Essentials of Sociology

by James M. Henslin

For courses in Introductory Sociology"
A down-to-earth approach to sociology
" Essentials of Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach " highlights the sociology of everyday life and its relevance to students lives. With wit, personal reflection, and illuminating examples, author James Henslin stimulates students sociological imaginations so they can better perceive how the pieces of society fit together. Six central themes guide students through this concise overview of the discipline: a down-to-earth approach, globalization, cultural diversity, critical thinking, the new technology, and the influence of the mass media on our lives. The Twelfth Edition has been extensively revised to include contemporary examples and fresh topics that bring sociology to life.
Also available with MySocLab(r)
MySocLab for the Introductory Sociology course extends learning online to engage students and improve results. Media resources with assignments bring concepts to life, and offer students opportunities to practice applying what they ve learned. Please note: this version of MySocLab does not include an eText.
"Essentials of Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach," Twelfth Edition is also available via REVEL, an interactive learning environment that enables students to read, practice, and study in one continuous experience.
Note: You are purchasing a standalone product; MyLab & Mastering does not come packaged with this content. Students, if interested in purchasing this title with MyLab & Mastering, ask your instructor for the correct package ISBN and Course ID. Instructors, contact your Pearson representative for more information.
If you would like to purchase both the physical text and MyLab & Mastering, search for:
0134495926 / 9780134495927 Essentials of Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach plus MySocLab(r) for Introductory Sociology Access Card Package, 12/e
Package consists of:
0134205588 / 9780134205588 Essentials of Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach, 12/e 0133878104 / 9780133878103 MySocLab for Introductory Sociology Access Card

Genres: Sociology, Textbooks, Nonfiction, School, College, Education, Reference

608 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mission 2026: Binge reviewing all previous Reads, I was too slothful to review back when I read them

Henslin’s book is sociology with the sleeves rolled up. No unnecessary theory flexing.

No academic gatekeeping. Just society, explained clearly and relentlessly.

What makes Essentials of Sociology effective is its insistence that sociology is not abstract—it’s everywhere. Family, religion, class, race, gender, media, education: Henslin shows how invisible structures quietly script our daily lives.

You finish chapters and start noticing patterns in conversations, classrooms, weddings, and WhatsApp groups. That’s good sociology.

The writing is accessible without being dumbed down. Concepts like socialization, deviance, stratification, and power are explained through examples that actually stick.

Henslin understands that sociology is not about memorizing theorists; it’s about learning how to see.

The book’s biggest strength is its ethical clarity. It doesn’t pretend neutrality where neutrality would be dishonest. Issues of inequality, privilege, and systemic bias are addressed directly, but without moral grandstanding.

The tone is explanatory, not preachy.

If there’s a weakness, it’s that the book is unapologetically introductory. Advanced readers may crave more theoretical friction.

But as a foundation text, it’s rock solid.

This is sociology as civic literacy—and we need more of that.

Most recommended.

[Little Timmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the text book for my college course. good read and well laid out chapters made this a good book to learn from. Recommended

[S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Textbook for Intro to Sociology class. This isn't the first intro sociology textbook I've read. I didn't agree with everything in the book, and I remember noting some mistakes that probably don't matter to anyone but me. On the upside, I like the way the information was presented. I'm not a big psyc/socio person, but this book made me talk about sociology. Not in class, just randomly to friends and family. I think that says a lot about this book. I wouldn't read it for fun, but it gives a very thorough overview. 3.7* rounded up.

[UT booklady · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was rather surprised how much I enjoyed this textbook and how much material was covered for an intro to sociology course. It was written in layman's terms which made it easy to understand and relatable. Glad my professor chose this book as the main text!

[Skai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this for my Principles of Sociology class.

[Destiny Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for my Sociology class and it was a good class! I enjoyed it a lot and I it’s nice having a break now because I can read!

[Adam · Rating 2 out of 5]

master status - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_...

sandwich generation - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandwic...

primary group (usually family)

Horatio Alger myth – the belief that anyone can get ahead if only he or she tries hard enough

"When husbands get laid off, most do less housework […] it threatens his masculinity"

"romantic love usually begins with sexual attraction. Finding ourselves sexually attracted to someone, we spend time with that person. I f we discover mutual interests, we may label our feelings “love.” Apparently, then, romantic love has two components. The first is emotional, a feeling of sexual attraction. The second is cognitive, a label that we attach to our feelings. If we attach this label, we describe ourselves as being 'in love.'"

[Reet · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for my own interest, because I try to figure out how human beings got in the overpopulated, planet-destroying mess we're in. It was interesting and I learned quite a bit. Here's the thing, though. In the chapters concerning environment, overpopulation and the planet's ability to feed all these swollen rivers of humans, industry, etc., there's no mention of CAFOS, or food grown for and fed to "food" Animals, and how rain forests are being Pac-manned to grow these crops. Why? Oh, wait, we're not supposed to know about these things. That's right.

[Aly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to use this textbook this semester for a college course. It does it's job but it's a textbook so, you know, it can get pretty boring. It wasn't hard to read and it did a really good job explaining things in a way that I could understand them. I enjoyed the examples and it made the textbook feel more personal when the author used "I" "me" and "my" within the text. It felt better knowing that the research was done by him rather than some things he saw looking around on the internet.

[Qiaoyun.Hu · Rating 5 out of 5]

关于社会学的一本精美有趣的入门书籍，结合生动的实例解释互动论、功能论、冲突论等理论知识，很喜欢。

[Vic Woeppel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read learned a lot about the subject

[Mohammed Barri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for my own interest.

[night birdie · Rating 3 out of 5]

honestly, started reading because i needed to for class. became a fun read when i realized it wasnt just an info dump. bought a copy in lieu of keeping it on the pdf version!

[Vee Gretzinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

i thought this book was very interesting. Yes, it's a textbook, and it was assigned reading. but, quite frankly, i enjoyed it very much. i enjoyed reading the authors personal accounts, and he simplified everything for better understanding. however, trying to read a college textbook, maintain a social life, and still be in high school, forced me to lower the score. #sorryimnotsorry

[Zeeshan · Rating 4 out of 5]

good.

[Internet · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Henslin's personal accounts throughout the chapters helped to illustrate the basic sociological concepts and themes. Well written textbook that is easy to read.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my sociology 100 text book. I don't remember much about it, but I also don't remember this class being abnormally hard.

[Romy Andrina]

m/

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really informative when explaining sociology. It was easy to read and used examples to explain. Easy to follow and learn from it.

[Iris Nevers · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a textbook. It was okay at best.

[Emmanuel Nevers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating textbook