1. Introduction: dimensions of linguistic diversity
Stephen R. Anderson
in Languages: A Very Short Introduction
By itself, the question ‘How many languages are there in the world? ’ seems quite a trivial one, the sort to which there ought to be a quite simple answer without much intrinsic interest. ...
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8. Darwinism and ideology
Jonathan Howard
in Darwin: A Very Short Introduction
‘Darwinism and ideology’ considers the extraction of absolute ethical principles from the theory of evolution in post-Darwinian thought in areas such as Social Darwinism, sociobiology, and ...
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1. Ritualization
Barry Stephenson
in Ritual: A Very Short Introduction
‘Ritualization’ considers one of the cornerstones of ritual studies—ritualization. It begins with ethology, the study of animal behaviour and goes on to discuss ritualization theory and how ...
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Introduction
Robin Le Poidevin
in Agnosticism: A Very Short Introduction
Agnosticism: A Very Short Introduction considers anti-agnostic attitudes and asks: if we can't establish God's existence, shouldn't there be a presumption of atheism? The ...
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2. Making better eyes
Michael Land
in The Eye: A Very Short Introduction
‘Making better eyes’ explores some of the difficulties associated with making versatile high-resolution eyes, and how these problems have been overcome. Advanced eyes need to produce a well ...
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7. Human teeth and their history
Peter S. Ungar
in Teeth: A Very Short Introduction
Why do humans have such widespread dental disease and orthodontic disorders compared with other species? ‘Human teeth and their history’ shows that the answer is rooted in our evolutionary ...
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1. Introduction
Brian Charlesworth and Deborah Charlesworth
in Evolution: A Very Short Introduction
The ‘Introduction’ identifies the purpose of this book—to introduce the general reader to some of the most important basic findings, concepts, and procedures of evolutionary biology. ...
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7. Perfection and progress
Jonathan Howard
in Darwin: A Very Short Introduction
‘Perfection and progress’ considers Darwin's response to the idealisations of perfection and progress, which represented two opposed justificatory principles. Perfection and progress were ...
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5. 1840
Jamie Woodward
in The Ice Age: A Very Short Introduction
‘1840’ describes the remarkable year when Louis Agassiz came to England to publicise his glacial theory. With new converts, William Buckland and Charles Lyell, Agassiz presented papers on ...
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1. Darwin's life
Jonathan Howard
in Darwin: A Very Short Introduction
‘Darwin's life’ details the life of Charles Darwin (1809–1882), using the wealth of biographical material available. Through his five-year circumnavigation of the globe on HMS Beagle that ...
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2. The foundations of Darwinism
Jonathan Howard
in Darwin: A Very Short Introduction
‘The foundations of Darwinism’ introduces the three fundamental conceptions — that of a species, of adaptation, and of evolution itself — that were fused in Darwin's theory of biological ...
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8. Endless forms
Peter S. Ungar
in Teeth: A Very Short Introduction
Living things must constantly adapt and change to survive when pitted against ever-evolving opposing organisms and an ever-changing world. And teeth must constantly adapt and change along ...
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8. Deuterostomes I: starfish, sea squirts, and amphioxus
Peter Holland
in The Animal Kingdom: A Very Short Introduction
‘Deuterostomes I: starfish, sea squirts, and amphioxus’ is concerned with some of the phyla of the Deuterostomia superphylum — the Echinodermata, Hemichordata, and the Chordata subphyla ...
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10. Genius and us
Andrew Robinson
in Genius: A Very Short Introduction
‘Genius and us’ shows that in the early 21st century, talent appears to be on the increase, genius on the decrease. Where is the Darwin or the Einstein, the Mozart or the Beethoven, the ...
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11. Evolution
Lewis Wolpert
in Developmental Biology: A Very Short Introduction
‘Evolution’ shows that development is a fundamental process in the evolution of multicellular organisms. The evolution of multicellular forms of all animals and plants is the result of ...
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Prologue
Jamie Woodward
in The Ice Age: A Very Short Introduction
The ‘Prologue’ outlines the theme of this VSI: the remarkable environmental changes that have taken place during the Great Ice Age of the Quaternary Period. It explores the evolution of ...
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3. Does God act in nature?
Thomas Dixon
in Science and Religion: A Very Short Introduction
Believers as well as sceptics ask themselves whether stories of the miraculous and the supernatural are really credible in a scientific age. ‘Does God act in nature?’ asks: Does the success ...
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1. What are science–religion debates really about?
Thomas Dixon
in Science and Religion: A Very Short Introduction
‘What are science–religion debates really about?’ explains how there is more to the relationship between science and religion than meets the eye, and certainly more than just conflict. ...
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5. Creationism and Intelligent Design
Thomas Dixon
in Science and Religion: A Very Short Introduction
‘Creationism and Intelligent Design’ examines why the movement promoting ‘Intelligent Design’ or ‘ID’ has become as popular as it has within certain sectors of American society. The ...
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2. The physical dimension: our natural environments
John A. Matthews and David T. Herbert
in Geography: A Very Short Introduction
‘The physical dimension: our natural environments’ outlines the field of physical geography. Physical geographers think of the world as comprising a number of different spheres. Physical ...
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