Are men literally born to cheat? Does monogamy actually serve women's interests? These are among the questions that have made The Moral Animal one of the most provocative science books in recent years. Wright unveils the genetic strategies behind everything from our sexual preferences to our office politics--as well as their implications for our moral codes and public policies. Illustrations.By Robert Wright.
NY. Vintage. 1994. 398p.
By Robert Nisbet
When first published, The Sociological Tradition had a profound and positive impact on sociology, providing a rich sense of intellectual background to a relatively new discipline in America. Robert Nisbet describes what he considers the golden age of sociology, 1830-1900, outlining five major themes of nineteenth-century sociologists: community, authority, status, the sacred, and alienation. Nisbet focuses on sociology's European heritage, delineating the arguments of Tocqueville, Marx, Durkheim, and Weber in new and revealing ways.
When the book initially appeared, the Times Literary Supplement noted that "this thoughtful and lucid guide shows more clearly than any previous book on social thought the common threads in the sociological tradition and the reasons why so many of its central concepts have stood the test of time." And Lewis Coser, writing in the New York Times Book Review, claimed that "this lucidly written and elegantly argued volume should go a long way toward laying to rest the still prevalent idea that sociology is an upstart discipline, unconcerned with, and alien to, the major intellectual currents of the modern world."
Its clear and comprehensive analysis of the origins of this discipline ensures The Sociological Tradition a permanent place in the literature on sociology and its origins. It will be of interest to those interested in sociological theory, the history of social thought, and the history of ideas. Indeed, as Alasdair Maclntyre observed: "We are unlikely to be given a better book to explain to us the inheritance of sociology from the conservative tradition."
NY. Basic Books. 350p. CONTAINS MARK-UP
By Stephen Jay Gould
“Ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny” was Haeckel’s answer―the wrong one―to the most vexing question of nineteenth-century biology: what is the relationship between individual development (ontogeny) and the evolution of species and lineages (phylogeny)? In this, the first major book on the subject in fifty years, Stephen Jay Gould documents the history of the idea of recapitulation from its first appearance among the pre-Socratics to its fall in the early twentieth century.
Mr. Gould explores recapitulation as an idea that intrigued politicians and theologians as well as scientists. He shows that Haeckel’s hypothesis―that human fetuses with gill slits are, literally, tiny fish, exact replicas of their water-breathing ancestors―had an influence that extended beyond biology into education, criminology, psychoanalysis (Freud and Jung were devout recapitulationists), and racism. The theory of recapitulation, Gould argues, finally collapsed not from the weight of contrary data, but because the rise of Mendelian genetics rendered it untenable.
Turning to modern concepts, Gould demonstrates that, even though the whole subject of parallels between ontogeny and phylogeny fell into disrepute, it is still one of the great themes of evolutionary biology. Heterochrony―changes in developmental timing, producing parallels between ontogeny and phylogeny―is shown to be crucial to an understanding of gene regulation, the key to any rapprochement between molecular and evolutionary biology. Gould argues that the primary evolutionary value of heterochrony may lie in immediate ecological advantages for slow or rapid maturation, rather than in long-term changes of form, as all previous theories proclaimed.
Neoteny―the opposite of recapitulation―is shown to be the most important determinant of human evolution. We have evolved by retaining the juvenile characters of our ancestors and have achieved both behavioral flexibility and our characteristic morphology thereby (large brains by prolonged retention of rapid fetal growth rates, for example).
Gould concludes that “there may be nothing new under the sun, but permutation of the old within complex systems can do wonders. As biologists, we deal directly with the kind of material complexity that confers an unbounded potential upon simple, continuous changes in underlying processes. This is the chief joy of our science.”
Cambridge. Harvard University Press. 1977. 528p.
By William H. Whyte
Regarded as one of the most important sociological and business commentaries of modern times, The Organization Man developed the first thorough description of the impact of mass organization on American society. During the height of the Eisenhower administration, corporations appeared to provide a blissful answer to postwar life with the marketing of new technologies—television, affordable cars, space travel, fast food—and lifestyles, such as carefully planned suburban communities centered around the nuclear family. William H. Whyte found this phenomenon alarming.
As an editor for Fortune magazine, Whyte was well placed to observe corporate America; it became clear to him that the American belief in the perfectibility of society was shifting from one of individual initiative to one that could be achieved at the expense of the individual. With its clear analysis of contemporary working and living arrangements, The Organization Man rapidly achieved bestseller status.
Since the time of the book's original publication, the American workplace has undergone massive changes. In the 1990s, the rule of large corporations seemed less relevant as small entrepreneurs made fortunes from new technologies, in the process bucking old corporate trends. In fact this "new economy" appeared to have doomed Whyte's original analysis as an artifact from a bygone day. But the recent collapse of so many startup businesses, gigantic mergers of international conglomerates, and the reality of economic globalization make The Organization Man all the more essential as background for understanding today's global market. This edition contains a new foreword by noted journalist and author Joseph Nocera. In an afterword Jenny Bell Whyte describes how The Organization Man was written.
