Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings

This collection is unmatched in its comprehension, particularly in regards to its inclusion of a wide variety of contemporary perspectives.

As someone pursuing a master's degree in literature, I bought this book for a course in sociology to serve as my minor. If you're studying sociology, this book is a very good, very inclusive anthology. If you're not planning on being a sociologist, like me, you'll probably find this reading cumbersome and hard to follow. The editor Lemert has done a good job introducing the material, making social theory into a real-life thing, not just an academic discipline, but this ain't beach reading.

This book is an excellent survey of social philosophical thought. It consists of selections from the greater works of Social philosophers like Karl Marx, Max Weber, and Emile Durkheim. All of the major figures who have formed sociology into what it is today are repressented in this book --in their own words, no less. It enables the reader to pick up an understanding of the philosopher's and their ideas without having to trudge through eight, or nine different tomes (thus it saves you the daunting task of taking on all three parts of Marx's Kapital). In addition to the major figures in sociology, this anthology offers a great deal in the way of alternative voices. For instance, Both Franz Fannon, and Herbert Marcuse have sections within this book. Thus, you have the classic philosopher, and reactions to them all in one book (e.g. Marx, and Marcuse's take on Marxism in modern society). For anybody interested in social theory, this is definetly one of the better books I've found on the subject. I would recomend it to anyone interested in sociology, or social philosophy. It gives excellent, and broad coverage of it's subject matter.