The History of Life: A Very Short Introduction (Benton Michael J.)(Paperback)

The History of Life: A Very Short Introduction (Benton Michael J.)(Paperback)

Here is the extraordinary story of the unfolding of life on Earth, told by Michael J. Benton, a world-renowned authority on biodiversity. Ranging over four billion years, Benton weaves together the latest findings on fossils, earth history, evolutionary biology, and many other fields to highlight

Introduction to Paleobiology and the Fossil Record (Benton Michael J.)(Paperback)

This book presents a comprehensive overview of the science of the history of life. Paleobiologists bring many analytical tools to bear in interpreting the fossil record and the book introduces the latest techniques, from multivariate investigations of biogeography and biostratigraphy to engineering

Romanticism: A Very Short Introduction (Ferber Michael)(Paperback)

In this Very Short Introduction, Michael Ferber explores Romanticism during the period of its incubation, birth, and growth, covering the years roughly from 1760 to 1860. This is the only introduction to Romanticism that incorporates not only the English but the Continental movements, and not only

The History of Mathematics: A Very Short Introduction (Stedall Jacqueline)(Paperback)

This Very Short Introduction explores the rich historical and cultural diversity of mathematical practice, ranging from the distant past to the present. Historian Jacqueline Stedall shows that mathematical ideas are far from being fixed, but are adapted and changed by their passage across periods

Magnetism: A Very Short Introduction (Blundell Stephen J.)(Paperback)

In this Very Short Introduction, Stephen J. Blundell illuminates the mysterious force of magnetism. For centuries, magnetism has been used for various purposes--through compasses it gave us the ability to navigate, and through motors, generators, and turbines, it has given us power. Blundell

The Aztecs: A Very Short Introduction (Carrasco David)(Paperback)

This Very Short Introduction employs the disciplines of history, religious studies, and anthropology as it illuminates the complexities of Aztec life. Readers meet a people highly skilled in sculpture, astronomy, city planning, poetry, and philosophy, who were also profoundly committed to cosmic

When Life Nearly Died: The Greatest Mass Extinction of All Time (Benton Michael J.)(Paperback)

Human Evolution: A Very Short Introduction (Wood Bernard)(Paperback)

This Very Short Introduction traces the history of paleoanthropology from its beginnings in the eighteenth century to the latest fossil finds. Although concentrating on the fossil evidence for human evolution, it also covers the latest genetic evidence about regional variations in the modern human

Military Strategy: A Very Short Introduction (Echevarria Antulio J.)(Paperback)

Distilling the ideas of the greatest military theoreticians of history, including Sun Tzu, Niccol� Machiavelli, and Carl von Clausewitz, Antulio J. Echevarria II presents a fascinating account of the art of the general. Drawing on historical examples, from Hannibal's war against Rome to

Film: A Very Short Introduction (Wood Michael)(Paperback)

Film is arguably the dominant art form of the twentieth century. In this Very Short Introduction, Michael Wood offers a wealth of insight into the nature of film, considering its role and impact on society as well as its future in the digital age. As Wood notes, film is many things, but it has

The Cold War: A Very Short Introduction (McMahon Robert J.)(Paperback)

Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring The Cold War dominated international life from the end of World War II to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. But how did the conflict begin? Why did it move from its initial origins in Postwar Europe to encompass virtually every corner of

The Brain: A Very Short Introduction (O'Shea Michael)(Paperback)

The Brain: A Very Short Introduction provides a non-technical introduction to the main issues and findings in current brain research and gives a sense of how neuroscience addresses questions about the relationship between the brain and the mind. Short, clear discussions on the mechanical workings

The History of Physics: A Very Short Introduction (Heilbron J. L.)(Paperback)

How does the physics we know today - a highly professionalized enterprise, inextricably linked to government and industry - link back to its origins as a liberal art in Ancient Greece? What is the path that leads from the old philosophy of nature and its concern with humankind's place in the

The History of Medicine: A Very Short Introduction (Bynum William)(Paperback)

Against the backdrop of unprecedented concern for the future of health care, this Very Short Introduction surveys the history of medicine from classical times, through the scholastic medieval tradition and the Enlightenment to the present day. Taking a thematic rather than strictly chronological

Islamic History: A Very Short Introduction (Silverstein Adam J.)(Paperback)

Opening with a lucid overview of the rise and spread of Islam, from the seventh to the twenty-first century, this Very Short Introduction introduces the story of Islamic history, charting the evolution of what was originally a small, localized community of believers into an international religion

The History of Childhood: A Very Short Introduction (Marten James)(Paperback)

While children are a relatively unchanging fact of life, childhood is a constantly shifting concept. Throughout the millennia, the age at which a child becomes a youth and a youth becomes an adult has varied by gender, class, religion, ethnicity, place, and economic need. As author James Marten

Volcanoes: A Very Short Introduction (Branney Michael J.)(Paperback)

Volcanoes are some of the most dramatic expressions of the powerful tectonic forces at work in the Earth beneath our feet. But volcanism, a profoundly important feature of Earth, and indeed of other planets and moons too, encompasses much more than just volcanoes themselves. On a planetary scale,

Art History: A Very Short Introduction (Arnold Dana)(Paperback)

Art history encompasses the study of the history and development of painting, sculpture and the other visual arts. In this Very Short Introduction, Dana Arnold presents an introduction to the issues, debates, and artefacts that make up art history. Beginning with a consideration of what art history

Korea: A Very Short Introduction (Seth Michael J.)(Paperback)

Having spent centuries in the shadows of its neighbours China and Japan, Korea is now the object of considerable interest for radically different reasons-- the South as an economic success story and for its vibrant popular culture; the North as the home to one of the world's most repressive

Plague: A Very Short Introduction (Slack Paul)(Paperback)

Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring Throughout history plague has been the cause of many major catastrophes. It was responsible for the 'Plague of Justinian' in 542, the Black Death of 1348, and the Great Plague of London in 1665, as well as for devastating epidemics in China and

Diplomatic History: A Very Short Introduction (Siracusa Joseph M.)(Paperback)

Diplomatic history explores the management of relations between nation-states by the process of negotiations. From the diplomacy of the American Revolution, the diplomatic origins of the Great War and its aftermath, Versailles, and the personal summitry behind the night Stalin and Churchill Divided

The First World War: A Very Short Introduction (Howard Michael)(Paperback)

Aristotle: A Very Short Introduction (Barnes Jonathan)(Paperback)

The influence of Aristotle, the prince of philosophers, on the intellectual history of the West is second to none. In this book, Jonathan Barnes examines Aristotle's scientific researches, his discoveries in logic and his metaphysical theories, his work in psychology and in ethics and politics, and

Food: A Very Short Introduction (Krebs John)(Paperback)

In this Very Short Introduction, Prof Lord John Krebs provides a brief history of human food, from our remote ancestors 3 million years ago to the present day. By looking at the four great transitions in human food - cooking, agriculture, processing, and preservation - he considers a variety of