Authors: Richard Osborne & Borin Van Loon
Published: 2009
Publisher: Icon Books Ltd.
Paperback: 176 pages
This book aims to introduce the subject of Sociology through comic book style narration.
It traces the origins of sociology from Enlightenment thought and the pioneering work of Auguste Comte to subsequent developments by Karl Marx, Herbert Spencer, Emile Durkheim and Max Weber.
It also explores the rapid expansion of sociology in 20th-century America and Britain, the post-Second World War dominance of Talcott Parsons, the Chicago School and the rise of structuralism.
The narrative in spite of being propped up by illustrations is quite dull and I could not go beyo
nd reading 8-10 pages in a single stretch.
Besides too much stuff is crammed into this pocket size book of 170 odd pages. For subjects as abstract as Sociology, it would have been better if the authors have chosen a few key topics and explained the concepts at length.
While this book may be OK as a quick brush up on certain concepts and topics, I don't consider it as a good introduction to Sociology. There may be better books in the market.
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Authors: John Bessant and Joe Tidd
Published: 2007
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Ltd. ;
Paperback: 478 pages
The authors who are experienced academicians have written this book to provide an accessible and highly structured introduction to innovation and entrepreneurship for students of business and management.
A very comprehensive text book which admirably serves the purpose for which it has been written !
Read more about this book at my professional website.
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Published: 2006
Paperback: 244 pages
The author Gerald Durrell was a well known naturalist and conservationist. He was also a zookeeper and wrote lots of books based on his experiences with animals. Now I am not a great animal enthusiast but I had really enjoyed one of his stories which we studied in high school. It was really a very humorous piece of writing.
So I couldn't resist picking up this book at Landmark when they were selling it at a bargain price of Rs.99.
This book does not have any animal stories (but I am not complaining !) but has six pieces on different pandemonic ( utterly confusing and chaotic) situations which he encountered.
The stories are about - a picnic with his family; then a cruise with his family; a chance meeting with his ex-girlfriend during his holiday in Venice; the impact of his reading a textbook on sexuality, on the staff of the hotel he was staying; the origins of a exotic dish served by a restaurant in France; spooky mirrors.
Stories have a great sense of "Wodehousian" humor (except one which though well written is a horror story) and I thoroughly enjoyed them.
A great read to lighten up your mood and enjoy all the good and bad things in life !
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