Be bluff and ready! (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Be bluff and ready!

8:39am Friday 10th October 2008 in News By David Barnett

We’ve all been there… there’s a lull in the conversation at the pub and you’re thinking of something to say, but can’t come up with anything better than: “Did you see Bradford City at the weekend?”. Then someone launches into an authoritative rant about a topic about which you know nothing.

Well, despair no more. Icon Books has just released a very handsome set of handbooks which they call the Introducing series.

With topics ranging from Logic to Post-Modernism, Philosophy to Quantum Theory, half an hour flicking through these little beauties could arm you with the necessary weapons to dominate those pub conversations.

Icon says: “Whether you are a university student with exams to pass or just want to explore some big ideas, introduce yourself to Introducing.

“The Introducing series is a truly unique combination of words and illustrations which explains some of the most challenging ideas humankind has ever produced.”

The Introducing books are very easy on the eye, and include comic-style panels to explain the basics, the big ideas compressed into bite-sized chunks, and “at a glance” sections. They’re also small and compact, and will fit into your jacket pocket for a quick look when you nip to the loo.

So, without further ado, we give you a quick masterclass in being a pub expert with the Introducing series.

The Introducing books are published by Icon and priced at £6.99.

The subject: Philosophy In a nutshell: Philosophy attempts to answer the big questions, such as, what is the nature of reality? Are we free to choose who we are and what we do? What is truth? Do computers think? What should I drink if Timothy Taylor’s Landlord is off? Er, not that last one.

Namedropper: Plato, an ancient Greek who wrote The Republic, a blueprint for a perfect society; Freidrich Nietzsche, who posited the idea of the Superman and whose ideas were hijacked by Hitler; Albert Camus, an Algerian existentialist who also played in goal for his country.

Do say: “As Keirkegaard said, existence means you have the freedom to choose who you are, and this means living a life of commitment.”

Don’t say: “I’m pink, therefore I’m Spam.”

The subject: Quantum Theory In a nutshell: Trashes the fundamental assumptions of conventional physics by studying the world on a sub-atomic level to determine the function of everything from DNA to computer chips.

Namedropper: Niels Bohr, the “grandfather of quantum physics” who was born in Denmark and studied in Manchester. Erwin Schrodinger, who gave us the idea of a cat locked in a box that was simultaneously alive and dead until someone opened the box to find out.

Do say: “Was Einstein right when he said that God does not play dice with the universe?”

Don’t say: “Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle means that I cannot guarantee that I will get my round in.”

The subject: Post-Modernism In a nutshell: Good question. It’s been used to describe umpteen things, not all of them accurately. If modernism is now, then post-modernism is better than now. Only really for self-assured clever clogs.

Namedropper: Marcel Duchamp, who proved that any ready-made object could be displayed as art if dissociated from its context. Such as a urinal. Pop art guru Andy Warhol. See his soup tins and paintings of Marilyn Monroe in funny colours.

Do say: “Rather than being stranded outside meaning, women are the very space and possibility of representation and meaning.” Though Julia Kristeva probably didn’t intend it as a chat-up line.

Don’t say: “Dada wouldn’t buy me a Bauhaus.”

The subject: Ethics In a nutshell: The discussion about what’s “good” or “bad” and whether we have a moral obligation to act in any particular way.

Namedropper: Aristotle, who said: “Ask questions about accepted moral opinions and never stop doing so.” Jeremy Bentham, born in 1748, could read Latin and Greek when he was five.

Do say: “Perhaps Karl Marx was right when he said that only after a revolution, when everyone is free of illusions about an objective morality, will it be possible to create a society which is free and just.”

Don’t say: “Ethics? Ith it near Thuthex?”

The subject: Chaos In a nutshell: Chaos Theory suggests that everything is connected in some way, and that apparently random acts and incidents might have bigger consequences, as illustrated by the famous example of a butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil causing a tornado in Texas.

Namedropper: Edward Lorenz, who posited the “butterfly effect” theory. James Gleick, author of the best-selling book Chaos.

Do say: “Always remember you’re unique… just like everybody else.”

Don’t say: “Look, I’m sorry I stood on that butterfly, but it’s hardly a disaster, is it?”

The subject: Logic In a nutshell: A cross-over of science and philosophy which informs pretty much everything about our daily lives.

Namedropper: Alan Turing, who cracked the Nazi Enigma code and was the father of the modern computer age. Ludwig Wittgenstein, the philosophical genius. Bertrand Russell, writer and peace campaigner.

Do say: “The next sentence is false. The last sentence is true.”

Don’t say: “Logic is little tweeting bird chirping in meadow. Logic is a wreath of pretty flowers that smell bad.” (Mr Spock in the Star Trek episode I, Mudd).