Learn about how we organize our society in The Sociology Book.Part of the fascinating Big Ideas series, this book tackles tricky topics and themes in a simple and easy to follow format. Learn about Sociology in this overview guide to the subject, great for beginners looking to learn and experts wishing to refresh their knowledge alike! The Sociology Book brings a fresh and vibrant take on the topic through eye-catching graphics and diagrams to immerse your...

Who am I? What is the meaning of life? Is there a God? Heads Up Philosophy, part of an exciting new series for young adults, explains and explores all these big ideas and more.What is philosophy? It's the issues and theories that are most intriguing and relevant to curious teen minds--questions like: what is knowledge, identity, human nature, right and wrong, faith, freedom, and justice? Combining lively text with cool, graphic illustrations, this book is ...

"Books, let's face it, are better than anything else." Nick HornbyTurn the pages of The Literature Book to discover over 100 of the world's most enthralling reads and the literary geniuses behind them.Storytelling is as old as humanity itself. Part of the Big Ideas Simply Explained series, The Literature Book introduces you to ancient classics from the Epic of Gilgamesh written 4,000 years ago, as well as the works of Shakespeare,...

The Nobel Prize–winner shares "a masterful journey through humankind's scientific coming-of-age" from the Greeks to modern times (Brian Greene).In this rich, irreverent, and compelling history, Nobel Prize-winning physicist Steven Weinberg takes us across centuries of human striving to unravel the mysteries of the world. This sweeping saga ranges from ancient Miletus to medieval Baghdad and Oxford, from Plato's Academy and the Museum of Alexandria to the cathedral s...

Discover the Life-Changing Strategy of This Worldwide Bestseller in 17 Languages!Lasting Change For Early Quitters, Burnouts, The Unmotivated, And Everyone Else TooWhen I decided to start exercising consistently 10 years ago, this is what actually happened:I tried "getting motivated." It worked sometimes.I tried setting audacious big goals. I almost always failed them.I tried to make changes last. They didn...

This is a completely new and updated edition of J. M. Roberts and Odd Arne Westad's widely acclaimed, landmark bestseller The Penguin History of the World.For generations of readers The Penguin History of the World has been one of the great cultural experiences - the entire story of human endeavour laid out in all its grandeur and folly, drama and pain in a single authoritative book. Now, for the first time, it has been completely overhauled for its 6th edition - ...

This revolutionary study by the renowned classical philologist reveals the interplay of Greek and Indian thought at the roots of Western culture.Thomas C. McEvilley’s magisterial work demonstrates that Eastern and Western civilizations have not always had separate, autonomous metaphysical schemes, but have mutually influenced each other over a long period of time. Examining ancient trade routes, imperialist movements, and migration currents, he shows how some of to...

The story of human civilization can be read most deeply in the materials we have found or created, used or abused. They have dictated how we build, eat, communicate, wage war, create art, travel, and worship. Some, such as stone, iron, and bronze, lend their names to the ages. Others, such as gold, silver, and diamond, contributed to the rise and fall of great empires. How would history have unfolded without glass, paper, steel, cement, or gunpowder?The impulse to master the proper...

“Vastly informative and vastly entertaining…A scholarly and fascinating book.” —Los Angeles TimesWith dazzling wit and astonishing insight, Bill Bryson explores the remarkable history, eccentricities, resilience and sheer fun of the English language.From the first descent of the larynx into the throat (why you can talk but your dog can’t), to the fine lost art of swearing, Bryson explores English grammar and word origins as he tell...

Mars was a distant shore, and the men spread upon it in waves... Each wave different, and each wave stronger.The Martian ChroniclesRay Bradbury is a storyteller without peer, a poet of the possible, and, indisputably, one of America's most beloved authors. In a much celebrated literary career that has spanned six decades, he has produced an astonishing body of work: unforgettable novels, including Fahrenheit 451 and Something Wicked This Way C...

"What is insanity?" "Can we trust our memories?" "Who needs parents, anyway?" The answers to these and many other burning questions lie in the world of psychology. It is all around us, influencing advertising, politics, and product development, and Heads Up Psychology explains it all.Using engaging graphics, this book explores the big ideas from all areas of psychology, including psychoanalysis, intelligence, and mental disorders, as well as offering biogr...

Hilarious, fascinating, and a roller coaster of dizzying, historical what-ifs, Napoleon’s Hemorrhoids is a potpourri for serious historians and casual history buffs. In one of Phil Mason’s many revelations, you’ll learn that Communist jets were two minutes away from opening fire on American planes during the Cuban missile crisis, when they had to turn back as they were running out of fuel. You’ll discover that before the Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon’s painful hemorrhoids prevented...