Oxford Very Short Introductions (VSI)

• 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): Steven W. Lockley | Russell G. Foster • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Health, Physical Fitness and Yoga • BISAC: SleepWhy do we need sleep? How much sleep is enough? What is sleep? What happens when w...

• Author(s): Christopher Janaway • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Religion and Philosophy • BISAC: History & Surveys - ModernSchopenhauer is considered to be the most readable of German philosophers. This book ...

• Author(s): Catriona Kelly • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • BISAC: Russian & SovietThis book is intended to capture the interest of anyone who has been attracted to Russian culture through the greats of Russian literat...

• Author(s): Ilan Stavans • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: General Books • BISAC: JewishAbout the Book In this broad, thought-provoking introduction to Jewish literature from 1492 to the present, cultural historian...

• Author(s): Stephen Anderson • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: English Literature • BISAC: Linguistics - GeneralHow many languages are there? What differentiates one language from another? Are new languages still b...

• Author(s): Luciano Floridi • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: General Books • BISAC: Computer EngineeringAbout the Book We live in a society that is awash with information, but few of us really understand what info...

• Author(s): Gribbin • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • BISAC: Space Science - AstronomyAbout the Book In this fascinating Very Short Introduction, popular science writer John Gribben tells the story of our growing understand...

• Author(s): Terrell Carver • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Politics and Current Affairs • BISAC: PoliticalIt is by no means absurd to say that Engels invented Marxism. His work did more than Marx to make converts...

• Author(s): Rodolfo Saracci • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Medical, Nursing and Health Sciences • BISAC: EpidemiologyWhat is epidemiology? What are the causes of a new disease? How can pandemics be prevented? Ep...

• Author(s): Freeden • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Politics and Current Affairs • BISAC: History & Theory - GeneralIdeology is one of the most controversial terms in the political vocabulary, exciting both r...

• Author(s): Gloag Oliver • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: English Literature • BISAC: Individual PhilosophersFew would question that Albert Camus (1913-1960), novelist, playwright, philosopher and journalist, is a...

• Author(s): Simon Critchley • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Religion and Philosophy • BISAC: History & Surveys - ModernSimon Critchley's Very Short Introduction shows that Continental philosophy encompasses a...

• Author(s): Jan Westerhoff • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Religion and Philosophy • BISAC: History & Surveys - GeneralIs matter real? Are persons real? Is time real? This Very Short Introduction discusses wh...

• Author(s): Alex Prichard • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Politics and Current Affairs • BISAC: Political Ideologies - AnarchismIf you asked a passerby on the street what anarchism is, they may answer that it is ...

• Author(s): Steve Bruce • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Sociology and Anthropology • BISAC: Sociology - GeneralDrawing on studies of social class, crime and deviance, education, work in bureaucracies and changes ...

• Author(s): Mark H. a. Davis • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Mathematics and Statistics • BISAC: AppliedIn recent years the finance industry has mushroomed to become an important part of modern economies, and man...

• Author(s): Timothy Gowers • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Mathematics and Statistics • BISAC: GeneralThe aim of this book is to explain, carefully but not technically, the differences between advanced, research-...

• Author(s): Gregory Claeys • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: History • BISAC: History & Surveys - ModernbVery Short Introductionsb: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring /b John Stuart Mill (1806-73) is widely regarded a...

• Author(s): Christian Reus-Smit • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Politics and Current Affairs • BISAC: International Relations - DiplomacyInternational relations affects everyone's lives: their security, economic ...

• Author(s): Radek & Singer • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Religion and Philosophy • BISAC: Ethics & Moral PhilosophyUtilitarianism may well be the most influential secular ethical theory in the world tod...

• Author(s): S. A. Smith | S.A. Smith • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: History • BISAC: Russia - GeneralThis Very Short Introduction provides an analytical narrative of the main events and developments in Soviet Ru...

• Author(s): Eleanor Nesbitt • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: History • BISAC: SikhismThis Very Short Introduction describes the key threads in the history of Sikhism, from the late 15th century to the present day....

• Author(s): David Blockley • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Engineering • BISAC: Civil - GeneralHave you ever wondered how it's possible to build a skyscraper, a big bridge, a jumbo jet, or a cruise liner? Everyth...

• Author(s): Russell Stannard • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Physics and Astronomy • BISAC: Physics - Relativity100 years ago, Einstein's theory of relativity shattered the world of physics. Our comforting Newton...

• Author(s): Colin Maccabe • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • BISAC: GeneralAbout the Book James Joyce is one of the greatest writers in English. His first book, A Portrait of the Artist as A Young Man laid down the template ...

• Author(s): Joseph M. Siracusa • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Politics and Current Affairs • BISAC: Military - Nuclear WarfareNuclear weapons have not been used in anger since the United States dropped atomic bo...

• Author(s): Penelope Wilson • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Archaeology • BISAC: ArchaeologyAbout the Book Hieroglyphs were far more than a language. They were an omnipresent and all-powerful force in communicati...

• Author(s): Andrew Bowie • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Religion and Philosophy • BISAC: History & Surveys - GeneralGerman philosophy remains the core of modern philosophy. This Very Short Introduction discu...

