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Small format, big impact, 280 different topics.
Ideal for train journeys, holidays, and as a quick catch-up for busy people who want something intellectually stimulating, Very Short Introductions combine authoritative analysis, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make often challenging topics highly readable. 1600 Very Short Introductions each day make it into the hands of a wide range of consumers seeking a quick and accessible way into a new subject.

Literary Theory

Jonathan Culler: Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction

Steering a clear and lucid path through an often impenetrable subject, this concise introduction to literary theory has been revised and updated, with new material about the 'death' of theory, the links between the theory of narrative and cognitive science, trauma theory and ecocriticism.

Globalization

Manfred B. Steger: Globalization: A Very Short Introduction

'Globalization' is one of the defining buzzwords of our time - a term describing a variety of accelerating economic, political, and cultural processes that are changing our experience of the world. Fully updated for 2009, this Very Short Introduction provides an accessible exploration of both the causes and effects of the phenomenon.

Economics

Partha Dasgupta: Economics: A Very Short Introduction

Here Partha Dasgupta, an internationally recognized authority in economics, presents readers with a solid introduction to its basic concepts, including efficiency, equity, sustainability, dynamic equilibrium, property rights, markets, and public goods.

Information

Luciano Floridi: Information

Luciano Floridi unpacks this fundamental concept - what information is, how it is measured, its value and meaning - cutting across the sciences and humanities, from DNA to the Internet, and the ethical issues related to privacy, copyright, and accessibility.

Numbers

Peter M. Higgins: Numbers

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.