Why do we blame individuals for economic crises?

The authors of this book have done an amazing job at pulling together loads of data to demonstrate that societies with less socio-economic inequality are healthier and happier. The evidence is striking and compelling. This little book can serve as ammunition for anyone wishing to argue for social policies promoting more equal societies.

A powerful analysis of the current age of social insecurity. Focusing mostly on the US context, sociologist Loic Wacquant shows how both trends — the rising number of people incarcerated and the increasingly harsh, disciplinary social policies — are part of the neoliberal model of government. He unmasks the neoliberal state as a centaur state: laissez-faire towards those who are already well off while controlling and disciplining those that are at the bottom of the social ladder.

Les Back writes beautifully about the mission of sociology. He talks about it as an art of listening, a way of being attuned to the world and listening for stories. Sociology, for Back, is also an ethical practice, as it is an act of care for the world around us. It is an inspiring book for anyone interested in doing social research and writing about it.