Product Review

In the Brief, Fourth Edition of Sociology: Exploring the Architecture of Everyday Life, David Newman once again shows students how to see the “unfamiliar in the familiar”—to step back and see organization and predictability in their take-for-granted personal experiences. With his approachable writing style and lively personal anecdotes, the author’s goal from the first edition has been the same: to write a textbook that “reads like a real book.” He uses the metaphors of “architecture” and “construction,” to help students understand that society is not something that exists “out there,” independently of themselves; it is a human creation that is planned, maintained, or altered by individuals. Using vivid prose, current examples, and fresh data, this text presents a unique and thought-provoking overview of how society is constructed and experienced.