Oxford Very Short Introductions (VSI)

• Author(s): Michael Tanner • Publisher: Oxford University Press • Publisher Imprint: Oxford University Press • BISAC: History & Surveys - ModernWith his well-known idiosyncrasies and aphoristic style, Friedrich Nietzsche is always bracing an...

• Author(s): Nicholas Cook • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Music, Theatre & Films • BISAC: GeneralVery Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring The world teems with different kinds of music--traditiona...

• Author(s): Jeffrey • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: History • BISAC: Asia - South - GeneralIndia is widely recognized as a new global powerhouse. It has become one of the world's emerging powers, rivaling China i...

• Author(s): Haselgrove • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Education & Psychology • BISAC: Cognitive Psychology & CognitionWhat is learning? How does it take place? What happens when it goes wrong? The topic ...

• Author(s): Ritchie Robertson • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: English Literature • BISAC: European - GermanFranz Kafka is among the most intriguing and influential writers of the last century. During his lifetime...

• Author(s): Ruthven, Malise • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Religion and Philosophy • BISAC: Islam - HistoryIslam dominates the news, often in stories filled with images of violence. Yet these disturbing images a...

• Author(s): Ian Stewart • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Religion and Philosophy • BISAC: InfinityInfinity is an intriguing topic, with connections to religion, philosophy, metaphysics, logic, and physics as well ...

• Author(s): Kim Knott • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Religion and Philosophy • BISAC: Hinduism - GeneralHinduism is practised by nearly eighty per cent of India's population, and by some seventy million people o...

• Author(s): John H. Arnold • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: English Literature • BISAC: HistoriographyThere are many stories we can tell about the past, and we are not, perhaps, as free as we might imagine in our ...

• Author(s): Steger • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Politics and Current Affairs • BISAC: International Relations - GeneralVery Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring We live today in an interconnected w...

• Author(s): Margaret Walters • Publisher: Oxford University Press • Publisher Imprint: Oxford University Press • BISAC: Feminism & Feminist TheoryThis is a historical account of feminism that looks at the roots of feminism, voting rights, an...

• Author(s): Jonathan Howard • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Bio-Science and Agriculture • BISAC: HistoryDarwin's theory that man's ancestors were apes caused an uproar within the scientific world, as well as publ...

• Author(s): Peter Coles • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Physics and Astronomy • BISAC: Space Science - CosmologyWritten in simple and accessible language, this non-technical introduction to cosmology, or the crea...

• Author(s): Richard Bradford • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: English Literature • BISAC: Mystery & Detective FictionCrime fiction has been one of the most popular genres since the 19th century, but has roots ...

• Author(s): Leslie Holmes • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Sociology and Anthropology • BISAC: Political Ideologies - Communism, Post-Communism & SocialismIf now in decline since the tumultuous events of 1989,...

• Author(s): Roger Scruton • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: English Literature • BISAC: AestheticsBeauty can be consoling, disturbing, sacred, profane; it can be exhilarating, appealing, inspiring, chilling. It can...

• Author(s): Baggini, Julian • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Religion and Philosophy • BISAC: EthicsAtheism is often considered to be a negative or pessimistic belief which is characterized by a rejection of value...

• Author(s): Daniel Freeman • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Health, Physical Fitness and Yoga • BISAC: GeneralAre we born with our fears or do we learn them? Why do our fears persist? What purpose does anxiety ser...

• Author(s): Peter M. Higgins • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Mathematics and Statistics • BISAC: Algebra - GeneralAlgebra marked the beginning of modern mathematics, moving it beyond arithmetic, which involves ca...

• Author(s): James Yeates • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Veterinary • BISAC: Veterinary Medicine - Small AnimalEvery year billions of animals, from housecats to racehorses to pythons, are treated by veterinarians...

• Author(s): Terence Allen • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Bio-Science and Agriculture • BISAC: Life Sciences - Cell BiologyIn this Very Short Introduction, Terrence Allen and Graham Cowling offer an illuminating ...

• Author(s): Richard Connolly • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Economics • BISAC: International - GeneralRussia today is as prominent in international affairs as it was at the height of the Cold War. Yet the role t...

• Author(s): Mike Rapport • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: History • BISAC: Europe - FranceThe Napoleonic Wars have an all-important place in the history of Europe, leaving their mark on European and world societie...

• Author(s): Barry Cunliffe • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: History • BISAC: Ancient - GeneralSavage and bloodthirsty, or civilized and peaceable? The Celts have long been a subject of enormous fascination, specul...

• Author(s): Michael Howard • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: History • BISAC: Wars & Conflicts - World War IBy the time the First World War ended in 1918, eight million people had died in what had been perhaps ...

• Author(s): Ennis B. Edmonds • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Religion and Philosophy • BISAC: Folk & TribalFrom its obscure beginnings in Jamaica in the early 1930s, Rastafari has grown into an international ...

• Author(s): Steve Edwards • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Fine Arts • BISAC: GeneralPhotographs are an integral part of our daily lives, from sensationalist images in tabloid papers, to personal family snapshots,...

• Author(s): Mark Bevir • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Politics and Current Affairs • BISAC: Public Affairs & AdministrationThe word "governance" is ubiquitous. The World Bank and the International Monetary F...

• Author(s): Mark A. Noll • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Religion and Philosophy • BISAC: Christianity - ProtestantMark A. Noll, named one of America's most influential evangelicals by Time Magazine, provides a f...

• Author(s): Ian Reader • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Religion and Philosophy • BISAC: SpiritualityPilgrimage is found in most religious cultures, with large numbers of sites - from globally renowned places to r...

