Sociology in Our Times: The Essentials (with Interactions: Sociology CD-ROM)

by Kendall

Book Overview

Diana Kendall's successful brief text is known for the effective way it guides students into the study of sociology in a way that touches their lives. It is especially noted for its coverage of race, class, and gender filtered through an applied orientation. The text takes an inclusive approach to diverse theoretical viewpoints. Each chapter incorporates recent research (especially by women and people of color) as well as classic studies. The author...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0534570593
• ISBN13: 9780534570590
• Release Date: December 1999
• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing
• Weight: 2.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 10.0" x 1.0" x 7.3"

Customer Reviews

It was okay...

I found this book really boring and included a lot of things I didn't need. What I did like about it was that it had examples that fit the theme of the chapter.

school sucks

it's a school book. who likes school books? honestly? but no it's ok. no complaints from me...

A fine introduction to sociology

As one of the most recently-developed social sciences, not to mention one that seems to be consistently popular with college students, sociology is a field that truly needs a good comprehensive text. Put quite simply, this is it. Diana Kendall, a well-respected scholar and author in the field, has managed to put together a text that manages to cover all of the major subfields of the field, presenting a lot of information on each, and giving a good general overview. All of the major subpoints of sociology are covered: population studies, race/gender/ethnic relations, collective behavior, criminology, and more. In addition to providing a solid block of information for each subtopic, Kendall further invigorates her text with well-placed contemporary and classical photographs, graphs, charts, and other peripheral information. She also prefaces each chapter with a real-life example relating to the forthcoming information, a quiz about the information contained within (which sometimes will yield surprising results!), and more. Throughout the individual chapters, she also sprinkles dialogue boxes with separate takes on individual subissues relating to the major topic at hand and shows readers how they can get involved. As a bonus for the college student, certain editions of the book feature a CD with access to additional material, and a free four-month subscription to Infotrac, a well-known scholarly index.Kendall writes well, and she presents a lot of information. Therein, however, lies my only complaint about this text: certain chapters feel overlong. Granted, sociology is a diverse field, and this book attempts to cover it all between a single set of covers. Still, some chapters are so jam-packed with information that they become somewhat tiresome. Nevertheless, it is all good information -- and all worth reading. It is a small complaint, on the whole, that does not detract from the overall quality of the text.In summary, this is an excellent introductory text both for a college text and for the individual reader.

One of the better Sociology Textbooks

There are a number of good sociology textbooks available, and one can choose almost any of them with confidence. However, this is definitely one of the best. It is accessible, yet the author does not talk down to the student. The illustrations are pertinent and timely. The choice of topics is comprehensive. It is a broad-ranging textbook, yet, at the same time, is focused and direct.The instructor who chooses to use Sociology in Our Times can be comfortable with the choice. The student who is fortunate enough to have a teacher who chose Sociology in Our Times should be confident that they have had a good exposure to Sociology. If one learns the material in this book they will be well-grounded in Sociology.