The Practical Skeptic: Readings in Sociology

Lisa McIntyre assembled this anthology to accompany the textbook she wrote. She chose readings to match the information presented in the textbook, and she used "timeless" readings rather than attempt to provide current readings in such a wide variety of topics. All of the readings we have used in class (about 15 so far) retain their relevance. Of course, in any anthology, the writers' skills vary. McIntyre's own writing skills excel, as demonstrated in the textbook; the readings here are more difficult. She includes one piece of her own; some of the other writers, such as Philip Meyer, approach her writing skill level. Others provide much more "dry" and pedantic content. In a few instances, the age of the writing affects the writing style. My example of this is a piece by Emile Durkheim, written in 1895. Durkheim was a pioneer in sociology and the content remains relevant, but I find his writing style at once boring and confusing. I imagine McIntyre included this because of Durkheim's importance to the field, but I would rather read someone else's discussion of the subject. I have not read the anthology separately, but I have read some of the readings we have not used in class. All in all, this is a good anthology for those interested in sociology.

This is one of the best reads I've ever read. The language is simple, and it is very interesting to read of so many different studies which reveal what's going on in our society or about our human behavior. Definitely looking for other compilations like these which enrich your knowledge and give you good reading as well.

McIntyre selected great content for this collection--the articles are interesting, thought-provoking, informative, and exciting. In fact, I'm buying the book AGAIN because I lost it, I have to write a research paper, and I can't think of a better source to use! It's a great starting point for nearly all pertinent social issues, and it's organized very cleverly with review questions at the end of each article. VERY good buy!