'An outstandingly good introduction to Foucault's work: lucid, measured, well organised, and covering this complex and in many ways heterogeneous body of work with remarkable thoroughness and ease.' - Professor John Frow, University of MelbourneMichel Foucault is now regarded as one of the most important thinkers of the twentieth century. He is known for his sensibility of critique and his commitment to movements for social change. His analysis of the ways our notions of truth, meaning, knowledge and reason are shaped by historical forces continues to influence thinkers around the...

Bourdieu's work is formidable-the journey is tough. Follow this French foreign legion-take an apple, take a hanky-but take this book.Peter Beilharz , Professor of Sociology , La Trobe UniversityPierre Bourdieu's work on the sociology of culture and language, on practical reason, on education, on citizenship and the cultures of poverty, and on a range of other topics is now coming to be seen as one of the 20th century's most important contributions to our thinking about the world. Understanding Bourdieu is a comprehensive and lucid introduction to his work. Measured and judicious, it's the...

Get good marks for your essays and assignments!Learn to think and write clearly!Find the information you need easily!Do you want to make the most of your time at university? Beginning University shows you how to develop the skills you need in order to succeed at university and later on.Step by step, the authors explain how to think critically, create an argument and present your ideas well both in writing and in oral presentations. They show you how to read effectively and take good notes, and how to plan your work. They also look at how to get the most out of your lectures and tutorials, and...

From the body to the ever-present lens, the world is increasingly preoccupied with the visual. What exactly is the visual' and how can we interpret the multitude of images that bombard us every day? Reading the Visual takes as its starting point a tacit familiarity with the visual, and shows how we see even ordinary objects through the frameworks and filters of culture and personal experience. It explains how to analyse the mechanisms, conventions, contexts and uses of the visual in western cultures to make sense of visual objects of all kinds. Drawing on a range of theorists including John...