Series: 50 Ideas You Really Need to Know series

Master the management ideas that shape the business world today. In a series of 50 accessible essays, Edward Russell-Walling introduces and explains the central ideas, tools and theories from some of the world's biggest business gurus and leaders. From branding and outsourcing to supply and demand and the latest commercial concepts from the online world, 50 Management Ideas You Really...

Master the ideas that have shaped the study of genetics today. In a series of 50 accessible essays, Mark Henderson and Helen Sims introduce and explain the central ideas of genetics, beginning with the theory of evolution to the very latest, cutting-edge developments in gene therapy and artificial life. From the double helix and how nature and nurture work together,...

Questions of ethics — about how we should act, our responsibilities to one another, the difference between right and wrong — have long been debated by philosophers the world over and form the foundations of government, culture, and religion. Here, in concise, easy-to-read chapters, Ben Dupre explains the fundamentals of this discipline and how it is relevant to our lives...

In a series of accessible and engaging essays, 50 Philosophy Ideas You Really Need to Know introduces and explains the problems of knowledge, consciousness, identity, ethics, belief, justice, and aesthetics that have troubled the minds of great thinkers for centuries, from the ancient Greeks to the present day. From "The brain in a vat" to Plato's cave, "Cogito ergo sum"...

In a series of 50 accessible essays, Adam Fleming introduces and explains the history, key ideas, and tools of democracy developed by some of the world's greatest thinkers, spanning from the ancient Greeks to the present day. From the right to vote to the monarchy, viral politics to Brexit, 50 Democracy Ideas You Really Need to Know is a complete...

In a series of 50 accessible essays, Ben Dupre introduces and explains the fundamental concepts of politics, including political theory, ideologies, and the machinery of politics. From revolution to feminism, monarchy to political parties, 50 Political Ideas You Really Need to Know is a complete introduction to the most important political ideas in history.

Master the biology ideas that shape our living world. In a series of 50 accessible essays, JV Chamary introduces and explains the fundamental processes, ideas and theories that are vital to life on Earth. From the mysteries of sex and sleep to mass extinction and immunity, 50 Biology Ideas You Really Need to Know is a complete introduction to the...

In a series of 50 accessible essays, Joanne Baker introduces and explains the fundamental physical concepts and laws that govern the inner workings of our universe. From Schrödinger's cat to Einstein's theory of relativity; energy conservation to the speed of light, 50 Quantum Physics Ideas You Really Need to Know is a complete introduction to the most important quantum physics...

Master the chemistry ideas that shape the world we live in today. In a series of 50 accessible essays, Hayley Birch introduces and explains everything you need to know about the world of chemistry, offering fascinating insights into our origins and life as we know it. From the molecules that kick-started life itself to nanotechnology and from fermentation to the...

Neuroscience is one of the most fascinating and complex areas of scientific research, with new advances being made every day. In 50 Human Brain Ideas You Really Need to Know, Moheb Costandi condenses all we know about the brain and how it works into a series of introductions to the most important concepts. Outlining both long-standing theories—such as the function...

In 50 Physics Ideas You Really Need to Know, Joanne Baker uncovers the physics all around us, from basic concepts like gravity, light, and energy through to the complexities of quantum theory, chaos, and dark energy. Featuring short biographies of iconic physicists, explanatory diagrams, and timelines showing discoveries within their historical context, this book is the perfect guide to the...

In a series of 50 accessible essays, Jo Baker introduces and explains all of the essential concepts, major discoveries, and the very latest thinking in astrophysics. From heliocentrism to Newton's theory of optics, the theory of relativity to supermassive black holes, 50 Ideas You Really Need to Know: Universe is a complete introduction to the most important concepts about our...

Psychology is everywhere in today's society. It seeks to understand and explain thoughts, feelings, and behaviour through a dizzying array of ideas and theories, shedding light on everything from memory and attitude formation to delusions of grandeur and alcoholism, to name a few. In 50 Psychology Ideas You Really Need to Know, Professor Adrian Furnham explains the central ideas of...

Master the technology reshaping our world today. In a series of 50 accessible essays, Keith Mansfield introduces and explains the essential concepts, ideas and key thinkers behind artificial intelligence. From Alan Turing asking 'can machines think?' and the best prompting techniques for generative AI, to Superintelligence and the Singularity, 50 AI Ideas You Really Need to Know is a complete...

