Product Description

`This is an excellent introduction to classical social theory. For most students it is the only book on the subject that they will need. The expositions are clear and comprehensive, outlining with almost alarming clarity ideas which many of us have to struggle' - Alan Bryman, The Management Centre, University of Leicester

This is a thoroughly revised, expanded version of the best selling student text in classical social theory. The book provides an authoritative, accessible undergraduate guide to the three pivotal figures in the classical tradition. Readable and stimulating, the book explains the key ideas of these thinkers and situates them in their historical and philosophical contexts. The student gains an immediate understanding of what is distinctive and relevant about these giants of sociology.

The book includes a glossary with over 150 entries. For a decade, the book has been required reading on undergraduate degree programmes. This new edition, refines the material, extends the analysis and enhances our appreciation. It is a nugget in its field.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #86902 in Books
• Published on: 2006-07-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 480 pages

Customer Reviews

Wasting students' time & money by taking advantage of their predicament of not knowing where to start and with whose books.
The book is full of repetitions, time and again the very same points are being made, or rather "listed", as if the book had not been edited at all; a very boring and timewasting read. Clearly, the book, in its form, is a textbook par excellence, though a very bad one. It is a mere collection of concepts and overall not very telling. The author is clearly not familiar with a lot of the things he is talking about, this becomes particularly clear in the Introduction, where he attempts to give some philosophical background. The value of textbooks particularly ones like this is, is rather questionable, and when reading this book it seems as if the intention is really to exploit a market that arises because students are so ill advised as to what to read concronted with an enormous number of unnecessary publications. It is surely more worthwhile (and affordable) to read books by those people who are involved in academic discourse, good writers, and intellectually living up to the challenge of presenting AND discussing the views of the three great thinkers the author set out to introduce to students, for example Giddens on Durkheim/Marx, or Mommsen on Weber (The Age of Bureaucracy). Thank you.