Great Books

A Down-to-Earth Approach   Henslin's popular brief paperback text shares the excitement of sociology, with its acclaimed “down-to-earth” approach and personal writing style that highlight the sociology of everyday life and its relevance to students' lives. James Henslin has a unique ability to engage students without talking down to them or sacrificing content. With wit, personal reflection, and illuminating examples, he shares with readers his passion for sociology.   Students are guided on their sociological journey with: Down-to-Earth Approach Comparative Perspectives Globalization of Capitalism Visual Presentations of Sociology

Suitable for introductory environmental and physical geology courses, Environmental Geology is the only available geology textbook conceived and written from an Earth system science perspective--an approach that helps students comprehend and appreciate the Earth's varied environments and the whole-Earth systems that connect them.  Arranged in four parts, the book moves from general concepts to individual solid and fluid Earth systems to global environmental change.

This heavily reviewed Study Guide is designed to help students prepare for quizzes and exams. For every chapter in the text, it contains a chapter summary, list of key terms and people, a practice test with 25 multiple choice questions, and an answer key. Packaged at no additional cost with the text, upon request.

An indispensable book for all professionals and students interested in the field of geoarchaeology, including those with limited earth-science experience, this new edition of Geoarchaeology builds on the success and innovation of the first edition and includes updates, new concepts and examples, an enhanced bibliography, and many new illustrations.  The second edition begins by considering the history and theory of geoarchaeology.  Rapp and Hill then move to discussions of soils and environmental interpretations; initial context and site formation; methods of discovery and spatial analyses; estimating time; paleoenvironments, landscapes, and the human past; identifying, analyzing, and sourcing raw materials; and construction, destruction, and conservation of sites and materials.  "[This book] covers a wide range of topics . . . with clarity and balance. . . . [The] chapters are all well written and have concise introductory discussions that are not too detailed and not too brief. . . . Beautifully produced."—Michael Waters, Geoarchaeology: An International Journal (on the first edition)

Adapted from Henslin’s best-selling comprehensive text, Core Concepts provides in-depth coverage of ten high-priority topics that are the foundation of many introductory sociology courses.   This unique paperback offers a concise and economical format without sacrificing depth of coverage. Unlike a “brief” or “essentials” text, the ten chapters that make up Core Concepts are not edited down from a longer book. Instead, they provide full coverage of those topics that instructors emphasize the most in a one-semester or one-term introductory sociology course. Like Henslin’s other texts, it features the author's familiar “down-to-earth” approach and personal writing style that highlight the sociology of everyday life. With wit, personal reflection, and illuminating examples, Henslin shares with readers a passion for sociology unmatched by any other introductory text.

The briefest of Miller's three texts, this inexpensive black-and-white alternative covers all the major topics found in Miller's other two texts, LIVING IN THE ENVIRONMENT: PRINCIPLES, CONNECTIONS, AND SOLUTIONS, TWELFTH EDITION and ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE: WORKING WITH THE EARTH, EIGHTH EDITION. It provides an integrated approach emphasizing solutions and distilling the key concepts in environmental science to offer students the basic material for about half the price of other environmental science texts.

This theoretically balanced text provides the latest research findings and a consistent structure to help students analyze major social problems facing the United States.  The authors present both sides of an argument with a neutral voice and use a "down-to-earth" writing style.   When students complete this text, not only do they gain a sociological understanding of social problems, but also they are able to explore–and evaluate–their own opinions about specific social problems. They will gain a greater awareness of the social forces that shape their orientations to social problems and their perspectives on social life. The ideas in this book, then, can penetrate students’ thinking and give shape to their views of the world.