Bøker utgitt av For Beginners

Tolkien For Beginners will introduce the reader to the multilayered depth and breadth of Tolkien's tales of Middle-earth, what critics, following Tolkien's lead, refer to collectively as his legendarium. 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 Tolkien's world, but there is even more friendship, courage, and hope. What one remembers when one finishes reading The Lord of the Rings is not the vice of the villains, as strong and as well drawn as it is, but the virtue that empowers the heroes to resist it, even at the cost of their own lives. It will be the goal of Tolkien For Beginners to introduce the reader to the multilayered depth and breadth of Tolkien's tales of Middle-earth. To do justice to the full dimensions of that legendarium, author Louis Markos will speak in two voices: that of the storyteller who loves the stories he tells and that of the critic who seeks to identify and explicate key themes from those stories. In his telling and analysis, he will treat the legendarium both as a collection of secondary-world myths with their own integrity and as a reflection of Tolkien's Catholic worldview.

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 well as answers to our questions about what happens after we die. What makes C.S. Lewis unique as an apologist is the way he balanced so perfectly reason and imagination, logic and intuition, and head and heart. In addition to writing such non-fiction apologetics books as Mere Christianity, The Problem of Pain, and Miracles, he wrote eleven novels: the seven Chronicles of Narnia, a trilogy of science-fiction adventures, and a haunting retelling of an old myth set in the ancient world.

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 reconstructs them in a picturesque way for the reader to visualize the stories. Gordon also examines Joyce's passion for music and how it materializes in his writing. This will be the perfect addition to any Joyce lover's library.

Anyone living today could form the impression that humanity is essentially fractured and fragmented; that we're split up along ethnic, geographic, cultural, national, and ideological lines. This is the societal reality. But in Anthropology For Beginners, Micah J. Fleck asks us to take a big step backward and look at the full picture, as if we were aliens who stumbled upon planet Earth and glimpsed its inhabitants. We would see a myriad of languages, practices, religious rites, food palettes, clothing styles, and leisure activities--all of which belong to the same curious species: Homo sapiens. Where did it come from? How did it develop so many different ways of being? And most importantly, what do its members have in common?Anthropology is the field that sets out to answer these questions. Micah J. Fleck provides a history not only of humankind, but of anthropology itself--giving anyone with an interest in the subject a solid background of its key figures and developments.

Would there be a Western civilization without the Greek myths? Would we be able to define our civilization and ourselves without some reference to the grand, violent, and venal doings of those denizens of Mount Olympus?Greek Mythology For Beginners presents the pantheon - that immortal collection of rogues and heroes, misfits and tyrants - and the stories about these deities and their dealings with the mortals. It delves into their undying influence on our thought and culture, and how each age from Rome to Shakespeare to Freud down to our own Marvel Comics and NASA has been enlightened, informed, and inspired by these tales.So strap on Hermes' winged sandals, saddle-up Pegasus, or even grab the nearest Harpy (remember to keep your eyes closed) and come along for the ride of your life. Let's fly to that world that's as old as Chaos--the ancient and refreshingly timely Greek myths!

There's a Black Woman on each of the seven continents and in almost every country. So no matter where you go, she's already been there. She travels with forces greater than herself. Her presence is everywhere."Black Women For Beginners "chronicles the trials and triumphs of Black Women from antiquity to the present, reflecting with wit and humor the challenges they have faced and the fortitude and strength that have sustained Black Women and patterned history with a diversity of excellence. As warriors, healers, teachers, mothers, queens, and liberators Black Women have had tremendous impact on issues from food to fashion, from politics to poetry. Replete with a glossary of reference terms, "Black Women For Beginners "whimsically details the influence of stereotypes on the portrayal of Black Women in various venues and punctuates the absurd.

Learning to read and write music is very similar to learning a new language. Music theory is the study of the fundamental elements of music and how it is written.Music Theory For Beginners was developed for anyone interested in learning to read and write music, a task that can be quite daunting for novices. This book, however, will allay any fears and set you on the path to learning what all those dots, lines, and symbols actually mean. It provides the necessary scholarly muscle to entice and inform the reader, yet it does not require any prior knowledge of music or force the reader to wade through hundreds of pages of jargon and details.Whether your goal is to gain a cursory understanding of music, become fluent in reading music, or start composing your own music, this text will provide everything you need for a solid foundation in music theory. Anyone can pick up Music Theory For Beginners and instantly start learning aboutand understandingmusic theory.

