Introducing... (book series)


The Introducing... series is a book series of graphic guides covering key thinkers and topics in philosophy, psychology and science, and many others in politics, religion, cultural studies, linguistics and other areas. Books are written by an expert in the field and illustrated, comic-book style, by a leading graphic artist.

History

The Introducing... series, like the For Beginners series, has its origins in two Spanish-language books, Cuba para principiantes and Marx para principiantes by the Mexican political cartoonist and writer Rius, pocket books which put their content over in a humorous comic book way but with a serious underlying purpose. An English-language version of the first book was published in 1970 by Leviathan Press of San Francisco and Pathfinder Press of New York, to no particularly great impact. However, when Richard Appignanesi edited the first English edition of Marx for Beginners for the London-based Writers and Readers Publishing Cooperative, of which he was a co-founding member with Glenn Thompson and others, it was soon clear that the collective had a hit on their hands. With a successful format identified, further "... for Beginners" titles soon began to appear. The line's most enduring titles, all published during this period, were Marx for Beginners, Freud for Beginners, Einstein for Beginners, and Darwin for Beginners. In the early 1980s schism arose over questions of control after some members of the cooperative sold U.S. rights to part of the For Beginners series to Pantheon Books and the Cooperative officially disbanded in 1984.
In 1992, Richard Appignanesi, who had been the first editor in London for the series and had also written several of the titles, co-created the new London-based publisher Icon Books, under whose imprint he republished several of the For Beginner titles and continued to publish and expand a new version of the series. Meanwhile, Glenn Thompson, who, since 1987, had continued the For Beginners through his New York-based Writers and Readers Publishing, Inc., also established the London-based Writers and Readers Limited in 1992, to protect his own continuation of the series. These two publishers continued their series in several cases commissioning new authors to create alternate books to those being published by the other, leading to a number of examples where the two series were publishing two different books under the same title. The situation was eventually resolved in 1999 by the Icon series being rebranded as the Introducing... series, with titles starting with that word instead of ending "For Beginners".
Beginning in 2008, Icon's new titles and reissues played down the "Introducing..." to the level of a series name, and the titles were instead prominently subtitled "A Graphic Guide." In 2011, a second "Introducing..." series was launched with the subtitle "Practical Guides" focusing on topics within business, psychology and counselling.

Reception

Science writer Brian Clegg, author of Introducing Infinity in the series, states that, "It is almost impossible to rate these relentlessly hip books - they are pure marmite," as the series, "puts across the message in a style that owes as much to Terry Gilliam and pop art as it does to popular science."

