Oxford Very Short Introductions (VSI)

• Author(s): David Wallace • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Physics and Astronomy • BISAC: Physics - GeneralVery Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring Philosophy of physics is concerned with the deepest ...

• Author(s): Margaret A. Boden • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Computer Science and Information Technology • BISAC: Computer ScienceThe applications of Artificial Intelligence lie all around us; in our homes, scho...

• Author(s): William Bynum • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • BISAC: HistoryAgainst the backdrop of unprecedented concern for the future of health care, this Very Short Introduction surveys the history of medicine from classi...

• Author(s): Thomas Dixon • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Religion and Philosophy • BISAC: Religion & ScienceVery Short Introductionsb: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring Debates about science and religion are rarely...

• Author(s): Nowell-Smith • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • BISAC: Film - History & CriticismCinema was the first, and is arguably still the greatest, of the industrialized art forms that came to dominate the cultural li...

• Author(s): Bernard Wood • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Bio-Science and Agriculture • BISAC: Life Sciences - EvolutionThis Very Short Introduction traces the history of paleoanthropology from its beginnings in t...

• Author(s): Belinda Jack • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • BISAC: LiteracyToday many people take reading for granted, but we remain some way off from attaining literacy for the global human population. And whilst we think W...

• Author(s): Mike Goldsmith • Publisher: Oxford University Press • Publisher Imprint: Oxford University Press

• Author(s): John Bowker • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • BISAC: AgnosticismWho or what is God? How do different religions interpret His existence? How can we know God? Many people believe in God, not just throughout histor...

• Author(s): Simon Glendinning • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Religion and Philosophy • BISAC: Movements - DeconstructionJacques Derrida, the French philosopher, developed his critical technique known as 'deconst...

• Author(s): Eric R Scerri • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Chemistry • BISAC: Chemistry - AnalyticThe periodic table of elements, first encountered by many of us at school, provides an arrangement of the chemical ...

• Author(s): Sue Hamilton • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Religion and Philosophy • BISAC: EasternIndia has a long, rich, and diverse tradition of philosophical thought, spanning some two and a half millennia and ...

• Author(s): Jenann Ismael • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Physics and Astronomy • BISAC: Physics - GeneralAbout the Book What is time? What does it mean for time to pass? Is it possible to travel in time? What is...

• Author(s): Richard Whatmore • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Politics and Current Affairs • BISAC: Political Ideologies - GeneralThinking about politics has tended to be historical in nature because of the compar...

• Author(s): Veronique Mottier • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • BISAC: Human Sexuality (see also Social Science - Human Sexuality)Is our sexuality a product of our genes, or of society, culture, and politics? How have views...

• Author(s): Vlad Glaveanu • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Education & Psychology • BISAC: Sociology - GeneralAbout the Book Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring For thousands of years humanit...

• Author(s): Kevin Passmore • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • BISAC: Political Ideologies - Fascism & TotalitarianismWhat is fascism? Is it revolutionary? Or is it reactionary? Can it be both? Fascism is notoriously hard...

• Author(s): Peter Singer • Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA • Publisher Imprint: Oxford University Press, USA • BISAC: Individual PhilosophersKarl Marx is one of the most influential philosophers of all time, whose theories have shaped an...

• Author(s): Robin Attfield • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Religion and Philosophy • BISAC: Ethics & Moral PhilosophyEnvironmental ethics is a relatively new branch of philosophy, which studies the values and...

• Author(s): Richard Passingham | Richard • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Education & Psychology • BISAC: Cognitive ScienceUp to the 1960s, psychology was deeply under the influence of behaviourism, which focu...

• Author(s): Robin Wilson • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • BISAC: Number TheoryNumber theory is the branch of mathematics that is primarily concerned with the counting numbers. Of particular importance are the prime numbers...

• Author(s): Mathews • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: English Literature • BISAC: Linguistics - GeneralLinguistics falls in the gap between arts and science, on the edges of which the most fascinating discoveries a...

• Author(s): Peter K Smith • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Sociology and Anthropology • BISAC: Developmental - AdolescentAdolescence is a turbulent period to live through and a time of importance and concern to pa...

• Author(s): Mark Maslin • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • BISAC: WeatherIn this wide-ranging Very Short Introduction to climate, Mark Maslin considers all aspects of the global climate system, exploring and explaining the d...

• Author(s): Jerry Brotton • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: History • BISAC: Europe - RenaissanceMore than ever before, the Renaissance stands out as one of the defining moments in world history. Between 1400 and 1...

• Author(s): Matthew Reynolds • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: English Literature • BISAC: Translating & InterpretingTranslation is everywhere, and matters to everybody. Translation doesn't only give us foreign...

• Author(s): Michael Hoskin • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Physics and Astronomy • BISAC: HistoryAbout the Book This is a fascinating introduction to the history of Western astronomy, from prehistoric times to th...

• Author(s): Ashley Jackson • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: History • BISAC: Europe - Great Britain - GeneralFrom the eighteenth century until the 1950s the British Empire was the biggest political entity in the w...

• Author(s): Simon Horobin • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: English Literature • BISAC: Linguistics - Historical & ComparativeThe English language is spoken by more than a billion people throughout the world. B...

• Author(s): Ian J. Deary • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Education & Psychology • BISAC: Cognitive Psychology & CognitionSome people are cleverer than others. This everyday observation is the subject of a...

