For Beginners
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Harriet Tubman For Beginners
by Annette Alston
Part of the For Beginners series
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. Late in life she was active in the fight for women's suffrage. Mythologized by many biographers and historians, Tubman was an ordinary but complex woman-tiny but strong, guided by her belief in God and religious visions, yet a tough, savvy leader who the radical abolitionist John Brown admired as "the General." In 2016, it was announced that Tubman would become the first woman to appear on US currency-the $20 bill-in over a century. Drawing on the latest historical research, Harriet Tubman For Beginners portrays a woman who resisted and transcended slavery and fought injustice her entire life. Beyond legend, she made her mark on history by defending core American principles-life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness-for others.
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Global Warming for Beginners
by Dean Goodwin
Part of the For Beginners series
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 activity and recent trends in the Earth's climate.Global Warming For Beginners is organized into five compelling sections:•Global Warming, An Introduction•The Cause•The Consequences•The Solutions•What Steps Can I Take?Working from the premise that no one can do everything but everyone can do something, Goodwin challenges readers with experiments they can conduct to gain a better understanding of the science underlying the problems facing our planet, and concludes with a list of fifty easy actions people can choose from to start doing their part in the effort to slow or stop global warming.As with all For Beginners titles, this volume is illustrated throughout with entertaining drawings that help readers understand and retain the information in Goodwin's lively and comprehensive text.
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Civil Rights For Beginners
by Paul Von Blum
Part of the For Beginners series
A large swath of literature on the civil rights movement exists in the United States. Much of that literature focuses on the dramatic events of the African American resistance to Jim Crow and oppression from the mid 1950s through the early 1970s. Frequently, this material is scholarly and, at best, only marginally accessible to the general public. Moreover, many of the books on the modern civil rights movement focus exclusively on a narrow historical time frame and often on widely recognized public figures like Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King. Civil Rights For Beginners fills a major gap by placing the modern civil rights movement into a broader historical perspective. It also discusses the civil rights and liberation movements from the 60s to the present that the African American freedom struggles helped to catalyze including the Chicano Movement, the American Indian Movement, the Asian-American Movement, the Women's Movement, and the Gay Liberation Movement. Unlike most civil rights books, Civil Rights For Beginners focuses less on major leaders and more on the ordinary African Americans who provided the backbone of the successful protests and demonstrations. Moreover, it deals with the expressive culture of the movement, surveying key developments in literature, music, visual art, and film, all of which served both as integral features of the movement as well as contributing to its enduring legacy.
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Democracy for Beginners
by Robert Cavalier
Part of the For Beginners series
With all the talk about "democracy" these days, it's surprising how little time is spent concentrating on the concept of democracy itself, its history and justification as a form of political governance. Democracy for Beginners looks at democracy's rich evolution in its varied forms, and at some of the challenges democracies face today.Beginning with the rise of democracy in fifth-century Athens and ending with an exploration of what the future might hold - for example the notion of "e-democracy"-Democracy for Beginners is an important resource for understanding the foundation on which our country stands. Readers will become familiar with ideas advanced by democracy's advocates and architects, and by its critics, from Plato to contemporary social choice theoreticians.Democracy for Beginners is the perfect introduction to the United States of America's founding principles.
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FDR and the New Deal for Beginners
by Paul Buhle
Part of the For Beginners series
A profusely illustrated, popularly-written volume with original comic art, FDR and the New Deal For Beginners will shed new light upon a story now regaining visibility thanks to the recent economic crisis and prominent reformer, President Obama, in the White House.The history of the precedent-making FDR administration through the bitter economic depression, with expansive programs empowering artists and working people, comes alive as the grandest social experiment in the history of American democracy. For the first time, the lives of the president, the first lady and the ordinary people of the time will be seen through an inventive comic narrative accompanying historic illustrations and a sympathetic but not uncritical text.
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Black Women for Beginners
by S. Pearl Sharp
Part of the For Beginners series
There are over 519 million Black Women on the planet Earth, give or take a dozen. There's a Black Woman on each of the seven continents, in almost every country and in almost every context. There are even Black Women in the space program. So no matter where you go, she's already been there. She travels with forces greater than herself. Her presence is everywhere.Black Women For Beginners is a documentary comic book that chronicles the trials and triumphs of Black Women from antiquity to the present, reflecting with wit and humor the challenges they have faced and the fortitude and strength that have sustained Black Women and patterned history with a diversity of excellence. As warriors, healers, teachers, mothers, queens, and liberators Black Women have had tremendous impact on issues from food to fashion, from politics to poetry. Replete with a glossary of reference terms, Black Women For Beginners whimsically details the influence of stereotypes on the portrayal of Black Women in various venues and punctuates the absurd.
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Barack Obama for Beginners, Presidential Edition
An Essential Guide
by Bob Neer
Part of the For Beginners series
Barack Obama For Beginners: An Essential Guide is the most concise and reliable short biography available on the 44th President of the United States - from his childhood in Hawaii and Indonesia, education at Columbia and Harvard, work as a community organizer, writer, teacher, lawyer, and politician in Illinois, to his historic campaign for President. Barack Obama For Beginners keeps the focus on the man and his record - accomplishments and missteps, praise and criticism - to allow readers to gain a balanced understanding of President Obama as they follow his rise to the White House. Entertaining illustrations enliven the reading experience and highlight important details.
