Author: Steven Grosby
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Keywords: short, introductions, introduction, nationalism
Number of Pages: 160
Published: 2005-11-03
List price: $11.95
ISBN-10: 0192840983
ISBN-13: 9780192840981
Throughout history, humanity has borne witness to the political and moral challenges that arise when people place national identity above allegiance to geo-political states or international communities. This book discusses the concept of nations and nationalism from social, philosophical, geological, theological and anthropological perspectives. It examines the subject through conflicts past and present, including recent conflicts in the Balkans and the Middle East, rather than exclusively focusing on theory. Above all, this fascinating and comprehensive work clearly shows how feelings of nati
Author: Tim Cresswell
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
Keywords: short, geography, introductions, introduction, place
Number of Pages: 168
Published: 2004-06-14
List price: $29.95
ISBN-10: 1405106727
ISBN-13: 9781405106726
This text introduces students of human geography to the fundamental concept of place, marrying everyday uses of the term with the complex theoretical debates that have grown up around it. A short introduction to one of the most fundamental concepts in human geography. Marries everyday uses of the term "place" with the more complex theoretical debates that have grown up around it. Makes the debates intelligible to students, using familiar stories as a way into more abstract ideas. Excerpts and discusses key papers on place by Doreen Massey and David Harvey. Considers empirical examples of ways
Author: John Heskett
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Keywords: short, introductions, introduction, design
Number of Pages: 148
Published: 2005-09-22
List price: $11.95
ISBN-10: 0192854461
ISBN-13: 9780192854469
John Heskett wants to transform the way we think about design by showing how integral it is to our daily lives, from the spoon we use to eat our breakfast cereal, and the car we drive to work in, to the medical equipment used to save lives. Design combines "need" and "desire" in the form of a practical object that can also reflect the user’s identity and aspirations through its form and decoration. This concise guide to contemporary design goes beyond style and taste to look at how different cultures and individuals personalize objects. Heskett also reveals how simple objects, such as a
Author: Malise Ruthve
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Keywords: short, introductions, introduction, islam
Number of Pages: 176
Published: 2000-06-15
List price: $11.95
ISBN-10: 0192853899
ISBN-13: 9780192853899
Islam features widely in the news, often in its most militant versions. But few people in the non-Muslim world really understand the nature of Islam, both as Ideology and religion. Islam: A Very Short Introduction offers essential insight into the structure and beliefs of this major world religion. Malise Ruthven answers fundamental questions about the nature and scope of Islam such as why the greatest Jihad (holy war) is now against the enemies of Islam, rather than the struggle against evil, why Islam has such major divisions between movements such as the Shiis, the Sunnis, and the Wahhabis,
Author: Norman Solomo
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Keywords: short, introductions, introduction, judaism
Number of Pages: 160
Published: 2000-06-15
List price: $11.95
ISBN-10: 0192853902
ISBN-13: 9780192853905
Norman Solomon’s succinct book is an ideal introduction to Judaism as a religion and way of life. In addition to surveying the nature and development of Judaism, this Very Short Introduction outlines the basics of practical Judaism - its festivals, prayers, customs, and various sects. Modern concerns and debates of the Jewish people are also addressed, such as the impact of the Holocaust, the establishment of the State of Israel, the status of women, and medical and commercial ethics. This book makes fascinating reading for those who want to find out more about a people who are familiar,
Author: Bernard Crick
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Keywords: short, introductions, introduction, democracy
Number of Pages: 144
Published: 2003-01-16
List price: $11.95
ISBN-10: 019280250X
ISBN-13: 9780192802507
No political concept is more used, and misused, than that of democracy. Nearly every regime today claims to be democratic, but not all "democracies" allow free politics, and free politics existed long before democratic franchises. This book is a short account of the history of the doctrine and practice of democracy, from ancient Greece and Rome through the American, French, and Russian revolutions, and of the usages and practices associated with it in the modern world. It argues that democracy is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for good government, and that ideas of the rule of law,
Author: Jonathan K. Foster
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Keywords: short, introductions, introduction, memory
Number of Pages: 144
Published: 2008-12-15
List price: $11.95
ISBN-10: 0192806750
ISBN-13: 9780192806758
Memories are an integral part of being human. They haunt us, we cherish them, and in our lives we collect more of them with each new experience. Without memory, you would not be able to maintain a relationship, drive your car, talk to your children, read a poem, watch television, or do much of anything at all. Memory: A Very Short Introduction explores the fascinating intricacies of human memory. Is it one thing or many? Why does it seem to work well sometimes and not others? What happens when it "goes wrong"? Can it be improved or manipulated through techniques such as mnemonic rhymes or "bra
