From the emergence of the first Slavic state to the election of new President Dmitry Medvedev, this is a concise and thoughtful guide to the complex and turbulent history of Russia and its people. A s
With historical adherents including Shaw, Freud and Asimov, Humanism's central quest is to make sense of the world without God, using an appeal to shared human values, rationality, and tolerance. Esse
Despite the long struggle to eliminate racism, it is still very much with us. In fact, since 9/11, racism appears to be on the rise, making it more important that ever before to understand the meaning
Would you like to be buried, burned, sunk, or pickled? Perhaps you'd prefer to be turned into a diamond, embalmed like Lenin, or shot into space like Star Trek's Scotty?The Dying Game is a roller-coa
It has been remarked that if the brain were so simple we could understand it, we would be so simple we couldn't. From a brief history of neuroscience to the most up-to-date research on the brain proce
Why do we trust doctors to give us the medicines we need? How can we know who to vote for? How valuable are the opinions of 'experts'? And how far can our memories and perceptions be trusted? What mak
In this fast-paced, enlightening guide, Sharon M. Kaye takes us on a whistle-stop tour of medieval philosophy, revealing the debt it owes to Aristotle and Plato, and its legacy to philosophy today. Wi
Introduces readers to Karl Marx the revolutionary. This book covers the various elements of marxist thought, from the early writings to such texts as "Capital" and the themes of labour and society. It
Responding to arguments made in the Victorian period that Islam is 'irrational' or 'inferior to Christianity' and that the unification of religious and political power is a 'barrier to progress,' Rida
The Spy in the Coffee Machine exposes the true extent to which our privacy has been invaded by everything from closed-circuit televisions to blogs, and explores what - if anything - we can do to prev
Daughter of Heaven is the sensational true story of the only woman ever to rule China. She seduced her way to the throne of the most powerful empire in the world, she executed her enemies without mer
In Cloning: A Beginner's Guide, Aaron D. Levine explains the science and development of cloning, right up to the present-day scandals surrounding attempts to clone humans. Guiding readers around the
In Mafia and Organized Crime: A Beginner's Guide, James Finckenauer debunks the myths surrounding the Mafia to reveal the harsh realities of global organized crime from Japan and Russia to Mexico and
From Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance to The Motorcycle Diaries, to be a biker is to be on the road to the meaning of life. What would the existentialists have to say about facing death on a
From beginning to end, the captivating story of Sophie Scholl and the White Rose is an uplifting and enlightening account of the largely untold story of German resistance to the Third Reich. With deta
The Christian faith is often charged with being outmoded and anachronistic. A monolithic institution rooted in the past, many critics have claimed that it lacks the resources to adapt to modern societ
After 60 years of silence, The Diary of Mary Berg is poised at last to gain the appreciation and widespread attention that it so richly deserves, and is certain to take its place alongside The Diary o
Muhyi ad-Din Ibn 'Arabi (1165 - 1240) was an outstanding Spanish-born mystic and one of the most prolific writers in Islamic history. He made major contributions to the fields of Qur'an commentary, ju
Combining careful organization with a highly readable style, eminent scholar Avrum Stroll outlines the unconventional backdrop to Wittgenstein's great philosophical achievements: his dramatic change o
Why do we slow down to look at car accidents? Why would rich people shoplift? What draws people to parachuting, military service, and sadistic sex? These are just some of the questions this book unrav
Does your child suffer from anxiety or depression? Are you at a loss as to what to do about it? This navigational tool, written by eminent clinical psychologist Sam Cartwright-Hatton, will tell you h
To cite an old Egyptian cliche, Nasser (1918-1970) was the 'first Egyptian to rule Egypt since Cleopatra.' Deposing the corrupt king Farouk, abolishing the monarchy and negotiating the withdrawal of t
In this accessible study, Stephen Humphreys introduces the most elusive of the early caliphs, Mu'awiya ibn abi Sufyan (602-680). Throughout history, some have accused him of being the first caliph to
Biodiversity: A Beginner's Guide combines the most up-to-date scientific thought with a genuine passion for the natural world. From Kyoto to ecotourism, and from mass extinctions to population explos
From references to animals in the Qur'an to modern-day websites on Islamic vegetarianism, Richard C. Foltz presents the first comprehensive study of the role of animals in the Islamic tradition. Draw
A lighthearted guide to scientific conundrums shares accessible information on a wide variety of topics from the possible causes of the Big Bang and the mysterious fate of odd socks to what would happ
From his early conversion to evangelical Christianity to his role as a conscientious objector in World War Two and his gradual - often controversial - move towards religious pluralism, this is an acco
An accessible guide to a key scientific concept explores the origins and impact of Darwin's theory of evolution, from the first attempts to date fossils to the modern-day mapping and coding of DNA usi
Containing the essence of wisdom of the world religion's past prophets, this unusual and inspiring collection of spiritual teaching will appeal to people of all religions.
Every aspect of the anti-capitalist world is covered in this helpful guide, from WOMBLES to Zapatistas, NGOs to environmentalism, Paris 1968 to Seattle, and beyond. Picking up where Naomi Klein left
From the works of the Greek philosophers to the Postmodernist theories of Jacques Derrida and Richard Rorty, this authoritative survey encompasses over two thousand years of interaction between philos
This readable and empowering book offers much-needed advice on such key areas as sleep habits, coping with stress and anger, and relating to family and friends. The book is practical, realistic, and w
This latest addition to the Oneworld Library of Global Ethics and Religion contains articles from leading scholars on the role played by religious ethics in today's society.
The author is abundantly successful in showing the importance of argument in matters of religion. I don't know of another book that does this with as much success over such a range of materials. --Pro
This concise new guide to Egyptian history considers not only the ancient past but also the last 200 years of modernization and the evolution of the Egyptian state, right up to contemporary developmen
Chronicles the religion's development from its origins in the mid-nineteenth century in Iran, to its spread throughout the world in the twentieth century
Keith Ward offers a new interpretation of Christianity, presenting a faith in harmony with the scientific worldview, while remaining true to its traditions.