List of titles

Graphic Guides

The following Graphic Guides titles have been published or republished by Icon Books since 1992.
TitleISBNWriterArtistPagesPublication DateNotes
AestheticsChristopher Kul-WantPiero176
Alain BadiouMichael J. KellyPiero176
American PoliticsPatrick BroganChris Garratt192
AnthropologyMerryl Wyn DaviesPiero176
AristotleRupert WoodfinJudy Groves176Originally published as Arostotle for Beginners
Artificial IntelligenceHenry BrightonHoward Selina176
AstrologyGeoffrey Cornelius, Maggie HydeChris Webster176
BarthesPhilip ThodyPiero176Originally published as Barthes for Beginners
BaudrillardChris HorrocksZoran Jevtic176Originally published as Baudrillard for Beginners
Bertrand RussellDave RobinsonJudy Groves176
BuddhaJane HopeBorin Van Loon176Originally published as Buddha for Beginners
CamusDavid MariowitzAlain Korkos176Originally published as Camus for Beginners, discontinued
CapitalismDan Cryan, Sharron ShatilPiero176
ChaosZiauddin SardarIwona Abrams176Originally published as Chaos for Beginners
ChomskyJohn MaherJudy Groves176Originally published as Chomsky for Beginners
ConsciousnessDavid PapineauHoward Selina176
Continental PhilosophyChristopher Kul-WantPiero176
Critical TheoryStuart SimBorin Van Loon176
Cultural StudiesZiauddin SardarBorin Van Loon176Originally published as Cultural Studies for Beginners
CyberspaceJoanna BuickZoran Jevtic176Originally published as Cyberspace for Beginners, discontinued
DarwinJonathan MillerBorin Van Loon176Previously published as Darwin for Beginners
DerridaJeff CollinsBill Mayblin172Originally published as Derrida for Beginners
DescartesDave RobinsonChris Garratt176Originally published as Descartes for Beginners
Eastern PhilosophyRichard OsborneBorin Van Loon176Originally published as Ancient Eastern Philosophy for Beginners
EconomicsDavid OrrellBorin Van Loon176
EinsteinJoseph SchwartzMichael McGuinness174Previously published as Einstein for Beginners, discontinued
EmpiricismDave RobinsonBill Mayblin176
EnlightenmentLloyd SpencerAndrzej Krauze176Originally published as The Enlightenment for Beginners
Environmental PoliticsStephen CroallWilliam Rankin174Previously published as Ecology for Beginners, discontinued
EpigeneticsCath EnnisOliver Pugh176
EthicsDave RobinsonChris Garratt176Originally published as Ethics for Beginners
EvolutionDylan EvansHoward Selina176
Evolutionary PsychologyDylan EvansOscar Zárate176
ExistentialismRichard AppignanesiOscar Zárate176
FascismStuart HoodLitza Jansz176Originally published as Fascism for Beginners
FeminismCathia JenainatiJudy Groves176
FeminismSusan Alice WatkinsMarisa Rueda, Marta Rodriguez176Originally published as Feminism for Beginners, discontinued
FoucaultChristopher HorrocksZoran Jevtic176Originally published as Foucault for Beginners
FractalsNigel Lesmoir-Gordon, Will RoodRalph Edney176Originally published as Introducing Fractal Geometry
FreudRichard AppignanesiOscar Zárate176Originally published as Freud for Beginners
Freud WarsStephen WilsonOscar Zárate176Discontinued
Game TheoryIvan Pastine, Tuvana PastineTom Humberstone176
GeneticsSteve JonesBorin Van Loon176Originally published as Genetics for Beginners
HegelLloyd SpencerAndrzej Krauze176Originally published as Hegel for Beginners
HeideggerJeff CollinsHoward Selina176Originally published as Heidegger for Beginners
HinduismVinay LalBorin Van Loon176
HolocaustHaim Bresheeth, Stuart HoodLitza Jansz176Originally published as The Holocaust for Beginners
InfinityBrian CleggOliver Pugh176
InternetLaurel BrunnerZoran Jevtic176Originally published as The Internet for Beginners, discontinued
IslamZiauddin SardarZafar Abbas Malik176Originally published asMuhammad for Beginners
JesusAnthony O'HearJudy Groves176Originally published as Jesus for Beginners, A.K.A. Introducing Christianity
JoyceDavid NorrisCarl Flint176Originally published as Joyce for Beginners
JungMaggie HydeMichael McGuinness176Originally published as Jung for Beginners
KafkaDavid Zane MairowitzRobert Crumb176Originally published as Kafka for Beginners, discontinued
KantChristopher Kul-WantAndrzej Klimowski176Originally published as Kant for Beginners
KeynesPeter PughChris Garratt176Originally published as Keynesian Economics for Beginners
KierkegaardDave RobinsonOscar Zarate176
LacanDarian LeaderJudy Groves176
Learning & MemoryZiauddin Sardar, Richard AppignanesiRalph Edney120discontinued
Lévi-StraussBoris WisemanJudy Groves176Originally published as Lévi-Strauss for Beginners
LinguisticsR. L. TraskBill Mayblin176
Literary CriticismOwen HollandPiero176
LogicDan Cryan, Sharron ShatilBill Mayblin176
MachiavelliPatrick CurryOscar Zarate176Originally published as Machiavelli for Beginners
MafiaArnd SchneiderOscar Zarate176
MandelaTony PinchuckRoger Trask176
MarxRiusRius160Translated from Marx para principiantes
MarxismRupert WoodfinOscar Zárate176
MathematicsZiauddin SardarBorin Van Loon176
Media StudiesZiauddin SardarBorin Van Loon176discontinued
Melanie KleinRobert Hinshelwood, Susan RobinsonOscar Zarate176Originally published as Melanie Klein for Beginners
Mind & BrainAngus GellatlyOscar Zárate176Originally published as Mind & Brain for Beginners, discontinued
ModernismChris RodriguesChris Garratt176
NewtonWilliam RankinWilliam Rankin176Originally published as Newton for Beginners
NietzscheLaurence GaneKitty Chan, Piero 176Originally published as Nietzsche for Beginners
Particle PhysicsTom WhyntieOliver Pugh176
PhilosophyDave RobinsonJudy Groves176Originally published as Western Philosophy for Beginners
Philosophy of ScienceZiauddin SardarBorin Van Loon176Originally published as Science Studies for Beginners
PicassoAndrew BrightonAndrzej Klimowski176Originally published as Picasso for Beginners, discontinued
PlatoDave RobinsonJudy Groves176
Political PhilosophyDave RobinsonJudy Groves176
PostfeminismSophia PhocaRebecca Wright176Discontinued
PostmodernismRichard Appignanesi, Chris Garratt, Ziauddin SardarPatrick Curry192Originally published as Postmodernism for Beginners
PsychiatryNigel C. BensonPiero176discontinued
PsychoanalysisIvan WardOscar Zárate176
PsychologyNigel C. BensonNigel C. Benson176Originally published as Psychology for Beginners
PsychotherapyNigel C. BensonBorin Van Loon176
Quantum TheoryJ.P. McEvoyOscar Zárate176Originally published as Quantum Theory for Beginners
RelativityBruce BassettRalph Edney176
RomanticismDuncan HeathJudy Boreham176
RousseauDave RobinsonOscar Zarate176
SartrePhilip ThodyHoward Read176Originally published as Sartre for Beginners
SemioticsPaul CobleyLitza Jansz176Originally published as Semiotics for Beginners
ShakespeareNick GroomPiero176
Slavoj ŽižekChristopher Kul-WantPiero176
SociologyRichard OsborneBorin Van Loon176Originally published as Sociology for Beginners, discontinued
SociologyJohn NaglePiero176Replaces previous edition.
StatisticsEileen MagnelloBorin Van Loon176
Stephen HawkingJ. P. McEvoyOscar Zárate176Originally published as Stephen Hawking for Beginners
ThatcherismPeter PughCarl Flint176Originally published as Thatcher for Beginners
TimeCraig CallenderRalph Edney176
TrotskyTariq AliPhil Evans176Previously published as Trotsky for Beginners, discontinued
UniverseFelix PiraniChristine Roche176Originally published as The Universe for Beginners, discontinued
WagnerMichael WhiteKevin Scott176Originally published as Wagner for Beginners
Walter BenjaminHoward Caygill, Alex Coles,Andrzej Klimowski176Originally published as Walter Benjamin for Beginners
WittgensteinJohn M. HeatonJudy Groves176Originally published as Wittgenstein for Beginners

