{"data":[{"id":475,"title":"Ethics for A-Level","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2017,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":["unknown"],"description":"What does pleasure have to do with morality? What role, if any, should intuition have in the formation of moral theory? If something is ‘simulated', can it be immoral? This accessible and wide-ranging textbook explores these questions and many more. Key ideas in the fields of normative ethics, metaethics and applied ethics are explained rigorously and systematically, with a vivid writing style that enlivens the topics with energy and wit. Individual theories are discussed in detail in the first part of the book, before these positions are applied to a wide range of contemporary situations including business ethics, sexual ethics, and the acceptability of eating animals. A wealth of real-life examples, set out with depth and care, illuminate the complexities of different ethical approaches while conveying their modern-day relevance. This concise and highly engaging resource is tailored to the Ethics components of AQA Philosophy and OCR Religious Studies, with a clear and practical layout that includes end-of-chapter summaries, key terms, and common mistakes to avoid. It should also be of practical use for those teaching Philosophy as part of the International Baccalaureate. Ethics for A-Level is of particular value to students and teachers, but Fisher and Dimmock's precise and scholarly approach will appeal to anyone seeking a rigorous and lively introduction to the challenging subject of ethics.","contributors":[{"id":4279,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Mark","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Dimmock","location":"Torquay Boys' Grammar School","background_text":"Mark Dimmock graduated with a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Nottingham, defending the theories of Moral Error Theory and Moral Abolitionism. He now works as a Philosophy Teacher at Torquay Boys' Grammar School."},{"id":4280,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Andrew","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Fisher","location":"University of Nottingham","background_text":"Andrew Fisher is Associate Professor at the University of Nottingham and has been lecturing philosophy for fifteen years. He has published in metaethics, philosophy of education, philosophy of sport, philosophy of religion, philosophy for children and how to use technology in teaching. He is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and teaches philosophy to local primary school children."}],"subjects":[{"id":6,"name":"Humanities","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":null,"visible_textbooks_count":418,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/humanities"},{"id":34,"name":"Philosophy","parent_subject_id":6,"call_number":"B72","visible_textbooks_count":40,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/philosophy"},{"id":51,"name":"Religion","parent_subject_id":6,"call_number":"BL1","visible_textbooks_count":19,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/religion"}],"publishers":[{"id":410,"url":"https://www.openbookpublishers.com/product/639/ethics-for-a-level","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:39.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:39.000-05:00","name":"Open Book Publishers"}],"formats":[{"id":697,"type":"PDF","url":"https://www.openbookpublishers.com/product/639/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":698,"type":"Online","url":"https://www.openbookpublishers.com/read/978-1-78374-388-9","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":2052,"type":"XML","url":"https://www.openbookpublishers.com/product/639/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4.5","textbook_reviews_count":5,"reviews":[{"id":1598,"first_name":"Sarah","last_name":"Kath","position":"Philosophy Instructor","institution_name":"Central Lakes College","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The approach taken in this text, while specific to the AQA philosophy and OCR religious programs, would work quite well with lower level/introductory ethics students, who have no background in philosophy. However, the book covers only 4 major ethical theories: utilitarianism, deontology, virtue theory and natural law theory. So, it misses social contractarianism, divine command theory, ethical relativism, and ethical egoism. I would have to supplement this text.\n\nPart I covers the four classical ethical theories traditionally covered by introductory ethics courses plus one on situational ethics. The chapter content is straightforward and peppered occasionally with direct quotes from relevant philosophers. The thought experiments are effective and useful in helping students further connect with the abstract theories. That there is a section of “Problems” with the various theories is also excellent. The idea of helpful sections like “common student mistakes” was appreciated, and it does capture some of what my students tend to struggle with. Another benefit is that the text itself was very clear, basic and thorough in explaining ethical reasoning processes that many introductory students struggle to grasp. For example, they often struggle with conducting the hedonic calculus and recognizing the difference between act and rule utilitarianism, or applying the categorical imperative to various scenarios. Helpfully, this text goes into depth explaining and demonstrating how to understand apply these approaches to sample cases. So, although there are no exercises or quizzes with this text, the text itself provides plenty of discussion fodder. Additionally, the “Issues to Consider” and “Key Terms” sections which are very helpful and can be adapted for student reflection or discussion. Placing the references section at the end of each chapter with some resources that are “freely available” is very helpful for students who want to quickly look up additional resources. However, that drops off as the chapters progress. A nice addition would be a section containing further readings or additional resources. I certainly think it's possible to locate some freely available resources for the chapter on Virtue Theory. \n\nPart II could be skipped in an intro to ethics course, or used in an intro to philosophy course. I didn’t review this section as I prefer to take an applied approach to philosophy.\n\n Part III: Applied Ethics is pertinent to anyone who likes to incorporate some popular moral arguments and it nicely covers several major ethical dilemmas. The section on euthanasia is structured well in that it provides multiple pro and con arguments for the students to analyze. Initially I was unsure how relevant a section on “Stealing” is for students, but the application of Kantian ethics to the concept of property is quite good. The remaining sections contain theoretical reasoning by applying the ethical theories to the moral issues. These should make for a good beginning to discussion. However, they would be strengthened by the inclusion of pro/con arguments so students would have something to analyze. \n\n","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"Generally the text accurately summarizes the theories themselves and supplies relevant critiques of the theories. However, there is a strong bias toward religious reasoning that is evident throughout and particularly apparent in the treatment of natural law theory and euthanasia. There is also some inconsistency in the headings/section titles used throughout the book, which is confusing at best and at times appears deceptive. For example, the switch in category headings from “Problems” to “Objections” might be confusing to some. \n\nAs an example of the weaknesses of this text, the chapter on natural law theory only very briefly covers divine command theory, but students usually need more of an explanation on why religious ethics like this are abandoned. Although, I do recognize that even with a thorough analysis many students fail to fully grasp the implications of the Euthyphro dilemma; so, perhaps it is better to gloss over it in favor of Natural Law. \n\nAnother problem is that while the explication of the Natural Law position is solid, the critique is downplayed and ultimately hidden under a deceptive section title. First the critiques were called “Problems,” then “Objections,” and in this chapter they changed to “Some thoughts.” This is a letdown. It appears biased. The authors, as philosophers (lovers of wisdom and truth) have an obligation to maintain an evenhanded critique of strengths and weaknesses for all theories. \n\nIt is also an interesting choice to structure the last section as Fletcher’s situationism when I see more problems with relativism and a far greater need to clarify and critique that position. Moderate objectivism or ethical situationalism (see Pojman) would have been a better choice; however, I think again the author’s loyalties/origins have affected its inclusion.\n\nIn Part III, particularly the section on euthanasia, the authors also skew the analysis toward religion. Since I can’t assume all my students are Catholic, nor do I think that strictly faith based religious or Biblical reasoning is relevant as a critique, this section of the text falls short in modeling true philosophical reasoning and rational critique. However, the analysis of sexual ethics appears forthright and objectively handled, although instead of pro or con arguments we are given the various theories’ treatment of sexual ethics. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"I don't think there will be an issue of this book going out of date. The examples/issues remain relevant. The theories are classics.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text appears very clear and any jargon used is fully defined and explained through copious examples and applications.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"As noted above, the switch in headings from \"problems\" to \"objections\" to \"thoughts\" is misleading and confusing. Additionally, there is a definite propensity toward religion and religious reasoning, which leads to uneven analysis in some points.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The layout of this text is lovely. The chapters could be reorganized and as I stated above, the entirety of part two could be skipped. Additionally, the effective use of headings allows certain sections of the text to be cut or supplemented.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The text's flow and organization is consistent and appealing. It is easy to section out, and the examples are appropriately inserted to support and clarify key concepts.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface is nice. It is published both as a PDF and online, so readers can choose their preference. The PDF has a nice book like setup, so you can flip to the next page and don't have to scroll downward through pages. Both the web and PDF version are very clear and clean. Additionally, for students who desire a print copy, the web version allows printing of chapters, sections, etc.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"While I did not do a close study, I only noticed a few minor grammatical issues like pluralization and possessives.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The text is fine. It might even be too wary of offending at the expense of sound analysis.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall, when paired with some additional readings in moral theories and arguments in applied ethics, this secondary text provides a solid basis for a lower level intro to ethics course.","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1924,"first_name":"Ivan ","last_name":"Guajardo, Ph.D.","position":"Assistant Professor of Philosophy ","institution_name":"Virginia Western Community College ","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook is tailored to AQA Philosophy and OCR Religious studies, yet it is comprehensive enough to be easily adapted to introductory surveys in Ethics. It contains a helpful introduction to the field of ethics, discusses some standard ethical theories (Part I), the classic debate in Metaethics between cognitivism/non-cognitivism about moral utterances and realism/anti-realism about the existence of moral facts (Part II), and applies the moral theories covered in part I to important moral issues (Part III).  \n\nThe introduction defines the field of ‘ethics’, explains basic distinctions and methods like thought-experiments and their role in evaluating moral beliefs, and discusses other important distinctions like the difference between moral and legal reasons. The authors, however, omit any discussion of the logic of moral arguments or standard criteria for evaluating competing moral theories, despite the methodological significance of these topics.   Supplementary materials or chapters on these topics must be added for this introduction to be better suited for an ethics class.  \n\n Part I covers Utilitarianism, Kant’s Ethics, Aristotelian Virtue Ethics, Natural Law Theory, and Joseph Fletcher’s Situation Ethics.  The exposition and evaluation of these theories is clear, concise, engaging, and manage to avoid unnecessary jargon.  A central benefit of these chapters is that they are short and to the point, so the reader gets a good sense of the core elements of each theory as well as their pros and cons.  For instance, students often struggle to understand the idea that Kant’s Categorical Imperative does not appeal to consequences in evaluating maxims but focuses instead on a maxim’s ability to function consistently if turned into law.  The authors manage effectively to explain and illustrate the difference with interesting cases like lying and suicide.  Each chapter also contains a nice summary, a very helpful section of common student mistakes, a list of terms covered, and a set of issues that can be used for further reflection.  All of these features can be used for discussions, exercises, and quizzes. The list of references at the end of each chapter is also welcomed, although it would be nice to add sections containing “further readings” or “additional resources” in case the reader wants to further pursue the topics. \n\nPart I does not cover Ethical Egoism, Social Contract Theory, The Ethics of Care, or Feminism.  This may be understandable if A-Level students are not being tested on these theories but less so if this book is to be used for a class in ethics. Despite that most philosophers reject it, Ethical Egoism is quite popular outside philosophy, so students ought to be given the opportunity to learn why this is so.  Social Contract Theory forms the basis of some of the most influential theories of Justice, like John Rawls’ Justice as Fairness, and The Ethics of Care and Feminism represent some of the important contributions that women philosophers have made to our understanding of right and wrong.  Accordingly, these topics would have to be added to make the textbook better suited for an ethics class.\n\nThe part on Metaethics details the classic positions about the meaning of ethical utterances and the status of moral facts for those who wish to cover this topic in their classes.  This part, however, would be enhanced if a chapter discussing relativism were added.  Many students think that morality is reducible to individual or cultural preferences.  Accordingly, a textbook purporting to introduce students to ethics should cover relativism’s pros and cons, as well as how one could defend a belief in the objectivity of morality against it.\n\nThe discussion of how the ethical theories covered in Part I apply to the moral issues and dilemmas posed by Euthanasia, Sexual Ethics, Stealing, Simulated Killing, Lying, and Animal Rights is quite good.  These chapters provide the reader with a general sense of how these theories deal with the central issues that define these topics.  For instance, the application of Utilitarianism’s emphasis on suffering as the mark of moral status to animal rights is quite good.  So is the application of Kant’s ethics to the concept of private property and its relation to stealing.  However, teachers focusing on practical issues may be disappointed by the absence of important issues like abortion, cloning, genetic enhancement, same-same marriage, the death penalty, affirmative action, war, terrorism, torture, economic inequality, and other moral issues typically cover in an applied ethics class. \n\n\n\n\n\n","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"The textbook handles the material covered fairly accurately.  However, it contains a strong bias towards religious thinking, especially in its presentation of Natural Law Theory. For instance, the authors downplay or fail to mention several standard objections against Natural Law Theory, like the difficulty of deriving an “ought” from an “is” or of identifying an activity’s proper function.  Also, their decision to cover Joseph Fletcher’s situational ethics instead of more important frameworks, like the Ethics of Care or Feminism, appear gratuitous and gender bias.  Anyone wanting to teach ethics more inclusively would have to rely on extra readings or add new chapters to address these shortcomings.\n","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The textbook presents classic theories, arguments, and examples. These contents should stand the test of time. The book’s format and organization allows for easy incorporation of revisions and updates if needed. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The textbook stands out for its clarity and concision.  It uses technical jargon sparingly and defines technical term well when it does.  It also offers a vey useful vocabulary at the end. ","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"The content is generally consistently developed, but there is a clear bias towards Natural Law Theory and a stronger emphasis on religious arguments than I think is appropriate for a philosophical approach to moral issues. This may be explained by the fact that the textbook was written for OCR Religious Studies.  Nevertheless, these issues need to be addressed before I could use it for my classes.  ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The textbook is broken down nicely into chapters and sections that stand on their own and can be easily revised, reorganized, or remixed in various ways.  Some chapters, e.g., the part on Metaethics, can be skipped completely without undermining the coherence, intelligibility, or flow of the remaining chapters.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The textbook is well organized.  Key concepts are explained and material is appropriately divided into easily digestible chunks.  The authors use relevant examples that support well important problems and concepts.   Transitions are easy to follow and allow the reader to make important connections within and between chapters and parts. Overall, I really like the way the book is structured and the way its explanations flow.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Students have access to a PDF and an ease-to-navigate, online version of this textbook.   Printed copies of the whole or parts of it can be made easily.  It is also published under a CC By license, which permits the greatest freedom to retain, reuse, revise, remix, and redistribute its contents.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The authors mistakenly use the term ‘rationale’ instead of ‘rational’ on page 41; otherwise the book is generally free of grammatical errors.  \n","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"Although in important ways culturally relevant, the book fails to include enough women perspectives. ","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Overall, this textbook can work well for an introductory class in ethics if supplemented with additional readings or chapters that address the limitations I have already described. \n\n","created_at":"2018-03-27T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-03-27T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2334,"first_name":"Laurie","last_name":"Johansen","position":"Professor","institution_name":"MnSCU","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text will be a great supplemental resource while introducing ethics to nursing students.  The four major ethical theories covered in the text are appropriate to the profession of nursing.  I really appreciate the \"problems' sections - very applicable.  The resources provided to the readers are very helpful and useful.  Nicely done. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Understanding that the focus of this text is not for the profession of nursing, I don't see a bias that is concerning.  This text would be a supplement resource, which would be valuable.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Relevant and pertinent.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Appreciate the key terminology available.  This creates clarity for the novice reader.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Content is displayed consistently.  ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Chapters are well delineated and organized.  Text structure is understandable.  ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Chapters are well delineated and organized.  Text structure is understandable.  ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Appreciate the CC by license publication.  Easy to use PDF online version of text.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Free of grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"No concerns.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Will be a valuable supplemental text.","created_at":"2018-10-11T20:50:08.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-10-11T20:50:08.000-05:00"},{"id":3367,"first_name":" Lisa","last_name":" Kemmerer","position":"professor","institution_name":"TRAILS","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"It is always difficult to decide which topics will become a focus for applied ethics.  This book, apparently written by two men, largely ignores feminist ethics, and in the applied ethics section, moral issues that are likely to be of more concern for women, such as date rape and insurance covering abortion.  I am keenly aware, as I read, of a lack of any perspective outside of \"Western\" ethics--though this is never clearly indicated.  (There are, of course, moral theories outside those of the Greek/Western European tradition.)  \r\n\r\nEven inside the \"Western\" traditions I note serious omissions beyond feminist thinkers.  How is it possible to talk about Rights theory and animals/anymals without including anything from the late Tom Regan?  He is as important to Kantian anymal ethics as is Singer is to Utilitarian anymal ethics.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I suppose it would not be possible to be fully versed on every topic, and I have focused here on my area of specialty, anymal ethics.  An example of an  error in this section is citing of the Bible as a defense of eating flesh.  There are many scholars who disagree.  (See, for example \"Animals and World Religions.\")  Note that the deity originally ordains a vegan diet,  and only accepts flesh-eating as a concession to human violence/shortcomings.  ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Good array of applied ethics topics, though lacking feminist influence.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The fact that the book is written for a specific institution/courses makes the book less reader-friendly for other students, particularly the inclusion of chapters that belong in an intro to religion book, but not necessarily an ethics book, and vice versa--particularly an entire chapter on Aquinas' Natural Law Theory.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"In the chapter 14, Eating Animals, the authors' meat-eating tendencies and lack of familiarity with the broader topic is apparent in a handful of ways noted elsewhere.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"very well done","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"very well done","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"none","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"all fine","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"Always better to have more diverse authors for any text. I would prefer to use a text that includes a chapter on ethics from another culture, and of course feminist ethics ought to be included.  Sometimes the authors even admit to their narrowness: The authors make clear at the outset where they stand on the issue of diet and ethics, and their bias  is apparent in coverage of the topic.  I find more omissions and errors in this section than in others.  For example, a comment that vegetarian food is less attractive, and another that a vegetarian diet may be nutritionally deficient for children--as if it were broccoli causing all of those heart attacks, as if malnourished vegans were flooding the streets of San Francisco.  A final example of the cultural shortcomings of the writing is provided in examples of situations where eating flesh might be acceptable--the examples strike me as petty and upper class, failing to mention, for example, indigenous people who have nothing else to eat, or those living in food deserts.  ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"The book is an easy and even fun read, well organized, with many important sub-headings, all  of which equate to a huge plus. ","created_at":"2019-12-10T18:59:59.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-12-10T18:59:59.000-06:00"},{"id":3832,"first_name":"Chandrika","last_name":"Shah","position":"Adjunct","institution_name":"Bunker Hill Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book covers major Western Philosophers, completely ignores the Feminists philosophers. I do understand that every author has to select, but in today's world not including Feminism, is a must.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"It is accurate and clear to a community college level reading student. It is difficult to be unbiased. The selection of Applied ethics topics reflects bias. But, that is true of most texts.  I do understand that one's bias can be unconscious too.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"I doubt it will become obsolete. The cases or examples might become dated. But in philosophy, one can always reflect on them.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Yes, it is clearly organized and provides adequate context for technical terms. The Common Students Mistake  make is a good addition. Helps students avoid those mistakes.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"It is consistent in its structure.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Well done.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Well done. It is presented in a logical, clear fashion.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Good.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"None, I came across.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Well, here they could at least included one chapter on non western point of view.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I am planning to adopt some aspects of this text. I think students will benefit from it. It is tailored for community college students reading level.","created_at":"2020-05-27T07:14:24.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-05-27T07:14:24.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/ethics-for-a-level","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:09:19.000-06:00"},{"id":464,"title":"Perspectives: An Open Invitation to Cultural Anthropology","edition_statement":"Second Edition","volume":null,"copyright_year":2020,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution-NonCommercial","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":["unknown"],"description":"We are delighted to bring to you this novel textbook, a collection of chapters on the essential topics in cultural anthropology. Different from other introductory textbooks, this book is an edited volume with each chapter written by a different author. Each author has written from their experiences working as an anthropologist and that personal touch makes for an accessible introduction to cultural anthropology. Our approach to cultural anthropology is holistic. We see the interconnectedness of cultural practices and, in all of the chapters, we emphasize the comparison of cultures and the ways of life of different peoples. We start with Laura Nader’s observation that cultural differences need not be seen as a problem. In our complicated world of increasing migration, nationalism, and climate challenges, cultural diversity might actually be the source of conflict resolution and new approaches to ensuring a healthier world. Indeed, as Katie Nelson reminds us, anthropology exposes the familiarity in the ideas and practices of others that seem bizarre. Robert Borofsky advocates for anthropology’s ability to empower people and facilitate good. Borofsky calls on anthropologists to engage with a wider public to bring our incredible stories and important insights to helping resolve the most critical issues we face in the world today. This book brings Nader, Nelson, Borofsky, and many others together to demonstrate that our anthropological understandings can help all of us to improve the lives of people the world over. We need you, as students, to see the possibilities. As instructors, we want to help you easily share anthropological knowledge and understanding. We want all readers to be inspired by the intensely personal writings of the anthropologists who contribute to this volume.","contributors":[{"id":4245,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Nina","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Brown","location":"Community College of Baltimore County","background_text":""},{"id":4246,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Thomas","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Mcllwraith","location":"University of Guelph","background_text":""},{"id":6699,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Laura","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Tubelle de González","location":"San Diego Miramar College","background_text":""}],"subjects":[{"id":40,"name":"Anthropology","parent_subject_id":9,"call_number":"GN25","visible_textbooks_count":9,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/anthropology"},{"id":46,"name":"Cultural \u0026 Ethnic Studies","parent_subject_id":9,"call_number":"HM621","visible_textbooks_count":26,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/cultural-ethnic-studies"},{"id":47,"name":"Gender \u0026 Sexuality Studies","parent_subject_id":9,"call_number":"HQ1101","visible_textbooks_count":16,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/gender-sexuality-studies"},{"id":51,"name":"Religion","parent_subject_id":6,"call_number":"BL1","visible_textbooks_count":19,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/religion"},{"id":9,"name":"Social Sciences","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"H1","visible_textbooks_count":285,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/social-sciences"}],"publishers":[{"id":404,"url":"https://perspectives.americananthro.org/","year":2023,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:39.000-05:00","updated_at":"2023-11-29T13:28:37.000-06:00","name":"American Anthropological Association"}],"formats":[{"id":692,"type":"PDF","url":"https://perspectives.americananthro.org/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1710,"type":"eBook","url":"https://perspectives.americananthro.org/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":3884,"type":"Online","url":"https://pressbooks.pub/perspectives/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":3885,"type":"Hardcopy","url":"https://www.amazon.com/Perspectives-Open-Invitation-Cultural-Anthropology/dp/193130355X","price":{"cents":6900,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4.5","textbook_reviews_count":18,"reviews":[{"id":1888,"first_name":"Alcira","last_name":"Forero-Pena","position":"Adjunct Assistant Professor","institution_name":"LaGuardia Community College of The City University of New York","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Very few times I have come across a more comprehensive textbook. The 18 chapters cover major topics in Cultural Anthropology ranging from a very critical introduction by Laura Nader on what this discipline has historically been about, its uniqueness within the social sciences to a thought provoking chapter on Public Anthropology by the distinguished scholar Robert Borofsky. Every chapter includes useful sections such as the Learning Objectives at the beginning and the Discussion Questions at the end. Besides, for every theme the students will find excellent material in the form of photography as well as links to websites with scholarly and other sources where both students and instructors would be able to expand or go deeper into a subject. The use of notes is also pertinent and to the point.\n\nOther key feature present in each chapter is a variety of case studies that would support the students' understanding of anthropological concepts, theories, the historical and social context, and the role of the ethnographer or anthropologist within and outside academia. Also, there is no scarcity of websites for students to get hold of documentaries, other audio-visual and written material to facilitate their grasp of the subject. The Glossary at the end of each chapter also contributes to make this textbook a very user friendly one.\n\nI would hardly find a more comprehensive presentation and discussion of all the subjects included in the textbook. Another illustration of my point is Chapter 10 on the complexity of sexuality and gender coordinated by Carol Mukhopadhyay, which in my opinion goes beyond undergraduate level so the instructor has plenty of possible entries to these subjects.\n\nI am adopting the textbook with no reservations whatsoever and I am glad that my students in the Community College I am teaching will not have to pay for it","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"From the chapters I read I found accurate presentation and discussion of themes backed by Notes and Bibliography to credit the sources.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"One of the qualities I found in the textbook is the treatment and inclusion of the \"classic\" works in Cultural Anthropology as well as a wide array of works by contemporary practitioners and authors. I can see how the textbook will stand the test of time. ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"By and large, the language used by the authors is clear and they provide explanations and illustrations to make their point(s) clear.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Every chapter of the textbook is consistent with an overall pattern that I am sure the editors where very careful about.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Perhaps the second edition should work to achieve better modularity. Taken into account that each of the 18 chapters is written by different author(s), I can explain why some sections (blocks) could be better organized.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"There is a logic presentation of each chapter with a general introduction to the subject followed by the intricacies, both conceptual and ethnographic of the theme. I really appreciate the inclusion of case studies with very interesting and current perspective.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I did not find a particular problem related to interface issues. The images are clear and well chosen and the display of links to websites or other sources is correct.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not find any grammatical error in the several chapters that I reviewed.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"One of the main reasons that drew me to the textbook is the cultural relevance of the theoretical, methodological, and ethical aspects of the material presented. I will be very happy with the exposure my students will have to main tenets of Cultural Anthropology with careful and inclusive choices of language and illustrations of concepts and case studies that incorporate up to date material.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I am going to adopt the textbook and I would like to keep in touch because, after all, it is in the actual experience that we learn and appreciate a textbook.","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":2015,"first_name":"David","last_name":"Beriss","position":"Associate Professor of Anthropology","institution_name":"University of New Orleans","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"All basic cultural anthropology texts strive to be comprehensive. This is hard to do, given that our discipline aspires to be a science of humanity itself – to be comprehensive is to cover holistically nearly every aspect of human life (or at least, all aspects that relate to society and culture). That is hard to do in one book, especially if there is only one author. As a collection of individual essays, this book succeeds in ways other cannot. Each individual essay is the work of an anthropologist with expertise in that specific area, so that each chapter is mostly comprehensive in its own terms. The book covers all the areas that standard textbooks cover (culture, language, kinship, gender, economics, etc.). It goes beyond those areas, however, with chapters on sustainability, performance, media, medicine, and public anthropology. And it has some excellent interviews and resources that can liven up the readings for students. It is a remarkable resource that I will draw on in upcoming classes.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Each chapter has an individual author and each other seems to have done their best to provide an accurate set of insights into the history, theories, and methods of the particular part of anthropology they study. That said, there is always room for other anthropologists to disagree, to assert alternative ideas, or contradictory evidence. Within the usual framework of our discipline, this is a very accurate representation of cultural anthropology.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"This is a very up-to-date representation of cultural anthropology as of early 2018. Many of the chapters should remain relevant for quite some time. It might be helpful in the long run to add or change some of the interviews, as new anthropologists with interesting insights become available. Also, some of the links to videos in various chapters already appear to be broken. They may still be available with some searching, but that is a bit of an issue.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The chapters are mostly written in a style that should be easily accessible to undergraduates. Jargon and technical terms are explained and each chapter has a list of keywords and definitions, which is very helpful.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The format of each chapter is the same, with learning objectives, the text, highlighted terms and concepts, questions for study, a glossary, a an author bio, bibliography (often very helpful!), notes.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This book is designed so that an instructor can easily assign individual chapters without needing the entire book. This is a great feature for teaching.That said, I would not recommend breaking up the chapters into smaller sections.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"The flow of the book replicates the style of most cultural anthropology textbooks, except for the extra material (interviews, etc.) at the end.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I used the Apple Ibook reader and it seems fine.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The grammar and editing were excellent.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This is a cultural anthropology introductory textbook. It covers quite a lot of ground in terms of different cultures, social structures, etc. People may be offended when confronted with the full range of human thinking, activity, etc. This is the kind of book people need to read if they want to learn about humanity and think critically about their own culture and society. If they are not prepared to be shaken out of their own insensitivity, they should not read this book. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I am quite happy to have read this and look forward to incorporating parts of it in my next intro cultural anthropology class.","created_at":"2018-05-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-05-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2058,"first_name":"Víctor M","last_name":"Torres-Vélez","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Hostos Community College, CUNY","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Content wise the book is comprehensive and it addresses each one of the major themes/topics that an introductory cultural anthropology course needs to cover. The order of the topics follows a logical progression, from the simple to the complex, that allows a proper introduction to anthropology’s key ideas.\n\nThe review was done on the PDF version of the book, which is my preferred reading format for students and myself. I prefer PDFs because they retain all the formatting layout of the original printed versions, which allows for proper page citations and referencing of passages when discussing it. The chapters layout on, Perspectives: An Open Invitation to Cultural Anthropology, indeed reproduces what you will expected in a printed version. However, the PDF version was lacking a Table of Content, and an effective index and or global glossary. In order to view the table of content you have to go the online version of the book, a rather unnecessary step. Although there is not a global glossary, individual chapters have, after the conclusion, useful chapter glossaries and discussion questions.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"This book is meant as an introduction to cultural anthropology and as such is a survey of the key concepts and debates that makes up the discipline across time. The book is accurate on its representation of the multiplicity of approaches the discipline is known for.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Both the overall structure of the book as well as the organization of each individual chapter makes this book relevant, up-to-date and easily modifiable. This is particularly true of the well organized chapter structure. From the outset you have clearly stated learning objectives. Each chapter is highly modular, broken down in smaller sections with clear headings. Key concepts are in bold. Well placed images further expand on concepts discussed. At the end of each chapter succinct conclusions accompanied by discussion questions and a chapter glossary just make of this book a joy to read for the students. \n","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Even when the book is a collaboration of multiple authors, I found remarkably consistent the writing style. Particularly how clear and clean the prose was. The editors did a great job in keeping the writing consistent across the board.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Anthropology is a discipline with a multiplicity of approaches, theoretical and otherwise. Emphasis on what is relevant when addressing a topic vary greatly depending on the viewpoint. However, what makes this text interesting is how the editors made sure the structure of the chapters remained consistent regardless of the disciplinary approach.\n","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"While some of the chapters could have use a little more modularity, the majority of the chapter are modular, well structure and clear.\n","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Both the overall structure of the book as well as the organization of each individual chapter makes this book relevant, up-to-date and easily modifiable. This is particularly true of the well organized chapter structure. Content wise the book is comprehensive and it addresses each one of the major themes/topics that an introductory cultural anthropology course needs to cover. The order of the topics follows a logical progression, from the simple to the complex, that allows a proper introduction to anthropology’s key ideas.\n","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"On the PDF version, other than lacking a table of content and a global glossary, the book is flawless in its typesetting, layout, and overall organizational structure.\n","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Superbly written. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I cannot wait to use parts of this book in many of my classes.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This book was a pleasure to review.","created_at":"2018-05-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-05-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2194,"first_name":"Jason","last_name":"James","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"University of Mary Washington","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text as a whole is very comprehensive, as are the individual chapters.  With one exception the text covers all of the topics I include in my introductory course in cultural anthropology.  The one topic missing in my view is social class and the cultural dimensions of inequality, particularly the concepts of cultural and social capital as well as resistance.  Anthropological approaches influenced my Marx and Marxist thinking could receive more attention.   Chapters on language, politics, and economics do address the issue to some extent, but my ideal text would include a more extensive treatment of this topic.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I find the text to be quite accurate on the whole.  I found very few mischaracterizations of ideas or situations.  In a couple of instances very brief reference was made to an interpretation that is highly speculative.  This is a bit dangerous in my view given that many students in introductory courses may be skeptical of anthropology's validity.  In a case like this it is better to leave a very questionable point out, or to provide more information about the issue to allow students and instructors to discuss the matter in more detail.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The text does a nice job overall of using both \"classic\" anthropological ideas and examples/case studies as well as very recent examples.  The inclusion of examples with which students will likely be familiar is very important to demonstrating the relevance of cultural anthropology to issues students are likely to see as close to \"home.\"  At the same time, such examples can easily become less relevant in a fairly short time.  Although it is a decidedly important area of interest and one most students would be aware of, Donald Trump's presidency received a bit too much attention.  And although Islamic State is a very important example for political anthropology, the extent of that treatment is a bit out of proportion in comparison to other chapters' case studies.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"By and large the chapters are very clearly written and seem to be \"pitched\" at the right level.  Some parts of the first three introductory chapters (anthropology, culture, research methods) struck me as a bit too elementary, but all of the topical chapters were clearly written.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The text is reasonably consistent, especially considering that each chapter was written by different authors, often multiple ones.  The use of multiple authors makes it unavoidable that as a whole it is not as consistent as a book by a single author would be, but again, the consistency is very good given that fact.  The consistent format is helpful.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"I could imagine assigning individual chapters of the text, so I would rate the modularity as good.  With some exceptions, individual chapters and sections are of reasonable length.  The chapter on gender in particular struck me as quite long — perhaps finding a way to create two chapters would have been helpful.  Given that the text lends itself to possibly assigning individual chapters, it would be helpful if it were offered not just with the entire text as a pdf file, but also as individual chapters, or on a site where students could select individual chapters to read.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The overall organization works well.  The one thing that struck me as less than ideal was the degree of overlap between the first three chapters.  This is understandably challenging: the discipline, its central concept, and its methods are all very closely intertwined, so it is challenging to separate those topics from one another and discuss them effectively in distinct chapters without too much overlap.  That said, I could imagine my students finding some of the material/chapters repetitive.  Repetition is not always bad, and the editors note that the overlap can be used to highlight the centrality of holism, but I think some additional editing to reduce some of the overlap in the early chapters would be welcome.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The interface is generally user-friendly.  I appreciate the inclusion of live links to videos and other materials.  As noted above, the single pdf file that I used is a bit cumbersome if one is doing anything other than reading all of the chapters in order.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not identify any significant problems with grammar.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The variety of examples is impressive.  This is no doubt one advantage of having many authors.  The nature of the examples and commentary in some cases make the chapters less than ideal in my view.  This may depend on the student population with which one works.  In my view cultural anthropology meshes closely with what broadly counts as a \"liberal\" perspective, and it certainly does so in my case.  In many parts of this text that connection is also evident.  That said, I work to balance that with the awareness that many students find it easy to dismiss the findings and perspectives of the discipline as simply \"liberal opinion.\"  Here too the number and nature of references to Donald Trump certainly make the text timely, and I welcome that, in part because I support engaged anthropology.  At the same time, in my particular case the need to be strategic in order to not alienate too many students is also important.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"I appreciate the work of the editors and authors to make a strong open source introductory text in cultural anthropology available.","created_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2739,"first_name":"Jessica","last_name":"Park","position":"Professor ","institution_name":"College of Marin","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Overall the content is quite comprehensive. Introductory courses like cultural anthropology are taught as a survey course, covering a lot of material at a basic level. As such, these classes are quite broad. Perspectives does an excellent job of covering the content offered in most cultural anthropology courses. Many of the chapters present the standard topics found in most cultural anthropology textbooks, however Perspectives adds content not often found in many cultural anthropology texts (culture/sustainability, seeing like an anthropologist, media and public anthropology). This makes Perspectives more comprehensive than most cultural anthropology textbooks out there today and provides great flexibility in what chapters, topics and content the instructor wants to use. This is an excellent textbook.\r\n","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Perspectives provides very accurate content within the topics/institutions presented in each chapter as well as the overall methods and perspectives used to study humans through an \"anthropological\" lens. \r\n","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Perspectives presents a very current outlook of cultural anthropology, especially with the recent nature of the additional interactive links/material. Though this text provides many formative and historical examples, I think the contemporary examples of anthropological work are valuable to the students as it exemplifies how anthropological concepts can be used to study our world today. And, as most of the academic content in each chapter is similar to other cultural anthropology textbooks, I think the basic content of this textbook will remain relevant for many years. However, some of the current examples and interactive material could loose relevance over time. Maybe newer culturally relevant examples could replace the older examples when the authors update the textbook. Overall, this is a very strong text and I can see using it in my courses for many years.\r\n","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I found Perspectives to be a very clear and approachable text. The language style use by the authors is appropriate to students at an undergraduate level. The discipline/topical terms are all clearly identified (bolded) and defined, followed by a chapter glossary at the end of each chapter. I also think that the additional interactive content, links to maps, videos etc., not only enhances the experience of this text but helps to provide clarification and concrete examples of material discussed in each chapter. \r\n","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I found the each chapter to be quite consistent. Even though a different individual authors each chapter, the language style and approach to the material are very similar to each other. It reads like a text that has a single author, but benefits from the perspectives and knowledge of several different academics', each who have relevant experience in the topic they author. Also, the consistency in the layout and organization makes this a very accessible text to read and navigate.\r\n","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I found the modularity of the text to be quite good. I found a copy of this text at http://perspectives.americananthro.org. This site allowed me to access and download each chapter individually.  This creates a lot of flexibility in which chapters can be assigned to students. Moreover it increases the usefulness of the text for me because it can easily be incorporated into course management systems like Canvas (or others) which is a great feature for anyone who teaches online. I LOVE this aspect. As for the chapters, each is well divided into readable sections of content via headings. As a text, I believe that Perspectives is flexible enough to allow instructors to tailor the book to their courses and content.\r\n","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book has excellent organization, structure and flow. The first thing I noticed is that the chapter content is similar to o other cultural anthropology textbooks I have used and is organized in a similar fashion. Each chapter starts with a set of learning objectives followed by clear subject headings throughout the text making the material very easy to follow. Like most texts, the important terms for each topic are bolded and defined throughout the chapter. Finally the chapters wrap up with an overall conclusion, discussion and chapter glossary of all of the important terms from the chapter. Mimicking the traditional structure of a book chapter makes the transition to reading this in an online format much easier. As I have stated the content is similar to that of most introductory cultural anthropology books. As such it allows for a lot of flexibility in coverage of topics. Also I was able to find a version of the text at http://perspectives.americananthro.org that allowed me to access each chapter individually. This would increase the flexibility of use for this textbook and again, is great for the modularity aspect of this text.\r\n","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I reviewed the PDF version of Perspectives. I prefer the PDF because it retains an original textbook style formatting and seems more stable across multiple devices (like computers and mobile devices) than other online formats. I did not encounter any navigational issues. The text and each chapter is very well organized and extremely consistent in its layout. The regularity in the lay out makes it very easy for the reader to navigate each chapter. The photos were clear and well placed. I REALLY loved interactive links interspersed throughout the text. These links make for a much more interactive and dynamic experience that I think students will love.\r\n","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The book is very well edited.  I found no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Cultural anthropology is a comprehensive discipline that covers many aspects of humans and our life-ways. Some topics such as race and gender may push some individuals out of their comfort zones, but I believe this is an important aspect of college and learning about the diversity in what it means to be human. Anthropologists aim to be both culturally relativistic and holistic in their approach to studying humans.  I think perspectives does an excellent job of applying these concepts.  No aspect of this text is insensitive or offensive. The authors were comprehensive and inclusive in their use of cultural examples and language.\r\n","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This is an excellent textbook. I had a lot of fun exploring each chapter and I am very excited to use this text in my classes!\r\n","created_at":"2019-04-06T16:33:28.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-04-06T16:33:28.000-05:00"},{"id":3334,"first_name":" Nikki","last_name":" Manning","position":"Instructor of Anthropology/Archaeology","institution_name":"TRAILS","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"I particularly appreciate the highlighted terms within the text and the glossary associated with each chapter. This is a useful tool for those with a verbal/linguistic style of learning and I have found for newcomers to a particular subject. While I am not a big fan of traditional testing that employs the use of defining terms or multiple choice, it does make the student creation of a study guide more simplistic. I would like to see the discussion questions at the end of chapters be a bit broader in scope in order to help students form a more comprehensive understanding of the chapter. \r\n\r\nI appreciate that the introductory chapter brings forward many of the original thinkers and practitioners of Anthropology right in the very beginning. It provides a foundation of early/classic anthropological readings for any student so inclined to delve a bit deeper than the textbook. I particularly appreciate that anthropology, as described in the introduction, is a discipline that transcends the science/humanities divide.\r\n\r\nThere are two topics that I would like to see included that I cover a great deal in my class discussions – Human Migration and Cultural Heritage and its Conservation. Not only is migration not a new human behavior but it is a complex human behavior in terms of motivation, patterns, politics, economics, and cultural diversity. It is also a current topic of anthropological concern and relevance. Chapter 14 on “Performance” (not a fan of the title) touches on intangible heritage without necessarily calling it that but teaching anthropology students early about the concept of cultural heritage – a very difficult term to truly and completely define – and getting them to start thinking in that direction is imperative. Why discuss culture if we don’t think of it in terms of heritage that should be understood, respected, and protected?\r\n\r\nWhile the introduction does explain that in most academic settings the field of Anthropology has a four subfield approach and even touches on some specialization within Anthropology, it is very heavily reliant on ethnographic research and methods as examples, leaving out physical anthropology and forensics, and archaeology. I realize this is a book about cultural anthropology specifically but would like to see a little more about the other subfields at least in the Introduction. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"While I am not an expert of details in terms of all examples used in the text, I do not find any glaring inaccuracies or errors in the general anthropological text. I have a few bias concerns. For example, the section in Chapter 7 (Political Anthropology) on the U.S. Prison System pushes the boundary between presenting information and promoting opinion. While I do not disagree with the argument presented, this seems to be more appropriate for a journal article or a type of “text box” call-out (as I refer to in the “Relevance Longevity” review section below). ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"On a positive note, Chapter 5 (Subsistence) is one of the chapters (along with the chapters on Culture and Sustainability and Media Anthropology) that provides content that can be most relevant to current times and events while still reaching back in time to explain the different modes of subsistence and how those have evolved over time and how globalization has impacted subsistence. \r\n\r\nUnfortunately, some sections throughout the text (for example: some references to Donald Trump) read more like current events articles than academic textbook, especially an introductory text. Other language usage hinders the texts longevity as well. “Over the past [two] years” and “recently” are two examples. The discussion in the political anthropology chapter about ISIS and the formation of state is fascinating. It is not often that a current generation has the ability to see something like this taking shape before their very eyes but perhaps restructuring the format a bit would be helpful. For example, the reference to Abu Bakral-Baghdadi is extremely relevant to the topic but he has been killed since the text was written. The suggestion is to make it less “current events” and more “just the facts.”\r\n\r\nI like the “Text Boxes” in the Gender \u0026 Sexuality chapter (Chapter 10) because it employs a means of incorporating very current information as examples but they are easily interchangeable and updatable without having to affect the main body of the text other than to perhaps change the Text Box number in the text. As an aside, the “Text Boxes” are more reader-friendly and break up the main body of the text to keep it from being to monotonous.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The language and tone of the text is academic without overuse of technical jargon. The necessary anthropological terms that would be unfamiliar to beginner students are highlighted within the text and the glossary associated with each chapter. Learning objectives are a plus.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Understandably, the byproduct of an edited volume, there are some framework inconsistencies that could be addressed. The learning objectives, glossaries, discussion questions, video and hyperlink call-outs, and special text boxes, all contribute to a smooth consistency throughout. However, two of the chapters have activities which give students the opportunity to “hit the ground running” as young anthropologists by not just reading about anthropology but by doing it. Chapter 4 (Language) incorporates the “Try This” activities and Chapter 10 (Gender \u0026 Sexuality) has a list of Activities to choose from at the end of the chapter. It would be interesting to see more of this in other chapters.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"As an open and dissected text, the modularity is great. I would definitely use many of these chapters in a course of mine.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"While some repetition in terms and glossary are a good way to reinforce concepts, there is a little bit of disjointedness from having multiple authors cover some of the same topics within the text that makes it less reinforcement and more overly repetitious. For example, Chapters 2 and 3 discuss “armchair” and “off the veranda” ethnographic methods when it is really only needed in Chapter 3 about field methods in Anthropology. Chapter 1 also uses the same example from Chapter 2 to discuss the four field approach and holism. ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The incorporation of links to videos and other readings is very useful.\r\n\r\nThere are a few errors in chapter organization between the Table of Contents, the digital chapter sections, and the PDF version of the text. This involves the chapters Health and Medicine, Anthropology in Practice, Media Anthropology, and Public Anthropology.\r\n\r\nI had a very difficult time reading the Public Anthropology chapter. The plethora of bold type-face is extremely distracting although it is meant to help make some points clearer. I also take issue with the author encouraging the students to skip and skim using the bold type. While this is an invaluable skill later in college and particularly graduate school, I would not encourage my freshman or sophomore students to engage in this practice with an introductory textbook.\r\n\r\nInterview sections in the teaching resources appendix are awesome! More of these would be welcome. Students in an introductory Anthropology course are often in the process of deciding if Anthropology is for them and being able to make life and career applications are important. Maybe there could be one of these for each chapter, an interview with someone who specializes in that chapter’s topic.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any glaring grammatical issues.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The chapter of Anthropology in Practice encourages students to check their bias at the door by at least acknowledging that it exists and affects the research. This is very important – perhaps include a brief discussion on this in the introductory chapters, as well. I appreciate that ethics conversations are important and present along with subjectivity and objectivity, cultural relativism, and activism presented as a debate for students to think about.\r\n\r\nIn the first chapter, there is a section on plasticity that has a few references that are questionable. First, “After all, Navajo means people and many groups think they are superior to others” and second, a reference to the “Islamic scarf.”  I am not entirely sure what is attempting to be conveyed there but it could be misconstrued as offensive when I suspect it is much more a sentence structure issue. (That section on plasticity has multiple sentence structure issues.)\r\n\r\nIn Chapter 2, in trying to explain the pitfalls of ethnocentrism, talking about “going native” as an actual anthropological term and not part of our anthropological dark past basically perpetuates the concept of “Other” and could be avoided.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I would definitely use this book, especially certain chapters of it, in my classes and would recommend it to others. I am actually looking forward to using it and appreciated the opportunity to review it.","created_at":"2019-11-29T18:34:37.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-11-29T18:34:37.000-06:00"},{"id":4309,"first_name":"Hilary","last_name":"Morland","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Community College of Aurora","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text is an edited volume of chapters written by different authors.  It covers the history, theoretical framework, and methodology of anthropology and includes individual chapters on important topics and concepts in contemporary cultural anthropology.\r\n\r\nThere is a Table of Contents for the entire book. Each chapter includes its own glossary and bibliography. However, there is no index or search function and it might be difficult to locate a particular topic by chapter or page number. \r\n\r\nThe range of topics within cultural anthropology is immense and it would be nearly impossible to produce a textbook that covers EVERYTHING. \r\n\r\nI would like to see a chapter about human evolution; while this subject falls within the purview of biological anthropology,  one could argue that students must understand the evolutionary history of humans as a species in order to fully understand the significance of contemporary human cultural variation.  I also would like to see one or more chapters explore classic ethnographies about indigenous cultures that no longer exist as they did when they were documented by anthropologists. Often, these peoples are mentioned to illustrate a concept but I believe there would be value to students at the introductory level in studying lost and changing cultures in depth.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not notice any errors in content or obvious sources of bias.  Anthropologists by definition attempt to be unbiased in their presentations.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Perspectives is in its second edition, updated in 2020. The textbook is designed to be a living document that can be used in part or in whole and easily updated. The editors have included a Teaching \u0026 Learning Resources section, and invite instructors to contribute to the collection.  \r\n\r\nPerspectives includes chapters on contemporary topics such as Globalization, Media Anthropology, Public Anthropology, and Environmental Anthropology and the Anthropocene. Presumably, the events of 2020 will merit revision and updating of some chapters (e.g., race and ethnicity, medical anthropology, globalization) and/or the addition of brand new chapters discussing the anthropological perspective on these events.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Accessibility is one of the most attractive features of Perspectives. This is not a typical anthropology textbook, crammed with dense text, sidebars, boxes, diagrams, and charts. One of the major strengths of this textbook is the writing style.  Although each chapter has a different author, the style is remarkably consistent across chapters.  Each chapter is written in a highly engaging style. Each author weaves their own personal and professional experiences into their academic treatment of the topic. Terms are explained well in the text and also defined in a glossary at the end of each chapter.  Photos, occasional diagrams, links to external content, and mini-bios of the author are used to enhance the presentation of the material. There is so much here for students to relate to in the material and in the authors' experiences of being anthropologists. Each chapter is enjoyable and easy to read.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"There is consistency across chapters. The focus of each chapter is to discuss cultural variation among contemporary human groups using examples and case studies from the anthropological literature. Each author discusses the history of anthropological studies on the main topic, defines important terminology, and explains relevant concepts. Each chapter includes a set of Learning Objectives at the start and a list of Discussion Questions, glossary of terms, and bibliography at the end. There is some overlap of discussion about basic concepts across chapters, particularly in the opening section, and this repetition should reinforce important concepts for students.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The list of chapters and content should align well with any syllabus for a typical introductory cultural anthropology class. It would be equally effective to use the entire book or to pick and choose individual chapters according to the particular emphasis of the syllabus. \r\n\r\nThe textbook landing page is well organized with a list of chapter titles and authors clearly presented. Chapters are numbered once downloaded, and page numbers and/or subheadings would allow parts of chapters to be assigned for reading. \r\n\r\nThere are a variety of options for accessing the material. Students can download individual chapters or the entire book or read the material directly online through a browser. There are options for pdf format or for print format. \r\n\r\nThere is an excellent set of teaching and learning resources available for download, including an instructor’s manual with questions, activities, reading, films, and other resources, powerpoint presentations, and test bank (available only to instructors).","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics in the text are presented in a logical, clear fashion.  There are chapters on the history, methodology, and theoretical framework of anthropology and chapters on various topics of interest within the field.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text contains a variety of photos, diagrams, and links to external content.  I did not experience any interface issues.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any grammatical errors in any of the chapters.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"N/A.  Anthropology is by definition the study of different races, ethnicities, identities, cultures, and backgrounds and the concept of cultural relativism  (defined in the text as “the idea that we should seek to understand another person’s beliefs and behaviors from the perspective of their own culture and not our own”) is the cornerstone of our field.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I would highly recommend Perspectives: An Open Invitation to Cultural Anthropology for any introductory course on any college campus.  Perspectives is designed to facilitate effective teaching of introductory cultural anthropology, whether remote or face to face.  The material is well organized and accessible, and presented in an engaging, interesting, easy to read manner. Helpful instructor resources are provided on the website. Adopting Perspectives in an introductory cultural anthropology class would surely enrich the experience of both student and instructor.","created_at":"2020-08-12T14:56:55.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-08-12T14:56:55.000-05:00"},{"id":4535,"first_name":"Jennifer","last_name":"Haynes-Clark","position":"Adjunct Professor","institution_name":"Rogue Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook offer a holistic approach to the broad field of cultural anthropology which includes an overview of special topics that should be included in any introductory course, as well as a focus on issues that are especially relevant to contemporary anthropological study such as globalization, sustainability, climate change, the role of media, the influence of culture on identity and applied anthropology.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not notice any inaccuracies or errors in the chapters that I reviewed. Because this text is an edited volume, a collection of chapters written by different authors, a wide variety of perspectives contributes to an approach that is as unbiased as possible.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Unique as an introductory textbook, many chapters present topics are particularly cutting edge in the field of cultural anthropology and would be of great interest to today's student searching for relevancy in the subject matter. One such topic would include the section on applied anthropology and the use of media in anthropology to advocate for young people's interests in hip hop in Peru. The use of such methodology as photovoice and other participant-driven methods demonstrates to students that anthropology offers a fresh, dynamic, and even empowering approach to understanding cultural diversity.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Each chapter included highlighted key terms, a glossary, and fascinating case studies and photographs that illustrate the concepts using examples from practicing anthropologists.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"There is consistency in the way the chapters are organized, each chapter beginning with a list of Learning Objectives which are included as subtitles of sections throughout the chapter. Each section contains relevant key terms that highlighted and defined in a glossary at the end of each chapter. Main concepts are illustrated through case studies describing the work of practicing anthropologists.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text can be easily divided into smaller sections that could be rearranged by an instructor based on individual curriculum. For example, there are many examples of applied anthropology throughout the text that illustrate the relevance of anthropological study in addressing social issues that stem from climate change, health issues, and the global impacts of neoliberalism.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The textbook is organized in a logical way, beginning with foundational concepts, methodology, and theory, and then moving on to areas of special study within the larger field of cultural anthropology.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I did not notice any significant interface or navigation issues. All images headings, links, images and text seem clear and formatted correctly.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any grammatical issues in the chapters that I reviewed.