
Accounting: A Very Short Introduction
Christopher Nobes
If you read the ‘business pages’ of a newspaper or if you listen to the financial news on the television or radio, you will often hear terms such as ‘liability’, ‘balance sheet’ or ...
More

Adam Smith: A Very Short Introduction
Christopher J. Berry
In 1776, Adam Smith (1723–90) wrote The Wealth of Nations, the foundational book that led to him being called the ‘father of economics’. However, Adam Smith was far more than an economist. ...
More

Advertising: A Very Short Introduction
Winston Fletcher
Advertising: A Very Short Introduction dispels the myths surrounding the advertising industry. Advertising is a diverse entity, and campaigns work (or fail to work) in a ...
More

African Politics: A Very Short Introduction
Ian Taylor
African Politics: A Very Short Introduction explores how politics is practised on the African continent, providing an overview of the different states and their systems. It ...
More

Ageing: A Very Short Introduction
Nancy A. Pachana
Ageing: A Very Short Introduction discusses the lifelong dynamic changes in biological, psychological, and social functioning involved in ageing. Increased lifespans have ...
More

American Political Parties and Elections: A Very Short Introduction (2nd edn)
L. Sandy Maisel
American Political Parties and Elections: A Very Short Introduction examines the electoral process in the United States and explains why it is widely misunderstood. Why is participation in ...
More

American Politics: A Very Short Introduction
Richard M. Valelly
American Politics: A Very Short Introduction introduces the vital elements of American politics. Using an historical-institutional approach, it explains how the American ...
More

The American Presidency: A Very Short Introduction (2nd edn)
Charles O. Jones
The Founding Fathers were dedicated to the project of creating an American government both functional and incapable of devolving into tyranny. To do this, they intentionally decentralized ...
More

Anarchism: A Very Short Introduction
Colin Ward
Anarchism: A Very Short Introduction explores key anarchist thinkers from Kropotkin to Chomsky and considers anarchism from a variety of perspectives: theoretical, historical, ...
More

Aristocracy: A Very Short Introduction
William Doyle
Aristocracy: A Very Short Introduction shows how ideas of aristocracy originated in ancient times, were transformed in the middle ages, and have only fallen apart over the last ...
More

Australia: A Very Short Introduction
Kenneth Morgan
Australia: A Very Short Introduction provides a wide-ranging introduction to modern Australia, examining its history, geography, and culture since the beginning of the white ...
More

Banking: A Very Short Introduction
John Goddard and John O. S. Wilson
Banks are of central importance for economic growth, the allocation of capital, competitiveness, and financial stability. Propelled by technological advances in financial analysis and ...
More

Behavioural Economics: A Very Short Introduction
Michelle Baddeley
Behavioural Economics: A Very Short Introduction introduces the field of behavioural economics, analysing the motivations behind economic decisions and showing the relevance of ...
More

The Body: A Very Short Introduction
Chris Shilling
The human body is thought of conventionally as a biological entity, with its longevity, morbidity, size, and even appearance determined by genetic factors immune to the influence of society ...
More

Borders: A Very Short Introduction
Alexander C. Diener and Joshua Hagen
Borders: A Very Short Introduction challenges the perception of borders as passive lines on a map, revealing them instead to be integral forces in the economic, social, ...
More

Branding: A Very Short Introduction
Robert Jones
Branding: A Very Short Introduction discusses the rising omnipresence of brands, and analyses how they work their magic. It considers the incredible potency of brands as a ...
More

The BRICS: A Very Short Introduction
Andrew F. Cooper
In the wake of the post-Cold War era, the aftermath of 9/11, the 2008 global financial crisis, and the emergence of the G20, few commentators expected a reshaping of the global system ...
More

British Politics: A Very Short Introduction (3rd edn)
Tony Wright
British Politics: A Very Short Introduction explores the history of British politics, looking at whether the present instability is an aberration, the result of long-standing ...
More

Capitalism: A Very Short Introduction (2nd edn)
James Fulcher
The word ‘capitalism’ is heard and used frequently, but what is capitalism about, and what does it mean? Capitalism: A Very Short Introduction discusses the history and development of ...
More

Global Catastrophes: A Very Short Introduction (2nd edn)
Bill McGuire
Life on Earth will come to an end. It is just a matter of when. Global Catastrophes: A Very Short Introduction focuses on the many potential catastrophes facing our planet and our species ...
More

Choice Theory: A Very Short Introduction
Michael Allingham
We make choices all the time — about trivial matters, about how to spend our money, about how to spend our time, about what to do with our lives. Choice Theory: A Very Short Introduction ...
More

Citizenship: A Very Short Introduction
Richard Bellamy
Citizenship: A Very Short Introduction approaches its subject from a political perspective, to address the complexities behind the major topical issues and to examine the main ...
More

Clausewitz: A Very Short Introduction
Michael Howard
Clausewitz: A Very Short Introduction explains Clausewitz's ideas in terms both of his experiences as a professional soldier in the Napoleonic Wars, and of the intellectual ...
More

Climate Change: A Very Short Introduction (3rd edn)
Mark Maslin
Climate change is still, arguably, the most critical and controversial issue facing the world in the twenty-first century. Previously published as Global Warming: A Very Short Introduction, ...
More

Communism: A Very Short Introduction
Leslie Holmes
Communism: A Very Short Introduction highlights the inner dynamics, crises, and demise of communism as a global system, explaining the theory behind its ideology, and examining ...
More

