This conversational book with Zygmunt Bauman looks at the usefulness of sociology with an aim to inspire future conversations about the discipline. Olivia Mena found this book to be a sounding board of the timeless but central questions which social theorists and practitioners must revisit regularly in the everyday practice of the ‘scientific sorcery’ that is sociology. This review originally appeared on LSE Review […]
Category: Book Reviews
Book Review: Are We All Scientific Experts Now? by Harry Collins
A series of recent scientific scandals, frauds, and failures have led some to question science’s pre–eminence. Revelations such as Climategate or debates about the safety of the MMR vaccine have dented public confidence in science. Are We All Scientific Experts Now? is a valuable contribution to the ways in which we ascribe value to expertise, writes William Allen. Although Collins convincingly answering the […]
Book Review: Digital Dilemmas: Power, Resistance and the Internet by M. I. Franklin
How are digital landscapes being incorporated into public space and what does this mean for civic engagement? In Digital Dilemmas, M.I. Franklin considers how publics, nation-states, and multilateral institutions are being continually reinvented in local and global decision-making domains that are accessed and controlled by a relative few. This well-researched tome of contemporary digital dilemmas positions itself well among other works that have been published […]
Book Review: The Nine Elements of a Sustainable Campus by Mitchell Thomashow
In The Nine Elements of a Sustainable Campus, Mitchell Thomashow proposes a blueprint for making universities more sustainable. As the former President of Unity College in Maine, USA, he argues that the campus is the perfect crucible for developing ideas and action, engaging diverse communities and teaching the next generation of citizens. Jon Emmett finds a book that may not contain simple, ready-made answers to […]
Book Review: Voicing Demands: Feminist Activism in Transnational Contexts, edited by Sohela Nazneen and Maheen Sultan
Feminist voice is a key pathway to women’s empowerment, argue the contributors to this collection of analytical narratives, Voicing Demands: Feminist Activism in Transnational Contexts. Case studies set out to challenge the existing debates on women’s’ political engagement to uncover the key role of feminist activism in building and legitimising women’s voices in different political contexts. From South Asia, Latin America, […]
Book Review: Introduction to Social Research: Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches, Third Edition, by Keith F Punch
In Introduction to Social Research, Keith F. Punch wants to ‘demystify’ and ‘simplify’ the research process, in an attempt to show that quality research can always be achieved. With its straightforward language, an intuitive structure, and well-defined learning objectives, this book does just that, finds Sophie Lecheler. This third edition features a number of interesting updates, such as chapters on research ethics and conducting […]
Book Review: Walter Benjamin: A Critical Life by Howard Eiland and Michael W. Jennings
Howard Eiland and Michael W. Jennings’ book maps the life of philosopher Walter Benjamin from beginning to end, tracing the roots of his thought all the way from his early childhood to his seminal work as part of the esteemed ‘Frankfurt School’, and ultimately to his last months in Paris. The biography is very well written, featuring sparse, elegant prose – a lot […]
Book Review: The Passionate Economist: How Brian Abel-Smith Shaped Global Health and Social Welfare by Sally Sheard
In this book Sally Sheard looks at the life and achievements of former LSE professor Brian Abel-Smith, and at the development of health and social welfare systems since the 1950s. The Passionate Economist deserves to find its way on to many people’s shelves and reading lists: not just the historians of health and welfare, but anyone interested in questions of social justice and how academics, politicians […]
Book Review: Punk Sociology by David Beer
This book explores the possibility of drawing upon a punk ethos to inspire sociology and to cultivate a vibrant future for the discipline. Aiming to fire the sociological imaginations of sociologists at any stage of their careers, from new students to established professors, it uses punk to think creatively about what sociology is and how it might be conducted. Dave O’Brien finds […]
Book Review: Introducing Qualitative Research: A Student’s Guide, 2nd Edition, by Rose Barbour
In this book, Rose Barbour sets out to provide a clear, user-friendly introduction to the craft of doing qualitative research. The author’s writing style and the inclusion of numerous anecdotes from her own research, simultaneously demystify qualitative research whilst reiterating the expertise and skill which researchers must possess, writes Christina Dobson. Christina recommends this book to anyone undertaking qualitative research, postgraduate students in particular. This review originally […]