Oxford University Press

A Very Short IntroductionWhat is socialism? Does it have a future, or has it become an outdated ideology in the 21st century? Michael Newman examines and explains the successes and failures of modern socialism, taking an international perspective, and discussing its evolution from the 19th century to the present day....

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In this illuminating study of a vital but long overlooked aspect of Chinese        religious life, Jimmy Yu reveals that in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries,        self-inflicted violence was an essential and sanctioned part of Chinese culture. He        examines a wide range of practices, including blood writing, filial...

'I have so much and my feeling for her devours everything, I have so much and        without her everything is nothing.'The Sorrows of Young Werther propelled Goethe to        instant fame when it first appeared in 1774. Goethe drew on his own unhappy        experiences to tell the story of Werther, a young man tormented by his love...

From the sheep, dog, and cockerel that were sent aloft in Montgolfier's balloon, to Galvani's frog's legs, Dolly the Sheep, the finches of the Galapagos, and even imaginary cats and simulated life forms,  Pavlov's Dogs and Schroedinger's Cat explores the fascinating history of the role of living things in science....

Jesus's childhood escapades and graphic descriptions of the torments of Hell - this book introduces readers to a selection, in a modern translation, of the many interesting and bizarre stories about Jesus and his followers which make up the Apocryphal New Testament - stories which have profoundly influenced aspects of later Christian doctrines....