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In this episode, Richard Newman introduces abolitionism, a global human rights movement during the 18th and 19th centuries aimed at ending slavery in the Atlantic world. Learn more about “Abolitionism: A Very Short Introduction” here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/abolitionism-a-very-short-introduction-9780190213220 Richard S. Newman is Professor of History at the Rochester Institute of Technology. He is the author of The Transformation … Continue reading Abolitionism – The Very Short Introductions Podcast – Episode 52 →

In this episode, Jack A. Goldstone introduces revolutions, which, from 1789 in France to 2011 in Cairo, have shaken the world and dominate the popular imagination. Learn more about “Revolutions: A Very Short Introduction” here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/revolutions-a-very-short-introduction-9780199858507 Jack A. Goldstone is Virginia E. and John T. Hazel, Jr. Professor of Public Policy and Eminent Scholar, School … Continue reading Revolutions – The Very Short Introductions Podcast – Episode 51 →

In this episode, Hugh Bowden introduces Alexander the Great, a legendary figure whose legacy permeates modern culture but about whom we still have much to discover. Learn more about “Alexander the Great: A Very Short Introduction” here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/alexander-the-great-a-very-short-introduction-9780198706151 Hugh Bowden is is Professor of Ancient History at King’s College London. He is an internationally recognised … Continue reading Alexander the Great – The Very Short Introductions Podcast – Episode 50 →

In this episode, Elizabeth Fisher introduces environmental law, a wide-ranging area of law that can operate at both a local and global level and is an area of complexity and hard-fought cases. Learn more about “Environmental Law: A Very Short Introduction” here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/environmental-law-a-very-short-introduction-9780198794189 Elizabeth Fisher is Professor of Environmental Law in the Faculty of Law … Continue reading Environmental Law – The Very Short Introductions Podcast – Episode 49 →

In this episode, Catherine Wilson introduces Epicureanism, a school of thought based on the teachings of Epicurus, that promotes modest pleasure and a simple life—ideals that still hold relevance today. Learn more about “Epicureanism: A Very Short Introduction” here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/epicureanism-a-very-short-introduction-9780199688326 Catherine Wilson is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at York University and a member of the … Continue reading Epicureanism – The Very Short Introductions Podcast – Episode 48 →

In this episode, Philip Dwyer introduces the difficult but important topic of violence and addresses the truth behind the claims that society is becoming less violent. Learn more about “Violence: A Very Short Introduction” here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/violence-a-very-short-introduction-9780198831730 Philip Dwyer is Professor of History and the founding Director of the Centre for the Study of Violence at … Continue reading Violence – The Very Short Introductions Podcast – Episode 47 →

In this episode, Charlotte Gordon introduces Mary Shelley, an author known for the seminal Frankenstein but whose body of work extends beyond one novel. Learn more about “Mary Shelley: A Very Short Introduction” here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/mary-shelley-a-very-short-introduction-9780198869191 Charlotte Gordon is the Distinguished Professor of English at Endicott College. An award-winning author, her work has appeared in the … Continue reading Mary Shelley – The Very Short Introductions Podcast – Episode 46 →

In this episode, Rana Mitter introduces modern China, a country full of contradictions that continues to make global headlines as it balances its past with its future. Learn more about “Modern China: A Very Short Introduction” here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/modern-china-a-very-short-introduction-9780198753704 Rana Mitter is Professor of the History and Politics of Modern China and Director of the University China … Continue reading Modern China – The Very Short Introductions Podcast – Episode 45 →

In this episode, Patricia Aufderheide introduces documentary film, a diverse genre that encompasses films from March of the Penguins to Fahrenheit 9/11 but is always rooted in the desire to represent reality. Learn more about “Documentary Film: A Very Short Introduction” here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/documentary-film-a-very-short-introduction-9780195182705 Patricia Aufderheide is a professor in the School of Communication at American … Continue reading Documentary Film – The Very Short Introductions Podcast – Episode 44 →

In this episode, Nancy A. Pachana introduces ageing, an activity with which we are familiar from childhood, and the lifelong dynamic changes in biological, psychological, and social functioning associated with it. Learn more about “Ageing: A Very Short Introduction” here:https://global.oup.com/academic/product/ageing-a-very-short-introduction-9780198725329 Nancy A. Pachana is a Professor of Geropsychology at the University of Queensland, Australia. She … Continue reading Ageing – The Very Short Introductions Podcast – Episode 43 →

