This new edition of the acclaimed bestseller is lavishly illustrated to convey, in pictures as in words, Bill Bryson’s exciting, informative journey... into the world of science.In A Short History of Nearly Everything, beloved author Bill Bryson confronts his greatest challenge yet: to understand—and, if possible, answer—the oldest, biggest questions we have posed about the universe and ourselves. Taking as his territory everything from the Big Bang to the rise of civilization, Bryson seeks to understand how we got from there being nothing at all to there being us. The result is a sometimes profound, sometimes funny, and always supremely clear and entertaining adventure in the realms of human knowledge, as only Bill Bryson can render it. Now, in this handsome new edition, Bill Bryson’s words are supplemented by full-color artwork that explains in visual terms the concepts and wonder of science, at the same time giving face to the major players in the world of scientific study. Eloquently and entertainingly described, as well as richly illustrated, science has never been more involving or entertaining.From the Hardcover edition.

When first published in 1947, A Short History of Opera immediately achieved international status as a classic in the field. Now, more than five decades... later, this thoroughly revised and expanded fourth edition informs and entertains opera lovers just as its predecessors have.The fourth edition incorporates new scholarship that traces the most important developments in the evolution of musical drama. After surveying anticipations of the operatic form in the lyric theater of the Greeks, medieval dramatic music, and other forerunners, the book reveals the genre's beginnings in the seventeenth century and follows its progress to the present day. A Short History of Opera examines not only the standard performance repertoire, but also works considered important for the genre's development. Its expanded scope investigates opera from Eastern European countries and Finland. The section on twentieth-century opera has been reorganized around national operatic traditions including a chapter devoted solely to opera in the United States, which incorporates material on the American musical and ties between classical opera and popular musical theater. A separate section on Chinese opera is also included.With an extensive multilanguage bibliography, more than one hundred musical examples, and stage illustrations, this authoritative one-volume survey will be invaluable to students and serious opera buffs. New fans will also find it highly accessible and informative. Extremely thorough in its coverage, A Short History of Opera is now more than ever the book to turn to for anyone who wants to know about the history of this art form.

In this accessible and comprehensive work, Robert Solomon and Kathleen Higgins cover the entire history of philosophy--ancient, medieval, and modern,... from cultures both East and West--in its broader historical and cultural contexts. Major philosophers and movements are discussed along with less well-known but interesting figures. The authors examine the early Greek, Indic, and Chinese philosophers and the mythological traditions that preceded them, as well as the great religious philosophies, including Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, and Taoism. Easily understandable to students without specialized knowledge of philosophy, A Short History of Philosophy demonstrates the relevance of philosophy to our times, illuminating the impact of the revolutions wrought by science, industry, colonialism, and sectarian warfare; the two world wars and the Holocaust; and the responses of philosophy in the schools of existentialism, postmodernism, feminism, and multiculturalism. In addition, the authors provide their own twists and interpretations of events, resulting in a broad view of the nature of philosophy as an intellectual discipline and its sometimes odd and dramatic consequences.

"A splendid introduction to geology and paleontology for the lay reader. To compress Earth's history into a single, lucidly written volume is a major... achievement."--Publishers Weekly, starred review."Few people have both the knowledge and the writing ability to capture such a long and varied history in a compelling manner. In A Short History of Planet Earth, J.D. Macdougal demonstrates that he is one of the few."--Earth.This exhilarating survey of the four and half billion years of Earth's history charts both the geological and biological history of the planet. It moves from the origin of the earth's iron core to the formation of today's seven continents, and from the primordial building blocks of life to the evolution of the human form.J.D. MACDOUGALL (San Diego, California) is a professor of earth science at the Scripps Oceanographic Institute of the University of California, San Diego, the premier center for earth science research in the U.S. His work has appeared in Scientific American and the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology.

