Sociology Books reviews from Reddit
Summary
We analyzed 124 Reddit reviews across 7 subreddits and 24 posts to rank the best Sociology Books brands recommended by redditors, including communities like r/sociology, r/booksuggestions, r/suggestmeabook, r/books, r/CriticalTheory. Top-rated brands include Erving Goffman (4.9/5), C. Wright Mills (4.4/5), Matthew Desmond (5.0/5).
Stats
Reviews124
Subreddits7
Posts24
Brands87
Products90
124 reviews from
and
By Brand
/By Product
#1
Erving Goffman
4.9
(8)
"The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, Erving Hoffman"
"Behaviour in Public Places by Erving Goffman"
"“The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life” by Goffman. It’s a classic and a quick read, and fundamentally changed how I love at myself and the world"
"The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life"
"Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity"
"Asylums: Essays on the Social Situation of Mental Patients and Other Inmates"
"Fascinating book and theory."
"...and The Presentation of Self In Everyday life comes if you decide to do master and/or PhD."
#2
C. Wright Mills
4.4
(7)
"I would also add C. Wright Mills with The Sociological Imagination!"
"The Sociological Imagination by C.Wright Mills"
"C. Wright Mills, The Sociological Imagination."
"This is a pretty good one. Mills was specifically about an accessible sociology."
"The Sociological Imagination by C Wright Mills"
"Mills, the sociological imagination"
"It's a little dense, but you can't go wrong with The Sociological Imagination by C. Wright Mills."
#3
Matthew Desmond
5.0
(5)
"Evicted was super interesting and readable."
"Evicted, Matthew Desmond"
"*Evicted* by Matthew Desmond"
"“Poverty, by America,” also by Matthew Desmond, is incredibly good as well"
"Matthew Desmond’s “Evicted” - contemporary and written in fairly accessible and non-academic language."
#4
Howard Becker
5.0
(3)
"Deviance by Howard Becker. [a bit dated, but an undisputed classic]"
"It's really easy to read, heavily illustrated with a 'theory - field example - theory - field example' layout and, of course, really interesting."
"Outsiders (Becker)."
#5
Zygmunt Bauman
4.3
(3)
"Zigmunt Bauman has some really profound and accessible works on late modern society. Liquid Modernity is probably the best known."
"I also really enjoyed Work, Consumption and the New Poor."
"Zygmunt Bauman has some good ones on this topic: Consuming Life, Liquid Modernity."
#6
Norbert Elias
4.3
(3)
"The Civilizing Process by Norbert Elias"
""What is sociology" by Norbert Elias"
"Society of Individuals by Elias"
#7
Peter L. Berger
4.0
(3)
""Invitation to Sociology: A Humanistic Perspektive" by Peter L. Berger"
"Berger's Invitation to Sociology and Goffman's Presentation of the Self"
"Berger - An Invitation to Sociology"
#8
William Foote Whyte
5.0
(2)
"Street Corner Society by William Foote Whyte"
"Applied: Street Corner Society (Whyte), Tally's Corner (Liebow), Outsiders (Becker), Yankee City (Warner)."
#9
Les Back
5.0
(2)
"The Art of Listening by Les Back is a great book which embodies what it means to be sociological"
"The Art of Listening by Les Back"
#10
Pierre Bourdieu
5.0
(2)
"Distinction, by Pierre Bourdieu"
"Bourdieu, Distinction."
#11
Emily Nagoski
5.0
(2)
"Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski is one I've personally read and would recommend."
"I really loved Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski. She talks about the different ways people experience desire and attraction and how our physical responses don’t always match our desire."
#12
Herbert Marcuse
5.0
(2)
"*One-Dimensional Man* by Herbert Marcuse."
"Marcuse’s One Dimensional Man"
#13
Giddens
5.0
(2)
"Anthony Giddens' textbooks are really good."
"Sociology by Giddens."
#14
OpenStax
4.5
(2)
"Here's a free Introduction to Sociology textbook."
"If you just want an overview of sociology you could check out the free Openstax Intro to Sociology textbook. I used it to teach a high school sociology class and I liked it a lot."
#15
Sudhir Venkatesh
4.5
(2)
"It really does provide a unique insight into urban life and poverty."
"I think it was... the study was really interesting so I'd recommend it!"
#16
Kenneth Allan
4.5
(2)
"Kenneth Allan's theory textbooks are a must have."
"For theory, I recommend the books written by Kenneth Allan."
