The Basics
About the Book Series
The Basics is a highly successful series of accessible guidebooks which provide an overview of the fundamental principles of a subject area in a jargon-free and undaunting format.
Intended for students approaching a subject for the first time, the books both introduce the essentials of a subject and provide an ideal springboard for further study. With over 50 titles spanning subjects from Artificial Intelligence to Women’s Studies, The Basics are an ideal starting point for students seeking to understand a subject area.
Each text comes with recommendations for further study and gradually introduces the complexities and nuances within a subject.
Folklore: The Basics
1st Edition
By Simon J. Bronner
September 28, 2016
Folklore: The Basics is an engaging guide to the practice and interpretation of folklore. Taking examples from around the world, it explores the role of folklore in expressing fundamental human needs, desires, and anxieties that often are often not revealed through other means. Providing a clear ...
Ancient Egypt: The Basics
1st Edition
By Donald P. Ryan
August 02, 2016
Ancient Egypt: The Basics offers an accessible and comprehensive introduction to the history, archaeology and influence of this fascinating civilization. Coverage includes: A survey of Egyptian history from its earliest origins to the coming of Islam Life and death in ancient Egypt Key ...
The Qur'an: The Basics
2nd Edition
By Massimo Campanini
July 05, 2016
This second edition of a popular introduction to the Qur’an includes an essential updated reference guide, including a chronology of the revelation, links to internet resources, and suggestions for further reading. Exploring the Qur'an's reception through history, its key teachings, and its place ...
Roman Catholicism: The Basics
2nd Edition
By Michael Walsh
June 28, 2016
From the most basic terms to the structures and practices of the Church, this book offers a plain-speaking introduction to Roman Catholicism. Now in a second edition, it contains new sections on relations with other faiths, coverage of recent controversies in the Church and an expanded section on ...
Literary Analysis: The Basics
1st Edition
By Celena Kusch
March 17, 2016
Literary Analysis: The Basics is an insightful introduction to analysing a wide range of literary forms. Providing a clear outline of the methodologies employed in twenty-first century literary analysis, it introduces readers to the genres, canons, terms, issues, critical approaches, and contexts ...
Narrative: The Basics
1st Edition
By Bronwen Thomas
December 08, 2015
Providing an up-to-date and accessible overview of the essentials of narrative theory, Narrative: The Basics guides the reader through the major approaches to the study of narrative, using contemporary examples from a wide range of narrative forms to answer key questions including: What is ...
The Bible and Literature: The Basics
1st Edition
By Norman W. Jones
November 24, 2015
The Bible and Literature: The Basics provides an interpretive framework for understanding the significance of biblical allusions in literature—even for readers who have little prior knowledge of the Bible. In doing so, it surveys the Bible’s influence on a broad range of English, American, and ...
Poetry: The Basics
3rd Edition
By Jeffrey Wainwright
November 17, 2015
Now in its third edition Poetry: The Basics remains an engaging exploration of the world of poetry. Drawing on examples ranging from Chaucer to children's rhymes, Cole Porter to Carol Ann Duffy, and from around the English-speaking world, it shows how any reader can understand and gain more ...
Sport Management: The Basics
1st Edition
By Rob Wilson, Mark Piekarz
October 06, 2015
Sport Management: The Basics is an engaging and accessible introduction to sport management which considers a range of contemporary philosophical, social, cultural and political matters as they impact on this growing field. Drawing links between academic theory and practice, it explores the current...
Capitalism: The Basics
1st Edition
By David Coates
September 16, 2015
The global economy is dominated by a powerful set of established and emerging capitalisms, from the long-standing capitalist economies of the West to the rising economies of the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) countries. An understanding of capitalism is therefore fundamental to ...
Animal Ethics: The Basics
1st Edition
By Tony Miligan
June 24, 2015
Animal Ethics has long been a highly contested area with debates driven by unease about various forms of animal harm, from the use of animals in scientific research to the farming of animals for consumption. Animal Ethics: The Basics is an essential introduction to the key considerations ...
Christian Theology: The Basics
1st Edition
By Murray Rae
April 23, 2015
Christian Theology: The Basics is a concise introduction to the nature, tasks and central concerns of theology – the study of God within the Christian tradition. Providing a broad overview of the story that Christianity tells us about our human situation before God, this book will also seek to ...