Pilgrimage is found in most religious cultures, with large numbers of sites — from globally renowned places to regional shrines — flourishing historically and in the modern day. Pilgrimage centres around the world, including Mecca in Saudi Arabia, Guadalupe in Mexico, Lourdes in France, Santiago de Compostela in Spain, Haridwar in India, and Shikoku in Japan, attract millions of pilgrims annually, while a flourishing 'spiritual tourism' industry has grown to promote the practice. In the present day, new pilgrimage locations, including 'secular' ones with no official affiliation, such as Graceland, Elvis Presley's house, continue to emerge across the world. In this Very Short Introduction Ian Reader explores the factors that affect how pilgrimage has changed over time, from contemporary international developments, such as mass transportation to changing social attitudes reflected in the motives of pilgrims through the ages. He demonstrates the social and international aspects of pilgrimage, showing how it has become a way of expressing social identity and cultural heritage, as well as being entwined with themes of entertainment and tourism. Reader explores the key issues and themes of pilgrimage through history to the present, looking at its various forms, how people take part, what is learnt from the journeys, and why pilgrimage remains popular in an increasingly secular age. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

From Zeus and Europa, to Diana, Pan, and Prometheus, the myths of ancient Greece and Rome seem to exert a timeless power over us. But what do those myths represent, and why are they so enduringly fascinating? Why do they seem to be such a potent way of talking about our selves, our origins, and our desires? This imaginative and stimulating Very Short Introduction goes beyond a simple retelling of the stories to explore the rich history and diverse interpretations of classical myths. It is a wide-ranging account, examining how classical myths are used and understood in both high art and popular culture, taking the reader from the temples of Crete to skyscrapers in New York, and finding classical myths in a variety of unexpected places: from arabic poetry and Hollywood films, to psychoanalysis, the bible, and New Age spiritualism. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Crime fiction has been one of the most popular genres since the 19th century, but has roots in works as varied as Sophocles, Herodotus, and Shakespeare. In this Very Short Introduction Richard Bradford explores the history of the genre, by considering the various definitions of 'crime fiction' and looking at how it has developed over time. Discussing the popularity of crime fiction worldwide and its various styles; the role that gender plays within the genre; spy fiction, and legal dramas and thrillers; he explores how the crime novel was shaped by the work of British and American authors in the 18th and 19th centuries. Highlighting the works of notorious authors such as Edgar Allan Poe, Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, and Raymond Chandler — to name but a few — he considers the role of the crime novel in modern popular culture and asks whether we can, and whether we should, consider crime fiction serious 'literature'. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

In today's art world many strange, even shocking, things qualify as art. In this Very Short Introduction Cynthia Freeland explains why innovation and controversy are valued in the arts, weaving together philosophy and art theory with many fascinating examples. She discusses blood, beauty, culture, money, museums, sex, and politics, clarifying contemporary and historical accounts of the nature, function, and interpretation of the arts. Freeland also propels us into the future by surveying cutting-edge web sites, alongside the latest research on the brain's role in perceiving art. This clear, provocative book engages with the big debates surrounding our responses to art and is an invaluable introduction to anyone interested in thinking about art. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

This course book supports the latest syllabus and includes all options. It promotes cross-cultural links and connections to TOK, international-mindedness and the IB learner profile. Written by two experienced IB teachers, it contains historical information alongside data from the latest research. Students are stimulated by a wealth of engaging activities and features. They are encouraged to think critically and relate ideas to other subjects and to world issues. There is an emphasis on research and research methods, as well as advice on internal and external assessment. *Developed with the IB for the most comprehensive and accurate match to the syllabus *Written by two experienced IB teachers and mapped to the most recent syllabus, including all the options *Critical thinking exercises challenge learners beyond theoretical study, driving independent thought *Case studies keep learning fresh and globally-focused, building international awareness and relevancy *Seamlessly linked to the leaner profile, challenging students with fresh and topical TOK *Packed with assessment support, directly from the IB, to optimize assessment potential About the series: The only DP resources developed directly with the IB, the Oxford IB Course Books are the most comprehensive core resources to support learners through their study. Fully incorporating the learner profile, resources are assessed by consulting experts in international-mindedness and TOK to ensure these crucial components are deeply embedded into learning.

Written by experienced authors and members of the Editorial Board of the IOP, Advanced Physics maintains the rigours of physics at the highest levels in a style that makes it accessible to a wide range of students.

This highly original and sophisticated look at architecture helps us to understand the cultural significance of the buildings that surround us. It avoids the traditional style-spotting approach in favour of giving an idea of what it is about buildings that moves us, and what it is that makes them important artistically and culturally. The book begins by looking at how architecture acquires meaning through tradition, and concludes with the exoticism of the recent avant garde. Illustrations of particular buildings help to anchor the general points with specific examples, from ancient Egypt to the present day. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

'Once, a long time ago, in a town called Nazareth, a little donkey was born.' As the wonderful events of the Nativity unfold, Brian Wildsmith tells of the journey of a little girl and a donkey to Bethlehem. It is their perspective on the Christmas story that gives the book such an intimate, innocent, and child-centred appeal. This classic story from one of our most internationally acclaimed picture-book writers and artists has deservedly become an enduring favourite with children at Christmas time. Now presented as a beautiful gift edition which includes a nativity scene to make and display in your home during the festive season.

World Quest combines the drama and excitement of an episodic story, with real world texts and topics to accelerate students' progression. Your students will be enchanted by award winning author, Paul Shipton's episodic story at the beginning of each unit and they will want to know what happens next. Written especially for the course, the story introduces key vocabulary at the start of each unit as well as capturing students' attention. Read the stories aloud in class or listen to them on the class audio CDs. Give your students the vocabulary, grammar and practice they need to progress quickly in English. When students use English in the real world they are most likely to want to talk about their own lives and interests, World Quest provides them with the vocabulary and grammar to do this as well as plenty of practice.