• Author(s): Richard Earl • Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA • Publisher Imprint: Oxford University Press, USA • BISAC: Numerical AnalysisVery Short Introductions: Brilliant, sharp, inspiring The 17th-century calculus of Newton and Leibniz...

• Author(s): Andrew Robinson • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Writing/Research Methods • BISAC: LiteracyWithout writing, there would be no records, no history, no books, and no emails. Writing is an integral and es...

• Author(s): Tom Burns • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Education & Psychology • BISAC: Clinical PsychologyPsychiatry is an endlessly controversial endeavour, incorporating emotively-charged questions over the ...

• Author(s): Michael J. Benton • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Medical, Nursing and Health Sciences • BISAC: Life Sciences - EvolutionThere are few stories more remarkable than the evolution of life on earth. This...

• Author(s): Graham Patrick • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Chemistry • BISAC: Chemistry - OrganicAbout the Book Organic chemistry is the chemistry of compounds of carbon. The ability of carbon to link together to...

• Author(s): Mark Katz • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: History • BISAC: History & Criticism - GeneralMark Katz surveys the age-old interrelationship between music and technology, from prehistoric musical instr...

• Author(s): Simon Blackburn • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Sociology and Anthropology • BISAC: Ethics & Moral PhilosophyVery Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring Our self-image as moral, well-beh...

• Author(s): Dana Arnold • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • BISAC: European - GeneralArt history encompasses the study of the history and development of painting, sculpture and the other visual arts. In this Very Short Introd...

• Author(s): Uta Frith • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Medical, Nursing and Health Sciences • BISAC: Psychopathology - Autism Spectrum DisordersWhat causes autism? Is it a genetic disorder, or due to some unknown ...

• Author(s): Nick Middleton • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Earth-Science/Environment • BISAC: Ecosystems & Habitats - RiversRivers have acted as cradles for civilization and agents of disaster; a river may be...

• Author(s): John Polkinghorne • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Physics and Astronomy • BISAC: Physics - Quantum TheoryQuantum Theory is the most revolutionary discovery in physics since Newton. This book gives a l...

• Author(s): Gary Gutting • Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA • Publisher Imprint: Oxford University Press, USA • BISAC: History & Surveys - ModernBorn in 1926 in France, Foucault is one of those rare philosophers who has become a cult ...

• Author(s): Chris Gosden • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: History • BISAC: ReferencePrehistory covers the period of some 4 million years before the start of written history, when our earliest ancestors, the Austra...

• Author(s): Geraldine A Johnson • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: History • BISAC: European - GeneralBotticelli, Holbein, Leonardo, Dürer, Michelangelo: the names are familiar, as are the works, such as the Last Su...

• Author(s): Virginia Berridge • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Sociology and Anthropology • BISAC: Public HealthPublic health is a term much used in the media, by health professionals, and by activists. At the nat...

• Author(s): Monaghan John | Peter Just • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • BISAC: Anthropology - Cultural & SocialSocial & Cultural Anthropology: A Very Short Introduction is a book that helps its readers in understan...

• Author(s): Frank Close • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Religion and Philosophy • BISAC: Movements - ExistentialismWhat is 'nothing'? What remains when you take all the matter away? Can empty space - a void - exi...

• Author(s): Vaughan Lowe • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • BISAC: InternationalAbout the Book Interest in international law has increased greatly over the past decade, largely because of its key role in such hot-button issu...

• Author(s): Tyler Amanda • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Law and Criminology • BISAC: ConstitutionalLegal scholar Amanda L. Tyler discusses the history and future of habeas corpus in America and around the world....

• Author(s): Daniel M. Haybron • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Religion and Philosophy • BISAC: GeneralHappiness is an everyday term in our lives, and most of us strive to be happy. But defining happiness can be d...

• Author(s): Michael Allingham • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Economics • BISAC: Economics - TheoryWe make choices all the time - about trivial matters, about how to spend our money, about how to spend our time, ...

• Author(s): Pippa Virdee • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Sociology and Anthropology • BISAC: Middle East - GeneralWhat is Pakistan? The name refers to a seventy-year-old post-colonial product of the bloodiest par...

• Author(s): Raymond Wacks • Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA • Publisher Imprint: Oxford University Press, USA • BISAC: GeneralThe concept of law lies at the heart of our social and political life, shaping the character of our community a...

• Author(s): Gary Thomas • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Education & Psychology • BISAC: GeneralSince the early Egyptians human beings have formalised the business of learning, setting up a designated environm...

• Author(s): Alain Goriely • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Mathematics and Statistics • BISAC: AppliedMathematics is playing an increasingly important role in society and the sciences, enhancing our ability to use...

• Author(s): Miri Rubin • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: History • BISAC: Europe - MedievalThe Middle Ages is a term coined around 1450 to describe a thousand years of European History. In this Very Short Introduct...

• Author(s): Essi Viding • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Education & Psychology • BISAC: Forensic PsychologyAbout the Book Psychopathy is a personality disorder that has long captured the public imagination. N...

• Author(s): Charles Townshend • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Politics and Current Affairs • BISAC: TerrorismIs one person's terrorist another's freedom fighter? Is terrorism crime or war? Can there be a 'War on ...

• Author(s): Mike Goldsmith • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Engineering • BISAC: Acoustics & SoundThis Very Short Introduction explores the science of sound and its nature, hearing and harmony. Considering sou...

• Author(s): Eve C. Johnstone • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • BISAC: Psychopathology - SchizophreniaSchizophrenia is the archetypal form of madness. Schizophrenia is a common disorder and has a devastating effect on suffer...