Series: DK Big Ideas

DK's bestselling guide to the “big ideas” of science - now fully revised and updated. Did the universe start with a Big Bang? Is light a wave, a particle - or both? Is a “Theory of Everything” possible? Explaining the key milestones in the field of science in a clear and simple way, The Science Book answers these questions and...

The "War to End All Wars" - Episode by Episode Discover the key battles, tactics, technologies and turning points of the First World War - the epic conflict that was supposed to be "the war to end all wars". Combining authoritative, exciting text and bold explanatory graphics, The World War I Book explores the historical background to the war, its...

An accessible guide to the most important discoveries and theories in the history of biology. What is life? Why do bees dance? How do animals know their mothers? Who discovered germs? Biology is the story of our quest to understand the living world and explain how its organisms work and interact—whether microbes, mushrooms, or mammals. In answering these and many...

A bold, accessible, and truly global overview of LGBTQ+ history, from the ancient world to the present day. Discover the rich and complex history of LGBTQ+ people around the world—their struggles, triumphs, and cultural contributions. Exploring and explaining the most important ideas and events in LGBTQ+ history and culture, this book showcases the breadth of the LGBTQ+ experience. This diverse,...

DK's best-selling guide to the history of ecology - fully revised and updated. Get to grips with the key concepts that have shaped the way we think about the environment, ecosystems, and biodiversity, and our role in protecting the planet. Packed with short, pithy explanations of more than 90 of the key milestones and groundbreaking ideas within the field, The...

Big Ideas Simply Explained More than 80 classic myths retold and explained, from early creation beliefs to classical hero narratives and the recurring theme of the afterlife. The latest title in the bestselling Big Ideas series, The Mythology Book explores the compelling worlds and characters depicted in myths and legends. Delve into each myth and discover the meanings behind these...

A vibrant exploration of the world's most famous and key mathematical ideas, movements, and people. What is an imaginary number? Can two parallel lines ever meet? How can maths help us predict the future? Charting the development of maths around the world from Babylon to Bletchley Park, this book explores big questions like these and explains how the answers help...

All the big ideas, simply explained - an innovative and accessible guide to sociology. Exploring more than 80 of the big ideas and key theories in the field of sociology in a clear and simple way, this is the perfect introduction to the study of how humans live and interact with each other. The Sociology Book offers a deep dive...

A vibrant mix of creative typography, graphics, and accessible text to explore the most famous and important ideas and people in physics. How do magnets generate electricity? What is antimatter? Is time travel possible? Discover the answers to these and over 90 other big questions that explore the most important laws, theories, and breakthrough moments in our understanding of physics—from...

Big ideas, simply explained "Books, let's face it, are better than anything else." - Nick Hornby Turn the pages of The Literature Book to discover over 100 of the world's most enthralling reads, and the literary geniuses behind them. Storytelling is as old as humanity itself. Part of the Big Ideas Simply Explained series, The Literature Book introduces you to...

DK's best-selling guide to the "big ideas" of history - now fully revised and updated. Why did democracy emerge in ancient Greece? How did Spain conquer South and Central America? What caused the fall of the Berlin Wall? Explaining the key events in world history in a clear and simple way, The History Book answers these questions and more besides,...

DK's best-selling guide to the history of psychology - now fully revised and updated. How do our minds influence the way we behave? How do our bodies and minds work together? Do we have free will? Exploring and explaining the big ideas and groundbreaking theories in the field of psychology in a clear and simple way, The Psychology Book answers...

An accessible guide to the key events and turning points of the Second World War, and the people and groups behind them. Discover the key battles, tactics, technologies, and turning points of the Second World War—the epic conflict that shaped the modern world. Combining authoritative, exciting text and bold explanatory graphics, The World War II Book explores the causes, key...

Get to know your species. Explore and understand the key ideas and movements in anthropology - the study of human societies and cultures and how they work. What does it mean to be human? Why do we have rituals? How do family structures differ around the world, and why? The Anthropology Book answers questions like these and many, many more....

Big ideas, simply explained What is Fauvism? Which event inspired Picasso's Guernica? Who connects Andy Warhol and David Hockney? This comprehensive volume answers all these and more. In a grand timeline of art, it explains how one movement influenced the next, discusses influential painters, sculptors, and artists, and showcases 80 of the world's greatest artworks. Throughout history, art has taken...

DK's best-selling guide to the "big ideas" of business - now fully revised and updated. How can you create a successful brand? What makes a great business leader? Why do some firms fail while others prosper? Explaining the key ideas in the field of business in a clear and simple way, The Business Book answers these questions and more besides,...

A bold and accessible guide to the key ideas that have shaped our understanding of the Earth's landscapes and environments, and our relationship with them. Discover the key theories and milestone developments in the field of geography—the study of Earth's diverse landscapes and climates, and the ways in which we have interacted with them through history and across the world....

An accessible guide to the most important ideas and developments in the history of architecture, and the people behind them. Discover the key architectural concepts behind the world's most incredible buildings and structures. The Architecture Book goes beyond other architecture books to analyse not just buildings themselves, but the ideas and principles that make each of the featured structures key...

DK's bestselling series now fully revised and updated Is it right to depose an unjust ruler? Is democracy really the best form of government? And can war ever be justified? Explaining the key milestones in the field of politics and political thought in a clear and simple way, The Politics Book answers these questions and more besides, and is the...

