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| View Larger Image | Ten Questions: A Sociological Perspective
by Joel M. Charon
| | List Price: | $54.95 | | Price: | $49.45 | | You Save: | $5.50 (10%) |  | | Available: | Usually ships in 24 hours | | | | | Sales Rank: | 101426 | | Studio: | Wadsworth Publishing | | | Binding: | Paperback | | Number Of Pages: | 384 | | Publication Date: | April 11, 2006 | | Publisher: | Wadsworth Publishing |
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EDITORIAL REVIEWS |
Product Description
What does it mean to be human? Are human beings free? Why is there misery in the world? TEN QUESTIONS: A SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE examines the philosophies of the classical sociologists such as Marx, Weber, Durkheim, Mead, and Berger and looks at how the field of sociology has approached these questions over the past 150 years. |
CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 2.5 based on 5 reviews)
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A good intro book with great questions 
The Ten Questions book is a much better book than indicated by the ratings of some of the four reviewers (thus far). I have taught Introduction to Sociology classes for many years, and find that for an inexpensive paperback, this book introduces many of the major sociological questions in simple yet understandable ways. Are not these important questions?
* How Do Sociologists Study the World?
* What Does It Mean to be Human?
* How is Society Possible?
* Why Are People Unequal in Society?
* Why Do We Believe What We Do?
* Are Human Beings Free?
* Why Can't Everyone Be Just Like Us?
* Why is There Misery in the World?
* Does the Individual Really Make a Difference?
* Is Sociology Important?
I find that these questions form a very excellent foundation for opening up the field of sociology to the novice student. The questions are excellent, and the answers well-formed. While I will agree that some of the explanations and descriptions can be improved, they are certainly not as bad as others have indicated, and are really fairly decent and well-organized. It's probably worth 4 stars, but I gave it 5 to balance out the unfair (in my opinion) ratings of others. A decent little paperback! Recommended.
December 14, 2007 | |
To be avoided... 
Any intellectual merits this book might have had could not outweigh the objections I had concerning Charon's methods and content. I had to read the book for an introduction to sociology class. Even though I was interested in some of the sociological questions Charon raised, I found the book a waste of time. Charon makes many grand statements about sociology without really backing them up with arguments or revealing reasoning or origins behind them.
It is possibly the most redundant book I have ever read. I do not think that this book makes a good introduction for a novice interested in sociological studies. Charon does not truly introduce the reader to the language of the sociologist. On occasion, he will offer what seems like a definition of a term, but later add to it or subtract from it or change it around to fit whatever random subject he is writing about at the time. Thus the reader never gets a true handle on what Charon is talking about.
The book is also not well-structured. Charon's headings and subdivisions of topics are only a source of confusion. So in addition to ill-defined terminology, the flow and organization of the book further detracts from the audience's understanding. It feels rather like he was just freewriting, jotting down the random thoughts about sociology that popped into his head.
At the beginning of chapters, he asks many provocative questions, but they never surface again. It is one thing to arouse the interest of his readers by posing challenging questions, but he does not equip them with the sociological tools needed to truly grapple with those questions.
I would recommend this book only to people ages thirteen and under.
February 15, 2005 | |
Interesting! 
I read this book for an Intro. to Sociology course and I found it interesting and thought provoking. While he occasionally gets repetitive, I believe he intentionally does so to re-inforce concepts and ideas. I found the book to be very interesting as a newcomer to Sociology.
January 21, 2005 | |
ish
this book sucks. it's 10 chapters of the same thing over and over again. the author keeps repeating himself. not only that, he just keeps repeating his opinions over and over again. don't buy this book. i tell you, don't buy this book. you'll regret it.
November 24, 2003 | |
most boring, repetitive text ever
This book is the most boring, repetitive book ever. Many concepts and themes are repeated over and over throughout chapters, without proper linkages when necessary. For example, the chapter entitled "Why Do We Believe What We Do" and "Are Human Beings Free" covers much of the same things, the idea of freedom of thought, of where our thoughts and beliefs come from. Yet instead of mentioning this obvious link, the author repeats all the factors and themes from the previous chapter all over again. It definitely does not make for stimulating reading. The same goes for the idea of socialization influencing culture. Whenever culture is mention the ideas and concepts behind it are regugitated all over again. On top of this, the author sees the need to use 20 examples to illustrate one point. While a few are useful, too many makes the book tedious to read. A lot of skim reading is required. The author tends to rattle on and on... reiterating what was said by rephrasing what is essentially the same point. Overall it was not an interesting or stimulating book.
April 28, 2001 | |
SIMILAR PRODUCTS |
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