Browse by category
Existentialism: A Very Short Introduction by Thomas Flynn
Category: Fiction | Series: Very Short Introductions
Existentialism was one of the leading philosophical movements of the twentieth century. Focusing on its seven leading figures, Sartre, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Kierkegaard, de Beauvoir, Merleau-Ponty and Camus, this "Very Short Introduction" provides a clear account of the key themes of the movement which ...Show more
Extinction A Very Short Introduction by Wignall Paul B
Category: Science | Series: Very Short Introductions Ser.
Most people are familiar with the dodo and the dinosaur, but extinction has occurred throughout the history of life, with the result that nearly all the species that have ever existed are now extinct. Today, species are disappearing at an ever increasing rate, whilst past losses have occurred during sev ...Show more
Fairy Tale by Marina Warner
Category: Languages and Reference | Series: Very Short Introductions Ser.
From wicked queens, beautiful princesses, elves, monsters, and goblins, to giants, glass slippers, poisoned apples, magic keys, and mirrors, the characters and images of fairy tales have cast a spell over readers and audiences, both adults and children, for centuries. These fantastic storieshave travell ...Show more
Fashion (A Very Short Introduction) by Rebecca Arnold
Category: Fashion | Series: Very Short Introductions Ser.
Fashion is a dynamic global industry that plays an important role in the economic, political, cultural, and social lives of an international audience. It spans high art and popular culture, and plays a significant role in material and visual culture. This book introduces fashion's myriad influences and ...Show more
Feminism by Margaret Walters
Category: History | Series: Very Short Introductions Ser.
How much have women's lives really changed? In the West women still come up against the 'glass ceiling' at work, most earning considerably less than their male counterparts. What are we to make of the now commonplace insistence that feminism deprives men of their rights and dignities? And how does one t ...Show more
Film Noir A Very Short Introduction by Naremore James
Category: Film | Series: Very Short Introductions Ser.
Film noir, one of the most intriguing yet difficult to define terms in cinema history, is usually associated with a series of darkly seductive Hollywood thrillers from the 1940s and 50s--shadowy, black-and-white pictures about private eyes, femme fatales, outlaw lovers, criminal heists, corrupt police, ...Show more
Forensic Science: A Very Short Introduction by Jim Fraser
Category: Science | Series: Very Short Introductions Ser.
Forensic science is a subject of wide fascination. What happens at a crime scene? How does DNA profiling work? How can it help solve crimes that happened 20 years ago? In forensic science, a criminal case can often hinge on a piece of evidence such as a hair, a blood trace, half a footprint, or a tyre m ...Show more
Forests: a Very Short Introduction by Jaboury Ghazoul
Category: History | Series: Very Short Introductions Ser.
Since the dawn of human civilization, forests have provided us with food, resources, and energy. The history of human development is also one of forest loss and transformation, and yet even in our increasingly urbanized societies we remain surprisingly dependent on forests for a wide range ofgoods and s ...Show more
Foucault: A Very Short Introduction by Gary Gutting
Category: Philosophy and Religion | Series: Very Short Introductions Ser.
From aesthetics to the penal system, and from madness and civilization to avant-garde literature, Foucault was happy to reject old models of thinking and replace them with fresh versions that are still being debated today. A major influence on Queer Theory and gender studies (he was openly gay and died ...Show more
Foucault: A Very Short Introduction by Gary Gutting
Category: No Category | Series: Very Short Introductions
Highlights Foucault's life and thought, showing his impact on society. Beginning with a brief biography to set the social and political stage, this VSI then tackles Foucault's thoughts on literature, in particular the avant-garde scene; his philosophical and historical work; and his treatment of knowled ...Show more
Free Speech: A Very Short Introduction by Nigel Warburton
Category: Politics | Series: Very Short Introductions Ser.
'I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it' This slogan, attributed to Voltaire, is frequently quoted by defenders of free speech. Yet it is rare to find anyone prepared to defend all expression in every circumstance, especially if the views expressed incite viole ...Show more
Free Will by Thomas Pink
Category: Culture | Series: Very Short Introductions Ser.
Every day we seem to make and act upon all kinds of choices: some trivial, others so consequential that they change the course of one's life, or even the course of history. But are these choices really free, or are we compelled to act the way we do by factors beyond our control? Is the feeling that we c ...Show more