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"As this is a cultural anthropology textbook, the aim of this book is to present cultural diversity with exceptional sensitivity to inclusion in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, belief, ability, and other backgrounds. I feel this text provides a wide variety of examples of diversity, acknowledging the importance of broad representation in pursuit of an unbiased approach to cross-cultural understanding.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I would recommend this textbook for all students who are interested in social science and its growing relevance in understanding a rapidly changing world. This book highlights the relevance of the anthropological perspective in resolving many of the complications that we are experiencing in our complex social lives. A greater understanding of cultural diversity and giving voice to a multitude of perspectives is a source of empowerment that I believe students will especially appreciate. This textbook is useful in its flexible organization, its variety of perspectives and its helpful resources for instructors.","created_at":"2021-01-07T13:59:41.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-01-07T13:59:41.000-06:00"},{"id":4851,"first_name":"Toni","last_name":"Tileva","position":"Professorial Lecturer","institution_name":"American University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The chapters are written in a sophisticated way and cover a wide variety of topics. Because the authors are different, students are exposed to a variety of approaches. Each chapter includes a glossary and bibliography. The chapter on language is especially well-written, as is the globalization one. Good coverage of methods in anthropology as well.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not notice any inaccuracies or biases.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Perspectives is in its second edition, updated in 2020. Contemporary topics such as Globalization, Media Anthropology, Public Anthropology, and Environmental Anthropology are especially salient.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Terms are explained well in the text and also defined in a glossary at the end of each chapter. This text manages to cover so much in a very succinct and accessible way.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The chapters meet the learning objectives outlined.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I assign chapters along with other articles, so it works perfectly not only assigned in whole but also broken down. I even assign parts of certain chapters--it has worked so well.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The trajectory/story arc makes logical sense, so I would say this is well designed.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text contains a variety of photos, diagrams, and links to external content.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any grammatical errors in any of the chapters.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This text really does offer a variety of perspectives. It is written in a non-didactic way and encourages critical thinking quite naturally and seamlessly.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I have looked at a number of anthro textbooks (open source and not) and this is by far the best one I have encountered. Really well-done, AAA and authors.  In fact, I am using in my class!","created_at":"2021-04-26T14:00:52.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-04-30T12:09:42.000-05:00"},{"id":5120,"first_name":"Luis F. B.","last_name":"Plascencia","position":"Adjunct Instructor","institution_name":"University of Texas at Arlington","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text does a good job of introducing the field of cultural anthropology, though not the four-fields of anthropology. Chapter one does introduce the four fields, but the presentation is limited. This is understandable, due to the fact that it would take more than one chapter to present each of the three remaining fields (i.e., archaeology, biological anthropology, and linguistic anthropology) and the methodologies and conceptual frameworks in each one. Although the individual glossaries in the individual chapters in Part One allow for the chapters to be used independently, this leads to much duplication. The citation of sources in individual chapters also duplicates the listing of sources across chapters.\r\n\r\nThere is no Index in the book. But since it appears that the anthology is constructed to be read as independent chapters, then an index would not have the value that it would have if it was a single book.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"There are some minor issues that can be easily corrected. One issue is the listing of the editors as authors. Perspectives is an anthology not a co-authored book, but the title page does not include the terms “Editors,” as is the normal practice in the publishing of academic books. Related to this, the listing of editors did not include “and” after the second editor—the standard form in academic books.\r\n\r\nOverall, the copy-editing of the text is good. However, there are some issues that the editors overlooked such as some references not cited correctly; some important terms are presented, but they are not defined/explained, and others. There is significant repetition within Part I. Basic ideas/concepts are repeated in the first twelve chapters. Again, if the chapters are supposed to stand-alone, then this would be expected. But if the editors intend for the text to be read as a whole, the reader is confronted with much repetition. If the latter is the aim, then it would make sense to combine the chapter glossaries into a single glossary at the end of the book, as well as combine all of the references into a single Works Cited section at the end of the work.\r\n\r\nThere are also some concepts that are not accurately defined. One example is the concept of “intersex” that is introduced in Ch. 9. The text defines the concept as “individuals with ambiguous genitals” (p. 247). This is an incomplete definition. First, like the construct of “race,” “intersex” is a social construct, and reflects multiple elements. Intersex is a general term for multiple biological variations that appear in humans, some appear at birth, others can surface at puberty. An intersex person may or may not have ambiguous genitals, they may possess variation in the presence of “sex” chromosomes (i.e., XX-female, XY-male, XX-male, XY-female, XXY, XYY, XXX, etc.), or persons can have different levels of androgen and/or testosterone production, and degrees of insensitivity to these. This means that a new-born human can be categorized as having ‘normal’ genitalia, be categorized as a “girl” or a “boy,” but have a complex chromosome or hormone make-up that is not apparent to the parents or medical staff. There is also the relatively-rare condition where a human, for example, is born with “normal” female genitalia, but at puberty may develop male characteristics. Such persons are also commonly categorized as intersex.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"The content of some of the chapters can be framed as “up-to-date,” however, a good number of the chapters in Part I contain terminology and concepts that are not current within the field of social anthropology, or at least not commonly deployed today such as: “informants,” “traditional,” “emic” v. “etic,” and others. There is also some presentation of “cultural” groups as homogeneous, unvaried communities. Much of social anthropology has moved to recognizing that labels such as “the Navajo” (or the Diné), “Americans,” “traditional Chinese,” “undocumented,” etc., represent incomplete and somewhat misleading statements. \r\nThe presence of some of these issues complicate easy revisions of the entire book.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The prose of most of the chapters is accessible to undergraduate students. Most concepts introduced are highlighted, and presented in the individual chapter glossaries. However, as noted in the other answers, structural and conceptual issues need more careful discussion.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"Since the textbook is an anthology, the text represents the multiple views of authors. There are some areas that the editors could have discussed with the contributors and presented more consistently in the anthology, or more directly addressed in the Introduction. The most important of these is the central concept of “culture.” \r\nFor example: Ch. 1 defines “culture” as “a set of beliefs, practices, and symbols that are learned and shared. Together, they form an all-encompassing, integrated whole that binds people together and shapes their worldview and lifeways” (p.17). And in Ch. 4, the reader is informed that “culture” is “An integrated system of mental elements (beliefs, values, worldview, attitudes, norms), the behavior motivated by those mental elements, and the material items created by those behaviors” (p. 71). Students that are asked to read several of the chapters in Part One may struggle to understand the concept of \"culture,\" given multiple definitions encountered.\r\nSome of the concepts in both definitions have been under debate among anthropologists for a good number of years. The assertion that “culture” is an “all-encompassing, integrated whole” or “an integrated system of mental elements” are not constructs that I have heard at the annual meetings of the American Anthropological Association (AAA) for a good number of years. They are constructs I would not use in an Introduction to Cultural/Social Anthropology courses.\r\n\r\nThe editors also could have standardized the presentation of endnotes and references/citations. Some chapter have both, and the endnotes contain full citations. Full citations should have been integrated into the References/Works Cited, rather than duplicate the same information. And more than one style is used in the chapter bibliographies. Within The Chicago Manual of Style (CMS), in social science books, the endnotes are used to present an idea/observation that would distract the reader if included in the text; or the place where the author wishes to guide the reader to other important works. Generally the form used is the CMS author-date format (e.g., See Foucault 1982; Bourdieu 1988). The Works Cited would have the full citation of each.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"There are a small number of chapters that I could integrate in my Introduction to Anthropology course. The course has a four-field focus. The notable chapters are Chapter Four on Language, and Chapter 13 on the History of Anthropological Ideas.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"The organization follows a common pattern among introductory books. The limit of this, however, is that by segmenting social actions in a particular community, as “family and marriage,” “religion,” “economics,” etcetera, it inadvertently argues against the proposition that cultural anthropology is “holistic.” The presentation reinforces the view that one can easily segment the lives of individuals and communities. In our lives, for example, we know that how we view political actors or statements may be shaped by our religious background, our racio-ethnic position, our economic class, our sexual orientation, etc. The areas of our daily lives are not easily segmented into clean categories, and most individuals have multiple identifications. An individual can be a parent, a spouse, a university professor, a brother, a Sunday school teacher, a volunteer in a political campaign, a feminist, etc.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"With the use of Adobe Acrobat Pro, the chapters can be easily selected into individual chapters.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The only grammatical error I encountered is found on p. 355: “are are”.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"Something that stood out for me was the absence of citations of the important work of established Chicano/Mexican/Latina/o anthropologist. Carlos Vélez-Ibáñes, Martha Menchaca, Robert Álvarez, Diego Vigil, and others were overlooked. Thought the text did mention Leo Chávez in two pages, Patricia Zavella was noted in three endnotes, but not in the text; Renato Rosaldo was mentioned in two pages; Lynn Stephen was noted in one page; and Arturo Escobar appeared in one endnote. The very limited inclusion of established Latina/o anthropologist suggests that the contributors may not have been aware of their substantial contributions.","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":"At the University of Texas at Arlington, the anthropology program does not have an Introduction to Cultural/Social anthropology, but it does have the Introduction to Anthropology course aimed at non-anthropology majors, and the focus of the course is the four fields in anthropology. This limits the integration of the anthology reviewed.\r\nSecondly, the anthology contains only two contributions from established anthropologists: Laura Nader (Ch. 13) and Robert Borofsky (Ch. 19). The inclusion of other prominent anthropologist in current discussions, such as Achille Mbembe, Didier Fassin, and others, would aid in drawing interest in the anthology.","created_at":"2021-06-18T15:20:04.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-06-18T15:20:04.000-05:00"},{"id":33520,"first_name":"Laura","last_name":"Elder","position":"Associate Professor \u0026 Chair of Global Studies","institution_name":"Saint Mary's College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text covers all areas appropriately and in depth.  My only quibble is that I hope in future iterations the authors will include more interviews with practitioners (as they did in section on \"why anthropology is important\" pp. 18-24 and in the \"practicing anthropology\" interview on pp. 417-418.  Another text that I have used (Race: Are we so different? Goodman, Moses \u0026 Jones) includes interviews throughout and students found them very engaging.  I expect that students will appreciate similar interview sections in the various topical areas such as language, gender, health, etc. of this text.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate and unbiased.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Some of the case studies dealing with current issues (such as Globalization in Application: The Syrian Situation Today (courtesy of Laurie King) pg. 325-326 need to be updated.  In addition, some of the hyperlinks (such as http://www.pbs.org/thelinguists/Endangered-Languages/Hear-Them-Spoken.html) are either broken or link to material which is no longer accessible (such as the McDonald's menu items hyperlinked on pg. 308).  Of course in future iterations the authors can easily update these links.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Despite the multiple authorial voices, the text is lucid and accessible.  One drawback is that there is repetition between sections (as for example between \"the culture concept\" and \"doing fieldwork\").  However, as noted below, because of the ease in \"remixing\" these sections to suite individual course needs this does not pose a problem.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is internally consistent in terms of terminology and framework.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I particularly appreciate the text's modularity which provides flexibility in mixing and blending between sections in the interests of providing most effective coverage of topics with a limited time frame.  For example, I tend to cover subsistence and ecology together in order to disrupt students' biases in favor of technological approaches to sustainability.  Blending the \"culture \u0026 sustainability\" and \"subsistence\" sections and subsections was quickly accomplished and provides excellent coverage.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization of the text is clear and logical.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"In the PDF version of the text some of the pages have large gaps between text and images but this problem does not occur when reading online. Graphics and images are clear and legible.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not find any grammatical errors in the text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The book is highly relevant and culturally inclusive (including case studies and perspectives from many marginalized groups globally).","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I look forward to using this and future updated editions.","created_at":"2021-12-10T16:30:21.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-12-10T16:30:21.000-06:00"},{"id":33880,"first_name":"Erin","last_name":"Gould","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Johnson County Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"In terms of comprehensiveness, I think the book does a great job of covering a lot of the areas that I want covered in an introductory text. Some of the ideas are covered in multiple chapters (including things like culture, kinship and family), which can help reinforce topics but can also become slightly repetitive. The only topic that I discuss while consulting other textbooks is the topic of economic class and inequality. While there is an Economic Anthropology section, the way that contemporary understandings of class are discussed is not as robust as I want for my students. Class is inherently one of the topics that is overlooked in the United States (with the exception of political rhetoric during election times), and due to this, the topic is something I want to make sure that students engage with on a deeper level. The glossaries for each chapter are great resources for students, and I like the fact that all the words in the glossaries are bolded in the actual text.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I think the accuracy is high due to the great diversity of authors that write each individual chapter in the text. For each topic, there is a scholar or multiple, whose expertise lies within the area, that describe the history and development of different concepts, which really brings out the best information to give students. It is clear through stories and scholar highlights in each chapter that those interviewed, writing, and editing the chapters of the textbook care about giving up to date information to our students.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"I think that the textbook does a great job of including people's scholarly journeys and other highlights that the text will stay relevant for a longer period of time, but I also think these are things that can be updated more easily than the bulk of the text itself. The chapters are organized in a way that the beginning highlights some of the development and foundation of each concept before diving deeper into case studies that are supposed to speak more to students. These case studies could be kept for a long period of time, but this is the area that it may be important for editors and authors to update with new case studies to keep up with student interests and contemporary times.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"To provide context to my answer in this section, I'd like to note that I've taught with this text for three years at this point. I think the text does a great job of outlining material that needs to be covered in a way that is appropriate and clear. The only comment I usually get from students is that the textbook chapters are long, but this comment is also made about my shorter readings that I assign in complement to the longer textbook chapters. With clarity never being an issue with any comments I receive from students, I have to assume that all parties are able to understand the content given in the textbook!","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I think the text is consistent in that the chapters are organized in the same way, with the history/foundation content or introductory stories, followed by deeper dives into content, followed by case studies and samples from scholarly research, and ends with the glossary of highlighted terms. There are also always questions for students to go through to keep thinking about the content/review their comprehension. Due to the fact that each chapter is written by a different author or authors, there is some overlap or explanations of frameworks that occur to make sure students understand the author(s)'s perspectives on content.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The modularity of the text is great, as they make an effort to have many headings and subheadings within each chapter that can be used to delineate what sections students should pay closer attention to. The text itself has some repetitive chapters (Chapters 1 \u0026 2--Introduction to Anthropology AND What is Culture?; Chapters 8 \u0026 10--Family and Marriage AND Gender and Sexuality), but I keep one chapter assigned and one for optional reading in case students are more interested in the topic. Also, due to the way the information is displayed on the website, the textbook can be used for individual chapters as you see fit as an instructor. There are 19 chapters, so it covers a lot of content that you are free to assign as you see necessary for your class's content, and each chapter can be downloaded or read online (and a link can be given for each chapter you assign).","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The content of the book looks like it is organized so that if you needed to use only Part 1 chapters for your introductory Cultural Anthropology class, everything would be there for you, including introduction to anthropology (generally), what is culture, race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, globalization, etc. So Part 2 chapters focus on more content that may or may not be usually included in an introductory class, including things like sustainability, performance, history of anthropological ideas, public anthropology, health and medicine, and so on. I find that, due to the extra benefits of a test bank and lecture slides, this could be a good approach for an instructor who does not have a lot of time to organize the class content before starting the semester. However, I do actually use many chapters from Part 2 instead of some chapters from Part 1 because I feel that they fit better with my idea of what content I want to expose my students to.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface for the text is pretty basic, but that also means that there are not many glitches/issues with accessing material or with formatting of charts and images. They do a good job of including different images and charts, as is pertinent, and there are times where they also embed links to different videos. From other reviews on the book (on this website), people noted that some of these video links don't work. However, I may not be using all the videos included in the book, but the ones that I do use have been working for the last three years of using the book. But, if another reviewer mentioned this, I would also make sure to try links within the chapters that you assign to make sure that students will have access to those if you assign those elements within the text.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"No texts are ever perfect, but my experience with this text has been pretty good. I find that sometimes the extra content or some random sentences in the text need to be updated with their editing, but nothing egregious or anything that students would have trouble understanding due to grammatical structures.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"As a textbook for Cultural Anthropology, if this text received less than a 5, it would be quite surprising. Due to the many different authors of each chapter/content area, there are a lot of different case studies brought up from around the world. In my classes, students have commented that even though I don't cover all of them in class, they get a good picture of a lot of different ideas of what anthropology can be from the case studies from around the world. I also like that the examples in the text are not just from places that people would call \"exotic,\" as this would just deepen the erroneous understanding that most people have about anthropology already. For instance, in the chapter on Gender and Sexuality, the authors actually bring in an example about gendered language and stereotypes brought up during the 2016 United States Presidential Election, demonstrating how our biases/understandings of gender and use of gendered language can be seen in our everyday interactions and EVEN within politics--while many of us may be able to acknowledge that, many of my students have been surprised to see how these everyday situations can show enculturated understandings of the concepts we learn about in class.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I thoroughly enjoy using this text in the classroom, and I enjoy being able to support other anthropologists who have put together great scholars to provide open access information for students. My students are always happy to use this textbook. While the text provides a basic foundation for learning, it is placed on the instructor to create activities and classroom discussions of the content, but do note that each chapter provides further discussion questions/review questions near to the end of each chapter. The test banks and the instructor slide bonus materials have been invaluable to the continued use of this textbook, even if at this point, my lecture slides diverge significantly from those provided. I find that the text gives a good foundation for students that instructors can easily supplement with other materials to get main points across.","created_at":"2022-05-26T15:15:43.000-05:00","updated_at":"2022-05-26T15:15:43.000-05:00"},{"id":33961,"first_name":"Sharon","last_name":"Methvin","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Mt. Hood Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"A key strength of this source is its comprehensive coverage of the key concepts found in Cultural Anthropology. And, each concept is highlighted in the text for ease of finding it by the students as well as listed in the Glossary at the end of each Chapter.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Sources are listed and material is well supported. I would like to have seen additional direct quotes of the movers and shakers that students might know of.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Content coverage is mostly our basic content found in all anthropology texts. I would like to have seen more current examples that students could better relate to.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Clearly written and readable. There is some evidence of different writing approaches between the chapters and authors.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"There is some evidence of different writing approaches between the chapters and authors. I love the coffee shop framework of the first two chapters and then it is gone. Others begin with a story while others a basic introduction. I would also like to see the integration of media be consistent in all chapters.","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"The third section seems to be a hodgepodge of areas that lack internal coherence. And, there are far too many sections for a quarter into course.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"See comment above. The first two sections have better organization in my opinion, especially the first section. I like the inclusion of the discussion questions and glossary for each chapter.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I like the inclusion of the discussion questions and glossary for each chapter. Some of the photos lack clarity and interest.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Readable and I did not see any errors that jumped out at me.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I would like to see more global examples and more current ones that grab the student's attention.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"The strength of this text is its comprehensive coverage of the major anthropological concepts in a clear and concise manner and a in a readable style that the students can easily understand.","created_at":"2022-07-27T15:27:04.000-05:00","updated_at":"2022-07-27T15:27:04.000-05:00"},{"id":34032,"first_name":"Sanaa","last_name":"Riaz","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Metropolitan State University of Denver","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book provides a clear introduction to the field of anthropology and the essential aspects of culture that inform anthropological inquiry. Each chapter ends with some discussion questions and a list of important key terms/glossary. \r\nIt has long been debated whether non-Anthropology students taking an introductory class in cultural anthropology need to learn about the history of theoretical paradigms in the field. This book is divided into two parts. Part 1 introduces the different sub-fields of anthropology, concepts integral to anthropological inquiry of human behavior and anthropological fieldwork methods. It covers these topics to move on to a chapter exclusively dedicated to the conceptualization of culture, which includes a brief discussion of the important figures and schools of thought in anthropology. The rest of the chapters in Part 1 are focused on what we conventionally expect an introductory text in cultural anthropology to cover, that is, aspects of kinship and marriage, religion, political organization, and gender lives. Part 2 of the book essentially explores the new arenas of cultural representation and change that represent newer sub-disciplines within cultural anthropology or that point to new avenues of anthropological inquiry in a global world. If an instructor was interested in the more conventional anthropology textbook format, they can use Part 1 of the book with the option of including the theoretical development and thematic specializations in the field from Part 2 or replacing the Part 1 first chapter with it. Alternatively, if an instructor wished to provide an overview of the fast-growing specializations within cultural anthropology, such as anthropology of performance, media anthropology, environmental anthropology and public anthropology, they could include Part 2 of the book.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate from classic definitions of culture to cutting-edge discussions on anthropocene. It is typically in the images of non-white smaller subsistence communities, laborers in commodity chain and or informal economy, and gender plurality and religious rituals related illustrations that anthropological textbooks reek of ethnocentric, unethical and exotic white portrayals of other cultural lifeways. This textbook is free of all such problematic and exotifying images of \"other\" cultures, which really helps students see the universality of the discussions on spiritual well-being, non-industrial food production, non-Christian beliefs and gendered subjectivities, to name a few.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Part 2 of the book uses anthropocene as a point of departure to discuss ethnographic studies in environmental anthropology, applying political economy approach to sustainable development in First World countries, the importance of public anthropology, and also provides teasers into new avenues of anthropological inquiry, such as media anthropology and multi-species ethnography. While these features make the content up-to-date, they do not make the text obsolete. Rather, they create a model for incorporating updates in a straightforward process by adding ethnographic examples to the burgeoning fields of cultural anthropology discussed.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The most attractive aspect of the book is that it is written with introductory readers in mind. My students have never had a problem understanding information in the assigned chapters, nor do they find reading burdensome because of the textbook's accessible prose. All chapters begin with clearly stated learning objectives. The text opens with teaser questions on the topic followed by personal anecdotes and experiences from the field, such as the author's reflection on people's perceptions of their racial and ethnic heritage in school based on appearance in the chapter, Race and Ethnicity, to begin a discussion on the social construction of race, which ease the reader into deconstructing the concepts that will be covered. Section headings are also in line with the conversational pattern of the prose and key terms are dispersed at adequate intervals to allow for easy cognitive processing.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"This being an Open Educational Resource, the chapters and sections within are parsable. The terminology in each chapter, however, is kept consistent with the basic premise of analyzing each aspect of culture holistically. This can be seen in the discussion on syncretism in the chapter, Globalization. The textbook framework moving between key terms in bold to section headings containing ethnographic examples and conceptual discussions allows instructors to create definition-based objective questions as well as subjective discussion questions from each chapter.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This Open Educational Resource can be edited within chapters or as a selection of chapters. I found it very easy to mix and match chapters in Parts 1 and 2 of the book based on my Introduction to Cultural Anthropology course weekly themes. The textbook does not assume that the reader will have arrived at a chapter after reviewing a previous one and eases readers with overlapping but not replicative content, such as on theoretical approaches between chapter, The Culture Concept and chapter, The History of Anthropological Ideas, on subsistence covered in the chapter, Economics, in the chapter, Culture and Sustainability: Environmental Anthropology in the Anthropocene from a sustainability angle, on a discussion of \"Ritual as Performance\" in the chapter, Performance with a focus on performance in ritual, rather than the types of rituals, as enumerated in the chapter, Religion, etc.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"As an Open Educational Resource, it is an advantage for instructors that there is not much self-referencing in the textbook and the chapters can be modified and rearranged. That said, the textbook moves in a logical manner with Part 1 beginning with an introduction to the field and sub-fields of the discipline and the concept of culture to verbal, non-verbal communication to economic behavior and political institutions to forms of social identity (family, gender, race, ethnicity) with a discussion on globalization providing a closing statement on the changing nature of culture and setting a logical framework to move from the classically small-group case studies that anthropology is famous for towards the macro-level, global issues that can be deconstructed from an anthropological lens, such as development, environmental disasters and medical pluralism, the focus of chapters in Part 2. Part 2 also elaborates on themes in Part 1 in a clear fashion with a focus on introduction to and case studies from the growing sub-fields in cultural anthropology, such as media anthropology, public anthropology and environmental anthropology.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I adopted this textbook on the Blackboard Learning Management System and then again on Canvas. I have had students access it outside United States with erratic internet and they have not encountered any issues with the display. I have used the textbook with large classes where students on the autism spectrum and those receiving learning and physical disabilities assistance have used it without noting any distracting features or images. The textbook was also cleared by the instructional design team and online course quality standards review team at my University.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text contains no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Typically, an inherent bias in textbook discussions on non-American and non-Western cultural ways, be it in the domain of marriage, subsistence, religious expression or other is that they insensitively include National Geographic style glossy, colored images of non-white faces and bodies. There is not a single instance of insensitive or offensive photography in this textbook. Moreover, pictures like a diverse group working at Starbucks in the discussion on coffee commodity chain in the chapter, Subsistence and of a Trump impersonator at a pro-Trump Rally in the discussion on how transnational identities and religion impact perceptions of American politics in the chapter, Religion make the cultural content more inclusive and relatable.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Power is a concept that has been officially defined in the chapter, Political Anthropology, but used in every chapter to highlight its relevance in economic relations, matriarchal/patriarchal systems, and other aspects of cultural life. In future revisions of the textbook, I would like to see a more formal undertaking of the concept of power and representation in defining culture and in cultural continuity. It would be great to see power established as a point of departure for understanding all aspects of culture early on in the textbook (the chapter, The Culture Concept would be a good place) and revisited in relation to each chapter topic. Thus, power can be a keyword repeated in individual chapter glossary, but with an emphasis on labor relations in one chapter and on racism in another. Also, the chapter on Health and Medicine can be moved to Part 1, as it has been discussed holistically in relation to faith, communal healing, culture bound syndromes and other cultural behaviors.","created_at":"2022-09-07T01:46:41.000-05:00","updated_at":"2022-09-07T01:46:41.000-05:00"},{"id":34195,"first_name":"Miriam","last_name":"Kilimo","position":"Visiting Assistant Professor","institution_name":"James Madison University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Overall, the textbook covers the main topics that are in many other introductory cultural anthropology texts. The 2nd edition of the book is organized into two main parts. The first part provides an overview of the main topics, whereas the second part provides information about more specific subfields in cultural anthropology such as health, media, and performance. The textbook encourages instructors to ‘build their own book’ by adapting chapters as needed. A key difference between this textbook and other textbooks is that the chapters are written by different authors. The use of multiple authors helps to provide different perspectives on anthropology. However, it also leads to a bit of repetition, as definitions and materials that have been covered in previous chapters can be repeated in other chapters.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate and error-free. I did not identify instances of bias.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"This book functions as a good textbook that provides a lot of background for the main topics in an introductory cultural anthropology class. Since the textbook is written by multiple authors, I’m not sure to what extent updates can be easily made, save for including new chapters in the text. Additionally, while the textbook provides good background information, I found that some chapters did not always provide enough context about the racist and colonial roots of anthropology. This information is mostly only included in one chapter that describes the History of Anthropological ideas. I would have appreciated it if this information was included in the chapters, for example, describing how the colonial roots of political anthropology. However, the fact that the chapters are written by multiple authors means that there may be competing priorities.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is written in an accessible way. The authors describe any concepts they introduce. Each chapter also includes a glossary that provides definitions of key terms used in the chapter.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent in framework and terminology. The main difference is that because it is written by multiple authors, some concepts are repeated with authors providing their own definitions.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Each chapter has various subsections. Several of the chapters open with a vignette about the author’s experience, which they revisit at various points in the chapter. Therefore, it’s not very easy to simply use one section of a chapter in case it refers to an example that was discussed earlier in the text.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics are organized well. The textbook has two parts: the first part includes main topics in cultural anthropology that are in common anthropology textbooks. The second part includes more specific topics and begins with a chapter that provides an overview of various specializations in anthropology.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text can be downloaded as a PDF. The PDF includes a navigation pane that one can use to link to various chapters. The subsections are not available on the navigation pane, so one needs to go through a chapter to identify the main subsections.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not observe any glaring grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I did not observe any cultural insensitivity. The book draws from examples across the world, focusing on examples of different races, ethnicities, and backgrounds.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I found the textbook useful as an open-access resource that provides background for introductory classes in cultural anthropology. Given that the textbook provides lots of information on general and specific topics, the editors encourage instructors to adapt the book according to their needs, such as only using various chapters or sections. I assigned chapters of the textbook alongside other film and ethnographic essays. The chapters were intended to provide a background for key concepts in anthropology. One downside is that because the textbook is written by multiple authors, there is no “central thesis” about cultural anthropology that brings all the chapters together. The emphasis is on the diversity of voices provided by the perspectives of different anthropologists. I also found that some chapters did not always provide critiques of various aspects of anthropology, for example, a perspective that describes the colonial roots of political anthropology. The textbook also comes with three other resources that I found incredibly useful: an instructor’s guide, a test bank, and slide decks. These three resources are very useful during lecture prep, and one can easily look at additional texts when sourcing for information that may not be included in the chapters. The instructor’s guide also includes discussion questions, homework assignments, and suggestions for films based on the topics in the textbook.","created_at":"2022-11-27T17:24:58.000-06:00","updated_at":"2022-11-27T17:24:58.000-06:00"},{"id":34251,"first_name":"Jennifer","last_name":"Bauder","position":"Adjunct Instructor","institution_name":"Massachusetts Bay Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"I was impressed by the degree to which this textbook covered both topics/areas of interest/ideas that have historically been considered essential to cultural anthropology (language, subsistence, political anthropology, marriage and family, economics, sex and gender, etc) AND those that have gained attention and traction more recently (globalization, environmental anthropology, media, etc).  Not only does this text do a good job of covering the historical and current breadth of the field but there is significant depth to each of these areas.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"In a field as broad and varied as anthropology, I have no doubt that professionals reviewing this text may quibble with some of the choices made by authors- arguing perhaps that a definition left out a relevant feature or that a classification scheme would be best presented another way, etc.  That said, the text does well presenting material in a way in which I think most anthropologists would broadly consent is accurate and holistic.  Debates within the field are presented as such. It is acknowledged where there is difficulty in arriving at definitions that are fully agreed upon- for example, in Chapter 2: Culture Concept, the authors explictly write that there is no one agreed upon definition of culture and discuss how anthropologists have come to understand culture over the course of the discipline's history as well as discuss how this may articulate with the broader public's understanding of culture.  By centering the very difficulty in definition the authors created a useful framing which accurately reflects the development of thought.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"As discussed above, I was impressed by this book's coverage of more recent topics/areas of interest to cultural anthropology as well as coverage of those that have been more well established.  Topics like environmental anthropology and anthropology and the media are essential to understanding the ways the field continues to develop apace with broader social and environmental changes in our world.  These topics are especially relevant to introductory classes so students can see anthropology as a vibrant and dynamic field with opportunities for growth and not a hide-bound dusty discipline that only looks backward to long established arenas.\r\nI particularly appreciated the section in Chapter 1 which asked three current anthropologists to discuss what drew them to the field and to describe their work.  This worked well to highlight diversity in the work of contemporary anthropology and allows students to hear from anthropologists directly in their own voices.  The structure of this section would allow for easy future updates to highlight other anthropologists if desired.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This book seemed very appropriate to an introductory level class in terms of clarity.  Authors did not avoid use of relevant vocabulary and discipline specific terminology but these were always well defined or explained in context.  Formatting helped significantly in this regard- key terms were highlighted in various ways including being pulled out into individual text boxes or placed in bold within the text. Students should have no trouble identifying key terms and phrases within the chapter and are additionally aided by a separate glossary section at the end of each chapter.\r\nAdding to clarity- I felt the choices of images and graphics was well curated for each chapter to highlight particular ideas, people, etc.  Placement of these as well as captions made their connection to the text easy to discern.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"There is good structural consistency to this volume of the type you would expect from any quality textbook- a section at the beginning of each chapter to list learning objections, a section at the end for discussion questions and a glossary, etc.\r\nThere is a fair degree of redundancy to presentation of certain terminology and historical context of the field.  This is not necessarily a negative- students may not be asked to read/engage with the entirety of the text so the repetition may serve to introduce them to relevant ideas, vocabulary, etc in one area of the book without requiring them to read others.  And if a student is reading chapters that have a redundancy in presentation this can serve to reinforce those ideas, vocabulary, etc as important.  In those cases it is important that there is a consistency to the presentation of materials and I do see that in this text.  Content is not repeated verbatim but there is coherence to the presentation of terminology and ideas.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Chapters vary to some degree in their modularity- some have larger blocks of text than others.  But, this is to be expected as different topics within chapters lend themselves to parsing in different ways.  All chapters worked to have some level of modularity and headings and subheadings were easy to identify and would allow for instructor to make clear which sections within a chapter they wish students to focus on.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"I found individual chapters well organized.  I could easily follow each chapter through the material.  \r\nIn terms of overall book organization I struggled to fully understand the division of the book into two main parts.  The preface indicated that Part 1 contained more fundamental topics that would be found in most other textbooks on the subject while Part 2 contained in-depth discussions of more specialized topics.\r\nI did not necessarily find this division useful in understanding how chapters were ordered or in thinking about how I would use different chapters in a class.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I did not encounter any negative issues with the interface.  I had no issues navigating the text, viewing images or connecting to embedded links.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Well written with no noted grammatical issues.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"As this is a book designed to instruct in areas of culture I felt the authors were all acutely aware of being relativistic, inclusive and presenting examples in a way which is illustrative and instructive without being sensationalistic.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I appreciated the thought and time that had clearly gone into the production of this text.  I was impressed by the quality in terms of breadth and depth.","created_at":"2022-12-08T09:44:50.000-06:00","updated_at":"2022-12-08T09:44:50.000-06:00"},{"id":34311,"first_name":"Lawrence","last_name":"Ramirez","position":"Adjunct Instructor","institution_name":"California State University, Dominguez Hills","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook gives a solid overview of key concepts, disciplinary concerns, and methodological approaches for an introductory course in cultural anthropology. Within each chapter, the authors offer a basic primer for the selected topic as approached through anthropological disciplinary perspectives, dipping into theoretical engagement at a level appropriate for an introductory class. The glossaries at the end of each chapter, taken together, provide a strong listing of key disciplinary terminology. Likewise, chapter bibliographies can lead interested students into a deeper understanding of the discipline. Thus, this textbook is a good starting point for students to learn about cultural anthropology.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The information provided is accurate, specifically for an introductory textbook. There might be issues of being a bit out of date in some areas, or using older disciplinary terms, such as “informant,” or failing to address in greater detail contested concepts within the discipline. Although these critiques would be valid, they do not point to anything truly problematic for a beginner’s overview. Likewise, there are drifts in nuanced concepts from chapter to chapter, because of the different authors involved, but these drifting definitions, for example in discussing the concept of culture, are not significant impediments for introductory students learning the concepts. Overall, the information is clear, accurate, and consistent.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Overall, this textbook grounds itself in the ethnographic experiences of the writers to illustrate a concept or concern. This is an effective method by which ideas are exemplified and contributes to the textbook’s longevity. Certainly, some examples could be updated, but they still work as intended. A more complicated concern relates to privileging “canonical” anthropologists and their studies, crowding out work by more recent researchers, specifically BIPOC and decolonial scholars. This is a valid concern, but the use of the “canon” fits the needs of many introductory courses. Instructors simply need to be aware of this issue and introduce alternative approaches within their lectures. As decolonial and alternative paradigms come into greater prominence in the discipline, this may become a more pressing issue.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Clarity is the strong point of this textbook. It is written in clear language, with a robust glossary included in each chapter. Concepts are explored with rich ethnographic experiences. Subchapters break down complicated ideas and theoretical paradigms. In short, the textbook is written with a beginning student reader as the intended audience and is designed to render the materials in as accessible a manner as possible. Overall, the writers succeed in this task.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"In terms of design and layout, the textbook is very consistent. Given the number of contributors, the textbook is amazingly consistent in the degree of information conveyed in each chapter. Because each author draws upon their own ethnographic experiences, the wide array of fieldsites can feel a bit overwhelming, chapter from chapter, but, as illustrations for the specific concepts under discussion, they serve an important role. Overall, the consistency is excellent.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Although the chapters can vary in length, the modularity of this textbook is good. The strength comes from the consistent layout that each chapter utilizes. Additionally, the chapters can “stand alone” or be remixed to suit course design. For example, I have used the chapter on environmental anthropology as a short primer reading in upper division courses. In identity-focused courses, the chapters can be rearranged to flow from performance to gender to race/ethnicity to religion to political power in a smooth reconfiguration of the materials. This works well specifically because the modularity facilitates the remixing of information to fit pedagogical needs.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"This textbook is structured into two parts. In Part 1, the chapters deal with the standard materials of an introductory cultural anthropology course, like methodology, language, subsistence, race/ethnicity, religion, and kinship. In Part 2, the chapters contain more specialized topics, like environmental anthropology, medicine and wellness, and public anthropology. Thus, the basics that constitute an introduction to the discipline are all covered in Part 1, but the materials of Part 2 are available to remix the course to suit pedagogical focus. This results in a very flexible and adaptable textbook.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface is good. The ability to easily use a text reader, either online or by downloading the text, makes this a very accessible textbook. Likewise, the links that I have used have reliably connected to the intended materials. However, it is likely that link maintenance needs to be regularly and comprehensively reviewed. Overall, the ability to easily access this textbook online has never been a problem for me or my students.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The textbook is well written, well edited, and free from grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text draws upon many examples grounded in real world experiences and diverse situations from a variety of backgrounds. Examples like social dancing, sexist discourse in politics, and holiday gift giving situate the course concepts in a manner to which a diverse readership can easily relate. They help students think about complex issues, like global commodity chains, hegemonic bio-medical models of health, and performative configurations of subjectivity, through everyday experiences of these issues. Therefore, the textbook does an excellent job of illustrating the relevance of anthropological concepts through examples from a variety of backgrounds and positionalities.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This textbook provides a strong foundation for an introductory course in cultural anthropology. For an instructor who likes tailoring courses to their pedagogical focus, this book is easily remixable. For instructors who like supplementing with additional readings, the bibliographies in each chapter offer excellent suggestions. Finally, the support materials available, like the slides and text bank, can be a great assistance to novice instructors, as well as being viable timesavers for more experienced instructors. I have used this textbook a few times and have been greatly satisfied with it.","created_at":"2022-12-19T12:59:33.000-06:00","updated_at":"2022-12-19T12:59:33.000-06:00"},{"id":35526,"first_name":"Erin","last_name":"Ferris","position":"Adjunct Professor","institution_name":"Springfield Technical Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book covers a vast array of information related to cultural anthropology from the foundational knowledge needed such as language, politics, and family structures, followed by the inner workings of practicing cultural anthropology through media, performance, and public works. The table of contents is easily understood and provides proper navigation.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"This text is accurate and provides the foundational knowledge needed to study and learn about cultural anthropology. The key thinkers within the discipline are highlighted and provide solid information on the key concepts a student will need to successfully complete an introductory cultural anthropology course.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The content of this book will need to be updated within a few years, but that is the nature of cultural anthropology. When discussing terms such as sex and gender, cultures can change rapidly. However, this would be true of most cultural anthropology books so it does not denote the significance of this OER.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"One of the predominate reasons I would use this text in the classroom is due to its readability. Although the topics can be dense, the authors have used common language that allows an introductory student to read with ease rather than becoming frustrated with discipline specific language that may not be easily comprehended.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The format and layout of each chapter is consistent, which permits readers to know what to expect from each chapter. Topics are easily located within the chapter and key words are bold faced allowing for quick retrieval.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"There are not enormous blocks of text that can be daunting for readers. The sections are manageable, which will not hinder the student from reading through the sections. Using this text for an introductory course will promote readership from students due to the ease of navigating the chapters and the content.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization of this text is in a logical order and builds upon concepts as the reader continues through each chapter. This is beneficial for professors using this book because it follows a very similar flow as a typical intro to cultural anthropology course would follow.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"When reviewing this text, there were no navigation concerns. This is a great benefit of this book because technical issues can cause students to forego the reading.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Little to none grammatical errors were found while reading this text. Sentence structure is at college level while providing all the necessary information needed for this topic.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Given the nature of the text, this book is culturally sensitive. Many different races, ethnicities and backgrounds are highlighted and celebrated. The pictures related to the context are diverse and represent many different types of people, which is representative of our diverse world.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I will be adopting this book for my upcoming anthropology course. When I first started teaching cultural anthropology over a decade ago there were no OER options. I am glad there is finally a suitable book for my students that is easily read, interesting, and provides all the information they need to succeed in my course!","created_at":"2025-06-15T10:40:48.000-05:00","updated_at":"2025-06-15T10:40:48.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/perspectives-an-open-invitation-to-cultural-anthropology","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:37:56.000-06:00"},{"id":448,"title":"International Relations","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2016,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution-NonCommercial","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":["unknown"],"description":"This book is designed to be a ‘Day 0' introduction to International Relations. As a beginner's guide, it has been structured to condense the most important information into the smallest space and present that information in the most accessible way. The chapters offer a broad sweep of the basic components of International Relations and the key contemporary issues that concern the discipline. The narrative arc forms a complete circle, taking readers from no knowledge to competency. The journey starts by examining how the international system was formed and ends by reflecting that International Relations is always adapting to events and is therefore a never-ending journey of discovery. Unlike typical textbooks, there are no boxes, charts, pictures or exercises. The philosophy underpinning this book is that these things can be a distraction. This book, like others in the E-IR Foundations series, is designed to capture attention with an engaging narrative. The chapters are short, with simple paragraphs and clear sentences placing the reader inside crucial issues and debates so they can understand how things work, and where they fit in the world around them.","contributors":[{"id":4155,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Stephen","middle_name":null,"last_name":"McGlinchey","location":"University of the West of England","background_text":"Stephen McGlinchey is Senior Lecturer in International Relations at the University of the West of England, Bristol and Editor-in-Chief of E-International Relations. His main research interests are in US-Iran relations during the Cold War."}],"subjects":[{"id":41,"name":"Geography","parent_subject_id":9,"call_number":"G128","visible_textbooks_count":20,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/geography"},{"id":51,"name":"Religion","parent_subject_id":6,"call_number":"BL1","visible_textbooks_count":19,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/religion"},{"id":45,"name":"Political Science","parent_subject_id":9,"call_number":"JA71","visible_textbooks_count":41,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/political-science"},{"id":9,"name":"Social Sciences","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"H1","visible_textbooks_count":285,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/social-sciences"}],"publishers":[{"id":361,"url":"http://www.e-ir.info/2016/12/07/e-ir-foundations-textbook-international-relations/","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:39.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-01-02T22:39:33.000-06:00","name":"E-International Relations"}],"formats":[{"id":621,"type":"PDF","url":"https://www.e-ir.info/publication/beginners-textbook-international-relations/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4","textbook_reviews_count":20,"reviews":[{"id":1338,"first_name":"Emily","last_name":"Channell-Justice","position":"Visiting Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Miami University of Ohio","comprehensiveness_rating":2,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book is presented as a beginner's guide to International Relations and in this way is comprehensive in its presentation of basic issues relevant to the subject. But the book refuses to use \"buzzwords\" like \"globalization\" because the authors do not want to get \"bogged down in big debates\" around complex terms. This seems like an inappropriate stance, as many beginners may be studying IR precisely to better understand such words. The book does not have an index. It has a bibliography, but throughout the text, is uses very few references, even when it seems obvious that the reader would like to know more.","accuracy_rating":2,"accuracy_review":"The book appears accurate, but with so few citations, it's quite hard to know the perspectives of the authors of each chapter. It is not unbiased; the book is extremely Eurocentric. Countries in the global south are presented as object of diplomacy, or as the sites of problems like famine, rather than presented as active participants in globalization (I guess if they'd be willing the use the term globalization, they could have avoided this problem).","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The book seems up to date, including citations from 2015. Because the text is so theory heavy and includes almost no examples, this might prevent it from seeming out of date quickly. At the same time, the second half (\"global issues\") that focuses on contemporary problems, would have to be updated quite regularly (i.e. examples like the environment, global food crisis). But the book should do this, because students need to be presented with examples of how IR works and how we can respond to these global issues.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"The book is written clearly, if dispassionately. There is little jargon, as was the author's intention, but this makes the writing seem even too simplistic for college students. Why should we not be asking them to understand challenging terms? The book's introduction also gives recommendations for how to read, which, if idealistic, could be useful to college freshmen who are not used to reading long texts. Additionally, the authors state clearly that the chapters should not be \"cherry picked\" and must be read one after another--I did not find this to be the case and had no issues jumping around.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is very consistent. Each chapter looks quite the same, although several of the \"global issues\" chapters are quite short. Again, the book is meant to be read completely linearly, so this consistency was a priority for the authors.","modularity_rating":1,"modularity_review":"The book presents itself as NOT predisposed to modularity. As a reader in the field, it seemed to me that this was a little strict and that a good professor could easily reorganize the book in order to, for example, assign an \"issues\" chapter along with a \"basics\" chapter in order to illustrate some points. But the authors do not encourage any sort of creativity so such a task would require significant extra work on the instructor's part.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"The book is clearly organized based on the priorities of the authors: this means that it is theory heavy up front, features one completely inadequate chapter about \"culture,\" and then presents a series of \"issues\" to bring IR into the real world. The book fits clearly into the authors' pedagogy.","interface_rating":1,"interface_review":"There are no images or any other illustrations. This is another part of the authors' pedagogy in which they find such things distracting. There are no interface errors, but the book is entirely page after page of similar-looking text. This is ridiculously boring and very far out of touch from how students actually learn.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not note any errors.","cultural_rating":1,"cultural_review":"The book is very Eurocentric and is focused on the diplomatic world through the eyes of Europe and North America. This is an archaic way of teaching and learning about the world. There is one chapter about \"culture and religion\" (which, first of all, each deserve there own attention) which tells us nothing about how cultural diversity impacts international relations. The \"global issues\" section is extremely weak. For instance, the chapter on the environment focuses almost exclusively on international agreements, but not on differential expectations for countries, debates around these policies, and the real-life impacts of climate change and environmental policy. This book is not culturally sensitive because there are no people in it. It's as if the authors see IR as outside of the realm of human relevance.","overall_rating":5,"overall_review":"Since there are no images or suggestions for discussion or further reading, a faculty member using this book would have to do a huge amount of work to make the text engaging for students. The instructor would have to find creative ways to do any practical exercises, and this seems like way too much work when much better texts exist. This book is not worth using just because it is open access. Why on earth would you want to teach IR without thinking about any examples and without getting students thinking about what policies have what impact on the people living around the world?","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1392,"first_name":"Alexis","last_name":"Henshaw","position":"Visiting Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Miami University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book at least touches on all of the subjects that I routinely cover in my introductory course on international relations, but the coverage of the subjects vary greatly. I thought the chapters on the environment and food security were particularly well-developed, but other chapters like the one on connectivity, communications, and technology would have been made stronger through more details or applied examples. The historical context given to today's political world is also a bit shaky. Some historical developments are more thoroughly explained than others, and students using this book might find it confusing that some background material is spread across chapters. Also noteworthy, the book contains no finding aids (index, glossary) which would make it cumbersome to students trying to use this in an introductory course.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found the book to be accurate on the topics it covers.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"It was not clear to me whether or how the publishers plan to update this text. This is particularly key for an international relations textbook with such a heavy emphasis on current world affairs. Unfortunately, in spite of the fact that the book is less than a year old, some sections are already debatably in need of updating (particularly Ch. 17, as it relates to U.S. foreign policy). While the basic information conveyed in each chapter will remain relevant, I would want to know the editor's intentions for updating the text before implementing it in a course.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is written in a very accessible way, and the various authors do a good job of explaining terms fully in the text.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The chapters are consistent in length and style.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The chapter structure is well-defined and appropriate for an introductory course. Potential users may want to be aware that the text is designed to flow in a certain order, so in most cases rearranging chapters out-of-order would not be advised.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The book is mostly well structured. I did have some issue with some concepts or historical developments being explained out-of-order or across multiple chapters, for example the history and development of the UN--which is spread across chapters 4, 5, and 6--and the Cold War, which is discussed piecemeal in multiple chapters.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"My biggest issue with the interface is that there is none. The book contains no links, pictures, charts, graphs, or visuals at all--even where the addition of these materials could help students using the text. I appreciate the editor's note indicating that these items were sacrificed in order to produce a free text, but I feel there were some extremely low- or no-cost ways of enhancing the text that would have been beneficial. Even having authors use bold font for key terms would facilitate student learning. Authors might also have been encouraged to recommend further reading or links to online resources related to each chapter. Combined with the lack of finding aids, I think the lack of interface would frustrate some students.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not find any obvious grammatical errors in the text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is largely inclusive, and the individual authors are representative of the global nature of the discipline.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall, my impression of this book was that it could not be a standalone text for an introductory, college-level IR course. The professor using this text would almost certainly need to supplement it with additional readings, and would probably also need to put a good deal of thought into designing exercises, lectures, tests, and study guides based on this material. Most importantly, I personally would not want to adopt this textbook without understanding the plan for updating it, as some of this information will likely seem outdated or obsolete in the next 5-10 years.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1639,"first_name":"Doga","last_name":"Eralp","position":"Professorial Lecturer","institution_name":"American University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This edited volume provides a comprehensive yet not so well integrated coverage of the issues and theories that define the international relations field today. Although the book lacks an index, as the editor noted as being too costly to compile.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Book provides often times an objective view of global politics, but on issues there have been instances where some authors refer to their personal experiences as a way to open up debates and introduce paradoxes which in some ways impact the overall bias on the issues introduced. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The edited volume captures the relevant debates in IR and provides an overall view of open topics in a manner to insuniate longer term discussion. updates for that matter would be rather easy in the coming editions.  ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"terminology is very clear and almost too simplistic.\nit would have helped if the editor pushed the contributing authors to adapt a more nuanced language for their chapters. ","consistency_rating":2,"consistency_review":"the edited volume definitely deserves a more consistent narrative across chapters. As is chapters do not necessarily follow each other. The language is inconsistent and calls for a major revision to keep the use of terminology and frameworks the same across all the chapters. ","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"each chapter of the book could be assigned separately as part of the weekly readings of an intro to IR theory course. in that respect it accomplishes a decent job; however, in terms of complementarity of chapters with one and another, it clearly fails. ","organization_rating":2,"organization_review":"organization of the edited volume seems to be all over the place.\nthere is a number of redundant discussions along with a lack of integration of different topics. it does not flow very well. ","interface_rating":1,"interface_review":"the edited volume obviously needs more charts, figures along with images. \nif the idea is to attract the attention of younger college age readers, it fails to achieve that. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"no problems with the grammar. ","cultural_rating":1,"cultural_review":"Yet another compilation of IR chapters from a very western oriented set of authors. There have not been a lot if any mention of contributions of non-western thinkers and scholars to the field of IR. As is such works contribute to the domination of western thinking in international politics. ","overall_rating":6,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1667,"first_name":"David","last_name":"Mislan","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"American University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"International Relations is an edited volume that attempts to cover all of the common themes in an introduction to IR course. On this, it does relatively well. It follows the basic format that most intro texts cover-- it starts with big themes and theories, and then proceeds to contemporary issues. The text lacks a glossary, boldfaced terms, and an index. These three omissions lessen the usability of the text. ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The accuracy varies from chapter to chapter. One thing I'd like to see is more attention to key concepts in the first few chapters. The book lacks clearly written definitions of terms (e.g. state). Readers can infer definitions from context, however. This is good for a smarter, more experienced reader, but it's a problem for most novice readers. One thing I liked about a few of the chapters was the attempt to incorporate new and non-traditional theories of IR, e.g. critical theory. