China today is never out of the news: from international finance to human rights controversies, global coverage of its rising international presence, and the Chinese 'economic miracle'. It seems to be a country of contradictions: a peasant society with some of the world's most futuristic cities, heir to an ancient civilization that is still trying to find a modern identity. This Very Short Introduction offers the reader an entry to understanding the world's most populous nation, giving an int...

Less than 450 years ago, all European scholars believed that the Earth was at the centre of a Universe that was at most a few million miles in extent, and that the planets, sun, and stars all rotated around this centre. Less than 250 years ago, they believed that the Universe was created essentially in its present state about 6000 years ago. Even less than 150 years ago, the view that living species were the result of special creation by God was still dominant.

The recognition by Charles Darw...

The study of human evolution is advancing rapidly. Newly discovered fossil evidence is adding ever more pieces to the puzzle of our past, whilst revolutionary technological advances in the study of ancient DNA are completely reshaping theories of early human populations and migrations. In this Very Short Introduction Bernard Wood traces the history of paleoanthropology from its beginnings in the eighteenth century to the very latest fossil finds.

In this new edition he discusses how Ancient D...

This extremely popular text is the complete introduction to doing business research and is the ideal guide for students embarking on a research project. The authors have extensively revised this sixth edition to make it the most engaging and relevant text available. New chapters on quantitative methods and visual research offer extensive coverage of these areas and even greater practical support in applying these techniques, while cutting-edge material on inclusivity and bias in research, fem...

Performed variously as escapist fantasy, celebratory fiction, and political allegory, The Tempest is one of the plays in which Shakespeare's genius as a poetic dramatist found its fullest expression. Significantly, it was placed first when published in the First Folio of 1623, and is now generally seen as the playwright's most penetrating statement about his art. Stephen Orgel's wide-ranging introduction examines changing attitudes to The Tempest, and reassesses the evidence behind the variou...

Physical Chemistry for the Life Sciences provides a balanced presentation of the concepts of physical chemistry, and their applications to biology and biochemistry. Written to straddle the worlds of physical chemistry and the life sciences, it shows how the tools of physical chemistry can elucidate and illuminate biological questions.

EMPHASIZES CONCEPTS. Animal Behavior: Concepts, Methods, and Applications, Third Edition, uses broad organizing concepts to provide a framework for understanding the science of animal behavior. In an engaging, question-driven style, Shawn E. Nordell and Thomas J. Valone offer readers a clear learning progression for understanding and evaluating empirical research examples. FOCUSES ON METHODOLOGY AND THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE. Featured studies illustrate each concept and emphasize the experimen...

Since 1945 the modern revolution in sculpture has gathered pace, and sculpture has now ceased to be the fixed category it once was. In recent decades the modernist idea of sculpture across the UK, America, and Europe, has been challenged, and issues such as nationality and politics have been brought in to the arena of public discussion. In this ground-breaking account of the development of post-War sculpture Andrew Causey examines innovative and avant-garde works in relation to contemporary e...

For business professionals looking to advance their careers through improving their English, Business Result Second Edition is a practical Business English course that focuses on real, relevant communication skills they can immediately use in the workplace.

The easy-to-use, flexible and adaptable materials with comprehensive support and guidance from the Teacher's Book allow teachers to tailor their lessons to the needs of their students

with minimum

effort.

With new Online ...

Logic is often perceived as having little to do with the rest of philosophy, and even less to do with real life. In this lively and accessible introduction, Graham Priest shows how wrong this conception is. He explores the philosophical roots of the subject, explaining how modern formal logic deals with issues ranging from the existence of God and the reality of time to paradoxes of probability and decision theory.

Along the way, the basics of formal logic are explained in simple, non-technic...