Books in Beginner's Guides series

A deeply divisive figure, Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) remains an enigma to this day. Infamous for his startling assertion that ‘God is dead’, he is often misrepresented and many have sought to discredit his work. In this illuminating account of Nietzsche's life and work, Robert Wicks skilfully navigates the controversy that continues to surround one of today’s most famous but least understood thinkers. Exploring the impact of Nietzsche's Christian upbringing and his eventful childhood on his beliefs, Wicks demonstrates that, far from being a nihilist, Nietzsche offers a positive and life-affirming understanding of human nature.

Against an uneasy political backdrop of failed agreements and legal loopholes, along with the worrying growth of biological and chemical agents around the world, biological warfare has become a real concern for anyone worried about a future of war and terrorism.Exploring the entire spectrum of chemical and biological threats, Malcolm Dando explains the effectiveness of different agents, and describes the potential attack scenarios. Covering the history of biowarfare development programmes around the world, he also discusses what we know of current programmes, in places such as Iraq, the US and South Africa.

What drives someone to become a suicide bomber? Who are al-Qaeda and what do they want? What happens when the media becomes part of the story?Author and UN Security advisor Leonard Weinberg answers these and other questions in an exploration that ranges from the French Revolution to the death squads of Colombia, and reveals how terrorism has affected government policy, military actions, and holiday destinations. This audiobook is essential for anyone worried about public security or seeking to gain a deeper understanding of where terrorism comes from, how it works, and where it ends.

Biologist John Spicer shows how closely our future is linked with that of biodiversity while navigating listeners through some key problems facing our planet, including mass extinctions, population explosions, habitat destruction, and pollution.Along the way, he provides valuable insight into the impact humans have had upon the earth and its inhabitants, whether efforts such as ecotourism really help, and how scientists and economists calculate the "value" of biodiversity. Passionately argued, this audiobook is a must for anyone who has an appreciation for nature and wants to understand the real issues at stake in preserving it.