Oxford Dictionary

This revised edition provides a survey of current biochemistry and molecular biology in the form of a dictionary. It contains short but informative entries arranged under more than 17,000 headwords. It is intended as a handy reference of first resource for those seeking information outside their immediate knowledge area or for those who need to refresh their memory of fundamental knowledge. This revised edition has been fully up-dated in order to include the new information that has been discovered since the original edition was published in 1997.

Allusions form a colourful extension to the English Language. They provide us with a literary shorthand for describing people, places, and events, and are drawn from a variety of sources. From classical mythology and the Bible come the Wooden Horse of Troy, Achilles, Jason leader of the Argonauts, and also Adam and Eve who feature under a variety of headings including Happiness, Innocence, Nakedness and Punishment. Folklore and legend, cinema, television, cartoons and children’s stories also yield popular allusions including Cinderella, James Bond, Mary Poppins; and under Criminals are Al Capone, Fagin and Arthur Daley.

The third edition of this unrivaled book focuses on the important changes in academic opinion and church organization within the past few years. Extensively revised and updated, it contains increased coverage on Eastern churches, issues in moral theology, and developments stemming from the Second Vatican Council. New entries have been added on a diverse array of subjects including the ordination of women, the quest of the historical Jesus, and bibliographies.

Beginning in the early 14th century and continuing into the 15th and 16th centuries, the Renaissance was a period of intense intellectual and cultural activity, the fruits of which have had a profound impact on the thought, culture, philosophy, painting and sculpture, and writing of Europe and the wider world ever since. Gordon Campbell, with the help of his team of distinguished consultant and advisory editors, has created a unique new A-Z reference surveying all aspects of the Renaissance in Europe. From da Vinci to Dutch law, from gypsies to geometry, this volume contains an immense breadth of information with over 3,000 entries covering an extensive spectrum of topics including art, literature, science, culture, philosophy, religion, economics, history, and conflict. Over half of the entries are biographical, covering artists, architects, garden designers, philosophers, explorers, royalty, cardinals, reformers, statesman, writers, poets, playwrights, soldiers, rebels, woodcarvers, silversmiths, mystics, mathematicians, sculptors, and composers. With 100 stunning black-and-white illustrations, this elegant dictionary is an ideal referenc to a period that has had an enduring and important cultural influence.