#17
W.E.B. Du Bois
4.5
(2)
"Black reconstruction by dubois"
"The Philadelphia Negro, WEB DuBois"
#18
William Julius Wilson
4.0
(2)
"William Julius Wilson is my Favorite. I'm not offering any assessment about him. I'm just saying he's my favorite and I do think everyone should read works by him."
"The Truly Disadvantaged, William Julius Wilson"
#19
Max Weber
4.0
(2)
"And I think Weber can be a good read early on."
"The great readings such as The Protestant Work Ethic & The Spirit of Capitalism..."
#20
Reni Eddo-Lodge
5.0
(1)
"Why I'm No Longer Talking To White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge"
#21
Bruno Latour
5.0
(1)
"We Have Never Been Modern by Bruno Latour"
#22
Iris Marion Young
5.0
(1)
"Throwing Like a Girl and Other Essays by Iris Marion Young"
#23
Eric Hoffer
5.0
(1)
"*The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements* by Eric Hoffer."
#24
Michelle Alexander
5.0
(1)
"The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander."
#25
Ron Ramdin
5.0
(1)
"Ron Ramdin - The Making of the Black Working Class in Britain"
#26
Richard Rothstein
5.0
(1)
"The color of law by richard rothstein"
#27
Lisa Wade
5.0
(1)
"'Terrible Magnificent Sociology' by Lisa Wade is very well rated for the casual reader."
#28
Emile Durkheim
5.0
(1)
"Weber, Suicide by Emile Durkheim, Das Kapital by Karl Marx"
#29
Randol Contreras
5.0
(1)
"For crime, I love Randol Contreras' "Stickup Kids" (a classic IMO)."
#30
Adam & Sydie
5.0
(1)
"I highly recommend Adam and Sydie's Sociological Theory as your introduction to the various theories :) It introduces almost every theorist mentioned here in the comments and is easy to read."
#31
Roberto Gonzales
5.0
(1)
"For immigration, Roberto Gonzales' "Lives in Limbo" still holds up in today's political climate."
#32
Stephen J. Dubner & Steven D. Levitt
5.0
(1)
"Freakonomics
Book by Stephen J. Dubner and Steven Levitt
Incredible read"
#33
James Coleman
5.0
(1)
"James Coleman Foundations of Social Theory"
#34
Max Horkheimer & Theodor Adorno
5.0
(1)
"Dialectic of Enlightenment by Horkheimer and Adorno touches on it quite a bit."
#35
Karl Marx
5.0
(1)
"Weber, Suicide by Emile Durkheim, Das Kapital by Karl Marx"
#36
Anthony Giddens
5.0
(1)
"Also: Capitalism and Modern Social Theory - Anthony Giddens."
#37
Aaron Reeves
5.0
(1)
"Aaron Reeves - Born to Rule: The Making and Remaking of the British Elite"
#38
Loïc Wacquant
5.0
(1)
"Body and Soul, by Loic Waquant"
#39
Peter Barry
5.0
(1)
"Beginning Theory By Peter Barry"
#40
bell hooks
5.0
(1)
"Ain't I A Woman by bell hooks"
#41
Howard Zinn
5.0
(1)
"A people's history of the united states by howard zinn."
#42
Durkheim
5.0
(1)
"I think anybody who wants to do method well should read everything Durkheim has done. That dude rules a part of my brain forever."
#43
Goffman
5.0
(1)
"Goffman is a must."
#44
Nijole Benokraitis
5.0
(1)
"Anything by Nijole Benokraitis."
#45
Openstax
5.0
(1)
"Openstax (part of Rice University) has a free book that you can download as a pdf."
#46
Jonathan Haidt
5.0
(1)
"Not only fun to read, but also very eye-opening."
#47
Anabel Quan-Haase & Lorne Tepperman
4.0
(1)
"Real Life Sociology: A canadian Approach 1st Edition is what my first year sociology book was"
#48
Armstrong & Hamilton
4.0
(1)
"Reading the intro & conclusion chapters does a lot to help understand why universities have the strengths and flaws they do."
#49
Michael Lovaglia
4.0
(1)
"Knowing People by Michael Lovaglia, if you're interested in sociological social psychology."
#50
Jamieson Webster
4.0
(1)
"That's the only book you need to read."
#51
Abigail Saguy
4.0
(1)
"For health, Abigail Saguy's "Whats Wrong with Fat?" was thoughtfully argued and provocative."
