Reaching a milestone with the 750th Very Short Introduction

Our Very Short Introductions (VSI) series is now made up of a landmark 750 books from a wide range of topics.

The series was launched in 1995 with Mary Beard and John Henderson’s Classics: A Very Short Introduction. Since then, we have published introductions to topics from across arts and humanities, social sciences, and science. From French Cinema to Federalism, Enzymes to Artificial Intelligence, and Oceans to Banking, each book is written by experts but intended for a general audience.

The 750th title is The Self by Marya Schechtman, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Illinois. Using insights from philosophy, psychology, psychiatry, and popular thought, Professor Schechtman considers some of the most compelling and puzzling questions about the self.

Very Short Introductions are designed to be used by students and general readers, and are mainly commissioned based on the ubiquity of a topic on undergraduate courses around the world. Over 10 million Very Short Introductions have been sold worldwide, and the series has been translated into over 45 languages.

April Peake, Acquisition Editor, Philosophy & VSI, tells us:

“Our Very Short Introductions cover a vast inventory of knowledge, and it is exciting to have reached this milestone of 750 titles. The series is distinctive in the way that it broadens horizons and improves understanding by offering sophisticated yet engaging takes on a range of important topics.

“Very Short Introductions are a brilliant example of how we can pay tribute to our publishing heritage—by making knowledge accessible to as wide an audience as possible—while also bringing in contemporary perspectives on new topics. The series will continue to drive debates for years to come as we expand it further and give diverse voices a powerful platform to change the discussion across many subjects.”

Explore our full catalogue of Very Short Introductions here.