The forest and the trees : sociology as life, practice, and promise

If sociology could teach everyone just one thing, what would it be? The Forest and the Trees is one sociologist's response to the hypothetical-the core insight with the greatest potential to change how people see the world and themselves in relation to it. It is about what that insight is and why it matters that we understand it, use it, and pass it on. It is about the future of a discipline whose influence and credibility will stand or fall on the ability to foster a clear and widespread understanding of what it means to think sociologically. "An inspiring resource. . . . I highly recommend this book as a very useful teaching aid for introductory sociology in the Berger and Mills traditions." The Canadian Review of Sociology and Anthropology "Johnsons discussion is masterful." Choice What is sociology really about? Allan Johnson's answer goes to the heart of sociology as a way of thinking and explains why it's important that we understand it, use it, live it, and pass it on. Johnson takes us into every nook and cranny of social life, from the meaning of "I love you" to the ravages of social oppression. One sociologist's response to the hypothetical - the core insight with the greatest potential to change how people see the world and themselves in it. The book is an account of how sociological practice affects almost every aspect of life, from news headlines to the experience of growing older.