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First Amendment For Beginners
by Michael J. LaMonica
Part of the For Beginners series
Join Michael LaMonica, author of French Revolutions For Beginners, 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. First Amendment For Beginners will explore some of the biggest cases ever to come before the Supreme Court and answer questions such as whether it really is okay to shout "fire" in a crowded theater, wear a T-shirt that reads "F**K THE DRAFT!" (without the asterisks) into a courthouse, burn the flag, burn your draft card, join the Communist party, sell nudie magazines, ban Ku Klux Klan marches, and publish confidential government secrets in a newspaper, to name just a few. The religion clauses are included too, with pertinent questions such as whether the First Amendment protects your right to use psychoactive drugs in religious rituals, marry multiple partners, or engage in animal sacrifice. The book also wades into the political maelstrom to examine recent controversies such as whether money really equals speech and if corporations have constitutionally protected rights to speech and religion. Whether you're a court watcher, political junkie, history buff, civil libertarian, news enthusiast, or just curious about the most important amendment in the Constitution, this book is for you!
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Women's History for Beginners
by Bonnie Morris
Part of the For Beginners series
Women's History For Beginners offers a lively, revealing, and provocative overview of this important (and controversial) academic field. Who are the great women of history, and why don't we know more about them? You don't need to be a scholar to notice that men's history dominates everything we learn in school; yet a quick tour of the past reveals dynamic female role models at every turn.This is more than an introduction to women's roles and contributions across time. It also examines the ways that women in all societies have been ruled by men, according to law and custom. Women's History For Beginners opens with a critical investigation of why so few of us are exposed to women's history in our years of schooling-and why educators and political groups remain leery of bringing fair, accurate women's history content into the classroom even now. It concludes with the reminder that women, too, are divided by race and class and nationality; that there is no one-size-fits-all women's history but many different versions, each worthy of investigation and understanding.
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Jane Austen for Beginners
by Robert Dryden
Part of the For Beginners series
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, and imperialism. This impression could not be further from the truth. Jane Austen For Beginners explores the intentions behind Austen's work. Her examination of money and power, of the marriage market, of social class, and of the rending of the British social fabric of her day are among her many concerns. Jane Austen For Beginners will foster a deeper appreciation and understanding of Austen's greatest stories and most memorable characters.
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Paul Robeson For Beginners
by Paul Von Blum
Part of the For Beginners series
Paul Robeson, despite being one of the greatest Renaissance figures in American history, still remains in relative anonymity. An exceptional scholar, lawyer, athlete, stage and screen actor, linguist, singer, civil rights and political activist, he performed brilliantly in every professional enterprise he undertook. Any serious treatment of civil rights history and radical politics as well as American sports, musical, theatrical, and film history must consider the enormous contributions of Paul Robeson. And yet, Paul Robeson remains virtually unknown by millions of educated Americans. People typically know him for only one, if any, of the major successes of his life: the concert singer best known for "Old Man River," the star of Shakespeare's Othello on Broadway in the early 1940s, the political activist blacklisted for his radical views and activism during the era of McCarthyism in the 1950s. Paul Robeson For Beginners demystifies and bestows light and long overdue credence to the life of this extraordinary American.
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Prison Industrial Complex For Beginners
by James Braxton Peterson
Part of the For Beginners series
Prison Industrial Complex For Beginners is a graphic narrative project that attempts to distill the fundamental components of what scholars, activists, and artists have identified as the Mass Incarceration movement in the United States. Since the early 1990s, activist critics of the US prison system have marked its emergence as a "complex" in a manner comparable to how President Eisenhower described the Military Industrial Complex. Like its institutional "cousin," the Prison Industrial Complex features a critical combination of political ideology, far-reaching federal policy, and the neo-liberal directive to privatize institutions traditionally within the purview of the government. The result is that corporations have capital incentives to capture and contain human bodies. The Prison Industrial Complex relies on the "law and order" ideology fomented by President Nixon and developed at least partially in response to the unrest generated through the Civil Rights Movement. It is (and has been) enhanced and emboldened via the US "war on drugs," a slate of policies that by any account have failed to do anything except normalize the warehousing of nonviolent substance abusers in jails and prisons that serve more as criminal training centers then as redemptive spaces for citizens who might re-enter society successfully. Prison Industrial Complex For Beginners is a primer for how these issues emerged and how our awareness of the systems at work in mass incarceration might be the very first step in reforming an institution responsible for some of our most egregious contemporary civil rights violations.
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The History of Opera for Beginners
by Ron David
Part of the For Beginners series
The History of Opera For Beginners is a humorous, little book which starts with the radical assumption that Opera is just plain old music, rather than the highbrow, inaccessible music that everyone assumes it to be. The reader will learn the difference between Italian and German Opera and why you don't have to study a new language to enjoy Opera. The History of Opera For Beginners is an ideal introduction for people who are convinced that opera is solely for those refined few who were born listening to arias. Written in short, humorous, and informative chapters, and laced with some of the opera world's juiciest anecdotes, this guide is sure to convert even the most ambivalent of music lovers.
