Questions of ethics - about how we should act, our responsibilities to one another, the difference between right and wrong - have long been debated by philosophers the world over and form the foundations of government, culture and religion. Here, in concise, easy-to-read chapters, Ben Dupré explains the fundamentals of this discipline and how it is relevant to our lives today. Covering essential ethical concepts, including relativism, the golden rule and utilitarianism, as well as high-profile issues such as terrorism, censorship and the death penalty, 50 Ethics Ideas You Really Need to Know will lead you through the moral maze - and rattle your conscience in the process.

How different are men and women's brains? Does altruism really exist? Are our minds blank slates at birth? And do dreams reveal our unconscious desires? If you have you ever grappled with these concepts, or tried your hand as an amateur psychologist, 50 Psychology Ideas You Really Need to Know could be just the book for you. Not only providing the answers to these questions and many more, this series of engaging and accessible essays explores each of the central concepts, as well as the arguments of key thinkers. Author Adrian Furnham offers expert and concise introductions to emotional behavior, cognition, mentalconditions--from stress to schizophrenia--rationality and personality development, amongst many others. This is a fascinating introduction to psychology for anyone interested in understanding the human mind.

In a series of 50 accessible essays, Ben Dupré introduces and explains the philosophical questions around knowledge, consciousness, identity, ethics and justice that have engaged the minds of thinkers from the Ancient Greeks to the present day. From Plato's cave to virtue ethics, theories of punishment to animal rights, 50 Philosophy Ideas You Really Need to Know is a complete introduction to the most important philosophical concepts in history.

In a series of 50 accessible essays, Ben Dupré introduces and explains the fundamental concepts of politics - political theory, ideologies, the machinery of politics and the stuff of politics. From revolution to feminism, monarchy to political parties, 50 Political Ideas You Really Need to Know is a complete introduction to the most important political ideas in history.

50 Big Ideas You Really Need to Know is a concise, accessible and popular guide to the central tenets of Western thought. Every important principle of philosophy, religion, politics, economics, the arts and the sciences is profiled in a series of short illustrated essays, complemented by an informative array of timelines and box features.

What exactly is a credit crunch? Why do professional athletes earn so much more than the rest of us? Which country is likely to be the world's leading economy in ten years' time? Daily Telegraph economics editor Edmund Conway introduces and explains the central ideas of economics in a series of 50 essays. Beginning with an exploration of the basic theories, such as Adam Smith's "invisible hand," and concluding with the latest research into the links between wealth and happiness, he sheds light on all the essential topics needed to understand booms and busts, bulls and bears, and the way the world really works.

A guide to everything you need and want to know about quantum physics, how our universe works and our existence in it. Quantum physics is the most cutting-edge, important and fascinating area of modern science. We have all heard of Einstein's theory of relativity and Schrodinger's Cat - but do we really understand the mind-bending theories of our universe? In 50 concise chapters, Joanne Baker covers the foundation concepts of quantum physics and moves on to present clear explanations of complex theories and their advanced applications - from string theory to black holes, and quarks to quantum computing. With informative two-colour illustrations alongside key ideas in straightforward, bite-sized chunks, this book will teach you everything you need to know about quantum physics - and challenge the way you understand the world. The ideas explored include: Theory of relativity; Schrödinger's cat; Nuclear forces: fission and fusion; Antimatter; Superconductivity.