Many of us are readers. We read to keep up on the latest sociological research, of course, but we also read for pleasure. In the Book Corner, Sociology faculty, staff, graduate students, and visitors share recommendations for novels, biographies, history, and non-fiction books that have made an impact on us. What these books share in common is that they are all "good reads" that are accessible to a wide range of readers. And while few them are explicitly Sociology books, many touch on themes that come up in our classes, and in contemporary society. We encourage you to browse through these entries, then pull up a chair and start reading. There will be no quizzes, but feel free to let us know what you think.
More than 2 million people in the United States live behind bars, a scale of punishment and human suffering not seen in any other society—yet US crime rates are at historic lows. In her new book, Ending Mass Incarceration, S. Frank Miyamoto Professor of Sociology Katherine Beckett explains how and why mass incarceration persists despite growing recognition of its many failures, despite plummeting crime rates, and even despite… Read more