The Handbook of Sociology Theory (Springer) is a monster. Editor Jonathan Turner jokingly calls it an “arm book” instead of a “handbook,” and at 745 pages, it’s really no joke. Instead of compiling a compendium of old, dusty standards, Turner gathered the newest, most-viable theories in sociology, “with an eye to capturing the diversity of… Continue reading The Handbook of Sociology Theory and Philosophy of the Social Sciences

The Frankfurt School has been somewhat of a mystery to me. Mentioned in nearly half the books I read, their thought is synonymous with critical theory. I’ve gotten a lot of secondhand exposure to the school, and I’ve read a fair amount of Horkheimer, Adorno, Benjamin, and Marcuse, but I’ve never felt a full grasp… Continue reading The Essential Frankfurt School Reader

Alan D. Schrift has hereby done a great service to anyone interested in French thinkers and their thought. Twentieth-Century French Philosophy (Blackwell) chronicles the lineage, the history, and the context of all of the major thinkers and thought of France in the last hundred years. This includes a succinct chronology, brief biographies, and a lengthy… Continue reading Twentieth-Century French Philosophy: Key Themes and Thinkers