With a broad scope across the millennia, from high literature to popular culture, between page and stage and screen, this Very Short Introduction considers comedy not only as a literary genre, but also as a broader impulse at work in many other historical and contemporary forms of satire, parody, and play.

'Communicative Musicality' explores the intrinsic musical nature of human interaction. Groundbreaking studies have demonstrated that in mother/infant communication there exist noticeable patterns of timing, pulse, voice timbre, and gesture.This landmark book examines the nature of musical expression in human communication from infancy upwards.

The collapse of communism was one of the most defining moments of the twentieth century. This Very Short Introduction examines the history behind the political, economic, and social structures of communism as an ideology.

A collection of essays on the nature of the individual self and its relationship to society, which asks such questions as: can we understand human behaviour without considering social and cultural attachments held by individuals and should the state promote an idea of the good?

This brand-new edition of the Compact Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus is a great reference tool, combining a dictionary and thesaurus integrated into one volume, making it ideal for all your language needs.

Comprehensive coverage of current English in a compact paperback edition with colour design, together with a special section, specifically tailored to the needs of students, offering advice on essays and dissertations, research, and note-taking, and help with basic English grammar.