Bite-Sized Chunks – serie

A masterful introduction to world mythology, shedding light on the impact it has had on cultures past and present and untangling the complex web of deities, monsters and myths.From the signs of the zodiac to literature and art, the influence of world mythology can still be seen in everyday life. With a stunning array of fascinating tales, World Mythology in Bite-sized Chunks gets to grips with the ancient stories of Aboriginal, Sumerian, Egyptian, Mesoamerican, Maori, Greek, Roman, Indian, Norse and Japanese cultures, encompassing legends from the most diverse societies and the most ancient cultures from across the globe.Learn about why Odin, the Father of the Gods in Norse mythology, was so keen to lose an eye, the importance of the Osiris myth of Ancient Egypt, and much more besides.Entertaining, authoritative and incisive, this is an enlightening journey into the fascinating world of mythology.

Since ancient times, we have tried to make sense of our universe by observing objects far beyond our abilities to see or touch – from the smallest atom to the farthest star.This book covers, in chronological order, all the key discoveries and remarkable minds in each scientific field, including Aristotle’s geocentric model of the cosmos, Darwin’s theory of evolution, Newton’s theory of gravity and Einstein’s theory of relativity. Also included are fascinating anecdotes about the lives of influential scientists: learn how Ptolemy fixed his results to match his theories; Freud used cocaine to expand his mind; and Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, was banned from using university computers after being caught hacking.Revealing how human curiosity knows no bounds, and how the field of science has evolved over the last 2,500 years, this book breaks everything down into easily digestible sections to give a broad overview of the fascinating history of science.

A clear, concise and easily understood guide to the most fascinating of subjects - the human psyche.Exploring all the main theories, it provides potted biographies of key practitioners, and explains in simple terms the most important theories and experiments.Discovering more about the way their mind works!

An accessible and succinct account of the story of Europe from its ancient foundations to the twenty-first century, The History of Europe in Bite-sized Chunks details the events, personalities, ideas and disasters that have shaped our continent.The book is broken down into six easily digestible chapters:Classical Antiquity (2600 BCE to 600 CE); Medieval (600-1500); Reform and Enlightenment (1500-1780); Age of Revolutions (1780-1914); the Wars (1914-45); and the Making of Contemporary Europe (1945 to present). It begins with the first ancient culture to emerge in Europe: the Minoans. It then proceeds chronologically to the present day, taking in not just significant historical events but also overarching social, technological and cultural trends and their impact.Throughout the book there are mini-biographies of notable individuals (such as Julius Caesar, Catherine the Great and Napoleon Bonaparte) who have been most significant in European history. It is also packed with amazing facts, details and maps that will give the reader a vivid understanding of Europe’s past.

Since the earliest humans walked the earth, the vast mysteries and wonders of the night sky have fascinated and beguiled us, as we’ve struggled to understand our place in the cosmos.Even after the last century, which saw important and startling discoveries about our own planet, our solar system and the stars and galaxies beyond, there remain more questions than answers. But those questions – What is dark matter? Are we alone in the universe? Is time travel possible? – provide a fascinating insight into the vastness and infinite possibilities of space that we’re yet to determine. The sheer scale of the universe can be intimidating, but in this easily digestible book we embark on an incredible journey through all the essential astronomical discoveries, from the beliefs of ancient civilizations, through to the recent groundbreaking observations of the gravitational waves predicted by Einstein over 100 years ago. There’s never been a better time to get to grips with the universe and this essential guide to the cosmos is the perfect place to start!

Have you forgotten all you ever learned about the essentials of climate and weather? Barely remember what a tectonic plate is and what it does? In this book you’ll find the answers to these questions and many more – broken down into fascinating bite-sized chunks. Written in a highly accessible and engaging style, the subject is broken down into fundamental topics including the physical world, the human world, global issues, climate change, industry and the hydrological cycle. As a concise guide to key geographical topics, this book is the perfect starting point for anyone who is curious and concerned about planet earth, or who just wants to refresh the long-forgotten knowledge they learned at school.

