Using engaging stories and a diverse cast of characters, Lisa Wade memorably delivers what C. Wright Mills described as both the terrible and the magnificent lessons of sociology. With chapters that build upon one another, Terrible Magnificent Sociology represents a new kind of introduction to sociology. Recognizing the many statuses students carry, Wade goes beyond race, class, and gender, considering inequalities of all kindsÑand their intersections. She also highlights the remarkable diversity of sociology, not only of its methods and approaches but also of the scholars themselves, emphasizing the contributions of women, immigrants, and people of color. The book ends with an inspiring call to action, urging students to use their sociological imaginations to improve the world in which they live.

Innovative readings and blog posts show how sociology can help us understand everyday life.

"If sociology could teach everyone just one thing, what would it be? 'The Forest and the Trees' is one sociologist's response to the hypothetical-the core insight with the greatest potential to change how people see the world and themselves in relation to it"--Amazon.com.

"A must-read for any student—present or former—stuck in hookup culture’s pressure to put out." —Ana Valens, Bitch Offering invaluable insights for students, parents, and educators, Lisa Wade analyzes the mixed messages of hookup culture on today’s college campuses within the history of sexuality, the evolution of higher education, and the unfinished feminist revolution. She draws on broad, original, insightful research to explore a challenging emotional landscape, full of opportunities for self-definition but also the risks of isolation, unequal pleasure, competition for status, and sexual violence. Accessible and open-minded, compassionate and honest, American Hookup explains where we are and how we got here, asking, “Where do we go from here?”