Beginner's Guide (Oneworld Publications)

Series · 18

books · 248-2015

By Joe Flatman, Paul Jepson, Christopher Gair, and more

Books in series

Journalism

A Beginner's Guide

2010

Does the digital age spell the end of journalism as we know it? Journalism today is moving faster than ever before. With web 2.0, blogging, huge media conglomerates, 24-hour news-networks, and tight legal frameworks, this introduction investigates the role of journalism in the digital age. With priorities shifting, do journalists still strive for truth or are they solely concerned with 'infotainment' - driven by sales and ratings? This captivating guide explains the history of journalism, its everyday workings, and the ethical dilemmas that modern journalists face.

The Philosophy of Mind

A Short Introduction

2005

minor shelf wear only

#13

Sufism

A Beginner's Guide

248

What is mysticism? What does sufism mean today? William C. Chittick, the leading scholar in the field, offers a compelling insight into the origins, context, and key themes of this fascinating movement. After a general overview of the tradition, he draws upon the words of some of the greatest Sufi writers - among them Ibn Arabi, Baha Walad and Rumi himself - to give a fresh and revealing perspective on the teachings and beliefs of Sufism and its proponents. Fresh and authoritative, this sympathetic book will be appreciated by anyone interested in Sufism, from complete beginners to students, scholars and experts alike.

#17

The World Trade Organization

A Beginner's Guide

2015

One of the most important yet least understood organizations in the world, the WTO is a lynchpin of globalization, allowing us to enjoy products and services from around the globe. However, it also lays bare the frailty of many industries, leading some to claim that it stokes unemployment and harms the developing world. In this engaging introduction, David Collins examines the goals of the WTO and the difficulties experienced by member countries struggling to adapt to the pressures of globalization. Refuting the argument that the WTO should expand its mandate to cover wider social issues, Collins demonstrates how this would confuse the organization’s primary objective – to liberalize international trade. With case studies straight from the headlines and clear explanations of complex issues like regional trade agreements and currency manipulation, this lucid exposition is an essential insight into what the WTO does and how it fits into the world we know.

#47

Islamic Philosophy

A Beginner's Guide

2009

From the introduction of Greek philosophy in the eighth century to modern times, this book charts the evolution and interaction of philosophy, theology, and mysticism in the Islamic context.

#62

Opera

A Beginner's Guide

2010

Opera is often dismissed as outdated and excessive, and perceived to be characterised by excessive passions, sumptuous costumes, and ill-mannered divas. In reality, however, operas address the most fundamental and universal of human concerns - love, death, jealousy, greed, and power. Revealing the diverse reasons behind opera's lasting appeal, opera champion and expert Alexandra Wilson provides a lucid and engaging introduction to the agendas that have governed its composition, production and reception over the last four centuries, and explains the reasons behind its enduring appeal.

#64

Mafia and Organized Crime

A Beginner's Guide

2007

Ruthless, cruel, and irresistibly the Mafia has always appealed to the darker side of the imagination. But just what is the Mafia, how does it operate, and what can be done to combat it? James Finckenauer debunks the romantic notions and mystique surrounding the Mafia to reveal the harsh realities of global organized crime in countries spanning from Japan to Russia to Colombia. Demonstrating that organizations like the Mafia are multi-faceted and far more complex than imagined, he argues that organized crime destabilises society on a global scale, perpetuating untold economic, physical, psychological, and societal damage through its control of criminal markets, violence and corruption. Providing vital insight into a hidden world, A Beginner’s Guide is ideal reading for anyone intrigued by, or concerned about, this widely misunderstood phenomenon. James Finckenauer has written extensively on organized crime. He is a Distinguished Professor at the School of Criminal Justice, Rutgers University, and former Director of the National Institute of Justice, Washington DC.

#65

Machiavelli

A Beginner's Guide

2009

Liberal thinker or immoral pragmatist? You decide… Machiavelli has been among the most commented upon, criticized and feared thinkers of the modern world. Infamous for his support of brutality and repression as valid political instruments, he is often portrayed as the pantomime villain of political theorists. In this whirlwind tour of Machiavelli’s writings and eventful life, Nederman highlights the complexities in his thought, showing that he actually advocated democracy as much as dictatorship, debate as much as violence, depending upon prevailing political conditions.

#67

Conservation

A Beginner's Guide

2010

The need to protect nature has never been so pressing. As unprecedented environmental challenges threaten to wipe out many of the planet’s species, there is a battle against time to formulate new ways of defending nature. Jepson and Ladle cover all aspects of modern conservation from inspiring successes to the most urgent crises, introduce exciting new techniques such as re-wilding and adaptive management, and explain how we can all contribute. Essential reading for anyone who does not want to see the last of pandas, polar bears, and parrots. Dr. Paul Jepson and Dr. Richard Ladle both work at the University of Oxford.

#78

Religion

A Beginner's Guide

2001

This innovative study proves to the heart of religion, examining issues from the origins of religious belief to life after death.

#81

Climate Change

A Beginner's Guide

2010

Climate change is the greatest single problem we face as a planet. This important introduction skilfully guides us through the complex mix of scientific, political, social, and environmental issues to explore the possible futures for our world. Focusing on the fact that the “point of no return” may have already been passed, Boyd and Tompkins highlight the urgent need to start addressing the wide-ranging consequences of our changing climate if we want to avoid catastrophe.

#84

Bioterror and Biowarfare

A Beginner's Guide

2006

In this essential guide to the past, present and future of bio-warfare, international security expert Malcolm Dando draws a wealth of experience and research to uncover the truth about the alarming failure of international community to place effective curbs on the use of this deadly weapon.

