To understand China, it is essential to understand Confucianism. First formulated in the sixth century BCE, the teachings of Confucius would come to dominate Chinese society, politics, economics, and ethics. In this Very Short Introduction, Daniel K. Gardner e... read more

Explore the mind and world of the brilliant neurosurgeon-turned-Sorcerer Supreme Doctor Stephen Strange
Essays from two-dozen philosophers illuminate how essential philosophical concepts, including existentialism, epistemology, metaphysics, and ethics, combine... read more

What's the best way to answer some of the biggest questions in life-questions like- Does God exist? What is the meaning of life? Is there a basic principle for all moral decisions? What is the best way to organise society? How d... read more

The Wealth of Nationsby Adam Smith It is symbolic that Adam Smith's masterpiece of economic analysis, The Wealth of Nations, was first published in 1776, the same year as the "Declaration of Independence." In his book, Smith fervently extolled the simple yet enlightened notion tha... read more

In Scatterlings, Martin Shaw walks the myth-lines of seven stories based in and around his homeland of Dartmoor, England. Rather than the commentaries on such tales being primarily balanced against other literary sources, Shaw uses what actually o... read more

Featuring Freud! Groucho Marx! Socrates! Lily Tomlin! Kierkegaard! Buddha! New Yorker cartoonists! Zombies! And of course, Heidegger! Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein first made a name for themselves with the outrageously funny New York Time... read more

Why was Sartre afraid of lobsters? What makes art great? Are the jokes in Kant’s Critique of Judgment funny? Does philosophy actually make philosophers wiser? As ... read more

The Gift brilliantly argues for the importance of creativity in our increasingly money-driven society. Reaching deep into literature, anthropology and psychology Lewis Hyde's modern masterpiece has at its heart the simple and important idea that a 'gift' can inspire and change our lives.

What is the history of knowledge? This engaging and accessible introduction explains what is distinctive about the new field of the history of knowledge (or, as some scholars say, knowledges in the plural ) and how it differs from the history of science, intellectua... read more

Translated by Ciaran Cronin. The world is a state of turmoil. From the financial crisis to the chaos in the eurozone, from the Arab uprisings to protests in Athens, Barcelona, New York and elsewhere, many of the familiar frameworks are collapsing and we have to find new ways to orient ourselves in ... read more

Do you consider yourself stoical? Do a bit of meditation or mindfulness practice? Buddhism and Stoicism have a lot to offer modern readers seeking the good life, but they're also radical systems that ask much of their followers. I... read more

This is a book that celebrates the power of ideas: thought can - and does - change the world. And, in turn, ideas evolve. Fundamentalism, environmentalism and bioethics are defining our future just as Marxism, feminism or existentialism have influenced our present. So what do we need to know as we mov... read more