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Tesla For Beginners
by Robert I. Sutherland-Cohen
Part of the For Beginners series
The father of modern-day electricity and considered by some to be the ultimate "mad scientist," Nikola Tesla filed nearly 300 patents in his lifetime. Many of these patents resulted in functioning inventions; others were little more than wide-eyed dreams-or still await possible development. Tesla For Beginners examines the man behind the alternating current and wireless technologies who traveled from Serbia by steamship to arrive in the United States with only four cents in his pocket. It was in the early 1880s, at the tail end of the Industrial Revolution and the beginning of the Second Industrial Revolution, that America beckoned him. Nikola Tesla-a poet of invention-left behind a vast and intriguing legacy. He was a scientist, physicist, mathematician, electrical engineer, and extensively published author who spent his last decades scraping for funding for celestial projects and living out his final days in penurious solitude with a pigeon.
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Dante For Beginners
by Joe Lee
Part of the For Beginners series
Dante For Beginners takes the reader on a trip starting in hell and ending in heaven. The reader gets a quick introduction to Dante and his times. Next, the reader meets a sweet lass named Beatrice and samples a bit of his other literary offerings, such as the great feast, the Convivio. But then it's on to the big one, the Commedia, and a canto by canto description of the entire work. Characters, ideas and situations are described as they happen-no searching through end notes, footnotes or field notes to distinguish Forese Donati, Dante's pal, from his evil brother, Corso. The entire plan of the hereafter is simply mapped out. Dante For Beginners is a great vacation with history's greatest tourist, Dante Alighieri.
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Lincoln For Beginners
by Paul Buhle
Part of the For Beginners series
There is no greater symbol of the American presidency than Abraham Lincoln. Though, Lincoln himself, his personality, the sources of his dedication and his idealism, remains very much a mystery. The sudden rise to world stature of a hard-traveling lawyer from the frontier, with no prominent family or social connections to back him, was a wonder of the age. Well over a thousand books about Lincoln have been written and still the enigma remains, perhaps because it is the enigma of a young country finding its footing and its destiny. Yet, no part is deeper, more perplexing, than Lincoln's own beliefs about God and destiny. Featuring a foreword by Pulitzer prize-winning author Eric Foner, Lincoln For Beginners sets to demystify the man behind the legend.
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Exercise Tips for Beginners
by James Smith
Part of the For Beginners series
Synopsis currently unavailable.
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Black Panthers For Beginners
by Herb Boyd
Part of the For Beginners series
A crowd of onlookers gawked from the sidewalk as four young black men dressed in black leather jackets and berets leaped from a Volkswagen, each of them wielding shotguns with bandoliers strapped across their bodies. The young men surrounded two white police officers who had accosted a black man and had him spread-eagled against a building. The young men did not say a word as the police officers watched them nervously, their eyes fixed on the shotguns. One of the young men held a large law book in his hand…This was the Black Panther Party in ideal action. The real story-the whole story-was both more and less heroic. So begins Black Panthers For Beginners. The late 1960s, when the Panthers captured the imagination of the nation's youth, was a time of regulation. While their furious passage was marked by death, destruction and government sabotage, the Panthers left an instructive legacy for anyone who dares to challenge the system. Herb Boyd has done exhaustive research, examined the claims of all parties involved, and boiled the story down to "the truth."We believe this is the most truthful book on the market, but each Panther has his or her own story to tell. We suggest that you check out the stories of all the Black Panthers.
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Climate Change For Beginners
by Dean Goodwin
Part of the For Beginners series
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 educator who takes a scrupulously balanced approach in explaining the history of global climate monitoring and change, and the whos, hows, whats, whens, wheres and whys of the interaction between human activity and recent trends in the Earth's climate. Working from the premise that no one can do everything, but everyone can do something, Dean Goodwin challenges readers with experiments they can conduct to gain a better understanding of the science underlying the problems facing our planet and concludes with a list of 50 easy actions readers can choose from to start doing their part in the effort to slow or stop global warming.
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Foucault For Beginners
by Lydia Alix Fillingham
Part of the For Beginners series
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. Foucault's deeply visual sense of scenes such as ritual public executions, lends itself well to Moshe Süsser's dramatic illustrations.
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Structuralism and Poststructuralism For Beginners
by Donald D. Palmer
Part of the For Beginners series
"What is Structuralism? How is it possible? And once the structures of Structuralism have been discovered, how is Poststructuralism possible?"Thus begins Don Palmer's Structuralism and Poststructuralism For Beginners. If Nobel or Pulitzer ever made a prize for making the most difficult philosophers and ideas accessible to the greatest number of people, one of the leading candidates would certainly be Professor Don Palmer. From his Sartre For Beginners and Kierkegaard For Beginners to his Looking at Philosophy, author/illustrator Don Palmer has the magic touch when it comes to translating the most brutally difficult ideas into language and images that non-specialists can understand. "In its less dramatic versions," writes Palme, "structuralism is just a method of studying language, society, and the works of artists and novelists. But in its most exuberant form, it is a philosophy, an overall worldview that provides an account of reality and knowledge."Poststructuralism is a loosely knit intellectual movement, comprised mainly of ex-structuralists, who either became dissatisfied with the theory or felt they could improve it. Structuralism and Poststructuralism For Beginners is an illustrated tour through the mysterious landscape of Structuralism and Poststructuralism. The book's starting point is the linguistic theory of Ferdinand de Sausser. The book moves on to the anthropologist and literary critic Claude Lévi-Strauss; the semiologost and literary critic Roland Barthes; the Marxist philosopher Louis Althusser; the psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan; the deconstructionist Jacques Derrida. Learn among other things, why structuralists say Reality is composed of not Things, but Relationships Every "object" is both a presence and an absence The total system is present in each of its parts The parts are more real than the wholeThe book concludes by examining the postmodern obsession with language and with the radical claim of the disappearance of the individual – obsessions that unite the work of all these theorists.