NY. Penguin. 1956. 387p.
In 1665 the plague swept through London, claiming over 97,000 lives. Daniel Defoe was just five at the time of the plague, but he later called on his own memories, as well as his writing experience, to create this vivid chronicle of the epidemic and its victims. A Journal (1722) follows Defoe's fictional narrator as he traces the devastating progress of the plague through the streets of London. Here we see a city transformed: some of its streets suspiciously empty, some—with crosses on their doors—overwhelmingly full of the sounds and smells of human suffering. And every living citizen he meets has a horrifying story that demands to be heard.
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.By Daniel Defoe. Introduction by Anthony Burgess.
NY. London. Penguin. 1722.
A monumental biography of the Indian subcontinent from the award-winning author of The World Is What It Is: The Authorized Biography of V. S. Naipaul.
Second only to China in the magnitude of its economic miracle and second to none in its potential to shape the new century, India is fast undergoing one of the most momentous transformations the world has ever seen. In this dazzlingly panoramic book, Patrick French chronicles that epic change, telling human stories to explain a larger national narrative. With a familiarity and insight few Westerners could approach, he provides a vital corrective to the many outdated notions about a uniquely dynamic and consequential nation.By Ted Mheta
NY. Penguin. 1957. 590p.
First published in 1956, The Power Elite stands as a contemporary classic of social science and social criticism. C. Wright Mills examines and critiques the organization of power in the United States, calling attention to three firmly interlocked prongs of power: the military, corporate, and political elite. The Power Elite can be read as a good account of what was taking place in America at the time it was written, but its underlying question of whether America is as democratic in practice as it is in theory continues to matter very much today.
What The Power Elite informed readers of in 1956 was how much the organization of power in America had changed during their lifetimes, and Alan Wolfe's astute afterword to this new edition brings us up to date, illustrating how much more has changed since then. Wolfe sorts out what is helpful in Mills' book and which of his predictions have not come to bear, laying out the radical changes in American capitalism, from intense global competition and the collapse of communism to rapid technological transformations and ever changing consumer tastes. The Power Elite has stimulated generations of readers to think about the kind of society they have and the kind of society they might want, and deserves to be read by every new generation.By C. Wright Mills
NY. Oxford University Press. 1956. 414p.
By Adolfe A. Berle
People live in contexts of power. Here are Berle's Laws of Power
“The "0th" rule . . . . "Power is always preferable to chaos.
Rule One: Power invariably fills any vacuum in human organization.
Rule Two: Power is invariably personal.
Rule Three: Power is invariably based on a system of ideas or philosophy. Absent such a system or philosophy, the institutions essential to power cease to be reliable, power ceases to be effective, and the power holder is eventually displaced.
Rule Four: Power is exercised through, and depends on, institutions. By their existence, they limit, come to control, and eventually confer or withdraw power.
Rule Five: Power is invariably confronted with, and acts in the presence of, a field of responsibility. The two constantly interact, in hostility or co-operation, in conflict or through some form of dialog, organized or unorganized, made part of, or perhaps intruding into, the institutions on which power depends.
Berle' explanation of these rules, with context and stories, makes a fascinating and, I believe, quite useful read. I think anyone who cares about what "power" means can learn from and profit from this book.
New York. Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc.
This book explores the realm of human behavior in social situations and the way that we appear to others. Each person in everyday social intercourse presents himself and his activity to others, attempts to guide and control the impressions they form of him, and employs certain techniques in order to sustain his performance, just as an actor presents a character to an audience.By Erving Goffman
NY. Anchor. 1959. 269p.
An abridged edition to include: The Problem - Religious Affiliation & Social Stratification - The Spirit of Capitalism - Luther's Conception of the Calling - Task of the Investigation - The Practical Ethics of the Ascetic Branches of Protestantism - The Religious Foundations of Worldly Asceticism - Asceticism and the Spirit of Capitalism - EndnotesBy Max Weber. Translated by Talcott Parsons.
NY. .Charles Scribners. 1958. THIS BOOK CONTAINS MARK-UP
By Ernest Jones
Jones was active in establishing the American Psychoanalytic Association (1911). He wrote monographs on the study of suggestion, symbolism, character formation, and obsessional neuroses; those works were collected in Papers on Psycho-Analysis (1913). After his return to London in 1913 he practiced psychoanalysis.
NY. Hillstone. 1974. 392p.
By Charles Brenner
This standard introduction to psycho-analysis has been thoroughly revised to clarify and refine the concepts presented, and two new chapters have been added. Comprehensive and lucid, Dr. Brenner's volume is the indispensable orientation to the subject for both laymen and students.