Abstract Expressionism was the defining movement in American art during the years following World War II, making New York City the center of the international art scene. But what the heck did it mean! The drips, the spills, the splashes, the blotches of color, the wild spontaneous energysignifying what?Abstract Expressionism For Beginners will not only help you understand, but also appreciate the art of some of the most iconic figures in modern artJackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Mark Rothko, Helen Frankenthaler, and others. Explore their lives and artistic roots, the heady world of Greenwich Village in the 1940s and 1950s, the influence of jazz, the voices of critics, and the enduring legacy of a uniquely inspired group of artists.

"Freemasonry For Beginners explores the objectives and teaching methods of Freemasonry and describes its influence on society in the past, present, and future. It recounts the origins of the movement in Scotland and its spread to North America and the rest of the world. Not least of all, it shows how Masonic teachings have helped so many members over the centuries learn the skills to become leaders in society, science, and the arts."--Publisher's description.

A large swath of literature on the civil rights movement exists in the United States. Much of that literature focuses on the dramatic events of the African American resistance to Jim Crow and oppression from the mid 1950s to the early 1970s. Frequently, this material is scholarly and, at best, only marginally accessible to the general public. Moreover, many of the books on the modern civil rights movement focus exclusively on a narrow historical time frame and often on widely recognised public figures like Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King. CIVIL RIGHTS FOR BEGINNERS fills a major gap by placing the modern civil rights movement into a broader historical perspective. It, also, discusses the civil rights and liberation movements from the 60s to the present that the African American freedom struggles helped to catalyse including, the Chicano Movement, the American Indian Movement, the Asian American Movement, the Women''s Movement and the Gay Liberation Movement. Unlike most civil rights books, CIVIL RIGHTS FOR BEGINNERS focuses less on major leaders and more on the ordinary African Americans who provided the backbone of the successful protests and demonstrations. Moreover, it deals with the expressive culture of the movement, surveying key developments in literature, music, visual art and film, all of which served as integral features of the movement and contributing to its enduring legacy.

"It is difficult to imagine an important thinker more ideally suited to the long-running For Beginners series than Ferdinand de Saussure. Saussure's work is so powerful that it not only redefined modern linguistics, it also opened our minds to new ways of "doing" anthropology, literary criticism, and psychoanalysis. Genius like Saussure's is meant to be shared; it is shameful to confine it to the "experts." Unfortunately, unless you were a linguist, Saussure was virtually unreadable. Until now. Saussure For Beginners is a clear, accessible guide to one of the most influential and difficult thinkers of the 20th century. It is designed, both in look and language, to introduce the lay reader to the brilliant, mystifying Saussure."--

Charles Bukowski, poet, novelist, short-story writer, 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 literary critic Adam Kirsch of The New Yorker wrote: The secret of Bukowski's appeal...(is that) he combines the confessional poet's promise of intimacy with the largerthan-life aplomb of a pulp-fiction hero.Bukowski was one of the most unconventional writers and cultural critics of the 20th century. He lived an unorthodox, idiosyncratic life and wrote in a style that was unique--one that is impossible to classify or categorize. His work was at times cynical or humorous, but was always brilliant and challenging. His life and work are distinguished not only by a remarkable talent for words, but also by his rejection of the dominant social and cultural values of American society. Bukowski began writing at the age of forty and published forty-five books, six of them novels. He is also considered one of the great literary voices of Los Angeles. In Bukowski For Beginners, playwright Carlos Polimeni evaluates the life and literary achievements of the cult writer whose voice of dissidence an discontent is still heard and appreciated by readers worldwide.

"An illustrated, graphic-novel-style primer on the teachings of Buddha. With a biting sense of humor and an ability to speak to the general reader, the author presents a funny, accurate, and credible romp through the life of Buddha"--Provided by publisher.

"Music history is nearly as old as human civilization itself, and while it has permeated the arts and popular culture for centuries, it still has a mystifying aura. But fear not- classical music is not as complicated as it seems, and anyone can learn its origins and history. In addition to learning how better to understand (and enjoy!) classical music, The History of Classical Music for Beginners will help you learn of some of the more interesting and comical stories behind the music and composers"--Page 4 of cover.

Paul Robeson, despite being one of the greatest Renaissance figures in American history, still remains in relative anonymity. An exceptional scholar, lawyer, athlete, stage and screen actor, linguist, singer, civil rights and political activist, he performed brilliantly in every professional enterprise he undertook. Any serious treatment of civil rights history and radical politics as well as American sports, musical, theatrical, and film history must consider the enormous contributions of Paul Robeson.And yet, Paul Robeson remains virtually unknown by millions of educated Americans. People typically know him for only one, if any, of the major successes of his life: the concert singer best known for Old Man River, the star of Shakespeare's Othello on Broadway in the early 1940s, the political activist blacklisted for his radical views and activism during the era of McCarthyism in the 1950s. Paul Robeson For Beginners demystifies and bestows light and long overdue credence to the life of this extraordinary American.

What does sexual orientation mean if the very categories of gender are in question? How do we measure equality when our society's definitions of male and female leave out much of the population? There is no consensus on what a real man or woman is, where one's sex begins and ends, or what purpose the categories of masculine and feminine traits serve. While significant strides have been made in recent years on behalf of women's, gay and lesbian rights, there is still a large division between the law and day-to-day reality for LGBTQIA and female-identified individuals in American society. The practices, media outlets and institutions that privilege heterosexuality and traditional gender roles as natural need a closer examination. Gender & Sexuality For Beginners considers the uses and limitations of biology in defining gender. Questioning gender and sex as both categories and forms of compulsory identification, it critically examines the issues in the historical and contemporary construction, meaning and perpetuation of gender roles. Gender & Sexuality For Beginners interweaves neurobiology, psychology, feminist, queer and trans theory, as well as historical gay and lesbian activism to offer new perspectives on gender inequality, ultimately pointing to the clear inadequacy of gender categories and the ways in which the sex-gender system oppresses us all.

In a combination of witty text and illustrations U.S. Constitution For Beginners take a tongue-in-cheek look at America's most critical legal document. Author and lawyer Steve Bachmann has written a text that touches on the document's history beginning with the Magna Carta. He then traces the events that precipitated its writing, the personalities and motives of the people who create it, and its use and misuses since ratification.U.S. Constitution For Beginners analyzes crucial elements of this binding set of principles and ponders the future of the Constitution as well as the role of American citizens. Though hotly debated and constantly reinterpreted, the Constitution has survived wars, industrialization, expansion and politicians.

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 and religion. 'Das Kapital' is not a critique of a particular capitalist system in a particular country at a particular time. Rather, Marx's aim was to identify the essential features that define capitalism, in whatever country it develops and in whatever historical period. For this reason, 'Das Kapital' is necessarily a fairly general, abstract analysis. As a result, it can be fairly difficult to read and comprehend. At the same time, understanding 'Das Kapital' is crucial for mastering Marx's insights to capitalism.Marx's 'Das Kapital' For Beginners offers an accessible path through Marx's arguments and his key questions: What is commodity? Where does wealth come from? What is value? What happens to work under capitalism? Why is crisis part of capitalism's DNA? And what happens to our consciousness, our very perceptions of reality and our ways of thinking and feeling under capitalism? Understanding and learn from Marx's work has taken on a fresh urgency as questions about the sustainability of the capitalist system in today's global economy intensify.

Noam Chomsky has written some 30 books, he is one of the most-quoted authors on Earth, The New York Times calls him "arguably the most important intellectual alive" - yet most people have no idea who he is or what he's about.Chomsky For Beginners tells you what he's about: Chomsky is known for his work in two distinct areas - Linguistics and... "Gadflying." ("Gadfly," the word applied to Socrates, comes closest to the constant social irritant that Chomsky has become.) It is Chomsky's work as Political Gadfly and Media Critic that has given passion and hope to the general public - and alienated the Major Media - which is, of course, why you don't know more about him.Chomsky's message is very simple: Huge corporations run our country, the world, both political parties, and Major Media. (You suspected it; Chomsky proves it.) If enough people open their minds to what he has to say, the whole gingerbread fantasy we've been fed about America might turn into a real democracy.What's so special about Chomsky For Beginners? The few existing intros to Chomsky cover either Chomsky-the-Linguist or Chomsky-the-Political-Gadfly. Chomsky For Beginners covers both - plus an exclusive interview with the maverick genius. The clarity of David Cogwell's text and the wit of Paul Gordon's illustrations make Chomsky as easy to understand as the genius next door. Words and art are combined to clarify (but not oversimplify) the work and to "humanize" the man who may very well be what one savvy interviewer called him - "the smartest man on Earth."

"Originally published by Writers and Readers, Inc."--T.p. verso.

What kind of artists put a mustache on the Mona Lisa? Enter a urinal in an art competition? Declare their own independent republic? Hijack a ship?Dadas!And what happens in such a movement? With Dada, many of the artists declared their own Pope and continued their journey (with no destination) into Surrealism, creating burning giraffes, amoebic dogs, and lobster telephones - some of the most imaginative and intense works of art of the 20th Century. In Dada & Surrealism For Beginners, you'll get a colorful overview of these two movements, and develop a sense of the turbulent, wild, and unapologetically mad mood and tone of the Dada and Surrealist movements. Whether you're an artist, would-be artist, or someone seeking the marvelous, you'll find the courage and originality of the movements inspiring, and you'll gain an understanding of their long-term (and current) influences on contemporary art and culture - everything from performance art to pop art to the abandoned train ticket you find in the street.