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Eastern Philosophy For Beginners
by Jim Powell
Part of the For Beginners series
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. In this accessible survey of the major philosophies of India, China, Tibet, and Japan, Jim Powell draws upon his knowledge of Sanskrit and Chinese, as well as decades of meditation. Whether tackling Buddha, Confucius, Lao Tzu, Dogen, the Dali Lama or Pantajal - Powell's insights are deeply illuminating. All the major philosophies of India, China, Tibet and Japan are explained and everyone - from beginner to expert - will find Eastern Philosophy For Beginners a beautiful and insightful overview.
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Astronomy For Beginners
by Jeff Becan
Part of the For Beginners series
Astronomy For Beginners is a friendly and accessible guide to our universe, our galaxy, our solar system and the planet we call home. Each year as we cruise through space on this tiny blue-green wonder, a number of amazing and remarkable events occur. For example, like clockwork, we'll run head-on into asteroid and cometary debris that spreads shooting stars across our skies. On occasion, we'll get to watch the disk of the Moon passing the Sun, casting its shadow on the face of the Earth, and sometimes we'll get to watch our own shadow as it glides across the face of the Moon. The Sun's path will constantly change across the daytime sky, as will the stars and constellations at night. During this time, we'll also get to watch the other majestic planets in our solar system wander the skies, as they too circle the Sun in this elaborate celestial dance. Astronomy For Beginners will explain this elaborate celestial dance - the patterns of the heavens, the equinoxes and the solstices, the major meteor showers, and the solar and lunar eclipses. In addition, Astronomy For Beginners will also take you on a guided tour of the solar system and beyond. We'll discover how the way we measure time itself is intimately related to celestial phenomena, and we'll furthermore explore our historical and continuing mission to understand our place in this marvelous universe in which we find ourselves. Oh yeah, one more thing: Astronomy For Beginners will not only help you become an expert in space and time - but it also promises to be a pretty fun ride!
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Deconstruction For Beginners
by Jim Powell
Part of the For Beginners series
Deconstruction is so labyrinthine (and rumored to be fatal) that it's become the monster that murdered philosophy. When Jacques Derrida, the father of deconstruction, uses buzz-words such as "phallogocentrism" and "transcendental signified," humanities students and aspiring philosophers may get weak in the knees. Following up on the success of Derrida For Beginners, Jim Powell's Deconstruction For Beginners is an irreverent romp through deconstructive domains. Though Powell offers lucid explanations of the most important deconstructive ideas and texts, he also dive into lesser known works. One of these, The Right to Look, finds Derrida offering his thoughts on a photo-novella consisting of images of women making love with each other. Powell then goes on to explore how deconstruction, like an unruly mistress, has escaped Derrida, especially in the realm of architecture. Then, based on Derrida's assertion that deconstruction happens differently in different cultures, Powell examines how - through Buddhism and Taoism - deconstruction took place in ancient India, Japan, and China.
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Dada & Surrealism For Beginners
by Elsa Bethanis
Part of the For Beginners series
What kind of artists put a mustache on the Mona Lisa? Enter a urinal in an art competition? Declare their own independent republic? Hijack a ship? Dadas! And what happens in such a movement? With Dada, many of the artists declared their own "Pope" and continued their journey (with no destination) into Surrealism, creating burning giraffes, "amoebic" dogs, and lobster telephones - some of the most imaginative and intense works of art of the 20th Century. In Dada & Surrealism For Beginners, you'll get a colorful overview of these two movements, and develop a sense of the turbulent, wild, and unapologetically mad mood and tone of the Dada and Surrealist movements. Whether you're an artist, would-be artist, or someone seeking the marvelous, you'll find the courage and originality of the movements inspiring, and you'll gain an understanding of their long-term (and current) influences on contemporary art and culture - everything from performance art to pop art to the abandoned train ticket you find in the street.
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Malcolm X For Beginners
by Bernard Aquina Doctor
Part of the For Beginners series
Powerful narrative and graphics tell the story of Malcolm X's life, his journey of self-discovery, his far-reaching ideas, his martyrdom, and his impact on an era. Embraced as a righteous prophet of Black power and pride, damned as the voice of violence, Malcolm X emerges as a complex, brave, and brilliant figure with much to teach about the struggle for dignity.