#52
Judith Butler
4.0
(1)
"What World is This? By Judith Butler (post-COVID society)"
#53
Annette Lareau
4.0
(1)
"Unequal Childhoods, Annette Lareau"
#54
Patricia Lengermann & Gillian Niebrugge
4.0
(1)
"*The Women Founders,* by Patricia Lengermann and Gillian Niebrugge."
#55
Jason Diamond
4.0
(1)
"The Sprawl: Reconsidering the Weird American Suburbs by Jason Diamond"
#56
Philip Zimbardo
4.0
(1)
"The Lucifer Effect by Phillip Zimbardo(more social psychology but increasingly relevant)"
#57
Phil Gorski
4.0
(1)
"The Flag and the Cross by Phil Gorski (another that is increasingly relevant)"
#58
Charles Bell
4.0
(1)
"Suspended: Punishment, Violence, and the Failure of School Safety by Charles Bell"
#59
Anthony Giddens & Philip W. Sutton
4.0
(1)
"Giddens & Sutton, Sociology 9th ed"
#60
Fred Pampel
4.0
(1)
"Assuming you have only a passing knowledge of sociology and are more interested in sociology than social work, I recommend *Sociological Lives and Ideas,* by Fred Pampel"
#61
Eviatar Zerubavel
4.0
(1)
"Seven Day Circle by Zerubavel"
#62
Rosa Luxemburg
4.0
(1)
"Reform or revolution by luxemburg"
#63
Michael Burawoy
4.0
(1)
"“Public sociology” by the late great Michael Burawoy"
#64
Paulo Freire
4.0
(1)
"It's not entry level, but Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire was eye opening."
#65
James Loewen
4.0
(1)
"Some of my favorites that haven't already been mentioned are: lies my teacher told me and sundown towns by james loewen"
#66
Kathleen Bogle
4.0
(1)
"Hooking Up by Kathleen Bogle is on my list right now."
#67
Kyle Chayka
4.0
(1)
"Filterworld by Kyle Chayka (the impact of algorithms from a sociological and psychological lens)"
#68
John Metzl
4.0
(1)
"A great book to read is Dying of Whiteness by John Metzl (2019)."
#69
Alex Thio
4.0
(1)
"Deviant Behavior by Alex Thio , Jim D. Taylor, et al. might be helpful."
#70
Lauren Berlant
4.0
(1)
"Cruel Optimism by Lauren Berlant. It might not qualify exactly as sociology, but it is definitely thought provoking in a way that is useful to sociologists."
#71
Adler & Adler
4.0
(1)
"Constructions of Deviance by Adler and Adler! Tremendously good"
#72
Kieran Healy
4.0
(1)
"I like Kieran Healy's book on organ donation."
#73
Robert Plomin
4.0
(1)
"Robert Plomin’s excellent book Blueprint, it’s a great intro into the Nature and Nurture debate as well as the social implications of research into hereditary factors."
#74
McIntyre
4.0
(1)
"The Practical Skeptic by McIntyre."
#75
David Karp
4.0
(1)
"A great sociological perspective on depression is explored in David Karp's *Speaking of Sadness*."
#76
Mimi Schippers
4.0
(1)
"A good read on gender is 'Rockin' Out of the Box' by Mimi Schippers."
#77
Ulrich Beck
4.0
(1)
"Ulrich Beck - Risk Society"
#78
Colin Crouch
4.0
(1)
"Colin Crouch - Post-Democracy"
#79
Barbara Ehrenreich
4.0
(1)
"Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich is a really cool intro level book."
#80
Christian Parenti
4.0
(1)
"Lockdown America: Police and Prisons in the Age of Crisis by Christian Parenti."
#81
Hal Brands
4.0
(1)
"Latin America’s Cold War by Hal Brands is a really good one too."
#82
Bourdieu
4.0
(1)
"The only one id add is 'Distinction' by bourdieu which has a great concept."
#83
Neil Postman
4.0
(1)
"Neil Postman - Amusing Ourselves to Death"
#84
Sociology for Dummies
4.0
(1)
"No joke 'sociology for dummies' is actually a good start."
#85
The Sociology Book
4.0
(1)
"The Sociology Book is kind of like a primer on sociology."
#86
The Sociology Big Book
4.0
(1)
"I really like The Sociology Big Book."
#87
Peter Berger
4.0
(1)
"Though it's slightly dated, Peter Berger's *Invitation To Sociology* seems still really good."
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