Master the design ideas that shape the world we live in today. In a series of 50 accessible essays, John Jervis introduces and explains the centralmovements, inventions and creative geniuses of design, tracing its evolution from the 19th century to the present day. From arts and crafts and typography to key movements such as art deco and Bauhaus, 50 Design Ideas You Really Need to Know is complete introduction to the most important design concepts in history.

In a series of 50 accessible essays, Philip Wilkinson introduces architectural movements and styles throughout history, as well as describing some of the greatest architects' most important and representative works. From the Pyramids of Giza to the Guggenheim, the classical orders of Vitruvius to the most recent contemporary trends today, 50 Architecture Ideas You Really Need to Know is a complete introduction to the most important architectural concepts in history.

Master the fashion ideas that shape the world of style today. In a series of 50 accessible essays, Jessica Bumpus introduces and explains the central ideas, trends and inventions of fashion, from the genesis of style itself to the present day. From fast fashion and the invention of the high heel to streetwear and the impact of the 'influencer', 50 Fashion Ideas You Really Need to Know is complete introduction to the most important fashion concepts in history.

In recent years knowledge of our genetic code has changed our understanding of life on Earth. New genetic technologies are transforming the way we live and promise treatments for otherwise incurable diseases. But these advances are also generating controversy, particularly surrounding issues such as cloning and designer babies. In 50 Genetics Ideas, Mark Henderson distils the central ideas of genetics in a series of clear and concise essays. Beginning with the theory of evolution, and covering such topics as the genome and how nature and nurture work together, he not only illuminates the role of genes in shaping our behaviour and sexuality, but also the very latest, cutting-edge developments in gene therapy and artificial life. Accessible and informative, 50 Genetics Ideas is a timely introduction to this young and ground-breaking strand of science.

Have you ever lain awake at night fretting over how we can be sure of the reality of the external world? Perhaps we are in fact disembodied brains, floating in vats at the whim of some deranged puppet-master? If so, you are not alone - and what's more, you are in exalted company. For this question and others like it have been the stuff of philosophical rumination for centuries, from Plato to Popper. In a series of accessible and engaging essays, 50 Philosophy Ideas You Really Need to Know introduces and explains the problems of knowledge, consciousness, identity, ethics, belief, justice and aesthetics that have troubled the minds of great thinkers for centuries, from the ancient Greeks to the present day. Contents include: The brain in a vat, Plato's cave, Cogito ergo sum, The mind-body problem, The boo/hurrah theory, Ends and means, The categorical imperative, Acts and omissions, The rights of animals, The gambler's fallacy, Paradigm shifts, Occam's razor, Positive and negative freedom, Theories of punishment and Just war.

Master the management ideas that shape the business world today. In a series of 50 accessible essays, Edward Russell-Walling introduces and explains the central ideas, tools and theories from some of the world's biggest business gurus and leaders. From branding and outsourcing to supply and demand and the latest commercial concepts from the online world, 50 Management Ideas You Really Need to Know is complete introduction to the most important management ideas in history.

Science first began as a branch of philosophy, but it has since grown up and moved out of the family home, and its successes have put its parent in the shade. Thanks to scientific knowledge we have walked on the Moon, cured once-fatal illnesses, and even identified the very building blocks of life and the universe. But it is these very successes that underline the need for philosophy. How much should we trust the pronouncements of scientists that we read in the media? What are the ethical implications of our delving into the foundations of our DNA, reproductive treatments, or artificially prolonging life? And are there limits to what science can tell us about the world we think we know? In straightforward and accessible terms, 50 Philosophy of Science Ideas You Really Need to Know explains the key philosophical questions that continue to lie at the heart of the nature and practice of science today. The ideas explored include: Appearance and reality; Knowledge; Anti-realism; Metaphysics; Science and gender; Phenomenology and science.

In a series of 50 accessible essays, Adrian Furnham introduces and explains key theories around clinical and developmental psychology, behaviourism, society and personality, cognitive psychology and individual differences. From understanding emotions to detecting perception, Freud's psychosexual stages to the placebo effect, 50 Psychology Ideas You Really Need to Know is a complete introduction to the most important psychological concepts in history.

Just the mention of mathematics is enough to strike fear into the hearts of many, yet without it, the human race couldn't be where it is today. By exploring the subject through its 50 key insights - from the simple (the number one) and the subtle (the invention of zero) to the sophisticated (proving Fermat's last theorem) - this book shows how mathematics has changed the way we look at the world around us.

A dynamic insight into how science will shape human destiny over the coming century. What will the world look like in 2020, 2030 or even 2100? How will progress in scientific research affect human life in the areas of health and lifestyle, energy and the environment, politics and conflict, space exploration and even the ultimate questions of existence? This book offers an electrifying trip through the wonders - and terrors - awaiting us over the next hundred years.