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The Black Holocaust For Beginners
by S. E. Anderson
Part of the For Beginners series
Virtually anyone, anywhere knows that six million Jewish human beings were killed in the Jewish Holocaust. But how many African human beings were killed in the Black Holocaust - from the start of the European slave trade (c. 1500) to the Civil War (1865)? And how many were enslaved? The Black Holocaust, a travesty that killed millions of African human beings, is the most underreported major event in world history. A major economic event for Europe and Asia, a near fatal event for Africa, the seminal event in the history of every African American - if not every American! - and most of us cannot answer the simplest question about it. Here is a sample of what you will get from the painstakingly researched, painfully honest The Black Holocaust For Beginners:"The total number of slaves imported is not known. It is estimated that nearly 900,000 came to America in the 16th Century, 2. 75 million in the 17th Century, 7 million in the 18th, and over 4 million in the 19th - perhaps 15 million in total. Probably every slave imported represented, on average, five corpses in Africa or on the high seas. The American slave trade, therefore, meant the elimination of at least 60 million Africans from their fatherland. "The Black Holocaust For Beginners - part indisputably documented chronicle, part passionately engaging narrative, puts the tragic event in plain sight where it belongs! The long overdue book answers all of your questions, sensitively and in great depth.
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Poetry For Beginners
by Margaret Chapman
Part of the For Beginners series
Poetry is one of those subjects almost impossible to define as it can be so many things at once. It can be: kids whispering limericks on the playground; secret languages used by revolutionaries and spies; or the written strength of oppressed people. Poetry is how millions of people across time have used language to try to better understand love, hate, war, religion, oppression, joy, sorrow, sex, and death. Poetry is one of the oldest forms of writing in the world, yet also constantly evolving. Despite its complexities, poetry is probably the way most people learned how to read. Poetry For Beginners is a fun, lively and accessible guide, and expands one's understanding and knowledge of poetry through the ages. From ancient Greece to the present, Poetry For Beginners traces the wonders of the written word and shows how it is relevant in daily life.
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Relativity And Quantum Physics For Beginners
by Steven L. Manly
Part of the For Beginners series
As we humans have expanded our horizons to see things vastly smaller, faster, larger, and farther than ever before, we have been forced to confront preconceptions born of the human experience and create wholly new ways of looking at the world around us. The theories of relativity and quantum physics were developed out of this need and have provided us with phenomenal, mind-twisting insights into the strange and exciting reality show of our universe. Relativity and Quantum Physics For Beginners is an entertaining and accessible introduction to the bizarre concepts that fueled the scientific revolution of the 20th century and led to amazing advances in our understanding of the universe.
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Shakespeare For Beginners
by Brandon Toropov
Part of the For Beginners series
Despite the reshifting of values that has affected every aspect of life in the 21st century, William Shakespeare still stands as the greatest writer the English language has ever produced. Even so, many people have never read him. If you have never read "the Bard"-or if you've tried and given up in frustration-you need Shakespeare For Beginners. Author Brandon Toropov opens with the observation that Shakespeare's genius is not in his (or England's) history, it's in his words, most notably, his plays-in his brilliant stories, unforgettable characters, and the impossible beauty of his language. So, Shakespeare For Beginners skips the historical foreplay and goes straight to Shakespeare's plays. The book offers clear, concise descriptions and plot summaries of each play; it lists key phrases and important themes, explains the main ideas behind each work and features excerpt of important passages (with explanatory notes on tough words.) And it is the only 'entry level' book available outside Great Britain that covers all of Shakespeare's plays.
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Libertarianism For Beginners
by Todd Seavey
Part of the For Beginners series
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. If libertarians are correct, the law should intrude into people's lives as little as possible, rarely telling them what to do or how to live.A political and economic philosophy as old as John Locke and John Stuart Mill, but as alive and timely as Rand Paul, the Tea Party, and the novels of Ayn Rand, libertarianism emphasizes individual rights and calls for a radical reduction in the power and size of government. Libertarianism For Beginners lays out the history and principles of this often-misunderstood philosophy in lucid, dispassionate terms that help illuminate today's political dialogue.
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Postmodernism For Beginners
by Jim Powell
Part of the For Beginners series
If you are like most people, you're not sure what Postmodernism is. And if this were like most books on the subject, it probably wouldn't tell you. Besides what a few grumpy critics claim, Postmodernism is not a bunch of meaningless intellectual mind games. On the contrary, it is a reaction to the most profound spiritual and philosophical crisis of our time - the failure of the Enlightenment. Jim Powell takes the position that Postmodernism is a series of "maps" that help people find their way through a changing world. Postmodernism For Beginners features the thoughts of Foucault on power and knowledge, Jameson on mapping the postmodern, Baudrillard on the media, Harvey on time-space compression, Derrida on deconstruction and Deleuze and Guattari on rhizomes. The book also discusses postmodern artifacts such as Madonna, cyberpunk, Buddhist ecology, and teledildonics.
