revealing how migration actually presents opportunities that must be taken advantage of in light of the current economic climate. The author debunks myths such as the claim that migrants take jobs away from local workers, or that they take advantage of health care systems. He reveals why society as we now know it could not function without them. Using interviews with migrants...
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Very short introductions volume 633
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English
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Description
In the book of Genesis, God bestows a new name upon Abram -- Abraham, a father of many nations. With this name and his Covenant, Abraham would become the patriarch of three of the world's major religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Connected by their mutual -- if differentiated -- veneration of the One God proclaimed by Abraham, these traditions share much beyond their origins in the ancient Israel of the Old Testament. This Very Short Introduction...
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Series
Very short introductions volume 578
Language
English
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Description
"From early slave rebels to radical reformers of the Civil War era and beyond, the struggle to end slavery was a diverse, dynamic, and ramifying social movement. In this succinct narrative, Richard S. Newman examines the key people, themes, and ideas that animated abolitionism in the eighteenth- and nineteenth-centuries in the United States and internationally. Filled with portraits of key abolitionists - including Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd...
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Series
Very short introductions volume 222
Language
English
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Description
Neoliberalism: A Very Short Introduction explores the considerable variations of neoliberalism around the world, and discusses the origins, evolution, and core ideas of neoliberalism. Neoliberalism emerged as the world's dominant economic paradigm in the 1990s. The global financial crash of 2008 and the subsequent emergence of more nationalist ideologies have challenged both neoliberal assumptions and related financial systems-a development most spectacularly...
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English
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"Many scholars believe that the framers of the Constitution intended Congress to be the preeminent branch of government. Indeed, no other legislature in the world approaches its power. Yet most Americans have only a murky idea of how it works. In The U.S. Congress, Donald A. Ritchie, a congressional historian for more than thirty years, takes readers on a fascinating, behind-the-scenes tour of Capitol Hill--pointing out the key players, explaining...
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Very short introductions volume 626
Language
English
Description
Born of the desire to understand the workings of motions of the heavenly bodies, trigonometry gave the ancient Greeks the ability to predict their futures. Most of what we see of the subject in school comes from these heavenly origins; 15th century astronomer Regiomontanus called it 'the foot of the ladder to the stars'. In this book, Glen Van Brummelen shows how trigonometry connects mathematics to science, and has today become an indispensable tool...
Author
Series
Very short introductions volume 179
Language
English
Description
This Very Short Introduction looks at the science of nuclear weapons and how they differ from conventional weapons. Tracing the story of the nuclear bomb, Joseph Siracusa chronicles the race to acquire the H-bomb, a thermonuclear weapon with revolutionary implications; and the history of early arms control, nuclear deterrence, and non-proliferation. He also tracks the development of nuclear weapons from the origins of the Cold War in 1945 to the end...
Author
Series
Very short introductions volume 36
Language
English
Description
The European Union (EU) stands out as a fascinatingly unique political organisation. On the one hand, it has shown the potential for developing deep and wide-ranging cooperation between member states, going far beyond that found anywhere else in the world. On the other, it is currently in the throes of a phase of profound uncertainty about its viability and future. Showing how and why the EU has developed from 1950 to the present day, this Very Short...
Author
Series
Very short introductions volume 217
Language
English
Description
"Public interest in biblical archaeology is at an all-time high, as television documentaries pull in millions of viewers to watch shows on the Exodus, the Ark of the Covenant, and the so-called Lost Tomb of Jesus. Important discoveries with relevance to the Bible are made virtually every year--during 2007 and 2008 alone researchers announced at least seven major discoveries in Israel, five of them in or near Jerusalem. Biblical Archaeology offers...
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