Sport

Sport
Author: Mike Cronin
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Total Pages: 153
Release: 2014
Genre: History
ISBN: 0199688346

Sport is big business; international in nature and the focus of much media and cultural attention. In thisVery Short Introduction, Mike Cronin charts the history of sport, from its traditional origins in folk football and cock fighting to its position as a global phenomenon today. Looking at a variety of sports from team games such as rugby, cricket, and football to games for individuals such as golf, tennis, and skiing, he considers how these first emerged and captivated the interest of ordinary people, and how sport has been transformed within our daily lives. Exploring the relationship between sport and class, gender, commerce, identity, and ethics, Cronin considers some of the central issues in sport today, including the high pay of professional footballers and the glamour of women in sports, as well as fair play standards. Charting sport through the ages and around the world, this is a short guide to the history, development, and place of sport in contemporary global society. 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.

Sport: A Very Short Introduction

Sport: A Very Short Introduction
Author: Mike Cronin
Publisher: OUP Oxford
Total Pages: 153
Release: 2014-11-27
Genre: History
ISBN: 0191512737

Sport is big business; international in nature and the focus of much media and cultural attention. In this Very Short Introduction, Mike Cronin charts the history of sport, from its traditional origins in folk football and cock fighting to its position as a global phenomenon today. Looking at a variety of sports from team games such as rugby, cricket, and football to games for individuals such as golf, tennis, and skiing, he considers how these first emerged and captivated the interest of ordinary people, and how sport has been transformed within our daily lives. Exploring the relationship between sport and class, gender, commerce, identity, and ethics, Cronin considers some of the central issues in sport today, including the high pay of professional footballers and the glamour of sports women, as well as fair play standards. Charting sport through the ages and around the world, this is a short guide to the history, development, and place of sport in contemporary global society. 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.

The Body: A Very Short Introduction

The Body: A Very Short Introduction
Author: Chris Shilling
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 154
Release: 2016-01-28
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0191059498

The human body is thought of conventionally as a biological entity, with its longevity, morbidity, size and even appearance determined by genetic factors immune to the influence of society or culture. Since the mid-1980s, however, there has been a rising awareness of how our bodies, and our perception of them, are influenced by the social, cultural and material contexts in which humans live. Drawing on studies of sex and gender, education, governance, the economy, and religion, Chris Shilling demonstrates how our physical being allows us to affect the material and virtual world around us, yet also enables governments to shape and direct our thoughts and actions. Revealing how social relationships, cultural images, and technological and medical advances shape our perceptions and awareness, he exposes the limitations of traditional Western traditions of thought that elevate the mind over the body as that which defines us as human. Dealing with issues ranging from cosmetic and transplant surgery, the performance of gendered identities, the commodification of bodies and body parts, and the violent consequences of competing conceptions of the body as sacred, Shilling provides a compelling account of why body matters present contemporary societies with a series of urgent and inescapable challenges. 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.

The Ethics of Sport

The Ethics of Sport
Author: Robert L. Simon
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 265
Release: 2016
Genre: Law
ISBN: 0190270195

The moral significance of sport -- Winning, cheating, and the ethics of competition -- Health, safety, and violence in competitive sport -- Enhancement, technology, and fairness in competitive sport -- Competitive sport: education or mis-education? -- Sports, equity, and society -- Concluding comment: the two sides of the force or are sports so great after all?

Projects

Projects
Author: Andrew Davies
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 177
Release: 2017
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0198727666

A project is a temporary coalition of people and resources brought together to achieve a one-off objective. Andrew Davies explains how and why the project approach is central to success in creating products and services, constructing major infrastructure, launching entrepreneurial ventures, implementing strategies, even landing a man on the moon.

Rastafari: A Very Short Introduction

Rastafari: A Very Short Introduction
Author: Ennis Barrington Edmonds
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 161
Release: 2012-12-20
Genre: History
ISBN: 0199584524

Rastafari has grown into an international socio-religious movement, with adherents of Rastafari found in most of the major population centres and outposts of the world. This Very Short Introduction provides a brief account of this widespread but often poorly understood movement, looking at its history, central principles, and practices.

Metaphysics: A Very Short Introduction

Metaphysics: A Very Short Introduction
Author: Stephen Mumford
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 129
Release: 2012-08-30
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 0199657122

An introduction to metaphysics offers questions and answers covering such issues as properties, changes, time, personal identity, nothingness, and consciousness.

Design: A Very Short Introduction

Design: A Very Short Introduction
Author: John Heskett
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Total Pages: 169
Release: 2005
Genre: Art
ISBN: 0192854461

This book will transform the way you think about design by showing how integral it is to our daily lives, from the spoon we use to eat our breakfast cereal to the medical equipment used to save lives. John Heskett goes beyond style and taste to look at how different cultures and individuals personalise objects.

Contemporary Art: A Very Short Introduction

Contemporary Art: A Very Short Introduction
Author: Julian Stallabrass
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Total Pages: 169
Release: 2006-03-23
Genre: Art
ISBN: 0192806467

"Bloodied toy soldiers, gilded shopping carts, and Lego concentration camps. Contemporary art is supposed to be a realm of freedom where artists shock, break taboos, and switch between confronting viewers with works of great profundity and jaw-dropping triviality. But away from shock tactics in the gallery, there are many unanswered questions. What is contemporary about contemporary art? What effect do politics and big business have on art? And who really runs the art world?" "Previously published as Art Incorporated, this controversial and witty Very Short Introduction is an exploration of the global art scene that will change the way you see contemporary art."--BOOK JACKET.

Work: A Very Short Introduction

Work: A Very Short Introduction
Author: Stephen Fineman
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 161
Release: 2012-11-29
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0199699364

This book examines the social and cultural factors that affect work, the ethical consequences of some types of work, and the relationship between work and the broader issues of globalization, feminism, and technology.