• Author(s): Stephen J. Davis • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Religion and Philosophy • BISAC: MonasticismMonasticism is a social and religious phenomenon which originated in antiquity and which still remains rele...

• Author(s): Nicholas P. Money • Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA • Publisher Imprint: Oxford University Press, USA • BISAC: Life Sciences - MicrobiologyIn recent decades we have come to realize that the microbial world is hugely diverse, ...

• Author(s): E. P. Sanders • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Religion and Philosophy • BISAC: Christian Theology - GeneralMissionary, theologian, and religious genius, Paul is one of the most powerful human personal...

• Author(s): Terence Allen • Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA • Publisher Imprint: Oxford University Press, USA • BISAC: Microscopes & MicroscopyMicroscopy is a dynamic area of science, incorporating both basic classroom microscopes an...

• Author(s): Robert Iliffe • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Physics and Astronomy • BISAC: HistoryNewton's reputation was the subject of intense debate long before his death in 1727. While alive, numerous opponents...

• Author(s): Martin F. Price • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Earth-Science/Environment • BISAC: Earth Sciences - GeographyMountains cover a quarter of the Earth's land surface and are home to about 12 percent of t...

• Author(s): Senia Paseta • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: History • BISAC: Europe - IrelandThis is a book about the Irish Question, or more specifically about Irish Questions. The term has become something of a ca...

• Author(s): Nicholas Vincent • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: History • BISAC: Europe - Great Britain - GeneralThe Magna Carta is arguably the greatest constitutional document in recorded history, yet few people t...

• Author(s): Philip Mladenov • Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA • Publisher Imprint: Oxford University Press, USA • BISAC: Life Sciences - Marine BiologyThe oceans are our planet's most distinctive and imposing natural habitat. They cover ...

• Author(s): Graham Priest • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Religion and Philosophy • BISAC: LogicLogic is often perceived as having little to do with the rest of philosophy, and even less to do with real life. In ...

• Author(s): Gordon Finlayson • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Religion and Philosophy • BISAC: History & Surveys - ModernJürgen Habermas is the most renowned living German philosopher. This book aims to give ...

• Author(s): Kenneth Falconer • Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA • Publisher Imprint: Oxford University Press, USA • BISAC: Geometry - AnalyticFrom the contours of coastlines to the outlines of clouds, and the branching of trees, fractal s...

• Author(s): David J. A. Evans • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Earth-Science/Environment • BISAC: Earth Sciences - GeographyVast, majestic, and often stunningly beautiful, glaciers lock up some 10% of the world's ...

• Author(s): Robin Wilson • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Mathematics and Statistics • BISAC: CombinatoricsHow many possible sudoku puzzles are there? In the lottery, what is the chance that two winning balls have...

• Author(s): Jeroen Duindam • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: History • BISAC: Social HistoryFor thousands of years bloodlines have been held as virtually unassailable credentials for leadership, with supreme politi...

• Author(s): John Sutherland • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: English Literature • BISAC: GeneralLady Chatterley's Lover. The Blue Lagoon. Portnoy's Complaint. The Da Vinci Code. For the last century, the tastes an...

• Author(s): James Como • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: English Literature • BISAC: Literary FiguresBeloved by children and adults worldwide, the writings of C. S. Lewis have a broad and enduring appeal. Although ...

• Author(s): Gerald O'Collins • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Religion and Philosophy • BISAC: Christian Education - GeneralDespite a long history of external threats and internal strife, the Roman Catholic Church...

• Author(s): Robin Le Poidevin • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Religion and Philosophy • BISAC: AgnosticismWhat is agnosticism? Is it a belief, or merely the absence of belief? Is it the result of too little thoug...

• Author(s): Frank Ledwidge • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Military and Police Studies • BISAC: Military - Aviation & SpaceAerial warfare has dominated war-making for over 100 years, and despite regular annou...

• Author(s): Christina Riggs • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Architecture & Interior Designs • BISAC: History - Ancient & ClassicalFrom Berlin to Boston, and St Petersburg to Sydney, ancient Egyptian art f...

• Author(s): Charles Barr • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Music, Theatre & Films • BISAC: Film - History & CriticismCinema has had a hugely influential role on global culture in the 20th century at multipl...

• Author(s): Mike Goldsmith • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Physics and Astronomy • BISAC: Physics - GeneralWe live in a world of waves. The Earth shakes to its foundations, the seas and oceans tremble incessantly...

• Author(s): Peter Marshall • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • BISAC: Christianity - HistoryThe Reformation transformed Europe, and left an indelible mark on the modern world. It began as an argument about what Christians nee...

• Author(s): Julian D. Richards • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: History • BISAC: Europe - Nordic CountriesThe Viking reputation is of bloodthirsty seafaring warriors, repeatedly plundering the British Isles and th...

• Author(s): James R. Rush • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: HistoryStraddling the equator, Southeast Asia comprises Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, and the Philippines, as well as Laos, ...

• Author(s): Klaus Dodds And Jamie Woodward • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Earth-Science/Environment • BISAC: Earth Sciences - GeneralAbout the Book The Arctic is demanding global attention. It is warming, meltin...

• Author(s): Simner • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Medical, Nursing and Health Sciences • BISAC: NeuroscienceAbout the Book Can you taste words, feel flavours as a shape, or hear colors? If so you may well have s...

• Author(s): C.C.W. Taylor • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Religion and Philosophy • BISAC: History & Surveys - Ancient & ClassicalSocrates has a unique position in the history of philosophy; it is no exag...

• Author(s): Paul Palmer • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Earth-Science/Environment • BISAC: Earth Sciences - Meteorology & ClimatologyThe atmosphere is the thin, diffuse fluid that envelops the Earth's surface...