For Beginners

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 ...

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 ...

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.

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.

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 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.

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 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.

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.

Originally published by Writers and Readers in 1998 and republished in 2008 by Hampton Roads, this is an iconoclastic, illustrated romp through the life of the Buddha - both a credible exploration of his life and teachings and an entertaining introduction to the philosophy of Buddhism.

The science is in: Global warming is for real. But what does it all really mean, and what can or should we do about it? This clear, fluid narrative by a leading scientist and educator takes a scrupulously balanced approach in explaining for the reader the history of global climate monitoring and change, and the who's, how's, what's, when's, where's and why's of the interaction between human ...

ZINN FOR BEGINNERS describes the life and work of the most vital historian of our time. Howard Zinn led a revolution in the writing of history by telling the story not from the standpoint of conquerors and rulers, but from the side of the ordinary people who always bear the brunt of the ambitions of tyrants.

Jane Austen's novels are classics.  They have never been out of print, and have continuously been turned into countless movies and TV series, yet her works still remain largely misunderstood.  On their surface, Austen's novels all involve characters from provincial communities in rural England, far removed geographically and thematically from greater social movements, war, industry, colonization, ...

Allons enfants de la Patrie, le jour de gloire est arrivé! “Arise children of the Fatherland, the day of glory has arrived!” These opening lines to La Marseillaise, France's famously stirring and evocative national anthem, capture perfectly the passion, fear and frenetic energy of Republicanism's sanguinary birth on French soil.

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.

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.

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.