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"A few of the chapters reference current events or contemporary individuals, and thus will appear dated soon. Other elements are deeply historical and unlikely to need updating anytime soon. Some teaching cases embedded in the chapters were sufficiently historical, so they are won't need updating anytime soon. ","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"Again, the quality of the prose varies from chapter to chapter. There are some stylistic differences (e.g. first person in some, third in others) and more than half of the chapter read like they're transcripts of lectures. In this sense, I don't think that the book is written in a way that's appropriate for a first-year student being introduced to a topic. I understand that IR is interdisciplinary and rooted in the arts and humanities, but I also think that IR can be presented in a straight-forward and clinical way that makes reading and writing on the topic simple and accessible. Starting with boldfaced terms and a glossary would be good. Adding discussion questions at the end of each chapter, as well as a summary of key themes, would greatly help the reader. I suppose that faculty members adopting this book can create their own glossaries and materials. Let's face it, though-- who has time for that? ","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"Some of the chapters reference concepts and theories in prior chapters. Not all do, however. I think the book would be better if there was a more concerted effort to integrate. ","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"This text can be divided up according to one's own schedule. ","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"The organization of this text is nearly identical to all standard IR texts. It begins with some history, quickly moves to theory, and then surveys issues. My chief complaint-- and this is true of most IR texts-- is that the latter third (issues) rarely refers back to concepts and theories. It sends the message to the reader that \"here are these theories, let me show you how irrelevant they are with the rest of this book.) At best, this organization is a missed opportunity. At worst, it works against the basic goal of the course-- to show that the scholarly study of IR is useful. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"There were no major issues. One minor observation is that the left justification seemed to be in different spots from one page to the next. I'm not sure if this is normal for an e-book. It didn't bother me. ","grammatical_rating":3,"grammatical_review":"The grammar is fine. There are some basic style issues for some of the authors, though. Some authors rely on run-on sentences and page-long paragraphs. Both of these stylistic errors make it more difficult for students to read and comprehend the text. ","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"I didn't see anything offensive, but I think there could've been more attention paid to non-Western examples. The last chapter was a bit weird, especially the bit about England's legacy for world affairs today.","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":"I think that this book is a good alternative if you're looking to assign a free book. There are definitely better books out there, though. Students learn best when their texts have clear, simple, and accessible organization and prose. This book is, for all intents and purposes, a series of smart introductory lectures. I might not be the smartest guy, but I think that I already deliver smart introductory lectures. So, when I'm looking for a book, I'm looking for a reference guide/companion to my lectures. This book is not that. ","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1744,"first_name":"Azamat","last_name":"Sakiev","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Pennsylvania State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook is comprehensive in range of concepts it covers. Some topics, however, are dispersed throughout various chapters and could benefit from being looked at in a single section/chapter. The textbook does not provide and index or glossary, but since it is available electronically looking up terms and words of interest is of no difficulty. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content appears accurate. No major inaccuracies were detected as of this review.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The textbook is up-to-date. The events, concepts and examples used in it are durable enough that it will not need to be regularly updated. Certainly not on an annual basis. The emphasis on concepts rather than smaller current event make it last for several years before needing re-edition.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The textbook reads easily. It flows from chapter to chapter and theme to theme rather seamlessly. It would not be a difficult read for an undergraduate level course.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The textbook has a decent consistency.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"As it stands the textbook would require some effort to divide into readable chunks for assignments. I would organize is differently in terms of the chapters. However, when combining various chapters from parts 1 and 2, the reading assignments are coherent. For example, the chapters 8 and 10 cover topics that are usually taught in sequence. Thus, most likely they should be assigned as a combined reading block.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"Organization is the one area where I would recommend re-work. As it stands the textbook is rather fragmented. Many chapters could be combined for a more streamlined presentation. Bringing down the number of chapters would also help in fitting the text into a standard 15 week semester long classes (at least in North America). ","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The textbook could benefit from some graphic representations. Since the undergraduate audience is the primary target, pictures, graphics and other visual representations would significantly increase the textbooks appeal. It would also enhance its teaching ability.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No major comments. As of this reviewing no major grammatical issues detected.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"The textbook presents a very euro (western) centric view of the international relations. This is more telling of the state of the IR curriculum, rather than the critique of the text per se. ","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"This is a decent textbook. It accomplishes most IR requirements in an open format. As such it is a valuable resources in instances when textbook costs are a prohibitive barrier. ","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1928,"first_name":"Peter","last_name":"Funke","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"University of South Florida","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"While comprehensiveness is not achievable, this edited volume covers main areas of the field. ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"This is of course always depends on one's perspective but from what I could tell, it seems accurate. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Seems mostly fine although some chapters reference current events, which will be outdated at some point.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Clearly written.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"There is some referring back to other chapters and topics but there could be more given that it is a textbook.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Yes, it is.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Dozen of ways to do it but it follows a somewhat standard approach. From broader and theoretical debates to issue areas.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"No issues that I could detect.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Fine.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"It has a somewhat Eurocentric bend as there is little on colonialism or non-western examples or approaches.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"No index but you can search as it is available electronically. A glossary might be helpful.","created_at":"2018-03-27T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-03-27T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2031,"first_name":"Boris","last_name":"Barkanov","position":"Teaching assistant professor","institution_name":"West Virginia University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book covers an impressive range of topics.  However, there is not much on IR theory.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I did not see any factual errors. There is some non-standard use of concepts.  For example, the chapter on diplomacy calls the reaction of common alarm in response to the development of nuclear weapons in a previously non-nuclear state a norm (p.25). The more common but contested interpretation is that this is interest in security. This is an important and fruitful area of debate but the chapter does not go into it and there is not enough theory in the book for students to recognize and make sense of it.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"It is mostly up to date and relevant. More focused and comprehensive discussion of 20th century cases, especially WWI, WWII, and the Cold War, would be useful, at least for American students. Also, I would expect more on the war/crisis in Ukraine (there is no mention of Maidan at all) and contemporary relations with Russia, which are addressed cursorily and from a very obviously Euro-Atlantic security community perspective.\n\n","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I think it is very student friendly.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I found it consistent.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This is a strong point. Because of the topical focus, instructors can easily integrate the various chapters into their course.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Organization/structure/flow are fine.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"It would be nice if clicking on a chapter title or page number in the table of contents took you to the chapter.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Fine.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The book tries admirably to include many perspectives and address issues of global relevance. I agree that it reflects views more common among European scholars than in the USA.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I will certainly include some of these chapters as supplements to my intro to IR course.  However, there is not enough theory to be my main text.","created_at":"2018-05-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-05-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2213,"first_name":"Elissa","last_name":"Alzate","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Winona State University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The first section of the book, \"The Basics,\" did not cover the basics in as much detail as I would have liked to see. The first 4 chapters are really foundational for the rest of IR and the rest of the topics in the book, but the information is very cursory. For example, the IR theories are not covered in as much depth as they should be, and the author of that chapter seems to be somewhat dismissive of them. Also, there is no glossary. Each chapter should really end with its own list of sources cited, rather than having one long references section at the end of the book. I would also like to have seen each chapter end with a brief Further Reading list for students interested in the topic of the chapter, particularly since the main chapters in the first section are quite short.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not see any problems with errors or bias.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"IR is a discipline that is always changing. Perhaps old information does not become obsolete, but new developments are always happening. The authors of this book did well writing about the topics in a way that it will not become obsolete within a short period of time.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Obviously, with any edited volume, the tone of the book will change from chapter to chapter based on each author's writing style. I found some of the chapters to be written in an incredibly simple way, beneficial for introductory students. Other chapters were not as accessible.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Again, it is difficult with an edited volume to make sure everyone is on the same page in terms of terminology, but the editor did a great job of ensuring that the terms and ideas were used consistently across the chapters. This was particularly true since a key theme of the book is that the ideas of IR being international and focused on states is somewhat outdated, shifting to adopt terms such as global, globalisation, and non-state actors.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each chapter was well laid out with subheadings.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"Some of the topics are presented in an odd order and appeared repetitive across chapters. For example, chapter 2 was really the first substantive chapter in the work, and it was on diplomacy. It would have been nice to get some more introductory concepts from some of the later chapters such as levels of analysis and actors before addressing one particular foreign policy tool. Additionally, the the subject of diplomacy itself was not explained very well or in much depth before the chapter went into quite a bit of detail covering nuclear proliferation, which seems to me to be something that should be discussed after basic concepts are covered.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface was fine. There were no interface issues or distractions. Very simple text and outline.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I saw no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I saw no problems with cultural insensitivity or exclusion of any group. To the contrary, most chapters went out of their way to acknowledge that the traditional conceptions governing IR arose out of the Western tradition.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I wish the first four chapters of the basics section were covered much better. It seems that the editor chose breath over depth. In many ways, this is appropriate for an introductory class, but not when the basic themes and concepts are covered in less detail than the issues. The chapters in Part 2, \"Global Issues,\" were covered in much greater detail. I don't find many of the chapters to be particularly useful for my purposes, but some other instructors might. I did particularly like Chapter 12, \"Connectivity, Communications, and Technology,\" because it discusses things like the internet and internet commerce that relate directly to students' lives. Some of the other chapters did not seem as relevant and might have been better left to a textbook for a higher level IR course.","created_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":3100,"first_name":"Xiaowen","last_name":"Zhang","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Augustana College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"A wide range of topics are covered. However, there is no index or glossary. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I didn't find any factual errors.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Several chapters reference current events heavily, which will need updates soon. However, updates should be relatively easy.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text is very accessible to beginners, although a glossary would really help.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"The frameworks used by the contributors clearly vary a lot. It would be great if at least the issue chapters in the second part are written under the same framework.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Helpful subheadings throughout. Easy to be divided into smaller reading sections that can be moved around as the instructor sees fit.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Contributors in Part One tried to present the logic behind the flow from one chapter to another, but it is still odd to put a chapter on Diplomacy right after chapter 1 and before the chapter introducing the main actors of IR. ","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"There were no major interface issues other than there are no images/charts. It would help if each chapter is followed with its own references, rather than putting all the references at the end of the book. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Fine.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Many perspectives are included when issues are being examined. However, it could have included more non-Western perspectives/examples.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"I can see myself including some chapters as supplemental reading material to my intro to IR course. However, using it as the primary text for college students in the United States would require a lot of extra work (developing a glossary,discussion questions, finding the images,charts, figures going along with the text, etc.). ","created_at":"2019-07-17T15:06:14.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-07-17T15:06:14.000-05:00"},{"id":3180,"first_name":"Stephen","last_name":"Bagwell","position":"Visiting Assistant Professor","institution_name":"DePauw University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Overall, very comprehensive for an introductory textbook. In my introductory course, I tend to delve a bit deeper into a number of issues, but this textbook overall provides a good framework to build those discussions off of. Still, I'd have liked to see at least a short discussion on the changing nature of global finance in the global political economy chapter- there is a discussion of trade and multinationals which easily transitions into course discussion of GATT/WTO, and FDI, but no mention of sovereign credit or debt, which is by far the most commonly access form of global capital.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found no errors related to accuracy in the book. It was very well researched and proofed.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"While some of the specific data will need to be updated (references to the debt/deficit as it stands now, etc), overall the theoretical discussion and the overall structure of the book should enable extended longevity. The updates should be fairly straightforward to implement.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Textbooks are never the most gripping reading, but even with advanced knowledge of the material in the book I found it fairly compelling, particularly because of the focus in the second half of the book on global issues. The second half takes the book from \"good\" to \"fantastic\"","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is well put together and I found no issues in regards to consistency in terminology or framework.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Overall, each chapter is well written, and each chapter and section has a number of natural breaks. However, the book is written, as it says in the intro, not to be broken up or only have selections assigned. Students should use the book to progress through, which limits the ability of the instructor to structure the course prioritizing different information.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Same as above comment in \"modularity\". Overall, well done, but not much freedom to use a chapter here or there or rearrange chapters to fit the desired flow of the course.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"There were no navigation problems (the table of contents was accurate). There were no images or charts or other display features, however.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The book was written by a large number of individuals with different backgrounds and identities, and it shows: I found no examples that were culturally insensitive or offensive, and found the inclusiveness of the viewpoints brought by the variety of authors to be refreshing.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I look forward to adopting this book in the Spring- while there are some issues with the ability to design a course around it (ie the text itself isn't flexible to starting from a different point than the text does), I believe it is worth the effort. We'll see exactly how much effort is required when I begin developing the syllabus for next semester.  While the preface indicates that there are \"no boxes, charts, pictures, or exercises\" because \"these things can be a distraction\", I find that in particular to be counterproductive. The overall narrative is engaging, but including visualizations only helps to keep that engagement, particularly with undergraduates. Additionally, visualizations offer an opportunity to discuss how data is used, often erroneously, by the media or government. Being able to point to good visualizations (charts, in particular) in the textbook would be much more of a strength than a distraction.\r\n\r\nIn all, I like this book, but it could have been made better with a few tweaks. For my purposes, the book is probably about 4.75/5 stars- as good or better than many existing textbooks, and close enough to the best textbooks to justify the switch given my desire to adopt open access educational resources.","created_at":"2019-10-10T11:55:22.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-10-10T11:55:22.000-05:00"},{"id":3215,"first_name":"Michael","last_name":"McNeal","position":"Adjunct Instructor","institution_name":"Metropolitan State University of Denver","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"See review pasted into the text window below.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"See review pasted into the text window below.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"See review pasted into the text window below.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"See review pasted into the text window below.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"See review pasted into the text window below.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"See review pasted into the text window below.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"See review pasted into the text window below.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"See review pasted into the text window below.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"See review pasted into the text window below.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"See review pasted into the text window below.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"International Relations, Stephen McGlinchy, ed.\r\nA book review for the Open Textbook Library\r\nBy Michael J. McNeal, Ph.D.\r\n\r\n\r\n\tStephen McGlinchy, et. al. provide students of international relations a broad and substantive introduction to the discipline. McGlinchy has organized the chapter contributions in a sensible and accessible manner that succeeds in covering all of the major subjects and themes of the discipline. \r\n\tMcGlitchy’s volume is comprehensive thematically, but certain sections would have benefited from deeper and more sustained analysis, for instance in the section on International Relations Theory. The content is accurate and given the general relevance of the text to the subjects covered the text should enjoy a fair degree of longevity.\r\n\tIn the first chapter, The Making of the Modern World, by Eric Ringmar, the emergence of the norm of sovereignty is examined as a foundational development toward the Westphalian system of nation-states that emerged in Europe. Ringmar then focuses upon how this system was universalized over centuries via European imperialist conquests and colonialism. He then explicates how the resulting international system that is with us today operates and persists according to the post-war institutional framework for cooperation and conflict resolution.\r\n\tMcGlinchy himself authors chapter two, taking up the issue of diplomacy through a number of illustrative cases. In the first case he examines efforts to regulate and prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons, including the recent case of Iran. He provides an overview of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and its diminution in recent years. The second case he focuses on is that of the 1979–1980 Iranian hostage crisis, the transformation of U.S. – Iranian relations in its wake and the prospect of a nuclear armed Iran in the future. \r\n\tCarmen Gebhard provides an introduction to the levels of analysis method of international relations theorizing. This chapter covers the individual, group, state, and systems levels of analysis and the implication of it for comprehending international relations. She also explicates the ways in which the levels of analysis framework determines the findings of researchers working in IR, as well as how it affects and is effected by the evolving ambitions of the discipline.\r\n\tThe fourth chapter, which introduces international relations theory, is co-authored by Dana Gold and Stephen McGlitchy. They begin with a helpful introduction to the particular use of terms in IR theory, then proceed to define each of the “traditional” theories of liberalism and realism that have long dominated the discipline. Insufficient attention is given to the “more modern versions” of these traditions, namely neoliberalism and neorealism, which have prevailed over roughly the last four decades. They move into the so-called “middle ground” (their phrase) in assessing the consequence of the English School of IR theory, before examining Constructivism. The overview of the Critical Theory school starts with Marxism, proceeds to Feminism, moves on to Poststructural thought in IR. The chapter then employs each theoretical framework to assess by the lights of each theory, respectively, the United Nations. This is an effective exercise, but ultimately does not compensate, as it were, for what are rather insubstantial explications of the IR theories themselves.\r\n\tChapter five, written by Knut Traisbach, introduces public international law. It covers the UN system, legal treaties, intergovernmental and the global organizations that since the Second World War have provided for the international legal regime we now enjoy. It begins with the contents of international law, including the aim of preserving international order and providing for greater justice in foreign affairs between states. The chapter also contends with the laws of peace, and international humanitarian law, including the related laws of war. Traisbach traces the development of international law from its complete absence, to the patchwork of laws characterizing the nascent regime, to the semblance of global governance provided by international law today. \r\n\tShazelina Z. Abidin contributes the sixth chapter, on International Organizations. The differences between and respective functions of inter-governmental organizations and non-governmental organizations is explicated. The author begins with the UN and moves through a clear description of the forms governmental organizations take, their geographical limitations, and their various aims are examined. The purpose and function of non-governmental organizations are similarly examined. The chapter then takes up hybrid organizations examining the ways in which certain agencies cooperate with formally collaborate with governments throughout the world. Finally, the chapter concludes by illuminating the ways in which international organizations shape the world.\r\n\tThe remaining chapter contributions include introductions to a broad range of important but more specific subjects, including global political economy, religion and culture, global poverty and wealth, protecting people, giving people a voice, communications technology, terrorism, the environment, hunger, global security, and a concluding chapter on “doing IR” in a relevant way in the contemporary world.\r\n\tIn conclusion, the text McGlinchey’s introductory level International Relations volume is clear, and the writing is well edited. While it employs British spelling and phrasing in places, this should enhance the experience of American students for whom it is unfamiliar. The book’s chapters, while authored by different contributors, are consistently edited, giving the text a high degree of consistency. The respective sections of the text can also be assigned separately. The organization, structure, and flow of the text are effective, and assigning the sections in a different order would not be detrimental to this. Finally, the text is sufficiently sensitive in cultural terms, and should present no issues to educators who assign it.\r\n\r\n","created_at":"2019-10-24T22:36:09.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-10-24T22:36:09.000-05:00"},{"id":3370,"first_name":"George","last_name":"Amedee","position":"Professor","institution_name":"SUNO","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book is very comprehensive. It clearly covers all of the major themes, theories, concepts and trends in an extremely dynamic subject matters. It does well in covering traditional, enduring, and emerging issues and problems in international relations. The most recent emergence of the IR world Post Trump is the addressed in this text,especially with respect to the recent threats to NATO. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"For the most part, the book is accurate and error free. However, it addresses early in the book  the historical existence of  pre-state areas in a European context only. Some scholars might prefer to also understand the nature of government in lands,  territories and empires prior to the emergence of \"the state\" in the context of other non-European pre-states. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content is extremely up to date. I believe this is because book is more of a reader with many scholars focusing on a specific area of IR. Sometimes with one or two writers the content can be limited by the writers knowledge and interest. Each write in this book obviously bring considerable in depth, current  knowledge about the special subject in IR. The basics Of IR are covered and most modern global Issues are addressed.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is written clearly and  at a level that undergraduate college students should have no problems There is no assumption that the reader has been exposed to the field of IR.  Every major facet of IR is covered in clearly written terms. The jargon and technical terminology used is clearly defined in language accessible to our students.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text has a strong internal consistency. I begins with basics of defining key terms and the historical context of IR. It then focuses on helping the reader to understand the various principle and theories, structure, key actors, and international organizations both state and nonstate . Most of the historical and contemporary issues, challenges, and problems then flow in the ensuing chapters addressing major issues one at a time. . ","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The division of the text into smaller readings sections is fairly good. However, headings are good but most students are aided by vignettes, tables, graphs are other pictures that bridge the gap between words and pictures that help to further help to absorb the context of the readings. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics are presented in a very logical and clear fashion.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"In this case, the book can benefit from an interface with images, charts and other displays that would further the readers understanding of the key concepts, structures, and institutions and there role in IR. Also, most books also provide a multiplicity of weblinks and other online sources throughout each chapter. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text did not appear to have major grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Overall, the book is not culturally insensitive. As mentioned previously, the inclusion pre-state history that focus on Europe only, makes one wonder about areas outside of Europe.  Beyond that introduction of the advent of sovereign state, the book goes on to address the  international global condition satisfactorily encompassing all regions and peoples.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Obviously, I am excited about using this book to teach my class in International Relations. The writers of each chapter appear to cover all of the themes that have been traditionally a part of IR and frankly have made major steps in incorporating today's issues as such connectivity, technology and cyberissues, terrorism, religion and culture factors, climate and environmental  and the emergence of new power bases in Asia and the Mideast. Of course, I have already begun researching supplemental material in the form of pictures, graphs, weblinks to supplement this outstanding reading. ","created_at":"2019-12-12T14:01:02.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-12-12T14:01:02.000-06:00"},{"id":4434,"first_name":"Abigail","last_name":"Post","position":"Assistant Professor of Political Science and National Security","institution_name":"Anderson University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"I would not classify this as a comprehensive text of introductory international relations. It misses some key components, the most obvious being interstate and intrastate war. My sense is that this omission emerges from its European perspective. In the United States, we still include segments on the causes, conduct, and consequences of both interstate (between states) and intrastate (within state) wars in our introductory IR courses. These text's underlying theme (obvious though never explicitly stated) is that of globalization as a cause of peace.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not identify any factual inaccuracies, although I would have liked more frequent citations. Since I use introductory courses to introduce students to basic research and citations procedures, I like texts that are very good at this.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The authors make a concentrated effort to make this text relevant to twenty-first century politics. Unfortunately, its relevance (like the relevance of so many political science textbooks) will take a hit due to the global pandemic. Its underlying, yet subtle, theme is that of globalization, and globalization has taken a hit with the pandemic.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"The authors are clear in their presentation but they have watered down their approach so much that the text lacks conceptual clarity. Many key terms (anarchy, balance of power, collective action) are introduced but in an ad-hoc fashion. I imagine that it would be difficult for students to figure out what points were important to focus on. It's easy to read, however.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"In general, the text is consistent in terms of terminology and framework, although inevitably multiple authors get repetitive.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The text is quite self-referential at first. That being said, I think that the chapters on international organizations and the environment would be two excellent standalone chapters that I could assign in any of my classes. The first 3-4 chapters were too interconnected. The editor himself argues that the text should be read in order in the \"Getting Started Section.\"","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"I could not understand the organization of the chapters. I believe it is because the editor did not set out a clear organizing theme for the test. As I mentioned earlier, the underlying theme seems to be that of globalization. However, this concept does not explicitly organize the text, making it difficult to grasp the main points. The current IR text I use (World Politics by Frieden, Lake, and Schultz) is far superior on this point – but they are so expensive!","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The only downside is lack of index, which I presume is a costly endeavor. However, the text does not include images/charts, so the text is relatively easy to navigate.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any typos, but the authors used informal/casual writing that I ban my undergraduates from using. For examples, the authors used the trite writing crutch: “It is important....” Several of the authors used contractions (didn't, isn't, etc.), which I forbid my students to use. I worry that assigning this text might teach bad writing habits.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"There was nothing at all offensive about this book, but people should be aware that it is a European-worldview IR text.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Overall, this is a basic introductory text that to my mind holds promise. However, it requires a more explicit and systematic theoretical/conceptual framework to operate as a stand-alone text for an Introduction to IR class. I will, unfortunately, not be adopting this text as I had hoped.","created_at":"2020-12-04T13:07:39.000-06:00","updated_at":"2020-12-04T13:07:39.000-06:00"},{"id":4440,"first_name":"Sahil","last_name":"Mathur","position":"Adjunct Instructor","institution_name":"American University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Given the inherently interdisciplinary nature of the academic field of International Relations (IR), any textbook on the subject is bound to be lacking in some aspects. Despite the daunting task it takes on, this textbook does an impressive job of covering a range of topics that form the focus of scholarly inquiry in the field. Part One provides excellent, succinct overviews of the fundamentals, or “basics,” of the field, while Part Two delves into specific global issues of contemporary importance. As an introductory, “day-zero” IR text, the book provides readers with enough detail to kindle curiosity, without overburdening them with a flood of information. A minor criticism, however, is that some chapters in Part Two do not adequately tie the discussion of the issue to concerns and debates in IR.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"In general, the book presents accurate accounts of the key themes in IR, from a range of perspectives. Several chapters use case studies and examples—accurately described—to illustrate complex ideas and abstract concepts. While some individual chapters might appear biased toward a particular lens (e.g., a US- or Western-centric view of the world), other chapters present contrasting perspectives, thereby according the book with a semblance of overall balance. As an introductory textbook, the book is composed of considerably simplified narratives. In a couple of rare instances, the simplified presentation might be construed as inaccurate or, at least, controversial. However, these are almost always on deeply contested issues in the field; interested readers could consult other sources for more nuanced analyses.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The textbook’s content is up to date in two ways: the topics explored in Part Two (“Global Issues”) are contemporary, pressing problems in international relations, and the case studies peppered throughout are largely drawn from recent, relevant events. Most, but not all, chapters are designed to first briefly introduce the topic or concept, followed by illustrative cases to help the readers’ comprehension. This design makes the text adaptable for updated editions, as newer cases could be added. Individual chapters also work as standalone pieces, thereby facilitating easy addition (or removal) of chapters on particular global issues, if required.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is generally written in a conversational tone, doing a good job of explaining the substantive content of each chapter in a simple manner. The prose is lucid and accessible. A handy “Getting Started” section prior to the first chapter guides the reader on how to navigate the text, elaborating on some of the field’s jargon—which is used sparingly—as well as on the use of academic citations. A couple of the chapters, however, appear to assume some prior subject knowledge on the part of the reader; while written clearly, the narratives in these chapters may not be as simple as a basic text would demand.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Insofar as the chapters construct the fundamental building blocks of IR, the book is internally consistent. While the chapters generally avoid jargon, the terms used reflect the scholarly language of the field. Consistency in terms of chapter format, however, is lacking. Some chapters make effective use of case studies, but others do not employ cases as an explanatory technique. Some chapters are simplified to the level of an introductory textbook, while others use formal academic prose. Some chapters tie the conversation to broader debates in IR better than others. Perhaps the biggest inconsistency is quality: some chapters, especially chapter 11 on “Protecting People,” stand out as sharp and clear—a highwater mark for pedagogical effectiveness. But not every chapter presents as concise and comprehensive a picture of the topic as might be desired.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"While the text provides a good picture of the field overall, each chapter covers a distinct topic or issue and stands on its own. Further, the chapters make effective use of subheadings to present the material, while remaining coherent. Moreover, each chapter begins with a few sentences tying it to the preceding chapter(s). Individual chapters can, therefore, be easily assigned for specific course subunits, without losing any of the book’s broader context. This is especially useful given the previously noted inconsistency in quality across chapters.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The broad organization of the text into “The Basics” (Part One) and “Global Issues” (Part Two) and the sequencing of the chapters in Part One are logical. Part Two, on the other hand, can come across as a set of issues put together in no particular order. Greater effort to align the discussion within Part Two’s chapters to the basic themes elaborated in Part One might have improved the book’s organization. While the standalone quality of the chapters on global issues ensures modularity, it also serves as a dent in the book’s logical organization.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text’s interface is remarkably simple: just plain, narrative text (with references). There are no images, charts, or boxes; rather, case studies serve as illustration. While one might fault the textbook for not having a “catchy” appearance, its simple presentation ensures minimal distraction for the reader. Indeed, the accessible and conversational, yet informative and interesting, narrative style serves to distinguish the text from other introductory IR textbooks.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There are no major presentation errors in the book. Minor errors are rare (I caught two). Aside from these exceedingly rare instances, the book has undergone a thorough editing and proofing process, thereby minimizing distraction from the content.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The book makes an effort to include a diversity of perspectives in IR, reflecting the theoretical and empirical diversity that the field is striving toward. In its relatively short chapters, it manages to introduce readers to both traditional and critical perspectives. Examples are drawn from different parts of the world. Despite these efforts, there remains much scope for further diversity: even as case illustrations from the Global South are present, Western examples still form the majority. The Eurocentric nature of the first chapter (albeit, with a degree of self-awareness from the author) can be transformed to offer a more global perspective as the book’s foundational stone. The book could have also strived for—and consequently benefitted from—greater diversity among the chapter authors, who are overwhelmingly from the West.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"The book is currently the sole open-access textbook in the field of IR, and promises to expose significant numbers of prospective students of IR to an informed, academic introduction to and assessment of the field. While no basic textbook could possibly cover the vast and diverse landscape that is IR, this text makes a sincere attempt to balance breadth and depth. Future editions of the book would benefit from further diversifying the set of authors; including more contemporary, pressing global issues (such as, for example, the rise of China); and streamlining the structure of individual chapters to follow a common, pedagogically effective standard.","created_at":"2020-12-06T18:20:17.000-06:00","updated_at":"2020-12-06T18:20:17.000-06:00"},{"id":4467,"first_name":"Michelle","last_name":"Allendoerfer","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"The George Washington University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book covers a very wide and comprehensive set of topics in a concise way.  There are many topics that I don't typically cover in an Intro to IR course but that I could see being interesting to students (e.g. technology, food) and the short chapters mean the students could quickly gain insights into those topics.  However, compared to other introduction to International Relations textbooks, the treatment of conflict and explanations of war is not as comprehensive as I would need for an Introduction to IR course.  I think as an overview of the discipline the book would work well, but would likely need supplemental material - especially with respect to interstate war and international political economy - to fully flesh out an Intro to IR course.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The book is accurate and error-free.  I also think it does a good job being unbiased.  I especially appreciate the efforts to highlight ways the discipline of IR is traditionally taught from a Western perspective, why that is problematic, and to point out differing perspectives.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"I believe the book is very relevant and up-to-date but not in a way that would make it obsolete.  The treatment of the various topics integrates both historical and contemporary cases in a way that makes it relevant without too tied to the publication date.  I think the aspects that are current could easily be updated without a complete overhaul of the book.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I appreciate the readability of the book.  The author avoids jargon and presents the ideas in a way that I think undergraduates would find compelling and accessible.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Overall, the book's flow is consistent.  I do wish there was a more explicit organizing principle or thread throughout the book that you often find in introductory textbooks.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each chapter can stand alone. It will be easy to assign single chapters.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization is logical and given the modularity of the text, instructors who adopt the book could easily change the order if needed for their purposes.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"No interface issues.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors that I noticed.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"As mentioned above, I appreciate that the book acknowledges the ways that IR as a discipline traditionally takes a Western approach.  The author takes many steps towards pointing that out and incorporating different perspectives.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I think this book will work well alongside other materials.  I believe the accessibility will be refreshing for undergraduate students new to the field of IR and I appreciate the different perspectives the book brings with various authors.  Because the chapters can each stand alone, I think it's a great resource for instructors to be able to assign one or a few chapters to supplement other materials in the course.","created_at":"2020-12-17T08:53:35.000-06:00","updated_at":"2020-12-17T08:53:35.000-06:00"},{"id":33485,"first_name":"Hakseon","last_name":"Lee","position":"Professor","institution_name":"James Madison University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"It is pretty much comprehensive. \r\n\r\nPossibly, below stuffs can be added: democratic peace theory, capitalist peace theory, domestic audience costs, power transition theory, etc.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Yes, they provide accurate information and I could not find misinformation.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Highly relevant, but, of course, the most recent IR events (e.g., the evolution of US foreign policy during the Trump and the Biden Administrations, etc.) are not covered. \r\n\r\nIn an intro IR class, instructors may assign readings from Foreign Affairs or Foreign Policy to cover the most recent events in IR. Thus, not necessarily a critical issue.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Mostly yes, materials are clearly written. \r\n\r\nPossibly, a glossary can be provided at the end of book so that students can refer to definitions of main terms easily.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"It's an edited textbook written by multiple authors, and not necessarily perfectly consistent in depicting/describing historical events or explaining theories. \r\n\r\nStill, I believe it's highly consistent, and any small discrepancy across authors would not generate any confusion to students. Actually, students would even appreciate the fact that IR scholars may have distinctive views/perspectives on historical/current events in IR.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"It's great to have two main parts (i.e., the basics and global issues, respectively), and 18 chapters can be easily covered in a semester by instructors' own class schedules.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"I think each chapter is very well organized. Some chapters have too many subsections, but I found undergraduate students usually prefer short paragraphs with single terms/concepts to longer paragraphs with multiple terms/concepts.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I don't think it has an interface issue.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No specific error I've found. \r\n\r\nSome authors are from the UK and they use British English, not American English. It's simply natural and not an issue at all.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I don't think it has culturally offensive parts. Still, some materials (e.g., religion, colonialism, etc.) could be better served if instructors provide/explain fundamental values of DEI in all human communities/societies as they cover culture issues in IR.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I think it's pretty much well written and organized. It can be easily adopted as an Intro IR textbook in any English-speaking college/university in the world. \r\n\r\nOf course, it's not a perfect IR textbook, but there's no \"perfect\" textbook, either. Experienced instructors should be able to provide additional and supplementary readings (i.e., academic journal articles, relevant websites, etc.) via institutions' own library database that are free to students.","created_at":"2021-11-26T16:48:14.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-11-26T16:48:14.000-06:00"},{"id":33668,"first_name":"Robert","last_name":"Asaadi","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Portland State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Part One of the text lays out the basic building blocks that one would expect to find in an introductory international relations textbook, and then in Part Two the authors compellingly explore these concepts across a wide range of relevant global issues.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate and the analysis reflects in-depth consideration of the theories, concepts, and case studies presented.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content is up-to-date and incorporates both canonical and contemporary case studies in its explication of the material. The text builds on foundational case studies and then applies this knowledge to the contemporary period.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The writing is clear and concise. The text is appropriate to a lower-division undergraduate level student.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Both the terminology and framework of the chapters is internally consistent. The organization of the text results in clarity and presents logically arranged ideas to support a comprehensive, cohesive portrait of the discipline for the introductory level.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Chapters make effective use of section headings and the text is easily and readily divisible. Instructors using this text will find that it is flexible and that sections can be assigned at different points within the course. Chapters function effectively either as stand-alone treatments of their topics or as complements with other chapters. For instance, assigning one chapter from Part One of the text ('The Basics') along with one chapter from Part Two of the text ('Global Issues') would usefully blend the more theoretically, abstract discussion of topics in Part One with the more detailed, case-specific treatment in Part Two.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Related ideas are well-grouped and the presentation of topics is logical and clear.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text does not suffer from problems with navigation, image distortion, or other interface issues.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Sentence structure and grammar are excellent.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The examples are cross-cultural in scope and the the text is culturally sensitive in treatment of its topics.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2022-01-27T14:26:51.000-06:00","updated_at":"2022-01-27T14:26:51.000-06:00"},{"id":34532,"first_name":"Corina","last_name":"Ladd","position":"Adjunct Professor","institution_name":"Tidewater Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"Many reviewers have noted that the book doesn't talk about war.  This is incorrect.  The chapter on protecting people is really about war and civil war presented in a novel way.  The chapter on Pax Americana is also about security.  There should be more discussion of the causes of wars and civil wars, however.   In addition,  the chapter on the making of the modern world suggests that the European colonies copied the European ideas of how to run a country.  This is a huge oversimplification of the system of colonization and the history of countries post-colonization.  In addition, the textbook does not talk about dictatorship and human rights violations, and the global response.","accuracy_rating":2,"accuracy_review":"The textbook is inaccurate mostly because it's separate chapters allow each author to condense huge topics into a very short space","relevance_rating":1,"relevance_review":"The 2016 free edition can be used as a textbook but the textbook has been updated, but the update is no longer free.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The writing is extraordinarily free of jargon and the international relations vocabulary that is generally used in IR textbooks.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"Each chapter has a separate author but it does begin by making a connection to other chapters.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each chapter is very short and can be assigned at different points within the course.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"While the first chapter downplays the harms done by colonization, the chapter on poverty discusses colonization as one of the causes of global poverty.  The chapter on food insecurity has a \"bottom up perspective\" that gives examples from everyday life in a number of countries and is designed to draw in readers rather than overwhelm them with global statistics.  It is more like a reader on International Relations topics and has chapter that are not in a number of standard texts.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"There are no interface issues.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"As I have said in previous comments, the first chapter is quite insensitive, but others are much more inclusive.  The chapter on the internet and devices includes examples from many countries, giving students a wider perspective on the world.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Peter Vale's chapter with personal reflections on the field of IR would make a good starting chapter for a course in lieu of the 1st chapter of this book.","created_at":"2023-04-29T11:27:39.000-05:00","updated_at":"2023-04-29T11:27:39.000-05:00"},{"id":34939,"first_name":"Yi Edward","last_name":"Yang","position":"Professor","institution_name":"James Madison University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook is divided into two parts.  The first part introduces the readers to the conceptual and analytical building blocks of international relations.  The second part applies the above building blocks to discuss and assess relevant global issues.  Taken together, this text provides a comprehensive coverage of topics expected in a typical undergraduate introductory international relations/global politics offered in North American colleges/universities.  The free version of the text was last updated in 2016 – some major global development emerged since then, e.g., the Covid-19 pandemic and the rising tension between China and the United States, are not covered. The text lacks a glossary and an index due to cost as explained at the end of the text.  These omissions however pose significant challenges to effective students learning.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The content of the text is in general accurate and free of errors.  However, the analytical angle is still very Western-centric.  One necessary expansion is to include non-Western international relations theories/frameworks/examples consistently throughout the text.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"This text clearly needs major update to include new issues/cases since it was last published in 2016.  The structure of the text allows for relatively easy updates.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"This text, although contributed by various authors, is written clearly, which makes it accessible to students in introductory courses.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The chapters, although written by multiple authors, are generally consistent in length and style. However, the is a lack of coherent presentation style/format across the chapters.  Some chapters were written in a very simple way which is fitting to students from non-political science/international relations backgrounds.  While others were written in more serious tones filled with more scholarly jargons – clearly meant for students majoring or minoring in political science/international affairs.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Each chapter can be assigned alone.  Also, content with each chapter is organized by subheadings which allows parts of each chapter to be assigned.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The organization of the text is logical given how the authors approach the themes/topics.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"No interface issues, particularly since this text is free of any charts/graphs/images.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I have not found any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"I didn't find anything culturally offensive.  But as aforementioned, the text would benefit from more non-Western theories/frameworks/examples.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"A good barebone introductory international relations book that covers all the basics.  It is good for the students since it is free.  It does require the instructors to do a lot additional work to update issues/examples/cases and collect non-text content.","created_at":"2024-03-18T12:28:50.000-05:00","updated_at":"2024-03-18T12:28:50.000-05:00"},{"id":35665,"first_name":"Huei-Jyun","last_name":"Ye","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Wabash College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook covers a wide range of topics, from international relations theory, international laws, to poverty, human rights, terrorism, and the environment. It offers a lot for instructors to build on. However, some topics that I typically cover in the introduction to international relations are missing in the book: conflict, foreign policy analysis, domestic politics of international relations, trade, and the international monetary system.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate and clear.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"This is the 2017 free version. The author provides a link to the 2022 updated version, but only chapter 2 is free to download. I’d recommend the digital resources in the “extensive online area” on the 2022 website. The cases and examples illustrated in the book are still helpful, but instructors will have to provide the updated information on top of the textbook.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is reader-friendly. As an introductory-level textbook, the content is clear, simple, and straightforward. There isn’t any jargon, as far as I noticed.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Structurally, the chapters are consistent. Although this textbook does not highlight key terms (boldfaced) and provide definitions separately, I do not find inconsistent wording.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The length of each chapter is reasonable. There are also subheadings within each chapter that allow students to notice the shift in focus. Each chapter also does not contain a large amount of information, which makes it more flexible for instructors to assign one or multiple topics together.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"If students use the PDF version, I’d say the chapters in Part Two can be tied in a different order. For example, I’d put “Global Poverty and Wealth” and “Feeding the World” together rather than several chapters apart. However, this is not a big issue if students use the web version.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The PDF file – It’s okay to use it as a usual PDF for annotation, bookmarks, etc. However, I prefer the web version because it breaks down the chapters into different pages. Students may find “shorter readings” more acceptable and be intimidated by the long PDF. I would wish to have the chapter structure on the side of the web version so readers can jump to other sections from the menu. Right now, readers need to return to the table of contents to get an overview of the book.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I don’t notice any.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I don’t notice any.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"It is a good book for introductory-level courses that “introduce” what has happened in the world (and in history). This may be a good fit for Gen-Ed-style international relations courses. However, it does not provide an overarching analytical framework that teaches students “how” to understand or analyze international relations. For an intro-level class targeting political science majors, instructors might have to provide more in-depth content. Also, this book does not include any visuals (tables or figures) that typically help students understand the content.","created_at":"2025-11-07T13:52:12.000-06:00","updated_at":"2025-11-07T13:52:12.000-06:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/international-relations","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:08:11.000-06:00"},{"id":436,"title":"Introduction to Sociology","edition_statement":"2nd Canadian Edition","volume":null,"copyright_year":2016,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":["unknown"],"description":"Introduction to Sociology adheres to the scope and sequence of a typical introductory sociology course. In addition to comprehensive coverage of core concepts, foundational scholars, and emerging theories, we have incorporated section reviews with engaging questions, discussions that help students apply the sociological imagination, and features that draw learners into the discipline in meaningful ways. Although this text can be modified and reorganized to suit your needs, the standard version is organized so that topics are introduced conceptually, with relevant, everyday experiences.For the student, this book is based on the teaching and research experience of numerous sociologists. In today's global socially networked world, the topic of Sociology is more relevant than ever before. We hope that through this book, students will learn how simple, everyday human actions and interactions can change the world. In this book, you will find applications of Sociology concepts that are relevant, current, and balanced. For instructors, this text is intended for a one-semester introductory course and includes these features: Sociological Research: Highlights specific current and relevant research studies. Sociology in the Real World: Ties chapter content to student life and discusses sociology in terms of the everyday. Big Picture: Features present sociological concepts at a national or international level. Case Study: Describes real-life people whose experiences relate to chapter content. Social Policy and Debate: Discusses political issues that relate to chapter content. Section Summaries distill the information in each section for both students and instructors down to key, concise points addressed in the section. Key Terms are bold and are followed by a definition in context. Definitions of key terms are also listed in the Key Terms, which appears at the end of each chapter. Section Quizzes provide opportunities to apply and test the information students learn throughout each section. Both multiple-choice and short-response questions feature a variety of question types and range of difficulty. Further Research: This feature helps students further explore the section topic and offers related research topics that could be explored.","contributors":[{"id":4129,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"William","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Little","location":"University of Victoria","background_text":"Dr. William Little is an adjunct assistant professor in Sociology at the University of Victoria where he has taught sociology since 1996. He is also an open learning faculty member in Sociology and Anthropology at Thompson Rivers University. He has taught online open learning courses at TRU since 2011. Dr. Little’s research interests include contemporary social theory, media and popular culture, political violence and neonazism, and the biopolitics of healing practices. His work on neonazism and violence has been published in New German Critique, the Journal for Cultural and Religious Theory, and in several edited collections."},{"id":4130,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Ron","middle_name":null,"last_name":"McGivern","location":"Thompson Rivers University","background_text":"Ron McGivern is the senior lecturer in Sociology and Associate Dean of Arts at Thompson Rivers University in British Columbia. His work focuses on applied sociology, social marketing, and policy analysis. Mr. McGivern is a champion of open access, open learning, and open scholarship. Most of his courses incorporate free open textbooks or open educational resources in place of published texts. When not “committing sociology”, Mr. McGivern is working on his hobby farm trying to keep up with chickens, ducks, sheep, steers, horses, and grandchildren."}],"subjects":[{"id":51,"name":"Religion","parent_subject_id":6,"call_number":"BL1","visible_textbooks_count":19,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/religion"},{"id":9,"name":"Social Sciences","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"H1","visible_textbooks_count":285,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/social-sciences"},{"id":43,"name":"Sociology","parent_subject_id":9,"call_number":"HM586","visible_textbooks_count":35,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/sociology"}],"publishers":[{"id":351,"url":"https://opentextbc.ca/introductiontosociology2ndedition/","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:39.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:39.000-05:00","name":"BCcampus"}],"formats":[{"id":597,"type":"Online","url":"https://opentextbc.ca/introductiontosociology2ndedition/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":598,"type":"PDF","url":"https://opentextbc.ca/introductiontosociology2ndedition/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1692,"type":"eBook","url":"https://opentextbc.ca/introductiontosociology2ndedition/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4.5","textbook_reviews_count":5,"reviews":[{"id":1105,"first_name":"James","last_name":"Pasto","position":"Senior Lecturer","institution_name":"Boston University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text has 22 comprehensive chapters, from the opening Introduction to Sociology, through key areas such as Gender and Sex, Race and Ethnicity, Religion, Health and Medicine, etc. Each chapter begins by stating the learning objectives and key terms, and concludes with section summaries and quizzes, suggestions for further research, and references. Each chapter contains colorful photos, tables, and diagrams.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The text is well informed through classical sociological theory and current developments. While generally progressive in tone, it is comprehensive in presenting historical and diverse perspectives on things such as crime, social organization, gender, identity, etc.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The book provides a thorough review of past social theory, covering all of the foundational theories (e.g., functionalism, labeling) and figures (Durkheim, Mills), while presenting in a comprehensive and integrated manner current theories (e.g., cyber-bullying,  interesectionism). There are some gaps. For example, something on Assemblage theory as recently articulated by Emanuel DeLanda would be a welcome addition. But this is minor omission. Current examples focused on Canada are intermixed with the \"big picture\" and cross-cultural references.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Extremely lucid and well written. The text flows well from introducing conceptual information to providing examples from past and current events. The key terms are highlighted and explained in enough detail to help the reader understand the content without becoming tangential.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Each chapter keeps to a common structure, creating a sense of familiarity that aids overall clarity.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The chapter sections are generally short, ranging from a few paragraphs to ten. Each section has a prominent and relevant heading/subheading. Special topic sections do not interrupt the flow but rather enhance the subject matter of the chapter and are always relevant and interesting.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book is very well organized. The sections summaries at the end of each chapter provide a useful review as do the quizzes.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface is excellent. The text is highly readable, with clear and colorful images and effective hyperlinks.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Well written.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The book is Canada-focused and cognizant of ethnic/racial, gender, as well as class and regional differences. It avoids generalizations beyond those necessary for sociological theory and analysis.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Highly recommended as central text for introductory sociology courses as well as courses in higher level social sciences that seek specific chapters to present introductory concepts.","created_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1523,"first_name":"Erika","last_name":"Giesen","position":"Social Science Instructor","institution_name":"Rogue Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Quite comprehensive. Each chapter is quite lengthy and not only addresses the standard topics covered in Intro to Soc courses, but goes above and beyond. \n\nAt first I was concerned that there was no separate chapter on poverty or social class, but these concepts are well integrated into the chapter on social inequality. \n\nEach chapter ends with definitions of the key terms, which have been bolded throughout the chapter, and with brief summaries of each section. Additionally, each chapter includes a review quiz for students, including answers. Multiple, high quality \"short answer\" questions have been provided for each chapter, though these would be more useful for homework assignments, in-class discussion generators or group work than test questions.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I see no issues with this text's accuracy.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content is very relevant to students. Examples of key concepts are used liberally, and in engaging ways, including people's personal stories. The author encourages students to interact with the material and with sociology through his writing style, such as using the film Dawn of the Planet of the Apes to illustrate political concepts. \n\nAs a teacher in a community college in the United States, I'm quite sure my students would find the Canadian focus not only relevant, but interesting. Additionally, there is a substantial amount of statistics on North America in general, and the U.S. specifically.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Very clearly written and includes well-explained concepts such as neoliberalism.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Very consistent  structure and framework across chapters.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"For those who like to supplement assigned chapters with articles or other sources, this text is very easily broken up since it's sectioned off and well-organized. \n\nAs noted in the book's preface, \"This textbook is organized on Connexions (http://cnx.org) as a collection of modules that can be rearranged and modified to suit the needs of a particular professor or class. That being said, modules often contain references to content in other modules, as most topics in sociology cannot be discussed in isolation.\"","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Quite well organized. It is quite similar in content flow to most introductory textbooks.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Very well organized and displayed. Visual choices are appropriate and interesting.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I only found a missing \"the\" in one section. Otherwise, impeccable.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"Makes use of some quality examples that are inclusive of a variety of groups; for example, the explanation of trans folks in the gender chapter is well done and some chapters foreground a global perspective. For example, this is the first textbook I've come across that notes the first sociologist was the Berber scholar Ibn Khaldun. \n\nMore diversity in examples and in images in the second half of the text would make this section stronger. For example, including sections on variations in religious and political behaviors and experiences by class, gender and race.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Very well done. A lot of research and planning went into the creation of this textbook. We are lucky it is an OER.","created_at":"2017-08-15T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-08-15T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1783,"first_name":"Alison","last_name":"Bambridge","position":"Lecturer","institution_name":"Staffordshire University, UK","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This Introduction to Sociology is both extremely comprehensive and well designed. The initial chapters locate sociology as a necessary area of study in an increasingly complex global landscape. The topics cover all aspects of social life and society, drawing on real world issues to realise the theoretical approaches. As a sport sociologist I would have liked a separate section on sport but sport as an agent of socialisation is embedded throughout the book.  ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not find any issues with accuracy although some statistics were from 2010 so perhaps more recent Pew surveys would reveal changes in trends.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"As a textbook, Introduction to Sociology is extremely relevant for students within all areas of the humanities. It introduces a variety of themes and topics which can be applied to different degree pathways. Students of communication and media would benefit from a number of these chapters and instructors in current courses in policing and crime would find a number of sections useful to inform particular modules. Whilst this is the Canadian edition and many of the statistics are based on Canadian data sources the book also draws on wider examples from North America and Europe which makes it useful for an international audience. The sections that underline Sociology in the Real World that draw on contemporary examples are self contained in a way that makes them easily modifiable. ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The prose is accessible and when more esoteric language and terms are introduced these are explained well. The Key Terms boxes at the end of each chapter are excellent for reinforcing learning outcomes and checking knowledge. Useful contexts are included and even the selection of images shows the careful consideration. The choice of the TV show Dexter to open the chapter on Deviance not only situates the topic within a cultural framework students can relate to but by itself, invites them to consider the subjectivity of crime before the chapter has even started. This makes the rationale clear. I did find the History section rather elongated and wonder whether this might lose the students focus.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"There was a consistent formula in that each chapter signposted the learning outcomes, provided a summary and allowed testing of knowledge through quizzes. Chapters used the same structure with multiple sections and examples. Key terms are highlighted in bold.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The book covers a wide range of themes and sub themes and manages to do this coherently due to the structure. The modules are in essence autonomous learning blocks and many sociology courses would benefit from an inbuilt ability to select certain chapters as standalone teaching material. The thorough nature of each section also means they incorporate a number of sub-topics allowing them to be taught as mini modules, something which would be useful for short-course teaching.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organisation was clear and appropriate. The first three chapters were by necessity placed at the start to provide an explanation of a sociologist’s remit and where the study of the social began. As readers tend to infer importance from the order of chapters, I think the structure replicated this well as the first six chapters could provide a very robust understanding of sociology in the modern world. I would have liked though to see the chapter on Social Interaction feature far earlier as I feel this fits really well with the introductory section.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The only issue I found was using the search facility. A search for a word takes you to the beginning of the chapter only. As this book is so comprehensive and each chapter is very long this renders the search facility inadequate.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No issues at all.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The textbook is relevant to Western cultures, more so than just North America and Canada. It tackles a wide variety of cultural issues including sexuality, ethnicity and technological interactions. As a modern/post-modern text it focuses throughout on issues of social mobility through a solid deconstruction of inequality and an endemic problem. As a Canadian text it may well be skewed towards a more liberal and tolerant audience and as such, for less enlightened readers, I would have liked a more thorough analysis of the Creationist movement and the impact of the Flat Earth believers on the idea of knowledge.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I will definitely use this in teaching undergraduate modules.","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":3588,"first_name":"Martin","last_name":"Laubach","position":"Professor ","institution_name":"Marshall University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook appears overall to be adequate for faculty who supplement it with readings and with lecture notes. My teaching philosophy follows that so I can see adopting it for future Introductory courses. However, there are a number of weaknesses. For example, the text pretty much ignores rational choice (in its various forms like exchange theory) until the chapter on religion, and then to introduce Stark \u0026 Bainbridge’s treatment in a box but leaves out their essential concept of supernatural compensators. The text is very weak on sociological social psychological concepts like the development and use of the self and definition of the situation, despite a focus on Goffman and on social construction. While it offers a good discussion of the scientific process, it is weak of qualitative research asserting that field research is “about correlations” and ignores that it develops meanings from the community under study. ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"generally good, but there are points where I will have to disagree like in the research chapter. While it offers a good discussion of the scientific process, it is weak of qualitative research asserting that field research is “about correlations” and ignores that it develops meanings from the community under study. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The content is relatively up to date, but for sociology I think offering updated examples is part of the job of the instructor, not the textbook.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"this is as clear as any introductory textbook I have seen","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"the book is consistent ","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"I appreciate the modularity of the textbook because i will need to move chapters around.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"I found its sequencing odd, with discussion of concepts like rationalization, protestant work ethic, alienation, anomie in the chapter on social interaction instead of the chapter on organizations, a topic which gets short treatment by being lumped together in a chapter with groups. I also found that I will need to resequence chapters, like put technology and media closer to social change, and start the section on institutions with government and work like most of the introductory textbooks. ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I did not find any technical issues with navigation or display of charts on either my desktop computer or my netbook. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did find the first misspelling in Chapter 18: “Recent Economic Cconditions.”","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I appreciate the broad cultural discussions in the various sections, it helps the course's designation as multicultural. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This textbook appears overall to be adequate for faculty who supplement it with readings and with lecture notes. My teaching philosophy follows that so I can see adopting it for future Introductory courses. However, there are a number of weaknesses. For example, the text pretty much ignores rational choice (in its various forms like exchange theory) until the chapter on religion, and then to introduce Stark \u0026 Bainbridge’s treatment in a box but leaves out their essential concept of supernatural compensators. The text is very weak on sociological social psychological concepts like the development and use of the self and definition of the situation, despite a focus on Goffman and on social construction. It has a discussion of the “genetic roots of our temperament and behavior” from the twin studies that seems odd for a sociology text. While it offers a good discussion of the scientific process, it is weak of qualitative research asserting that field research is “about correlations” and ignores that it develops meanings from the community under study. I found its sequencing odd as well, with discussion of concepts like rationalization, protestant work ethic, alienation, anomie in the chapter on social interaction instead of the chapter on organizations, a topic which gets short treatment by being lumped together in a chapter with groups. I also found that I will need to resequence chapters, like put technology and media closer to social change, and start the section on institutions with government and work like most of the introductory textbooks. Again, though, overall the textbook does a good job of introducing the basic concepts as needed so my classes can focus on exercises and discussions of the current topics that always seem to hit at the right time for classes. ","created_at":"2020-02-18T11:18:44.000-06:00","updated_at":"2020-02-18T11:18:44.000-06:00"},{"id":34678,"first_name":"Shirley A","last_name":"Jackson","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Portland State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"I found the addition of The History of Sociology in Chapter 1 to be more comprehensive than I can recall seeing in other texts. This was refreshing. I really liked the thoroughness of the chapter on Culture (Chapter 3). The historical references were a nice addition as they helped to better understand the past and the present. In Chapter 7, should research ethics be discussed when mentioning Fallon's breaking the seal about a research subject's identity? (I can imagine students asking about this.) The chapters have a slightly different order from some sociology texts. I think in some cases, chapters might be merged to provide a more cohesive organization of the information. Overall, it was quite comprehensive.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"When discussing \"doing gender\" in Chapter 5, the author should be citing Candace West and Don Zimmerman. 1987. \"Doing Gender.\" Gender and Society 1(2):125-151. \nMy eye tends to gravitate to different kinds of typos or missing information, so I will attempt to narrow down these concerns/questions in providing this review. Chapter 10 seems a bit on the brief side. It was almost as though there was not enough to say. Thus, does it really need to be there, or need to be there in its current form? I wonder...\nI noticed in Chapter 11 when referencing internal colonialism, the source of this concept, Robert Blauner, and the author of the article, Internal Colonialism and Ghetto Revolt (1969) is not mentioned. \nThere appears to be a dearth of images in the Making Connections sections in the chapter on Gender, Sex, and Sexuality in comparison to other chapters. Thus, anyone who wants to make this chapter more impactful might consider adding their own during class discussions.\nIn the discussion of Black North American women and the fact they are less likely to marry, the MMPI (marriageable male pool index) might be included. This is something that I know I have included in the past when discussing marriage and the family with my students. In doing so, I have also attempted to connect the importance of lower incomes and difficulty in wealth generation for Black North American women raising children alone.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"There are a number of examples drawn from different time periods. Some are examples that one could easily grasp the significance of which makes it less likely one would need to update entire chapters of the text, but a small section or paragraph, perhaps. \nI was not sure why Afghanistan was singled out in the chapter on education. Race, gender, and class and their intersection with education are lacking. This chapter was one of the weaker ones, in my opinion.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The writing style and examples are clear and interesting. They capture what a student might want or need to know about the discipline.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"A wide array of sociologists, anthropologists, and others are included to help give breadth and depth to the text. Good use of examples drawn from a variety of areas (social, political, etc.). It was easy to see the connection between concepts and ideas through the referencing of what was mentioned in previous chapters. The chapters on gender and age, respectively, for instance, not only talk about the LGBTQ community as a community but also as an aging community. Similarly, the chapter on aging brought in a discussion about aging while incarcerated. However, I don't recall gay marriage being covered in the chapter on Marriage and Family.\nThe term \"black\" (lowercase) is used throughout the book but in Chapter 14, Black North American is used (in the paragraph preceding Figure 14.10).","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text was arranged such that it might be easy to have students read or reread sections at various times during the term. This was certainly the case when reading the chapter on research methods. One might be able to have students revisit this section at various points in the term after reading the chapters on specific topics found in the remaining chapters.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"For the most part, readable for students at the introductory level. There were some areas where the discussion was a bit \"dense\" (e.g., philosophical discussion found earlier in the book) but these were rare. The chapters are clearly outlined and ordered. Each of the chapters provided clear summaries of the major learning objectives at the beginning and a review of the main terms at the end. [Note: I did have a concern about one of the questions (#14) at the end of Chapter 1 asking a question that students may be unable to answer correctly as the information on research methods does not appear until Chapter 2.  I found it problematic that the section on dying appeared in the chapter on aging and the elderly as though younger people do not die. Maybe it could be added to Chapter 18 on Sociology of the Body: Health and Medicine.\nI was wondering if it might be more appropriate to include the Chapter on religion after the chapter on Culture. Connect the photo at the start of Chapter 17 with the box on Arab Spring. For some reason, the connection between Mohamed Bouazizi's actions and the rise of the Arab Spring in several countries is not clear.\nFinally, the last chapter, Social Interaction, might work better earlier in the text.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Some of the headings were too small and did not stand out as much as they probably should. This is when the headings are on the center of a given page. A good example is the one that immediately follows Table 6.1. \n\nFigures 2.7 and 6.16 are a bit too small to read. The distortion of image 4.17 could pose a problem for some readers. Image 4.13 was not really necessary. Figures 5.1, 6.8, 6.11. and 9.3 are blurry as is 14.6. \n\nReformatting so that the image itself is enlarged might be considered for Figures 7.12, 7.13, 9.22, 13.4, 13.6, and 13.7. Figure 14.3 was really difficult to read and should also be reformatted so the reader can grasp its significance. Figures 17.14 and 17.15 should also be enlarged.\n\nWhy use the drawing of Foucault in 17.21 instead of a photo? The photo of Goffman (22.10) brings me to ask the same question. They just seem out of place.\n\nIn some chapters, the titles of books are in especially large font which looks odd. Example from Chapter 7: Garland, D. (1985). Punishment and welfare: [A history of penal strategies. Brookfield, VT: Gower Publishing] The bracketed area is quite large in the actual chapter references list.\n\nFigure 9.10 source is missing.\n\nTable 16.1 is overly large.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I saw no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"As a scholar in the U.S., the use of Canadian examples was not only appropriate but made me realize how perhaps all textbooks should strive for examples beyond the country in which the text was written. The chapter on Media and Technology has a lot of information that could be connected to the chapter on Culture. This happened in several other places as well, making the book easy for students to be able to connect the material in different locations in the book and during the term.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I'm not sure why the author chose to use a \"dictionary\" definition of sociology without specifying which dictionary--lay versus sociology dictionary. It's minor, but something that caught my eye. I found the terminology sections at the end of each chapter to be clear and thorough. Peter Berger passed in 2017 so this should be updated in Chapter 15 (15.19)\nOverall, I found the writing clear, examples were appropriate and interesting. The inclusion of theorists, historical references, and wide range of examples from different sources, cultures, and countries made this a nicely presented text.","created_at":"2023-09-18T22:28:07.000-05:00","updated_at":"2023-09-18T22:28:07.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/introduction-to-sociology-2nd-canadian-edition","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:26:57.000-06:00"},{"id":62,"title":"Introduction to Sociology","edition_statement":"3e","volume":null,"copyright_year":2021,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":"","accessibility_features":[],"description":"Introduction to Sociology 3e aligns to the topics and objectives of many introductory sociology courses. It is arranged in a manner that provides foundational sociological theories and contexts, then progresses through various aspects of human and societal interactions. The new edition is focused on driving meaningful and memorable learning experiences related to critical thinking about society and culture. The text includes comprehensive coverage of core concepts, discussions and data relevant to a diverse audience, and features that draw learners into the discipline in powerful and personal ways. Overall, Introduction to Sociology 3e aims to center the course and discipline as crucial elements for understanding relationships, society, and civic engagement; the authors seek to lay the foundation for students to apply what they learn throughout their lives and careers. The authors, reviewers, and the entire team worked to build understanding of the causes and impacts of discrimination and prejudice. Introduction to Sociology 3e contains dozens of examples of discrimination and its outcomes regarding social science, society, institutions, and individuals. The text seeks to strike a balance between confronting the damaging aspects of our culture and history and celebrating those who have driven change and overcome challenges. The core discussion of these topics are present in Chapter 11 on Race and Ethnicity, and Chapter 12 on Gender, Sex, and Sexuality, but their causes and effects are extensively discussed in the context of other topics, including education, law enforcement, government, healthcare, the economy, and so on. Together and when connected by an instructor, these elements have potential for deep and lasting effects.","contributors":[{"id":3837,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Tonja","middle_name":"R.","last_name":"Conerly","location":"San Jacinto College","background_text":"Tonja R. Conerly, San Jacinto College"},{"id":5034,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Kathleen","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Holmes","location":"Northern Essex Community College","background_text":"Kathleen Holmes, Northern Essex Community College"},{"id":5035,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Asha","middle_name":"Lal","last_name":"Tamang","location":"Minneapolis Community and Technical College \u0026 North Hennepin Community College","background_text":"Asha Lal Tamang, Minneapolis Community and Technical College \u0026 North Hennepin Community College"}],"subjects":[{"id":51,"name":"Religion","parent_subject_id":6,"call_number":"BL1","visible_textbooks_count":19,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/religion"},{"id":9,"name":"Social Sciences","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"H1","visible_textbooks_count":285,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/social-sciences"},{"id":43,"name":"Sociology","parent_subject_id":9,"call_number":"HM586","visible_textbooks_count":35,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/sociology"}],"publishers":[{"id":87,"url":"http://openstaxcollege.org/textbooks/introduction-to-sociology","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:37.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:37.000-05:00","name":"OpenStax"}],"formats":[{"id":518,"type":"Online","url":"https://openstax.org/details/books/introduction-sociology-3e","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":519,"type":"PDF","url":"https://openstax.org/details/books/introduction-sociology-3e","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":3370,"type":"Hardcopy","url":"https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09TNF5DMX/","price":{"cents":2147,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":4851,"type":"Audiobook","url":"https://audileo.com/openstax-introduction-to-sociology-3e-audiobook/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4.5","textbook_reviews_count":71,"reviews":[{"id":62,"first_name":"Rita","last_name":"Isola","position":"Instructor- Sociology- Faculty of Arts and Sciences","institution_name":"Capilano University","comprehensiveness_rating":2,"comprehensiveness_review":"I have rated this textbook's overall comprehensiveness a 2/5 (poor). It does not include Feminist Theory as theoretical perspective. At the end of each chapter the authors discuss the topic from the point of view of the major theoretical perspectives in sociology. They include Structural Functionalism (Functionalism), Symbolic Interactionist Theory and Conflict Theory but Feminist Theory has been left out for the most part. There is the occasional mention of the feminist perspective but it is subsumed under Conflict Theory. I would urge the authors to unlink Feminist Theory from Conflict Theory and treat it independently.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"I have rated this textbook 3/5 (good). It is accurate, and error-free. My previous comment points out the short thrift that this text gives to Feminist theories in Sociology. This reflects a 'male-streaming' bias which is reflected by my lower score fr this section on Content Accuracy.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"I have rated this text 4/5 (very good) in terms of relevance and longevity. The content is up to date and the examples and diagrams will for the most part withstand the test of time. My only query on relevancy is in Chapter 2 (Sociological Research) and the discussion about Jimmy Buffet and his fans known as Parrot Heads. This may be completely irrelevant to most of our first and second year students who may have never heard of Jimmy Buffet and certainly won't have heard of Parrot Heads!","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I have rated this text 5/5 (excellent) for its attention to lucid, accessible prose. All of the chapters I have read and reviewed are well written and the authors have a done an excellent job explaining and describing sociological ideas. This is especially evident in Chapter 2- Sociological Research - which in some textbooks is a dry, tedious chapter. In this textbook it is well paced, interesting and makes you want to go out and do research.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I have rated this textbook 5/5 (excellent) for consistency in terms of terminology and framework. The authors have done an excellent job in maintaining the overall consistency between chapters.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I have rated the textbook 5/5 (excellent) for its integrity both as a whole work and one that can be easily divided into stand alone chapters. It avoids being self referential by adhering to an internal framework in which each chapter begins with a general description of the topic, introduction to main concepts and ideas, connections to social issues and public policy and finally ending with a link back to the theoretical perspectives.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"I have rated this textbook 5/5 (excellent) for its presentation of ideas in a logical, clear fashion.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I have rated this textbook 5/5 (excellent) in terms of the text's interface. My review of the images, charts and graphs confirm that there is an ease of flow and navigation that the reader will appreciate.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I have rated this textbook 5/5 (excellent) as I did not come upon any grammatical errors in the chapters I reviewed.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I agree that this text is culturally relevant and is not culturally insensitive or offensive. The examples used in the text to illustrate sociological ideas are taken from a wide range of cultural experiences - from the Inuit in the Canadian Arctic to illustrate cultural relativism to same sex marriages in the discussion of the changing definition of the family.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This textbook has many strengths: it is well organized, has a fresh lay-out that is easy to read and offers an excellent summary, section quizzes, references and resources at the end of each chapter. I would be excited to adopt it in my sociology 100 class (Current Issues) except that this textbook is written with an American sociology student in mind. It would not be appropriate for adoption in a Canadian classroom without a lot of changes. The second critique which is a more substantive one that would affect my decision to use this text or not, is the way in which Feminist Theory is incorporated into the text. Below is an outline of the major changes needed for Chapters 1-5,8,10,15,18 and 21 in order to de-Americanize it. I will follow with my comments on the Feminist Theory. . Chapter 1. Page 11,p 2 :The US housing market…replace with a Canadian example p.3-5 : SNAP – Food Stamps..replace Table 1.1 Food Stamps Used by State…replace Page 16 Making Connections: How Do Working Moms Impact Society…change to reflect Canadian stats. Page 22 Why Study Sociology p.1 Elizabeth Eckford…change this example to one that resonates with Canadian events Page 26 Section Quiz: Question #14 (Kenneth and M Clark) change this question.. Chapter 2 Page 51 Section Quiz: Question # 13 b) In 2003 States like Arizona…change Chapter 3 Page 62 Formal Norms p3. \"For example money is highly valued in the United States…\" change Informal Norms \"In the U.S\"..change Page 74 Section Quiz: Question #2 \"The American Flag\"…change question Chapter 4 Culturally neutral no changes needed Chapter 5 Page 107 p 4 \"U.S Fathers…\" change to discuss Canadian fathers Page 107 Heading: School – \"Most American Children spend about 7 hours a day..\" Page 108 \"For example in the U.S\"… Page 109 \"Americans\", \"American Males\"…changes needed throughout this section on Agents of socialization Page 110 p2 \"In the U.S socialization\"… Page 112 p2. \"71 Million Americans who lived in prisons… Page 113 references to the United States military… Page 116 Section Quiz: Question #16 Replace Chapter 8 Page 167 Categorizing Technology: US patent office…replace this discussion to reflect Canadian issues Page 168 p1. Radio: \"older Americans\"..replace (North Americans could work) P2 American TV …replace this discussion Page 172 Include a paragraph or two on the concentration and ownership of media in Canada Page 181 Section Quiz: Question #6 Replace this question Page 183 Short Answer: Replace this question regarding the US government Chapter 10 Page 212 Global Stratification and Classification: replace \"American with North American\" Chapter 15 Page 339 Learning Objectives 15.3 Religion in the US….change 340 Making Connections: \"On the otherhand, the McDonaldization of the United States…\" change Pages 348-350 Change to reflect Religion in Canada Appropriate changes need to be made in the section quiz, short answers, references and resources at the end of this chapter. Chapter 18 Page 402 Learning Objectives 18.3 Work in the United States…change Page 402 Capitalism in Practice p2 \"In the U.S\" change p3 \" In the U.S\" change Page 411-413 Work in the US needs to be replaced with Work in Canada Appropriate changes need to be made in the section quiz, short answers, references and resources and further research at the end of this chapter. Chapter 21 Page 482-483 Levels of Social Movements: local \"Chicago..\" change, National \"gay rights\" change and replace with Canadian examples Page 490 Go to Population \"In the US\" change Page 493 Section Quiz: Question #1 Change Final Comments Finally, I would like to suggest that before \"Canadianizing\" or \"de-Americanizing\" the text a more important project remains- and that is to include the feminist perspective in a serious and thoughtful way. Throughout the text it is either ignored or subsumed under conflict theory. For example in Chapter 18 Work and the Economy, there is no mention of feminist perspectives on this topic and a first year sociology student would leave this chapter with the mistaken idea that no feminist perspective on work and the economy exists. This is an important omission especially in light of the fact that the literature and research on both local and global economies, work and the division of labour is thickly populated with the voices and research of women from many different feminist perspectives. In Chapter 15 on Religion the problem is not omission but oversimplification: On page 341, the authors note that: \"The Feminist perspective is a conflict theory view that focuses specifically on gender inequality\". This view seriously oversimplifies the many different strands of feminist theory that exist in sociology; Cultural Feminism for example, a Feminist perspective, wholeheartedly rejects many of the assumptions held by the conflict view and focuses on gender differences not gender inequality. Thank you for the opportunity to review this text and I hope that my comments are helpful.\r\nThis review originated in the BC Open Textbook Collection and is licensed under CC BY-ND.","created_at":"2013-10-09T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2013-10-09T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":63,"first_name":"Murray","last_name":"Shaw","position":"Sociology Instructor","institution_name":"Douglas College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The coverage of topics in this text is comprehensive. In a 1-semester [4 month] course, out of the 21 chapters, I would use 14 full chapters, and incorporate parts of other chapters. The glossaries and references listed by section at the end of each chapter are useful, and the multiple choice and short answer questions are a helpful study aid for students. One issue is that the index at the end of the text could be lengthier and more detailed.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"In my courses, I make reference to sociological theories and methods throughout the course, and I found that the explanations of theories in chapter 1 and subsequent chapters are very clear and concise, and lend themselves to illustrations and examples. I particularly liked the fairly extensive explanations of theories in chapter 4, Society and Social Interaction. This is a chapter that I have not seen in other texts. Chapter 2 provides very clear explanations and illustrations of the different stages of the research process, in particular the explanations of hypotheses, x and y variables , and how to develop operational definitions. In regards to biases, the explanations of research methods in chapter 2 are very clear and lend themselves to illustrations, though they seem biased toward a scientific model, which is in my experience pretty standard for introductory sociology texts. In this text even qualitative methods like participant observation and ethnography are presented almost solely in terms of the scientific model; as procedures for hypothesis testing. I understand that there are good reasons for emphasizing that sociology is a \"social science,\" employing the same level of rigor developing knowledge as other scientific disciplines. Notwithstanding this, it results in a lack of coverage of qualitative perspectives and approaches that are more concerned with exploring interactional processes, than testing hypotheses. In reading through the text, I did notice a few other small issues: -Page 41: Although the example of the comic writer who employed deception to make undercover observations at a dot.com firm is sociologically interesting, it is not itself sociological research, and by the standards of sociology could be seen as methodologically and maybe ethically flawed. Maybe it could be presented differently, and not as exemplifying \"the lengths to which a sociologist will go to uncover material\"(41), because he is not a sociologist and it is not sociological research. -Page 61: \"American teenagers are encouraged to value celibacy.\" Certainly today, not all American [or Canadian] teenagers receive such encouragement from all agents of socialization. A more specific statement would fix this overgeneralization. -Page 85: \"Eventually, concerns over the exploitation of workers led to the formation of labor unions and laws that set mandatory conditions for employees.\" Here, again a slightly longer and more nuanced statement could make it clear that these changes came about not just because of public and official ‘concerns' about the welfare of workers, but also as a result of activism on the part of emerging labour movements, and serious conflicts over a number of decades. -Page 85: \"Since the economy of information societies is driven by knowledge and not material goods, power lies with those in charge of storing and distributing information.\" This statement makes it sound as though control over the production and distribution of material goods is no longer an important source of power. This statement could be qualified: \"Since the economy of information societies is driven by knowledge and not [just] material goods, [much of the] power [in modern societies] lies with those in charge of storing and distributing information.\"","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"One of the strong points of the text is that sociological concepts and theories are explained very clearly. The examples and illustrations could easily be updated in future editions as required, and where necessary could be replaced with illustrations from other cultures, for example, Canada.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"One of the strongest points of the text is that the explanations of theories and concepts are very clear and understandable.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I did not find any problems with consistency, or any areas where concepts were applied that had not been previously explained.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"For my purposes, the text's modularity is good. In a one-semester course, I generally use 12-13 chapters of a text, along with readings from other sources. With this text, in any particular section of the course, in addition to the relevant chapter, I could also use parts of other chapters that I would not cover in whole. For example, the section on Bureaucracy (130-33) could be a useful when explaining Weber's theories of the rationalization of modern society, and the section on \"baby boomers\"(282-84) could be useful for explaining population dynamics and social inequality and conflict. I can see that for all the sections of my course, in addition to the main chapter that I would use, there are sections from other part of the text that could easily be incorporated.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics follow the standard format for introductory sociology texts, with the most general theories and concepts in sociology presented first, leading into application of these to substantive areas of social life and social issues. I find that the ordering of topics within chapters is very good; one explanation leads into the next. For example, by the time the differences between sociology and psychology are briefly explained [102], these differences are both easy to grasp and their importance apparent. Also, I find that the explanations of concepts are relatively brief, which means that if I pursue a topic in class, I can fill in the detail with my own material. If not, the students are not bogged down with lengthy content that will not be discussed in class. One thing that I really like about this text is that Sociological theories are introduced very briefly in chapter 1, and then explained in more depth in chapter 4, Society and Social Interaction, a chapter that is not included in other texts I have used and seen. I think this is a good idea, because it presents theory after students have had several classes' exposure to sociological concepts. In all other texts I have used and seen, the \"theory section\" is all in chapter 1, which I have found to be a bit too much for students brand new to the discipline. If I used this text, I would add chapter 4 to my courses.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I did not see any problems in this regard.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not come across any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"The text is culturally inclusive, although [as discussed in the final section] the use of the US as the reference point for the text is problematic if the text is to be used in Canadian colleges.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This is a text that I would use, if it was adapted to the Canadian context. It is very clear and understandable, and all of the sections lend themselves well to illustrations, discussions, and other activities. So, while I do like the text, the issue of using a text with American content in a Canadian college course is very problematic. It seems to me that one aspect of this problem could be fixed fairly easily, as the US illustrations and examples could be replaced by Canadian ones, although I would keep some of the US illustrations, as they lead into examination of similarities and differences between these two very closely linked cultures. The other aspect of this problem is the use of the US context as the reference point for the explanations of concepts, structures and processes throughout the text. Canadian examples and illustrations can be fairly easily substituted for American ones, but sections in which explanations centre around conditions in the US may be more difficult to change, and would require considerable rewriting. So, for the most part, it is a great text and one that I would definitely use, if it were not for the cultural issue. Because the text uses the US as its reference point I could not use it in its present form.\r\nThis review originated in the BC Open Textbook Collection and is licensed under CC BY-ND.","created_at":"2013-10-09T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2013-10-09T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":65,"first_name":"Neil","last_name":"Guppy","position":"Professor","institution_name":"University of British Columbia","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Yes, see attached comments","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"Some errors exist. See attached document","relevance_rating":1,"relevance_review":"Test is far too US-centric, see attached document","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Well written and basically jargon free.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"yes","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Yes, good modular structure","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The flow is coherent and sufficiently flexible to allow people to adopt alternative orders.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Display features are fine, save for the US-centric focus","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Well written","cultural_rating":1,"cultural_review":"The text makes no reference to Canada. This is its core weakness","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Report on \"Introduction to Sociology\" N Guppy (UBC) August, 2013 In reviewing the OpenStax College textbook, Introduction to Sociology, I preface my comments, briefly, with two pieces of background. First, I say a bit about my own teaching experience as it bears on this review. Second, I describe a little about how sociology in BC/Canada differs from the United States. The remainder of the review addresses the substance of the book. I end by suggesting what some challenges would be in adapting this book for a BC audience. In all of this I have paid attention to, and responded to, the various issues raised in the BC Open Textbook review criteria. Experience Two issues are germane here. First I have taught versions of Introduction to Sociology at UBC since 1979 so I am quite familiar with the material typically covered in the course for which this book was designed. In my introductory course teaching I have used a range of different textbooks. I have also reviewed introductory level textbooks for various publishers, both in Canada and the United States so I am well acquainted with the range of material available and used in these courses. Second, I have recently spent ten months adapting one of the best-selling US Introductory Sociology textbooks for use in Canada. From this I know, firsthand, how much the standard US sociology book needs to be changed to work as an effective learning aid in Canada (compare George Ritzer's Introduction to Sociology, Sage Publications with George Ritzer and Neil Guppy's Introduction to Sociology, Canadian Version, Sage Publications). At its core the OpenStax text is a US centric-book. I also am aware that this latter experience, adapting a US text, might imply that I am in a conflict of interest in reviewing this book. I obviously do not hold that view because, in my judgement, insights from this experience outweigh any possible personal benefit I might accrue. Nevertheless, it is important that readers of my review are apprised of what some might interpret as a conflict of interest. Sociology in Context Mathematics and physics are disciplines whose basic content does not differ across societies. The fundamental core of these disciplines are largely invariant even if for various reasons scholars in different countries may begin in different places or stress different topics. Such would not be the case in literature, as a third disciplinary example, where every country would be expected to have, to a large degree, its own literary themes and traditions. Sociology is much like the latter. Societies differ and sociology, at its centre, is focused upon those differences. India's caste system is much different from the class structure of Europe. Labour migration in China is fundamentally different from such migration in Mexico. Social movements in the Arab world follow different rhythms than do related movements in the industrial west. As these examples illustrate there are parallels across societies – caste versus class is about differentiation, for example – but sociology in India would approach things quite differently than would sociology in Europe. This is true too of Canada versus the United States. Here are a few examples. Both societies are riven with differences that fracture social cohesion – in Canada the French-English divide is often paralleled with the differences between Blacks and Whites, and increasingly Hispanics, in the US. To understand these divisions requires quite separate analytic tools even though at one level it is a difference of ethnicity versus race. A second example comes in examining social mobility. The United States experiences greater levels of individual or circulation mobility than is true of Canada, although in both countries the cultural myths we live by exaggerate just how much such mobility actually occurs (inheritance of poverty or privilege is rampant, as Blacks and Aboriginal peoples will testify). [In both countries a large amount of the mobility that does occur is structural not individual, which suggests of course some sociological similarities across societies as would be expected.] Not to belabour the point too much, but from a different angle the Canada-US difference is seen in how the discipline of sociology in North America articulates with European influences. These are much greater in Canada than in the US. Canadian scholars have found much more merit in using political economy perspectives shaped in part by Europeans, than have US sociologists. To a large extent that is a function of a much, much greater manufacturing presence, at least historically, in the US (and the idea of US exceptionalism) and a much less developed resource economy which is, of course, the lifeblood of many, many Canadian communities (whether in harvesting or transporting raw materials). OpenStax College Introduction to Sociology In my judgement this is an adequate, one-semester, introductory book for sociology. It highlights the core concepts, foundational scholars, and emerging theories that any competent sociologist in BC would employ to introduce students to the discipline. Most people who adopted such a book would add some of their own emphases and tastes, but the fundamental conceptual core is sound (with a few exceptions as noted below). Where the book is much weaker is with evidence, research, and illustration. Anyone using this book for BC students would have to do an enormous amount of work, relative to the amount involved if other books were used, in supplementing the evidence and examples. In my judgement many sociologists in the province would deem this book totally unsatisfactory for introducing sociology to BC students. I will illustrate this latter issue in much of what follows. I should also note that in my judgement the book would not be used in most research intensive universities in the United States. The reasons for this are complicated, and have at least something to do with the snobbishness of such institutions. However the book just does not integrate solid research into its exposition of sociology. This is seen, for example, in the repeated use of Wikipedia commons as a source for evidence. But more profoundly it occurs because the book is more descriptive than explanatory. For example, the book describes social mobility (and structural mobility) but if fails to explain what social forces act to enable or constrain rates of mobility – either circulation mobility or structural mobility. This latter lacunae is the core reason that schools stressing research as opposed to social description would avoid this book. The book is organized as a set of modules whose order can be changed. This is a very good feature since sociologists have idiosyncratic habits in teaching the discipline (this is unlike math or physics where a linear approach needs to occur as topics build on one another). There is no correct place to begin to dissect society – the analysis doesn't necessarily start at ‘one' or with ‘A'. Alternative starting points are feasible and there is no consensus in the discipline as to exactly where one ought to begin (and in my judgement the best starting place differs by time and place). Sociology is less about covering topics and building one upon the other, and more about understanding a way of thinking, a particular process of observing and analyzing. That process can be effectively highlighted in multiple ways. There are clear learning objectives at the beginning of each module which is very helpful both for students and instructors. All of the basic features of contemporary textbooks are available – powerpoints, text banks, and the like. The materials at the end of each module (chapter) are generally well done and supply a variety of good learning aids for students. The opening example chosen to begin the book is clever, unique, and compelling. Sociology is about linkages between individuals and societies. The book starts, quite reasonably, with an emphasis on how individuals act in crowds, and how crowds differ (e.g., rock concert crowds, political protest agitators, throngs of shoppers). The comparative framing of this is good and would clearly work in a BC classroom. Problems begin on page 11 where issues of foreclosure are introduced. The Canadian/BC experience is substantially different from what has occurred in the US. Contrary to patterns south of the border, Canadian unemployment is not at record highs, foreclosures have not significantly increased in Canada, and subprime mortgages remain relatively rare in Canada. All of this material is therefore misleading, if not outright erroneous, for the Canadian case. This first example, discussed throughout most of the third page of Chapter one, is meant to illustrate how social context (foreclosures, unemployment) can help people to understand their personal predicaments (their private troubles). But, of course, that example simply doesn't work in Canada. The Canadian context is different and so the example just doesn't ring true to students. The core point of page three, understanding private troubles in the context of public issues, is good sociology – but that will be lost on students who will correctly point out that these public issues are not as germane in Canada. Using ill-conceived examples is bad teaching and leads to students misunderstanding the core message. The US experience is simply not directly transferable to the Canadian context. The second example in the Chapter, meant to reinforce the same basic point about social context, focuses upon food stamps. But food stamps are a core part of the US welfare system and are not used in Canada (where food banks would be more appropriate). Again the example not only lacks resonance, but effectively misleads students about the very workings of society. Table 1.1 reinforces the food stamps point and so the ","created_at":"2013-10-09T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2013-10-09T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":66,"first_name":"Charles","last_name":"Quist-Adade","position":"Chair and Faculty, Sociology Dept","institution_name":"Kwantlen Polytechnic University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Yes. The text does a really good job by capturing a wide range of sociological theories, concepts, and issues in both the content and glossary.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I agree. The text is well-written and scrupulously edited. It adopts an appropriate scholarly and objective tone.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"I agree wholeheartedly.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Yes. I am impressed by the text's accessible, flowing and logical language. It should be easy read for first year students, non-sociology students, and laypersons.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Yes, it is. I did not find any inconsistencies.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"I agree absolutely.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Yes","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Yes.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"Yes","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Yes, The textbook uses appropriate language that is respectful of people of different racial, ethnic and other backgrounds.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"The is well researched and written book. The language is accessible and the research and data are up to date. However, it has a huge downside, it is written for American students/audience. Its paucity in Canadian content is a worry. Canadian students will be hugely disadvantaged using this text, as it fails to provide Canadian examples/illustrations. I recommend a revamping of the text to include Canadian content and context, in order to make it relevant to the Canadian reader.\r\nThis review originated in the BC Open Textbook Collection and is licensed under CC BY-ND.","created_at":"2013-10-09T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2013-10-09T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":128,"first_name":"Kristine","last_name":"Smith","position":"Professor","institution_name":"University of Northwestern - St. Paul","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook provided a comprehensive study of introductory sociology. The engaging graphs, figures and applications extended the mental grasp of the subject matter. The reviews and summaries at the end of the each chapter provided a helpful measure for student understanding.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The text provided accuracy in learning and research through precise citations, further areas for research and well documented chapter references.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The text definitely provided pertinent and relevant social issues to its research and theory. The longevity of the applications and extensions are exceptional and very engaging.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Yes, this text is clearly and concise written which promotes a high level of understanding while avoiding ambiguity.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Yes, there was an adherence to a consistent format and writing style. The overall consistency in format, tone and writing enhances understanding and trust for the reader.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Yes, the text does an excellent job of skillfully presenting each chapter as a concise learning opportunity, yet within the thematic flow of the entire text.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Overall the text flows with ease, logical and validity.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text's interface provides a smooth flow and connection for the reader within the different modes of content delivery.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There were no grammatical errors detected within this textbook.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Yes, the textbook is inclusive and comprehensive in its respectful tone and content.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I enjoyed and respected the content and format of this textbook.","created_at":"2014-07-15T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2014-07-15T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":230,"first_name":"Angela","last_name":"Addae","position":"Graduate Associate","institution_name":"University of Arizona","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text is fairly comprehensive for an introductory level course, but it often lacks detail--even for an Intro text. For example, the text excludes discussion on feminist perspectives and it fails to attribute theoretical paradigms to the corresponding theorists. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Overall, the content is accurate and provides numerous illustrations and citations to support claims. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The text addresses issues that are relevant to a modern context but can also transcend the present day to continually engage students for years to come. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is clear, concise, and avoids disciplinary jargon. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Writing and content are consistent throughout the text and has the appearance of a single author. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is divided in a manner that makes sense. Instructors can adopt chapters as a whole or choose to focus on relevant sections with ease. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The text flows in a manner that is logical, clear, and easy to follow. ","interface_rating":2,"interface_review":"The interface leaves much to be desired. For a digital text, the text does not take advantage of colors, hyperlinks, or interactive features that are not available for print texts. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text is grammatically correct. ","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"Though book is not culturally offensive, it could be more culturally inclusive, particularly in the examples and illustrations. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall, this is book is a solid, economical option for an introductory text. Its strengths outweigh its weaknesses. In addition, the quizzes at the end of each section are particularly helpful for reviewing the material. ","created_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":301,"first_name":"Misti","last_name":"Wuori","position":"Adjunct Professor and Director of Extended Learning","institution_name":"Mayville State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook is very comprehensive, especially for use in a semester-based (15 week) course.  ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found the text to be accurate.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The examples provided are mostly relevant.  I do not find the example of the Parrotheads to be relevant to today's students, and some of the technology pictures are already outdated.  I think the examples involving social media and online, virtual communities and relationships could be updated as that is rapidly changing and some of these examples make the text feel dated in places.  This is understandably challenging for any textbook.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I find the writing style, examples, and discussion points are very clearly written and mostly jargon free for an introductory audience.  I feel this textbook limits the jargon and explains sociological concepts significantly more clearly than the textbook I have adopted.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I appreciate the application of the sociological perspectives in most chapters and find this consistency good.  Even more \"real-life\" examples illustrating the sociological perspectives with current social issues would be welcome.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The modularity is good, and may help with my concerns with covering all the content in a semester long course.  I would use 12 chapters entirely, with smaller sections of 4-5 other chapters.  The learning objectives for each chapter are very good.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"I would prefer to see more examples of the application of research methods, globalization, global and social change, and demography throughout the textbook because it is difficult to cover all the chapters fully in a semester long course. ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The textbook is very easy to read, easy to navigate, and displays nicely on my laptop.  I would like to see more hyperlinked content, especially in the references (especially web references) and further research sections as well as on charts and other graphics.   ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not see any obvious grammatical issues.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"I would like to see more demographics and examples incorporating American Indians.  If American Indians are left out of a particular social equality ranking due to low numbers, this should be clearly stated.  I feel the contemporary needs of both rural and urban American Indian populations are underrepresented in this text.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I found the writing style, very easy to understand explanations, and real-life examples make for a very interesting and engaging textbook, especially for first year college students and dual credit students.  The \"Making Connections\" examples given really make the connection between sociology and one's individual actions very clearly, and do a very nice job of explaining what sociology is for an introductory audience.  The key terms, section summary, and section quiz at the end of each chapter are very well-written for a first year (100 level) course.  I find the section (end of chapter) quiz questions and short answer questions in this resource much more useful than those in my current textbook for preparing students for exams.  Good references and further research sections are provided. These end of chapter resources, in addition to the \"Making Connections\" examples, reflect the key terms and concepts I want my students to learn from each chapter very well.  The PDF format of the textbook is much easier to read and use online than I anticipated. I intend to seriously explore adopting this textbook for my online and dual credit Introduction to Sociology courses  in 2016-2017.  I already supplement my current textbook with a number of hyperlinked articles, websites, discussion forums, and other materials in the LMS.  For this reason, I feel the benefits of the open resource materials for students outweigh the need to have the most recent edition of a textbook, especially for an intro-level sociology course.","created_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":312,"first_name":"Karen","last_name":"Lewis","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Dickinson State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The Introduction to Sociology text is comprehensive covering all the topics typically covered in a general Introduction to Sociology course.  The text is brief and only covers the three main theoretical perspectives so Feminist theory, Rational Choice, or Exchange theory would have to be supplemented. The index ans glossary are well comprised. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The information is accurate and well researched. References and Further research provides students with additional sources to find information. The text is unbiased in written material and presents topics from a neutral position. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content is up to date and edits to include updated statistics would be easy to incorporate in the future.  The fundamental concepts are presented. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is straightforward and easy to read. Having a glossary at the end of each chapter will help students understand the key terms. The references and suggestions for further research will also assist students in gathering more information on each chapter. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text formation is consistent throughout the chapters. Key words are in bold to find faster and a glossary after each chapter. Each term is defined in context within the text and then listed at the end of the chapter. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I think the text has good modularity that can cater to the topics instructors want to focus on. Instructors would not have difficulty changing the chapter to focus on sub-unit areas such as theory without disorganization or disruptions for the students.  ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The text is comparable to more other Introduction to Sociology texts out on the market today. It is written in a clear, neutral, and logical order. The topics are listed in a logical progression for student learning with basic chapter and introduction fist and special focus on topics in the later chapters. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I did not see any interface issues or distractions/ distortions of images. The graphics are well integrated into the content and context of the course. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not recognize any grammatical errors during my review.  ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I did not find the text to be culturally insensitive or offensive. It covers racial, ethnic, and religious groups. The book is inclusive of various groups in examples. ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I have enjoined reading and review the text.  We are planning on adopting the text in the fall of 2016. ","created_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":366,"first_name":"Andrew","last_name":"Butz","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Portland Community College, Sylvania","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book's comprehensiveness is average, or just above average.\nHowever, Chapter 21 needs: 'political process' or 'political opportunity theory' (and less detail on framing theory) of S.M.'s; and it should also have *theories* of social change, as well as 'war/geopolitics/terrorism' as quasi-institutional sources of social change.\nChapter 20 should address biodiversity, forests, \u0026amp; oceans, AND the scientific consensus on climate change!\nCh. 16 should include 'teacher expectancy effect' \u0026amp; self-fulfilling prophecy within S-I theory.\nCh. 15 needs to define/explain fundamentalism.\nIn Ch. 12, the Functionalism theory should include Parsons' concepts of sex-based division of labor (into 'instrumental' \u0026amp; 'expressive' roles).\nCh. 9 - 10: Theory section needs reference to World-systems theory; and the Global Wealth \u0026amp; Poverty section needs data tables.  Ch. 9 needs to use more than just 3 class levels (beyond upper/middle/ lower) -- and more detailed income \u0026amp; wealth data.\nCh. 8 needs Ogburn's tech processes \u0026amp; cultural lag, as well as Habermas' public sphere, \u0026amp; Castells' networks.\nChapter 7 needs Durkheim's 'anomie' concept.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"The accuracy is average, although it is slightly below average in some parts. \nFor example, the Ch. 1 definitions of: 'sociology' \u0026amp; 'culture' are a bit broad or over-general -- and 'sociological imagination' is too centered on 'the past \u0026amp; history'.  In Ch. 3, 'culture's' definition needs 'artifacts' along with 'beliefs/behaviors'; and the statement \"folkways are norms without any moral underpinnings\" is not fully accurate. Folkways are norms that *may* lack moral underpinning -- or where it is less significantly tied to morality than other norms. In Ch. 4, \"3000 BCE\" is far too recent a date for the Agricultural Revolution (it's much older) -- as the Neolithic or Agricultural Revolution began emerging in various locations between 8,000 and 5,000 BCE (and Ch. 18 gets this date correct). Likewise, dates shown for pastoral \u0026amp; horticultural societies are too recent. Also, civilized/agric. society needs more detail, including its establishment of private property, governments \u0026amp; other institutions. 'Feudal societies' were *not* just in 9th-C. Europe, \u0026amp; they should be seen as an extension of agricultural society.  A 'status' should be clarified as being a social position in society, with a role and *sometimes* a rank (but not always, e.g. 'parent', 'sibling'). \nCh. 6 Formal Organizations: bureaucracy features should include 'written records'. AND it needs bureaucracy 'dysfunctions', e.g. groupthink, ritualism, alienation.\nIn Ch. 7, a 'class system' and a 'meritocracy' should not be depicted as separate systems; rather, a meritocracy is one major feature of a class system. \nWhile Ch. 11 provides excellent definitions of Racial, Ethnic, and Minority Groups, the functionalist theory is presented too simplistically (should note functions of 'group closure \u0026amp; of segregation). Cinco de Mayo/May 5th is NOT Mexican independence day. [p.240]; the Indian Removal Act of 1830, NOT 1930 [p.242]; and \"by 1769 [NOT 1869], the slave trade was internal in the [future] U.S.\" [p.243]. 'Hispanics' should also be described as 'Latino'. and the Irish Potato Famine of 1845, NOT 1945 [p.249].\nIn Ch. 13, exchange theory should be NOT be included under the Conflict theory heading.\nThe Ch. 14 opening vignette repeats the misconception that \"1/2 of marriages\" fail.\nCh. 16 'Educ Around the World' section relies too heavily on one non-academic source (NPR) -- so it obscures the top factor for low U.S. scores: higher poverty rates in combination with a less selective/more universal pool of student test-takers. The Policy section, especially on the failed NCLB, needs references (e.g. Diane Ravitch).\nIn Ch. 17, the crucial topics of: 'interest groups', lobbying, \u0026amp; 'pluralism' (functionalism) are nearly absent. And the power-elite (conflict) theory of power should discuss MILLS at least as much as Domhoff.\nIn Ch. 18, 'Capitalism in Practice' should explain 'mixed economies' \u0026amp;/or 'welfare-state capitalism'; and as always, 'socialism in practice' should be distinguished from 'communism' as theory. Failing to do this leads to mischaracterizing thinkers like Proudhon, who was less a socialist like Marx, \u0026amp; more an 'anarchist-communist'.\nIn Ch. 20, Demogr/Pop section should note the year, 2011, when pop. passed 7 billion, and 'human ecology' should be called 'urban ecology'.\nIn Ch. 21, it should be called the 'anti-corporate' or 'global justice' movement, NOT the 'anti-globalization movement' -- which was the label foisted on it by some mainstream media reports. And it is rarely seen as a movement to 'resist change' (such as the Tea Party) -- but rather as a movement versus the status quo of corporate agendas \u0026amp; influence.\nIn Figure 21.4, Agents of social control do not necessarily \"bring collective behavior to an end.\"-\u0026gt; Social control agents can just as well re-direct, as disrupt.  Finally, the individual self-improvement movements are labeled ALTERATIVE (no N), not alternative, movements.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"It's relatively up-to-date and relevant.\nCh. 9 needs more current (\u0026amp; detailed) income \u0026amp; wealth data.  In Ch. 7, 'Social Disorganization Theory', \u0026amp; 'Cultural Deviance Theory' are no longer widely studied and have largely been supplanted by Control Theories \u0026amp; Differential Association Theory. Chpt. 7 also needs more data references \u0026amp; updates especially for corporate crime.\nCh. 3 is very strong on ethnomethodology \u0026amp; on 'hipsters' -- and on cultural change.\nThe Ch. 2 Jimmy Buffett example seems very dated.\nAnd the Ch. 1 data, such as on home foreclosures, has become a bit outdated.\n","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"It's quite clear.\nHowever, the  Ch. 1 table on SNAP/food stamps is a bit unclear.  And the 'figuration' concept is an unconventional \u0026amp; perhaps challenging idea with which to begin the Introduction.\nIn Ch. 2, 'objectivity' needs to be qualified (its limits \u0026amp; the role of values) early in the chapter.\nThe Ch. 4 'society' forms should be rooted in the concept of 'social structure', \u0026amp; 'institutions' need to be more explicitly defined.\nIn Ch. 5, Cooley (L-G Self) \u0026amp; Mead's ideas (esp. of the 'game stage' following 'play stage' \u0026amp; the typical age of children in these stages) need more explanation.\nIn Ch. 8, the world-systems terms (core, periphery...) need explanation.\n","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Mostly excellent.  However, some chapters (e.g. Ch. 2 \u0026amp; 7) need more research literature references.  And some key concepts are lacking a bold typeface (such as 'institutional discrimination' in Ch. 11).","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Very good.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Generally very good. However, its narrative flow is a bit clunky or awkward in places, including parts of the Ch. 1/Intro -- and in Ch. 2 the Disney vignette \u0026amp; Scientific Method descriptions are too lengthy/wordy.\nIn Ch. 9, the brief global strat information should much more clearly \u0026amp; explicitly direct readers to the next chapter/Ch.10.\nIn Ch. 12, the 3 paradigms should be presented just once, as applied to both gender AND sex.\nFinally, concluding Chapter 21 with 'modernization' is appropriate -- BUT it should be emphasized as both a master trend of change as well as a contested concept (especially for traditionalist \u0026amp; fundamentalist movements).","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"It's relatively free of interface issues.\nHowever, some of the charts/graphics image resolution is below-average quality.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"It's quite good. However, in Ch. 11, p.232: 'caucasus' is misspelled as 'caucus'.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"It's generally good, e.g. the Ch. 14 focus on corporal punishment.\nHowever, the Ch. 1 Intro feels a bit generic \u0026amp; could have more specificity to make it more vivid \u0026amp; engaging. And about the Individ-Society Connections inset (on LGBT): The way it is framed might overly gear it to a narrow/minority reader?\nIn Ch. 7, more detailed crime demographics are needed!\nThe Ch. 11 opening vignette should be much more compelling, vis-a-vis the recently explicit \u0026amp; extreme examples of law enforcement discrim/prej.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"This is very good quality for a multi-author, open source textbook.","created_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":446,"first_name":"Susan","last_name":"Stalewski","position":"Clinical Associate Professor","institution_name":"University of Wisconsin-Milwauee","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text is used for foundation content in a health sciences diversity course. The coverage of culture, health, medicine, aging, disability, specific ethnic groups is appropriate and presented in a thoughtful and engaging manner that encourages further interaction with the topic.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Information is presented in a manner that encourages the learner to critically evaluate current issues from a sociological lense and to analyze multiple perspectives.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content and additional resources present timely issues, conflicts and opportunities to critically evaluate major issues in society. The topics chosen to represent current issues are fairly long-standing and persistent concerns. This edition is designed to be relevant and useful for some time.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Topics are clearly presented at an appropriate level for the entry level student.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Each chapter/module is presented in a consistent manner. Learners are able to develop a pattern in reviewing the important concepts in each section, making the most of self-testing and additional resources.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Since this text is to  be used as a foundation for a cultural diversity course, the ability to choose and use selected modules is important. Each module can be used independently, however, reference to theory and consistent organization help the student to maintain focus through the entire book","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Flow and organization support learning, allow the student to reinforce theory and themes, foster critical thinking and analysis.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Everything works as intended. The ability to easily move through chapters and topics is a useful feature of the digital edition.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not identify grammatical errors","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Sensitive topics are presented in a manner that encourages the student to consider opposing perspectives and develop skill in holding and analyzing opposing positions.  The student is encouraged to understand the superficial presentation of many sociological problems and to dig deeper for greater understanding","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I would not have adopted a basic sociology textbook for this particular course if an open text was not available. This text will be a useful and thoughtful resource for my health sciences course","created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":460,"first_name":"Jessica","last_name":"Breidinger","position":"Social Science Faculty","institution_name":"Treasure Valley Community College, Ontario, OR","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook seems to provide an excellent introduction to the basic theories and ideas in Sociology however, for those of us who teach a series of General Sociology courses over three terms, essentially dividing the text into thirds, additional content would most likely be needed.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content appears to be very unbiased and straightforward. I did not spot any accuracy problems or errors in skimming through multiple chapters.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The data used in the tables are based on very relevant basic social concepts that are unlikely to change any time soon. The making connections sections relate important concepts regarding current social policy.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text is very accessible to the undergraduate student. The concepts and key terms are clearly identified and the section summaries reinforce the learning objectives of each chapter.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I appreciate the format of the text, with the learning objectives for each chapter followed by the introduction and chapter sections clearly defined and numbered. The consistency of the framework would make it easy to locate information during lecture and classroom activities for the instructor and provides a logical format for students as they explore the content within the chapters.