Series:

Introducing...

9 total works

Cover of Introducing Freud

Introducing Freud

by Richard Appignanesi

Published 1 March 1999
Freud revolutionized the way we think about ourselves. His psychoanalytic terms such as Id, Ego, libido, neurosis and Oedipus Complex have become part of our everyday vocabulary. But do we know what they really mean? Introducing Freud successfully demystifies the facts of Freud's discovery of psychoanalysis. Irreverent and witty but never trivial, the book tells the story of Freud's life and ideas from his upbringing in 19th-century Vienna, his early medical career and his encounter with cocaine, to the gradual evolution of his theories on the unconscious, dreams and sexuality.

Cover of Introducing Islam

Introducing Islam

by Ziauddin Sardar

Published 1 October 1999
Islam is one of the world's great monotheistic religions. Islamic culture, spanning 1,500 years, has produced some of the finest achievements of humanity. Yet the religion followed by a fifth of humankind, including millions from diverse ethnic backgrounds in the US and Europe, is largely seen in the West in terms of fundamentalism, bigotry and violence, a perception reinforced by the terrorist atrocities in New York and Washington in 2001 and subsequent outrages. But the real message of Islam is very far indeed from this picture, making it perhaps the least understood religion in the world. This informative guide recounts the history of Islam from the birth of Phophet Muhammad in the 6th century to its status as a global culture and political force today. Charting the achievements of Muslim civilization, it explains the nature and message of the Qur'an, outlines the basic features of Islamic law, and assesses the impact of colonialism on Muslim societies. This book shows how Muslims everywhere are trying to live their faith and are struggling to shape new Islamic ideas and ideals in a globalized world.

Cover of Introducing Cultural Studies
Cultural studies signals a major academic revolution as we begin the new millennium. But what exactly is it, and how is it applied? It is a discipline that claims not to be a discipline - a radical critical approach for understanding racial, national, social and gender identities. Introducing Cultural Studies provides an incisive tour through the minefield of this complex subject, charting its origins in Britain and its migration to the USA, Canada, France, Australia and South Asia, examining the ideas of its leading exponents and providing a flavour of its use around the world. Covering the ground from Gramsci to Raymond Williams, postcolonial discourse to the politics of diaspora, feminism to queer theory, technoculture and the media to globalization, it serves as an insightful guide to the essential concepts of this fascinating area of study. It is essential reading for all those concerned with the quickening pulse of old, new and emerging cultures.

Cover of Introducing Mathematics

Introducing Mathematics

by Ziauddin Sardar

Published 1 March 1999
What is mathematics, and why is it such a mystery to so many people? Mathematics is the greatest creation of human intelligence. It affects us all. We depend on it in our daily lives, and yet many of the tools of mathematics, such as geometry, algebra and trigonometry, are descended from ancient or non-Western civilizations.



Introducing Mathematics traces the story of mathematics from the ancient world to modern times, describing the great discoveries and providing an accessible introduction to such topics as number-systems, geometry and algebra, the calculus, the theory of the infinite, statistical reasoning and chaos theory. It shows how the history of mathematics has seen progress and paradox go hand in hand - and how this is still happening today. This is an essential book for anyone interested in the wonderful and weird world of mathematics - which is, after all, the world we have created for ourselves.

Cover of Introducing Media Studies
No one can escape the influence of the media. Every day we watch hours of TV, listen to the radio, read newspapers and comics, go to the cinema, sit in front of videos or surf the Web. These information commodities exercise enormous influence and power over all of us.



Introducing Media Studies provides a scintillating tour of media history and presents a coherent view of the media industry, media theory and methods in media research.

Cover of Introducing Learning and Memory
Traces our quest for knowledge from Greek and Roman antiquity to the origins of experimental science and the insights of sociology, psychology and neurological investigations.

Cover of Introducing Science

Introducing Science

by Ziauddin Sardar

Published 6 May 2002
How do we reconcile the advantages of science with its perils? What do scientists actually do? Is science 'value-free'? How has science evolved through history? Where is science leading us? We now begin to see that uncertainty and ignorance tend to increase with changes in the production of knowledge. We have arrived at the threshold of post-normal science. Introducing Science is a clear and incisively illustrated anatomy of science. It is essential reading for students, ordinary citizens and scientists themselves.

Cover of Introducing Walter Benjamin
Follows the life and work of Walter Benjamin, tracing his influence on modern aesthetics and cultural history, as well as his particular focus on the tension between Marxism and Zionism, and between word and image in modern art.

Cover of Introducing Philosophy of Science

What do scientists actually do? Is science "value-free"? How has science evolved through history? Where is science leading us? "Introducing Philosophy of Science" is a clear and incisively illustrated map of the big questions underpinning science. It is essential reading for students, the general public, and even scientists themselves.