Customer Reviews

Down to Earth Sociology: Introductory Readings, 12th Edition

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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This is an excellent book to introduce students into the real world of Sociology. Rather than focusing on theorists and their theories, Down to Earth Sociology focuses on real-life examples and situations in which the reader can relate. The articles are user-friendly, and fun to read. A recommendation for anyone interested in the world of Sociology.

When I teach introduction to sociology, this is the book that generates the most student enthusiasm. Everyone likes it, and many students love it. They often discuss readings not assigned--they've been reading ahead, or reading off the syllabus, for their own information and enjoyment rather than because it's required. Yes, some of the readings are classics, in other words old. But they aren't useless because they describe a past social pattern rather than a current one; any good intro course should give students a feeling for how social relationships vary across time as well as place, historically as well as cross-culturally. It would be nice if Henslin added some newer readings to satisfy those students who think that sociology should be about the now, but that would mean eliminating some great readings or making the book very large. It would also be nice if a few readings could help students understand the sort of quantitative research results that are reported in newspapers and on television news programs. For most courses, I usually prefer to assemble my own bulkpack of articles for students, but in this case, although I might choose different readings, I couldn't choose better ones. Overall, Henslin does an excellent job as editor. The readings show students how sociological concepts and techniques can enrich their understanding of everyday life. And it's reasonably priced.

I read this book because I loved my sociology textbook (also by Henslin) so much. (Yeah, I'm a dork.) While some of the articles in this book are a bit outdated as another reviewer pointed out, this book has something for everyone. From the classic essay on the "Saints" and the "Roughnecks" to the humorous description of how a "Nacirema" brushes his teeth (you WILL feel sheepish when you finish reading it!!!) to the account of a sociologist "posing" as homeless person for a week, there's got to be something in here you'll find interesting.

All these articles are written from completely unbiased points of view. I highly recommend this book for everyone! Anyone who is interested in sociology, culture, people, behvaior, or life in general will love it!!

I love reading this book, although Henslin does need to do some serious updates. I noticed little difference between the 7th and the 12th edition. Please update!

A very good book to read even if you are not a student.My only complaint is that some of this is extremely outdated,particularly the story of gangs,detailing teenage hoodlums, the"saints" etc.This had to have been written in the early 1960's.By current standards these kids were cub scouts.This book needs a more complete update to be useful to todays students