Each time history repeats itself, the cost goes up. The twentieth century—a time of unprecedented progress—has produced a tremendous strain on the... very elements that comprise life itself: This raises the key question of the twenty-first century: How much longer can this go on? With wit and erudition, Ronald Wright lays out a-convincing case that history has always provided an answer, whether we care to notice or not. From Neanderthal man to the Sumerians to the Roman Empire, A Short History of Progress dissects the cyclical nature of humanity's development and demise, the 10,000-year old experiment that we've unleashed but have yet to control. It is Wright's contention that only by understanding and ultimately breaking from the patterns of progress and disaster that humanity has repeated around the world since the Stone Age can we avoid the onset of a new Dark Age. Wright illustrates how various cultures throughout history have literally manufactured their own end by producing an overabundance of innovation and stripping bare the very elements that allowed them to initially advance. Wright's book is brilliant; a fascinating rumination on the hubris at the heart of human development and the pitfalls we still may have time to avoid.

Written by two of Quebec's most respected historians, "A Short History of Quebec" offers a concise yet comprehensive overview of the province from the... pre-contact native period to the present-day. John A. Dickinson and Brian Young bring a refreshing perspective to the history of Quebec, focusing on the social and economic development of the region as well as the identity issues of its diverse peoples.This revised fourth edition covers Quebec's recent political history and includes an updated bibliography and chronology and new illustrations. A Canadian classic, "A Short History of Quebec" now takes into account such issues as the 1995 referendum, recent ideological shifts and societal changes, considers Quebec's place in North America in the light of NAFTA, and offers reflections on the Gerard Bouchard-Charles Taylor Commission on Accommodation and Cultural Differences in 2008. Engagingly written, this expanded and updated fourth edition is an ideal place to learn about the dynamic history of Quebec.

An abridged version of Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution, the definitive study of the aftermath of the Civil War, winner of the Bancroft... Prize, Avery O. Craven Prize, Los Angeles Times Book Award, Francis Parkman Prize, and Lionel Trilling Prize.

This book is specifically designed to make the Reformation Period more accessible and interesting to today's readers. The author provides a... conversational, lively account of Reformation Europe that includes economic, political, theological, social and cultural perspectives. In addition, this is the first study of the Reformation to fully integrate the contributions of women to all phases of the period.

MySearchLab provides students with a complete understanding of the research process so they can complete research projects confidently and efficiently.... Students and instructors with an internet connection can visit www.MySearchLab.com and receive immediate access to thousands of full articles from the EBSCO ContentSelect database. In addition, MySearchLab offers extensive content on the research process itself—including tips on how to navigate and maximize time in the campus library, a step-by-step guide on writing a research paper, and instructions on how to finish an academic assignment with endnotes and bibliography.­   A Short History of Renaissance and Reformation Europe: Dances over Fire and Water, 4/e serves as a concise introduction to some of the major personalities, issues, events, and ideas of the Renaissance and Reformation age. The prose-like writing, highly regarded by faculty and students alike, flows without frequent interruption by jargon or foreign terms. This brief introduction of the Renaissance and Reformation age is the perfect text for the instructor who would like to supplement his/her course with additional readers or other material.

As a brief introduction, this book is more representative thancomprehensive. With greater coverage of women included, this book presents the major ... personalities, issues, events, and ideas of the age of Renaissance and Reformation. As a secondary book, it serves as a chronological history of the times.

The book follows an interdisciplinary approach and covers the origins of the Italian Renaissance through the Baroque period. It is comprised of fifteen... chapters, organized chronologically, along with an introduction and conclusion.

The most important creation of the Romans was their law. In this book, Dr Tellegen-Couperus discusses the way in which the Roman jurists created and... developed law and the way in which Roman law has come down to us. Special attention is given to questions such as `who were the jurists and their law schools' and to the close connection between jurists and the politics of their time.

Upon publication in 2001, Russia's First Civil War greeted by scholars as a 'historical tour de force,' the first major post-Marxist reassessment of the... Time of Troubles. Now available in an abridged paperback, A Short History of Russia's First Civil War is suited for classroom use.

A highly readable historical survey of the major developments in scientific thought and the impact of science on Western culture, this book takes the... reader from ancient times through to the twentieth century. Organized chronologically, the book explores the history of studies of the natural world, and man's role within that world, in a single volume.

This book is a critical assessment of the work of classical sociologists such as Marx, Weber, and Durkheim and the work of Mead, Goffman, Parsons, and... Foucault. The relationship between modernity and sociology is critically evaluated. It is argued that sociology arose out of modernity and its theories of society can be understood in this context. The book concludes with a critical view of new theories of identity which have developed out of post-structuralism and postmodernism.