Sociology as a Life or Death Issue

"Magnificent introduction to sociology! Brilliant execution! - Michael Burawoy, University of California, Berkeley; President, International Sociological Association

“When I first assigned this I heard for the first time that ‘I couldn’t put the book down.’ I have never had students grasp so quickly and precisely what it means to take on the sociological imagination, nor have I ever had them become so animated and enamoured with a book.” – Linda Derksen, University of Vancouver Island

In six beautifully written essays, Robert Brym analyzes the social causes of death, revealing the powerful social forces that help to determine who lives and who dies, and incisively demonstrating the promise of the sociological imagination.

Examining hip hop culture, Palestinian suicide bombers, the victims of hurricanes on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, and the social bases of cancer in Canada, this collection of linked essays by an internationally renowned sociologist takes readers into worlds that figure prominently in popular culture and headline news stories. This book is an eye-opener, an inspiration, and a guide for sociology students and anyone with an inquiring mind and hopes for a better world.