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I believe the textbook provides excellent modularity. For instance, for a struggling learner it would be easy to chunk the information into manageable components. I find many of my students are not interested in reading long blocks of text and would much rather see information arranged in smaller bytes.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The presentation of the materials in the text follows a very clear and logical order. Although it would be easy to re-arrange chapter presentation, I appreciate that the research chapter follows the introductory chapter. While I am concerned with the fact that a full year course would be difficult to build with this content alone, it is refreshing to see a text that limits the chapter content to approximately three to five major concepts.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I did not find any issues with the book's interface, as a former disability services coordinator I was pleased with the Design For All elements included in the text and it's barrier free design.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not find any problems or concerns with grammar in the chapters I read.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"I did not find any offensive content and I felt that the examples provided in the Making Connections sections were culturally diverse and relevant to today's social issues, but not necessarily presented as \"hot-button topics\". In fact, I found some of the detail regarding social problems to be less edgy and controversial than other sociology textbooks.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall, I like the text. I would consider adopting it for my courses but I would need to spend a fair amount of time redesigning my course series to make sure I could utilize the text for the full three terms. I am pleased to know there is a way to lower the textbook expenses for my students without compromising quality.","created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":579,"first_name":"Kaitlin","last_name":"Yanchar","position":"Adjunct Faculty, Social Sciences","institution_name":"Klamath Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Introduction to Sociology covers topics that are sometimes only mentioned in other texts. The authors did an excellent job of including the most important topics of Sociology, including socialization, groups, gender, race, and forms of governance.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"After carefully reading multiple sections of the textbook, I am confident that the authors made the effort to provide accurate information. I'm impressed that each section includes a references list. This lends a huge amount of credibility to the text and enables instructors and students to go back these sources for more information.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The main text of each section is broad enough that it has strong longevity. Insets of what I like to call \"case studies\" provide more timely examples that could easily be switched out in the digital versions of the book. As a print version, these examples could run into the problem of becoming out of date, but that would be the case with any hard copy of a textbook.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The style of writing used in this text is mostly clear, and special vocabulary is properly defined. However, I don't find the prose as  accessible to community college students as it could be. I will say, though, that quality lectures could easily make up the difference.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"In terms of consistency, those who designed this textbook did an excellent job. Each chapter has a strong introduction that creates a framework for discussing specific topics that appear after.  Every section has high quality pictures that effectively illustrate ideas, sections are clearly labeled, there is a summary, self-quiz questions, an invitation to do further research, and references. There is a clear pattern that both instructors and students can follow in a natural way.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"My favorite thing about this textbook is its modularity. I felt overwhelmed at first when I saw that there were 21 chapters, but it would be extremely easy to break them up to fit a variety of term time frames and even how many days the class meets each week. Because each chapter has its own introductory section, it is easy to jump around without worrying that one chapter must come before another. Really impressed by this because it is not easy to do.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Creating a flow to a Sociology text can be difficult because there are some essential theoretical concepts that must be understood before you can start looking at the multitude of specific topics/concerns addressed by the discipline. At the same time, some of these ideas are abstract enough that the best way to get them across is to give examples. This text follows the most common approach, which involves laying out the theory first and then using those ideas to explore other topics. I personally prefer this approach, as opposed to textbooks that start with a problem and then bring in theory to provide the solution. Also on the topic of organization and structure, having a table of contents in the online version of the text is really helpful. For someone reading a print version, I don't think the text would seem as organized.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I did not encounter any interface issues. Every time I used the table of contents, I was taken to the correct location in the text. I browsed at least half of the text, and I did not encounter images or charts that were distorted. Also, all of the text appeared where it is supposed to. There was no floating text, bulleted lists that didn't line up, awkwardly large or small text, or any other HTML-related errors.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"I did not encounter any grammatical errors, although the text does tend to have fairly long sentences. Breaking up sentences may improve clarity and make the book more accessible to community college students.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Some Sociology texts struggle with cultural sensitivity, but I did not encounter that problem with this text. My background is in Anthropology, and I have to say I was impressed by the way people of other cultures and ethnicities were discussed. The authors also took the time to include examples from a variety of time periods, regions, and cultures. The textbook acknowledges that American culture is influenced by people from many different places, and presents this information in an unbiased way.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I consider this textbook high quality and am seriously considering using it for my introductory Sociology class. The online interface is well-executed and adds value to the text. Being able to pick and choose modules very easily also makes this text very appealing, especially for newer instructors who aren't sure where to start. Finally, having access to tools to help build a course syllabus and powerpoint slides makes adoption of this textbook almost a no-brainer.","created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":599,"first_name":"Aimee","last_name":"Krouskop","position":"Instructor of Sociology","institution_name":"Portland Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The comprehensiveness of this text is where I find there is room for most improvement. While I can appreciate length-constraints, there are a considerable number of topics i feel could use more explanation in order to make the concepts accessible to introductory students. I use this textbook as a 'skeleton' resource for my students (for this it serves very well), and supplement with additional general material.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I have found no inaccuracies within this text.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"As 'pull-out' illustrations of ideas are included in this text to supplement learning, these appear to be easy to replace as updates are needed.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"I find the language and readability generally accessible for my students at community college. There are some concepts that (as I referred to regarding comprehensiveness) I feel could be embellished in order to convey more abstract ideas.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"This textbook offers a consistent read and framework for learners.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Thus far, I use specific chapters of this text as a packet and find no struggle in modulating for my lessons.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization, structure and flow follow an intuitive and understandable format.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I find no difficulties with this book's interface.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I find no grammatical errors in this text.","cultural_rating":2,"cultural_review":"Considering the diversity of culture, ethnicity, and gender found on campuses today, and that resides in our global society, there is ample room for this textbook to include a broader array of races, ethnicities and backgrounds as it illustrates concepts with current and historical events and phenomenon.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":750,"first_name":"Jerry","last_name":"Loveless","position":"Sociology Instructor","institution_name":"Portland Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text overall does a great job covering the relevant content for an introductory course and provides a detailed glossary for key terms at the end of each chapter, while also including a comprehensive index in the back of the book.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate, yet not always in an unbiased way (e.g. framing Structural-Functionalism as an outdated, and potentially unuseful, paradigm in Chapter 1).","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The text offers both classic and modern examples for illustrating the concepts, which can be helpful for students of all ages to connect with the content.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The textbook is written in a very accessible way, overall the authors do a great job explaining the concepts and illustrating them with relevant examples.  Some of the figures could use further explanation (e.g. Table 1.1).","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is very consistent, especially with regards to formatting and chapter layout—very user friendly!","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The sections, formatting and sub-headings are organized in a consistent and logical fashion overall.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The topics are presented in a consistent and logical fashion, while the writing style is clear and easy to follow.  See my comment regarding the structure of Chapter 1 at the end.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"As discussed above, some of the figures could use more explanation and examples but all images within the text are free of any distortions and showed up on my Nook reader well (even though I downloaded the 10MB version of the text).","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammatical errors in my reading of the text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"As with most Sociology textbooks, all topics are presented in an inclusive fashion with no culturally insensitive language or framing.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I feel the text could do a better job discussing the 3 foundational theorists along with the 3 main paradigms in Chapter 1.  I would save the discussion, concepts and pictures of Marx, Durkheim and Weber for the section that discusses the 3 main paradigms (where you can connect each foundational figure and their concepts with the appropriate paradigm).  I thought the other chapters, and especially the research methods chapter, did a great job with organizing and discussing the content—I just feel the first chapter could use some additional restructuring to engage the students from the very onset of the course.","created_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":780,"first_name":"Amy","last_name":"Ernstes","position":"Lecturer, Sociology Department","institution_name":"University of North Carolina at Greensboro","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"I would rate this text as comprehensive. While i might re-arrange the order of the material, in some cases/chapters, overall i find the book as including the main tenants of sociology as needed in an introductory course. (As a minor note, i personally appreciate the inclusion of media and technology as a chapter’s focus, as this is lacking in the book i currently use.) With 21 chapters, and my tendency to cover one chapter a week in class, i would, however, perhaps only use 15-16 of the chapters in class. ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Based on my review, i would say that the textbook is accurate. I did not run across any examples of errors or information that i felt was biased. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"I would say that the text uses many socially relevant/current examples. The “Making Connections” boxes were particularly helpful in providing these examples to help students think about/apply sociological concepts to such examples. In my experience, in an intro class, brining in example related to pop culture can additionally help to engage many of the students in the classroom (in helping them think through the sociological relevance of things they are already paying attention to) - so i could perhaps see some slight room for improvement here, but, overall, the text provides relevant content that i believe could be easily updated. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I would give the text high markings for clarity. I could see the chapter reviews at the end being extremely helpful for students in terms of gaining a clear understanding of the material and terms. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I would give the text high marks for consistency. I did not notice any examples of inconsistency. As just one example, the text seemed to make a point of utilizing theory throughout, and applying the different theoretical perspectives discussed through the different chapter’s topics. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I appreciated the use of the “Making Connections” boxes in this regard. They helped breaking up long pieces of text (in addition to providing interesting examples). As mentioned previously, given the structure of my Intro class and the weeks in the semester, i would likely not utilize every chapter in this book for my class - however, i believe it would be easy to select 15-16 chapters from the 21 to use, and that using such a selection would not yield any problems in terms of flow. ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Overall, i believe the topics are presented in a logical, clear fashion. There are a few pieces which, as a matter of opinion, i would perhaps have changed - for example, i like to include a discussion of society alongside culture, as a means to talk about and differentiate between these two terms. I did not care for this book’s inclusion of society within social interaction. I personally believe that the topic of social interaction is enough for an entire chapter on its own. I also structure my class with a review of socialization first, and then social interaction. This could probably be re-worked with this text, in terms of just assigning readings out of the order provided (although, with society lumped in with social interaction, this might cause some challenge). Yet, these are mostly a matter of personal preference - the text still did a nice job in presenting flow in the order it utilized (i just would approach it slightly differently in this particular case with some of the earlier chapters). ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"There seemed to be some large blank spots on some of the pages. Not a huge deal, but a slight annoyance. Other than that, the interface seemed fine. I am a bit biased as i am still a fan of hard copy texts over online texts, but, for the format it uses, i think the interface was alright. ","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any grammatical errors. ","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"I think, overall, the text did a reasonable job with this - - including coverage with pictures, examples, etc. - - although perhaps slight room for improvement. For example, i found myself paying attention to how many pictures included just white people as opposed to other groups, and felt there was some room for improvement re: diversity in visual representations. Overall though, i think decent effort made. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"One of my favorite things about the textbook was the chapter review information. I think this could be very helpful for students in terms of reviewing the material. ","created_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":785,"first_name":"Ariane","last_name":"Cox","position":"Lecturer","institution_name":"University of North Carolina at Greensboro","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book covers the expected chapters and key terms for an Intro textbook. ","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"This book adequately represents the information found in most Intro textbooks. However, the clarity of the content is uneven.  I find the description of Ritualism (Strain theory) problematic and thus,  hard to differentiate from innovation. The definition of deviance is more elaborate than needed. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The text includes recent statistics and contemporary examples","clarity_rating":2,"clarity_review":"The clarity of ideas is uneven. For example, the explanation of the difference between belief and value is confusing. The discussion of social control makes it difficult for students to differentiate between social control and social norms even though the definitions are clear. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book's application of the theoretical perspectives is consistent. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This book is organized well ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"I think the organization of this book works well. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I have never experienced a problem or had students complain. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I have found no grammatical errors. ","cultural_rating":1,"cultural_review":"The distinction between transgender and transsexual is unnecessary and disrespectful of the trans community's wishes.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Overall this is a good book to use if you are an experienced educator. I would have struggled with creating comprehensive lectures in my first few semesters using this book. I would recommend newer lecturers to use a traditional Intro book in the beginning. However, now that I have a good foundation, this book is adequate. Students really appreciate the free textbook. The test bank is poor. Many questions are confusing and there is not enough varying levels (knowledge vs. comprehension vs. application). ","created_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":832,"first_name":"Beverly","last_name":"Logan","position":"Adjunct Instructor","institution_name":"Mt. Hood Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Each chapter section has an extensive glossary.  Occasionally, key terms are not included nor bolded in the text.  It would be helpful to have a separate, clickable comprehensive glossary for each chapter, and ideally for the book, which one can click on to search for a term, rather than needing to search chapter section by chapter section.  If I've missed this, then I'll say it could be made more readily viewable.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"This book has a strong level of accuracy, at least for the chapters I am most familiar with from my use in Soc 204, Chs 1-11.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"This book has a lot of currency and discusses recent events.  There are examples that could be heavier on the basic concepts they connect, within the discussion of a particular case.  But it has a good balance of relevance and longevity.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"This is a strength as well as a weakness in the text.  The language is technically very clear and accurate, but sometimes to a fault.  For example, there are definitions that are so laden with academic-speak that they can be meaningless, at least to my community college students (some were difficult for me to make sense at first exposure, in spite of my familiarity). Others are so brief and colloquial that they are also unhelpful in distinguishing the term.  These are the exceptions that could be improved, and in those cases, I supplement in class with better definitions.  Most definitions in the book are well constructed.  The prose itself is very accessible on the whole.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The book's modularity is a strength.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"At first I was a bit jarred by this book's organizational structure for the chapters I use in Soc 204, which varies from previous textbooks (notably on placement of the discussion of sociocultural evolution, as well as other concepts in chapter 4).  On further thought, I see the rational for it.  ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I've had no problems at all with the Interface.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"For the chapters I use, 1-11, I've noticed no grammatical errors (an improvement over other textbooks).","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The book is inclusive of a variety of races, ethnicities and backgrounds.  I think there are some that could be replaced with more examples more relevant to community college students (looking at you, Parrotheads discussion).  I also think that at times it uses examples that are of limited impact when more obviously relevant issues, ongoing in the last few years, would have been more meaningful and historically enduring (re longevity).","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"It's a solid and relevant textbook.  My main criticisms would only be around fine tuning.  I'm happy this resource is available practically cost-free for my students and I appreciate the instructor resources and hope they will be expanded over time.","created_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":928,"first_name":"Aida","last_name":"Ramos ","position":"Assistant Professor ","institution_name":"George Fox University ","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text covers a wider range of topics in sociology, probably more than one can cover in one semester. I found it's comprehensiveness to be satisfactory with more than enough information. The only critique in this area would be regarding the chapter on religion, which I had to supplement with additional information about religiosity, it's measurement, and demography of denominational differences in the U.S. These was no way I could fit every single chapter in the semester, so be prepared to pick and choose. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The book's information is error-free and and accurate. Some definitions are slightly different from other texts, but overall reliable and easy for students to grasp. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"I was  impressed with how relevant and up to date the book's examples were. In each chapter, relevant social issues were used as guiding examples of the chapter's content (i.e., Black lives matter movement, same-sex marriage laws, etc.). I can see how these might become dated at some point, but definitely not in a short period of time. It also seems that the way the text is written makes it easy to update examples as needed. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text avoids unnecessary jargon and complexity, while still maintaining college-level reading level. When technical language is used, it is explained within the context of clear examples. The reading is accessible and engaging. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book's organization (introduction with vivid example, major concepts, then analyzing topics with each of the main sociological frameworks, e.g., conflict, symbolic interaction, and functionalist) is consistent throughout the book and for each chapter. I found this format made it easy to prep for class and assists in a deeper understanding of each of the important frameworks. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each chapter is divided into several smaller subsections related to the format described above. Each subsection is logical and places key terms in their relative context and can be easily connected with the glossary in the back of each chapter. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book's organization begins with general sociological topics (i.e., prominent theories, socialization, stratification, etc.). These tend to be the most difficult for students to grasp, however, tangible examples help ease the ambiguity for students. The subsequent chapters use the concepts given in these first chapters as tools to study the rest of the social world divided by respective important areas in the discipline (i.e., a chapter on education, health, race/ethnicity, etc.). The organization of the text ensures that students get the essential building blocks before dividing into studying everyday social institutions.  ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I used both the digital PDF copy and the iBook version. The iBook version makes for fast and easy navigation. Chapters are just two clicks away from an interactive menu and students can click on the terms featured in chapters and be taken to the glossary instantly. I did find some differences in examples used between the PDF version and iBook version (particularly in chapter 1) for the \"Making Connection - Sociology in the Real World.\" This can be problematic if the instructor expects students to know these. Some of my students ordered the hard copy, but I did not get an opportunity to review it. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There were no problems with the book's grammar. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I was very pleased with the diversity of examples used in this textbook. It was able to accomplish this without being biased or dogmatic. ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1119,"first_name":"Asha Lal","last_name":"Tamang","position":"Adjunct Professor","institution_name":"North Hennepin Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook is comprehensive covering all the ‘traditional topics’ typically covered in a general Introduction to Sociology course. I would prefer to see addition of two topics: 1) Role of the United Nations in societal change and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and 2) Terrorism, war and people’s security. Also, the following points could be worthy for adjustments: \n   - The textbook has done justice emphasizing the three main theoretical perspectives (functionalism, conflict theory and symbolic interaction). However, to address the contemporary developments, it may familiarize more contemporary theories e.g. complex adaptive systems theory and feminist theory.\n   - Regarding sociological research, elaboration of practical vs scientific knowledge may be more helpful. In addition, it is important to include indigenous research methodology. \n   - Under social control and deviance, a section on positive deviance could be more fruitful.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Included information is accurate that directs readers to references and further research to find further information. The textbook is unbiased in written material and presents topics, including religion and politics, from a neutral position.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The textbook includes relevant examples related to emerging social agenda e.g. same-sex marriage and new immigrants.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The textbook is easy to read. It avoids unnecessary jargon and explains technical language maintaining the college-level reading.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent throughout the chapters. Emphasis on key words including a glossary after each chapter is helpful.","modularity_rating":2,"modularity_review":"The textbook can be made more practical by diving the chapters under 12 to 14 parts while accommodating reviewers’ suggestions that would help instructors and students to match with a semester long course e.g. one of the parts could be ‘diversity, inequality and inclusion.’","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The textbook is well organized in general. As suggested above, it can be made more practical considering a semester long course.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The textbook’s interface is well maintained. The iBook version provides easy navigation and the pdf version is searchable using a find option. And, a new initiation to make the book mobile friendly could be beneficial!","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not find significant grammatical errors during my review. It is important to remember that language and styles are always evolving.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The textbook includes diversity of examples regarding cultural relevance. It needs to highlight the existence of hidden cultures and an importance to address the issue of cultural subjectivity.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"I am so happy to find this open textbook and was able to adopt as the required text in my last semester class. However, a few students went to ask the Dean of the college that the printed copies were not available locally. Hence, to make the textbook acceptable and accessible, OpenStax may network with the libraries at colleges.","created_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1216,"first_name":"David","last_name":"Taylor","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Northshore Technical Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This is a very in-depth look at the fundamentals of Sociology.  The 21 chapters give the instructor a variety of materials to choose from but covers quite well the major aspects of each.  The index of the book and the glossaries at the end of each chapter help the student in reviewing the major concepts of the chapter.  The sample questions are helpful.  It is important to me that the student not be given multiple attempts to get the answer right as found in so many online formats of textbooks.  I would erase the answers (I assumed this was what the lightly printed \"2, A\" was for) that are given at the end of the chapter.  I think this text could be used either in an online class or face-to-face setting with little adjustment.  The essay-style questions at the end are good stimulants to critical thinking.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found the text to be accurate and UNBIASED.  Far too many Sociology textbooks have a leftist/liberal bias that is openly observable.  This critical approach to Sociology from the left is no different from a bias coming from the right.  I guess you can see that I am positivist in my thinking.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"I think the book is very relevant and that the examples used are up to date.  As with all textbooks, revision will be needed, but bringing current examples to the classroom is also the responsibility of the teacher, varying from venue to venue and in step with current events.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is clear with good flow in the presentation of ideas.  New concepts are explained as they arise and reinforced at the end of each chapter.  Many times, if there are multiple authors within a work, the style varies from chapter to chapter.  I did not get that feel while reading the text.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text seemed to be consistent from chapter to chapter.  Approximately 20 pages were devoted to each and the terminology within and at the end were consistent.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Much of the division of the text was already done by the authors, but the division was logical and there was a flow to the presentation.  Terms and examples were consistent with the topic and were fitted at the appropriate place in the text.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"This text was most definitely presented in a clear, logical manner.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I found that I could copy and paste text but not pictures from the downloaded format.  As I make my own Power Point presentations, it would be helpful if I could also borrow the same pictures as found in the text to include in my PP presentations other than printing the screen.   There did seem to be a flaw in photo B on page 491.  I don't know if this is something that could be fixed or not.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not note any grammatical errors in the book.  This might be that I am not the best in English, but also the flow of the text keeps the reader engaged to the point that if errors are there, they are not prominent.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I found the book to be very relevant and applicable to today's (American) society.  The examples used were relevant and sensitive to the viewpoints of others.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This was a very thorough book and I hope our school adopts this over what we are presently using for an introductory text.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1349,"first_name":"Jordan","last_name":"Durbin","position":"Sociology Faculty","institution_name":"Portland Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book lacks a chapter on power which is critical for student's understanding of how society works.   Overall, the text covers the main subjects covered in an introductory text.  The globalization focus is welcomed.\nIt's not possible to click on a chapter to access that chapter - this makes movement in the text cumbersome.  Moving to the next chapter when reading the text is slow.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"No information on accuracy at this point.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"The text is relevant and updates should be easy to implement. \n I suggest a need to add the theory and concepts about social power including the work on authority by Weber, the power elite by Mills, and concepts of class and class dominance by Domhoff.  Concepts on authority, types of authority, types of power - cultural, economic and political and how society is stratified not only economically but along a clear power dimension are critical concepts in sociology.\nEven though there is a section on authority under Government and politics, the book does not address power comprehensively","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text is clear and easy to understand.  I like the questions at the end of each chapter that enable students to test their understanding of key terms.  Additional questions would be helpful.\nI like the way the chapters are organized in subsections.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"There is a clear organization of presentation on the key areas typically covered in a sociology text - with the exception of the power dimension.\nHowever, there is much that is not covered.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Easy to extract separate chapters to compile for student use.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Appears logical and easy to follow.","interface_rating":1,"interface_review":"Weak interface - difficult to navigate easily.  Cumbersome.\nIt's not possible to click on a chapter to access that chapter - this makes movement in the text cumbersome.  Moving to the next chapter when reading the text is slow.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Grammar is fine","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"On the chapter on race and ethnicity - race in the United States - the description of Native Americans and Hispanics includes a chapter labeled:  And why they came\nThis indicates that these people were outsiders, when in fact they were native to the United States.  Some bias reflected there.\nI do like the way the text incorporates current instances of police violence and criminalization of African American youth.\nThe chapter on gender is extremely limited. It would need to be supplemented for students with other resources.","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":"I think the OER text would work if it were supplemented with additional chapters from other books or academic articles.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1428,"first_name":"Ian","last_name":"Bolling","position":"Faculty Lead: Social Sciences (Full-Professor fo Sociology)","institution_name":"Tidewater Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook is comprehensive.  I have selected numerous chapters from the textbook, but do not require all of the material in the text for a principles of Sociology class.  Thus it is more exhaustive than I need, but have the ability to choose which areas of the book I want my students to focus on.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"This textbook has been reviewed in its entirety more than once and I have found now errors.  It is relatively up to date (more so than hard bound copies are) and accurate.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"This is a good solid introduction to Sociology textbook.  Statistics are a big part of Sociology so it, like other intro Soc textbooks, will need to be updated regularly.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The textbook is written in a down to earth manner that students can understand and comprehend.  Greater use of visual aids would assist students however.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The textbook is consistent with use of terms and does not mistakenly use terms interchangeably which can create confusion for students.  It comes across as a professional book.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"It is very easy to assign separate chapters in the order one would prefer.  Because of its great depth of analysis this textbook could also be used for a Soc 201/202 course that requires more chapters.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"It matches up with other Sociology textbooks (which is pretty standard).","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"There are no issues with its interface, but I would like more interfacing in general with digital resources, clickable maps, videos, etc.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical mistakes.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"As a Sociology textbook it does a good job of looking at concepts from a cross-cultural perspective, thus it is culturally relevant and not offensive or insensitive to various races, ethnicities, sex, gender, and other groups of people.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I will be using this textbook in an OER course for Principles of Sociology.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1434,"first_name":"Jennifer","last_name":"Valentine","position":"Instructor, Sociology","institution_name":"Tidewater Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text generally covers the same areas and ideas as the physical, paid-for text adopted by my institution. So, all the better that this version is available at no-cost. At the end of each section, there are practice quizzes, reflection questions and a glossary of concepts. The concepts are appropriate, and cover terms and ideas that I think are important to an understanding of the discipline. This is an \"introductory\" text, so - because most students are exposed to the discipline for the first time - I think that this textbook provides a good foundation to the major concepts, theories and methods of the discipline. Should students choose to move forward and take more sociology courses, I think this book provides a good springboard from which to launch into the next sociology course.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"In Chapter 1, the textbook features a photo of Kenneth and Mamie Clarke and credits them as \"sociologists.\" In all the research I've read on the Clarke and their doll study, I've only ever seen them described as \"psychologists.\" A quick Google search reveals that they both held doctorates in psychology. Kenneth Clarke was the first African American president of the American Psychological Association. While this may seem slight, there is a section later on in the book comparing psychology and sociology, so it is worth attributing the correct professional and disciplinary association to researchers, when their work is used to illustrate a concept.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"I agree that the content appears up to date and relevant. The concepts will remain unchanged, so the examples could be easily updated, because most are set apart in grey, text boxes. This should be a simple fix to change out the content as needed.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The writing is clear and accessible. Students unfamiliar with sociological or social scientific writing should not be overwhelmed by this textbook. The examples are relevant and clear, and help to illustrate the theories and concepts.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent in its terminology and framework. I also like that the theoretical perspectives show up each chapter, demonstrating how to analyze the topic's through the major theoretical lenses.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is easily and readily divisible into smaller reading sections, which should keep students engaged with assigned readings. It only takes a few \"clicks\" to complete a chapter.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics are presented in a logical, clear fashion. It starts with the \"sociological toolkit\" which consists of theories and research methods. From there, it builds like most introductory texts: culture, society and social interaction, socialization, groups, deviance, social inequality (economic, global, U.S., race, gender and age) and social institutions.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I was able to engage with the online text without issue or error. I neither experienced navigation problems nor distortion of the images. The interface feels intuitive, and wasn't confusing or troublesome to navigate.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I didn't see major grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I was impressed that the section on the history of sociology begins before Auguste Comte and 18th century Europe (where most textbooks begin). I've only read one other source that credits a Chinese historian (13th C) and Tunisian sociologist (14th C) with making early connections between social dynamics and human behavior. I think that the inclusion of their contributions is crucial to dismantling the Eurocentric model of knowledge and knowledge production (i.e. that science and knowledge is only credible if produced by Western European men).","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I like this book. It is clear and concise and meets the learning goals for my institution. For the discipline of sociology, it covers relevant and appropriate topics. The faculty member can then build in more detail as it suits their instructional need.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1436,"first_name":"Rebecca","last_name":"Vonderhaar","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Tidewater Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook does a very good job covering all of the critical subjects in Sociology.  The way in which the chapters are broken down into smaller subjects allows the the instructor more time to focus on certain issues. The index is very helpful in choosing exactly which subjects we want to cover in case we do not want to cover the entire chapter due to time constraints.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The content seems to be accurate with the exception of PowerPoint  for Chapter 1, which states that Clarke and Clarke are sociologists and it is my understanding they are Psychologists.  Also, the text does not incorporate the lift of the ban on same-sex marriage in Obergefell v. Hodges, 135 S. Ct. 2071 - 2015.  The content is presented in an unbiased way.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"The content is up-to-date with a wide range of research from classic research/concepts to contemporary issues such as legalization of marijuana the issues surrounding same sex marriage. Due to the fast changing pace in society today, I am concerned of the longevity of the textbook as it relates to the updating the textbook as changes take place.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The textbook is written very well and the concepts are clear.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The textbook is very consistent.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"As stated earlier, the textbook chapters are divided into manageable sections.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics are addressed in a logical manner and builds on itself.  For example, Culture is taught before Deviance.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"So far, I have not had any issues myself while reading online.  I plan on integrating  the chapters into my BB shell by weeks, so I am hoping I will not have any issues.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"I have not found too any issues.  One issue I did find is in the Gender chapter.  \"Individuals who identify with the role that is the different from their biological sex are called transgender.\"","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is inclusive and the information in the \"Making Connections\" boxes are useful in providing real world, contemporary examples and connections.  For example.  \"Social Media as a Terrorist  tool.\"","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall, this book is organized well, easy to read, broken down in manageable chapters and the examples and images are interesting and on point.    Instructors can always add any supplemental readings or topics as they choose.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1437,"first_name":"Tiffanye","last_name":"Sledge","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Tidewater Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This is a very comprehensive textbook, yet, with pretty succinct chapters. The book is on par with other textbooks that we have used that are very costly and there did not appear to be any missing concepts. There were no errors aside from the issue I will detail below.\n\nThe glossary and index are effective. I noted that there is also a wide range of research from the older classical research that MUST be included in any  sociology text, to more recent studies that provide more updated perspectives. This is important because so many question the relevance of open source ware, but this substantiates the contention that OER is sustainable at least in the short term.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"There is an error regarding the Clarkes on page 19 of the text. This is a landmark research endeavor that we USE in sociology, but the Clarkes are Psychologists. \n\nAside from this error, the books seems to be accurate and also has some very robust examples, particularly with regard to application of the classical theoretical perspectives to various social issues.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"I noted that there is also a wide range of research from the older classical research that MUST be included in any  sociology text, to more recent studies that provide more updated perspectives. This is important because so many question the relevance of open source ware, but this substantiates the contention that OER is sustainable at least in the short term.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This book is EXTREMELY easy to read! It is written in a manner that allows any student to quickly understand concepts, but is not  that are presented. I am not sure, but I also think that it may be way to use a screen reader for students that require accessibility.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Yes... the Making Connections sections and the quizzes at the end of each chapter helps with readability  by setting the reader's expectation up for reading and absorbing the content, and then reviewing the concepts in context and then applying and assessing understanding.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The modularity of the book is acceptable. There was never too much unbroken text without subheadings, and in some instances, there were too many subheadings, but this only occurred 2-3 times that I recall.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"This is actually a very well organized text. There is not much to say here, as it is very similar to most other introductory sociology textbooks","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The book can be viewed online as well as downloaded as a PDF. Given that it is completely open, the interface is fine. It would be helpful, as an aside, for students to be able to access the book more readily within the LMS in its online interface instead of a PDF.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There were no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The books is very culturally relative and this SHOULD be the case with a sociology text. The examples are also very relevant to current social phenomena. There is still room for the instructor to include even more recent information as well.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I am thankful that my students have free access to a QUALITY resource.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1479,"first_name":"Sarah","last_name":"Ovink","position":"Associate Professor of Sociology","institution_name":"Virginia Tech","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This is a comprehensive introductory sociology textbook. Its 21 chapters cover a vast array of topics of interest to sociologists, and include some that are often left out of other texts I have used, such as Global Inequality. The variety of topics should make it possible for instructors to tailor an introductory class toward their areas of expertise. An index is included, and a list of key terms is included at the end of each chapter. The index is missing some terms that students might look for, such as feminism/feminist theory and rational choice theory.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The text’s content is highly accurate overall. I did note some errors and instances of imprecise language, that a conscientious instructor will want to watch out for and correct. For example, Table 1.1, which appears on page 8, is titled “SNAP Use by State,” but the table included here shows something else: SNAP eligibility. As another example, Figure 4.6, representing Marx’s ideas of “base” and “superstructure,” which appears on p. 81, is overly simplified and could use more discussion. On page 236, the theory of intersectionality (presented as “intersection theory”) is attributed to Patricia Hill Collins, when it was actually coined by Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw (and later gained prominence through Collins’ works published in the 1990s). At times, statements are made that that either praise or criticize aspects of society, which might be more properly classified as opinions. For example, on page 193, the author(s) state, “...we are fortunate that the poverty experienced here [in the U.S.] is most often relative poverty and not absolute poverty.” This could give students the impression that the author(s)’ conclusion that poverty in the U.S. is less serious than that experienced in other countries is a consensus broadly shared by sociologists, when in fact the levels and severity of poverty in the U.S. is a hotly contested topic. Of course, no textbook is error-free--instructors should always thoroughly preview any text to identify errors and take steps in class discussions to correct any misstatements or mistakes found in textbooks.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The text includes commentary on recent national and world events, such as gender politics in the 2008 U.S. presidential election, and the Rana Plaza garment factory collapse in 2013 in Bangladesh. This content will help make concepts relevant for students, and examples are arranged in such a way that updates will be feasible as new editions are written. The text stops short of offering content that is too close to the cutting edge--such as incorporating contemporary slang or relying on links to online materials that may quickly expire.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"This textbook is easy to read, with a fluid, friendly tone that avoids being overly wordy. The book’s many examples and “Making Connections” features keep the text from becoming too dry or inaccessible. Because the entire textbook is just short  of 500 pages, each chapter is rather brief, and some sections could use more description or examples. Key terms are presented in bold, and a list of key terms, with definitions, is provided at the end of each chapter. A suggestion for the future would be to also provide a brief definition in the margin of the page next to the paragraph where each key term first appears, as an aid to students who study by skimming through the chapter a second time.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Sociology 2e is internally consistent. I appreciate that some terms and theories, such as conflict theory, appear multiple times throughout the book. This gives the student a chance to understand how a sociology theory can be used in multiple ways, and is applicable in multiple contexts. For example, feminist theory appears not only in the chapter Gender, Sex and Sexuality, but also Media and Technology, among others.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Given the consistency of the text, this book is highly modular. Chapters could be assigned independently of one another, and chapters could be skipped without disrupting the reader’s experience. Most introductory sociology instructors will not be able to cover all 21 chapters in a 15-week semester, so the ready modularity of this text is a positive feature.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Some sociologists may disagree with the choice to organize many of the main strands of theory in the discipline under three umbrella-like paradigms: Structural Functionalism, Conflict Theory, and Symbolic Interactionism. This organizational structure works for the most part, though some more recent theories, such as postmodern theory and contemporary theories of structure, would struggle to fit. Overall, however, the text is logical and topics are presented clearly and simply.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I did not detect any serious navigation problems in the text. However, some figures are fuzzy or pixelated (cf. Figures 7.9 and 8/1), suggesting that the images used are of low quality and did not transfer well to the texbook. The included photos are mostly of good quality, and I commend the authors for finding so many copyright-free images to include that do a good job of providing examples and context for the text.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammatical errors in the text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The textbook does a good job of using inclusive examples and including pictures depicting people embodying a variety of racial/ethnic backgrounds, ages, and walks of life. The book shines a critical lens on many topics--for example, pointing out how felony disenfranchisement disproportionately affects black citizens, and including “Making Connections” sections that highlight LGTBQ individuals and their families.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This is a solid introductory sociology textbook, and provides a great option for instructors who wish to relieve their students of the financial burden of buying an expensive text. There are other introductory sociology texts that have more entertaining content and more online features, but this text will provide a solid foundation at a more than reasonable price.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1510,"first_name":"Brittanie","last_name":"Roberts","position":"Part-time Sociology Instructor","institution_name":"Portland Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"While this text does provide an adequate foundation for students with no prior experience or exposure to the sociological discipline, it lacks alternative perspectives, and is White, and male privilege heavy. While viewing different subjects and topics through the lenses of the 3 main sociological perspectives introduced in the first chapter was fantastic, I felt the text lacking as it did not allow for the exploration of feminist theory and critical race theory as their own sociological lenses. I also felt that the text was repetitive at times, and not in an advantageous way. Certain terms or ideas would be repeated, and hit home without expanding on the term or concept.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"I think the authors believe the text is unbiased, but the exclusion of critical race theory and feminist theory make me feel that it could be more objective. I am also not convinced of the book's accuracy; this is somewhat difficult as some of the terms I took issue with (transgender, master status, intersectionality theory, etc.) are sociological and can be up to interpretation and/or evolution over time. However, based on my background, definitions from colleagues, and basic term reviews, some of the defined terms are not accurate.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"I implemented this text in 2017; it is fairly relevant, has a lot of up to date issues and topics of debate, and I think adding new issues, or updating issues and topics should be fairly straightforward.","clarity_rating":2,"clarity_review":"The text is not written in lucid prose, and there are numerous sections with poor context. The prose is accessible, however,  a little too accessible. The jargon makes the text seem like more of a Middle School or High school text and not the text of  a post-secondary institution. I have mixed feelings on this. One other complaint as to clarity was the inability to check sources for certain pictures/statistics. For example, Black mothers not re-marrying at the same rate of White mothers. A student had a question about this, and when I attempted to find the source and research the statistic further, I was unable to access the source.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Terminology is consistent (albeit controversial, as addressed above) and the use of the different frameworks is consistent, and well done.","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"I cannot comment fairly on this as I did not use the text in this manner, but I do think that the text has the potential to be readily divisible into smaller reading sections throughout the course. I can say that I was able to reorganize different chapters to fit my course, and that this was easily done, with little to no disruption.","organization_rating":2,"organization_review":"The layout is problematic. Globalization, society, stratification, and class (which did not have its own module) were inconsistent. There are some other topics and areas that could have been laid out and connected more consistently. The topics were not presented in a logical, clear fashion; they were all over the place.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"My students and I only had one issue with the interface, and that was with printing multiple chapters at a time; the answers to quiz questions did not print, and the layout of the quizzes combined into one long quiz out of context with the chapter sections. Otherwise, there were no navigation problems, images were clear with no disruptions or distractions.","grammatical_rating":2,"grammatical_review":"The text contains consistent grammatical errors, as well as spelling errors.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"The text is barely culturally relevant. It attempts to address different races,ethnicities and backgrounds, but a lot of the text is stereotypical and overused  (Black culture has to address MLK Jr., Malcolm X, Civil Rights; Hispanic Latino culture has to mention Cesar Chavez; lack of new or varied/diverse cultural representation and/or history).","overall_rating":6,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2017-08-15T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-08-15T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1620,"first_name":"Allison","last_name":"Wisecup","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Radford University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text includes the requisite breadth for an introductory text. I, and I think my students, really appreciate the short quizzes at the end of each chapter. These help them gauge their understanding of the material and prepare for course exams. The index, glossary, and summary of key terms are also very helpful features.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The book accurately, though superficially, addresses the key content for an introductory text.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The content is reasonably current and I wouldn't imagine that it would need to be updated any more frequently than any other introductory text I have used.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The language used in the book is very accessible to students. It is not heavily laden with unnecessary jargon that might confuse or distract from student learning.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"I find no problems with the text in terms of consistency and framework.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is highly modular. I can assign various small modules as a foundation for class lectures and discussions. The modules in the text provide students with a common starting point without being unnecessarily long or boring.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"There are no inherent problems with the flow of the text. As is usually the case with introductory texts, faculty generally present and cover material in a way that is consistent with their own, rather than the author's organization.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I really appreciate the linked content from the table of contents which makes finding the material for reading assignments very easy. Moreover, I can open the text in class and jump directly to sections of text such as images or the quizzes with east and efficiency.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I have not encountered any grammatical errors in the text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is very culturally relevant. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I notice that some chapters are not as deep in their coverage of material as other chapters. Also, in some places (i.e. crime and deviance) there is a lot of depth in some material (i.e. theory), but only superficial or no discussion of the really important, sociological treatment of the content such as racial disparities in arrests and imprisonment. \n\nGenerally speaking, I selected this text to help my students avoid other costly options. I think I will continue to use the text, but I do have to do quite a bit of supplementing the text in lecture and with other readings to be sure that my students have access to important information not included in the book. This can be particularly problematic when students do not or cannot attend class and  miss important information covered in class. While this is always a problem, I do not have the luxury of telling them to refer to a specific section of the text for information they missed in class.","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1675,"first_name":"Geoff","last_name":"Harkness","position":"Assistant Professor ","institution_name":"Rhode Island College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"It's comprehensive, but there’s a kitchen-sink approach. There are 21 full-length chapters, enough for two semesters of full-time coursework. The kitchen-sink approach is especially noticeable in the chapter reviews, which include a glossary of every key term (with definitions), a summary of each section, a multiple-choice quiz for each chapter section, a short-answer test for each chapter section, suggestions for further research, and complete references. It would be more useful to include this material as a standalone product or at least move it to the end of the book. In general, a more streamlined approach would be helpful for students being introduced to sociology. Part of the job of teaching intro courses is to engage students and get them excited about the discipline. The kitchen-sink approach creates additional work for the instructors and students, who will have to labor to find material of interest. I appreciate the comprehensiveness of the book, but it would benefit from some editing. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The book is accurate, although some of the information seems slightly outdated. ","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"The role of technology is not incorporated into the text very much. There is a standalone chapter on media and technology that addresses technology directly, but today’s college students are so drenched in technology it seems necessary to include it in chapters on subjects such as interaction, culture, or even race. That’s not done here. I understand that things are changing so rapidly it’s impossible to keep up. But even the chapter on technology relies on social media sites such as Facebook, which are not used by many of today’s college students. ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The prose is straightforward and easy to understand. There is a lot of jargon, but that's part of the role of a textbook -- introducing fundamental terms and concepts. ","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"It seems as if an anthropologist was involved in writing the book. There are numerous citations of anthropologists and examples of research by anthropologists, as well as entire sections of the book (an exhaustive history of various types of societies – hunter-gatherer, horticultural, etc.) that strike me as more anthropological than sociological. This is not really a problem (and many will view it as beneficial), but given the differences between these disciplines, it could be confusing to students. ","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"The book is extremely text heavy, broken up with a few photographs. I realize that’s part of the deal when the textbook is free, but I have a hard time imagining students engaging with page after page of solid text. It’s a barrier to engagement. \n\nThe “making connections” boxes are standalone sections that are designed to elaborate on a particular concept. This is helpful, but not always effective. For example, there is a discussion of Jimmy Buffett fans, the Parrotheads. Few college freshman have any idea what Parrotheads are, nor do most of them care. This is fairly common in textbooks – writing that appeals to the author’s demographics, rather than that of 18 year olds. ","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"The authors just seem to throw anything and everything ever written on the subject into the text. At times, this is confusing. For example, the chapter on culture includes discussions of ethnocentrism and social control, subjects that would make more sense elsewhere. If everything is culture then nothing is culture. \n\n","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The book is straightforward and easy to navigate. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not noitice any errors. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"n/a","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Most intro to sociology textbooks have issues that make them less than perfect. In that regard, this one is no different, but at least it’s free. I could imagine it being useful as a supplement to instructors who prefer to use monographs, but would like to have a foundational text available to students. With some careful (and labor-intensive) curating, it would be effective and save students the cost of an expensive textbook. It’s harder to imagine using it as the primary text for an intro class. ","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1690,"first_name":"Kallie","last_name":"Kantos","position":"Adjunct Instructor ","institution_name":"Rainy River Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book is very detail oriented, but in a way that is not difficult to understand.\nThe learning objectives are clear and concise and placed a the beginning of each chapter.  \nThe terms are placed in bold throughout the text, allowing the reader's eyes to go straight to them.\nThe book also includes a section in each chapter entitled, \"Society in the Real World - Individual-Society Connections.\"\nThe book also has a section entitled, \"Making Connections\"  This section encourages instructors and students to discuss real life topics that can be related to sociology.\n\nI like how these readings relate sociology to the reader's life, a practical application if you will. \n\nThe index is very detailed and it breaks the main topics down into easy to read and understand sup topics.  \n\nAt the end of each chapter there is a chapter review that summarizes the chapter's content and allows the students to test their knowledge through multiple choice and essay questions.  \n\nThe authors clearly made an effort to include students from various ethnic groups and areas of interest, IE sports.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"This edition of Introduction to Sociology takes a neutral standing on the referenced topics.  \nThe authors make an effort to cover multiple sides of a topic.\nBias does not appear to play a role in this text.  \n\n","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The book takes current topics into consider, IE - Media and Technology - and shows how technology impacts everyone's lives.  This is an ever-evolving topic and would have to be updated over time, but the topics that are covered under that umbrella topic lay the foundation in a clear and concise manner.  The student can relate to this topic easily.  \n\nThe photos that are used in each chapter are current for the times.  These can easily be changed as time goes on to reflect more up to date happenings.  \n\nThe topics that are addressed in the chapters are current.  The book uses examples and situations that are found in today's world, not examples or situations from the past.  ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The wording in this text book is easy to read,  It is written at the appropriate reading level and the concepts can be related to the students' life.  The book presents the topics and examples in an easy to read formal.  \n\nThe key terms are highlighted throughout the text which allows for easy identification of a new concept.  ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book follows the same formal throughout its entirety.\nBook layout: At the beginning of each chapter learning objectives are presented, in the body of the chapter the student will find sections entitled, \"Making Connections...\" that are offset in different colored boxes (so the eye is easily drawn to that section), the main topics found within the chapter are presented with the chapter's number and section number followed by a main area within the topic that is consistently found in a different color and bigger font than the main content of the chapter, and finally there is a chapter review that provides the following information: Key Terms, Section Summary, Section Quiz (broken down by subsections), Short Answer questions, Further Research and finally References.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This book is divided clearly into main sections and subsections.  If an instructor did not have enough time to cover the main topic in full, it would be easy to stop part way through the topic on any one of the clearly delineated subtopics.   ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book's format is easy to follow.  It is consistent throughout the text and the topics flow into one another - they build a base and then expand into greater detail in the later chapters.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"This book is easy to navigate.  When viewing it in a pdf format, the images and charts are clear without any visible distortion.\n\nThe photographs pertain to the topic at hand and they are clear, no distortion or clarity issues. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Reading through this edition, I did not see any blatant grammatical or textural errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I did not see bias in this text book.  The author's made an effort to present multiple sides of a topic.  The way the information is presented is neutral, no bias.  \n\nPeople will always be offended by something, so it is impossible not to offend a few people.  This is the risk that authors run when presenting information that pertains to peoples' lives directly.  Many of the topics are touchy, especially when today's society mandates that everyone be hyper politically correct.  What was not offensive in the past is considered offensive today and I am sure the same thing will be able to be said in years to come about today's version of being \"correct.\"","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I like how the book is current with today's topics.  ","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1766,"first_name":"Jill","last_name":"Sturges","position":" Instructor of Record","institution_name":"Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook is an excellent introductory text for Sociology. It cover many of the major components that need to be discussed in an Introductory Sociology class. It includes an easy to read preface and glossary. I was able to effectively find and use different topics of discussion using the glossary. I like how they have a search bar and it is easy to search a specific topic.  For example, I searched \"Freud\". It found 6 matches and told me the exact pages and what was discussed about Freud on these pages. I was able to easily click on the match and go to those pages.  This is excellent when a student asks a question and you are able to quickly find a match and page number to direct them to for help.  I was able to navigate through chapters by clicking on the contents and choosing what I wanted to look at. I think overall this is a great start for an introductory course and it covers a wide array of topics in an easy to read and navigate fashion. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found this book to be accurate and to my knowledge did not contain errors. I think it is unbiased and has a complete view of a wide array of topics. I teach an introductory sociology class online and I would consider using a textbook such as this in the future. I was impressed to see the discussion about feminism and feminist theory.  I think this is important for all students to know and understand.  For example, Chapter 8:  Theoretical Perspectives on Media and Technology  discusses cyber feminism, the application to, and promotion of feminism online.  This is very interesting to me, I teach a class about feminism and I did not know of this topic until reviewing this text!  I will incorporate this concept in future discussions for that class.  ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"I think this book does a wonderful job at getting the reader interested in the topic by starting out each chapter with relevant examples in today's day and age.  I think this is very important in order to keep students interested and for them to understand the topics better. This textbook is up to date and I think most students can relate to the examples.  An example of this is Chapter 7:  Introduction to Deviance, Crime, and Social Control.    They begin by discussing how 23 states have passed measures legalizing marijuana in some form. They continue by discussing that a majority of people (52%) now favor legalizing marijuana. I think these are important topics that can affect our future and students need to learn about them and understand the consequences of this and many of the other topics discussed in this text. Another example that I found intriguing was Chapter 8: Introduction to Media and Technology.  This chapter discusses friends and how many \"friends\" do they have on Facebook versus having a face-to-face conversation.  