We encounter physics before we've even left the house in the morning; an alarm clock tracks time, a mirror reflects light waves, and our mobile phones rely on satellites held in their orbit by gravity. Where would we be without the Bernoulli equation to explain how planes fly, electromagnetic waves enabling us to communicate around the world, or the discovery...

50 Big Ideas You Really Need to Know is a concise, accessible, and popular guide to the central tenets of Western thought. Every important principle of philosophy, religion, politics, economics, the arts, and the sciences is profiled in a series of short illustrated essays, complemented by an informative array of timelines and box features. From feminism to capitalism, evolution to...

Master the ideas central to understanding the human brain. In a series of 50 accessible essays, Mo Costandi introduces and explains all we know about the brain and how it works, outlining both long-standing theories and cutting-edge ideas. From the function of neurons and synaptic transmission, to the nervous system and personality, 50 Human Brain Ideas You Really Need to...

Master the fashion ideas that shape the world of style today. In a series of 50 accessible essays, Jessica Bumpus introduces and explains the central ideas, trends, and inventions of fashion, from the genesis of style itself to the present day. From fast fashion and the invention of the high heel to streetwear and the impact of the 'influencer', 50...

Who invented zero? Why 60 seconds in a minute? How big is infinity? Where do parallel lines meet? And can a butterfly's wings really cause a storm on the far side of the world? In 50 Maths Ideas You Really Need to Know, Professor Tony Crilly explains in 50 clear and concise essays the mathematical concepts—ancient and modern, theoretical and...

In a series of 50 accessible essays, Susie Hodge introduces and explains the central concepts that underpin Western art and design. From Romanesque to Realism, Pop Art to Pluralism, 50 Art Ideas You Really Need to Know is a complete introduction to the most important art concepts in history.

Featured in Dezeen's Top 10 Architecture and Design books of 2024 Master the design ideas that shape the world we live in today. In a series of 50 accessible essays, John Jervis introduces and explains the central movements, inventions and creative geniuses of design, tracing its evolution from the 19th century to the present day. From arts and crafts and...

In a series of 50 accessible essays, Philip Wilkinson introduces architectural movements and styles throughout history, as well as describing some of the greatest architects' most important and representative works. From the Pyramids of Giza to the Guggenheim, the classical orders of Vitruvius to the most recent contemporary trends today, 50 Architecture Ideas You Really Need to Know is a...

What exactly is a credit crunch? Why do footballers earn so much more than the rest of us? Which country is likely to be the world's leading economy in 10 years' time? In 50 Economics Ideas You Really Need to Know, economics editor Edmund Conway introduces the central ideas of economics in a series of clear and concise essays. Beginning...

In a series of 50 accessible essays, Jonathan Portes demystifies the fundamental concepts of capitalism—from its history, core theories, and key institutions to its current-day political power and social impact. From stock markets to banks, globalization to Marxism, 50 Capitalism Ideas You Really Need to Know is a complete introduction to the world’s most dominant economic system.

Discover the 50 key developments and events that form the backbone of the story of humanity. People often complain that in history lessons at school they were taught just a few topics — the Romans, the Tudors, the Nazis — and how they have no idea about what happened in between. Offering stimulating outlines of key developments in the history...

In a series of 50 accessible essays, John Sutherland introduces and explains the important forms, concepts, themes and movements in literature, drawing on insights and examples from both classic and popular works. From postmodernism to postcolonialism, William Shakespeare to Jane Austen, 50 Literature Ideas You Really Need to Know is a complete introduction to the most important literary concepts in...

In 50 Maths Ideas You Really Need to Know, Professor Tony Crilly explains in 50 clear and concise essays the mathematical concepts—ancient and modern, theoretical and practical, everyday and esoteric—that allow us to understand and shape the world around us. Packed with diagrams, examples, and anecdotes, this book is the perfect overview of this often daunting but always essential subject....

How different are men and women's brains? Does altruism really exist? Are our minds blank slates at birth? And do dreams reveal our unconscious desires? Psychology is everywhere in today's society. No crime fiction, documentary, chat show or medical consultation is complete without the introduction of a psychological angle. Psychology seeks to understand and explain thoughts, feelings, and behaviour through...