The internet is everywhere. But how did it start? How has it changed? And what will it look like in the future?No development in human history has changed the world as radically, or as quickly, as the advent of the internet. There’s almost no aspect of 21st-century life that it hasn’t shaped or fundamentally altered, for better or for worse. But the history of the internet is longer than you might think. Its foundations stretch as far back as the 1960s, decades before it would become an accessible and inescapable part of everyday life.In this new entry in the bestselling Bite-Sized Chunks series, author and journalist Chris Stokel-Walker traces the internet from its (relatively) humble beginnings to the ubiquitous force that exists today, from email and dial-up to social media and the metaverse. Breaking down complex concepts around how the world wide web works, how it has changed over time, and the effects it has had on the world as we know it, as well as explaining key terminology and spotlighting important figures, The History of the Internet in Byte-Sized Chunks explains everything you need

Explore the fascinating world of Greek and Roman history in this new entry in the bestselling Bite-Sized Chunks series.Perhaps more than any other period in history, the era of classical antiquity shaped the Western world as we know it today. From the pioneering schools of Greek philosophy to the far-reaching influence of the Roman Empire, so much of what we consider fundamental to our contemporary civilization can trace its roots back to Mediterranean Europe during this time.Divided into eight chapters, each covering an aspect of the classical world – the gods, heroes and monsters, rulers and government, war, art, philosophy, literature and science – this is the perfect primer for any reader looking for an introduction to one of the most captivating periods in history.With dozens of easy-to-digest entries on the most important people, events, art and mythology of the era, accompanied by maps and illustrations, The Classical World in Bite-Sized Chunks gives you everything you need to know about Greek and Roman history in one compelling and compact package.

Artificial intelligence is headline news with the launch of the latest ChatGPT and Google Gemini. But when did we start making computers mimic the human mind? And what is the reality of the capabilities of AI now, and in the future?AI has always stirred emotions, and caused great excitement as well as great concern. Since the launch of large language models such as ChatGPT, the scope and capabilities of AI look set to transform our technology, in both good and bad ways. AI can help teach us how to write better or help us generate amazing artworks. But in the wrong hands, AI can create fake images and fake information that can be used to damage our societies. A new addition to the popular Bite-sized Chunks series, this expert-led book will explore how AI has developed from humble beginnings in the 1950s to today’s extraordinary AIs that have more neurons than the human brain. Focusing on specific AIs and their creators over the years, it explains the science and engineering behind each AI, discusses ethical issues and covers all the most fascinating information about one of the most important and contentious developments in human technology (including the latest on generative AI/ChatGPT), as well as what we can expect to see in the future of this field – all in short, accessible bite-sized chunks.

An entertaining and accessible introduction to the fascinating world of Greek and Roman history, covering the people, events, art and mythology that have shaped the Western world.Perhaps more than any other period in history, the era of classical antiquity shaped the Western world as we know it today. From the pioneering schools of Greek philosophy to the far-reaching influence of the Roman Empire, so much of what we consider fundamental to our contemporary civilization can trace its roots back to Mediterranean Europe during this time.Whether you're interested in myths and legends, ancient civilization or classical history, this compact book covers all bases. Divided into eight chapters, each covering an aspect of the classical world – gods, heroes and monsters, rulers and government, war, art, philosophy, literature and science – this is the perfect primer for any reader looking for an introduction to one of the most captivating periods in history.With dozens of easy-to-digest entries on the most important people, events, art and mythology of the era, accompanied by maps and illustrations, The Classical World in Bite-Sized Chunks gives you everything you need to know about Roman and Greek history in one compelling and compact package.Also available: The History of the World in Bite-sized Chunks (9781782437079) World Mythology in Bite-sized Chunks (9781782435754) The History of Europe in Bite-sized Chunks (9781789294163) The Universe in Bite-sized Chunks (9781789295023) The History of Science in Bite-sized Chunks (9781789290714)