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Greek Mythology For Beginners
by Joe Lee
Part of the For Beginners series
Would there be a Western civilization without the Greek myths? Would we be able to define our civilization and ourselves without some reference to the grand, violent, and venal doings of those denizens of Mount Olympus?Greek Mythology For Beginners presents the pantheon – that immortal collection of rogues and heroes, misfits and tyrants - and the stories about these deities and their dealings with the mortals. It delves into their undying influence on our thought and culture, and how each age from Rome to Shakespeare to Freud down to our own Marvel Comics and NASA has been enlightened, informed, and inspired by these tales. So strap on Hermes' winged sandals, saddle-up Pegasus, or even grab the nearest Harpy (remember to keep your eyes closed) and come along for the ride of your life. Let's fly to that world that's as old as Chaos-the ancient and refreshingly timely Greek myths!
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Literary Theory For Beginners
by Mary Klages
Part of the For Beginners series
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!In Literary Theory For Beginners, Mary Klages takes you into her classroom, cuts through the jargon, and explains the ABCs (and the DEFs as well) in terms you can get your head around. Her breadth of knowledge, her unique skills as a teacher, and the delightful illustrations of Frank Reynoso help us understand why literature matters, how it affects us, and how it reflects history, culture, and diversity. Here are ways of thinking about literature-not just reading it-methods of study and frameworks of interpretation from classical humanism all the way up to psychoanalysis, gender and queer theory, race, postcolonialism, and, yes, postmodernismWith wit and wisdom, Klages takes on the two most frequently asked questions about literature and makes it all fun:What does the work MEAN? (What is the deeper, hidden, or symbolic meaning? Did the author intend all these meanings? Are any and all meanings present in the text? Are all meanings equally valid?)What does the work DO? (Why is literature important? What effect does it have on the reader? How can literature be a force for social change?)So sit back, relax, and take it all in!
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Zinn For Beginners
by David Cogswell
Part of the For Beginners series
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. Zinn tells the story of Columbus' discovery of America from the standpoint of the native people whose hands Columbus cut off to terrorize them into giving him gold. He tells the story of the Civil War not from the point of view of the great generals who directed the slaughter, but from that of the slaves and from the ordinary people who gave up their lives in the struggle. It tells of the Spanish-American War from the point of view of Mark Twain, who wrote, "When the smoke was over, the dead buried, and the cost of the war came back to the people... it suddenly dawned on us that the cause of the Spanish-American war was the price of sugar... that the lives, blood, and money of the American people were used to protect the interest of the American capitalists."Howard Zinn's fresh look at history has earned him a devoted following. Zinn For Beginners tells the story of where Zinn came from, what events shaped his life, and walks through the main points of his major works.
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Jung For Beginners
by Jon Plantania
Part of the For Beginners series
Carl Gustav Jung merged Eastern mysticism with Western psychology, brought scientific respectability to religion, laid the foundation for 'the New Age,' and is second only to Freud in influence and importance in the world of psychoanalysis. Many consider him a genius, but many others disagree. Scholar and clinical psychologist Jon Platania, PhD, presents Jung as a somewhat opportunistic and dissociated character whose most famous historical events were his break with Freud and his questionable sojourn with the psychological elite of the German Third Reich. On the other side of Jung's complex genius, there is a deeply spiritual man who laid the groundwork for a more optimistic approach to our modern understanding of the human psyche in both theology and psychology. He is remembered by many as the "Swiss Doctor of the Soul". Dr. Platania then takes us on a tour of the work that made Jung one of the pillars of modern psychology. And what a body of work it is. Jung's open-mindedness was astonishing. Wherever he went-Calcutta, Egypt, Palestine, Kenya-Jung learned something that expanded his views. His open-ended psychology incorporated Yoga, meditation, prayer, alchemy, mythology, astrology, numerology, the I Ching-even flying saucers! He taught us that psychology and religion can not only coexist peacefully together, but that they can enhance us, inspire us, and help us complete ourselves. Freud, for all of his brilliance, reduced us to little more than vessels of hormones with high IQs. Jung, for all of his flaws, gave us back our souls.
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Chicano Movement For Beginners
by Maceo Montoya
Part of the For Beginners series
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 known as "El Movimiento" that galvanized the Mexican American community, from laborers to student activists, giving them not only a political voice to combat prejudice and inequality, but also a new sense of cultural awareness and ethnic pride. Beyond commemorating the past, Chicano Movement For Beginners seeks to reaffirm the goals and spirit of the Chicano Movement for the simple reason that many of the critical issues Mexican American activists first brought to the nation's attention then-educational disadvantage, endemic poverty, political exclusion, and social bias-remain as pervasive as ever almost half a century later.
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The History Of Classical Music For Beginners
by R. Ryan Endris
Part of the For Beginners series
Music history is nearly as old as human civilization itself, and while it has permeated the arts and popular culture for centuries, it still has this mystifying aura surrounding it. But fear not-it's not as complicated as it seems, and anyone can learn the origins and history of Western art music. In addition to learning how better to understand (and enjoy!) classical music, The History of Classical Music For Beginners will help you will learn of some of the more interesting and sometimes comical stories behind the music and composers. Did you know that Jean-Baptiste Lully actually died from conducting one of his own compositions? You may have heard of Gregorian chant, but did you know there are many forms of chant, including Ambrosian and Byzantine chant? And did you also know that only a small portion of "classical music" is even technically Classical? These interesting, insightful facts and more are yours to discover in The History of Classical Music For Beginners.
