I suspect that beginning students assigned to read sociology feel much like the theatergoer who stumbles into a foreign film without subtitles. [So] I tried to keep the needs of the introductory student in mind. I tried to bridge the gap between the sociologists who wrote these articles and the students who will read them. My goal is to replace boredom with intellectual challenge, to make sociology not 'easy,' but accessible. --Lisa McIntyre
Using a conceptual framework, The Practical Skeptic: Readings in Sociology includes classic sociological research writings as well as recent pieces on fascinating topics of interest to students. It is the ideal companion to McIntyres text, The Practical Skeptic: Core Concepts in Sociology or other sociology texts. Readings in this edition challenge students to re-evaluate familiar social arenas: the college classroom, televised sports shows, restaurants, doctors offices and even public restrooms. The essential lesson of the readings is this: There is much that goes on in the social world that escapes the sociologically untrained eye.
I would certainly adopt this reader again. It is a wonderful, enriching complement to McIntyres textbook and introduces students to the richness and depth that characterizes the sociological literature. -- Susan Humpers-Ginther, Minnesota State University, Moorhead