Corporate Social Responsibility: A Very Short Introduction
Jeremy Moon
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been defined as ‘the responsibility of enterprises for their impacts on society’. Is CSR a contradiction in terms? Corporate Social Responsibility: ...
More

Corruption: A Very Short Introduction
Leslie Holmes
Corruption is one of the biggest global issues, ahead of extreme poverty, unemployment, the rising cost of food and energy, climate change, and terrorism. It is thought to be one of the ...
More

Criminal Justice: A Very Short Introduction
Julian V. Roberts
The criminal justice system (CJS) is wide ranging: it covers crimes, policing, the sentencing of offenders, and prisons. Criminal Justice: A Very Short Introduction draws upon the latest ...
More

Democracy: A Very Short Introduction
Bernard Crick
Democracy: A Very Short Introduction is a short account of the history of the doctrine and practice of democracy, from ancient Greece and Rome through the American, French, and ...
More

Demography: A Very Short Introduction
Sarah Harper
Demography—the study of people—addresses the size, distribution, composition, and density of populations, and considers the impact these factors have on individual lives and the changing ...
More

Development: A Very Short Introduction
Ian Goldin
What do we mean by development? How can citizens, governments, and the international community foster development? The process by which nations escape poverty and achieve economic and ...
More

Diaspora: A Very Short Introduction
Kevin Kenny
Diaspora: A Very Short Introduction examines the origins of diaspora as a concept, its changing meanings over time, its current popularity, and its strengths and limitations as ...
More

Diplomacy: A Very Short Introduction
Joseph M. Siracusa
Diplomacy: A Very Short Introduction introduces diplomacy from a historical perspective, providing examples from significant historical phases and episodes to illustrate the ...
More

Economics: A Very Short Introduction
Partha Dasgupta
Economics: A Very Short Introduction describes the lives of two children who live very different lives in different parts of the world: in the Mid-West USA and in Ethiopia. It ...
More

Education: A Very Short Introduction
Gary Thomas
Education: A Very Short Introduction explores how and why education has evolved throughout history and explains the way in which schools work, noting how curricula are ...
More

Engels: A Very Short Introduction
Terrell Carver
Engels: A Very Short Introduction examines the man who invented Marxism. Engels' work did more than Marx to make converts to the most influential political movement of modern ...
More

Entrepreneurship: A Very Short Introduction
Paul Westhead and Mike Wright
Entrepreneurship: A Very Short Introduction navigates the debates about entrepreneurship, providing a guide to the entrepreneurial process. There has been an explosion of ...
More

Environmental Economics: A Very Short Introduction
Stephen Smith
Environmental economics looks at how economic activity and policy affect the environment in which we live. Environmental Economics: A Very Short Introduction discusses environmental issues ...
More

Environmental Politics: A Very Short Introduction
Andrew Dobson
Environmental Politics: A Very Short Introduction considers the many facets of environmental politics and shows how it operates at multiple scales: it preoccupies individuals ...
More

The European Union: A Very Short Introduction (4th edn)
Simon Usherwood and John Pinder
The European Union (EU) is a unique political organization. Illustrating how and why it has developed from 1950 to the present day, The European Union: A Very Short Introduction covers a ...
More

Fascism: A Very Short Introduction (2nd edn)
Kevin Passmore
What is fascism? Is it revolutionary? Or is it reactionary? Can it be both? Fascism: A Very Short Introduction unravels the paradoxes of one of the most important phenomena in the modern ...
More

Federalism: A Very Short Introduction
Mark J. Rozell and Clyde Wilcox
Federalism: A Very Short Introduction provides a concise overview of the principles and operations of federalism, the political system defined by power sharing between a ...
More

Feminism: A Very Short Introduction
Margaret Walters
Feminism: A Very Short Introduction provides an historical account of feminism, exploring its earliest roots as well as key issues including voting rights, the liberation of ...
More

The Future: A Very Short Introduction
Jennifer M. Gidley
Humans have always been driven by both a fear of the unknown and a curiosity to know. They have prophesied, foretold, predicted, and tried to control the future. The Future: A Very Short ...
More

Game Theory: A Very Short Introduction
Ken Binmore
Game Theory: A Very Short Introduction provides insights into the games that are all around us. Game theory is about how to play such games in a rational way. Game theory has ...
More

Geopolitics: A Very Short Introduction (3rd edn)
Klaus Dodds
From great power politics and speculation about resource scrambles, to everyday encounters and objects such as smart phones, geopolitics affects citizens, corporations, international ...
More

Global Economic History: A Very Short Introduction
Robert C. Allen
Global Economic History: A Very Short Introduction considers the wealth and economic history of countries worldwide. Why are some countries rich and others poor? The various ...
More

Globalization: A Very Short Introduction (5th edn)
Manfred B. Steger
Globalization: A Very Short Introduction looks at the interconnected and accelerated processes changing how we see and experience the world. Is globalization really a new ...
More

Governance: A Very Short Introduction
Mark Bevir
Governance: A Very Short Introduction explains the main theories of governance and their impact in the corporate, public, and global spheres. The many uses of the term ...
More

Hegel: A Very Short Introduction
Peter Singer
Hegel: A Very Short Introduction outlines Hegel's philosophy and provides a broad discussion of his ideas and major works. Many people regard Hegel's work as obscure and ...
More