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Marx's 'Das Kapital' for Beginners
by Michael Wayne
Part of the For Beginners series
Marx's 'Das Kapital' cannot be put into a box marked "economics." It is a work of politics, history, economics, philosophy and even in places, literature (yes Marx's style is that rich and evocative). Marx's 'Das Kapital' For Beginners is an introduction to the Marxist critique of capitalist production and its consequences for a whole range of social activities such as politics, media, education and religion. 'Das Kapital' is not a critique of a particular capitalist system in a particular country at a particular time. Rather, Marx's aim was to identify the essential features that define capitalism, in whatever country it develops and in whatever historical period. For this reason, 'Das Kapital' is necessarily a fairly general, abstract analysis. As a result, it can be fairly difficult to read and comprehend. At the same time, understanding 'Das Kapital' is crucial for mastering Marx's insights to capitalism.Marx's 'Das Kapital' For Beginners offers an accessible path through Marx's arguments and his key questions: What is commodity? Where does wealth come from? What is value? What happens to work under capitalism? Why is crisis part of capitalism's DNA? And what happens to our consciousness, our very perceptions of reality and our ways of thinking and feeling under capitalism? Understanding and learn from Marx's work has taken on a fresh urgency as questions about the sustainability of the capitalist system in today's global economy intensify.
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Bukowski For Beginners
by Carlos Polimeni
Part of the For Beginners series
Charles Bukowski, poet, novelist, short-story writer, journalist, and cult figure of the dissident and rebellious was born in Germany in 1920 and died in the USA in 1994. During his life he was hailed as "laureate of American lowlife" by Time magazine literary critic Adam Kirsch of The New Yorker wrote: "The secret of Bukowski's appeal... (is that) he combines the confessional poet's promise of intimacy with the largerthan-life aplomb of a pulp-fiction hero." Bukowski was one of the most unconventional writers and cultural critics of the 20th century. He lived an unorthodox, idiosyncratic life and wrote in a style that was unique-one that is impossible to classify or categorize. His work was at times cynical or humorous, but was always brilliant and challenging. His life and work are distinguished not only by a remarkable talent for words, but also by his rejection of the dominant social and cultural values of American society. Bukowski began writing at the age of forty and published forty-five books, six of them novels. He is also considered one of the great literary voices of Los Angeles. In Bukowski For Beginners, playwright Carlos Polimeni evaluates the life and literary achievements of the cult writer whose voice of dissidence and discontent is still heard and appreciated by readers worldwide.
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Proust For Beginners
by Steve Bachmann
Part of the For Beginners series
Proust For Beginners is a compelling biography of French novelist Marcel Proust and a vivid portrait of his times. It also serves as a concise guide and critical review of In Search of Lost Time (À la recherche du temps perdu, 7 volumes, 1913-1927), one of the most difficult-yet widely taught-works of French literature. With extensive passages from In Search of Lost Time and other essential works, Proust For Beginners highlights the defining themes and unique literary style of a modern master whom many have heard about but few fully fathom. It portrays Proust and the milieu in which he wrote in vivid detail, bringing to life the "Proustian moments" at the heart of his greatest work-and our own everyday experience. Proust's masterpiece "begins in a series of rooms in which he unlocks themes, styles, references, and foreshadows," writes Harold Augenbraum in the foreword. Proust For Beginners will provide the key.
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Fanon For Beginners
by Deborah Baker Wyrick
Part of the For Beginners series
Philosopher, psychoanalyst, politician, propagandist, prophet... although difficult to categorize, Frantz Fanon (1925–1961) is one of the most important thinkers of the 20th century and one of our most powerful writers on race and revolution. The book opens with a biography, following Fanon from his birthplace of Martinique through combat in World War II and education in France, to his heroic involvement in the fights for Algerian independence and African decolonization. After a brief discussion of Fanon's political and cultural influences, the main section of the book covers the three principal stages of Fanon's thought: the search for black identity, as presented in Black Skin, White Masks, Fanon's stunning diagnosis of racism the struggle against colonialism, as explained in "A Dying Colonialism" and "Toward the African Revolution," essays centering on Algeria's war of independence the process of decolonization, as analyzed in The Wretched of the Earth, the book that extended insights gained in Algeria to Africa and the Third WorldFanon For Beginners concludes by examining Fanon's influence on political practice, such as the Black Power movement in the United States, on literary theory, and on political studies showing how his works and words continue to have a profound impact on contemporary cultural debate.
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Existentialism for Beginners
by David Cogswell
Part of the For Beginners series
Existentialism For Beginners is an entertaining romp through the history of a philosophical movement that has had a broad and enduring influence on Western culture. From the middle of the Nineteenth Century through the late Twentieth Century, existentialism informed our politics and art, and still exerts its influence today. Tracing the movement's beginnings with close-up views of seminal figures like Kierkegaard, Dostoyevsky and Nietzsche, Existentialism For Beginners follows its intellectual and literary trail to German philosophers Jaspers and Heidegger, and finally to the movement's flowering in post-World-War-II France thanks to masterworks by such giants as Jean Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, Simone de Beauvoir, plus many others.Illustrations throughout - at once lighthearted and gritty - help readers explore and understand a style of thinking that, while pervasive in its influence, is often seen as obscure, difficult, cryptic and dark. Existentialism For Beginners draws the movement's many diverse elements together to provide an accessible introduction for those who seek a better understanding of the topic, and an enjoyable historical review packed with timeless quotes from existentialism's leading lights.