Practical Guides

The following Practical Guides titles have been published by Icon Books since 2011.
TitleISBNWriterPagesPublication DateNotes
AssertivenessDavid Bonham-Carter224
Body LanguageGlenn Wilson224
Business CreativityRoger Neill224
CBT Elaine Iljon Foreman, Clair Pollard224
CBT for WorkGill Garratt224
Child PsychologyKairen Cullen224
Confident SpeakingAlan Woodhouse224
CounsellingAlistair Ross224
EFT Judy Byrne224
Emotional IntelligenceDavid Walton224
EntrepreneurshipAlison Price, David Price224
Ethics for Everyday LifeDave Robinson224
Family PsychologyJames Powell224
Getting the Job You WantDenise Taylor224
HappinessWill Buckingham224
LeadershipAlison Price, David Price224
ManagementAlison Price, David Price224
MindfulnessTessa Watt224
NLP Neil Shah224
NLP for WorkDianne Lowther224
Overcoming PhobiasPatricia Furness-Smith224
Overcoming Problem EatingPatricia Furness-Smith224
Personal FinanceMichael Taillard224
PersuasionAnthony McLean224
Philosophy for Everyday LifeTrevor Curnow224
Positive PsychologyBridget Grenville-Cleave224
ProductivityGraham Allcott224
Psychology of RelationshipsJohn Karter224
Psychology of SuccessAlison Price, David Price224
ResilienceGladeana McMahon224
Self-EsteemDavid Bonham-Carter224
Sport PsychologyArnold LeUnes224
Stress ManagementGraham Price224Publication cancelled.
Well-BeingPatricia Furness-Smith224