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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.

283 Series Titles


Liberalism The Basics

Liberalism: The Basics

1st Edition

By John Charvet
December 03, 2018

Liberalism: The Basics is an engaging and accessible introduction to liberalism. The author provides a comprehensive overview of liberal practices, liberal values and critically analyses liberal theories, allowing for a richer understanding of liberalism as a whole. The book is divided into three ...

C. G. Jung The Basics

C. G. Jung: The Basics

1st Edition

By Ruth Williams
November 29, 2018

C. G. Jung: The Basics is an accessible, concise introduction to the life and ideas of C. G. Jung for readers of all backgrounds, from those new to Jung’s work to those looking for a convenient reference. Ruth Williams eloquently and succinctly introduces the key concepts of Jungian theory and ...

Social Psychology The Basics

Social Psychology: The Basics

1st Edition

By Daniel Frings
October 12, 2018

Social psychology explores some of the most important questions we face as people: how do we create and understand the social self? How does our 'social mind' influence the volition and content of thoughts and behaviour? How do we relate to other individuals and groups and the myriad forms and...

Atheism: The Basics

Atheism: The Basics

1st Edition

By Graham Oppy
October 11, 2018

Atheism: The Basics is a concise and engaging introduction to belief in the non-existence of deities. Atheism has long fascinated people but debate around this controversial position may seem daunting. In this lively and lucid book, Graham Oppy addresses the following important questions: • What ...

Religion and Science: The Basics

Religion and Science: The Basics

2nd Edition

By Philip Clayton
October 11, 2018

Religion and science are arguably the two most powerful social forces in the world today. But where religion and science were once held to be compatible, many people now perceive them to be in conflict. This unique book provides the best available introduction to the burning debates in this ...

Eastern Philosophy: The Basics

Eastern Philosophy: The Basics

2nd Edition

By Victoria S. Harrison
September 04, 2018

Eastern Philosophy: The Basics is an essential introduction to major Indian and Chinese philosophies, both past and present. Exploring familiar metaphysical and ethical questions from the perspectives offered by a range of eastern philosophies, including Confucianism, Daoism, the main Buddhist and ...

Gender: The Basics 2nd edition

Gender: The Basics: 2nd edition

2nd Edition

By Hilary M. Lips
August 14, 2018

Gender: The Basics is an engaging introduction to the influence of cultural, historical, biological, psychological, and economic forces on ways in which we have come to define and experience femininity and masculinity, and on the impact and importance of gender categories. Highlighting that there ...

Witchcraft: The Basics

Witchcraft: The Basics

1st Edition

By Marion Gibson
June 18, 2018

Witchcraft: The Basics is an accessible and engaging introduction to the scholarly study of witchcraft, exploring the phenomenon of witchcraft from its earliest definitions in the Middle Ages through to its resonances in the modern world. Through the use of two case studies, this book delves into ...

Gerontology: The Basics

Gerontology: The Basics

1st Edition

By Jennifer Sasser, Harry Moody
April 09, 2018

Human aging is a complex, multi-faceted experience that unfolds over an entire lifetime. While human aging is universal, it is also wildly variable, shaped by individual, social, cultural, political, geographic and historical contexts. Gerontology: The basics explores the field of research, ...

Medieval Literature: The Basics

Medieval Literature: The Basics

1st Edition

By Angela Jane Weisl, Anthony Joseph Cunder
March 23, 2018

Medieval Literature: The Basics is an engaging introduction to this fascinating body of literature. The volume breaks down the variety of genres used in the corpus of medieval literature and makes these texts accessible to readers. It engages with the familiarities present in the narratives and ...

Social and Labour Market Policy The Basics

Social and Labour Market Policy: The Basics

1st Edition

By Bent Greve
February 12, 2018

Social and Labour Market Policy: The Basics is an engaging and accessible introduction to the subject, which explores the broad historical, social and economic factors which have affected the differing types of social and labour market policies found in welfare states. Drawing links between social ...

Contemporary India: The Basics

Contemporary India: The Basics

1st Edition

By Rekha Datta
December 14, 2017

Contemporary India: The Basics provides readers with a clear and accessible guide through the richness, diversity and complexity of twenty-first century India. It explores the reality of the country’s cultural diversity which creates both harmony and tension. Covering issues the country faces both ...

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