The Blues A Very Short Introduction

The Blues A Very Short Introduction Book in PDF, ePub and Kindle version is available to download in english. Read online anytime anywhere directly from your device. Click on the download button below to get a free pdf file of The Blues A Very Short Introduction book. This book definitely worth reading, it is an incredibly well-written.

The Blues: A Very Short Introduction

Elijah Wald
The Blues A Very Short Introduction Book PDF

Author : Elijah Wald
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 152 pages
File Size : 52,7 Mb
Release : 2010-08-03
Category : Music
ISBN : 0199752877

Get Book

The Blues: A Very Short Introduction by Elijah Wald Pdf

Praised as "suave, soulful, ebullient" (Tom Waits) and "a meticulous researcher, a graceful writer, and a committed contrarian" (New York Times Book Review), Elijah Wald is one of the leading popular music critics of his generation. In The Blues, Wald surveys a genre at the heart of American culture. It is not an easy thing to pin down. As Howlin' Wolf once described it, "When you ain't got no money and can't pay your house rent and can't buy you no food, you've damn sure got the blues." It has been defined by lyrical structure, or as a progression of chords, or as a set of practices reflecting West African "tonal and rhythmic approaches," using a five-note "blues scale." Wald sees blues less as a style than as a broad musical tradition within a constantly evolving pop culture. He traces its roots in work and praise songs, and shows how it was transformed by such professional performers as W. C. Handy, who first popularized the blues a century ago. He follows its evolution from Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith through Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix; identifies the impact of rural field recordings of Blind Lemon Jefferson, Charley Patton and others; explores the role of blues in the development of both country music and jazz; and looks at the popular rhythm and blues trends of the 1940s and 1950s, from the uptown West Coast style of T-Bone Walker to the "down home" Chicago sound of Muddy Waters. Wald brings the story up to the present, touching on the effects of blues on American poetry, and its connection to modern styles such as rap. As with all of Oxford's Very Short Introductions, The Blues tells you--with insight, clarity, and wit--everything you need to know to understand this quintessentially American musical genre.

Stars: A Very Short Introduction

Andrew King
Stars A Very Short Introduction Book PDF

Author : Andrew King
Publisher : OUP Oxford
Page : 137 pages
File Size : 48,8 Mb
Release : 2012-07-26
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780191633843

Get Book

Stars: A Very Short Introduction by Andrew King Pdf

Every atom of our bodies has been part of a star. Our very own star, the Sun, is crucial to the development and sustainability of life on Earth. This Very Short Introduction presents a modern, authoritative examination of how stars live, producing all the chemical elements beyond helium, and how they die, sometimes spectacularly, to end as remnants such as black holes. Andrew King shows how understanding the stars is key to understanding the galaxies they inhabit, and thus the history of our entire Universe, as well as the existence of planets like our own. King presents a fascinating exploration of the science of stars, from the mechanisms that allow stars to form and the processes that allow them to shine, as well as the results of their inevitable death. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

World Music: A Very Short Introduction

Philip V. Bohlman
World Music A Very Short Introduction Book PDF

Author : Philip V. Bohlman
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 144 pages
File Size : 46,9 Mb
Release : 2020-07-23
Category : Music
ISBN : 9780192564443

Get Book

World Music: A Very Short Introduction by Philip V. Bohlman Pdf

The term 'world music' encompasses both folk and popular music across the globe, as well as the sounds of cultural encounter and diversity, sacred voices raised in worship, local sounds, and universal values. It emerged as an invention of the West from encounters with other cultures, and holds the power to evoke the exotic and give voice to the voiceless. Today, in both sound and material it has a greater presence in human societies than ever before. The politics of which world music are a part - globalization, cosmopolitanism, and nationalism - play an increasingly direct role in societies throughout the world, but are at the same time also becoming increasingly controversial. In this new edition of his Very Short Introduction, Philip Bohlman considers questions of meaning and technology in world music, and responds to the dramatically changing political world in which people produce and listen to world music. He also addresses the different ways in which world music is created, disseminated, and consumed, as the full reach of the internet and technologies that store and spread music through the exchange of data files spark a revolution in the production and availability of world music. Finally, Bohlman revises the way we think of the musician, as an increasingly mobile individual, sometimes because physical borders have fallen away, at other times because they are closing. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Music: A Very Short Introduction

Nicholas Cook
Music A Very Short Introduction Book PDF

Author : Nicholas Cook
Publisher : OUP Oxford
Page : 203 pages
File Size : 47,7 Mb
Release : 2000-02-24
Category : Music
ISBN : 9780191606410

Get Book

Music: A Very Short Introduction by Nicholas Cook Pdf

This stimulating Very Short Introduction to music invites us to really think about music and the values and qualities we ascribe to it. The world teems with different kinds of music-traditional, folk, classical, jazz, rock, pop-and each type of music tends to come with its own way of thinking. Drawing on a wealth of accessible examples ranging from Beethoven to Chinese zither music, Nicholas Cook attempts to provide a framework for thinking about all music. By examining the personal, social, and cultural values that music embodies, the book reveals the shortcomings of traditional conceptions of music, and sketches a more inclusive approach emphasizing the role of performers and listeners. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Henry James

Susan L. Mizruchi
Henry James Book PDF

Author : Susan L. Mizruchi
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 153 pages
File Size : 46,9 Mb
Release : 2021
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 9780190944384

Get Book

Henry James by Susan L. Mizruchi Pdf

Prologue -- Becoming Henry James -- Global apprenticeship -- The James brand -- Professional author -- Masterpieces -- Epilogue.

