For Beginners

Music history is nearly as old as human civilisation itself and while it has permeated the arts and popular culture for centuries, it still has a 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 classical music. In addition to learning how better to understand (and enjoy!) classical music, THE HISTORY OF CLAS

Charles Bukowski, novelist, short-story writer, poet, 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 and literary critic, Adam Kirsch of The New Yorker, wrote: "the secret of Bukowski's appeal. . . [is that] he combines the confessional poet's promi

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. Most of her readers have at least one book on their shelves that they

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 DE

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. Freemasonry is not a religion, but rather a spiritual self-help society whose declared purpose is to help members become better citizens and it has a strong track record in doing just that

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. Just as Afri

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?ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM FOR BEGINNERS will not only help you understand, but, also, appreciate

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 wome

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. With the assistance of Lynsey Hutchinson's humorous illustrations throughout, Gordon successfully captures bits and pieces of Joyce's works and

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 w

C.S. Lewis For Beginners is a thorough examination of C. S. Lewis, the greatest Christian apologist of the twentieth century, throughout his career as an author and as a professor at Oxford University. A Christian apologist defends Christianity as a consistent and coherent worldview that squares with human reason, history, and desire. It offers answers to every facet of our lives on earth as wel

Stanislavski (1863 – 1938) was the first person to develop a cogent and practical system of acting. Throughout his life he sought the answers to some fundamental questions:· What is great acting?· Is there a grammar of acting? Can it be taught?· What are the steps you should go through to create a character?· How can you find inspiration at every performance?Stanislavski remains the most important

Why does philosophy give some people a headache, others a real buzz, and yet others a feeling that it is subversive and dangerous? Why do a lot of people think philosophy is totally irrelevant? What is philosophy anyway? The ABCs of philosophy --easy to understand but never simplistic. Beginning with basic questions posed by the ancient Greeks - What is knowledge? What is good and evil?"Philosophy

From Paleolithic cave-painting to postmodernism, ART THEORY FOR BEGINNERS is a concise and entertaining survey of the major historical and current debates on art. Painters, theorists and philosophers are all included to show how the idea of art has developed over the last 5,000 years.Art is a visual representation of a range of concepts, stories and emotions, including curiosity, humanity, politic

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

What is Black History? Did you know what blacks were in Cortez’s crew in Mexico, with Pizarro in Peru and Alvarado in Quito…that when Balboa discovered the Pacific Ocean, 30 black people were with him….that when Alarcon and Coronado conquered Mexico, black people were with them too? Any misunderstandings between blacks and whites in today’s society tend to stem from the mi

J.R.R. Tolkien sweeps us away to a distant time and place that is at the same time, our own time and place. He takes us to a world where difficult choices must be made and are made, where character is defined by those choices, and where redemption is possible though not always embraced.The Lord of the Rings taps a deep root in the human psyche. There is much death, destruction, and defeat in Tolki

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. Many Westerners know about the meditation practices of Buddhism, but few understand the Buddha's philosophical te