Short Studies

Short Studies in Ethics by Rev. J. O. Miller is a thoughtful guide to understanding and applying moral principles in everyday life. Miller presents concise and insightful reflections on character, integrity, and ethical decision-making, emphasizing the importance of living with honesty, responsibility, and compassion. Each study explores practical dilemmas and moral lessons, helping readers cultivate wisdom and sound judgment in personal and professional situations. This simplified and illustrated edition makes Miller’s timeless teachings accessible to modern readers, offering guidance ...

Encompassing the 35 year span between the initial development of film technology in the mid-1890s and the adoption of synchronized sound in the late 1920s, the cinema's silent era is both one of the most important epochs of film history and one of the most misunderstood within the popular imagination. In this brief, engaging account, these formative decades come vividly to life.

Hinduism is practiced by nearly 80 percent of India's population, and by some 70 million people outside India. In this Very Short Introduction, Kim Knott offers a succinct and authoritative overview of this major religion, and analyzes the challenges facing it in the 21st century. She discusses key preoccupations of Hinduism such as the centrality of the Veda as religious texts, the role of Brahmins, gurus, and storytellers in the transmission of divine truths, and the cultural and moral importance of epics such as the Ramayana.

What comes to mind when you think of the word church? In this volume, Gregg R. Allison helps define the church and its mission by presenting an overview of the specific doctrines and practices of different churches and denominations. He lays a basic foundation for better understanding the common practices among local church communities (“mere ecclesiology”) and the ways that they diverge from one another (“more ecclesiology”).

God’s people, once resting in his divine presence, now toil in exile. The theme of humanity’s expulsion and wandering begins with Adam and Eve, but echoes in events throughout the Bible. Emphasizing the pain of separation from God, exile stories also highlight the hope of resurrection and creation’s imminent restoration back to the Edenic state.

Read the story that inspired the 2026 film starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi — the complete tale, retold for modern readers "Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same." You know the story. Or you think you do. On the wild Yorkshire moors, a foundling named Heathcliff and a girl named Catherine form a bond so fierce it will destroy everyone it touches — and outlast death itself. But you've never read it like this. Wuthering Heights in One Hour is a complete literary adaptation of Emily Brontë's masterpiece — not a summary, not a study guide, but the full story ...

Loss. Heartache. Brokenness. When will this finally happen for me? Will I ever get this back? Will I ever be happy again? She was an ordinary woman who lived thousands of years ago, yet her biblical story of extraordinary faith has changed countless lives for many generations. She had a dream she thought would never materialize, but then it finally happened...because God knew her dream and never forgot it. She lost something most precious to her. But instead of accepting loss, she believed the impossible...and God restored her. The Shunammite woman’s story reassures you that you’re ...

A Short History of Ethics is a significant contribution written by one of the most important living philosophers. It remains an important work, ideal for all students interested in ethics and morality.

The phrase "the meaning of life" for many seems a quaint notion fit for satirical mauling by Monty Python or Douglas Adams. But in this spirited Very Short Introduction, famed critic Terry Eagleton takes a serious if often amusing look at the question and offers his own surprising answer.

In 1999, Texas passed a landmark clean energy law, beginning a groundswell of new policies that promised to make the US a world leader in renewable energy. As Leah Stokes shows in Short Circuiting Policy, however, that policy did not lead to momentum in Texas, which failed to implement its solar laws or clean up its electricity system. Examining clean energy laws in Texas, Kansas, Arizona, and Ohio over 30 years Stokes argues that organized combat between advocate and opponent interest groups is central to explaining why states are not on track to address the climate crisis.

Waiting often feels like interruption, yet Scripture presents patience as a discipline that completes inner formation during delay. Daily Study #32: Practicing Patience During Delay continues the Daily Studies focus on inner formation by examining how patience sustains faithfulness when progress is slow or unseen. Drawing from James 1:4, this short daily reflection invites readers to remain steady, allowing patience to refine intention and preserve alignment. Written for thoughtful readers seeking steady formation rather than immediate results, this study emphasizes that patience is not ...

Learn English the smart way—one small step a day. If big, heavy grammar books have slowed you down, this 30-day English grammar & vocabulary program gives you a simple, repeatable system: short lessons, a quick story you can read & listen to, and focused practice that fits in 30 minutes a day. Built on an Atomic Learning approach—consistent small actions that compound—this book helps adult learners, high school & college students, and busy professionals build real fluency without burnout. Inspired by the habit science popularized in modern learning research, you’ll progress with ...

More than any writer before or since, Louis L'Amour brought the American West to life. His action-packed stories deal with eternal themes: honor, deceit, passion, betrayal, loyalty, courage, love. His settings are historically accurate, his prose riveting, and his characters colorful: good guys, bad guys, toughs, roughs, sidekicks, and saints.

The eternal God existing as three distinct persons - Father, Son, and Spirit - can be difficult to comprehend. While Christians often struggle to find the right words to describe this union, the Bible gives clarity concerning the triune God’s being and activity in nature (creation), grace (redemption), and glory (reward). In this concise volume, theologian Scott Swain examines the doctrine of the Trinity, presenting its biblical foundations, systematic-theological structure, and practical relevance for the church today.

This Very Short Introduction audiobook looks at the phenomenon of international human migration - both legal and illegal - and offers an objective stance on the topic, and its benefits and challenges. Khalid Koser reveals the opportunities migration presents that must be taken advantage of in the current economic climate, and debunks common myths to demonstrate that society, as we now know it, cannot function without migrants.

Is religion a force for war, or a force for peace? Some of the most terrible wars in history have been caused and motivated by religion. Much of the violence that fills our screens today springs from the same source. Yet some of the bravest pacifists have also been deeply religious people, and many of the laws and institutions that work to soften or prevent war have deep religious roots. This Very Short Introduction provides an overview of the history of religion and war, and a framework for analyzing it.

Much of faithful living occurs without visibility or affirmation. When endurance depends on recognition, perseverance weakens. When endurance is rooted in conviction, it remains steady. Daily Study #33: Enduring Quietly Without Recognition continues the Daily Studies focus on inner formation by examining how quiet faithfulness strengthens discipline. Drawing from Hebrews 6:10, this short daily reflection invites readers to release the need for acknowledgment and to remain faithful in unseen effort. Written for thoughtful readers seeking steady formation rather than external validation, this...

In this short introduction to the life and works of MacDonald written exclusively for Hovel Audio, renowned scholar Rolland Hein is your guide through MacDonald's Fairyland.

The Bible is a big book and reading it can seem a bit daunting, especially if you’re not sure where to start. It’s also a very important book. Is has had a huge impact on the world - socially, morally, politically - and even on the language we use. This book is structured around 12 phrases that come from the Bible and uses them to explain the whole story - from the first book (Genesis) to the last book (Revelation). If you want to find out what the Bible is all about, and why it has changed the world, this book is for you.

The Bible is widely considered to be the most profound collection of books in all of history, and it includes messages and stories that are still referenced today in the secular world. But it’s long, complicated, hard to read, and not organized in chronological order. In The Short Bible, author Dr. Peter Bylsma offers basic facts about the Bible, discusses the development of the modern Bible, and reviews its themes. He summarizes all the books of the Old and New Testaments in 25 short, easy-to-understand chapters, capturing the epic stories, characters, and main ideas.