Oxford University Press

The laws of thermodynamics drive everything that happens in the universe. From the        sudden expansion of a cloud of gas to the cooling of hot metal, and from the        unfurling of a leaf to the course of life itself - everything is directed and        constrained by four simple laws. They establish fundamental concepts such...

Combining musical insight and the most recent research, William Kinderman's        Beethoven is both a richly drawn portrait of the man and a guide to his music. In        this new updated edition of his acclaimed study, Kinderman traces the composer's        intellectual and musical development from the early works written in Bonn to...

Fred Feldman presents a philosophical study of the nature and value of happiness.          The aim is to understand what happiness is. Opposing theories of happiness are        explained and criticized and a new theory is presented and defended. Feldman's views        have important implications for moral philosophy and also for the emerging field...

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A Very Short IntroductionLaw touches every aspect of our daily lives, and yet the main concepts, terms, and processes of the legal system remain obscure to many. This Very Short Introduction provides a clear, jargon-free account of modern legal systems, explaining how the law works both in the Western tradition and around the world....

Blue-eyed and high-spirited, Elfride Swancourt has little experience of the world beyond her remote parish, and becomes entangled with two men: the boyish architect, Stephen Smith, and the older literary man, Henry Knight. The former friends become rivals, and Elfride faces an agonizing choice. Elfride's dilemma mirrors the difficult decision Hardy...