NY. Doubleday Anchor. 1955. CONTAINS MARK-UP
By Ernest Jones
Jones was active in establishing the American Psychoanalytic Association (1911). He wrote monographs on the study of suggestion, symbolism, character formation, and obsessional neuroses; those works were collected in Papers on Psycho-Analysis (1913). After his return to London in 1913 he practiced psychoanalysis.
NY. Hillstone. 1974. 392p.
First published in 1895: Emile Durkheims masterful work on the nature and scope of sociologynow with a new introduction and improved translation by leading scholar Steven Lukes.
The Rules of the Sociological Method is among the most important contributions to the field of sociology, still debated among scholars today. Through letters, arguments, and commentaries on significant debates, Durkheim confronted critics, clarified his own position, and defended the objective scientific method he applied to his study of humans. This updated edition offers an introduction and extra notes as well as a new translation to improve the clarity and accessibility of this essential work.
In the introduction, Steven Lukes, author of the definitive biography Emile Durkheim: His Life and Work, spells out Durkheims intentions, shows the limits of Durkheims view of sociology, and presents its political background and significance. Making use of the various texts in this volume and Durkheims later work, Lukes discusses how Durkheims methodology was modified or disregarded in practiceand how it is still relevant today.
With substantial notes on context, this user-friendly edition will greatly ease the task of students and scholars working with Durkheims methoda view that has been a focal point of sociology since its original publication. The Rules of the Sociological Method will engage a new generation of readers with Durkheims rich contribution to the field.By Emile Durkheim
NY. The Free Press. 1938. 204p. CONTAINS MARK-UP
The Sane Society is a continuation and extension of the brilliant psychiatric concepts Erich Fromm first formulated in Escape from Freedom; it is also, in many ways, an answer to Freud's Civilization and its Discontents.
Fromm examines man's escape into overconformity and the danger of robotism in contemporary industrial society: modern humanity has, he maintains, been alienated from the world of their own creation. Here Fromm offers a complete and systematic exploration of his "humanistic psychoanalysis." In so doing, he counters the profound pessimism for our future that Freud expressed and sets forth the goals of a society in which the emphasis is on each person and on the social measures designed to further function as a responsible individual.By Erich Fromm
Greenwich, Conn. Fawcfett. 1955. 314p.
The Social Bond, an Investigation into the Bases of Law-Abidingness, Vol. I: Antecedents of the Social Bond, the Phylogeny of Sociality (Social Bond ... the Bases of Law-Abidingness, Vol 1) (v. 1)
NY. Fordham University Press. 1976. 230p.
By Charles Horton Cooley
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
NY. Scribners. 1922. 416p. CONTAINS MARK-UP
By Herbert Spencer
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.
NY. Appleton. 1901. 432p.
Translated, Edited, And With An Introduction By Kurth. Wolff
Georg Simmel rejected the organicist theories of Auguste Comte and Herbert Spencer and German historical tradition. He believed that society is an intricate web of multiple relations between individuals who are in constant interaction. He introduced the term sociation to describe and analyze particular forms of human interaction and their crystallization in-group characteristics. He emphasized the study of forms of interaction and this approach gave impetus to the rise of formal sociology. Georg Simmel's concept of social types was complementary to his concept of social forms. He used the example of 'The Stranger' to explain his social type, which is someone who has a particular place in society within the social group that the person has entered. Simmel stressed both the connection as well as the tensions between the individual and society, arguing that an individual is both a product of society and the link in all-social processes that take place in society. His dialectical approach brings out the dynamic interlink ages as well as conflicts that exist between social units in a society. Georg Simmel argued that conflict is an essential and complementary aspect of consensus or harmony in society. He made a distinction between social appearances and social realities, and argued that in pre-modern societies the relationships of subordination and superordination between master and servant, between employer and employee involved the total personalities of individuals. In capitalist modern society, the concept of freedom emerges and the domination of employer on employee, master on servant becomes partial. In modern societies, individualism emerges in societies with an elaborate division of labor and a number of intersecting social circles, but human beings are surrounded by objects that put constraint on them and dominate their individual needs and desires. Simmel warned that in modern societies, individuals will be frozen into social functions and the price of the objective perfection of the world will be the atrophy of the human soul.
New York Collier-Macmillan. 1950. 496p. CONTAINS MARK-UP
By Leslie T. Wilkins
Tavistock Press was established as a co-operative venture between the Tavistock Institute and Routledge & Kegan Paul (RKP) in the 1950s to produce a series of major contributions across the social sciences.
This volume is part of a 2001 reissue of a selection of those important works which have since gone out of print, or are difficult to locate. Published by Routledge, 112 volumes in total are being brought together under the name The International Behavioural and Social Sciences Library: Classics from the Tavistock Press.
Reproduced here in facsimile, this volume was originally published in 1964 and is available individually. The collection is also available in a number of themed mini-sets of between 5 and 13 volumes, or as a complete collection.
London. Tavistock. 1964. 311p.