This is a major issue especially with the newest generation of children growing up as Gen Z or iGeneration children. How will this affect their socialization overall? How will it affect businesses and technologies.  There are many many questions about this and how it affects socialization.  I think these are current and important topics for now and the future! As I stated in a prior comment I also did not know or hear of the term cyberfeminism until reviewing this text and in the future I will bring this term to the students attention because I feel it is an important topic to cover in that particular class.  ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I believe this text to be an easy to read. This is very important since most students that will be reading this text will be most likely be at more of a beginning college level versus later on in their college careers. I have gone through many textbooks to decide on the best choice for the class that I am teaching.  All to often, I will completely disregard a text if I feel it is above the students heads so to speak.  I want students to be able to sit down with a text and enjoy reading it. I do not want students to feel flustered or overwhelmed because they have to reread chapters several times to understand a topic.  I have a pretty good feel for what students like as far as textbooks and I feel students would enjoy this text.  It is an easy read but covers all the topics in detail.  I believe the writing in this text to have adequate context and relatable jargon for the students.  I feel students of any college level could easy read and navigate this text without problems and that is very important for an introductory text.  ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"This text is very consistent throughout the chapters and makes it easy for each student to relate the different sociological concepts to the relevant discussion at hand. For example, almost every chapter discusses theoretical perspectives on each chapters topic.  They include, Functionalism, Conflict, and Symbolic Interactionism in each chapter, and Feminist theory when relevant.  This makes it easy for students to understand how to apply these different theoretical perspective on each topic. I have seen other textbooks other than this one where this has been placed in a non-organize fashion and it makes it much harder for students to understand and relate the theoretical perspectives on each topic. However, text is very well organized and clearly shows how each theoretical perspective applies to each topic. This text is highly consistent in terms of terminology and the framework.  ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This text modularity seemed to be well laid out.  I think each section makes it easy to break stud nets into groups or assignments.  As far as the chapters themselves, I feel this text is well organized and easy to navigate.  It is self-explanatory and any student could easy break down the chapters to read or discuss at their liking. ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The topics in this text are organized in a clear-cut easy to navigate way.  I feel that it is very easy to navigate from chapter to chapter and topic to topic.  I especially like the search box where you are able to search any topic and it tells you exactly how many matches for that word or topic and then you are able to click on the one you want and it takes you directly to that page.  For example, I searched \"feminism\" and it told me of 11 matches total.  Then it broke it down to each chapter and section where I could find feminism.  My only complaint about this is that in one search it came back with 8 matches and another time it came back with 11. I spelled feminism the same way each time so I am not sure why one time came back with more matches than another.  I was specifically looking for cyberfemism and it came up in one search but not the other. I think this area should be expanded to search different forms of the word so that if a student is searching they can easily get results for the topic searched.  For example, if they search \"feminism\" they should show matches for feminist, cyberfeminism, and other terms that relate to feminism.  However, I feel it should still be close to the match and not too far off the realm so that they are not overwhelmed with matches so I am not sure how plausible this would be. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface of this text is easily navigated, searched, and free of clutter. I think this text is clear cut and well organized.  It does not feel cluttered or overwhelming. The only navigation issue I mentioned earlier was that I saw was when I searched feminism versus feminist it didn't bring up the same results and being such a similar term I felt it should of had the same search results. Other than this, the interface is extremely easy to use and navigate. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There are no grammatical errors in this text to my knowledge.  I think this text was well reviewed and edited and is an outstanding text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The cultural relevancy of this text is up to date and is not insensitive or offensive in any way.  The text gave great excellent example on each topic and incorporated up to date information.   For example, in chapter 10: Introduction to Global Inequality, the text discusses where close came from and how the business is outsourced for a cheap price.  When that country had a major disaster, not many from the U.S. stepped in to help that country.  These are important relevant topics that students need to understand and discuss. ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Overall, I think this is an excellent text.  I have not found any major problems or concerns.  The text covers a wide array of topics for an introductory sociology course and anyone teaching the course can easily break it down into smaller sections and/or choose which topics to focus on.  It encompasses relevant and important information, theories, and topics.  The text us easy to read, understand, and navigate.  I would recommend this text for others teaching an intolerable sociology course and I may incorporate it into my class in the future. I think ebooks are becoming more and more popular and students like to have the option of purchasing cheaper textbooks since most are on a budget.  Very well done! ","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1784,"first_name":"Peter","last_name":"Grahame","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Pennsylvania State University - Schuylkill","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text covers all of the standard areas for an introductory textbook. An index is provided at the end, and each chapter has a list of key terms and definitions.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"In some chapters, I found some strangely off-base assertions and misleading sentence constructions. I will cite a few here, but there are many others. In the theory segment, Georg Simmel is described as a literary critic. That's like calling Karl Marx a newspaperman. You could say those things with some (scant) justification, but both men trained as philosophers and were regarded as philosophers. In the research chapter, institutional ethnography is given a wildly misleading description, and the only citation provided as authority is from a brief account of a career award. There are so many fine sources that could have been used--this is very sloppy scholarship. One could do much better just going to Wikipedia. The definition of culture provided refers to beliefs and values, omitting material culture. Material culture is mentioned later, referring--somewhat narrowly--to \"objects,\" but the glossary definition again mentions only beliefs and values. A more inclusive definition of culture is needed. I found descriptions of \"theory,\" \"hypothesis,\" and \"interpretive framework\" to be awkward and oddly off-base. The relation of participant observation and ethnography is not properly presented: one might think they were entirely different enterprises, whereas a great deal of ethnographic work in sociology is PO based, and not all of it it concerns \"entire communities.\" The account of \"ideal type\" is disgraceful. In the first two chapters in particular, there are so many small but consequential errors that I could not imagine having my students read this. I should note that some of the later chapters are much better: chapters on deviance, stratification, and race seemed okay. This suggests multiple, piecemeal authorship. The urban/environment chapter is really an environment chapter; the urban part is very thin indeed.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"The content seems pretty up to date, and is comparable with other introductory textbooks on the market.\n\nRegarding longevity, it seems average. The book is thoroughly committed to the \"three paradigm\" approach, which is being questioned seriously these days. Virtually no upper level textbooks are built around the \"three paradigms,\" and professional sociologists don't rely on this set of distinctions. It seems very old-fashioned, a legacy of the 60s and 70s.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"The book is clear in parts, but some chapters are better than others. The first two chapters include many formulations that are somewhat misleading or off-base. Someone who knows the field well needed to go through these chapters and do some heavy editing. I felt that the author(s) was/were unsure of the distinctions they were attempting to make. Some of the later chapters are better.","consistency_rating":2,"consistency_review":"The book is not consistent. Some sentences are illogical. Some terms are defined in one way and then used in another way in the chapter. The quality and accuracy of the different chapters varies. Some are fine but others are not. I find it unsettling that some of the least well-written chapters are the first ones.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"I think it could be used this way. In this respect, reading the book is a bit like reading Wikipedia: everything is there, but the arrangement seems purely conventional, and without much of an overall design beyond tradition and convention. This is not a text with a point of view or an overall argument. So while I could pull out pieces for use on a free-standing basis, is that a good thing or a bad thing?","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"The topics are presented in the standard way for introductory textbooks. I found few surprises. All of the topics were pretty much as expected. Some topics were handled in a very weak way for my purposes (e.g., social interaction and urban life, to mention two), but they were located where I expected them to be.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"I had no problems with the interface. Everything seemed to work smoothly. Like many textbooks, I found this one to be somewhat cluttered. That is typical these days.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"I noticed one typo, where Trayvon Martin is referred to as \"her,\" but there are not many problems of a strictly grammatical nature. ","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"I thought that the book was okay with regard to cultural sensitivity. I looked closely for that issue in the chapter on race and found nothing that stood out as problematic. In fact, I liked that chapter.","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":"It's of such uneven quality that I could not imagine using it as a main course text. Another problem for me is that there is insufficient attention to topics, such as social interaction, that are important in my course.","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1913,"first_name":"Aysha","last_name":"Bodenhamer","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Radford University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text is very comprehensive, offering chapters on most all major concepts in an introductory sociology text. ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"This varies greatly by chapter, but it does seem to be a bit left-leaning at times. ","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"Content appears to be up to date, but some examples could possible be outdated pretty quickly (ex: tv shows in Chapter 3, section 3.3). Discussion of inventions/discoveries seems irrelevant. \n\nThe layout, different sections in each chapter, make it easy to follow, but vary greatly between sections and chapter, particularly with regards to relevance. ","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"Language is okay, but clarity could be improved for some discussions. For example, section 5.1 is lacking discussion of Goffman's presentation of self and dramaturgical theory, which I believe is located in chapter 1. ","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"Consistency seems to vary greatly in between chapters. Some topics that seem tertiary are talked about in great detail, whereas, other seemingly more important topics are not discussed very much at all. Example, xenophobia in chapter 3 is only mentioned in passing. ","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"Sections are divided well, but organization seems off. For example, history and theory in Chapter 1 should be better integrated instead of separate sections. ","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"Again, the structure and flow could be improved. For example, the Global Inequality section has a better discussion of poverty and inequality than the stratification section, which seems strange to me. Globalization could be a better chapter, and the inequality part could be included in the stratification section. ","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"Students have told me that the page numbers and graphic numbers do not match when viewing online compared to the downloaded pdf. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Seems okay as far as I can tell. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I think there are good examples across cultures. I haven't noticed anything blatantly offensive or insensitive. ","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":"I LOVE the idea of a free textbook for my students, which are largely racial/ethnic minorities and/or first generation students, but there are some inconsistencies across the book, and the lack of resources makes it cumbersome at times. Thanks for your efforts in pushing this open source movement forward!","created_at":"2018-03-27T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-03-27T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2116,"first_name":"Lloyd","last_name":"Klein","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Laguardia Community College, CUNY","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text is extremely comprehensive.  Topics covered comprise the traditional menu associated with with most introductory sociology textbooks utilizing the \"Ian Robertson\" layout that has been customary.  This is the cursory summary of the leading concepts expected in each unit of the course.  There are no surprises in regard to the coverage.  ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The book is objective and accurate in regard to data on such topics as aging, poverty, race, and inequality.  The authors basically state the facts in a short, clipped fashion without going into subjective viewpoints.  ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The text states universal information that will tend not to really go out of date over an extended period of time.  Any updates will easily fit into the format of description and definition of concepts.  Perhaps the photos and some graphics would change with time.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The prose is clear and written for the comprehension of students undertaking the study of Sociology.  Although not glossy or spectacular, students will come away with knowing the basic information in this overview of sociological ideas.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Internal consistency is very evident in the framework of each chapter from introduction to discussion and ultimately summation and sample questions to test students on the information.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Modularity is one of the stronger suits of the text.  There are enough chapters covering virtually any topics that instructors would want to include in their introductory sociology course.  The information flows in a comprehensive fashion within each of the reading sections.  ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book employs the logical flow associated with other standard introductory sociology texts.  The transition between chapters is clear and logical.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The charts and photos occur naturally without distracting the reader from the main point of the reading.  In fact, the information presented in charts and photos strongly enhance the traditional objective organization of the overall text.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The book is grammatically correct have been edited and carefully presented to the professor and students.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The book is indifferent to various social issues and avoids any material that might be insensitive or offensive.  The materials are objectively presented in reflecting current cultural values while allowing the instructor to interject additional materials supplementing the presentation of the materials. ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"The book offers an inexpensive and good option to the glossy texts presenting the same materials.  This would be very helpful for a hybrid or online course.  ","created_at":"2018-05-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-05-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2372,"first_name":"Robert","last_name":"Wengronowitz","position":"Visiting Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Augustana College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Keirns et al. are very comprehensive. The book covers all the major ares within sociology and in terms of comprehensiveness, is on part with other Intro texts.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The book is accurate. I'd like there to be more specificity. So for instance, intersectionality is attributed to Hill Collins. Sure, she was critical, but Crenshaw is the typical cite.\r\nMuch of the time, I'd also like the text to be more critical. So for instance, in the chapter on global inequality, it takes a long time to say anything about colonization: \"Why is Africa in such dire straits? Much of the continent’s poverty can be traced to the availability of land, especially arable land (land that can be farmed). Centuries of struggle over land ownership have meant that much useable land has been ruined or left unfarmed, while many countries with inadequate rainfall have never set up an infrastructure to irrigate. Many of Africa’s natural resources were long ago taken by colonial forces, leaving little agricultural and mineral wealth on the continent.\"\r\nI use the textbook for  basic material, and it's accurate enough for that. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"A lot of the modern examples to introduce material and relate to students is okay. It's difficult to keep it fresh though, so this is something all textbooks suffer.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text is clear. It could be much more lucid. But this is a common feature with textbooks. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Each chapter follows the same pattern, there's an outline and learning objectives, there are \"making connections\" pop-outs, then the main themes with subsections, then a review and end of chapter stuff: terms, summary, quiz, etc. the main topics found within the chapter are presented with the chapter's number and section number followed by a main area within the topic that is consistently found in a different color and bigger font than the main content of the chapter, and finally there is a chapter review that provides the following information: terms, really short summary, quiz, further research, and references.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Definitely. I only use five or so of the chapters and don't go in order and it works fine. ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"I'd order the chapters differently. Why is media before stratification, race, and gender? Social movements always seems to come at the end. I get that it's a nice way to leave students thinking, but changing that up might be fun. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Very functional. Search features work, chapters are clickable from table of contents, and there's an index.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Fine.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Suffers from white guy syndrome, but this feels like other textbooks as well and is somewhat difficult to remedy given the history of the discipline. To cite one example, Du Bois is entirely absent. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"My main hiccup is the limited critical perspective. But it's often useful in class to show students it's GOOD to question things and be critical, even if something is in a textbook. For example, the social stratification chapter has a figure of strata in rock and how this illustrates stratification. That sure makes it seem natural. But it's fun to pull it apart with students. \r\nThe \"Soc research\" and \"Soc in the real world\" bits the authors have sprinkled in are often the most useful. More of those on a revision would be good.","created_at":"2018-11-08T20:43:12.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-11-08T20:43:12.000-06:00"},{"id":2387,"first_name":"Paul","last_name":"Croll","position":"Associate Professor of Sociology","institution_name":"Augustana College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text is comprehensive.  It is comparable to the other main Introduction to Sociology alternatives in the market.  Comparing the table of contents to other widely-used Intro texts, this text is equally comprehensive.  The chapters and subjects included in this text work for the way I teach Introduction to Sociology.  I appreciate the \"key terms\" (glossary) at the end of each chapter.  It makes sense to me to have the glossary sections at the end of each chapter, rather than the end of the entire text.  The index at the end of the text is sufficient.  However, there is a little quirk with the index given the chapter glossaries at the end of each chapter.  Most terms in the glossary are listed twice -- first the mention of the term in the chapter and second the term in the chapter-end glossary.  I would suggest removing the second page number in the index for these terms and just pointing students to the place in the chapter where the term is discussed.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found the content to be very accurate.  I did not find any errors or inconsistencies.  I do feel the text is unbiased.  As best as possible, the text presents key sociological ideas in an unbiased, objective manner.  I feel like the text does a good job dealing with potentially controversial issues and providing the empirical data available.  I can use the material presented here to have productive conversations about these topics without fear or criticism of bias.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"I feel like this text is as up-to-date and relevant as any of the Introduction to Sociology textbooks in the market.  I do not entirely rely on my textbook to be completely up-to-date.  Rather, I use the textbook to provide the key ideas and concepts and then often bring in my own relevant, current examples for the chapter and material we are discussing.  In this regard, this text will work well for my purposes.  I do not see any concerns about the format and arrangement of the chapters causing any difficulties for updates as needed.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This text is written at a level that is appropriate for an Introduction to Sociology course.  The discipline-specific terminology used is appropriate and there are plenty of definitions for students throughout the text.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent both across and within the chapters.  The framework and organization of the text works well for students.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I believe it would be easy to select only certain chapters from this text for use in a class.  I probably would not divide the chapters into smaller reading sections, but I could imagine an instructor only using some of the chapters from the text.  If it was necessary to divide the chapters into smaller sections to be assigned, I do believe this could be done.  However, I would not suggest only assigning part of a chapter from this text.  I would strongly recommend using complete chapters from this text if this text is used for a course.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"I like the organization of this book.  As many Introductory texts are organized, this text starts with a couple chapters on big ideas about sociology as a discipline and how we do sociology.  These are followed by chapters on specific topics.  This is how my own Introduction to Sociology course is organized.  Each chapter is organized in a clear fashion and I think students would get used to the style and format of the chapters as they used this book.  I appreciate that the last chapter is about Social Movements and Social Change.  Much of what we do in sociology focuses on social problems and inequalities.  I believe it is important to end a course like this thinking about prospects for social change.  We study the problems in society because we want to make it better.  I agree with the authors to end with Social Change.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"No issues with the interface.  The text, pictures, and format work on multiple devices in multiple formats.  The hyperlinks to pages and chapters in the table of contents, index, etc. work fine without any problems.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No issues with grammatical errors in this text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This text does a good job including diverse perspectives across the topics presented.  Across U.S. society and across the globe, appropriate examples and comparisons are used.  I did not see the text as culturally insensitive or offensive in any way.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I think this is an excellent Introduction to Sociology textbook.  This text provides the basics I need to teach the course at my school.  The text covers the main ideas, theories, concepts, and topics I believe should be part of any Introduction to Sociology course.  I do not believe any textbook is perfect, but this text is sufficient for my needs.  The advantage of providing the text to students as an Open Educational Resource (OER) is a major advantage of this text.  I do not feel that the other texts in this market are worth the cost of adopting over this text.  I plan to switch to this OER text for my Introduction to Sociology course.","created_at":"2018-11-15T16:04:40.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-11-15T16:04:40.000-06:00"},{"id":2437,"first_name":"Dee","last_name":"Malcuit","position":"Associate Professor of Sociology","institution_name":"OhioLink","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"Overall, this OER offers a general/brief overview of Introduction to Sociology content.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"The provided content examples and data is outdated. \r\nThe routine use of “Wikimedia” for chapter charts, graphs, and photos is a concern.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"Updating chapter content examples and data is suggested. Student required assignments focused on current outside sources and data would compensate for content deficit.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The OER is well formatted and presented. The chapters are brief and to the point. Each chapter includes sociology terminology, theory and concepts, and a test bank for review.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"Yes, with the exception of chapter one and two. Limited content for the foundations of sociology and the social science research process. ","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Yes, the brief and general format is conducive to a quick review of general sociology concepts and material.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Yes, with the exception of chapter two, personally I would move the research and methods chapter further back in the text - chapter five perhaps. Covering origins, theory, theorist, culture, and socialization prior to research and methods has proven to ease students into the application concepts of research. ","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"It is my opinion that data, such as charts and graphs, work toward a better understanding of the content presented in each chapter. Students that are visual learners benefit from reliable images/charts that accurately support the written material.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"Correct, I did not find grammatical errors ","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Yes, I agree that the content is inclusive and appropriate","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":"Overall, this OER offers a good general overview of Introduction to Sociology content. The material can be easily subsidized to incorporate updates outside sources and data. ","created_at":"2018-12-02T14:24:52.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-12-02T14:24:52.000-06:00"},{"id":2596,"first_name":"Chris","last_name":"Solario","position":"Adjunct Instructor","institution_name":"Western Oregon University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book provides an excellent overview of the sociological topic with clear objectives. Each chapter wraps up with key terms, a section summary and both multiple choice and short answer questions that will help students master the material.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Book appears to be error free and unbiased. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The text provides several current \"real world\" examples along with references to further scholarship. Supplementing textbook with real time events would be straightforward.. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Key terms, concepts and theoretical frameworks are clearly presented throughout the book with several relevant examples.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The textbook chapters are consistent with clearly defined learning objectives at the beginning, and a comprehensive chapter review that includes key terms, sample exam questions and an extensive reference list.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Textbook is broken up into small easy to read sections with no more than a few paragraphs per topic. Chapters are fairly short and there are several graphics and captions that help students make clear connections to each concept.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"There is a clear flow through each chapter building on previous concepts mastered in earlier sections o fetch text.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Book is easy to navigate with a nice complement of graphics and images.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Grammar is consistent throughout the book and would be easily interpreted by undergraduates.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text provides a nice overview of various peoples' races, ethnicities and backgrounds.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This is an excellent, comprehensive textbook for a survey course in sociology. ","created_at":"2019-03-01T12:24:17.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-03-01T12:24:17.000-06:00"},{"id":2658,"first_name":"Alecea","last_name":"Standlee","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Gettysburg College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book covers the major subfields and concepts within sociology. Each chapter provides a solid overview, and covers major thinkers, concepts and vocabulary within the field.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Overall all the book is reasonably accurate. Inaccuracies tend to be primarily the result of the age of text. It is 4 years old, and some of policies, practices and statistics in the book are outdated. This is an issue in sections of the book the rely heavily on statistics or discuss public policy, for example the healthcare chapter. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Text is reasonably up to date, but needs revision in some sections to reflect changes in healthcare, politics, education etc in the last 4 years. I would say that it should be reasonably simple to update, though there are some areas that need to be rewritten. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The writing style is clear and accessible. The organization is straightforward and the use of vocabulary is appropriate to the level. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Very consistent. I didn't notice any real variation in tone or framework from chapter to chapter. ","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Overall yes, the text is broken up into subheadings, however many of the sections are interconnected, so within chapters, it might be a bit of a challenge to assign partial sections. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Logical, clear and well organized. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I don't see any navigational or display issues. Well designed.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I didn't notice any grammar issues. ","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"This is a difficult one. By its very nature, sociology is a discipline that students may find challenging. For example, white students often find the idea that racial inequality exists to run counter to their beliefs. Students who specific religious convictions may disagree strongly with the idea that non-heterosexuals should be viewed as a normal variation of human sexuality. Students who are from economically privileged backgrounds can feel like the poor are morally bad. Presenting information, even objective data that counters stereotypes is essential to the discipline but can be challenging. In general, this text does this well. It err's a bit on the side of neutrality actually, and in doing so avoids some of the heavy lifting in challenging stereotypes and inequalities, which may mean the faculty member has to do a bit more. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall, this is well written and clearly organized. A good solid introductory textbook for sociology. It is perhaps a bit bland, as the authors focus on providing vocabulary, concepts and basic knowledge. The Making Connections features provide a bit more interest, and provide some venues for more robust discussion. ","created_at":"2019-03-12T13:26:53.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-03-12T13:26:53.000-05:00"},{"id":2756,"first_name":"Shelley","last_name":"Koch","position":"Associate Professor of Sociology","institution_name":"Emory and Henry College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book presents as your standard sociology textbook in terms of content and organization, starting with an introduction and then chapters on theory and research, and then content areas. If I were to use a textbook, I think this would be comparable to any of the for-profit published texts.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"As far as I can tell, the information presented is pretty standard. ","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"The I find the three theoretical model outdated but so constraining as this framework structures every chapter. In the Chapter on Sex, Gender, and Sexuality, for example, feminist theory is given one small paragraph and  theories on gender or intersectionality are not even offered. While this particular chapter has a decent discussion of the difference between sex, gender and sexuality, I probably would not even assign the section on theoretical perspectives. Also missing in this chapter is any discussion of women and work, a topic I did not find in related chapters. In the chapter on population and the environment, coverage of climate change gets one section, as does environmental racism.  I know a textbook cannot include everything but I find these chapters to be rather thin. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is clear and accessible. I do appreciate the short vignettes at the beginning of chapters or sections that introduce the main content.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent throughout.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"As with any intro textbook it would be easy to assign particular content chapters which could be integrated with the introduction, theory and research sections.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Each chapter contains an overview and is divided into two or three specific topics. It is easy to follow.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text is easy to navigate and has good images and graphics. I wonder if it would be possible to embed videos and other activities to aid students in understanding the concepts.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"This text appears to be well edited and I could find few errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is culturally relevant and appropriate.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2019-04-10T07:22:05.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-04-10T07:22:05.000-05:00"},{"id":2803,"first_name":"Paul","last_name":"Kamolnick","position":"Professor","institution_name":"East Tennessee State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text contains the standard chapters found in virtually all textbooks.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I detected no errors in matters of fact. The bias toward a virtually 100% socioenvironmental theorization of human society exists, but is sane relative to other accounts. \r\nI did detect a major error in describing Georg Simmel (1858-1918). He is described as a \"German art critic\". For ANYONE familiar with Simmel, that is an atrocious characterization. He was first and foremost a philosopher, but also a pioneer of a distinct method and theory for understanding sociological phenomena. Art, aesthetics, culture, certainly were subjects of his interest, but his vast scholarship in sociology and other subjects are not captured by that description. \r\nBut I feel overall, without question, the general thrust of the text is scholarly.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"It should be easy to update as necessary factual developments. It is far less dated than some texts in their 14th editions that still use sources and notes from the 1970s and 1980s. ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text is well written, and is lucid. Jargon is defined. I would say that perhaps the writing is pitched at a higher level of language capacity than the typical student with whom I deal. But it is lively, and it can be complimented by instructor elaboration.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I detected no inconsistencies.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Modularity is an asset here. Supposing rearrangement  of material is possible when necessary, it will work well.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"It follows, in general, the standard template for Intro texts. Topics do flow logically.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I experienced no difficulties from my laptop using a standard browser.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I detected no obvious errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"It is sufficiently inclusive, and non-offensive.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I am impressed with this text. It compares extremely favorably with any text I have reviewed. I will strongly consider this text for my course.","created_at":"2019-04-18T08:47:22.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-04-18T08:47:22.000-05:00"},{"id":2915,"first_name":"Deborah","last_name":"Van Cura","position":"Adjunct Lecturer","institution_name":"LAGCC","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"\r\nThe text provides an excellent introduction to sociology.   It includes the usual  topics that are covered in all basic introductory texts for a one semester course.     I found the glossary and summaries at the end of each chapter very helpful.  ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"A few definitions were different than other sociological but overall would be considered a reliable text.  \r\n","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"\r\nThe presentation of ideas and examples were very relevant to today's students.  I liked that a whole chapter is devoted to media and technology but it would be up to the individual professor to update some of these issues as this topics changes so fast.  This is not unique to this text but a very common challenge. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"\r\nThis text is very easy to read and should keep students engaged.  The explanations  of concepts are clear and concise.  The reviews at the end of each chapter would be very helpful to students. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"\r\nThe text was extremely consistent in presenting ideas.   Throughout the text the sociological perspectives are discussed which reinforces them.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"\r\nThe text is easy to divide and reorganize based on the preferred flow of the course. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"\r\nThe text follows a typical progression throughout the course of an introductory class building on skills previously covered.   There format is logical and  has a natural progression. ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"\r\nThe text is fine in the pdf format.  I downloaded it in my Kindle and some names (i.e. Emile Durkheim) and numbers did not show up accurately. Not sure if it is just my tablet or a general problem. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"\r\nI did not find any grammatical errors in the text. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"\r\nThe text is culturally inclusive.  ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This is a text I would definitely use in my course. ","created_at":"2019-05-16T11:52:48.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-05-16T11:52:48.000-05:00"},{"id":2972,"first_name":"Zorian","last_name":"Sasyk","position":"Assistant Professor, E-Resource and Discovery Librarian","institution_name":"Metropolitan State University - Minnesota State","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text is thorough in its coverage of the introductory aspects of sociology for a contemporary undergraduate audience. It seems equivalent to other introductory texts that I have encountered.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The text overall is accurate in terms of content, although as others have noted, there is some variation by chapter (the characterization of Simmel in Chapter 1, as well as the omission of Talcot Parsons in the section of Chapter 1 pertaining to Structural Functionalism). However, such omissions or contentious points of emphasis could be easily addressed by supplementary material from an instructor.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content is reasonably up-to-date, more so than most sociology texts I've come across.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is written in an easy-to-read, fluent style that is always a welcome sight in any sociology textbook. The text generally avoids unnecessary deep dives or tangents into theory, methods, or history; it strikes a good balance between readability and technical content coverage, excellent traits for an undergraduate introductory text.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The text is fairly consistent in terms of prose style, definitions, and formatting. However, a few sections (depending on Chapter) are more thoroughly fleshed out or investigated then others (for example, the Chapter 1 sections on Functionalism vs Conflict Theory, where the latter as several paragraphs dedicated to different theorists in said tradition). In addition, in a few places, the prose is a bit choppy and it is obvious to the reader that the work was most likely written in chunks by several authors, even within sections and Chapters. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The aforementioned concise nature of the text's chapters and sections, as well as its granular and hyperlinked Table of Contents, makes it a fairly modular tool for instruction. It would be easy to divide the text's chapters into shorter assigned readings using the Chapter hyperlinks.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The text was organized in a manner congruent with other introductory texts in Sociology. Although theory is discussed in a small section in Chapter 1 and sporadically via sociological topic, the text lacks a dedicated and comprehensive section or chapter on full breadth of the sociological tradition.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"In my experiences reading the text via web browser and as a desktop PDF file, I encountered no interface or usability issues.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"I encountered occasional typos and missing words, more than in a standard textbook but within acceptable limits for a collaborative, CC-licensed educational resource.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"I found the text to be, overall, very inclusive, perhaps more so than many sociology textbooks I have encountered. For example, Chapter 1 mentions several historical female sociologists that I had never seen featured in a introductory text before.\r\nHowever, it also seemed like many of the \"Making Connections\" boxes were United States-centric; it would be great if more of these featured global examples.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2019-06-04T14:25:44.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-06-04T14:25:44.000-05:00"},{"id":2989,"first_name":"Pete","last_name":"Martini","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Manchester University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book does a good job on topical material (i.e. it hits all the \"big items\" in a typical Intro Sociology text). The text is short and sweet in each section and does not feel overburdened. For those of us who go into detail in lecture, this text is great to expose students to the topic we'll be covering. ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"This book has a solid footing in the topics covered. When discussing a topic in a prof's area of interest, it can feel a little light. For example, I found the health and sexuality chapters to be missing some things I would have liked. I feel like that's probably the same reaction stratification folks will have of the stratification chapter, or race/ethnicity folks will have of the race/ethnicity chapter. Approaching this text with a generalist's eye is probably a good idea. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This is a strength of the book. The topics covered will be enduring in their importance, but the to-the-point nature of the writing makes necessary updates easier. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The writing in this book is very appealing for a generation of students who are used to communicating in Instagram posts. Short, sweet, and to-the-point is the description I would use. It lends itself to be useful for professors who deliver a lot of additional detail in either lecture or in-class activities. ","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"I particularly enjoy the way the authors bring each topic back to the \"Big Three\" theories while including other relevant theoretical families where appropriate  (e.g. Queer Theory in the Gender, Sex, Sexuality chapter). ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each chapter is divided into easily digestible chunks. One can easily read a section then come back. At the same time, the book does effortlessly flow from topic to topic throughout the chapter. This allows the chapters to be taken in as short bursts, or as a bigger chunk that's clearly divided into relevant and understandable sections. Needing to click between sections reinforces may help reinforce the idea that \"we're moving on to another topic\" in a way that traditional book headings do not.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Honestly, pretty standard Sociology text organization here. Nothing new or earth-shattering. Just solid. ","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"I used the OpenStax CNX interface to view this book. My only issue is that I wish the sidebar used indentations to help denote what is grouped together. It's not the prettiest navigation pane. I loved the \"Next\" button that allowed me to simply move from section to section. Each section also maintains all download options in case a student needs to download a single reading rather than the whole book. I wish the CreativeCommons block at the bottom was either collapsible or smaller (read: less visually intrusive). ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammar errors. To be fair, I was reading quickly and for content and keywords. ","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"As is common with introductory texts, I wish this text spent more time including sexual and gender minority individuals. Discussions of how intersectionality impact each of the topics covered is no MORE necessary with this text than with any other text I've used though. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I've used Giddens and Carr for several years now. The quality of this text, along with its availability, make me seriously consider moving to an open text. ","created_at":"2019-06-14T18:48:48.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-06-14T18:48:48.000-05:00"},{"id":3344,"first_name":"Heidi","last_name":"Reynolds-Stenson","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Colorado State University - Pueblo","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook hits (almost) all the major topics an introduction to sociology text should.  But be aware that it is more comprehensive in its breadth of topics than in its depth of discussion.  Many sections felt short compared with other intro. texts I have used or considered.  While some students might welcome the lighter reading, I worry that they may miss out on important knowledge (unless the professor is very deliberate about filling the gaps and digging deeper in lecture).  There are a few specific oversights I noticed.  For example, in the social movement theory section, it makes no mention of two of the major theoretical camps: grievance/classicial theories and political opportuntiies/process theories.  It instead focuses a great deal on new social movement theory (in addition to resource mobilization and framing, as it should), which is relatively marginal in the study of social movements compared to these two that are not even mentioned.  Another gap I noticed in the book overall is that there was no discussion of social networks.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found no major inaccuracies.  However, as a social movements scholar, I found the typology of social movements offered in 21.2 to be a little misleading.  For example, I have seen MADD cited as an example of an alternative movement elsewhere, but here it is cited as a reform movement.  And the term resistance movement is, as I am aware, never used by scholars of social movements the way the text is using it—these would be referred to as conservative or regressive movements, or sometimes countermovements, but not resistance movements.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The text could be improved with the updating of some facts (I noticed a table on page 263 displaying data from 1989, for example), but in general it was presented in a way that makes the material relevant for students.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I found the textbook to be clear and easy to read and understand.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I did not notice any glaring inconsistencies in language.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I think it could be broken up easily, however having a more in0depth standalone theory chapter, as opposed to a very general theory chapter and then theory sprinkled throughout the rest, would improve modularity.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"I think the flow and order of topics are logical and intuitive. The chapter organization works well, although I would prefer if they were also organized into units.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"It looked good and worked well, whether reading it online or downloading the PDF.  The hyperlinked table of contents on the PDF is very helpful.  Hyperlinking the index would a really nice touch as well.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I noticed no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The textbook does a good job of covering diverse perspectives and experiences with sensitivity.  It also includes an international perspective on many of the topics, which is not true of many U.S. sociology texts.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Overall, I think this is a very good introductory text that would work well for many introduction to sociology courses. I only reviewed the textbook itself, but I am happy to see there is a test bank, powerpoint slides, and other instructor resources as well. I will definitely consider adopting this instead of my current non-open source textbook.","created_at":"2019-12-03T14:59:55.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-12-03T14:59:55.000-06:00"},{"id":3504,"first_name":"Lynda","last_name":"Cooksey","position":"Adjunct Professor","institution_name":"J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook covers all the usual topics in an introductory text for Sociology. The order of coverage is also pretty standard, beginning with how sociology developed as a discipline, the founding fathers, the three major theories, and topics of concern in society . Each chapter is complete with a chapter summary and key terms, which allows students in an introductory class to become better acquainted with the chapter materials. The text is written in such a manner to make it easy to understand for those in an introductory course.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I feel the content is as accurate as possible, error-free, and unbiased. Often once a book is published or made available, there are changes/updates that need to be made. Society by its very nature is constantly in a state of fluctuation/change.    ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Content is relevant for today's student.  Any updates can easily be added to the content or changed with the instructor's input with the implementation of class lecture material.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is very clear in its terminology and language  and appropriate for an Introductory Sociology text. Each of the chapters have quizzes to test the student on their working knowledge of the chapter content. The text offers  further research for students to explore the section topic as well as other related research topics to explore.\r\n","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent in terminology as well as the framework of the chapters. Each chapter is constructed in pretty much the same fashion throughout the entire text., which adds to the students ability to grasp the material content.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is written in such a fashion that with the subheadings, chapters can easily be divided into smaller reading segments without  causing confusion to the reader. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The text is organized in such a manner that the material flows easily from Chapter 1-Chapter 21 making the transition from chapter to chapter logical. The organizational structure follows the same pattern of most introductory texts in Sociology.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface allows for smooth navigation. OpenStax makes this text available in two formats (either PDF or Online) which adds to the ease of accessibility. There were no distortions in images, charts, or any other display features.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors were noted.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. Examples used are unbiased/fair and all inclusive of the diverse world in which we live.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I found in reviewing the text that it is a very well written introductory text and representative of most introductory texts for Sociology. I find that it being offered free for students will make the possibility of mastering the course material less a burden financially for those who otherwise could not afford to buy the text.","created_at":"2020-01-13T23:06:26.000-06:00","updated_at":"2020-01-13T23:06:26.000-06:00"},{"id":3631,"first_name":"Mychel","last_name":"Estevez","position":"Senior Instructor","institution_name":"Portland State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book covers more subject areas than the typical introduction textbook (for example, there are more chapters dedicated to different institutions than usual). It also includes some topics that are often not included such as sexuality. There is an index with links back to the specific sections of the chapters and each chapter includes a glossary. The main downside that I see is that some of the topics covered are done so somewhat superficially. ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"There is no such thing as a completely unbiases textbook. One thing I appreciated about this textbook is that it didn't really candy-coat the problems in the U.S. and it explicitly showed some of the areas where the U.S. is deficient in comparison to other comparable countries. Other textbooks often give too much credence to the \"American Dream\" even when the evidence suggests otherwise; I didn't see that bias here. Other areas where this book is more accurate than the textbook I've been using is that it doesn't fall into what I call the \"but Native American's have casinos\" trap when discussing Native Americans or the \"but the things are so much better for women now\" trap when talking about gender and families. I did have a problem with Ch. 10. First, the title: why inequality instead of inequities or stratification? (Ch. 9 on U.S. Stratification was explicit about stratification.) Also, it seemed to be framed in a\" the U.S. is better than the 'third world'\" way. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Society moves at such a quick pace at this time that textbooks about society are practically obsolete at publication. For example, I'm writing this review as the coronavirus (COVID 19) hits the U.S. Obviously, the sections of the book on pandemics and epidemics and globalization need to be updated now. That being said, I don't think the need for updates takes away from this book; it'll be easy enough to supplement. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is clear, concise, well organized, and defines all jargon (that I noticed). That being said, I feel conflicted about it's writing; it's really basic and, I would argue, somewhat \"dumbed down.\" ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Each chapter is formated similarly and each contains global and U.S. centered information and explanations of theoretical applications once past the basic history, theory and methods chapters.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Most of the chapters can be removed or put in a different order without students being confused; most of the chapters do not rely on information from previous chapters to make their points. Some chapters that would usually go together in introductory textbooks are separated out which makes them more modular. For example, many books have one chapter on \"Politics and Economics.\" This textbook has a chapter on Government and Politics and a separate chapter for Work and Economics. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Fairly standard organization of topic order. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Looking at the PDF and online versions, neither showed distortions and both were very easy to navigate and had easy to use (and useful) features like highlighting. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I didn't notice any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Overall, it wasn't bad. Like I said, I appreciated the more honest look at Native Americans in the chapter on race. I also appreciated that Arab Americans were included in that chapter and that gender variation cross-culturally was brought up.\r\nOn the negative side, I thought the repeated discussion of female genital cutting was overdone and I was a bit disappointed that different types of racism were mentioned as existing with no additional explanation or discussion. I was also unclear about why racism was framed as a form of prejudice rather than a form of prejudice and discrimination. Additionally, as mentioned previously, the chapter on Global Inequality came across as framed to make the U.S. look less bad. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I thought it was kind of boring. While I don't want it to lose any of its organization, consistency, or other attributes, I would like for it to be more visually engaging. Each \"page\" is basically a few squares of text and a picture and maybe a textbox telling a \"real world\" story. It wasn't until close to halfway through that there was even a chart for visual interest. ","created_at":"2020-03-07T17:56:15.000-06:00","updated_at":"2020-03-07T17:56:15.000-06:00"},{"id":3647,"first_name":"Boniface","last_name":"Noyongoyo","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Marshall University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book covers all the main topics that are needed for introduction to Sociology. It even goes beyond the \"usual\" material and presents some points that are internationally relevant because of globalization. From culture to political changes, the book present real examples through the boxes of applicability of the themes. The books also allows to review the chapter by providing not only the main points but also the definitions of the those points in a way that the learner does not have to go through the book to find answers. Convenient in the age of instant gratification!","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Some things, such as definitions and concepts and research methods, do not change but the manner they are presented makes the difference. The book kept the tradition of being accurate about everything for it is for the sake of the discipline.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The book covers topic such as food security as well as network connections. It also brings forth cases that prove a point such as public sociology. Pictures are current and students could have seen them which could increase connectivity with the material at hand.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Easy to read! Short sentences and no jargon unless unavoidable like with definitions and concepts","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I like that the book uses same font and color to present identical material at the end of each chapter. Example is the revision and definitions at the end of the chapter.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Some chapters such religion, education, and politics could be rearranged to form one big chapter. The ordering of the parts in chapters is possible for whoever had some chapters organized and would like the book to match prepared lessons.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"I like how the topic covered in boxes or bold are current. Presentation is helpful  to understand which topic is connected to which.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Interface is colorful and attention is drawn to points that deserve attention. The same colors have been used for the same purpose. \"Making Connections\" has been green throughout the book for instance or blue for multiple choice questions at the end of each chapter. That consistency is good and useful.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"\"Errare humanum est\" is a say that is also true for this book. Nothing is perfect. Errors in the book are really minimal and cannot distract the reader. No two people write alike either: what someone might find grammatically wrong here could be nuances that are based on personal preferences on how to use some styles.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The book is for American audience and has nothing that would be offensive in my opinion. Examples that go beyond the American average perception are safe and present facts in a culturally sensitive manner. Examples are indeed inclusive of all backgrounds.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"The book is really up to date with what a student in an introductory could should know and it is written in a style that catches attention. The book present main topics that are relevant to the current world with real examples and pictures that are reliable and on point. Highly recommend the book to anyone who would like to engage students in a traditional way with non-traditional fashion. I am adopting the book!!!","created_at":"2020-03-11T22:01:39.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-03-11T22:01:39.000-05:00"},{"id":3672,"first_name":"Christina","last_name":"Adkins","position":"Graduate Assistant/ Teaching Assistant","institution_name":"Marshall University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text covers everything and more in an introductory sociology class. It covers material that is not always introduced due to not enough time in a semester. The only downfall may be that not all the information would be able to be thoroughly covered due to this. However, with the comprehensiveness comes a chance for people that might not have thought sociology was a subject of interest, to realize the variety the subject offers, possibly leading more students to major in this area. It has a slew of interesting, and appropriate examples. Ones I found kept my interest included \"Parrotheads\", The story of Megan Meier, and \"hepcats\". The very nice thing about OER resources is that there is a way to highlight, just like in a hardback. There is also a way if I chose to do so, for me to change out chapters with another book if I thought one was more appropriate than the other. Options are available with these teaching resources which I like.  This was also very easy to use, and written clearly. I also liked that at each end of the chapter were just not multiple choice, but also short answer. Beyond that, there were even links at the end to click on if you wanted to learn more about a topic. In a hardback, even if that is given, it is unlikely one will look it up unless they need to. Here, you just click on a link and I think that will be far more used due to the immediacy, and the easy access it promotes.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Content all seemed accurate and relevant. With information, examples were pertinent to points and kept my interest while I was reading. With our society continually changing, the OER resources allows us to be able to keep literature up to date. Also, I saw very few grammatical errors. Information also came across as unbiased.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Once again, the one thing with OER is that information can be kept up to date, if a professor chooses they need to update an area. That is always a plus, especially since the professor can even choose what examples they wanted added and where. If they do not feel like a chapter examples is relevant, they can choose to replace or add a chapter. However, the examples given in this book we all pretty much up to date. They were interesting and went along to enforce the previous information. The text is arranged in an easy way to navigate whatever section you may be looking for.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is written in a very clear way. The information is adequate and easy interpreted. It is also supported by many examples, placing a meaning to the term. The terminology also is accurate, and laid out in a way that one term adds on to another, making it easily connected.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is consistent through its chapters. No chapters are excessive long or short. Each chapter holds an amount of three to five subsections in each chapter. They are consistently distributed. Also, each chapter has a multiple choice, a short answer, and an extended reference section that are all very nice to help the student understand the information, and emphasize and apply information given.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each chapter holds three to five subsections. Each section under the chapter is titled due to what is specifically talked about, along with the multiple choice, the short answer and the reference section. Each chapter has a different expertise, and information in each chapter is pertinent to the chapter. It would be very easy to assign reading material for any section of any chapter, because the layout makes it very clear what you are clicking on. Each section is cut off appropriately, making an easy transition into the next chapter.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The text was presented in a clear cut way. Each chapter is lined out in a clear fashion, making it very easy to navigate. I had no problems going through each chapter, or looking ahead if I chose. The organization of the outline is very clear and takes you exactly where it says it is taking you.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I had no navigation problems, in fact it was very easily navigated. All pictures and charts were clear and pertinent to the information at hand. The images, and charts specifically, allowed application to the information allowing students to see first and application of information. There was no confusing examples to me. Once again, with OER resources, if I felt that an example needed to be changed, or a chapter for that matter, depending on the license of that book, I would have options to do so. Where each teacher has a different style, and way to teach, if the overall book is acceptable for them, they always have options to change what personally they feel needs needed. I think that is wonderful for personalized teaching techniques.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not see many grammatical errors. Once again with OER resources, there was a place to submit any grammatical issues with the book. The book can forever be changed to remain relevant in examples and pertinent to the time we live in.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I saw examples of all ethnicity and backgrounds. Some may have seemed somewhat redundant, but none were offensive or insensitive in any way.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I personally like a text book I can hold and read in my hands. I also like to highlight and write in them. I tend to lose focus when on the computer for long periods when having to read a long drawn out article. However, this OER kept my attention, allowed me to highlight and mark places I felt needed, and was easily navigated. I had never considered this as an option before, but may now.","created_at":"2020-03-20T14:25:14.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-03-20T14:25:14.000-05:00"},{"id":3819,"first_name":"Amanda","last_name":"Miller","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"University of Indianapolis","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"On the whole, the book is quite comprehensive in its use of sociological terminology. There are a few more current topics, however, which would need supplementing (e.g. gay marriage, Black Lives Matter.)","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The book does a very nice job of being unbiased. In particular, I really like how the authors treated the topic of religion, which is always a tricky one for some students. Being able to share that religion is not just a belief system but instead a social structure which can be analyzed from a sociological perspective.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Examples are interesting and ones that should be recognizable for quite some time. I do find it interesting that some of the citations are far older than the examples sprinkled throughout. I suspect those will age more quickly (or already have) than the cultural references.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"One clear area for improvement for the book is in the inclusion of lots of examples to help make complex concepts come to life for students. For example, this book, like nearly all other SOC 101 books, covers the three major sociological theories. However, while the history of each theory and their criticisms are covered in great depth, there aren't clear examples provided right away for students to see how the theories actually apply to the  social world. There are a few more in-depth applications of the theory in other chapters, but this isn't consistent throughout.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"I wish the major theories continued throughout all of the chapters. Students rely heavily on repetition to understand them in my experience. But, the rest of the text is clear and consistent.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"It's very nice how the book is subdivided into sections and even includes different background colors from some text boxes. It would be very simple to reorder or reorganize the way that students work through the book because the segments are a good length and chapters (minus the first one, of course) do not overly reference prior material. Since I typically tear apart a text and reorder it based on a particular theme for the course, this is very beneficial. I appreciate that there are more modules than many instructors may have a chance to get to because that does not force hard choices. For example, the book contains modules on aging, demography, global inequality, media, and work. I find that most texts only include two of those at most.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The flow of each chapter within the text is clear and easy to work through. I personally would reorder the chapters (perspective/theory/methods, social inequality, social institutions, social change) but it's quite easy to do that with the way the book is laid out.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface is clean and easy to use. There were no problems with navigation or confusing displays. If I had one suggestion, it would be that I wish photo captions were larger. Those can be a little hard to read.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Spelling, grammar, and jargon were all correct. The level of writing was appropriate for introductory students.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text does a good job of including numerous examples from various groups  throughout. In particular, I appreciate how many global examples are provided both in the text and in the images. That's something many introductory students don't get enough information about and should be embedded throughout the curriculum.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"While I appreciate the inclusion of student tools, such as key terms and quizzes, virtually all quiz questions are at the level of \"recall\" and wouldn't actually be good exam preparation for my students. I wish more questions were included at the \"application\" or \"analysis\" level.","created_at":"2020-05-19T12:19:50.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-05-19T12:19:50.000-05:00"},{"id":4041,"first_name":"Nicole","last_name":"Lambert","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Massachusetts Bay Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This is a comprehensive textbook in terms of key concepts and terms that would be covered in an introductory course.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"Overall, the book is accurate; however, it leans a bit too heavily toward certain theoretical perspectives (even though it summarizes each of the three key perspectives in each chapter). In chapter 10, the differences between world systems and dependency theory, in particular, are quite muddled. As with all textbooks, a new edition with updated statistics and current events would be great!","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Although some of the specific examples may be several years old now, the themes and content that is covered continues to be relevant.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This text is quite clear. In fact, I would argue that in some ways, the writing might be a little too simplistic for a college-level text.