The Beats: A Very Short Introduction

David Sterritt
The Beats A Very Short Introduction Book PDF

Author : David Sterritt
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 145 pages
File Size : 49,8 Mb
Release : 2013-07-25
Category : History
ISBN : 9780199796779

Get Book

The Beats: A Very Short Introduction by David Sterritt Pdf

This book offers a concise overview of the social, cultural, and aesthetic sensibilities of the Beat Generation, explaining how their drastic visions and radical styles challenged postwar America's dominant values in ways that can still be felt in literature, cinema, music, theatre, and the visual arts.

The Future: A Very Short Introduction

Jennifer M. Gidley
The Future A Very Short Introduction Book PDF

Author : Jennifer M. Gidley
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 144 pages
File Size : 55,9 Mb
Release : 2017-03-16
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9780191054242

Get Book

The Future: A Very Short Introduction by Jennifer M. Gidley Pdf

From the beginning of time, humans have been driven by both a fear of the unknown and a curiosity to know. We have always yearned to know what lies ahead, whether threat or safety, scarcity or abundance. Throughout human history, our forebears tried to create certainty in the unknown, by seeking to influence outcomes with sacrifices to gods, preparing for the unexpected with advice from oracles, and by reading the stars through astrology. As scientific methods improve and computer technology develops we become ever more confident of our capacity to predict and quantify the future by accumulating and interpreting patterns form the past, yet the truth is there is still no certainty to be had. In this Very Short Introduction Jennifer Gidley considers some of our most burning questions: What is "the future "?; Is the future a time yet to come?; Or is it a utopian place?; Does the future have a history?; Is there only one future or are there many possible futures? She asks if the future can ever be truly predicted or if we create our own futures - both hoped for and feared - by our thoughts, feelings, and actions, and concludes by analysing how we can learn to study the future. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Film: A Very Short Introduction

Michael Wood
Film A Very Short Introduction Book PDF

Author : Michael Wood
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 153 pages
File Size : 52,9 Mb
Release : 2012-01-26
Category : Art
ISBN : 9780192803535

Get Book

Film: A Very Short Introduction by Michael Wood Pdf

Offers a wealth of insight into the paradoxical nature of film, considering its role and impact on society in the 20th century as well as its future in the digital age. Original.

Ludwig Van Beethoven: a Very Short Introduction

Mark Evan Bonds
Ludwig Van Beethoven a Very Short Introduction Book PDF

Author : Mark Evan Bonds
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 169 pages
File Size : 54,9 Mb
Release : 2022
Category : MUSIC
ISBN : 9780190051730

Get Book

Ludwig Van Beethoven: a Very Short Introduction by Mark Evan Bonds Pdf

"Despite the ups and downs of his personal life and professional career - even in the face of deafness - Beethoven remained remarkably consistent in his most basic convictions about his art. This inner consistency provides the key to understanding the composer's life and works more than 250 years after his birth in 1770. Beethoven approached music as he approached life, weighing from a variety of perspectives whatever occupied him: a melodic idea, a musical genre, a word or phrase, a friend, a lover, a patron, money, politics, religion. His ability to recognize and unlock so many possibilities from each helps explain the emotional breadth and richness of his output as a whole, from the heaven-storming Ninth Symphony to the eccentric Eighth, and from the arcane Great Fugue to the crowd-pleasing Wellington's Victory. Beethoven's works are a series of variations on his life. The iconic scowl so familiar from later images of the composer is but one of many attitudes he could assume and project through his music. The supposedly characteristic frown and furrowed brow, moreover, came only after his time. Discarding tired myths about the composer, this study proposes a new way of listening to Beethoven by hearing his music as an expression of his entire self, not just his scowling self"--

American Poetry

David Caplan
American Poetry Book PDF

Author : David Caplan
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 161 pages
File Size : 50,5 Mb
Release : 2021-11-11
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9780190640194

Get Book

American Poetry by David Caplan Pdf

American poetry's two characteristics -- American English as a poetic resource -- Convention and idiosyncrasy -- Auden and Eliot : two complicating examples -- On the present and future of American poetry.

