Sociology Books

This book could be a good read for someone who is tired of society's obsession with achievement and success, and is seeking a different perspective on finding happiness. Wendy Syfret offers a fresh take on nihilism, showing how accepting the lack of inherent meaning in life can actually bring joy and a sense of freedom. Through witty and thought-provoking insights, she encourages readers to let go of societal expectations and embrace their unimportance in the universe, leading to a more content and fulfilling existence.

This book could be a good read for those interested in exploring the intricacies of governance in a rapidly changing world. With captivating metaphors like the 'black elephant' and concepts like the 'dialectic of governance', Peter Ho offers a systematic and insightful approach to understanding the future and building resilience. Whether you are a government official or simply curious about the dynamics of governance, this book provides valuable insights that can help navigate the complexities of our world.

This book is highly recommended for anyone interested in understanding how cities tackle the unique problems and opportunities they face in today's world. Dr. Cheong, the CEO of the Housing and Development Board, shares her expertise and insights on how cities can plan and develop to create a better life for their citizens. With a focus on Singapore, she explores the considerations and constraints of a small city-state with an open economy. This book will broaden your perspective on urbanization and inspire you to seek innovative solutions for a better urban future.

If you're keen on understanding the broader geopolitical maneuvers and their impacts on a personal and national identity, "China is Messing with Your Mind" could intrigue you. Kausikan's experience as a diplomat enriches this book with authenticity and provides a non-conventional perspective on the tensions between global powers and their subtle cultural influences, particularly for Singapore. It's an especially relevant read if you're interested in international affairs, identity politics, or the dynamics of Asian geopolitics.

This book is a must-read for anyone looking to understand and navigate the overwhelming world of news. Alain de Botton's witty and global perspective offers a refreshing take on the manic and peculiar positions that 'the news' occupies in our lives. With its mix of current affairs and philosophical reflections, The News will change the way you view celebrity stories and political scandals, equipping you with the precautions necessary to approach news with a critical eye. It's a guide that will empower you to separate the meaningful from the noise and find clarity in a chaotic media landscape.

This book would be a good read for those who are drawn to thought-provoking and introspective writing. Robert M. Drake's hauntingly beautiful words paint a vivid picture of the societal issues we face today, offering a unique perspective on the struggles of the common youth and society as a whole. Through the comparative method, Spaceship delves deep into the environmental problems contributing to these collapses, leaving readers with a better understanding of the world around them and their own brokenness. It is a captivating exploration of the human experience and a reminder that even in brokenness, there is a peculiar kind of beauty.

This book is a thought-provoking examination of the vast economic disparities that exist between nations. Through compelling stories and data, it sheds light on the shocking reality of our world, where some countries thrive while others struggle to survive. By challenging our assumptions and highlighting the systemic factors that perpetuate these inequalities, Worlds Apart forces us to confront uncomfortable truths. Whether you're interested in social justice, global affairs, or simply seeking a deeper understanding of the world we live in, this book will broaden your perspective and inspire you to take action. Get ready to question the status quo and discover the interconnectedness of our global economy like never before.

This book would be a good read for those who enjoy an unconventional approach to problem-solving. Tim Harford uses the tools of economics to provide rational explanations and practical advice for various everyday situations. From family conflicts to stock market decisions, Harford's wit and insights will help you understand the underlying principles behind these dilemmas and make more informed choices in your own life. Get ready for a unique and thought-provoking read that will challenge your perspectives and leave you with a fresh outlook on the world.

For most of the twentieth century, people with disabilities have been regarded as ‘victims’ of their condition and a ‘burden’ on society. More recently, however, disabled people and their organizations across Europe and North America have challenged conventional explanations for their individual and collective disadvantage, calling for policy measures to change the image and status of disabled people in the Western world.In this new book, Barnes and Mercer provide a concise and accessible introduction to the concept of disability. Drawing on a burgeoning ‘disability studies’ literature from around the world, and from a range of disciplinary perspectives, the authors explore the evolution of this concept and offer a wide-ranging critique of established academic, policy and professional orthodoxies. The book highlights disabled peoples’ exclusion and marginalization in key areas of social activity and participation across different historical and cultural contexts, such as family life and reproduction, education, employment, leisure, cultural imagery and politics.The analysis concentrates on disability as a distinctive form of social oppression similar to that experienced by women, minority ethnic and ‘racial’ groups, and lesbians and gay men. Key issues addressed theorizing disability; historical and comparative perspectives; experiencing impairment and disability; professional and policy intervention in the lives of disabled people; disability politics, social policy and citizenship; and disability culture.This will be essential reading for those studying sociology, social policy, social work, health studies, disability studies, and those in the therapy and nursing professions.