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is quite consistent.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Text is appropriately divided into sections, with images, graphs, and sidebars throughout.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The organization is consistent with other introductory texts.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I have used this text in an online sociology course and have received no complaints from students regarding this item.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"I have not noticed any (although, I did not thoroughly read for edits).","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Overall, a good variety of examples.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I have used this book for an online Introduction to Sociology course. Overall, it is sufficient for an intro course, although it is a bit basic and may require some supplementation or additional information from faculty.","created_at":"2020-06-23T11:21:25.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-23T11:21:25.000-05:00"},{"id":4074,"first_name":"Fahri","last_name":"Ercem","position":"Adjunct Professor","institution_name":"Bunker Hill Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook is comprehensive in that it provides a plethora of chapters relating to sociology, which leaves the reader with a comprehensive and encompassing introduction to sociology through an evaluation of the many subject areas within the discipline.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content within this textbook is accurate with a detailed emphasis on objectivity and supported evidence even on subjects that generally fall privy to bias such as religion.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"As with any sociology textbook new research and phenomena is being researched and updated constantly, for example now in light of COVID 19 the areas in the textbook that discuss pandemic, epidemics, health can be updated. Furthermore, in light of the recent Black Lives Matter protests and renewed movements for police abolition Chapter 7 could also be updated to include these recent trends. Lastly, the use of the word transsexual is no longer relevant in my opinion.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Very palatable to an intro to sociology student, definitions of any concepts or terms are easily made available throughout the book. This book also seems to allow for more in depth lecture material to further engage and teach students.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Each chapter is formatted similarly, and the tone and scope of each chapter is consistent throughout. Furthermore, the visual aids, special sections, summaries, and quizzes are all aspects of this book that help keep it consistent throughout.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I believe that the modularity of this textbook is one of the best things that allows it to be used for an introduction to sociology course, because the professor can easily hand pick and assign certain chapters of this book and leave out others yet students will likely still feel that they are receiving a comprehensive learning experience without “missing” certain parts of the book. Furthermore, this book can be realistically taught in any order that professors deem more appropriate for their class and does not need to be read from front to back.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Organization within each chapter is presented in a logical and clear fashion, and I actually like that theory is introduced first within many chapters because certain professors want their students to first have a basic understanding of the underlying theory within each subject and to then move on to statistics, facts, examples, etc.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I did not have any issues navigating the interface of this online textbook, however I suggest downloading it into PDF format instead of using the online version as I found the PDF better quality. However, I wish there were more comprehensive PowerPoint presentations included, as well as an addition of true/false questions.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not see any major grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"One complaint I do have is in the “creating the discipline” section much value is given to the white “founding fathers” of sociology who should definitely be credited for being pioneers of the discipline however I think it would be interesting to include all the men and women of color who have carried sociology into the discipline that it is today. Furthermore, in sections such as “crime and social class” there is an emphasis on the unequal application of the law that exists between social classes, but writing in a post-George Floyd world I think it would implore sociology texts to discuss race and the role of race when it comes to the application of law and order. Lastly the use of the word “transsexual” in chapter 12 should be removed.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"It is nice to provide a text-book to my students which is available in various formats!","created_at":"2020-06-24T15:49:14.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-24T15:49:14.000-05:00"},{"id":4093,"first_name":"Kim","last_name":"Smith","position":"Sociology Instructor","institution_name":"Portland Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"I am very impressed with the overall summary of the core history, theories, methods, and concepts of Sociology.  The table of contents, index, and glossary offer clear topics and concepts for students to read and review.  While the focused overview of the key lessons in each chapter do tend to capture our main learning objectives, there are some significant gaps.  For example, the socialization theories cover only half of the theories that I use in class and the life course section is surprisingly brief, so I will have to supplement those.  Each chapter is much more brief than a standard textbook, but I bet that current students will prefer reading these shorter summaries.  Here are some general and specific recommendations:\r\n1) I do wish that there were more examples of current trends and that there were more multi-cultural examples.  \r\n2) Please review your photos and examples, in light of the huge focus and critique of white supremacy right now, in addition to class stratification.  \r\n3) Also, the references in the Media and Technology chapter are from 2005.  Definitely update those!  \r\n4) In the Stratification chapter, there is an odd disconnect between the Aaron Spelling mansion photo and the reference to \"Eric\".   Who is Eric?  Offer more of an introduction to the broader concept and case studies.  Also, add in examples of \"status inconsistency\".\r\n5) Global stratification theories are ridiculously scarce.  Unpack the details of Dependency Theory (Colonialism and Neo-Colonialism) and add in World Systems Theory.\r\n6)  The Intergroup Relations section in the Race and Ethnicity chapter are out of order.\r\n7)  The statistics in the Race and Ethnicity in the US section are at least a decade old.  As an on-line book, these should be easy to update.\r\n8)  Table 12.1, in the Sex and Sexuality section, has data from 1989!!  Please update all of the statistics in this book - at least into the 21st Century.\r\nWhile later chapters on Institutions are brief, they tend to cover the main concepts and theories and I will be able to supplement the content with other materials.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Accurate enough, except many of the sections have outdated statistics, charts, and graphs.  Please take some time and get those updated so students and instructors will respect the authenticity of the data.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"In general, yes.  There are a variety of meaningful and relevant case studies, although they trend toward images of white privilege.  Please, just use one photo of the British royal family in this whole book.  Life is changing quickly, so I acknowledge that it is challenging to keep books current, but it should at least be easier to update on-line books with cutting-edge examples.  I always expect Sociology textbooks to be rather outdated and do my best to supplement with current stories and data, but the \"Readers' Digest\" style of this book requires a higher standard of currency and relevancy to be taken seriously.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Yes, most of the content is quite clear and succinct.  Alas, to a detriment.  Some sections are so brief that content that is left out feels palpable.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I appreciate the consistency in the use of the different core sociological theories.  I think that this will help students navigate through the content and facilitate their analytical skills.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each chapter is nicely organized by content and sub-headings.  It will be easy to reference different sections in lecture notes.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Similar feedback to the modularity question.  It is nicely organized and makes sense to the reader - including the instructor.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I hadn't even considered this. Everything appears to flow smoothly, without any distortions in photos or charts.  The clarity of the images are also high, without any pixelation.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any grammatical nor punctuation errors.  I tend to pay close attention to this type of issue, so it is encouraging that nothing stood out.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"The images and case studies lean heavily toward white middle and upper-middle class stories.  Definitely work on deepening the complexities, intersectionality, multiculturalism, and globalization of examples throughout the book.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This is the first time that I have deeply delved into an OER book.  Many of my colleagues use Openstax books.  Some highly recommend them and others have chosen to stop using them.  There is an important place in academia for these broad on-line overviews of disciplines, especially with students struggling with the high cost of textbooks, so I am glad that so many authors and publishers are trying to make them available.  I will give this book a chance in the fall and see how students respond to it.","created_at":"2020-06-25T22:21:55.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-25T22:21:55.000-05:00"},{"id":4291,"first_name":"Christine","last_name":"Witkowski","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Midlands Technical College","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"In general, this textbook is rather brief in terms of the comprehensiveness of its coverage as compared to other introductory level sociology textbooks.  The lack of a definition for social structure is disappointing.  The explanation of culture and social institutions was also insufficient.  Given the import of the terms culture, social structures, and social institutions in an introductory sociology class, these deficiencies give me pause in considering this textbook.  The application of the three major theoretical perspectives to the various aspects of the social world was rather brief; it would be insufficient, in my estimation, to help students gain confidence in understanding and applying the theoretical perspectives.  The lack of data in the chapters on social stratification didn’t lend itself to a very complex understanding of stratification.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I found the information in the textbook to be accurate although the explanations were frequently too brief for students to develop a thorough understanding of the concepts and theories.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"I found the content to be reasonably up-to-date and written in such a way that it will not become quickly obsolete.  It is written and arranged in such a way that updates should be relatively easy and straightforward to implement.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"The text is clear and concise, perhaps too concise for my liking.  I found the explanations inadequate for delivering a complete understanding of concepts, theories, and an introductory-level sociological understanding of the world.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The textbook has a consistent voice and message.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This textbook is divided into modules which can be rearranged, allowing flexibility for the particular instructor/class.  Reading sections are brief and certainly accessible to any college-level audience.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization of this textbook is fairly typical for an introductory textbook.  Using the standard introductory sociology textbook as a basis of comparison, this textbook has a clear and sensible organization.  I prefer a slightly different organizational structure to the typical organization of an introductory textbook, but given the modularity of this textbook, reorganization of the material would be straightforward.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Interface with this textbook is simple and straightforward.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The textbook is grammatically correct and easy to read.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The textbook is culturally sensitive for a diverse audience.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2020-08-06T13:45:16.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-08-06T13:45:16.000-05:00"},{"id":4313,"first_name":"Jerrod","last_name":"Yarosh","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"USC-Lancaster","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text provides a substantial number of chapters covering a wide range of content. This provides a text that could be used by a wide range of educators given its scope. A caveat is that the chapters tend to be shorter and less detailed than texts with fewer chapters/topics, which would most likely need to be addressed with additional material from the educator. This text can provide a foundation and allow the educator to provide more detail and specifics as needed/necessary to flesh out ideas, concepts, and other aspects of the discipline that are absent or given less focus.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Overall the content seems accurate, the definitions of key terms could be expanded and provide a more complete understanding of the term(s). However, they do offer a very concise understanding and is a good first step to allow the instructor to then provide more specifics.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Examples and content are relevant and provide relatable information. Given the digital nature of the text it should be easy to update if needed.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The chapters are concise and have clear headings when moving to a new topic or section within the chapter. One improvement is when starting a new section within a chapter there is no heading on the content page itself and only at the top which could be easily overlooked given it is set off from where one is focusing. There are other times where sections are missing headings or some clarifying designation. For example Chapter 2 Section 2.2 starts out with just a paragraph of text and if one was clicking through from the previous section it appears to be part of the 'Interpretive Framework' however that is not the case. Could lead to confusion and misunderstandings.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Yes the text seems to be internally consistent with terminology from my brief review.","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"This I feel this is not a strength of this text. While the chapters are short and broken into sections. The content within each chapter is only designated by headings as a way to break it into small segments. The inclusion of additional numbering/designations in the chapter's particular sections would allow easier location of material and clarity if used in a modular fashion. Currently one would need to scroll through each chapter section to find the desired content.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The structure of the text follows the traditional format of starting with a general overview and history of the discipline then moving onto research methods and finally to more specific topical areas of interest. This is the standard and will not shock nor awe anyone.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text adapted to all screen formats quickly and did not result in missing any content or difficulty in navigation.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"As with any textbook there are bound to be some issues, but none were found from my brief review.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"It provides a wide array of examples from different cultural perspectives.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2020-08-13T13:19:06.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-08-13T13:19:06.000-05:00"},{"id":4353,"first_name":"Ting","last_name":"Jiang","position":"Professor of Sociology","institution_name":"Metropolitan State University of Denver","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"It covers all the topics in the mainstream leading intro textbooks.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Overall, the definitions for concepts and theories are in consensus with leading intro textbooks.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The textbook remains current with the events and examples provided. The text is written in the way that future updates will be relatively easy and straightforward to implement.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The textbooks could elaborate on certain sections, for example, theoretical applications.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text strives to be internally consistent in terms of terminology and framework.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Chapters and contents could easily be grouped into several thematic modules to work with either a semester or a quarter system.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Organization of the topics conforms to what's expected in the mainstream intro textbooks.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Charts and images are properly cited and provided with captions.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text strives to be error free with grammar.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Overall the book remains objective with the examples provided to demonstrate concepts and theories.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2020-09-05T00:07:27.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-09-05T00:07:27.000-05:00"},{"id":4588,"first_name":"Nicole","last_name":"Jenkins","position":"Adjunct Professor","institution_name":"Howard University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text is comprehensive overall in its organization as well as the content within each chapter. Students are given a Section Summary that enhances the comprehensiveness of the material covered in each section. The quizzes available at the end of each chapter additionally lend support to an overall comprehensive experience.  The text introduces a complete experience of various sociological concepts and discusses them in an appropriate and effective way. The Key Terms feature at the end of each chapter is a great tool as well.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I am confident in the accuracy of the text and its chapters. Each chapter discusses a specific sociological phenomenon coupled with examples that support it and reiterate understanding. The text references real-world examples from various issues within society, resulting in concrete and accurate events that situate learners in an advantageous position to use their sociological imagination.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"This text has selected relevant sociological concepts to introduce. I would like to see a section on the sociology of work or labor as well as an update in the Health and Medicine chapter that includes context concerning COVID-19. I understand that this takes time, but it is necessary and would be extremely beneficial to students and instructors to include the topic within the framework of a current pandemic. The language/ concept of a pandemic is not even introduced in the chapter and I have seen it explained in other introduction to sociology text pre-pandemic.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is written clearly and provides sufficient explanations for any jargon and sociological terminology introduced. Each chapter begins with explaining the major theme in detail, by defining terms and providing concrete and relevant examples to reiterate the meanings. Headings in each chapter enhance the clarity of the text and individual chapter content.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent in its organization, terminology, and overall conceptualization. The organization of the text remains consistent throughout each chapter and subsection, making the text easy to navigate. The terminology is consistent throughout the text as well. The text is consistent in its conceptualization of social problems and issues within society throughout.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The subsections within each major chapter make the text easily divided into smaller sections of reading if necessary. Subsections are a sufficient length as to complete the topic being introduced and explained but not overwhelm with lengthy text. These short and concise sections are ideal for all learning styles and would be appreciated by students.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization of the text is perhaps one of my favorite features. The consistency throughout makes the text easy to navigate and provides an overall comprehensive experience. While the order of the topics is not so important, I found that the organization within each chapter creates a comprehensive flow that first introduces terminology and then provides concrete examples. This is an effective way to organize these concepts and will be advantageous to students as they read.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I was able to navigate the text easily and did not experience any interface issues, navigation problems, or display issues.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not note any grammatical errors within the text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is culturally appropriate. I did not note any insensitive or offensive materials within this text. Examples were relevant and timely. I appreciate the emphasis on social justice and the deliberate inclusion of recent events used as examples throughout the text. Well done!","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I look forward to updates on some of the most monumental events that have just recently occurred, such as the assault on the capital, and the context that includes the pandemic. I look forward to using this accessible and comprehensive text. I am a fan for sure!","created_at":"2021-01-19T17:20:09.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-01-19T17:20:09.000-06:00"},{"id":4960,"first_name":"Alex","last_name":"Olsen","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Umpqua Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook does a great job of covering a wide range of sociological topics. One of my biggest critiques of this textbook is that it doesn't go in depth enough on topics such as race, gender, and class. I've found that I frequently have to supplement the content in this book with more contemporary examples and aspects of these topics that the book doesn't cover. It provides really great introductions and basic examples, but I find that this textbook is best used in conjunction with supplemental videos, readings, and content presented in my slides. I also think that the international content/international comparisons are lacking. It could also do a better job of discussing more contemporary theories such as feminist theory, critical race theory, immigration theories, etc.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Generally, I've found the content to be very accurate. Any inaccuracies are mainly related to the use of old data (2010 data), which may not reflect trends within the past 10 years. It also is not always up to date re: legal changes. Otherwise, the textbook does a good job presenting sociological concepts in a clear, accurate manner.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"Much of the data in the book is out of date, especially since much of it is based on the 2010 census. That being said, I think it would be very easy to update this data once it is available. I think that one of the biggest issues with an open-source textbook is that it doesn't always have the latest data. As such, I find myself as an instructor going to get the most recent data to supplement what is available in the textbook. It also doesn't account for legal changes that have happened re: gay marriage, legalization of marijuana etc. Some sections would need to be substantially added to to reflect these dynamics","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The textbook uses very simple language when breaking down even more advanced sociological concepts. This is a great textbook to use at the community college level as it is very accessible, even to students who may normally struggle with reading comprehension or advanced vocabulary. They frequently define terms that students may not know and provide great examples to promote deeper understanding of more complex concepts.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I really appreciate that this book consistently presents the functionalist, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionist perspective for each of the topics covered. I think that this is a nice way to ensure that students have a deeper understanding of social theory, while also encouraging students to think about social issues in a variety of ways. Terminology used is also consistent and the textbook does a good job of defining unfamiliar terms.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The modularity of this textbook is one of its biggest benefits. I appreciate that the chapters are short, to the point, and broken up into clear subsections for the students to better understand the issues. I have found that because the textbook is more brief, more students are willing to do the reading. I also like that understanding one chapter is not dependent on another, which gives the instructor a lot of freedom about the order in which they'd like to present different topics.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"This textbook is highly organized and easy to follow. It's organized similarly to many other introduction to sociology textbooks.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I have not encountered any issues with the interface.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There are no grammatical errors that I have been able to find in the textbook.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"Similar to my critiques on the comprehensiveness, I think that this book could do more to consistently hit on inequalities by gender, race, sexual orientation, class, etc. in the more topical chapters i.e. health, media, education, government. While there is not any insensitive or offensive material, I think that they could do a better job of covering these topics more in depth.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I think this is a textbook that's a great basis for an Intro to Sociology course or Institutions and Social change. It does a good job presenting the basics, but I do think that it requires instructors to do additional work to add in contemporary examples, address issues that the textbook does not bring up, and give students a better sense of debates amongst sociologists (and society more broadly) about different social issues.","created_at":"2021-05-21T19:20:50.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-05-21T19:20:50.000-05:00"},{"id":5029,"first_name":"Jodie","last_name":"Simon","position":"Associate Teaching Professor","institution_name":"Wichita State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook provides a good basic comprehensive overview of the key areas of sociological study and does so in concise and yet engaging language.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Typical of any Intro to Sociology textbook the content is constantly in need of update as we find advancements in our own sociological studies. One small issue was the references to official religions via countries. This can be updated easily.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Organization is pretty standard as it introduces the topics in the fairly standard format of most Introductory Sociology textbooks. I was pleased by the separate chapter devoted to Media \u0026 Technology as many textbooks have tried to simply lump this in and integrate it without giving full measure to this major sociological institution.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I found the wording to be easy to follow and not jargon heavy. I prefer intro textbooks that are engaging and not intimidating and yet still manage to impart the importance of sociological vocabulary. I felt that this textbook was able to do to this rather well.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I found no glaring oversights.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The chapters were pleasingly short and yet still managed to convey the major material. I am using it in conjunction with another textbook to give students the option to purchase or not and I have discovered that I was able to pair chapters together without too much difficulty.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Organization makes sense, moving through introduction into perspectives of socialization and into inequalities and then into institutions. This is a very familiar format to many other courses. I typically cover media alongside culture and as such did find that a little out of the norm in terms of placement for me.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I found the interface to be very basic and simple.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Check the Religion section a little closely as I did find some erroneous information there; however, I did not see issues with the major controversial sections: systems of inequality. I would remove references to \"boys and girls\" however.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I am using it this semester for the first time and will update my review once I've seen it in action.","created_at":"2021-06-02T18:11:44.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-06-02T18:11:44.000-05:00"},{"id":33404,"first_name":"Shirlene","last_name":"S.","position":"Associate Teaching Professor","institution_name":"Wichita State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text will give Sociology students a comprehensive look into today's society and a good understanding of the various Sociological theories that make up how we view society. In addition, the text will also give readers a different outlook on life and how it shapes our perspectives beliefs and values including the impact of the sociological imagination.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The textbook does a very nice job of being unbiased. Especially, how the authors discuss and present the topics of health, race, and religion. The authors give the students a broad range of the topics and issues associated with and about sociology and the science of sociology.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The textbook uses various examples, which are interesting, pique curiosity, and can be easily recognizable for some students as well as can be used for a significant time frame for additional editions of the text. I do have issues with some of the text citations being slightly older than some of the examples that are used throughout the book.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The textbook provides students with a broad range of each of the topics and issues associated with and about sociology and the science of sociology. Each of the chapters provides a genuine introduction to each of the topics so that students can easily grasp the terminology, concepts, and theoretical perspectives, that can inspire and challenge a student’s thinking and ideas of society. However, there are areas for improvements including providing more updated citations that also correlate with the examples used as well as provide wider and diverse examples.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Each of the textbook chapters provides a good level of consistency by using various core sociological theories that tie into the chapter concepts. Although, I believe that this will help students easily navigate the content and facilitate both their critical thinking analytical skills. It would be nice if the text provided a deeper look into other sociological theories and how they may explain various sociological concepts.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The chapters are reasonable in length (18-22 pages) with each chapter providing a genuine introduction to each of the sociological topics that make it easy for students to understand the terminology, grasp the concepts, as well as challenge a student’s critical thinking of society's ideas, beliefs, values, and norms.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Similar to the modularity feedback. The overall organization of the textbook and each chapter are nicely organized and make sense to the student as well as easily navigated.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text provides relevant images and charts that directly tie into the chapter topics and examples. The images and/or charts are also easily navigated with the use of citations that can provide the reader with further perspectives and information on each of the chapter topics.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text does not present any grammatical, spelling, and/or punctuation errors. The book looks as it has been thoroughly reviewed for any errors.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"The images and case studies that are provided in the text are specifically focused on white middle and upper-middle-class individuals and their stories/examples along with white middle-class individuals being overwhelmingly represented in the images. There definitely needs to be an effort in subsequent editions to improve the diversity represented in images including racial and ethnic representation. The issues and difficulties associated with intersectionality, multiculturalism, and globalization examples that are used throughout the book also need to be addressed.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Being new to Open Educational Resources (OER), I must admit I was skeptical of the quality of knowledge this textbook could or would provide to students. I am very happy to say that not only is the text amazing, but it will give Sociology students a comprehensive look into today's society and a good understanding of the various Sociological theories that make up how we view society. In addition, the text will also give readers a different outlook on life and how it shapes our perspectives beliefs and values including the impact of the sociological imagination.  Additionally, if this text is the book being used by Sociology classes, it will give students a broad range of the topics and issues associated with and about sociology and the science of sociology. I thoroughly enjoyed this book; the chapters are reasonable in length (18-22 pages) and each chapter provides a genuine introduction to each of the topics so that students can easily grasp the concepts,  inspiring and challenging a student’s thinking and ideas of society!","created_at":"2021-10-07T12:58:39.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-10-07T12:58:39.000-05:00"},{"id":34333,"first_name":"Greg","last_name":"Cady","position":"College Instructor","institution_name":"Minnesota State College Southeast Technical","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Consistent with other introduction level textbooks.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Appears to be valid content and written in an objective manner.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"I like how recent the online version has been updated.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Great resources at the end of each chapter!","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Nice flow and chapter sequence.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Chapters are a manageable read for weekly assignments.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Good flow.  I would tailor the chapters to reflect a 16 week typical college semester which would mean multiple chapters on some college weeks which could confuse students","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Written for entry level college student.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Well written!","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I like how grey highlighted areas provide an overview, a different perspective.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I'm impresses with this textbook - I suspect I will adopt for Fall 2023.","created_at":"2022-12-28T12:12:35.000-06:00","updated_at":"2022-12-28T12:12:35.000-06:00"},{"id":34487,"first_name":"LiYing","last_name":"Li","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Metropolitan State University of Denver","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book is quite comprehensive. It covers all the essential topics in an introductory sociology textbook.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The textbook was accurate at the time of writing. Since the book was published in 2017 (the 2nd edition), some info and facts are out of date. Therefore, it does affect its accuracy.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Same as above, the content of this textbook was quite relevant, but given it was published at least five or six years ago, it does lose some relevance...","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The textbook was well-written and easy to read.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The content of the textbook was consistent within or between chapters. The book was well-organized and structured.","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"Not sure about the modularity. The subject matter is sociology (which is about people in social groups and how they intersect with each other), when society changes, people and social groups change accordingly. For the last three years, the world has witnessed enormous changes due to COVID-19. Our post-COVID life would probably never be the same. Therefore, some chapters need some major updates, others need only minor changes. Therefore, tremendous social changes may impact its modularity.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Very well-organized and structured. And the order of topics is well done.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"There were major interface issues.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"It is largely free of any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The book pays a lot of attention to any culturally sensitive issues or subjects. I appreciated the fact how it handled some difficult contemporary topics.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I reviewed the 2nd ed of this textbook. It is funny that the 2nd ed was published at a later date, 2017, instead of 2015.","created_at":"2023-03-30T23:47:33.000-05:00","updated_at":"2023-03-30T23:47:33.000-05:00"},{"id":34881,"first_name":"Boniface","last_name":"Noyongoyo","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Marshall University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The chapters in this book are short and sweet. I should have said concise because there is no room for useless terms and word to understand sociology.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The authors used historical facts to make sure that the information provided in the book is correct. I like that they used other evidence to talk about for instance why DuBois is influential in the American Sociology as a historian. The laboratory in Atlanta shows how his influence as a researcher impacts the discipline. I think the content is not only error free but historically checked for accuracy. It is good to know that what we are providing to students is not only accurate but also real example.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"I like the authors have a section Sociology in the Real World to show that the discipline is not about he past but that things happening today are connected to past ones and that life is a flow between past and a continuity in the future.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Language is clear and simple. Sentences are straightforward and say what they meant. Reading is easy.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"All the connections are clear as the parts of the chapters connect.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Going from one chapter to the next is clear and follows past patterns. I personally do not like that some parts are not connected. Family is part of family structure but it is also part of socialization. There is no one coming from a society without its influence.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The book's organization follows traditional organizations of all sociology books. It seems good but I think there should be a different way of talking about structures and socialization","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Pictures are clean and moving through chapters is not complicated.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I have not noticed anything wrong in terms of grammar.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"It is very American relevant. I do not think the book goes beyond what is happening in the Continental US.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I do not have anything about the book other than the fact that all the comments are the book I would like to see written.","created_at":"2024-02-04T19:36:52.000-06:00","updated_at":"2024-02-04T19:36:52.000-06:00"},{"id":34994,"first_name":"Andreas","last_name":"Savas Kourvetaris","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Northeastern Illinois University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"With the twenty-one chapters organized topically and covering basic sociological concepts and perspectives, the text is lengthy, comprehensive, appropriately layered, and well-referenced. Each chapter provides clear learning objectives, \"Sociology in the Real World\" sections, key terms, section summaries, section quizzes (and answer keys), short answer questions, recommendations for further research, and references. Important concepts are written in boldface in the text and then listed and defined in the Key Terms section at the end of each chapter.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The sheer amount of information in the text can be overwhelming, but the content of the text seems accurate and well-referenced. Examples used in the text to illustrate basic sociological concepts are relatable to everyday life, and the authors' claims are backed up with evidence. The content of the text could have benefited from dovetailing more intentionally with the dynamic sub-fields of sociology. In addition, the content of the text could have also benefited from highlighting career opportunities for prospective graduates with sociology degrees.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Like any publication, \"new\" information is usually already dated by the time it is published. Nevertheless, the text seems arranged in a way to allow for updates to be implemented relatively easily. The text successfully weaves the relevance of sociological scholarship and practice into contemporary social life by drawing from the discipline's dynamic, storied past; critical analyses of the status quo; and calls to action for social change.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The prose of the text is clearly written and accessible. Concepts that are in boldface in each chapter are helpful reminders of their importance in the discipline's argot. The Key Terms section at the end of each chapter, which serves as a mini-glossary, lists and clearly defines the important concepts. The numerous figures and tables, and their brief descriptions, throughout the text provide useful visual and contextual information.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Each chapter is structured in a consistent manner with a chapter title and figure (the figure here usually depicts a pertinent visual related to the chapter title), chapter outline, introduction, learning objectives, and such features as \"Sociology in the Real World,\" \"Social Policy and Debate,\" \"Big Picture,\" Key Terms, Section Summary, Section Quiz, Short Answer, Further Research, References. This structure helps organize effectively the vast amount of information from chapter to chapter, and it provides ample opportunities for students to actively and consistently engage in the material and to self-assess their learning.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each chapter of the text is divided into multiple subunits. For example, Chapter 10 on Global Inequality is divided into three subunits: 10.1 Global Stratification and Classification, 10.2 Global Wealth and Poverty, and 10.3 Theoretical Perspectives on Global Stratification. Each subunit also contains its own learning objectives. The modularity of the text allows each subunit to be readily reorganized to suit an instructor's educative needs. Each subunit could also be used independently from each other without much loss in comprehension.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The text consists of twenty-one chapters that are organized topically. Chapter topics are presented in a clear, logical manner. Earlier chapters, such as Chapters 1-7 \u0026 9, seem to lay the basic conceptual foundation of the discipline, while subsequent chapters build upon that foundation. Combined, the organization of the text seems to reflect the discipline's broad scope.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"From what I could tell, the text is free of interface issues. Navigating through the text is easy, and the images and other display features do not seem to be distracting or confusing.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"The text seems grammatically correct. The text would have benefited from discussion on the American Sociological Association (ASA) citation style, particularly in Chapter 2 on Sociological Research.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The text does not seem culturally insensitive or offensive. To further cultural sensitivity, the text would have benefited from discussion on intersectionality, given its significant scholarship and analytical framework toward understanding the relationships between individuals, cultural groups, power, and society.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2024-04-10T17:43:54.000-05:00","updated_at":"2024-04-10T17:43:54.000-05:00"},{"id":35083,"first_name":"Trinidad","last_name":"Morales","position":"Visiting Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Worcester State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book is quite comprehensive and covers all the major topics in sociology (e.g., socialization, culture, deviance).  The index is useful when needing to locate specific topics and the end-of-chapter references allow students to explore outside material.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"While the book is factually correct, it does have a few grammatical errors and some chapters are longer than others.  Students sometimes complained about how the grammatical errors were distracting when reading assigned chapters.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"This textbook provides a great foundation for sociological topics and theories.  Supplementing the textbook with more current peer-reviewed journal articles and daily news discussions keeps the material relevant and interesting for students, tasks that can be completed by the course instructor.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The book provides easy to understand terminology and an adequate end-of-chapter glossary.  Students are able to quickly navigate between the text and the glossary if terms were too technical or not clearly defined in the text.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book's consistency is superb in terms of terminology and framework, no changes are warranted.","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"The textbook suffers from uneven size/length of chapters and subtopics, which may be upsetting to students.  Future iterations/editions would benefit from employing an editor to balance chapter/subtopic lengths.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The organization of a textbook is always subjective and the authors followed the flow of other, similar textbooks.  Students may benefit from a shake-up in the order of the topics.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The book is easy to navigate from chapter to chapter, topic to topic.  While the links in the table of contents worked wonderfully to jump to specific sections of the textbook, it may have been useful to include this same functionality in other parts of the book so students could easily navigate the textbook.","grammatical_rating":3,"grammatical_review":"Unfortunately, this was the textbook's greatest weakness.  Perhaps in the pursuit of a low-cost, open access textbook, there was a lack of oversight on the writing.  Students mentioned being distracted by some of these errors as they read assigned readings.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"It is difficult to create a textbook that caters to all races, ethnicities, and backgrounds and this book makes a valiant effort to be as inclusive as possible.  The authors are well-aware of this and excel in minimizing biases and increasing multiple perspectives.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"I have been using this open textbook since Fall 2023 and I am quite pleased with the sociological foundation it provides Introduction to Sociology students.  I will continue to use this textbook and will supplement the chapters with journal articles and other material.","created_at":"2024-05-28T15:21:37.000-05:00","updated_at":"2024-05-28T15:21:37.000-05:00"},{"id":35280,"first_name":"Stacey","last_name":"Brumbaugh-Johnson","position":"Sociology Instructor","institution_name":"Dakota County Technical College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text covers all the major topics found in a typical introductory text.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content appears accurate and well-sourced.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Each chapter includes several examples related to current events. The authors also include sections and end-of-chapter questions to help students make connections between sociology and their personal lives and career goals.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Concepts are explained well and key terms are bolded and defined clearly.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Like most other introductory texts, each chapter incorporates the same major sociological theories. The structure of each chapter is the same, but chapter length varies considerably.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The modularity is done in a manner that makes sense and is similar to other introductory texts.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The logic behind the order of topics within each chapter isn't always clear. Some sections within the chapters seem to jump around while others flow well from one topic to the next.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface seems just fine. Within the instructor resources, someone uploaded an \"ADA-compliant\" version of the textbook for better use with screen readers.","grammatical_rating":3,"grammatical_review":"There are several grammatical errors throughout the textbook.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Each chapter is inclusive of all demographics. In the sections about various groups of people (based on age, race, sex, etc.), the authors provide clear, nuanced information that is consistent with scholarship from the experts in those sub-fields of sociology.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2024-10-22T11:15:39.000-05:00","updated_at":"2024-10-22T11:15:39.000-05:00"},{"id":35442,"first_name":"PEDRO","last_name":"RODRIGUEZ","position":"Adjunct Faculty","institution_name":"Mesa Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The breadth of coverage of this 21-chapter textbook translates into its ability to act as the grounding repository of information for most Intro to Sociology courses in the US. It thoroughly explores essential sociological themes and basic understanding such as the sociological perspective, socialization, culture, race, sex and gender, and social movements. Each chapter provides clear learning objectives, well-referenced resources, and extended discussions. The manner in which the textbook covers all areas and ideas of sociology make it both accessible and useful to students of various levels of higher education. In particular, the index and glossary are great starting places for emerging students of sociology to make connections with the exhaustive amount of alternative literature that a 100-level introductory course might struggle to make available.  \n\nAdditionally, the text includes necessary discussions on topics such as discrimination and prejudice, marginalization, and income inequality. Juggling these themes into accessible sociological topics such as politics, government, education, crime, and healthcare is an approach that ensures students gain an understanding of society, even if it is simply a jumping off point for broader discussions and/or classroom activities.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"If accuracy refers to being simply error-free in content, then yes the text is accurate. But if accuracy is perceived as something existing in degrees to which the measurement or calculation conforms to a specified value or a standard, then no, the text might not be accurate. For example, Section 2.3 Ethical Concerns (in Sociological Research pp 53-55) lists the Tuskegee Study, Stanford Prison Experiment, and Milgram, which are some of the most egregious examples of ethical breaches in research. However, Arizona State University’s Havasupai “Diabetes Project” is conspicuously absent from this discussion. This is a missed opportunity since the ASU controversy is a 21st Century example of ethical problems in research, and provides a glimpse into how indigenous communities continue to be abused, especially when considering the way in which the university chose to fight legal settlement in the aftermath. Sociology students today should not be limited to examples dating back to the 1930s-1970s when there are more recent, and equally relevant examples, to choose from regarding violations of the code of ethics in research.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The most recent edition, published in 2021, includes references to George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, COVID-19, vaccines, and social media influence in the 2020 presidential election. However, these are used as timely and relevant examples to help illustrate themes in sociology which students can engage with during the course of a semester. Alternative examples can be added or used to replace any of these historic moments in future editions of the text.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"All key terms and acronyms are defined, especially as they relate to the academic discipline of sociology. Grounding portions of Chapter 2 regarding sociological research in the American Sociological Association and their definitions of ethics, for example, makes strategic sense, which becomes important to maintaining the material’s accessibility to students. This becomes even more important if educators position the text as a starting point for their own research, where this textbook represents the starting line of a marathon that is their sociological fact finding and analysis.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Each chapter is internally consistent in terms of numbers of key terms, major contributors, and seminal moments in sociology. Chapters are approximately thirty pages in length, divided into 3-4 sections each with an introduction, definitions, and an explanation of how the various sociological perspectives (or paradigms) might understand and explain that particular topic. Overall, there is consistent information within each text to develop the framework for a module.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"This text is not overly self-referential or verbose. Each chapter is 25-30 pages in length, with most sections just several pages long. There are graphics, images, and anecdotes throughout the book that break up the text into digestible portions with plenty of context. Fortunately, the text is easily divisible for assignment given the overall organization of the material being such that division into smaller units is often required by educators. The material is well-sourced with plenty of APA-formatted references throughout. A student can use the text and its various references to begin independent research on almost any topic.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"The text is presented in a typically thematic sociological manner. The twenty-one chapters begin with an introduction to the discipline, and a chapter on sociological research history and methodologies. The next nineteen chapters delve into various topics in sociology that are probably highest in salience to the discipline. \n\nIt might be helpful to consider dividing chapters into several units, with each unit representing a broader theme within the discipline. For example, chapters 14-18 are on family, religion, education, government, and work, respectively. Taken together, these chapters might be organized into a unit called “Social Institutions”. Chapters 9-10 are social stratification and global inequality, which could arguably be reorganized into a unit with Chapter 20: Population, Urbanization, and the Environment.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text is free of significant interface issues, provided in a clear, downloadable PDF which allows users to save portions of the text for upload to an educational institution’s LMS. Each line of the Table of Contents is a live link to that particular page of the file. This allows quick and easy navigation to any section of the text. This is handy during daily classroom prep, where an educator can open the file and navigate to a chosen page in mere seconds. Images are clear, charts are aligned with adequately vivid color.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text contains no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text did not appear to be culturally insensitive or offensive. For example, there are references to “stereotypes” throughout the text, particularly as they relate to genders and racialized groups. Derogatory terms are not used in the text. Terms such as “people of color” are used, which belies an attempt at contemporary terminology. On page 130 there is a reference to “Native American Indians” which might be considered culturally insensitive, but this is a contested term. While the term \"Native American\" is widely used, some groups prefer \"American Indian\" or \"Indigenous.\"","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Generally speaking, most shortcomings in this textbook reflect the state of the discipline more so than errors or omissions on the part of the author(s). For example, sociology too often continues to rely on case studies of the effect of television and movie representations of race and gender, when a majority of Gen-Z and Gen-Beta individuals are likely being socialized via social media more so than television programs or magazine articles. Studies that rely on analyses of newspaper articles might be nearing irrelevance to most Americans. On the other hand, the rise of smartphone use to access online content might require a higher ranking on the list of agents of socialization. If the median age of tenured professors in the US is nearly 50 years old, as a discipline we must challenge ourselves to reimagine what our students' societies look like to them, not to us.","created_at":"2025-04-17T13:58:48.000-05:00","updated_at":"2025-04-17T13:58:48.000-05:00"},{"id":35490,"first_name":"Trinidad","last_name":"Morales","position":"Adjunct Faculty","institution_name":"Massachusetts Bay Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This is a comprehensive book appropriate to use for students in the Sociology and also those taking this course as an elective.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"While no book can be up-to-date, this book is fairly recent and discusses events that young students have likely experienced in their lifetimes.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This book is relevant as often history repeats itself.  Sociology theories are relevant today as they were in the day of Marx, Durkheim, and Weber.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"This book falls victim to some jargon, but that is where the instructor can come in and clarify any confusion students may have.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The book tries to tie four foundational theories to every chapter, but this makes it seem there are only these four theories in sociology.","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"There are sections that are distracting to the reader.  I believe the book would flow better by following the same format for every chapter, such as an introduction, introduction of key terms, history, etc.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The book could use a bit of reorganization as students found some topics redundant.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"There is some confusion on navigation as students are not clear where one section ends and another begins.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"Very few grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"While no book can reflect all student viewpoints, minoritized students have mentioned they do not like they way they are portrayed in the textbook.  Perhaps trying to portray minorities in the US as resilient may be portraying them as non-human.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Overall, this is a good textbook.  I will continue to use this textbook in my Introduction to Sociology course.","created_at":"2025-05-26T16:51:44.000-05:00","updated_at":"2025-05-26T16:51:44.000-05:00"},{"id":35501,"first_name":"David","last_name":"Chunyu","position":"Associate Professor of Sociology","institution_name":"University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"OpenStax Introduction to Sociology 3e offers a broad and mostly up-to-date introduction to the field of sociology. It has a thorough coverage of core sociological theories (e.g., functionalism, conflict theory, symbolic interactionism) as well as newer paradigms such as feminist theory and critical race theory. Those theories and paradigms have been consistently applied to a wide range of sociological topics, including essential areas: culture, socialization, groups and organization, deviance, social stratification, race and ethnicity, gender, family, education, religion, government, economy, health, population, urbanization, and social change; and each topic is introduced in sufficient detail for an introductory level. In addition, the textbook often utilizes global and comparative perspectives and includes international examples and global data. Therefore, the content of the book serves well for introductory courses.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The Introduction to Sociology 3e by OpenStax is a reliable and accurate resource for students and instructors. The textbook emphasizes the importance of empirical research in sociology and provides extensive, solid, and concrete data to corroborate the relevant theories and concepts, and so its contents are mostly trustworthy. One potential drawback is that some data and concepts are somewhat outdated, especially due to the dynamic nature of sociological research and societal changes. For example, although the book was published in 2021, the literature cited were often published in early 2000s or even earlier. Another potential issue, from the standpoint of lay people, is the readers' perceptions of bias, because they may note that the textbook includes discussions on topics like feminism, critical race theory, and LGBTQ+ issues, leading to perceptions of a left-leaning bias. However, we should recognize that these topics are integral to contemporary sociological discourse, and their inclusion reflects the discipline's commitment to examining diverse perspectives. It'd be useful if the textbook could include discussion of alternative perspectives and engage in certain level of debate between opposing views when it comes to controversial topics.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The relevance of OpenStax Introduction to Sociology 3e is generally strong. The text strikes a balance between the core sociology theoretical framework, which remains relevant long-term and current issues (e.g., social media, racial justice movements, gender identity debates) that help connect students to contemporary society, which makes the content stay useful over time. The textbook uses a modular and flexible structure on an open digital platform, making the chapters and sub-sections easy for targeted updates. For example, a subsection on media and technology can be updated independently without rewriting the whole chapter on culture. On the other hand, as I commented earlier, certain empirical examples and statistics (e.g., crime rates, population demographics) have become quite outdated. Also, OpenStax updates are periodic, not continuous, and so instructors may need to provide more current statistics or examples by themselves during lectures.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"OpenStax Introduction to Sociology 3e does a good job presenting complex sociological content in a lucid, accessible, and well-supported format. The writing style is clear and student-friendly, intentionally designed for an introductory college audience, including non-majors. Concepts are explained in everyday language before introducing technical or academic terminology. The use of headings, subheadings, and bullet points improves readability and structure. Charts, infographics, and tables are also used to clarify data-heavy or theory-driven content. Overall, this textbook can be especially effective for community colleges, dual-credit programs, and general education courses. But occasionally, there is oversimplification of some complex concepts and issues. For example, the coverage of Chapter 9 section 9.3 \"Global Stratification and Inequality\" is too brief and lacks elaboration. More importantly, section 9.3 is embedded in a chapter that's designed to address social class inequality in the U.S., whereas Chapter 10 actually focuses on global stratification and section 10.1 has a very similar title “Global Stratification and Classification” which could lead to confusion on the part of readers without clarifying the distinction between section 9.3 and section 10.1. Another example is the theoretical analysis of the chapter on Religion, which feels a bit too brief and on the surface level, and can benefit from more in-depth explanation.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Introduction to Sociology 3e is internally consistent in theoretical application, terminology, and structure. The textbook consistently references the three major sociological perspectives (structural functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism) across nearly all chapters. The textbook also applies terms like socialization, deviance, culture, and stratification uniformly across chapters. The textbook chapters also follow a predictable and uniform structure, which consists of learning objectives, introduction, subsections with headings, Real-world examples or “Sociology in the Real World” boxes, Summary, key terms, section quizzes, and further reading. This internal substantive and formatting consistency improves readability and instructional planning. The only minor imperfection is the depth of application can vary by chapter.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The modularity of OpenStax Introduction to Sociology 3e is one of its most effective design features. Each chapter is broken into well-labeled subsections, often 3–6 per chapter, each focused on a distinct concept or topic. Subheadings are descriptive and logically sequenced, which allows instructors to assign just one section (e.g., \"Deviance and Social Control\") without requiring students to read the whole chapter. In fact, assignability is probably the strongest feature of the digital textbook, because each chapter and each chapter subsection can be used, linked, and assigned independently without requiring the full “Socialization” chapter; the OpenStax digital platform and licensing model also allow instructors to remix or reorganize content for customized syllabi without legal or structural barriers.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Introduction to Sociology 3e is thoughtfully organized, moving from foundational theory to applied and institutional topics in a logical and accessible manner. Each chapter is structured and formatted consistently, and the overall flow aligns well with other standard sociological curricula. So, the framework provides a solid, clear organizational backbone for introductory sociology instruction. Besides those advantages, my main critique of the organization of the book is about the sequencing of a few beginning chapters under the broad theme of socialization, social structures, and social networks. Chapters 4, 5, 6 of the textbook address Society, Socialization, Social Groups respectively, which in my opinion is not in the best logical order. I would prefer an organizational flow from Socialization to Society/Social Structure to Social Groups.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"OpenStax Introduction to Sociology 3e offers an intuitive, reliable, and accessible interface to readers. The table of contents is interactive and well-organized, allowing users to jump directly to any chapter or subsection. Within each chapter, subheadings and internal links enable smooth navigation between sections and back to the top. The interface design is also clean and focused, free of unnecessary pop-ups, ads, or flashy media that could distract learners. The only potential drawback, for some learners who expect multimedia integrated features, is that OpenStax’s interface is static and lacks embedded videos and dynamic charts as what some of the major commercial publishers offers. But I personally do not feel the multimedia integration is a big deal.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"This textbook is evidently professionally written and copyedited, and I hardly find any grammatical errors in the textbook. There are very occasional minor typos or grammatical oversights, for example, in Chapter 7 section 7.2 \"Theoretical Perspectives on Deviance and Crime\" --\u003e under \"Travis Hirschi: Control Theory\" there appears to be an incomplete sentence \"A child who plays little league baseball and takes art classes has fewer opportunities to ______.\" Not sure if this is intentional or the result of an editorial oversight. Other than that, Introduction to Sociology 3e is definitely a grammatically sound textbook.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"OpenStax Introduction to Sociology 3e has notable strengths in cultural inclusivity and sensitivity. The textbook intentionally includes examples and case studies from a variety of racial, ethnic, gender, and cultural backgrounds and has respectful treatment of marginalized groups in the substance. More importantly, the core content of the book, in alignment with current academic and social standards in sociology, emphasizes systems, institutions, and power dynamics rather than stereotypes or individual blame. The textbook also avoids culturally offensive language and instead uses respectful, person-first, and current terminology. The only minor drawback is that the book appears to be a bit U.S.-centric, although there is limited coverage of global perspectives. Some students or international educators may seek a more globally integrated approach throughout.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This is the first time I review and decide to adopt an OER textbook for an introductory level generation education course after using the conventional commercial textbook for so many years. I look forward to the actual experience of using the book for my class and hearing students' feedback!","created_at":"2025-06-01T20:51:06.000-05:00","updated_at":"2025-06-01T20:51:06.000-05:00"},{"id":35510,"first_name":"Setsuko","last_name":"Matsuzawa","position":"Professor","institution_name":"The College of Wooster","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Each section offers an extensive coverage of Sociological topics with many useful examples.\nWhile each section presents an ample amount of information, students may feel overwhelmed.  The Quiz and the Key Terms in each section, therefore, would be very helpful to them.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"In general, the content is accurate.  In the “Economic System” section (18.1), should communism be added?  Students often cannot understand the difference between socialism and communism.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Theoretical perspectives are presented across sections, which would help students to understand how theories are relevant and can be applied.\nThe sections, such as “Media and Technology” and “Health and Medicine,” are particularly relevant to current students.  Many of our students take an Introduction to Sociology course for MCAT reasons.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"In general, it is clearly written.  Sometimes, the information is overloaded.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"A few chapters need more new scholarship added (e.g., Gender Inequality).","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Sections or subsections can be easily used as modules.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Each sub section begins with Learning Objectives and ends with key terms, a summary, a quiz, further research, and references.\n“Learning Objectives” and “Sociology in the Real World” are particularly useful.   More specifically, some content in the “Global stratification and Inequality” section (9.3) could be merged with the “Global Inequality” section (10).","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The textbook is full of color pictures, which visually aid the section themes.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The textbook introduces “Culture” in Section 3, much earlier than in other textbooks, which shows its emphasis on culture.  Some examples come from non-Western contexts.  It also provides national comparisons for some topics.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"The last section ends with “Modernization.”  I would love to see an ending remark to motivate or encourage students to act as social change agents.","created_at":"2025-06-06T17:04:26.000-05:00","updated_at":"2025-06-06T17:04:26.000-05:00"},{"id":35554,"first_name":"Tim","last_name":"O'Brien","position":"Associtate Professor","institution_name":"University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook is appropriate for undergraduate introductory sociology courses. It covers many foundational topics typically included in an introductory syllabus. The content is written at a level suitable level for first- and second-year college students. The discussion questions and critical thinking prompts included with each chapter are helpful and provide clear direction for structuring lessons and class discussions.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content of Introduction to Sociology 3e reflects current sociological research and theory. Key concepts such as culture, socialization, stratification, and institutions are grounded in scholarly research. The structure and content of chapters are consistent with other widely used introductory sociology textbooks. The authors present material in an objective and relatively neutral tone. Compared to introduction to sociology texts I reviewed, this one is less overtly ideological in its presentation. Concepts are addressed in a relatively balanced way, with multiple perspectives acknowledged when appropriate.