An accessible guide to the most important and groundbreaking legal milestones in history, and the people behind them. Learn about the most important legal milestones in history in The Law Book. Part of the fascinating Big Ideas series, this book tackles tricky topics and themes in a simple and easy to follow format. Learn about law in this overview guide...

An innovative and accessible guide to the world's religions. This definitive guide explores all the faiths from around the world. Together with the five main religions of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism, there is a diverse range of newer faiths to ensure a compelling and comprehensive read. From the key concepts of ancient beliefs to the ground-breaking ideas at...

Big Ideas Simply Explained Who wrote the first true \"opera\"? Where did the system of musical notation come from? How do composers construct symphonies? The Classical Music Book answers these questions and more by exploring the history of classical music in clear and easy-to-follow sections. More than 90 works by famous composers are analysed, with explanations of their music theory...

All the big ideas from the most criminal of minds, simply explained. Investigate 100 of the world's most notorious crimes, including the Great Train Robbery, the Lindbergh kidnapping, and the murders of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. Were the perpetrators delusional, opportunist or truly evil? Find out what really happened and how cases were solved. Discover conmen with sheer verve, such...

DK's bestselling guide to the history of philosophy - fully revised and updated. Get to grips with the concepts that shaped the way we think about ethics, politics, and our place in the universe. Explaining the big ideas and groundbreaking theories of key philosophers in a clear and simple way, The Philosophy Book is the perfect one-stop guide to philosophy...

Explore the biggest breakthroughs in technology and how they have shaped our world. How much technology have you taken for granted today? It is human nature to make things and to apply knowledge in ingenious ways to survive and to make life easier. From renewable energy to entertainment streaming and electric vehicles to gene-editing, technology shapes our world. The Technology...

DK's bestselling guide to the history of economics - fully revised and updated. What happens in a recession? How does money work? Why do we pay tax? Explaining the key milestones in the field of economics in a clear and simple way, The Economics Book answers these questions and more besides, and is the perfect introduction to the subject. Untangling...

Discover the key themes and big ideas behind the major events and milestones in the history of warfare - from the dawn of civilisation to the 21st century. Tracing the epic 5,000-year story of warfare from the earliest battles to the War on Terror, The Military History Book explores and explains the causes and consequences of each, offering a new...

Big ideas, simply explained Welcome to the complete history of the world. From the dawn of civilisation to the 21st century, the course of time is captured in all its glory inside this stunning graphic guide. Part of DK's award-winning Big Ideas series that have sold in excess of seven million copies, The History Book explains and explores the biggest...

An accessible guide to more than 90 of the most important and groundbreaking milestones in the history of medicine, and the people behind them. How are illnesses diagnosed? What is cancer? Why are some pandemics so deadly? This book explores big questions like these, explaining the breakthroughs and discoveries that have shaped our modern-day understanding of medicine and helped us...

A complete study of feminism, profiling the key ideas, events, and movements from its 18th-century origins to #metoo. Exploring more than 100 of the most important ideas, organizations, and events that have defined the feminist movement, this is an essential introduction to feminism. The latest entry in DK's bestselling Big Ideas series, The Feminism Book is a complete study of...

An innovative and accessible guide to business, management and commerce. You can achieve your business dream. Beat the odds as you learn from the best—including Henry Ford, Steve Jobs, and Bill Gates—and turn your idea into an amazing and profitable enterprise. The Business Book helps you over the hurdles facing every new business, such as finding a gap in the...

All the big ideas in science, simply explained. Discover 80 trail-blazing scientific ideas, which underpin our modern world, giving us everything from antibiotics to gene therapy, electricity to space rockets, and batteries to smartphones. What is string theory or black holes? And who discovered gravity and radiation? The Science Book presents the fascinating story behind these and other of the...

A comprehensive, factual, unbiased account of the history and traditions of the Islamic faith - part of the best-selling Big Ideas series Learn about the history and traditions of the Islamic faith in The Islam Book. Part of the fascinating Big Ideas series, this book tackles tricky topics and themes in a simple and easy to follow format. Learn about...

An accessible guide to more than 95 of the most important discoveries and theories in the history of chemistry. Discover and understand the key ideas that underpin the core science of chemistry and learn about the great minds who uncovered them. Written in plain English, The Chemistry Book is packed with short, pithy explanations of some of the most historic...

Big astronomy ideas, simply explained Explore planets, stars, galaxies, and the almost unimaginable vast scale of time and space with this comprehensive look at the cosmos. Follow a breathtaking story from Galileo inventing a telescope and discovering Jupiter's moons in 1610, to the unveiling of Uranus, Pluto, Neptune, followed by a myriad of other planets and galaxies. See how one...

From function to form – the ideas and inventiveness that shape our world. Discover the key ideas, innovations, and breakthroughs in the history of design. The perfect introduction to the subject, this book explores and explains the big ideas and key principles behind more than 90 celebrated design concepts and movements, placing each in their historical, cultural, and stylistic context....

An accessible guide to the most important poems ever written - from the Epic of Gilgamesh to An Arundel Tomb - and the poets behind them. Discover the most important and celebrated poems ever written. The perfect introduction to poetry, The Poetry Book offers a fascinating exploration of more than 90 of the world's greatest poetic works. Discover poems in...