Why did Archimedes jump from his tub and run naked through the streets shouting `Eureka'! Who was Occam and what did he shave with his razor? What is a Quantum and where does it leap? Do you ever feel the touch of an invisible hand? Does deconstruction really spell the end to Western civilization? This book answers all these questions and more, taking revolutionary and perplexing ideas of Western thought and extracting their essence. From Greek philosophy to contemporary economics, physics to architecture, A Little Knowledge covers some of the most often heard but least understood theories and explains them as simply and entertaining as possible. Selections from A Little Knowledge include- Original Sin; The Prime Mover, `I think therefore I am', Extentialism; Relativity; The Oedipus Complex; The Pleasure Principle; Laissez Faire and many more.