Request: What is a good introductory Sociology Book?

[name]

Could somebody please recommend a good general introductory book on sociology, a book on the level of what students would read during the first year at university and which introduces concepts, how they work and interact, and an overview over the field?


I read German, English, Spanish with ease, French with difficulty.


Thanks.

 

[Palinurus]

As you would've surmised this simple question doesn't have a simple answer, I'm afraid. :D

So, the best I can do for you is list a few possibilities to choose from according to your immediate interests and leave the real picking up to you. ;)

I start with four suggestions in line with your stated need:

The Basics of Sociology
Down to Earth Sociology: 14th Edition: Introductory Readings, Fourteenth Edition
Classical and Contemporary Sociological Theory: Text and Readings
Masters of Sociological Thought: Ideas in Historical and Social Context

Two suggestions about the invention of sociology and the social sciences in general:

The Rise of Social Theory
The Rise of the Social Sciences and the Formation of Modernity (Sociology of the Sciences Yearbook)

I also found a website which allows you to compose your own on line learning trajectory through a wealth of texts on virtual any science:

How it works: Search, Discover, Learn & Share
Introductory Sociology Textbooks

My recommendations regarding their introductory sociology textbooks:

Sociology: Your Compass for a New World
Sociology: A Down to Earth Approach
Sociology: The Core
The Meaning of Sociology
Human Behavior in the Social Environment
The Discovery of Society
Sociology: The Central Questions

Embarrassment of riches, I know -- but that's how it is.

Hope this helps a bit. :)

 

[Gawan]

As you would've surmised this simple question doesn't have a simple answer, I'm afraid. :D

I agree :). Unfortunately I don't have a good recommendation myself, but what you could try is using Palinurus suggestions and comparing them on amazon, which ones have a good review for example. Most often at universities it also happens that there is no standard book and depends on the choices of professors or if they published themself a book and so on.