The Basics is a highly successful series of accessible guidebooks which provide an overview of the fundamental principles of a subject area in a jargon-free and undaunting format.
Intended for students approaching a subject for the first time, the books both introduce the essentials of a subject and provide an ideal springboard for further study. With over 50 titles spanning subjects from Artificial Intelligence to Women’s Studies, The Basics are an ideal starting point for students seeking to understand a subject area.
Each text comes with recommendations for further study and gradually introduces the complexities and nuances within a subject.
By Hans Bertens
June 28, 2024
Now in its fourth edition, Literary Theory: The Basics is an essential guide to the complicated and often confusing world of literary theory. Readers will encounter a broad range of topics from Marxist and feminist criticism to postmodernism, queer studies, and ecocriticism. Literary Theory: The ...
By Jane Marshall
June 25, 2024
This book provides a comprehensive yet accessible introduction to aphasia, or loss of language, a complex condition that affects approximately a third of stroke survivors. It describes the varied manifestations of aphasia on speech, comprehension, reading and writing. Chapters explore how aphasia ...
By Dave Mann
June 03, 2024
Gestalt Therapy: The Basics provides an accessible and concise overview of the approach and its substantial theory. Experiential exercises, clinical vignettes and examples from everyday practice are included to enrich understanding of gestalt’s theory and its clinical application. This book ...
By Graeme Forbes
May 30, 2024
What is time? Does it pass? Is the future open? Why do we care? Philosophy of Time: The Basics doesn’t answer these questions. It does give you an opinionated introduction to thinking a bit more deeply about them. Written in a way that assumes no philosophical background from its readers, this book...
By Martin Shuster
May 27, 2024
Critical Theory: The Basics brings clarity to a topic that is confusingly bandied about with various meanings today in popular and academic culture. First defined by Max Horkheimer in the 1930s, “critical theory” now extends far beyond its original German context around the Frankfurt School and the...
By Christopher P. Hood
May 23, 2024
Japan: The Basics is an engaging introduction to the culture, society, and global positioning of Japan. Starting by looking at the common stereotypes, clichés, and tropes associated with Japan, this accessible introduction to the country is designed to arm readers with key skills and knowledge for...
By Sandie Taylor
May 09, 2024
This third edition of Forensic Psychology: The Basics continues to provide an accessible overview of the core topics and theories in this fascinating discipline. The book provides an engaging discussion of core topics and theory in forensic psychology, alongside information about the role of a ...
By Kath Browne, Dhiren Borisa, Mary Gilmartin, Niharika Banerjea
April 15, 2024
Social Geographies: The Basics introduces what social geography is, and what it might be. It outlines the key contours of social geographies, and also disrupts some of the conventions of the discipline in both its content and structure. This book approaches social geographies by beginning with the ...
By Stuart Glennan
April 22, 2024
Causation: The Basics explores questions about what causes are, and how we come to know them, describe them, and put them to use. The book begins with an introduction to the history of philosophical thinking about causation, followed by a series of chapters introducing important contemporary ...
By Katrin B. Anacker
April 05, 2024
Housing matters to people, be they owner, renter, housing provider, homeless individual, housing professional, or policymaker. Housing in the United States: The Basics offers an accessible introduction to key concepts and issues in housing—and a concise overview of the programs that affect housing ...
By Terry D. Shoemaker
April 01, 2024
Religions and Sports: The Basics introduces the many connections and interactions between religions and sporting activities. Readers will gain a foundational understanding of how to approach religions and sports analytically, theoretically, and methodologically. The book uses multiple relational ...
By Ann Yeoman, Kevin Lu
March 19, 2024
This new introduction to Jung’s Collected Works—written in lively and accessible style—provides a comprehensive guide to key concepts in analytical (Jungian) psychology while charting the creative evolution of Jung’s thought through his own words. Invaluable to both beginners and those more ...