By 2025, Millennials will form 75% of the global workforce and more than half of them (58% of global Millennials) are living in Asia! As this huge demographic surges towards becoming a substantial contributor to Asia’s workforce, organisations continue to face engagement and retention challenges while balancing the need to stay relevant in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world. Archaic methods of management do not deliver success with the new breed of employees. Instead, the outdated model leaves Millennials uninspired and unmotivated to produce results. Like any generation of workers, performance lies in management—if you're not getting what you need from your Millennials, it's time to learn how to lead them the way they need to be led. To get the best out of Millennials, it is imperative for leaders to modify their current management style. While the pop culture narrative would have us believe that Millennials are entitled, lazy, spoiled brats— Millennials are the generation of highly adaptive, bright, and quick to take on a challenge. If the different generations can learn how to collaborate in a way that capitalises on their strengths and compensates for their weaknesses, it will inspire a knowledge sharing inevitably encourages the crosspollination of ideas which can spark major innovation. Best practices and proven strategies from Google, Netflix, LinkedIn, and other top employers provide real-world models for effective management, and new research on first-wave versus second-wave Millennials helps you parse the difference between your new hires and more experienced workers. You'll learn why flex time, social media, dress code, and organizational structure are shifting, and answer the allimportant How do we engage Millennials? Millennials are the product of a different time, with different values, different motivations, and different wants. This book shows you how to bring out their best and discover just how much they're really capable of.

This book is a thought-provoking and eye-opening exploration of government conspiracy theories. Jesse Ventura, with his bold and no-holds-barred approach, delves into the wide gap between what the American government knows and what it reveals to the people. He questions the official narratives surrounding major historical events like the assassinations of Lincoln, the Kennedys, and Martin Luther King, as well as the 9/11 attacks. Ventura's book is a must-read for those who are curious about the truth behind political cover-ups and the role of the media in perpetuating deception. Be prepared to have your beliefs challenged and your perspective forever altered.

Age of Discovery could be a good read for those who are curious about the challenges and opportunities that come with rapid global change. This book takes a historical perspective, drawing parallels between the first Renaissance and our present era, highlighting the risks and rewards that come with discovery. If you're interested in understanding the interconnectedness of our world and how it shapes our lives, this book will provide valuable insights and inspire you to navigate the uncertainties of the future with wisdom and courage.

This book could be a good read for you if you are fascinated by true stories of resilience, activism, and the battle against natural disasters. Through the lens of the 2004 Asian Tsunami and its aftermath, "Tsunami Alert" will take you on a journey where scientists, students, and ordinary citizens come together to save the at-risk city of Padang. As you follow their grassroots activism, you will gain insight into the challenges faced by cities worldwide as they confront their own environmental threats. This thought-provoking account will leave you contemplating the fragile balance between human settlements and the forces of nature.

This book is a powerful call to action, urging the youth of India to come together and take charge of their nation's destiny. Through the eloquent speeches and writings of Sri Aurobindo, readers will be inspired to discover their own potential and work towards a brighter future for India. With its timely message and compelling vision, this book is a must-read for anyone who wants to make a meaningful impact in their country.

