The intro textbook that keeps students reading

Praised for its writing style that reads like a book you'd pore over at the corner café, this best-selling core text starts in a familiar place—the everyday world—and then introduces sociological concepts and institutions as they impact the student's daily existence. Full of vivid, real-world examples and touching personal vignettes, this text offers a solid introduction to basic sociological concepts and helps students realize their role in constructing, planning, maintaining, and fixing society.

New and Proven Features

• Revised discussions of race relations and racial inequality integrate the Obama election and presidency.
• The current economic recession is highlighted in discussions of the economy, particularly in Chapter 10.
• Micro-Macro Connections help students better understand the link between individual lives and the structure of society.
• Revised examples from American subcultures draw students into content relevant to their lives.
• Cross-cultural examples and discussions of globalization show students how their lives are affected by our increasingly global society.
• All statistical information has been updated.