Books
Sociological takes on recent news and research.
Rethinking German Genocide
One of the enduring questions following World War II is how so many ordinary German citizens could support or tolerate genocide. The books reviewed here shed light on how Germans have come to terms (or not) with this dark past. Read MoreIntellectual Icons
Margaret Mead and Buckminster Fuller are two examples of intellectuals who had influence beyond the ivory tower. Recent books chronicling each icon's career demonstrate diverse means to achieving influence and renown in the public realm. Read MoreThe Credit Mines
Millions of Americans have suffered since the credit bubble burst in 2008. Two books describe how the housing and credit card markets rose and fell over the past century: Alissa Katz's Our Lot and Charles R. Geisst's Collateral Damage: The Marketing of Consumer Debt to America. Their analyses reveal the hazards inherent in pursuing the American Dream. Read MoreAdoption, White Women, and the Keeping of Culture
International adoption has been a growing trend in the U.S. in recent years. Casey Brienza discusses "culture keeping" through three books written by white adoptive mothers. Her discussion highlights the challenges inherent in adoptive family formation in a society where race, ethnicity, and national culture are assumed to go hand-in-hand. Read MoreEnding The War On The War On Terror
Surprisingly few sociologists have studied the War on Terror despite its wide-ranging social consequences. In this review, Mathieu Deflem discusses two books from other disciplines that might serve as good starting points for the sociological study of security and terrorism. Read MoreThe War Society
The terrorist attacks of 9/11 and the ensuing War on Terror have no doubt impacted political culture in the U.S., but two recent books present very different viewpoints on how. Peter Alexander Meyers' Civic War and the Corruption of the Citizen explores the War on Terror as an extension of the Cold War, while Mahmood Mamdani's Saviors and Survivors: Darfur, Politics, and the War on Terror sees a new and disturbing logic of foreign policy emerging. Read MoreTechnicians and Heroes
Social scientists who want to do applied, visual research face two basic problems. One is that their work is applied, and the other is that … Read MoreSeparation Anxiety
While seemingly aimed at boys and girls, The Dangerous Book for Boys and The Daring Book for Girls may appeal less to kids and more … Read MoreStill No Makin' It
Jay MacLeod’s Ain’t No Makin’ It has been taught in college classrooms for more than 20 years—and for good reason. For students, it makes sociology … Read MoreSlouching Out Of Whittier
The argument in Rick Perlstein’s Nixonland is more psychographic than tied to political economy or the stirrings of global markets. In other words, Perlstein is … Read More