If you are considering learning about a new subject, or need to revisit a field of study ahead of your exams, the Oxford University Press Very Short Introductions series on Oxford Academic is the perfect tool. These introductory texts written by experts in their fields are available to Cambridge University readers.
There are over 850 book titles in the collection, with many more in production. You can find records for the Very Short Introductions in iDiscover or you can browse available titles on the Oxford Academic platform. The Subject menu in the sidebar allows you filter by core subject areas (Arts and Humanities, Law, Medicine and Health, Science and Mathematics, and Social Sciences), specific disciplines within those core areas, or specialised fields and key topics for a more targeted approach. You can also try a keyword search for your area of interest.
Need to brush up on your philosophy? There are 124 designated philosophy titles in the collection, with titles on philosophical concepts and key philosophers from ancient history to the modern era. You can also learn more about different countries, writers and thinkers, religions, political figures and systems, branches of law and studies in culture and human behaviour. STEMM is covered too - with topics ranging widely from the Periodic table, to the Anthropocene, Microbiomes, Blood, Dinosaurs, Genomics, Circadian Rhythms, Nanotechnology, Crystallography, Soft Matter, Matter, Applied Mathematics, the Immune System and the Brain.
The short introductions go beyond subject overviews, into introductions to concepts that span multiple fields (The Self, Imagination, and Time) and individual figures (Nelson Mandela, Ivan Pavlov, and Ibn Sīnā (Avicenna)). The collection is a wonderful place to dip your toes into different and unknown areas of learning, but it can also be a handy way to consolidate your exam revision. (Or maybe the collection might provide a welcome break!) The Introductions can also be useful to expand knowledge of topical subjects, such as:
Artificial Intelligence: A Very Short Introduction
Borders: A Very Short Introduction (2nd edition)
Epidemiology: A Very Short Introduction
Biodiversity Conservation: A Very Short Introduction
If you prefer an audio format, there is also a Very Short Introductions podcast with 10-15 minute introductory clips, available through Google Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud and other podcast providers.
Please do get in touch if you have any questions about the Very Short Introductions collection. Email us at ebooks@lib.cam.ac.uk.
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