In this episode, Pippa Virdee introduces Pakistan, one of the two nation-states of the Indian sub-continent that emerged in 1947 but has a deep past covering 4,000 years. Learn more about “Pakistan: A Very Short Introduction” here:https://global.oup.com/academic/product/pakistan-a-very-short-introduction-9780198847076 Pippa Virdee is a reader in Modern South Asian History at De Montfort University. Virdee is the author … Continue reading Pakistan – The Very Short Introductions Podcast – Episode 42 →

In this episode, Susan Mizruchi introduces American author Henry James, who created a unique body of fiction that includes Daisy Miller, The Portrait of a Lady, and The Turn of the Screw. Learn more about “Henry James: A Very Short Introduction” here:https://global.oup.com/academic/product/henry-james-a-very-short-introduction-9780190944384 Susan L. Mizruchi is William Arrowsmith Professor in the Humanities, Boston University and … Continue reading Henry James – The Very Short Introductions Podcast – Episode 41 →

In this episode, Andrew Copson introduces secularism, an increasingly hot topic in public, political, and religious debate across the globe that is more complex than simply ‘state versus religion.’ Learn more about “Secularism: A Very Short Introduction” here:https://global.oup.com/academic/product/secularism-a-very-short-introduction-9780198747222 Andrew Copson is the Chief Executive of the British Humanist Association, where he was previously Director of … Continue reading Secularism – The Very Short Introductions Podcast – Episode 40 →

In this episode, Sarah Harper introduces demography, the study of people, which addresses the size, distribution, composition, and density of populations, and considers the impact certain factors will have on both individual lives and the changing structure of human populations. Learn more about “Demography: A Very Short Introduction” here:https://global.oup.com/academic/product/demography-a-very-short-introduction-9780198725732 Sarah Harper is Professor of Gerontology … Continue reading Demography – The Very Short Introductions Podcast – Episode 39 →

In this episode, Essi Viding introduces psychopathy, a personality disorder that has long captured the public imagination. Despite the public fascination with psychopathy, there is often a very limited understanding of the condition, and several myths about psychopathy abound. Learn more about “Psychopathy: A Very Short Introduction” here:https://global.oup.com/academic/product/psychopathy-a-very-short-introduction-9780198802266 Essi Viding is Professor of Developmental Psychopathology … Continue reading Psychopathy – The Very Short Introductions Podcast – Episode 38 →

In this episode, Kirsten Shepherd-Barr introduce modern drama, the tale of which is a story of extremes, testing both audiences and actors to their limits through hostility and contrarianism. Learn more about “Modern Drama: A Very Short Introduction” here:https://global.oup.com/academic/product/modern-drama-a-very-short-introduction-9780199658770 Kirsten E. Shepherd-Barr is Professor of English and Theatre Studies at the University of Oxford and … Continue reading Modern Drama – The Very Short Introductions Podcast – Episode 37 →

In this episode, Jonathon Green introduces slang. Slang has been recorded since at least 1500 AD, and today’s vocabulary, taken from every major English-speaking country, runs to over 125,000 slang words and phrases. Please note that this episode contains a few instances of explicit language. Listener discretion is advised. Learn more about “Slang: A Very … Continue reading Slang – The Very Short Introductions Podcast – Episode 36 →

In this episode, Vlad Glăveanu introduces creativity, a term that emerged in the 19th century but only became popular around the mid-20th century despite creative expression existing for thousands of years. Learn more about “Creativity: A Very Short Introduction” here:https://global.oup.com/academic/product/creativity-a-very-short-introduction-9780198842996 Vlad Glăveanu is Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Psychology and Counselling at … Continue reading Creativity – The Very Short Introductions Podcast – Episode 35 →

In this episode, Walter A. Friedman introduces American business history and its evolution since the early 20th century when the United States was first described as a ‘business civilization’. Learn more about “American Business History: A Very Short Introduction” here:https://global.oup.com/academic/product/american-business-history-a-very-short-introduction-9780190622473 Walter A. Friedman is a historian and lecturer at Harvard Business School, where he directs … Continue reading American Business History – The Very Short Introductions Podcast – Episode 34 →

In this episode, Peter Holland introduces the animal kingdom and explains how our understanding of the animal world has been vastly enhanced by analysis of DNA and the study of evolution and development in recent years. Learn more about The Animal Kingdom: A Very Short Introduction here:https://global.oup.com/academic/product/american-business-history-a-very-short-introduction-9780190622473 Peter Holland is Linacre Professor of Zoology and … Continue reading The Animal Kingdom – The Very Short Introductions Podcast – Episode 33 →