A “Very Short” New Collection at HPNL

Posted on by Jena Vallina

Procrastinating on your summer reading or hoping to get a head start for fall semester? You may be interested in exploring HPNL’s collection of Oxford’s “A Very Short Introduction” series currently on display in our New Books section.

These pocket-sized books span a wide range of subject material, from overviews of broad academic disciplines such as History and Theology to more niche subtopics within these disciplines like Buddhist Ethics and the History of Chemistry, as well as assessments of important historical and cultural figures and movements from Karl Marx and Thomas Aquinas to the Conquistadors and the Russian Revolution. “Very Short Introductions” also provide the theoretical framework and background of social issues like Feminism and Animal Rights. Additionally, other titles within the collection survey topics that defy simple categorization, such as Identity and Consciousness. Whether you are a student in the arts and humanities, the natural sciences, or the social sciences, there is undoubtedly a “Very Short Introduction” that will suit your academic interests.

Each book in the series is authored by a scholar with expertise in the subject matter. As such, each book follows its own unique structure as determined by the author. Readers can expect concise summaries and breakdowns of key ideas within the literature, often accompanied by descriptive figures as well as excerpts from notable texts. Of course, due to the limited size of each book, authors must constrain their analysis to only what is essential for readers to know. In this sense, it is best to view the “Very Short Introduction” series as just that: an introduction to a complex subject which provides readers with a solid foundation upon which they can continue to engage in more robust exploration. As a useful starting point, each book ends with a list of recommended further reading on the topic.

What are you waiting for? Come down to the History, Philosophy, and Newspaper Library today and discover the perfect “Very Short Introduction” for you.

A Non-Exhaustive List of “A Very Short Introduction” Titles By Subject Available at HPNL: 

Keown, Damien. Buddhism : A Very Short Introduction. New ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013. Print.

Religion:

 

 


Kelly, Christopher. The Roman Empire : A Very Short Introduction. Oxford ; Oxford University Press, 2006. Print.

History:

 

 


Taylor, C. C. W. (Christopher Charles Whiston). Socrates : A Very Short Introduction. Second edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2019. Print.

Philosophy:

 

 

 

McMillen, Christian W. Pandemics : A Very Short Introduction. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2016. Print.

History of Science: