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Music history is nearly as old as human civilisation itself and while it has permeated the arts and popular culture for centuries, it still has a mystifying aura surrounding it. But fear not - it's not as complicated as it seems and anyone can learn the origins and history of Western classical music.In addition to learning how better to understand (and enjoy!) classical music, THE HISTORY OF CLASSICAL MUSIC FOR BEGINNERS will help you will learn some of the more interesting and sometimes comical stories behind the music and composers. For example: Did you know that Jean-Baptiste Lully actually died from conducting one of his own compositions? You may have heard of Gregorian chant, but did you know there are many forms of chant, including Ambrosian and Byzantine chant? And did you, also, know that only a small portion of "classical music" is even technically Classical?These interesting, insightful facts and more are yours to discover in THE HISTORY OF CLASSICAL MUSIC FOR BEGINNERS.

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

EXISTENTIALISM FOR BEGINNERS is an entertaining romp through the history of a philosophical movement that has had a broad and enduring influence on Western culture. From the middle of the Nineteenth Century through the late Twentieth Century, existentialism informed our politics and art, and still exerts its influence today. Tracing the movement's beginnings with close-up views of seminal figures like Kierkegaard, Dostoyevsky and Nietzsche, EXISTENTIALISM FOR BEGINNERS follows its intellectual and literary trail to German philosophers Jaspers and Heidegger, and finally to the movement's flowering in post-World-War-II France thanks to masterworks by such giants as Jean Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, Simone de Beauvoir, plus many others.Illustrations throughout - at once lighthearted and gritty - help readers explore and understand a style of thinking that, while pervasive in its influence, is often seen as obscure, difficult, cryptic and dark. EXISTENTIALISM FOR BEGINNERS draws the movement's many diverse elements together to provide an accessible introduction for those who seek a better understanding of the topic, and an enjoyable historical review packed with timeless quotes from existentialism's leading lights.

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 andoriginality 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.

Why does philosophy give some people a headache, others a real buzz, and yet others a feeling that it is subversive and dangerous? Why do a lot of people think philosophy is totally irrelevant? What is philosophy anyway?The ABCs of philosophy - easy to understand but never simplistic.Beginning with basic questions posed by the ancient Greeks - What is the world made of? What is a man? What is knowledge? What is good and evil? - PHILOSOPHY FOR BEGINNERS traces the development of these questions as the key to understanding how Western philosophy developed over the last 2,500 years.

Virtually anyone, anywhere knows that six million Jewish human beings were killed in the Jewish Holocaust. But how many African human beings were killed in the Black Holocaust - from the start of the European slave trade (c. 1500) to the Civil War (1865)? And how many were enslaved? The Black Holocaust, a travesty that killed millions of African human beings, is the most underreported major event in world history. A major economic event for Europe and Asia, a near fatal event for Africa, the seminal event in the history of every African American - if not every American! - and most of us cannot answer the simplest question about it. Here is a sample of what you will get from the painstakingly researched, painfully honest THE BLACK HOLOCAUST FOR BEGINNERS:"The total number of slaves imported is not known. It is estimated that nearly 900,000 came to America in the 16th Century, 2.75 million in the 17th Century, 7 million in the 18th, and over 4 million in the 19th - perhaps 15 million in total. Probably every slave imported represented, on average, five corpses in Africa or on the high seas. The American slave trade, therefore, meant the elimination of at least 60 million Africans from their fatherland."THE BLACK HOLOCAUST FOR BEGINNERS - part indisputably documented chronicle, part passionately engaging narrative, puts the tragic event in plain sight where it belongs! The long overdue book answers all of your questions, sensitively and in great depth.

Powerful narrative and graphics tell the story of Malcolm X's life, his journey of self-discovery, his far-reaching ideas, his martyrdom, and his impact on an era. Embraced as a righteous prophet of Black power and pride, damned as the voice of violence, Malcolm X emerges as a complex, brave, and brilliant figure with much to teach about the struggle for dignity.

The spiritual rewards and intellectual challenges of Eastern Philosophy are revealed in this visually stunning book, illustrated by Joe Lee and with 19th Century engravings.Eastern Philosophy is not an intellectual pursuit, but one that involves one's entire being. Much of it is so deeply entwined with the non-intellectual art of meditation, that the two are impossible to separate. In this accessible survey of the major philosophies of India, China, Tibet, and Japan, Jim Powell draws upon his knowledge of Sanskrit and Chinese, as well as decades of meditation. Whether tackling Buddha, Confucius, Lao Tzu, Dogen, the Dali Lama or Pantajal - Powell's insights are deeply illuminating. All the major philosophies of India, China, Tibet and Japan are explained and everyone - from beginner to expert - will find EASTERN PHILOSOPHY FOR BEGINNERS a beautiful and insightful overview.

ARABS & ISRAEL FOR BEGINNERS covers the Middle East from ancient times to the present, tells the truth in plain English, and is one of the few non-scholarly books that is relentlessly fair to both Jews and Arabs. If you want to continue to believe fairy tales about Arabs in Israel, don't touch this book - it will surely be hazardous to your closed mind. If you want the truth about 12,000 years of Middle Eastern History, then ARABS & ISRAEL FOR BEGINNERS is the perfect place to start.

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."

There are over 519 million Black Women on the planet Earth, give or take a dozen. There's a Black Woman on each of the seven continents, in almost every country and in almost every context. There are even Black Women in the space program. 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.

ASTRONOMY FOR BEGINNERS is a friendly and accessible guide to our universe, our galaxy, our solar system and the planet we call home. Each year as we cruise through space on this tiny blue-green wonder, a number of amazing and remarkable events occur. For example, like clockwork, we'll run head-on into asteroid and cometary 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 on 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 will explain this elaborate celestial dance - the patterns of the heavens, the equinoxes and the solstices, the major meteor showers, and the solar and lunar eclipses. In addition, Astronomy For Beginners will also take you on a guided tour of the solar system and beyond. We'll discover how the way we measure time itself is intimately related to celestial phenomena, and we'll furthermore explore our historical and continuing mission to understand our place in this marvelous universe in which we find ourselves.Oh yeah, one more thing: ASTRONOMY FOR BEGINNERS will not only help you become an expert in space and time - but it also promises to be a pretty fun ride!

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 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.

Ayn Rand, author of the best-selling novels, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, is beloved by millions of readers, and equally despised by a significant number of detractors. Her novels and her revolutionary philosophy of Objectivism have acquired a world-wide following. They have also created legions of readers who are hungry for a deeper understanding of her writings.Despite her undeniably significant contributions to the literary canon and the progression of philosophy, there has been no simple, comprehensive introduction to Rand's books and ideas, until now. AYN RAND FOR BEGINNERS sheds new light on Rand's monumental works and robust philosophy. In clear, down-to-earth language, it explains Rand to a new generation of readers in a manner that is entertaining, and easy to read and comprehend.

As we humans have expanded our horizons to see things vastly smaller, faster, larger, and farther than ever before, we have been forced to confront preconceptions born of the human experience and create wholly new ways of looking at the world around us.  The theories of relativity and quantum physics were developed out of this need and have provided us with phenomenal, mind-twisting insights into the strange and exciting reality show of our universe. RELATIVITY AND QUANTUM PHYSICS FOR BEGINNERS is an entertaining and accessible introduction to the bizarre concepts that fueled the scientific revolution of the 20th century and led to amazing advances in our understanding of the universe.

Carl Gustav Jung merged Eastern mysticism with Western psychology, brought scientific respectability to religion, laid the foundation for 'the New Age,' and is second only to Freud in influence and importance in the world of psychoanalysis. Many consider him a genius, but many others disagree.Scholar and clinical psychologist Jon Platania, PhD, presents Jung as a somewhat opportunistic and dissociated character whose most famous historical events were his break with Freud and his questionable sojourn with the psychological elite of the German Third Reich. On the other side of Jung's complex genius, there is a deeply spiritual man who laid the groundwork for a more optimistic approach to our modern understanding of the human psyche in both theology and psychology. He is remembered by many as the Swiss Doctor of the Soul.Dr. Platania then takes us on a tour of the work that made Jung one of the pillars of modern psychology. And what a body of work it is. Jung's open-mindedness was astonishing. Wherever he went-Calcutta, Egypt, Palestine, Kenya-Jung learned something that expanded his views. His open-ended psychology incorporated Yoga, meditation, prayer, alchemy, mythology, astrology, numerology, the I Ching-even flying saucers! He taught us that psychology and religion can not only coexist peacefully together, but that they can enhance us, inspire us, and help us complete ourselves.Freud, for all of his brilliance, reduced us to little more than vessels of hormones with high IQs. Jung, for all of his flaws, gave us back our souls.

Philosopher, psychoanalyst, politician, propagandist, prophet. although difficult to categorise, Frantz Fanon (1925 - 1961) is one of the most important thinkers of the 20th century and one of our most powerful writers on race and revolution. FANON FOR BEGINNERS provides a clear, detailed introduction to the life and work of the man Jean-Paul Sartre called the voice of the Third World.The book opens with a biography, following Fanon from his birthplace of Martinique through combat in World War II and education in France, to his heroic involvement in the fights for Algerian independence and African decolonisation. After a brief discussion of Fanon's political and cultural influences, the main section of the book covers the three principal stages of Fanon's thought:·The Search for Black Identity, as presented in Black Skin, White Masks, the stunning diagnosis of racism that Fanon wrote while he was studying medicine and psychoanalysis·The Struggle Against Colonialism, as explained in A Dying Colonialism and Toward the African Revolution, essays Fanon produced when he was actively engaged in Algeria's war of independence·The Process of Decolonidation, as analysed in The Wretched of the Earth, the book that extended insights gained in Algeria to Africa and the Third World.FANON FOR BEGINNERS concludes by examining Fanon's influence on political practice, such as the Black Power Movement in the United States, on literary theory and on political studies. This book will serve as an introduction as well as a tribute to the Frantz Fanon and how his works and words continue to have a profound impact on contemporary cultural debate.

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.

Charles Bukowski, novelist, short-story writer, poet, 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 and 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 larger-than-life aplomb of a pulp-fiction hero". Bukowski was one of the most unconventional writers and cultural critics of the twentieth century. He lived an unorthodox, idiosyncratic life and wrote in a style that was unique - a style that is impossible to classify or categorise. His work was at times cynical or humorous and 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 40 and published 45 books, six of them novels. Along with Raymond Chandler, he could be considered one of the great 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 and discontent is still heard and appreciated by readers worldwide.

A crowd of onlookers gawked from the pavement as four young black men dressed in black leather jackets and berets leapt from a Volkswagen, each of them wielding shotguns with bandoliers strapped across their bodies. The young men surrounded two white police officers who had accosted a black man and had him spread-eagled against a building.The young men did not say a word as the police officers watched them nervously, their eyes fixed on the shotguns. One of the young men held a large law book in his hand.This was the Black Panther Party in ideal action. The real story - the whole story - was both more and less heroic.So begins BLACK PANTHERS FOR BEGINNERS. The late 1960s, when the Panthers captured the imagination of the nation's youth, was a time of regulation. While their furious passage was marked by death, destruction and government sabotage, the Panthers left an instructive legacy for anyone who dares to challenge the system. Herb Boyd has done exhaustive research, examined the claims of all parties involved and boiled the story down to "the truth." We believe this is the most truthful book on the market, but each Panther has his/her own story to tell. We suggest that you check out the stories of all the Black Panthers.

A concise, accessible introduction to the great linguist who shaped the study of language for the 20th century, SAUSSURE FOR BEGINNERS puts the challenging ideas of Ferdinand de Saussure (1857-1913) into clear and illuminating terms, focusing on the unifying principles of his teachings and showing how his thoughts on linguistics migrated to anthropology.Ferdinand de Saussure's work is so powerful that it not only redefined modern linguistics, but it, also, opened our minds to new ways of approaching anthropology, literary criticism and psychoanalysis. Saussure felt that 19th century linguistics avoided hard questions about what language is and how it works. By 1911, he had taught a general linguistics course only three times. Upon his death, however, his students were so inspired by his teachings that they published them as the "Course in General Linguistics." SAUSSURE FOR BEGINNERS takes you through this course, points out the unifying principles and shows how these ideas migrated from linguistics to other subjects.

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 about - and understanding - music theory.

Have you heard the terms 'structuralism' and 'deconstruction' and 'postmodernism' but aren't really sure what they mean? Have you taken a whole course on literary criticism, but are still feeling lost? Here's the book you need to sort it all out - and enjoy doing so!In LITERARY THEORY FOR BEGINNERS, Mary Klages takes you into her classroom, cuts through the jargon and explains the ABCs (and the DEFs as well) in terms you can get your head around. Her breadth of knowledge, her unique skills as a teacher and the delightful illustrations of Frank Reynoso help us understand why literature matters, how it affects us and how it reflects history, culture and diversity. Here are ways of thinking about literature - not just reading it - methods of study and frameworks of interpretation from classical humanism all the way up to psychoanalysis, gender and queer theory, race, post-colonialism and, yes, postmodernism.With wit and wisdom, Klages takes on the two most frequently asked questions about literature and makes it all fun: ·What does the work MEAN? (What is the deeper, hidden or symbolic meaning? Did the author intend all these meanings? Are any and all meanings present in the text? Are all meanings equally valid?) ·What does the work DO? (Why is literature important? What effect does it have on the reader? How can literature be a force for social change?)So sit back, relax and take it all in!