Can we trust France? Apparently not. After more than 200 years of shared history and interests, the U.S.-France marriage looks as if it's ending in an acrimonious divorce. Here is the shocking insider account.In the wake of French behavior at the United Nations, where Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin systematically undermined the efforts of Secretary of State Colin Powell to convince the Security Council to authorize force against Iraq, Americans have at best come to suspect our ally of double dealing, and at worst come to view them as the enemy. Almost daily over the past year, new stories have emerged of how the government of French President Jacques Chirac has sought to undermine the U.S. war on terror, publicly sniping at America and inciting other countries to do the same. What's wrong with France? What's behind their recent perfidy? According to bestselling author Kenneth R. Timmerman, the American public doesn't know half the story. After they read The French Betrayal of America , American anger at France will turn to outrage.Timmerman, who worked as a journalist in France for eighteen years and knows the players on both sides, lifts the veil of Jacques Chirac's scandalous love affair with Saddam Hussein, beginning in 1975, when he took him on a tour of top-secret French nuclear facilities. The French attitude toward the dictator, which seemed to baffle American politicians, was in fact entirely predictable. Put bluntly, it was all about money, oil, and guns. Chirac needed Saddam's oil and Saddam's money, and Saddam needed French weapons and French nuclear technology.Despite this, the relationship between France and America was not only amicable but at times very mutually beneficial. That was until the most recent war on Iraq, where France turned the tables, engaging in dirty diplomacy and helping to sway other European countries to their side. French war coverage was not merely It was viciously inaccurate, skewed, and openly anti-American. Timmerman also presents incredible new evidence of France's duplicity, including the fact that the French stood to gain $100 billion from secret oil contracts they had concluded with Saddam Hussein.The French Betrayal of America raises questions of whether the nuclear cooperation agreements still in force with the French today should be canceled in light of France's behavior. Our security interests no longer converge, and our economic systems increasingly appear to be at loggerheads. The war in Iraq harshly exposed French treachery and their desire to do business with the worst of international tyrants, putting their economy, their international standing, and their relationship with a 200-year-old friend in severe jeopardy.Shocking new revelations in The French Betrayal of AmericaThe French president lied to Bush and to the public about the war in Iraq.President Jacques Chirac had personally told President George W. Bush well ahead of time that France would be at America's side.France urged Saddam to commit genocide.Saddam launched his genocidal campaign against the Marsh Arabs in southern Iraq to make their region "safe" for French oil engineers.France helped build Saddam's long-range missiles and nukes.Based on exclusive access to new documents, provided by Iraq to the United Nations -- that French defense companies were key partners in helping Saddam Hussein perfect the long-range missiles that killed U.S. soldiers in Saudi Arabia in 1991 and rained terror onto Israel.Chirac has blocked cooperation on a high-profile terrorism case.France's top counter-terrorism judge was ordered to stop cooperating with the United States in the prosecution of Zacarias Moussaoui despite mounds of documents that would have helped the United States to convict Moussaoui of conspiracy to commit mass murder.France illegally sold U.S. military secrets to Saddam Hussein.A prominent French defense company shipped U.S.-designed laser designator pods to Iraq in the 1980s that compromised the most high-tech weapons in the U.S. arsenal.President Mitterrand, a Socialist, became Ronald Reagan's best ally in Europe.The French Betrayal of America reveals the extent of French strategic and intelligence cooperation with the United States at the peak of the Cold War, in areas that will surprise readers on both sides of the Atlantic. The French ran a key agent inside the KGB, whose "cosmic" reach -- right up to the general secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union -- hastened the collapse of the Soviet Union.President Chirac almost went to jail for corruption.Chirac was on the verge of getting indicted on corruption charges in 1999 until he cooked up an immunity deal with the head of the French Supreme Court, former Socialist foreign minister Roland Dumas. While the French corruption scandals are well known in France, they have rarely been reported in the United States and will alternately shock and amuse American readers.The Bush administration is now offering France the secrets of our national missile defense.The French Betrayal of America reveals the hitherto top secret missile defense cooperation between the United States and France that has taken off at precisely the same time the Chirac government was undermining the United States on Iraq. Meanwhile, United States and French nuclear weapons designers continue to meet to exchange secrets of maintaining our respective nuclear arsenals.

The measurement of time has always been essential to human civilization, from early Roman sundials to the advent of GPS. But while we have one eye on the time every day, are we aware of the power clocks have given governments, military leaders and business owners, and how they have shaped our lives and our world?In this spectacularly far-reaching book, David Rooney narrates a history of timekeeping and civilization in twelve concise chapters. Over their course, we meet the most epochal inventions in horological history, from medieval water clocks to Renaissance hourglasses, and from stock-exchange timestamps to satellites in Earth's orbit. We discover how clocks have helped people navigate the globe and build empires, but also, on occasion, taken us to the brink of destruction.This is the story of time, and the story of time is the story of us.

Recommendation: - If you're curious about the origins and evolution of nationalism and want to understand its impact on the world, "Nations And Nationalism Since 1780 - Programme, Myth, Reality" is a must-read. Hobsbawm brilliantly dissects the intricacies of nationalism, providing insights into its historical context and its influence on modern politics. This book offers a compelling analysis that will broaden your understanding of this complex phenomenon.

Recommendation: - This book is a fascinating exploration of the influence of cultural commodities on social identity. Through the lens of language, the author delves into the concept of "performative" value and its impact on the cultural economy. If you're interested in understanding how our society assigns meaning to objects, this thought-provoking read is for you.

