In this hyper-compact, fully illustrated guide to architecture, Susie Hodge outlines the history and theory of architecture from the earliest structures to the cutting-edge concepts of the present day. Along the way she profiles 200key buildings, historic styles, architectural movements and celebrated architects from all around the world. Contents include the Greek orders, Roman engineering, Gothic architecture, the Renaissance, the Baroque, Revivalism, Art Nouveau, Modernism and Postmodernism, Futurism and Dynamic architecture along with architects like Inigo Jones, Christopher Wren, Gaudi, Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier and Frank Gehry.

The perfect compact reference guide for all would-be art buffs. Art historian Susie Hodge takes you on a whistle-stop international tour of all the major artisticcultures, movements, phases, developments, artists and themes, from Prehistoric art to Hyperrealism. Contents also include Greek classicism,Gothic art, the Renaissance, Baroque, Romanticism, Realism, Impressionism, Cubism, surrealism, Pop art and Minimalism.

The Countries of the World in Minutes is the quickest way to understand the modern world and every country in it.For each of the 195 officially recognised countries of the world, a mini-essay clearly and concisely explains its key history, characteristics and social and political structures. Alongside, an outline map shows each country’s global location, main geographic features and capital city, whilst a table of essential data details its population, political system, languages, major religions, currency, gross domestic product, main industries, and much more. Illustrated with 195 up-to-date country maps.

All the tools you need for management success, this effective, compact guide will enable you to quickly grasp key management concepts and techniques. Contents include:Benchmarking, Branding, Core competition, Empowerment, Leadership, Mergers and acquisitions, Project management and the Supply chain.

The world's great fables, sagas and legends dramatically retold. Myths are the greatest stories ever told. Passed down over millennia, they are the templates for all our stories, with their eternal themes of creation and destruction, fate and cunning, heroism and cruelty, sensuality and war. Retold here are nearly 200 myths - from Prometheus defying Zeus to create man to the destruction of Troy; and from valiant battles against Frost Giants and Cyclopes to the heroic quests for the Golden Fleece and Holy Grail - including a commentary on their origins, common themes and meanings.Compellingly written, concise and with each myth illustrated with an iconic image, Myths in Minutes is the perfect way to understand and enjoy the world's major fables.

To what extent is memory based on mood? Why do we compare ourselves to others? Are there different types of intelligence? How do we change with age? This book answers all these questions and many more in 200 short and accessible essays. From Pavlov’s dogs to experimental ethics and from the development of personality to cognitive behavioural therapy, this book will take you from the foundations of psychological thought to modern-day applications, drawing on recent research and established theories. Each essay is accompanied by an illustration or diagram to help unravel complex ideas. The principles of psychology apply to each and every one of us as they shed light on everything from our childhood development to our interaction with others – and Psychology in Minutes is the perfect insight to this fascinating subject.

The fastest way to understanding quantum physics – learn about how our universe works, in minutes.Quantum physics is the most fundamental, but also the most bewildering, of sciences. Allowing for simultaneously dead-and-alive cats, teleportation, antimatter and parallel universes, it also underpins all digital technology and even life itself. But at last it’s possible through this clear and compact book, illuminated with 200 simple diagrams for anyone to understand the strange and beautiful subatomic world, and hence the nature of reality itself.

This concise, illuminating guide takes us on a comprehensive tour of the solar system, from the Sun at its very heart – via the planets and their moons – to the icy objects at its periphery, some 150 billion kilometres away.The Solar System in Minutes explains the history and features of all themajor celestial bodies, including the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, the planets’ main moons, the asteroids, comets, dwarf planets and the Kuiper belt; as well as the birth, evolution and science of the solar system and the story – and future – of its exploration.With 200 of the very latest space photographs and explanatory diagrams, here is the easiest way to understand our cosmic neighbourhood.

From the first-ever cities of Sumeria and Babylon around 3500 BCE to the fall of Rome and the bloody demise of the Aztecs, here - in 200 mini-essays - are the critical leaders and wars; ideas and inventions; myths and religions; and art and architecture of the first 5000 years of recorded history. Discover the spiritual, cultural, technological and artistic innovations of the ancient civilizations that still amaze and influence us today - from the Pyramids and Parthenon to Machu Picchu and the Great Wall of China; and from the first hieroglyphic writings and great epics of world literature to democracy and the Olympic Games. The great civilizations are brought to life in vivid illustrations with 200 maps, iconic artworks and ancient artefacts.

The brain is considered the most complex structure in all of creation. But recent discoveries in neuroscience are now revealing the inner secrets of the brain – how it works, why it makes us who we are and what happens when it goes wrong. This cutting-edge and comprehensive guide explains why the human brain became so clever; how it controls everything from breathing, sleeping and seeing to identity, imagination, pleasure and pain; and what will happen when the brain integrates with computers or the latest genetic discoveries. Award-winning science writer Rita Carter also demystifies amnesia, multiple personalities, psychopathy, dreaming, hallucinations, addiction, autism, dyslexia, schizophrenia, dementia, and numerous otherconditions of the mind.

What does the future hold? How will we live, work and entertain ourselves? What new technologies will emerge? Will humanity evolve - and perhaps live forever? Or are we facing threats that could end us - and even the whole universe? The Future in Minutes tackles these and many other fundamental questions, concisely and lucidly explaining everything from cryptocurrencies and world governments to gene therapy and colonizing planets - and painting our options for utopia or disaster.

What happened to the Roman Empire? Why was the Magna Carta so important?What led to the First World War? Why did the USSR collapse? World History in Minutes provides succinct answers to these questions - and many more - in 200 simple and accessible essays. From the 100 Years War to the Gulf Wars, and from the wisdom of Aristotle to the Civil Rights movement, this book distils the major events in human history into easily digestible chunks. Each essay is accompanied by an image - or a clear diagram to illustrate complex ideas - and will plug the gaps in your knowledge of the most important eras, movements and events in the history of humankind. World History in Minutes is the perfect introduction to this expansive subject