Books in the Very Short Introductions series

In this Very Short Introduction Chris Shilling considers the social significance of the human body, and the importance of the body to individual and collective identities. He examines how bodies not only shape but are shaped by the social, cultural, and material contexts in which humans live.

This Very Short Introduction maps the historical development of chemistry from man's earliest exploration in the Stone Age to the nanotechnology of today's materials science. In this succinct but comprehensive overview Brock balances the approaches to - and interpretations of - the subject, revealing chemistry's rich and diverse history.

In this Very Short Introduction, leading historian of science Owen Gingerich offers a fascinating portrait of Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543), who developed the concept of a heliocentric universe and is a pivotal figure in the birth of modern science.

This Very Short Introduction considers the history of Italy from the Risorgimento (the movement leading to Italian Unification in 1861) to the present. It also discusses Italy's political system and style of government; economic modernisation; emigration, internal migration and immigration; and the modern Italian culture and lifestyle.

The weather affects everyone on Earth, influencing both our day-to-day decisions and long term plans for leisure and work. But the Earth's weather systems are extremely complex, and conditions and events may have an effect 'half a world away'. Storm Dunlop explores the processes at work behind our daily weather.

Organic chemistry concerns the properties and synthesis of carbon-based molecules. Carbon atoms can concatenate into long chains and cyclic compounds, bonding with a variety of other elements, so the possible structures are almost limitless. Graham Patrick explores the world of organic chemistry and its wide applications.

A project is a temporary organization of people and resources brought together to achieve a one-off objective. Andrew Davies explains how and why the project approach is central to success in creating products and services, constructing major infrastructure, launching entrepreneurial ventures, implementing strategies, even landing a man on the moon.

Stephen J. Davis considers the phenomenon of monasticism from antiquity to the present day, addressing key questions about monastic spirituality and practice. Looking at Christian, Jainism, and Buddhist traditions of monasticism, Davis explores the life and beliefs of those in monasteries, and considers the role of monasticism in the modern world.

Methodism began as renewal movement within Anglicanism in the eighteenth century, dominated the Protestant landscape of the USA in the nineteenth, and continues to be one of the most vibrant forms of Christianity worldwide today. William J Abraham traces its history, describes its particular identity and emphases, and looks to its future prospects.

Now a vital part of modern economies, the rapid growth of the finance industry in recent decades is largely due to the development of mathematical methods such as the theory of arbitrage. Asset valuation, credit trading, and fund management, now depend on these mathematical tools. Mark Davis explains the theories and their applications.

Despite the fascination with psychopaths in film, TV, and novels, psychopathy remains widely misunderstood. Most psychopaths are not murderers; most violent criminals are not psychopaths. Separating myth from fact, Essi Viding explores how we identify psychopaths, why they behave and develop the way they do, and whether treatment is possible.

Geoff Cottrell explores matter, from its familiar forms as solids, liquids, and gases to plasmas, exotic forms of quantum matter, and antimatter. Discussing the origins of matter in the Big Bang, he looks at atoms, energy, mass, and the mysterious forms of dark matter and dark energy.

Covering some of science's most divisive topics, such as philosophical issues in genetics and evolution, the philosophy of biology also encompasses more traditional philosophical questions, such as free will, essentialism, and nature vs nurture. Here, Samir Okasha outlines the core issues with which contemporary philosophy of biology is engaged.

Albert Camus is one of the best known philosophers of the twentieth century, as well as a widely read novelist. This book contextualises Camus in his troubled and conflicted times, and analyses the enduring popularity of his major philosophical and literary works in connection with contemporary political, social, and cultural issues.

Rooted in ancient astronomy, trigonometry is mathematics' powerful toolkit for scientific measurement. It has been at the heart of the study of infinity, complex and imaginary numbers, and the shape of the space itself. Our experience of the universe has been made possible, and deeply challenged, by this surprisingly deep and fruitful subject.

Korea, long in the shadows of its neighbours China and Japan, is now the object of considerable interest. This book focuses on answering several historical questions: what does it mean to be Korean? How did this nation evolve into today's sharply contrasting societies? And how does Korea fit into the larger narrative of world history?

More than one hundred and fifty years after the Civil War began, its hold on the American imagination has not abated. This Very Short Introduction offers a concise history of the era and serves as a necessary introduction to dramatic events that fundamentally reshaped the nation.

This book provides a concise introduction to the history and culture of the American South. Charles Reagan Wilson explores Southern history alongside the creative achievements that have come out of the region, producing a portrait of a complex American place.

Amid the catastrophes of the twentieth century, the Spanish Civil War continues to exert a particular fascination. The Spanish Civil War: A Very Short Introduction provides a powerfully-written explanation of the war's complex origins and course, and explores its impact on a personal and an international scale.

Do we really make our own decisions? Or are we compelled to act by factors beyond our control? This introduction is an investigation of one of the most important problems of Western philosophy. It looks at a range of issues surrounding this fundamental philosophical question, exploring it from the ideas of the Greek and medieval philosophers.

Botticelli, Holbein, Leonardo, Durer, Michelangelo: the names are familiar, as are many of the works. But who were these artists, why did they produce such memorable images, and how would their original beholders have viewed these objects? This book answers such questions by considering both famous and lesser-known artists, patrons, and works of art from the period.

In the middle of the great, global twentieth-century crisis, the Great Depression forced the United States to adopt policies at odds with its political traditions. This very short introduction to that crisis and those policies provides readers with a summary of the global impact and effect of the economic contraction and the American reaction.

The award-winning Lincoln authority Allen C. Guelzo offers here a penetrating look into the mind of one of our greatest presidents. The author takes us on a wide-ranging exploration of seven problems that confronted Lincoln, setting these problems and Lincoln's responses against the larger world of trans-Atlantic liberal democracy in the 19th century, comparing Lincoln not just to Andrew Jackson or John Calhoun, but to British thinkers such as Cobden, Bentham, and Bright, and to French observers de Tocqueville and Guizot.

Known as the 'father' of electrical engineering, Michael Faraday is one of the best known scientific figures of all time. In this Very Short Introduction, Frank A.J.L James looks at Faraday's life and works, examining the institutional context in which he lived and worked, his scientific research, and his continuing legacy in science today.

In this Very Short Introduction Terence Allen introduces the reader to the full spectrum of microscopy techniques and advances. Explaining the history of microscopic techniques, development, principles, and recent technological advances, this is an ideal introduction for anyone studying the life sciences, physical sciences, and engineering.

Where does our conscience come from, and how reliable is it? Exploring its deep historical roots, Paul Strohm considers what conscience has meant to successive generations. Using examples from popular culture and contemporary politics he demonstrates that conscience is as important today as it has ever been.

This Very Short Introduction chronicles the trends and traditions of modern Latin American literature, arguing that Latin American literature developed as a continent-wide phenomenon, not just an assemblage of national literatures, in moments of political crisis. With the Spanish American War came Modernismo, the end of World War I and the Mexican Revolution produced the avant-garde, and the Cuban Revolution sparked a movement in the novel that came to be known as the Boom. Within this narrative, the author covers all of the major writers of Latin American literature, from Andres Bello and Jose Maria de Heredia, through Borges and Garcia Marquez, to Fernando Vallejo and Roberto Bolano.