#86

Heidegger

An Introduction

2012

This concise and accessible textbook examines German philosopher Martin Heidegger’s entire body of work through the lens of his first and best-known book, Being and Time. An influential, twentieth-century scholar, Heidegger is often studied by opposing his early and later works. This insightful, new text guides students through Heidegger’s ideas without shying away from controversial issues and debates within the scholarship. By unifying Being and Time with the rest of Heidegger’s work, this book addresses the evolution of his thought across his lifetime. The text features a glossary of Greek, Latin, and English terms and a guide for reading the book in conjunction with Heidegger’s writings.

#104

Archaeology

A Beginner's Guide

2015

Archaeology is more popular than ever before. TV and film have made it seem accessible and exciting, and the number of budding amateurs is on the rise, as is government support for archaeological initiatives on a global scale. From coins and combs to battlefields and plantations, archaeologist Joe Flatman provides an incisive introduction to the practice of archaeology. Through comparative case studies he demonstrates how the archaeological mindset reveals unexpected truths about the most modern phenomena. Suddenly a landfill site can expose more about our drinking habits than we may like to admit, and airports become sites as intriguing and complex as the towns and villages they were built over. Flatman also trains his eye on the future and reveals how archaeology can help us predict – and even prevent – the crises that are facing us today.

#111

The English Civil Wars

A Beginner's Guide

2014

The political upheaval of the mid-17th century has no parallel in English history. Other events have changed the occupancy and the powers of the throne, but the conflict of 1640 to 1660 was more dramatic: the monarchy and the House of Lords were abolished, to be replaced by a republic and military rule. In this wonderfully readable account, Patrick Little explores the events of this period and their origins—the war between King and Parliament, the execution of Charles I, Cromwell's rule and the Restoration—while aiming to reveal something more elusive: the motivations of contemporaries on both sides and the concerns of later generations.

#114

French Literature

A Beginner's Guide

2012

Boasting one of Western culture's oldest and richest literary traditions, French literature has long been a pioneer of style and innovation. From the farcical comedies of Moliere to the torment of Baudelaire's verse, it has inspired writers and artists everywhere throughout the ages. This comprehensive Beginner's Guide tells French literature's compelling story from the beginning right up to today. Highlighting its distinct qualities, Carol Clark explores how the literary styles of different periods took shape and shows what we can gain from reading classic and modern French works. With translations and explanations of noteworthy extracts from celebrated writers, this is the perfect introduction for anyone who wants to discover the delights French literature offers.

#115

Democracy

A Beginner's Guide

2005

As the U.S. strives to establish democracy in Iraq and contemplates its own democratic system in the wake of a series of controversial presidential elections, David Beetham offers new insights into democracy. He looks at real examples such as the role of the citizen and how large corporations affect democracy as well as contemplating the future of democracy in the developed and developing worlds.

#117

The Beat Generation

A Beginner's Guide

2007

Without them, the Hippies and the Punks would never have existed. The Beat Generation were a radical group of American writers whose relaxed, gritty and candid writing inspired generations. In his chronicle of the origins, adventures, and inner workings of the Beat movement, Christopher Gair reveals how it sparked one of the most important revolutions in American literature, influencing everything from bebop to the Beastie Boys.

Authors

Professor David Collins teaches and researches in the field of international economic law specializing in the law of the World Trade Organization and international investment law at a central London university and also heads his institution's Digital Trade Research Group. He is a Solicitor of England & Wales and is admitted to the Bars of Ontario and New York. David is Co-Editor in Chief of the journal International Trade Law and Regulation and Series Editor for Routledge Insights on International Economic Law. David has been a visiting researcher at law schools in the US, Spain, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Australia, Russia, Hong Kong and Japan. In 2018 the Government of Canada nominated David to the roster of panelists for NAFTA (now USMCA) binational Trade Remedies disputes. More recently he was appointed to the Academic Advisory Council of the research forum Politeia and became an output assessor for the Law sub-panel for the 2021 REF. He has been a member of the International Committee of the Law Society of England and Wales since 2009. David's first work of fiction - the Savage Season - is a historical thriller pitting humanity against the elements, the tides of war, and a lone prehistoric creature surviving into the early 20th century.

Majid Fakhry is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at Georgetown University, Washington D.C. He has been a lecturer in philosophy in Lebanon and the UK, as well as in the US. His publications include A History of Islamic Philosophy, Ethical Theories in Islam and Islamic Philosophy, Theology and Mysticism: A Short Introduction.

Patrick Little is Senior Research Fellow, History of Parliament Trust.

Edward Feser is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Pasadena City College in Pasadena, California. He has been a Visiting Assistant Professor at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles and a Visiting Scholar at the Social Philosophy and Policy Center at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. He holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of California at Santa Barbara, an M.A. in religion from the Claremont Graduate School, and a B.A. in philosophy and religious studies from the California State University at Fullerton. Called by National Review “one of the best contemporary writers on philosophy,” Feser is the author of On Nozick, Philosophy of Mind, Locke, The Last Superstition: A Refutation of the New Atheism, and Aquinas, and editor of The Cambridge Companion to Hayek and Aristotle on Method and Metaphysics. He is also the author of many academic articles. His primary academic research interests are in the philosophy of mind, moral and political philosophy, and the philosophy of religion. Feser also writes on politics and culture, from a conservative point of view; and on religion, from a traditional Roman Catholic perspective. In this connection, his work has appeared in such publications as The American, The American Conservative, City Journal, The Claremont Review of Books, Crisis, First Things, Liberty, National Review, New Oxford Review, Public Discourse, Reason, and TCS Daily. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and six children.

is a philosopher, writer, translator and interpreter of classical Islamic philosophical and mystical texts. He is best known for his work on Rumi and Ibn 'Arabi, and has written extensively on the school of Ibn 'Arabi, Islamic philosophy, and Islamic cosmology.