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.
Psychology: The Basics
2nd Edition
By Rolf Reber
December 15, 2025
Now in its second edition, this compact introduction is the ideal primer for anyone looking for an accessible overview of the basic principles of psychology, the captivating science of mind and behavior. In everyday life we often wonder why people behave the way they do, especially when we are ...
Drag: The Basics
1st Edition
By Mark Edward, Chris Greenough
December 12, 2025
Drag: The Basics offers a concise, critical, and intersectional exploration of drag performance through its rich histories, theories, practices, and politics across global contexts. Through sharp analysis and compelling case studies, this accessible volume delves into drag's complex relationships ...
Feminisms: The Basics
1st Edition
By Renee Heberle
November 27, 2025
This introduction presents, in a readable, lively style, an overview of feminism as an essentially contested field of theory and political engagement. Renee Heberle offers readers a unique approach to studying feminisms in the plural, combining historical and theoretical perspectives on the ...
Mindfulness: The Basics
1st Edition
By Sophie Sansom, David Shannon, Taravajra
November 23, 2025
Mindfulness: The Basics provides a comprehensive introduction to what mindfulness is, how and why it’s useful, and guidance for practice. Mindfulness practice can help reduce anxiety, stress, and low mood, giving way to creativity, happiness, and tranquillity. It also offers us a way in which to ...
Education Studies: The Basics
1st Edition
By Catherine Simon
November 11, 2025
What does it mean to be a student of education? This book offers an excellent introduction to the content and espoused purposes of Education Studies degree courses, both undergraduate and postgraduate. Education Studies has shifted from simply the theory for teacher training to a popular university...
Close Reading: The Basics
2nd Edition
By David Greenham
November 06, 2025
Close reading is an essential skill that literature students continue to develop across the full length of their studies. This book, now in its second edition, is a complete guide to this foundational practice, providing an effective first principles methodology that can be used for poetry, novels,...
Urban Design: The Basics
1st Edition
By Tim Heath, Florian Wiedmann
October 30, 2025
Urban Design: The Basics provides a brief but compelling overview and introduction to the theory and practice of the multi-disciplinary field of urban design. It is an ‘easy-to-understand’ and ‘jargon-free’ introduction to the fundamental principles of urban design. By introducing the essentials ...
Spoken English: The Basics
1st Edition
By Michael McCarthy, Steve Walsh
September 30, 2025
Spoken English: The Basics offers a clear, non-jargonistic introduction to what the study of spoken English entails, ranging from its basic phonology and the grammar and vocabulary of speaking to the role of speaking in society. The book describes and illustrates how spoken English is used in a ...
Acting Heightened Text: The Basics
1st Edition
By Catherine Weidner
September 29, 2025
Acting Heightened Text: The Basics offers a foundational understanding of heightened text in drama, fused with a truthful, contemporary approach to acting. Using detailed text analysis and dynamic rehearsal exercises, actors and students bring heightened language to life by cultivating a joyful ...
Libertarianism: The Basics
1st Edition
By Jessica Flanigan, Christopher Freiman
September 28, 2025
Libertarianism: The Basics is an up-to-date and accessible introduction to libertarianism that breaks down abstract philosophical ideas in a fresh way. Flanigan and Freiman interweave a wide-ranging survey of different libertarian philosophical traditions, with a discussion of libertarian ...
Orthodox Christianity: The Basics
1st Edition
By Nicholas Denysenko
September 18, 2025
Resplendent icons, brilliant vestments, fragrant incense, and sonorous chants – the sights and sounds of the Orthodox Church have captured the imagination of people for centuries. Orthodox Christianity: The Basics is a compelling introduction to Orthodoxy’s origins in the apostolic era, historical ...
Jewish Philosophy: The Basics
1st Edition
By T.M. Rudavsky
September 04, 2025
This book introduces students and interested readers to two thousand years of Jewish philosophy, from its earliest inception to the current era. Fourteen chapters cover major figures in the medieval, modern and contemporary periods, as well as important themes and topics that have been part of ...