Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Pages: 352
•
Trim: 6¼ x 9
978-1-5381-2457-4 • Hardback • April 2019 • $85.00 • (£65.00)
978-1-5381-2458-1 • Paperback • April 2019 • $42.00 • (£32.00)
978-1-5381-2459-8 • eBook • April 2019 • $39.50 • (£30.00)
James D. Wright is an author, educator, and the Provost’s Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus in the Department of Sociology at the University of Central Florida. Before his retirement in 2018, Wright also served as director of the UCF Institute for Social and Behavioral Sciences, as editor-in-chief of the journal Social Science Research, and as editor-in-chief of the International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences. His latest book is Hunger in the Land of Plenty: A Cricail Look at Food Insecurity (with Amy Donley and Sara Vega).
Preface
One Hundred Sixty-Eight Important Lessons You Can Learn by Studying Sociology
1 Introduction to Sociology
2 Theory and Perspectives
3 Research Methods and Statistics
4 Sociology of Contemporary American Society
5 Political Sociology
6 Public Opinion and Attitude Change
7 Wealth, Power, and Inequality
8 The Working Class
9 American Social Problems: Crime, Poverty, and Population
10 Sociology of the American Family
11 Sociology of Religion
12 Sociology of Alcohol and Drugs
13 Guns, Crime, and Violence
14 Homelessness
15 Urban Sociology
16 Social Inequalities and Health
17 Social Policy and Evaluation Research
18 Postscript: My Life as a Sociologist
Index
This book’s originality lies in its manner of presentation and witty, engaging style that manages to be entertaining while at the same time providing a remarkably coherent overview of the field of sociology based on Wright's 40 years of teaching, research, and reading on the fundamental structures and processes that prevail in human societies.
— Douglas S. Massey, Princeton University
James Wright is one of the most brilliant people I’ve ever met, and if decision-makers listened to what he has to say, we would undoubtedly live in a better world. Accordingly, everyone should read The Key to (Almost) Everything.
— Richard Whatmore, University of St. Andrews
The overall idea—to provide a comprehensive yet accessible and entertaining introduction to sociology for adults—is brilliant. The writing style of the authors matches this goal; it is precise and substantively informative, yet easy to follow and draws in the reader.
— Barbara Prainsack, University of Vienna