Author: Mary BeardPublisher: Oxford Paperbacks
ISBN: 9780192853851
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 159
Book Description
Explores the relationship between the contemporary world and the ancient one.
Classics
Author: Mary BeardPublisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 172
Book Description
Very Short Introduction offer stimulating, accessible introductions to a wide variety of subjects, demonstrating the finest contemporary thinking about their central problems and issues.
History: A Very Short Introduction
Author: John ArnoldPublisher: Oxford Paperbacks
ISBN: 019285352X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 152
Book Description
Starting with an examination of how historians work, this "Very Short Introduction" aims to explore history in a general, pithy, and accessible manner, rather than to delve into specific periods.
Herodotus: A Very Short Introduction
Author: Jennifer T. RobertsPublisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199575991
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 145
Book Description
Jennifer Roberts introduces the background and writing of the 5th century Greek thinker and researcher Herodotus of Halicarnassus, who invented the genre of historical investigation. She discusses all aspects of his work, including his fascination with his origins; his travels; his interest in seeing the world; and the recurring themes of his work.
Classical Literature
Author: William AllanPublisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199665451
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 161
Book Description
William Allan's Very Short Introduction provides a concise and lively guide to the major authors, genres, and periods of classical literature. Drawing upon a wealth of material, he reveals just what makes the 'classics' such masterpieces and why they continue to influence and fascinate today.
Languages: A Very Short Introduction
Author: Stephen R. AndersonPublisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0199590591
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 153
Book Description
How many languages are there? What differentiates one language from another? Are new languages still being discovered? Why are so many languages disappearing? These are some of the questions considered in this Very Short Introduction. By examining the science of languages, we find that the answers are not as simple as we might expect.
Modern Japan: A Very Short Introduction
Author: Christopher Goto-JonesPublisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191578940
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 176
Book Description
Japan is arguably today's most successful industrial economy, combining almost unprecedented affluence with social stability and apparent harmony. Japanese goods and cultural products are consumed all over the world, ranging from animated movies and computer games all the way through to cars, semiconductors, and management techniques. In many ways, Japan is an icon of the modern world, and yet it remains something of an enigma to many, who see it as a confusing montage of the alien and the familiar, the ancient and modern. The aim of this Very Short Introduction is to explode the myths and explore the reality of modern Japan - by taking a concise look at its history, economy, politics, and culture. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
Galileo: A Very Short Introduction
Author: Stillman DrakePublisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191606669
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 161
Book Description
In a startling reinterpretation of the evidence, Stillman Drake advances the hypothesis that Galileo's trial and condemnation by the Inquisition was caused not by his defiance of the Church, but by the hostility of contemporary philosophers. Galileo's own beautifully lucid arguments are used to show how his scientific method was utterly divorced from the Aristotelian approach to physics in that it was based on a search not for causes but for laws. Galileo's method was of overwhelming significance for the development of modern physics, and led to a final parting of the ways between science and philosophy. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
Confronting the Classics
Author: Mary BeardPublisher: Profile Books
ISBN: 1847658881
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 435
Book Description
Mary Beard is one of the world's best-known classicists - a brilliant academic, with a rare gift for communicating with a wide audience both though her TV presenting and her books. In a series of sparkling essays, she explores our rich classical heritage - from Greek drama to Roman jokes, introducing some larger-than-life characters of classical history, such as Alexander the Great, Nero and Boudicca. She invites you into the places where Greeks and Romans lived and died, from the palace at Knossos to Cleopatra's Alexandria - and reveals the often hidden world of slaves. She takes a fresh look at both scholarly controversies and popular interpretations of the ancient world, from The Golden Bough to Asterix. The fruit of over thirty years in the world of classical scholarship, Confronting the Classics captures the world of antiquity and its modern significance with wit, verve and scholarly expertise.
Numbers: A Very Short Introduction
Author: Peter M. HigginsPublisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199584052
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 153
Book Description
In this Very Short Introduction Peter M. Higgins presents an overview of the number types featured in modern science and mathematics. Providing a non-technical account, he explores the evolution of the modern number system, examines the fascinating role of primes, and explains their role in contemporary cryptography.
