Tackle big subjects and get inspired with For Beginners

What is the For Beginners series?

The For Beginners series is the place to start for curious minds who want to tackle life’s big ideas. It tackles the sorts of subjects that people can study in secondary school and university, that some educators think are too grown up or difficult to talk about with younger kids. We think they’re wrong! Politics, Economics, Psychology, Money, and even Maths are all things people need to know about from a young age. (We’re not talking about the sort of maths to do with sums, but the sort that actual professional mathematicians do, that can be mind-bendingly complicated… and also super fascinating.)

Written in consultation with leading subject experts, each book focuses on a ‘big idea’ topic, aiming to inspire and excite readers to learn and discover more about these subjects. And maybe help them decide what to study when they’re older.

With a mix of infographics, comic strips and colourful illustrations, each book conveys complex subjects simply, without having to use too many words or long, off-putting paragraphs. The focus of each book is what the subject is actually about, rather than getting bogged down in text-book style details. As well as explaining the basics, these books explore the cutting-edge of their subjects. What jobs do people do in this field? What are the problems that they’re trying to solve? What are the questions that have no clear answers or simple solutions? The series encourages debate, presenting readers with questions and ideas for them to consider and argue about.

The For Beginners series are not only books for kids, they are also a great tool for classroom discussion, lesson planning and curriculum aides. Not to mention a fantastic primer for teachers and parents who may find themselves wondering just how to explain what ‘economics’, ‘politics’ or ‘philosophy’ actually are. And of course, those searching for a way to answer that age-old question, “What’s the point of learning all this maths…?”