In this Very Short Introduction Jon Balserak explores major ideas and issues associated with the Calvinist system of thought. He looks at how Calvinist ideas and practices spread and took root, helping shape societies today. Much of contemporary thought - especially western thought - on everything from civil government to money, suicide, and divorce has been influenced by Calvinism. Balserak also combats common misconceptions about Calvinism, and explores the relationship between Calvinism and the modern world.

Drawing on scientific research and logical argument James Jones directly confronts the claims that cognitive science can eliminate, or debunk, religion. He provides an accessibly written, persuasive account of why these claims are not convincing.

Cancer is a problem that touches virtually everyone either directly or indirectly. As one of the biggest killers in the Western world it is feared by many people. In this Very Short Introduction, Nick James examines the trends and treatment of cancer, looking at efforts to develop treatments, research into cures, and the future of cancer care.

Candide is the most famous of Voltaire's 'philosophical tales', in which he combined witty improbabilities with the sanest of good sense. This edition includes four other prose tales - Micromegas, Zadig, The Ingenu, and The White Bull - and a verse tale based on Chaucer's The Wife of Bath's Tale,: What Pleases the Ladies.

A group of pilgrims entertain each other with stories on their way to Canterbury in a poem whose characters, from the Knight to the Wife of Bath, are as vivid as their tales. This new edition of David Wright's acclaimed translation includes a new critical introduction and invaluable notes by a leading Chaucer scholar.

"First issued as a World's Classic paperback 1995, reissued as an Oxford World's Classic paperback in 1999, reissued in 2008"--T.p. verso.

In this Very Short Introduction James Fulcher considers what capitalism is, the forms it can take around the world, and its history of crises and long-term development. In this new edition he discusses the fundamental impact of the global financial crises of 2007-8 and what it has meant for capitalism worldwide.