“In its less dramatic versions,” writes author Dan Palmer, “structuralism is just a method of studying language, society, and the works of artists and novelists. But in its most exuberant form, it is
Join Michael LaMonica, author of French Revolutions For Beginners, as he takes you on a journey through the ins and outs of an amendment that means so much more than just freedom of speech. First Amen
As the most famous “conductor” on the Underground Railroad, escaped slave Harriet Tubman earned the nickname “Moses of her People” for leading scores of men, women, and children from bondage to freedo
Have you heard the terms structuralism and deconstruction and postmodernism but aren’t really sure what they mean? Have you taken a whole course on literary criticism but are still feeling lost? Here’
Many people have heard of Freemasonry, but few have any idea what it is, what it does, or why it exists. Freemasonry is not a religion, but rather a spiritual self-help society whose declared purpose
The father of modern-day electricity and considered by some to be the ultimate "mad scientist," Nikola Tesla filed nearly 300 patents in his lifetime. Many of these patents resulted in functioning inv
Many people consider Morrison's novels difficult to read. Most of her readers have at least one book on their shelves that they couldn't finish or, when they did finish one, just scratched their heads
As the heyday of the Chicano Movement of the late 1960s to early 70s fades further into history and as more and more of its important figures pass on, so too does knowledge of its significance. Thus,
Abstract Expressionism was the defining movement in American art during the years following World War II, making New York City the center of the international art scene. But what the heck did it mean!
Mormonism For Beginners is a balanced, richly engaging introduction to the history, tenets, practices, traditions, and yes, debates and controversies of this uniquely American Protestant movement. Des
In a combination of witty text and crisp illustrations, U.S. Constitution For Beginners takes a tongue-in-cheek look at America's most critical legal document. Author and lawyer Steve Bachmann has wri
Marx’s Das Kapital cannot be put into a box marked “economics.” It is a work of politics, history, economics, philosophy and even in places, literature (yes Marx’s style is that rich and evocative). M
Dante For Beginners takes the reader on a magical trip through Heaven and Hell. Well, this isn't exactly true. After an introduction to Dante Alighieri and his background, the reader meets a sweet la
Poetry is one of those subjects almost impossible to define as it can be so many things at once. It can be: kids whispering limericks on the playground; secret languages used by revolutionaries and sp
From Paleolithic cave-painting to postmodernism, Art Theory For Beginners is a concise and entertaining survey of the major historical and current debates on art. Painters, theorists and philosophers
The science is in: Global warming is for real. But what does it all really mean, and what can or should we do about it? This clear, fluid narrative by a leading scientist and educator takes a scrupulo
During the second half of the Twentieth Century, the ideas of leading anarchist thinkers such as Proudhon, Bakunin, and Kropotkin seemed destined to fade into history. But today they are finding new e
Existentialism For Beginners is a lighthearted romp through the history of a philosophical movement that had broad-reaching influence on Western culture, politics and the arts during the period of mid
All philosophy is a footnote to Plato. No other person so shaped the Western world and the way we think about it. Plato’s questions remain as real for us today as they were 2500 years ago, and as hu
If you are like most people, you’re not sure what Postmodernism is. And if this were like most books on the subject, it probably wouldn’t tell you. Besides what a few grumpy critics claim, Postmoder
Derrida is one of those annoying geniuses you can take a class on, read half-a-dozen books by and still have no idea what he’s talking about. Derrida’s ‘writing’ is definitely confusing (it’s like he
The unorthodox life and ideas of Friedrich Nietzsche come alive in this documentary history. Here is a clear picture of the time in which this revolutionary philosopher lived and worked. We meet the
The spiritual rewards and intellectual challenges of Eastern philosophy are revealed in this visually stunning book, illustrated by Joe Lee and with 19th-century engravings. Eastern philosophy is not
Why does philosophy give some people a headache, others a real buzz, and yet others a feeling that it is subversive and dangerous? Why do a lot of people think philosophy is totally irrelevant? What
What kind of artists put a moustache on the Mona Lisa? Enter a urinal in an art competition? Declare their own independent republic? Hijack a ship? Dadas!And what happens to such a movement? With Dad
Virtually anyone, anywhere knows that six million Jewish human beings were killed in the Jewish Holocaust. But how many African human beings were killed in the Black Holocaust–from the start of the E
As we humans have expanded our horizons to see things vastly smaller, faster, larger, and farther than ever before, we have been forced to confront preconceptions born of the human experience and crea
Everyone recognizes Benjamin Franklin as a great founding father, but the range of his expertise and accomplishments is more astonishing than most peaople realize. Scientist, Inventor, Businessman, Bu