How advertising works is not a question that has a simple answer. Advertising is a diverse entity and different campaigns work (or fail to work) in a plethora of different ways. Most advertising persuades people to buy things, but how? And who does it aim to persuade? And how are these decisions made? In this Very Short Introduction Winston Fletcher, an expert with extensive knowledge of advertising from the inside, aims to answer these questions, and in doing so, dispels some of the myths and misunderstandings surrounding the industry. The book contains a short history of advertising and an explanation of how the industry works, and how each of the parties (the advertisers , the media and the agencies) are involved. It considers the extensive spectrum of advertisers and their individual needs. It also looks at the financial side of advertising and asks how advertisers know if they have been successful, or whether the money they have spent has in fact been wasted. Fletcher concludes with a discussion about the controversial and unacceptable areas of advertising such as advertising products to children and advertising products such as cigarettes and alcohol. He also discusses the benefits of advertising and what the future may hold for the industry. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Wanted — the tiny robbers are on the loose! They are a mischievous lot, always looking for something they can take, especially if it is mummy's glasses, daddy's socks, or even grandpa's wig! But don't worry, here come the tiny cops! They've polished their boots, shined their badges, and now they're ready for action! Which is a good thing, because the tiny robbers are after something really BIG this time! A charming, timeless picture book from the creator of the hit children's television series The Adventures of Abney & Teal.

What is innovation? How is innovation used in business? How can we use it to succeed? Innovation — the ways ideas are made valuable — makes an important contribution to economic and social development, and is an increasingly topical issue. Not so long ago, there were no information technologies, commercial airlines, or television companies. Our parents were born into a world very different to today's, where television had yet to be invented, and there was no penicillin or frozen food. When our grandparents were born there were no internal combustion engines, aeroplanes, cinemas, or radios. In the last 150 years our world has been transformed — largely in part due to innovation. This Very Short Introduction looks at what innovation is and why it affects us so profoundly. It examines how it occurs, who stimulates it, how it is pursued, and what its outcomes are, both positive and negative. Innovation is hugely challenging and failure is common, yet it is essential to our social and economic progress. Mark Dodgson and David Gann consider the extent to which our understanding of innovation developed over the past century and how it might be used to interpret the global economy we all face in the future. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

What shapes our sexuality? Is it a product of our genes, or of society, culture, and politics? How have concepts of sexuality and sexual norms changed over time? How have feminist theories, religion, and HIV/AIDS affected our attitudes to sex? Focusing on the social, political, and psychological aspects of sexuality, this Very Short Introduction examines these questions and many more, exploring what shapes our sexuality, and how our attitudes to sex have in turn shaped the wider world. Revealing how our assumptions about what is 'normal' in sexuality have, in reality, varied widely across time and place, this book tackles the major topics and controversies that still confront us when issues of sex and sexuality are discussed: from sex education, HIV\AIDS, and eugenics, to religious doctrine, gay rights, and feminism. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

If you want to know what anthropology is, look at what anthropologists do. This Very Short Introduction to Social and Cultural Anthropology combines an accessible account of some of the disciplines guiding principles and methodology with abundant examples and illustrations of anthropologists at work. Peter Just and John Monaghan begin by discussing anthropologys most important contributions to modern thought: its investigation of culture as a distinctively human characteristic, its doctrine of cultural relativism, and its methodology of fieldwork and ethnography. They then examine specific ways in which social and cultural anthropology have advanced our understanding of human society and culture, drawing on examples from their own fieldwork. The book ends with an assessment of anthropologys present position, and a look forward to its likely future. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Talk Time 1 Test Booklet contains a photocopiable test for each unit in the Talk Time 1 Student Book. It also contains the Audio CD with the listening sections for each test and a complete audio script and answer key.

Talk Time is a three-level conversation course that provides speaking and listening practice based on everyday situations. Gentle progression of communicative activities in each lesson makes it ideal for less confident students. The Student CD, included at the back of the Student Book, contains recordings of the conversations to provide students with listening practice outside of the classroom.

The Talk Time 2 Teacher’s Book lets you: Plan lessons from the Talk Time 2 Student Book easily with step-by-step teaching notes including the complete audio script and answer keys to all the activities. Vary your lessons with tips on teaching vocabulary, listening, grammar, and speaking. Provide background information on situations and locations mentioned in the Talk Time 2 Student Book. Explain language in context with the help of grammar, usage, and culture notes. Extend the lesson with optional photocopiable activities.

'Once, a long time ago, a little donkey was brought to Jesus.' The story of Easter is told here through the eyes of the donkey that carried Jesus into the city of Jerusalem. He watches the Last Supper, he sees Jesus brought before Pontius Pilate, he is there when Jesus is crucified, and he witnesses the joy of the resurrection. Every year, as these events are remembered, this beautiful retelling from Brian Wildsmith is a lovely book to share with children. Brian Wildsmith is one of our most internationally acclaimed picture-book writers and artists. This classic Easter retelling now has a stunning new cover design to appeal to a whole new generation of young Wildsmith fans.

English lessons form an integral part of a young learner's whole education. This book ciontains guidance for teachers who are new to young learners, and ideas and materials for a wide variety of language practice activities, including art and crafts, drama, games, storytelling, and songs. This book is intended for teachers of English as a foreign language.

Find out how Steven Seagull saves Beach City in this hilarious action-packed picture book from the creator of Weasels, Elys Dolan. It's packed with cross-over jokes to appeal to children and adults too. The artwork is full of details for poring over time and time again. And you'll get to see sharks playing volleyball, a goldfish driving a speedboat, crabs building sandcastles ...oh, and the most hilarious life-guard ever!