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Gender & Sexuality For Beginners
by Jaimee Garbacik
Part of the For Beginners series
What does sexual orientation mean if the very categories of gender are in question? How do we measure equality when our society's definitions of "male" and "female" leave out much of the population? There is no consensus on what a "real" man or woman is, where one's sex begins and ends, or what purpose the categories of masculine and feminine traits serve. While significant strides have been made in recent years on behalf of women's, gay and lesbian rights, there is still a large division between the law and day-to-day reality for LGBTQIA and female-identified individuals in American society. The practices, media outlets and institutions that privilege heterosexuality and traditional gender roles as "natural" need a closer examination. Gender & Sexuality For Beginners considers the uses and limitations of biology in defining gender. Questioning gender and sex as both categories and forms of compulsory identification, it critically examines the issues in the historical and contemporary construction, meaning and perpetuation of gender roles. Gender & Sexuality For Beginners interweaves neurobiology, psychology, feminist, queer and trans theory, as well as historical gay and lesbian activism to offer new perspectives on gender inequality, ultimately pointing to the clear inadequacy of gender categories and the ways in which the sex-gender system oppresses us all.
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French Revolutions For Beginners
by Michael J. LaMonica
Part of the For Beginners series
Allons enfant 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. Through the violence of the Revolutions (yes, there were many) the reign of the Bourbon monarchy came to an end and modern France was born. French Revolutions For Beginners examines the several bloody revolutions and counter-revolutions throughout the course of the 19th century and the constant upheavals and disruptions in France's ever changing political landscape from 1789-1900. While most people have some familiarity with names like Louis XVI and Napoleon, the details of what exactly happened during the French Revolution - apart from pithy royal pronouncements about cake eating and the ever-falling blade of the guillotine - are often difficult to understand, and for good reason: there were a whopping 15 changes of government in less than a century! The legacy of the French Revolutions remains with us today; we see it all over the world when an oppressed people rise up against an authoritarian regime demanding their rights as citizens be recognized. French Revolutions For Beginners presents the major political figures, events and hot-button political issues of this extremely violent, chaotic, confusing - but always exciting - period in a way that is accessible, interesting, and fun to both history-buffs and the neophyte alike.
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Ayn Rand For Beginners
by Andrew Bernstein
Part of the For Beginners series
Ayn Rand, author of the best-selling novels, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, is beloved by millions of readers, and equally despised by a significant number of detractors. Her novels and her revolutionary philosophy of Objectivism have acquired a world-wide following. They have also created legions of readers who are hungry for a deeper understanding of her writings. Despite her undeniably significant contributions to the literary canon and the progression of philosophy, there has been no simple, comprehensive introduction to Rand's books and ideas, until now. Ayn Rand For Beginners sheds new light on Rand's monumental works and robust philosophy. In clear, down-to-earth language, it explains Rand to a new generation of readers in a manner that is entertaining, and easy to read and comprehend.
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Chomsky For Beginners
by David Cogswell
Part of the For Beginners series
Noam Chomsky has written some 30 books, he is one of the most-quoted authors on Earth, The New York Times calls him "arguably the most important intellectual alive" - yet most people have no idea who he is or what he's about. Chomsky For Beginners tells you what he's about: Chomsky is known for his work in two distinct areas - Linguistics and... "Gadflying." ("Gadfly," the word applied to Socrates, comes closest to the constant social irritant that Chomsky has become.) It is Chomsky's work as Political Gadfly and Media Critic that has given passion and hope to the general public - and alienated the Major Media - which is, of course, why you don't know more about him. Chomsky's message is very simple: Huge corporations run our country, the world, both political parties, and Major Media. (You suspected it; Chomsky proves it.) If enough people open their minds to what he has to say, the whole gingerbread fantasy we've been fed about America might turn into a real democracy. What's so special about Chomsky For Beginners? The few existing intros to Chomsky cover either Chomsky-the-Linguist or Chomsky-the-Political-Gadfly. Chomsky For Beginners covers both - plus an exclusive interview with the maverick genius. The clarity of David Cogwell's text and the wit of Paul Gordon's illustrations make Chomsky as easy to understand as the genius next door. Words and art are combined to clarify (but not oversimplify) the work and to "humanize" the man who may very well be what one savvy interviewer called him - "the smartest man on Earth."
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African History For Beginners
by Herb Boyd
Part of the For Beginners series
African History For Beginners explores the rich history of this continent of contrasts. Discover the glory of the Pharaohs and Towers of Zimbabwe, the cosmology of the Yoruba, the courage of the Masai and the golden wonders of Mali, the art treasures of the Bushongo and the sophistication of the Egyptians. It is a unique documentary portrait of the Africans' struggle to preserve their cultural heritage and homeland. Recent archeological discoveries indicate that Africa was the birth place of humankind. Over the ages, the riches and wonders of Africa have attracted the world. Yet the Africans themselves often remained unknown or misunderstood. Here is a book to set the historical record straight.