Like all the books in the "Cat on the Mat" series, this book has a repetitive text, with pictures, and a sense of humour.

The most cherished values of modernity are unthinkable without the eighteenth-century Enlightenment. Equal rights, the end of discrimination, the growth of democracy, and the idea of perpetual progress stem from thinkers who lived two hundred and fifty years ago, but whose ideas are as attractive as ever.

What are the origins of the Catholic Church? How has Catholicism changed and adapted over the centuries? What challenges does the Catholic Church face in the twenty-first century? Gerald O'Collins answers these and other questions, and in this new edition considers the impact of Pope Francis' leadership of the Church since 2013.

Without cause and effect, there would be no science or technology, no moral responsibility, and no system of law. Causation is therefore the most fundamental connection in the universe and a core topic of philosophical thought. This Very Short Introduction introduces all of the main theories of causation and its key debates.

In this Very Short Introduction, Terence Allen and Graham Cowling describe the nature of cells - their basic structure, their varying forms, their division, their differentiation, their signalling, and programmed death. Cells are the basic constituent of life, and understanding cells and how they work is central to all biology and medicine.

The Celts have long been a subject of enormous fascination, speculation, and misunderstanding. This title seeks to reveal this fascinating people, exploring subjects such as trade, migration, and the evolution of Celtic traditions, and examining such characters as St Patrick, Cu Chulainn, and Boudica.

Chance was Conrad's most popular book. It tells the story of Flora de Barral, the abandoned daughter of a bankrupt tycoon, who struggles to achieve dignity and happiness. The revised edition features a new text (the English first edition), revised notes, and a new bibliography and chronology.