For Beginners

A concise, accessible introduction to the great linguist who shaped the study of language for the 20th century, SAUSSURE FOR BEGINNERS puts the challenging ideas of Ferdinand de Saussure (1857-1913) into clear and illuminating terms, focusing on the unifying principles of his teachings and showing how his thoughts on linguistics migrated to anthropology.

Year after year science continually proves that global climate change is real. But what does it all really mean and what can or should we do about it? CLIMATE CHANGE FOR BEGINNERS is a clear, fluid narrative by a leading scientist and lecturer who takes a scrupulously balanced approach in explaining the history of global climate monitoring and change and the whos, hows, whats, whens, wheres ...

Music theory is the study of the fundamental elements of music and how it is written. MUSIC THEORY FOR BEGINNERS was developed for anyone interested in learning to read and write music, a task that can be quite daunting for novices. This book, however, will allay any fears and set you on the path to learning what all those dots, lines and symbols actually mean.

Before you read any further, take a few moments to note all of the devices that are powered by electricity within a 10-foot radius of your body. The number will astonish you. Imagine how this number grows exponentially as you broaden the circle beyond the room, throughout the building, around the block and out across the world.

MORMONISM FOR BEGINNERS is a balanced, richly engaging introduction to the history, tenets, practices, traditions and, yes, debates and controversies of this uniquely American Protestant movement. Designed for the uninitiated or younger members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), this book presents the history of the movement from Joseph Smith to the 21st century along with ...

If you haven't read Toni Morrison, TONI MORRISON FOR BEGINNERS will introduce you to her novels - plot descriptions, subtexts, reviews and Morrison's comments on her work. However, if you have read - or attempted to read - Toni Morrison, you may need this book even more. Many people consider Morrison's novels difficult to read.

Many people have heard of Freemasonry, but few have any idea what it is, what it does or why it exists. FREEMASONRY FOR BEGINNERS will give you the basic facts about Freemasonry and why it remains active today.

Have you heard the terms 'structuralism' and 'deconstruction' and 'postmodernism' but aren't really sure what they mean? Have you taken a whole course on literary criticism, but are still feeling lost? Here's the book you need to sort it all out - and enjoy doing so!

Abstract Expressionism was the defining movement in American art during the years following World War II, making New York City the centre of the international art scene. But what the heck did it mean! The drips, the spills, the splashes, the blotches of colour, the wild spontaneous energy—signifying what?

As the heyday of the Chicano Movement of the late 1960s to early 70s fades further into history and as more and more of its important figures pass on, so too does knowledge of its significance. Thus, CHICANO MOVEMENT FOR BEGINNERS is an important attempt to stave off historical amnesia. It seeks to shed light on the multifaceted, civil rights struggle that formed the Chicano Movement.

Libertarianism isn't about winning elections - it is first and foremost a political philosophy - a description of how, in the opinion of libertarians, free people ought to treat one another, at least when they use the law, which they regard as potentially dangerous.

As the most famous “conductor” on the Underground Railroad, escaped slave, Harriet Tubman, earned the nickname “Moses of her People” for leading scores of men, women and children from bondage to freedom in the North. During the Civil War, she worked as a nurse for wounded soldiers, a caretaker of refugee slaves and a spy and scout for Union forces.

The First Amendment has been parsed, fought over, and argued about for over 200 years, but rarely has it been understood by non-lawyers . . . until now! Join Michael LaMonica as he takes you on a journey through the ins and outs of an amendment that means so much more than just freedom of speech.

Anyone living today could form the impression that humanity is essentially fractured and fragmented - that we're split up along ethnic, geographic, cultural, national and ideological lines. This is the new social reality. But, in ANTHROPOLOGY FOR BEGINNERS, Micah J.

The works of James Joyce are part of the literary canon worldwide - and the need to have his works broken out into palatable pieces, even for the most avid of fans, is known the world over as well. In JOYCE FOR BEGINNERS, W. Terrence Gordon does just that.

The spiritual rewards and intellectual challenges of Eastern Philosophy are revealed in this visually stunning book, illustrated by Joe Lee and with 19th Century engravings. Eastern Philosophy is not an intellectual pursuit, but one that involves one's entire being. Much of it is so deeply entwined with the non-intellectual art of meditation, that the two are impossible to separate.

Michel Foucault's work has profoundly affected the teaching of such diverse disciplines as literary criticism, criminology, and gender studies. Arguing that definitions of abnormal behavior are culturally constructed, Foucault explored the unfair division between those who meet and those who deviate from social norms.

The ideas of the German philosopher Martin Heidegger have been described as an intellectual time bomb, as some of the most revolutionary thought in Western history. Despite the enormous amount of secondary scholarships available on Heidegger, it is – due to the complexity of his thought and the density of his writing – difficult for the curious beginner to gain an insight into Heidegger's ...

The Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard was one of the most original thinkers of the 19th Century – and one of the most enigmatic men who ever walked the Earth. Philosophically, Kierkegaard was the “bridge” that led from Hegel to Existentialism. Kierkegaard abhorred Hegel's abstract, Know-it-all idealism that tried to capture reality in a few words.