Marine Biology: a Very Short Introduction

Philip Mladenov
Marine Biology a Very Short Introduction Book PDF

Author : Philip Mladenov
Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
Page : 225 pages
File Size : 55,5 Mb
Release : 2020-02-27
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780198841715

Get Book

Marine Biology: a Very Short Introduction by Philip Mladenov Pdf

The oceans are our planet's most distinctive and imposing natural habitat. They cover 71 percent of its surface; support a remarkably diverse and exquisitely adapted array of life forms, from microscopic viruses, bacteria, and plankton to the largest existing animals; and possess many of Earth's most significant, intriguing, and inaccessible ecosystems. In an era in which humans are significantly altering the global environment, the oceans are undergoing rapid and profound changes. The study of marine biology is thus taking on added importance and urgency as people struggle to understand and manage these changes to protect our marine ecosystems. Healthy oceans produce half of the oxygen we breathe; stabilize our climate; create ecosystems that protect our coasts from storms; provide us with abundant food; and host diverse organisms that provide us with natural products for medicine and biotechnology. In this Very Short Introduction, marine biologist Philip Mladenov provides an accessible and up-to-date overview of marine biology, offering a tour of marine life and marine processes that ranges from the unimaginably abundant microscopic organisms that drive the oceans' food web to the apex predators that we exploit for food; from polar ocean ecosystems to tropical coral reefs; and from the luxurious kelp beds of the coastal ocean to deep-ocean hydrothermal vents where life exists without the energy of the sun. Throughout the book he considers the human impacts on marine life including overfishing, plastic and nutrient pollution, the spread of exotic species, and ocean warming and acidification. He discusses the threats these pose to our welfare, and the actions required to put us on a path to a more sustainable relationship with our oceans so that they can be restored and protected for future generations. Mladenov concludes with a new chapter offering an inspiring vision for the future of our oceans in 2050 that can be realised if we are wise enough to accelerate actions already underway and be bold with implementing new approaches. The next decade will decide the state of the oceans that we leave behind for future generations. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Hinduism

Kim Knott
Hinduism Book PDF

Author : Kim Knott
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 169 pages
File Size : 42,6 Mb
Release : 2016
Category : Electronic books
ISBN : 9780198745549

Get Book

Hinduism by Kim Knott Pdf

Hinduism is practised by about 80% of India's population, and by about 30,000,000 people outside India. But how is Hinduism defined, and what basis does the religion have? This work gives concise insights into the central preoccupations of Hinduism.

The Harlem Renaissance

Cheryl A. Wall
The Harlem Renaissance Book PDF

Author : Cheryl A. Wall
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 150 pages
File Size : 52,6 Mb
Release : 2016
Category : LITERARY COLLECTIONS
ISBN : 9780199335558

Get Book

The Harlem Renaissance by Cheryl A. Wall Pdf

This Very Short Introduction offers an overview of the Harlem Renaissance, a cultural awakening among African Americans between the two world wars. Cheryl A. Wall brings readers to the Harlem of 1920s to identify the cultural themes and issues that engaged writers, musicians, and visual artists alike

Escaping the Delta

Elijah Wald
Escaping the Delta Book PDF

Author : Elijah Wald
Publisher : Harper Collins
Page : 510 pages
File Size : 40,6 Mb
Release : 2012-04-24
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 9780062018441

Get Book

Escaping the Delta by Elijah Wald Pdf

The life of blues legend Robert Johnson becomes the centerpiece for this innovative look at what many consider to be America's deepest and most influential music genre. Pivotal are the questions surrounding why Johnson was ignored by the core black audience of his time yet now celebrated as the greatest figure in blues history. Trying to separate myth from reality, biographer Elijah Wald studies the blues from the inside -- not only examining recordings but also the recollections of the musicians themselves, the African-American press, as well as examining original research. What emerges is a new appreciation for the blues and the movement of its artists from the shadows of the 1930s Mississippi Delta to the mainstream venues frequented by today's loyal blues fans.

Adam Smith

Christopher J. Berry
Adam Smith Book PDF

Author : Christopher J. Berry
Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
Page : 153 pages
File Size : 45,8 Mb
Release : 2018
Category : Economics
ISBN : 9780198784456

Get Book

Adam Smith by Christopher J. Berry Pdf

In 1776 Adam Smith (1723-90) wrote The Wealth of Nations, a book so foundational that it has led to him being called the father of economics. Today he is associated with the promotion of self-interest, a defense of greed and a criticism of any governmental 'interference' in market transactions which, if left to the 'invisible hand', will produce prosperity and liberty. Yet if Smith is actually read these associations are more a caricature than a faithful portrait. In this Very Short Introduction, Christopher Berry offers a balanced and nuanced view of this seminal thinker, embedding his fierce defense of free trade, competition, and assault on special interests in contemporary European history, politics, and philosophy. As Berry explores, Smith was more than an economist. His book The Theory of Moral Sentiment, offered a complex account of ethics in the context of human social behavior. His scope as a professor at the University of Glasgow, a major center of the Scottish Enlightenment, was extensive. Beyond courses in philosophy and jurisprudence he also gave classes covering history, literature, and language. In addition to his two major works he also wrote a pioneering study of the history of astronomy as an illustration of the motivations that drive humans to seek answers to questions. He produced, again derived from his Glasgow classroom, an analysis of the development of grammar and language. As Christopher Berry shows, Adam Smith was no narrow thinker, but rather one who produced not only one of the greatest books in the history of social science, but also a wide-ranging body of work that remains significant today. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.