• Author(s): Flynn • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Religion and Philosophy • BISAC: Movements - ExistentialismExistentialism was one of the leading philosophical movements of the twentieth century. Focusing on its...

• Author(s): Piper & Murphy • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • BISAC: Security - Cryptography & EncryptionGeneral readers and professionals interested in codes and their applications, or the history of code-breaking

• Author(s): David Hopkins • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Fine Arts • BISAC: History - GeneralThe avant-garde movements of Dada and Surrealism continue to have a huge influence on cultural practice, especially in...

• Author(s): Isabel Thomas • Publisher: Oxford University Press • Publisher Imprint: Oxford University Press

• Author(s): Darryl Jones • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: English Literature • BISAC: Horror - GeneralVery Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring Four o'clock in the morning, and the lights are on and st...

• Author(s): Jens Zimmermann • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Religion and Philosophy • BISAC: EpistemologyHermeneutics is the branch of knowledge that deals with interpretation, a behaviour that is intrinsic to ou...

• Author(s): Michael Allen Fox • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Architecture & Interior Designs • BISAC: Anthropology - GeneralThoughts and feelings about home traditionally provided people of all cultures with...

• Author(s): Anthony Storr • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Education & Psychology • BISAC: HistorySigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, developed a totally new way of looking at human nature. Only now,...

• Author(s): David Canter • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Education & Psychology • BISAC: Forensic PsychologyLie detection, offender profiling, jury selection, insanity in the law, predicting the risk of re-of...

• Author(s): Bence Nanay • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Religion and Philosophy • BISAC: AestheticsAesthetics is a branch of philosophy that explores the nature of art, beauty, and taste. It doesn't just consider...

• Author(s): Adrian Poole • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: English Literature • BISAC: DramaAbout the Book To your local anchorperson, the word "tragedy" brings to mind an accidental fire at a low-income apartment ...

• Author(s): Knapp • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: English Literature • BISAC: Modern - 19th CenturyWar and peace and anna karenina are widely recognised as two of the greatest novels ever written. Their author Le...

• Author(s): Paul Luna • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Fine Arts • BISAC: GeneralTypography, the art of designing printed words, was once the domain of an elite few artists but has become an area with which millio...

• Author(s): Storm Dunlop • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Earth-Science/Environment • BISAC: WeatherFrom deciding the best day for a picnic, to the devastating effects of hurricanes and typhoons, the weather impac...

• Author(s): John Finney • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Earth-Science/Environment • BISAC: Natural ResourcesWater dominates the surface of Earth and is vital to life on our planet. It is a remarkable liquid which...

• Author(s): David Garland • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Politics and Current Affairs • BISAC: Public Policy - Social Services & WelfareWelfare states vary across nations and change over time. And the balanc...

• Author(s): Stanley Wells • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: English Literature • BISAC: ShakespeareIn this new offering from Stanley Wells, the pre-eminent Shakespearian scholar, comes a Very Short Introduction to ...

• Author(s): Alan Winfield • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Computer Science and Information Technology • BISAC: RoboticsAbout the Book Robotics is a key technology in the modern world, a well-established part of m...

• Author(s): Jonathan Slack • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • BISAC: Life Sciences - BiologyThe topic of stem cells has a high profile in the media. We've made important advances in our scientific understanding, but despite ...

• Author(s): Joachim Whaley • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • BISAC: Europe - GermanyVoltaire's description of the Holy Roman Empire as 'neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire' is often cited to underline its worthlessness. ...

• Author(s): Richard J. Crisp • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Education & Psychology • BISAC: Sociology - GeneralIn this Very Short Introduction Richard Crisp tells the story of social psychology, its history,...

• Author(s): Christopher Butler • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: English Literature • BISAC: Movements - ModernismModernism ushered in some of the most exciting innovations in art and literature, from Fauvism, Cubi...

• Author(s): David Bender • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Physics and Astronomy • BISAC: Diet & Nutrition - NutritionAbout the Book Nutrition is a topic of wide interest and importance. In spite of growing und...

• Author(s): Dorrik Stow • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Earth-Science/Environment • BISAC: Earth Sciences - HydrologyThe importance of the oceans to life on Earth cannot be overstated. Liquid water covers more th...

• Author(s): Philip Ball • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Chemistry • BISAC: Chemistry - GeneralMolecules are the building blocks of matter. Using the molecules of life as a springboard, Philip Ball provides a new ...

• Author(s): William Doyle • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: History • BISAC: Europe - FranceThe French Revolution is a time of history made familiar from Dickens, Baroness Orczy, and Tolstoy, as well as the legends...

• Author(s): Klenerman • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Medical, Nursing and Health Sciences • BISAC: ImmunologyThe immune system is central to human health and the focus of much medical research. Growing understan...

• Author(s): Brian Charlesworth Charlesworth • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Bio-Science and Agriculture • BISAC: Life Sciences - EvolutionLess than 450 years ago, all European scholars believed that the Earth was...

• Author(s): Tim Lenton • Publisher: Oxford UP • Publisher Imprint: Oxford UP • Subject: Earth-Science/Environment • BISAC: Earth Sciences - GeneralReading books is a kind of enjoyment. Reading books is a good habit. We bring you a different kind...