Oxford University Press are set to release the 300th Very Short Introduction title in January 2012.
The series, which first began publishing in 1995, is described by OUP as making “challenging topics highly readable” and covers a vast range of subjects in all areas. One of the main features of the series is the fact that the books are written by authors at the top of their field, who condense their knowledge into a small and easily digestible volume.
The series’ website encourages readers to ascertain the “gaps in your knowledge” in order to identify those titles you should consider.
Unsurprisingly, the VSI series has proved popular with students, offering an easy in to an unfamiliar subject. Third year historian Emily Gill described the books as “great” and said she found them a “really useful” source for approaching a new module.
Also set for release in 2012 is the Very Short Introduction app. The app will be free and it is hoped will introduce the series to new readers. Its content will include summaries of all titles along with a sample chapter of each, as well as questions written by the authors to encourage and direct readers’ thoughts on the topics covered by the series, and “Meet the Author” videos.
The 300th title will be “Film”. To date, the most popular titles are those on Buddhism, Globalization, and Literary Theory.