Book Recommendation: This thought-provoking book delves into the patriarchal unconsciousness that still lingers in psychoanalysis. Through a critical analysis of femininity, the author sheds light on how phallocentrism obscures true understanding of desire, sexual differences, and relationships. If you're interested in challenging traditional perspectives and exploring feminist theory in the realm of psychoanalysis, this book is for you.

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the dark underbelly of Singapore's legal system. Through in-depth interviews and meticulously researched accounts, Alan Shadrake exposes the cruelty and imprudence of the death penalty. The author's empathy with the victims and their families adds a poignant touch to this eye-opening critique. Human rights activists, in particular, will find this book to be an invaluable resource in their fight for justice.

Recommendation: - This book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the complex history of Singapore. It goes beyond the usual colonial narratives and dives deep into the concept of Merdeka, exploring its meaning for Singaporeans. Through a collection of essays, it challenges the dominant historical discourse and proposes emancipatory possibilities. Get ready to decolonize your understanding of Singapore's past and gain a new perspective on its journey towards independence.

This book is a captivating sequel to the international bestseller, Freakonomics. With their unique style and wit, the authors delve into controversial subjects like terrorism, charity, and prostitution. Prepare to be amazed as Superfreakonomics uncovers hidden truths and transforms the way you see the world. It's a thought-provoking read that will challenge your perspectives and leave you wanting more.

Recommendation: - This book is a captivating exploration of why scandalous behavior and downfall sagas fascinate us. With sharp and insightful analysis, Laura Kipnis delves into the American psyche and examines four notorious cases. Through revenge, betrayal, ambition, and madness, she sheds light on our collective plight of failed self-knowledge and self-deception. If you're intrigued by the complexities of scandal and enjoy a cultural romp, this book is a must-read. Get ready to question societal norms and cheer for the transgressions of others.

Recommendation: If you've ever been curious about the captivating realm of video games and their impact on our society, "Fun Inc." is a must-read. Tom Chatfield delves deep into the evolution of the gaming industry, unveiling fascinating facts and statistics that challenge common stereotypes. From the influential role of female gamers to the mind-boggling budgets behind blockbuster games, this book sheds light on the ever-growing influence of virtual worlds. Whether you're a dedicated gamer or simply intrigued by the power of technology, "Fun Inc." will open your eyes to a whole new level of entertainment.

This book is perfect for intermediate learners who want to further immerse themselves within Chinese language and culture. Each article provides a unique perspective on an aspect of Chinese society, history or geography, and is supplemented by helpful grammatical notes and exercises. Readers will find this book a valuable resource for gaining a deeper understanding of Chinese culture while simultaneously improving their language abilities.

This book is recommended for students of linguistics or anyone interested in a comprehensive look at language structure and use. It's unique focus on the political and social aspects of language makes it a great read for those interested in applied linguistics or sociolinguistics.

This book is particularly useful for businesspersons and managers who are dealing with internationalization challenges in their organization. It offers practical insights into important aspects of managing people across borders. It discusses topics like how to manage expatriates from the parent country, how to adapt management practices to circumstances abroad, and how to recognize and avoid obstacles in joint ventures. Its case studies and examples make it easy to grasp and apply its insights.

This book provides a shocking account of police brutality and corruption within the criminal justice system. Gerry Spence recounts his own cases to illustrate patterns of egregious misconduct by police. He reveals how racism, coercion, and the abuse of power is rampant in police departments across the country, and argues for a complete overhaul of the justice system. If you're interested in social justice, or want to understand more about the real-life implications of police misconduct, this book is a must-read.

This book could be a good read for teenagers looking for relatable stories of teens overcoming various challenges in their lives such as friendship, dating, and body image issues. With real stories from teenagers, this book provides an authentic look at real-life problems and the strength needed to overcome them. Readers may find comfort in knowing they are not alone in their struggles and gain insight into how to handle challenges in their own lives.

Intended for Pleasure is a great read for couples who want to enhance their marital intimacy. The book explains sex and relationships accurately from both a medical and biblical standpoint, and provides tips on how to build a fulfilling marriage. Customers have raved about how this book has helped them improve their relationship and deepen their connection with their partner.

This book provides a comprehensive evaluation of Indonesia's population and human resource development, making it a great read for anyone interested in understanding the country's current situation and prospects for the future. It offers a unique insight into the relationship between population growth and economic development in the country, making it an essential read for students and researchers in the field of population studies and development economics.