ANARCHISM FOR BEGINNERS

The ideas of Proudhon, Bakunin, and Kropotkin, that seemed to have been buried by history, especially since the second half of 20th century, are regathering their strength. As seen by the number of libertarian flags at anti-globalization and anti-corporation rallies, their axioms appear in contemporary debates on neoliberalism and ecology, the number of websites is multiplying, indeed, passing on their principles.  And intellectuals like Michel Foucault, Gilles Deleuze, Osvaldo Bayer, Noam Chomsky, and Murray Boochkin recognize in their work what they’ve inherited from these original nonconformists.

The history built by the anarchists during their fight against power, oppression and the State, that reached its highest point in farmer’s communes in pre-Franco Spain, also affected the culture and were fundamental to a vanguard of artists of the 20th century, as well as being part of some popular culture phenomena, such as the punk movement.

ASTRONOMY FOR BEGINNERS

Each year as Earth cruises through space a number of amazing and remarkable events occur. For example, like clockwork, we’ll run head-on into asteroid and commentary 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 upon 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 explains the patterns of the heavens, the equinoxes and the solstices, the major meteor showers, and the solar and lunar eclipses. It’s a guided tour of the solar system and beyond and explains how the way we measure time itself is intimately related to celestial phenomena. Astronomy For Beginners not only helps readers become experts in space and time, it’s also a fun ride!

DECONSTRUCTION FOR BEGINNERS

Deconstruction is so labyrinthine that it has become the monster that murdered philosophy. When Jacques Derrida, the father of deconstruction, uses buzzwords such as “phallogocentrism” and “transcendental signified,” humanities students and aspiring philosophers may get weak in the knees.

Following the success of his For Beginners title Derrida, 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 dives 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 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.

EXISTENTIALISM FOR BEGINNERS

Existentialism For Beginnersis a lighthearted romp through the history of a philosophical movement that had broad-reaching influence on Western culture, politics and the arts during the period of mid-19th century through the late 20th century, and still exerts influence in the 21st century. Tracing its beginning with close-up views of seminal 19th century writers like Kierkegaard, Dostoevsky and Nietzsche, Existentialism For Beginners follows the trail of existential thought and literature through 20th century German philosophers Jaspers and Heidegger, and finally through to the flowering of the movement in Postwar France brought forth by Jean Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, Simone de Beauvoir and beyond.

LINGUISTICS FOR BEGINNERS

Linguistics For Beginnersis the first book to ever make the arcane labors of linguistics accessible to general readers. It begins with a lucid definition of language and proceeds to examine how it becomes the subject matter of linguistics. Key topics include the contrast between writing and speech to elementary lessons in different levels of analysis from sounds to sentences.  Absurd fictions such as Eskimos having hundreds of words for snow are exploded, and the borderlands between linguistics and philosophy are investigated.

Linguistics for Beginners teaches concise lessons using wit and whimsy making for a memorable learning experience. The reader will learn about language acquisition, ancient languages, little-known languages, tonal and whistle languages, linguistic engineering, structuralism, language origins, the anthropological approach to linguistics, kinship semantics, color lexicons, geographical linguistics, and much more!  Linguistics For Beginners is the key tool for linguistic students of any level.

THE OLYMPICS FOR BEGINNERS

Despite athletic scandals, a history of international incidents, and the occasional over-the-top costume during the opening ceremony, the Olympic Games continue to transfix humanity each and every time the torch is lit.  Still, most of those watching the Games will feel overwhelmed by their scale.  With up to 300 athletic events in as many as 28 different sports, there’s a lot to keep track of.

In The Olympics for Beginners, author Brandon Toropov provides clear, concise, and, yes, amusing assessments of the key elements of the Games.  Toropov travels back in time to look at the original Greek Olympics, leads you on a brisk tour of the history of the modern Olympic movement, simplifies the rules and regulations of both the summer and winter competitions, and shines a spotlight on the many dazzling high points of the competition, such as Jesse Owens’ triumph in the 1936 Berlin Games.  The book also replays the most infamous Olympic low points.  (Two words: Tonya Harding.)       

Through it all, Toropov and illustrator Joe Lee showcase the Olympics’ remarkable hold on the global imagination in a fun and accessible illustrated format.  Whether you’re one of the billions who believe this one-of-a-kind spectacle can never come soon enough and always ends too soon…or you’re simply curious to learn what all the fuss is about…The Olympics for Beginners is for you.

SHAKESPEARE FOR BEGINNERS

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 (and who can argue?) 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