Feb 2010
Hinduism: A Graphic Guide
Hinduism is the world's oldest religion, yet the word 'Hindu' was never used before the 18th-century by Hindus to describe themselves. It is defined as polytheistic, but Gandhi declared that a Hindu needn’t believe in any god. It is a religion as much of myth as of history – it has no founder, no single authoritative book, even few central doctrines.
Introducing Hinduism offers a guide to the key philosophical, literary, mythological and cultural traditions of this extraordinarily diverse faith, giving equal consideration to texts and everyday practices. It untangles the complexities of Hinduism's gods and goddesses,...
Shakespeare: A Graphic Guide
Shakespeare’s absolute pre-eminence is simply unparalleled. His plays pack theatres and provide Hollywood with blockbuster scripts; his works inspire mountains of scholarship and criticism every year. He has given us many of the very words we speak, and even the thoughts we think.
Nick Groom and Piero explore how Shakespeare became so famous and influential, and why he is still widely considered the greatest writer ever. They investigate how the Bard has been worshipped at different times and in different places, used and abused to cultural and political ends, and the roots of the intense controversies which have...