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Introduction to Sociology 3e aligns well with standard course objectives for an introductory sociology class. It uses contemporary examples while grounding them in established sociological theories, which helps maintain long-term relevance. For example, the chapter on social movements ties classical theories of collective behavior to recent real-world events. The text uses up-to-date and inclusive language when discussing topics such as race, ethnicity, and sexuality. It also incorporates examples that reflect a wide range of racial, gender, and socioeconomic backgrounds. This inclusiveness is especially important at a university like UWM, which serves a diverse student population.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The textbook is written in a clear and accessible style that is well-suited for introductory students. Complex sociological concepts are explained in straightforward language, often supported by relevant examples that help illustrate key points. When technical terms or theoretical ideas are introduced, they are typically defined in context and reinforced through examples or summaries, which enhances student understanding. Overall, the clarity of the writing makes the book an effective learning tool for students at various levels of preparation","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent in its use of language and key sociological terms. Definitions are clear, and new or important vocabulary is bolded throughout, which supports comprehension and retention. Chapters follow a regular and predictable structure, making the text easier for both students and instructors to navigate and use effectively.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Introduction to Sociology 3e is highly modular. Each chapter is divided into clearly labeled sections that can stand alone, allowing instructors to assign specific topics without requiring students to read the entire chapter. This structure makes it easy to rearrange content to match the flow of a particular course or to emphasize certain themes at different points in the semester. For example, sections on deviance, race and ethnicity, or gender can be pulled out and assigned in conjunction with topical units or current events discussions. The internal consistency in the organization of subsections also helps students stay oriented, even when readings are presented out of the original order.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book is clearly and logically organized. Chapters are divided by topic and follow a progression from foundational material (such as theory and methods) to more specialized subjects (such as politics, education, and the economy), which mirrors common approaches in the field. Each chapter begins with learning objectives and ends with a summary, review questions, and a list of key terms, all of which are helpful for supporting student learning.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"OpenStax textbooks are freely available online in multiple formats, including PDF, web view, and downloadable files, making them easily accessible. There are no login barriers for basic use, and the materials work across a variety of devices. While the main text is primarily print-based, any supplementary video or multimedia content provided by OpenStax includes captions or transcripts, which supports accessibility for students with hearing impairments.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The grammar throughout Introduction to Sociology 3e is clear and professionally edited. Sentences are well-structured, and the writing is free from noticeable grammatical or typographical errors. The consistent quality of the prose contributes to the textbook’s readability and allows students to focus on the content without distraction.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text uses up-to-date and inclusive language when discussing topics such as race, ethnicity, and sexuality. It also incorporates examples that reflect a wide range of racial, gender, and socioeconomic backgrounds.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2025-06-27T12:18:13.000-05:00","updated_at":"2025-06-27T12:18:13.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/introduction-to-sociology-2e","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:42:48.000-06:00"},{"id":418,"title":"Applied Developmental Systems Science: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Theories, Meta-Theories, Methods, and Interventions but Didn't Realize You Needed to Ask. An Advanced Textbook","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2015,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution-NonCommercial","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":["unknown"],"description":"This textbook provides a toolbox, a guidebook, and an instruction manual for researchers and interventionists who want to conceptualize and study applied problems from a developmental systems perspective, and for those who want to teach their graduate (or advanced undergraduate) students how to do this. It is designed to be useful to practitioners who focus on applied developmental problems, such as improving the important developmental contexts where people live, learn, and work, including the applied professions in education, social work, counseling, health care, community development, and business, all of which at their core are concerned with optimizing the development of their students, clients, patients, workers, citizens, and others whose lives they touch.","contributors":[{"id":4053,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Ellen","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Skinner","location":"Portland State University","background_text":"Ellen Skinner, PhD is a Professor of Human Development \u0026 Psychology Chair in the Department of Psychology at Portland State University."},{"id":4054,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Thomas","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Kindermann","location":"Portland State University","background_text":"Dr. Kindermann has been teaching at Portland State University since 1989. He received his B.A. in 1976 from the University of Trier (Germany), his M.S. in 1980, also from the University of Trier, and his Ph.D. in 1986 from the Free University Berlin (Germany)."},{"id":4055,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Robert","middle_name":"W.","last_name":"Roeser","location":"Pennsylvania State University","background_text":"Robert W. Roeser is the Bennett Pierce Professor of Care, Compassion and Human Development at Penn State University. He has a Ph.D. from the Combined Program in Education and Psychology at the University of Michigan (1996) and masters degrees in religion and psychology, developmental psychology and clinical social work."}],"subjects":[{"id":51,"name":"Religion","parent_subject_id":6,"call_number":"BL1","visible_textbooks_count":19,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/religion"},{"id":9,"name":"Social Sciences","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"H1","visible_textbooks_count":285,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/social-sciences"},{"id":43,"name":"Sociology","parent_subject_id":9,"call_number":"HM586","visible_textbooks_count":35,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/sociology"}],"publishers":[{"id":316,"url":"https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:38.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-08-24T20:53:07.000-05:00","name":"Portland State University Library"}],"formats":[{"id":502,"type":"PDF","url":"http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11785/464","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4","textbook_reviews_count":1,"reviews":[{"id":1069,"first_name":"Amber","last_name":"Raley","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"University of Texas at Arlington","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text covers the application of systems methodologies to the study of life span developmental psychology in a robust and comprehensive manner. However the inclusion of an index or glossary would assist the student.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"No noticeable errors or accuracy issues were observed.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The text is specifically oriented to a systems approach of life span developmental psychology and thus somewhat narrow in scope. However with some moderate adaptation the methodologies could be more broadly applied to a systems approach for other areas in the social sciences.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Terminology is explained and used in appropriate context. At times the question and answer format is helpful in clarifying information, but at other times it reads in a somewhat disjointed manner.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The responses to students Frequent Asked Questions (FAQs) provides a consistent framework for the text. Theories and subject matter are used consistently throughout.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The sections and exercises have some modularity for utilization as stand-alone elements.  However as a whole the text builds from a foundation in theory and proceeds through increasingly complex methodological approaches making a reorganization challenging.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"The organization of information as responses to student FAQs provides the structural framework. This mostly works, but at times was difficult to follow or presented other questions which were not addressed.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"There were no major issues in navigating the text. However, the presentation as an APA-style report could benefit from a greater design aesthetic to improve readability and display.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There were no major grammatical errors observed.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is considerate of individual differences and does not have any questionable or insensitive content.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"With some adaptation I intend to use some elements of this text to supplement the research project for a course in urban planning and public policy.","created_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/applied-developmental-systems-science-everything-you-always-wanted-to-know-about-theories-meta-theories-methods-and-interventions-but-didn-t-realize-you-needed-to-ask-an-advanced-textbook","updated_at":"2025-12-08T02:03:22.000-06:00"},{"id":410,"title":"Compact Anthology of World Literature","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2016,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution-ShareAlike","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":["unknown"],"description":"A world literature class may be the first place that some students have encountered European works, let alone non-Western texts. The emphasis in this anthology, therefore, is on non-Western and European works, with only the British authors who were the most influential to European and non-Western authors (such as Shakespeare, whose works have influenced authors around the world to the present day). In a world literature class, there is no way that a student can be equally familiar with all of the societies, contexts, time periods, cultures, religions, and languages that they will encounter; even though the works presented here are translated, students will face issues such as unfamiliar names and parts of the story (such as puns) that may not translate well or at all. Since these stories are rooted in their cultures and time periods, it is necessary to know the basic context of each work to understand the expectations of the original audience. The introductions in this anthology are meant to be just that: a basic overview of what students need to know before they begin reading, with topics that students can research further. An open access literature textbook cannot be a history book at the same time, but history is the great companion of literature: The more history students know, the easier it is for them to interpret literature. These works can help students understand the present, as well. In an electronic age, with this text available to anyone with computer access around the world, it has never been more necessary to recognize and understand differences among nationalities and cultures. The literature in this anthology is foundational, in the sense that these works influenced the authors who followed them. A word to the instructor: The texts have been chosen with the idea that they can be compared and contrasted, using common themes. Rather than numerous (and therefore often random) choices of texts from various periods, these selected works are meant to make both teaching and learning easier. While cultural expectations are not universal, many of the themes found in these works are.","contributors":[{"id":4020,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Laura","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Getty","location":"North Georgia College \u0026 State University","background_text":"Laura Getty is an English professor at North Georgia College \u0026 State University in Dahlonega, GA."},{"id":4021,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Kyounghye","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Kwon","location":"University of North Georgia","background_text":"Kyounghye Kwon is an assistant professor in the English department at the University of North Georgia. She received her doctoral degree in English and her certificate in Theatre and Performance from The Ohio State University. Her teaching and research areas include world literature, postcolonial studies, Asian/Asian American studies, gender studies, and performance studies. Her current research focuses on how Korean traditional puppet theatre preserves, alters, and adapts Korea's pre-colonial/indigenous memory in its performance repertoires for contemporary audiences, with particular attention to indigenous memory, gender, and the changing nature of the audience. She is co-editor of Compact Anthology of World Literature (UNGP, 2015), an open access textbook funded by a Complete College Georgia Grant. Her articles and reviews have appeared in Asian Theatre Journal, Journal of Dramatic Theory and Criticism, Theatre Survey, Theatre Journal, Pinter Et Cetera, and Text \u0026 Presentation."}],"subjects":[{"id":6,"name":"Humanities","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":null,"visible_textbooks_count":418,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/humanities"},{"id":33,"name":"Literature, Rhetoric, and Poetry","parent_subject_id":6,"call_number":"PE1408","visible_textbooks_count":124,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/literature-rhetoric-and-poetry"},{"id":51,"name":"Religion","parent_subject_id":6,"call_number":"BL1","visible_textbooks_count":19,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/religion"}],"publishers":[{"id":452,"url":"https://ung.edu/university-press/books/compact-anthology-world-literature.php","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:39.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:39.000-05:00","name":"University of North Georgia Press"}],"formats":[{"id":773,"type":"PDF","url":"https://ung.edu/university-press/books/compact-anthology-world-literature.php","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":2299,"type":"Hardcopy","url":"https://www.amazon.com/Compact-Anthology-World-Literature-Laura/dp/1940771226/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=Compact+Anthology+of+World+Literature\u0026qid=1554993622\u0026s=gateway\u0026sr=8-4","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4","textbook_reviews_count":15,"reviews":[{"id":1052,"first_name":"Ranada","last_name":"Richars","position":"Adjunct Faculty","institution_name":"Chemeketa Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text covers all areas and ideas--especially focusing on some of the lesser-represented literature from non-Anglo locales. The index is confusing because on the Open Textbook webpage, it indicates that this text is just the four chapters of Middle East, Near East, Greece; China; India; and Rome. However, the PDF file includes TWO volumes of this text and includes other literature. This was quite confusing at first. There is no glossary of terms.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Introductions to the content indicate editing and/or source. Topics are treated without bias. When appropriate, pictures, charts, maps and graphs are included to add to background knowledge of the topic.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Because this book focuses on the theme of heroes and heroism, as well as the Epic, the longevity of the book is great in the world of academia. The literature used could be modified in multiple ways because the focus is on the timelessness of themes instead of specific works.","clarity_rating":2,"clarity_review":"The organization of the text is laborious--both for student and instructor. The texts are included in their entirety with no breaks for questions, clarifications, etc. This makes the educator using this text responsible for breaking up the texts into digestible chunks, and, for struggling readers, include explanations and definitions, etc. for difficult language or vocabulary.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"It is consistent in its sparseness of any in-text helps or questions.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text could be easily broken up by sections, chapters, etc. I would anticipate including questions or writing prompts to be included when I use this text so that the students wouldn't feel overwhelmed with the volume of reading before analyzing, etc.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"The topics are logically ordered, but presentation on the page is sometimes overwhelming with single-spacing and few graphics, photos, etc.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Except for having the PDF include BOTH volumes, navigation is smooth.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"Very few grammatical errors; most would not be noticeable at all.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I appreciated the inclusion of non-Anglo texts. Most anthologies consider Greek, European and possibly Chinese texts as \"classical\". This has much more depth of culture by including text from India as well. In most anthologies I've used, this is sorely lacking.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"I would be very interested in using sections of this text for a high school-level World Literature course. It would need to include more assistance for students than it contains, but the content is a comprehensive starting point.","created_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1162,"first_name":"Rick","last_name":"Williams","position":"Humanities Instructor","institution_name":"Rogue Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The Compact Anthology of World Literature is about as comprehensive as Norton’s comparable “shorter edition” anthologies which I’ve used, to good effect, the past five years.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The book is accurate and error-free from what I can make out though I haven’t read each and every page. The content does “read” as evenhanded as far as the provenance of the various translations. Editors Kyounghye Kwon and Laura Getty do a fine job in introducing each reading or set of readings with concise and unbiased headnotes.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"Ah, here, we run into preferences, and so you may want to supplement here and there with your favorite works if you don’t care for the “public domain” version. I’m no fan, for example, of Samuel Butler’s rendering of The Odyssey, but, then again, I’d say the same for Stanley Lombardo’s version in the current Norton World Literature anthology. I’m much more inclined to use Robert Fagles’ or, especially, Robert Fitzgerald’s translation; compare the following:\n\n“Tell me, O Muse, of that ingenius hero who travelled far and wide after he had sacked the famous town of Troy”—Butler\n\n“Speak, Memory— / Of the cunning hero, / The wanderer, blown off course time and again / After he plundered Troy’s sacred heights”—Lombardo \n\n“Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns . . . / driven time and again off course, once he had plundered / the hallowed heights of Troy”—Fagles\n\n“Sing in me, Muse, and through me tell the story / of that man skilled in all ways of contending, / the wanderer, harried for years on end, / after he plundered the stronghold on the proud height of Troy”—Fitzgerald \n\nAgain, it's a matter of personal preference.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is written lucidly, and, when necessary, explanatory bits are used here and there—see, for instance, the section on China on page 1334 which pithily introduces the Tang and other dynasties but doesn’t overdo it.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The framework is very much like what you’d expect in a Prentice Hall or Norton anthology, replete with headnotes before each reading or set of readings.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I like the layout here insofar as my college, like many, is on the quarter system. Most textbooks, as instructors know, are designed for the semester system. Parts I, II, and II of the Compact Anthology of World Literature, in fact, is about as comprehensive as Norton’s comparable “shorter edition” text, volumes I and II, and is even better in its organization vis-à-vis those colleges and universities on the quarter system.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics in the Kwon and Getty’s text are arranged comparably to the coherent, distinct approach in similar anthologies.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text is definitely free of display issues—I found it very coherent and easy to navigate as would, I suspect any student would do who perused it.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I saw no grammatical errors within the text.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Again, this is a matter of preference. I once picked up Maynard Mack’s original 1956 Norton Anthology of World Literature in City Lights Bookstore, and it read pretty much like a collection of western, not “world,” literature, so that anthology has come a long way in terms of inclusivity—and the OER version, as I say, is very comparable in its offerings.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I plan to use this excellent OER version of world literature and am grateful for its affordability (i.e., it’s free!). My students will love it.","created_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1221,"first_name":"Marianna","last_name":"Kunow","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Southeastern Louisiana University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This is a huge subject indeed! The authors gamely attempt to cover literature from all different time periods and many parts of the world. I find much that will be useful to me in teaching classes in both Greco-Roman Mythology and World Mythology. The biggest obstacle to using this text is the lack of an effective index and glossary.  As another reviewer has already pointed out, the organization is hard to understand. When you go to the website (http://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/BookDetail.aspx?bookId=410), it does look as though the complete Table of Contents is what turns out to be only the Table of Contents for Part One: The Ancient World. Opening the (huge) PDF reveals Part Two: The Middle Ages, and Part Three: The Renaissance. Simply inserting the whole Table of Contents for all parts of the book would be an easy way to address this. Perhaps having a separate PDF for each section would be useful.\n\nPart Two: The Middle Ages, which features the same Introduction as Part One, deals with literature from some of the same parts of the world, but is arranged in a somewhat different sequence. Part Three: The Renaissance, has some interesting selections from Korea and also Native America. For my purposes, the latter subject seems to be rather short. One wonders how the selections were chosen.\n\nThe Appendices, containing many links to original works, are a great feature.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"In Part One, Chapter One: Middle East, Near East, Greece, there are two versions of Genesis and Exodus presented for comparison, which is great. However, the section is somewhat confusingly called, Hebrew Bible, “Genesis“and “Exodus” and yet the sources are The King James Bible and The American Standard Bible. Why not use the Torah for one of these comparisons? \n\nIn Part Three (p.401), Chapter Twelve has an introduction to the topic of Native American literature that states, “With the exception of a few pictographic systems, literature was transmitted orally in the Americas prior to the European arrival.” It is not accurate to describe Mayan hieroglyphs or literacy in this way.  As to the Incas, their manner of literacy is a matter of ongoing scholarly debate. The introductory comments to this section appear twice.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The works included are going to live forever. Quite a number of them already have. The relevance is beyond question.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"A glossary would be useful. Although it is not the authors’ job to convert the selected works into modern English, much of what appears here would be difficult for lower-level undergraduate students to comprehend fully without substantial assistance.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Not sure what to say here. Consistent in terms of temporal sequence? Or is the intention to be consistent in terms of geographical/cultural areas?","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"There is much that is really useful here, but I had to work to find it.  I do find that individual sections can be utilized in a ‘stand-alone’ fashion.","organization_rating":2,"organization_review":"I am not sure that I understand the organization of the text. It would seem that the authors intended a chronological sequence, given the titles of Parts One, Two, and Three. But in Part One, the versions of Genesis and Exodus do not come from the Torah, which predates the sources utilized, and the Gilgamesh story should properly start the section as it predates the biblical material.  In general, I remain very curious as to how the selections were chosen.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The images are great, and provide a much needed visual break from rather long chunks of text.  The obvious comment is that more would be better.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text seems to be free of grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The book is culturally relevant.  Many readers have favorite geographical or cultural areas, as do I. So, fairly or not, I would prefer more attention to be given to the literature of the Americas, more specifically to that of Mesoamerica and the Maya culture which has been literate for a very long time. Especially since the authors mention the Popol Vuh in the introduction to Part Three. In the same introduction, the authors reference an African work, the Epic of Sundiata/ Sonjara, although it is not included either.  Where are the Russians? I am least familiar with the literature from Korea, India, and Persia, and  believe that the inclusion of works from these areas of the world is a valuable contribution.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Creating an anthology of this kind is an enormous undertaking!","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1288,"first_name":"Natasha","last_name":"Whitton","position":"Freshman English Coordinator","institution_name":"Southeastern Louisiana University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The Compact Anthology of World Literature is three volumes, totally nearly 2000 pages. In 12 chapters, it covers World Literature from Asia to Europe and the Americas. It does not cover African literature. The bulk of the anthology centers on early western (Greek/Roman) and eastern (Indian/Chinese) civilizations with 800 pages focused on the early epics of Gilgamesh, the Bible, the Iliad, the Odyssey, Oedipus, the Analects, the Art of War, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Aeneid, among others. Later sections on Korea and Native American literature are comparatively short. The text also includes British texts which might not be included in a World Literature course focused on texts beyond American and British. Preference is given to full text works rather than excerpts. Coverage is thematic with the position of the hero as a primary focus.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Content is well-written and engaging. When possible, the editors have introduced sections with maps and other visuals. I did not find textual errors or biased interpretations of movements within world literature. The bulk of the text represents the literary works, rather than commentary of those works. Short frames introduce readings.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This text does not treat contemporary World Literature, so I do not imagine that it will require updating. It provides a clear foundation in the major ideas of Western and Eastern thought. Since the introductory material in each section is brief, any updates would be here, but not in the bulk of the anthology which represents the works, sometimes in translation.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The introductions to the readings are clear and written in lucid prose. The individual texts, however, may need supplementation. The texts stand alone without footnotes or additional explanation. Those would need to be provided by the classroom teacher. The introductions do provide a brief historical context for each work of literature.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The terminology is consistent throughout the text. The framework as relates to the introduction of each piece of literature could be more consistent. In some cases, maps and pictures provided a visual introduction to the period, ending with questions for consideration. In other cases, the introductions were text-only without additional questions for framing or consideration. Vocabulary introductions would also be helpful at the start of each new work of literature.","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"Modularity is not a strength of this text. It does contain large blocks of texts without subheadings because it contains long original works, which is not necessarily a negative. In a teacher wants to use full texts in the classroom without having to link the students to multiple open source locations, this anthology would work well. The text is not overly self-referential, again, because the focus is the texts which can stand alone. The anthology is, itself, divided into three volumes. Each volume contains chapter and then individual work divisions. Each table of contents is linked. Faculty should note the page numbers for the table of contents in each volume and send students there to link to other sections of each book.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The editors note that they are interested in presenting works of thematic focus in non-Western literature to supplement a student who has a fair understanding of American and British literature. The organization of the text is primarily chronological. The comparative work would need to take place in the classroom. The table of contents are laid out clearly and hyperlinked for navigation.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I see no interface issues. The text fonts are consistent and not distracting. Headers are used with consistency throughout the text. Images and charts are in high resolution and clear. I tried multiple browsers and settings, and the text adjusted appropriately. I opened the textbook on a smart phone and a tablet without issue.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I saw no grammatical errors in the introductions to the texts that I read. I also reviewed several of the readings, which were taken from open source documents available in other areas of the internet. I did not see any errors.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"My only question in terms of cultural relevance would be the decision to avoid coverage of South America and Africa. I expected to see a note in the introduction to the anthology justifying this decision, but I did not. The chapters are on the Middle East, China, India, Rome, Europe, Japan, South Asia, Korea, and Native America. I would be interested in a revision that also treated South America, perhaps in conjunction with Native American literature, along with African literature and mythology.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"This three volume text would be particularly useful in a course on the origins of Western culture and the canon, as well as a comparative course on early Eastern and Western literature in its infancy.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1348,"first_name":"Suzanne","last_name":"Bessenger","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Randolph College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book provides an impressive and truly global breadth of translations of major texts from what it calls \"The Ancient World\" and \"The Middle Ages.\"  The organization of the text leaves something to be desired: while the Table of Contents visible on the Open Text Library page says that the text contains four \"chapters\" of translations, upon opening the pdf and selecting the toggle side bar, the reader can see that the text is actually broken into two parts.  Part One \"The Ancient World\" includes the four chapters, but there is also a Part Two entitled \"The Middle Ages\" that includes an additional five chapters of translations.  There appears to be no index, and the side toggle bar is difficult to navigate.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"Such a breadth of material is bound to feature errors and inaccuracies, and this text is no exception.  For example, in the \"Ancient World\" section on Indian literature, features of Hinduism are misrepresented.  The schematic of relationship of the early abstract divine principle of Brahman and its relationship to later anthropomorphic manifestations of the divine (Brahman, Vishnu, and Shiva) is not quite accurate.  I suppose there are contemporary Hindus who would give this explanation as a way to retroactively explain the relationships between ideas about divinity that were developed at different historical moments, but this text's explanation unnecessarily collapses chronological development of these ideas in a way that does an injustice to their complex individual histories, and that does not allow the reader access to the religious worlds of the texts presented in this volume.  Another example is the authors' collapse of the two distinct but intertwining categories of varna (class) and jati (caste) into one, which is inaccurate.  In fact, author never defines the term \"jati\" or explain how it is distinct from varna. (An aside: The editors' areas of academic training and research ought to be included in the PDF text to enable the readers/students to judge the quality of the contents.)","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"Because of the breadth of the selection of translations, all of which had to be open-access, the editors largely rely on accurate but extremely dated translations.  For example, in the case of the Asian texts, most of the translations are from Victorian-era Christian missionaries.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"While sometimes inaccurate, the editors provide introductions to basic concepts needed to understand the cultural worlds of the translated texts provided in the book.  Again, it seems a Herculean task for two academics to accurately provide contextual material for such a breadth of texts.  Perhaps the addition of more editors, with training specific to these different regions and languages of the world, would improve the work.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"Part of the challenge of dealing with texts in translation is the variety of transliteration systems used over time to render said texts into English.  This volume does not standardize the transliteration systems used for each language featured; the result is a single person, such as the Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi for instance, will be spelled Zhuangzi in one paragraph, and Chuang Tzu in the next.  For undergraduates who have a difficult time grasping non-English names and terminology, this added layer of complexity could potentially be very confusing.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The text is nicely broken down into small units.  See comments above about the difficult navigability of the present electronic format.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The texts are grouped by chronology and cultural region, which is an easy-to-understand method of organization.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"Please see comments above about the difficult and confusing interface for the text, which makes it difficult to move about within the PDF document.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"Given the antiquity of some of the translations featured in this text, differing and/or arcane spelling and grammatical usages are found throughout the text.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"A cursory glance over the translations of Asian texts provided by Victorian-era Christian missionaries did not reveal any culturally or religiously offensive language, but I would certainly scrutinize these translations much more carefully before assigning this book to a class.","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":"Given the breadth of the project and the dearth of high quality open access translations of primary texts, the text represents an admirable collection of an impressive array of significant texts from different cultures and historical periods.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1483,"first_name":"Cheryl","last_name":"Huff","position":"Associate Professor of English and Humanities; Chair VCCS OER Consortium","institution_name":"Germanna Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text has an overall introduction which addresses both students as to why we study literature, and instructors as to options of how to approach teaching the works inside. Each reading has a useful introduction that gives a concise overview, which can effectively lead students to do more research on the history and context. The readings were deliberately chosen by the authors to be thematic and to allow comparisons, and this works well both as is, and as a springboard to adding other open source readings, including more contemporary ones. There are useful illustrations, both charts and images, which help students with context in a visual sense. There are also reading questions to invoke critical thinking and close reading. \n\nThis text works alone or as a substantive base to add to. I'm already using this in a World Literature I course, supplemented with additions, and plan to expand and enhance how I use it next.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"This text is primarily works of literature, which appear error-free, and the additional content is accurate and unbiased. The authors are not presenting this as the only way to anthologize and teach literature; they are presenting a model and an overview as a base to build on. There is a bibliography and appendix for more clarification of source materials and images.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Like most anthologies of literature, only the context and introductions might need to be changed, and not the works themselves. It is hard to imagine this going out-of-date. Any updates needed would be easy to make if necessary.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This text presents the ideas with a welcoming tone, devoid of excess jargon or \"academese\" and it is written to be readily accessible to a variety of students at different levels. It could use a glossary of terms.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I did not find any inconsistencies in the text in terms of its terminology or structure. It is consistently straightforward.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This text can be broken down into smaller sections, using fewer readings in each chapter or removing any introductory materials if necessary or desired. I can well imagine taking sections out of the chapters to use in a class with a different focus, like a survey of the humanities. The charts and images in particular could be useful in a number of contexts. Again, a glossary would be useful.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The text presents the works chosen chronologically, though there is no imperative that they be taught in that order. As this is an open text, editing, revising and reorganizing the material for different purposes is always an option.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"I have generally found the text easy to navigate, and all the images and charts/maps display well in Adobe pdf reader. Double spacing the text would make it less dense. I am not sure how accessible or ADA compliant this text would be with a screen reader, particularly with this font. \n\nWhat would really improve this would be to have it in an electronic format that allowed navigation from the table of contents, from the text to a glossary, and annotation software within the text. (It may be possible to make this happen with compatible software, but I haven't explored this yet.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no glaring grammatical errors in the text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I found nothing offensive or culturally inappropriate; in fact the text clarifies some the cultural differences that help make better sense of the readings, especially the ancient works. The book is written for a North American audience, but shows no exclusivity of cultures or races. The overall theme of heroes, and the emphasis on the epic, make it relevant to any cultural context.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I'm currently using this text to supplement a World LIterature survey course at a community college. I used the various versions of the Norton Anthology previously, and find that in many ways this works better for this 200 level course and students. I appreciate the ability to edit and supplement this to be exactly what I need for my course, and look forward to using it in other contexts, too, in my various humanities courses. Like all OER I use in my classes, students are grateful not to have to lug giant anthologies to school or home, and have access to the readings pulled directly into the LMS, all for free!","created_at":"2017-08-15T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-08-15T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2128,"first_name":"Jeff","last_name":"Johnson","position":"English Instructor","institution_name":"Central Lakes College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"It is way too much!","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Yes.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Pretty standard choices.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Too lucid, in that some of the choices were in prose, when it should have been in verse. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Yes, it is consistent.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"These are mostly primary texts in translation, so this is fine. ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Standard, historical, and linear. ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Decent","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"None that I could see.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This gear is timeless. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I can't imagine such an anthology without Plato, and Aeschylus. Also, Homer must be read in verse only. ","created_at":"2018-05-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-05-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2293,"first_name":"JoAnne","last_name":"Knowles","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Portland Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The content is too much for an undergraduate class during a quarter or even a semester.  Some selections are too extensive, like the Divine Comedy, and some important materials have been left out entirely, like Beowulf, which is a major contribution to the beginnings of English language and literature.  Students may be exposed to poor translations or incorrect teaching of Beowulf, or dreadful movie interpretations, so it’s important for capable instructors to bring it to students.  I would much rather see some other important texts than The Parliament of Birds or Gargantua and Pantagruel. I do like the editors’ introductions, and I appreciate the effort they make to facilitate comparisons of texts and themes between texts and cultures.  The study questions are appropriate for an undergrad class. I was glad to see that the editors included the Lais of Marie de France, but although they include several short works by her and also by Chretien de Troyes, they don’t  introduce the historical importance of French language and literature in the Early Middle English period before Chaucer.  \nOddly, the Table of Contents at the beginning doesn’t include all the sections, so the reader has to go to the section to see the contents.  I did not see a glossary.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I worry that older translations, especially prose translations when good verse translation are available, may limit students’ ability to understand the materials.  For the most part I liked the editors’ introductions, but I might provide more historical relevance in some places.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"I think the most readable and most popular of old texts are ones that will stick best in undergraduates’ minds.  On the other hand, perhaps editors and instructors should try to bring less frequently read materials to students.  Editors should look carefully at texts to make sure they are not \"obsolete\" for the modern world.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The editors’ comments are generally clear and appropriate for undergraduate readers.  However, some texts (as I have pointed out) may require more historical context.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The editors’ efforts to suggest comparisons between texts of different cultures, plus the editors’ comments contribute to the clarity of the book.","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"I want the longer selections to be shorter and, if not, then divided into accessible portions.  Long selections are too much to ingest for students and too much for instructors to teach. Some texts may need notes or even questions for students.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"I am troubled by the organization of some sections.  Gilgamesh predates the Biblical selections, so it should be inserted first.  Is the organization intended to be most chronological, or mostly thematic?  I didn’t understand why Genesis was followed by Exodus.  The Flood Myth would be a better choice after Genesis, and would allow students to see the similarities and differences between flood myths in different cultures.  I was bothered by the Native American selections being left at the end.  Native stories of the beginnings of life and then the flood offer a lot of richness for students to see how differently cultures see these important myths.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The visual materials are beautiful.  They add to the book.  I do have navigation problems, because the reader has to scroll through long selections in order to get to the next selection. Of course, it’s not a physical “book,” so I can’t just flip through it  to find the pages I want.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I saw no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":2,"cultural_review":"I am concerned that I only saw one female author.  I am glad to see Marie de France represented, but there are other gifted women writers from the Medieval and Renaissance period who could have been included.","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":"Other than the book trying to present too many long sections from many texts, I was unhappy about the lack of attention to translations.  Materials such as The Odyssey were originally oral, and were sung or chanted.  There are many excellent verse translations of The Odyssey; students need to get the beauty of the poem’s original method of presentation.  Marie de France is available in many good verse translations—I like the older edition by Robert Hanning and Joan Ferrante.  Although this prose translation does retain some of the charm of the Lais, they were intended to be poetry.  And Chaucer!  Undergraduates can read Chaucer in the original, with notes, of course, especially if they take turns reading short sections aloud in class.  It is unnecessary to offer The Canterbury Tales in a prose translation. I was also surprised to see that the bibliographies often relied on Encyclopaedia Brittanica or even Wikipedia.  Students need to become familiar with the concept of academic sources.","created_at":"2018-08-02T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-08-02T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2640,"first_name":"Naiad","last_name":"Wong","position":"History faculty","institution_name":"Leeward Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The anthology organizes some of the most essential pieces of world literature into one convenient and concise collection. The index and general format are easy to use.  I particularly like that some of the readings are famous but contain sections which are harder to find and would be extremely expensive as individual books. I was pleased to see much longer passages related to Columbus and the Mongols. In fact, most world literature readers I have used contain two to five pages of such passages and these are too short to be very useful.  I will likely incorporate the Columbus reading into my world history survey course for next semester. Some  reviews have pointed out that the passages are too heavy for a freshman level course. Yes, some of the readings, like Dante’s Inferno, are too extensive and challenging for most introductory courses but one could also opt to shorten the readings if they are too long. I do teach European History and I find that these passages would be appropriate for a higher level course. The individual teacher can decide on how to present the readings to the students.  ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Yes, the content is accurate and the introductions are unbiased though the authors offer some unique ideas used in their own courses on comparative literature. I found those activity suggestions quite interesting and thoughtful as they will appeal to modern students.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":" The content is up-to-date. There are almost no comprehensive OER sources for European history which makes this anthology very relevant to those teaching the Medieval period or the Renaissance. The authors have also chosen classic passages from various cultures which will always be relevant to history, religion and literature classes so the content is not in danger of becoming obsolete.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The authors write clearly and have good explanations of how to approach the readings.  Of course, this is an anthology of ancient writings so each passage is different. The Greek selections, like Oedipus,  and selections from Shakespeare will not contain easy prose and will be extremely challenging for the average student but this is part of the learning experience. Students should be exposed to ancient texts and languages.  As many words will be unfamiliar to students, I would like to see the addition of footnotes explaining select vocabulary terms which are no longer used in modern English.\r\n","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Yes, the text is consistent. I did not find any issues or inconsistencies.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"There are huge blocks of text which will definitely be problematic especially for students with reading disabilities. The larger blocks of text need to be broken into a more readable form.  Still, I may begin to assign small passages in my online course because the authors have done the harder work of making the passages easy to incorporate into a regular or online class.  In addition, in comparison to other free source sites like Project Guttenberg, the text in these volumes is more pleasing and is much easier to read.\r\n","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The topics are presented in a very logical fashion and many of the introductions provide important context for the passages which are being introduced.  There were a few introductions which could be much more substantial. This was particularly true in the case of The Prince introduction.  The introduction had almost no historical background which is key to understanding why Machiavelli is writing The Prince and whom he is addressing. I was surprised that there was no mention of Florence or the Medici family. I do feel that Florence and the Medicis must be mentioned in conjunction with the Prince to truly understand Machiavelli.  \r\n\r\n","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The photos and charts are well-placed and I  found the selections relevant to the text included. There is no distracting layout and the charts and photos enhance the information. I did not see any distorted images.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There are no significant grammar errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"\r\nThe anthologies do focus on mostly Europe and Asia and are deliberately organized to promote cultural and racial understanding. Of course, it would be nice to have individual anthologies added to the collection which focus on other world literature and particularly the Americas, Polynesia, or Africa which are not represented  at all in the selections. I would like to see all world literature and history source books focus much more on Polynesia which is consistently left out. \r\n\r\n","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"The three volumes contain a wide enough range of material to be relevant to three different courses I teach. ","created_at":"2019-03-08T04:36:16.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-03-08T04:36:16.000-06:00"},{"id":2943,"first_name":"Tammy","last_name":"Jabin","position":"English Instructor","institution_name":"Chemeketa Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This is a fairly comprehensive overview of major influential works of World literature in translation from the non-Western World.  It includes maps of the areas the works are from, illustrations, an introduction to each work, and helpful questions for students to consider as they read each work.  Especially helpful are a general introduction to the cultures in each region, and a bit of historical background that students need for context. Significant works seem well represented ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not notice any inaccuracies","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The text treats each culture with respect, and the focus on non-Western literatures (only including Western Literature only where the works' impact and been exceptionally significant on the World stage) contribute to the texts' relevance. These are the same factors that should keep the text relevant  well into the future. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is clear and lucid. The materials are clearly written to be engaging and clear to a undergraduate audience.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The introductions and theme are consistent across works and sections of the book.  I noticed no inconsistencies","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"It is easily divided into three sections that could be used individually.  I wish there was a fourth, more contemporary section, as this ends at the renaissance.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Clearly organized both chronologically and by region.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I noticed no interface issues","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I noticed no grammar errors. The writing was polished and the style was professional","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I noticed no cultural insensitivities. This is an important issue and one I pay close attention to.  Part of why this text is relevant is because of its sensitive handled of cultures that students may be unfamiliar with.  It even specifically addresses culture shock in the introduction","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2019-05-23T15:18:45.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-05-23T15:18:45.000-05:00"},{"id":3749,"first_name":"Junjie","last_name":"Luo","position":"Assistant Professor of Asian Studies","institution_name":"Gettysburg College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This anthology is comprehensive, and offers a nice overview of different literary traditions. I wish that it could include more texts so that the instructor could have more freedom to select what to teach, but the anthology is still useful for and pertinent to world literature survey courses.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate, and the introduction is succinct.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The content is relevant. I do not think that it will become obsolete within a short period time. If the authors plan to update it, more coverage of contemporary, experimental, writings could be helpful.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The introduction to the text is written clearly. The translations of non-English texts are approachable, which is a plus for survey classes.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The terminology used in this anthology is consistent.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The text can be easily divided into smaller reading sections. The editors' introduction to each period or text is concise, which is a strength. However, it would be helpful if the anthology could provide additional guidance for more in-depth discussion and analysis of texts.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The first three volumes of this anthology are organized chronologically and geographically, which is the common practice for world literature anthologies.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I think the interface of this anthology is good. It is easy to navigate through the text. I hope that the last three volumes can be available in pdf format in the future.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I think the editors did a good job to cover a variety of cultural traditions, both Western and non-Western. They also selected texts that do not often appear in other world literature anthologies. All these help both instructors and students broaden their horizons.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall, this is a successful open textbook for a world literature survey class. It also offers materials that can be used for other types of literature classes.","created_at":"2020-04-22T15:52:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-04-22T15:52:00.000-05:00"},{"id":4010,"first_name":"Barbara","last_name":"Stachniewicz","position":"Professor of English","institution_name":"Northern Essex Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"This anthology of world literature contains much terrific material. However, it misses some  important pieces like The Popol Vuh. I misses important areas; there is no literature from Africa, like The Epic of Son Jara.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The introduction is very good and accurate. They provide important background material that is important to students.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content is relevant and, because of the time periods covered, will stay relevant. I still wish there was more from Africa.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The introductions are well written and will be helpful to students new to this subject.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is internally consistent.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The modularity makes this book easy to include in an online course. I can arrange the material to fit the themes I am focusing on in my course.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The texts are arranged chronologically and by geographic region. This make is easy to select the pieces that work best,","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I see no problems with the interface.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I see few problems with grammar.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is not offensive, but, again, I wish it included some other texts.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I plan to use this book.","created_at":"2020-06-19T08:26:30.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-19T08:26:30.000-05:00"},{"id":5132,"first_name":"Vance","last_name":"Westgate","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Bristol Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"There is an enormous amount of material from those areas named in the tables of content. However, the entire continent of Africa seems to have been omitted. It's interesting that the reviews as far back as 2017 have called attention to this oversight but no update has been implemented. Nor do indices or glossaries seem evident.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I assume the content is accurate. However, it is almost impossible to critique the accuracy of translations unless one is fluent in the original languages.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"As long as human nature remains constant, great literature from any culture, like that found in this anthology, will be relevant. Advanced or graduate courses may relish the text, but community college students may see the material as arcane or inaccessible while the instructor might face a herculean challenge to extract and impart the hidden relevance.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is in standard written English without any confusing jargon or technical language.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"There seems to be some inconsistency in the editors' use of the term \"world literature.\" The emphasis, they say, \"is on non-Western and European works.\" To omit literature from the West or the Western hemisphere would seem to exclude major contributions to world literature. In fact, the United States, as \"the melting pot of the nations\" has generated literature from writers who represent cultures around the world.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Excerpts from the Bible's Old Testament sometimes seem arbitrary: all 40 chapter of Exodus are included, but only 9 chapters of the 50 chapters of Genesis appear. Furthermore, the captions at the tops of pages in the King James version, like \"The first sabbath\" or \"The Garden of Eden,\" etc., are omitted. These headings would be helpful in dividing large blocks of text into workable units.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Generally well organized. However, the first \"Table of Contents\" given fails to include \"Part One: The Ancient World\" from which the chapters listed are taken.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"In the PDF version of the text, navigating to Parts 4, 5, and 6 was particularly complicated, requiring apps called Readium, Lithium, and iBooks depending on the particular device in use. Also, the first graphic displayed in \"The Ancient World\" appears to be a colorful Indian goddess holding symbolic objects and surrounded by others, but there are no marginal notes to identify her or to explain her significance.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text appears virtually free of grammatical flaws, but I couldn't resist questioning the use of a colon in the following passage from the Introduction to Part I: \"It is a nice addition to the experience if the students like the works, but we can read and analyze texts that we do not enjoy just as effectively as the ones we do: In some cases, it is actually easier.\" The grammar might better be served by replacing the colon after \"the ones we do\" with a semi-colon followed by lowercase \"i\" since the clause that follows does not list, summarize, explain or identify anything. The comma after \"cases\" also seems superfluous.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The absence of African contributions might be perceived as a slight.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I believe the Western World contains literature that reflects a diversity of cultural backgrounds and warrants a place in a world literature anthology.","created_at":"2021-06-22T16:01:14.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-06-22T16:01:14.000-05:00"},{"id":5200,"first_name":"Donna","last_name":"Nelson","position":"Adjunct Instructor","institution_name":"MassBay Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"Although the Compact Anthology of World Literature does not represent literature from\nall around the world, Parts 1-6 offer an instructor a good selection of works for World\nLiterature and for introduction to humanities and literature courses. The anthology also\noffers selections that would enhance other courses such as history or philosophy.\nIntroductions are short and interesting; they offer information useful to help understand\nthe text, time, and culture. Questions allow students to engage with the text and\npromote class discussion of the work if a teacher chooses to use them. Instructors will\nhave to provide other materials to include writers from areas not covered in the\nanthology or from areas barely represented. Instructors also will need to provide\nselections by writers of all genders to augment the representation of gender found in the\nanthology. There is a bibliography and an appendix. I did not find an index or glossary.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"I did not find any content errors in the many introductions to sections and to individual\nauthors and works that I read. Including works throughout the anthology from all areas\nof the world and including writers of all genders would provide an accurate\nrepresentation of authors and works from around the world. The anthology presents\nprose versions of some work originally written in verse. The introductions are interesting\nand informative. My students appreciated them and engaged in conversation about\nthem.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"Several pieces I wished to use had older translations or a translation put together from a\ncombination of versions: it was not clear if the person creating the anthology’s version\nunderstood the original language(s) in which a text was written. Some works such as\nThe Epic of Gilgamesh do not reflect recent scholarship. Fragments of The Epic of\nGilgamesh were found in 2015; they add significant information to the story. Instructors,\nif they use the anthology’s version of Gilgamesh, will have to provide information\nregarding the new findings until the anthology is updated. Discussing the finding in the\nintroduction would be easy: adding the new lines to the text also is possible.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I found the introductions work are clear and accessible. I also appreciate that the\nanthology indicates which editor wrote which introductions.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Although I have looked through much of Parts 1-4, I have assigned readings mainly\nfrom Part 5 \u0026 6 in my courses. I have found the work consistent in the sections I have\nused.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"I have found it easy to assign individual selections from the text. Students who wish to\npurchase the material can purchase Parts 1, 2, \u0026 3. It is difficult to read lengthy texts;\nproviding links to move through sections of the text would help.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"The organization of the material does not follow an exact chronological pattern which\ncould be misleading to students. For instance, The Epic of Gilgamesh chronologically\nwould come before the excerpts from the Hebrew Bible.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The anthology provides links to some works not in the public domain. During the Spring\n2021 term, some of the links were not available due to copyright issues. I was able to\nfind them using OER. Other than having work no longer available, I found no other\ninterface issue.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"I found no major issues in the text.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"Revising the anthology to represent writers from around the whole world and of all\ngenders is necessary.","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":"While I have not assigned work only from the anthology, I have assigned a good\nnumber of readings from Parts 5 \u0026 6 for World Literature II and for introduction to\nhumanities and literature courses. The introductions to the work provide excellent\ninformation about the writer and their works and promote discussion of the text and\nauthor. I will use selections from Parts 5 \u0026 6 again. I am grateful that Compact\nAnthology of World Literature Parts 1-6 are available as an OER.","created_at":"2021-06-30T18:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-06-30T18:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":34775,"first_name":"Rosina","last_name":"Catalan","position":"Adjunct Professor","institution_name":"Butler University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The Compact Anthology of World Literature is comprehensive. It could be use for a general world literature course. I used it for a Greek literature course and found it served most of my needs. While students mainly read Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, they could easily access other epic poems like Gilgamesh and the Aeneid for supplementary reading. Each work is well-chosen and they compliment each other. The only thing that would improve the comprehensiveness of this text would the addition of literature from Africa.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is error-free, unbiased, and accurate in regards to the texts I use in class.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content of this anthology has already endured for millennia and it is unlikely to become obsolete. I have assigned this textbook in my classes and have also used it for ad hoc references in various classes. The contents continue to be relevant.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The translations used specifically for the Iliad and the Odyssey use Roman names instead of Greek names (yet they are listed under Greek literature). This is easy to address in the classroom but an instructor will need to note the Roman/Greek name equivalents early and often.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is a straightforward anthology of world literature. Its framework and terminology are predictable throughout.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The books of the Iliad and the Odyssey are easily found and are consistent with other publications of the same texts. Students who prefer to use their own printed versions of the text can do so easily because the organization by books is maintained in the same manner.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The organization of the Iliad and the Odyssey are pretty straightforward - each epic poem is set up by books. Like chapters, these books are noted by a subheading. Locating them takes quite a bit of scrolling in the pdf version of the text.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"In the pdf version of the text some books in the Iliad and the Odyssey begin with the subheading as the last line of one page and the text of the book (of the poem itself) on the next page. It takes a little extra effort to figure out where to start.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The texts I used were free from grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"While the Anthology includes literature from around the world it would better to have included literature from the continent of Africa to make it more culturally inclusive.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Because students so often access this text for class I hope they explore it and find more literature to read and enjoy. I plan on using this textbook again and when I do, I plan on encouraging the students to read more from different areas of the world.","created_at":"2023-12-06T16:41:52.000-06:00","updated_at":"2023-12-06T16:41:52.000-06:00"},{"id":35106,"first_name":"Matthew","last_name":"Shand","position":"Adjunct Instructor, English","institution_name":"Westfield State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Anthologies, by nature, will omit important texts. That said, the omission of the continent of Africa from the early readings seems glaring. That said, the text is remarkably comprehensive given the breadth and scope of the available field. I have used it for a survey course in World Literature several times and have been able to alternate or introduce new texts across sections with relative ease. Some of the inclusions, like the Hebrew Bible, seem somewhat arbitrary. The anthology could just as easily included the books of Job, Ecclesiastes, or Romans to good effect. Furthermore, the anthology includes some early Native American folklore and cosmologies and again could have included African folklore and cosmologies, especially around \"the trickster,\" for better inclusion of early African literature.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content for the material I have used is accurate, error-free, and seemingly unbiased.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The included texts constitute much of the current canon in world literature. The organization by geographical region and chronology is useful and effective. The included texts remain relevant and timely no matter how they are approached in a given class.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is well-written. It uses language easily accessible to an undergraduate student and is free of jargon and technical language. While it does come at the cost of losing the poetic balance of the original, the use of modern English prose translations of works like the selections from The Canterbury Tales is particularly helpful to undergraduate students who often struggle to connect with Middle English. This is easily rectified with comparative readings and/or lecture.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The framework of the anthology is consistent throughout. The inclusion of short introductions before each text is one of the best features of the anthology and is carried throughout each volume/part.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The anthology itself is easily divisible into smaller reading sections. I have used these anthologies in sections of World Literature that were organized by themes, and the framework of the anthologies and their selections makes it easy to skip across time and geographical locations without losing the important cultural and literary significance of the texts. Moreover, longer texts like the Divine Comedy are easily broken up and parsed.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The first three parts of anthologies use a system of organization based on region for each part. This is logical and clear--but not the only way the anthology could be organized or even used in a class. The second anthology (parts four through six) shifts from region to literary era/movement (i.e. Age of Reason, Realism, Romanticism, etc). This type of organization is useful but it affects the way the selections are gathered in a way that leads to more omissions of non-western writers/literature. Western writers become the dominant selections in these parts. Why not include Zitkala-Ša in either the \"Realism\" or \"Postcolonial\" sections? Or find a place for writers as important to World Literature as Ryūnosuke Akutagawa or Lafcadio Hearn in the Long Nineteenth or 20th Century?","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Neither volume of the compact anthology contains any significant navigation problems. Moreover, none of the images or links contained within them are unclear or difficult to display.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The anthology contained no grammatical errors in the material I have used.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Along with the aforementioned gap in literature from the continent of Africa, more space could be given to early and contemporary Native American or First Nations literature. On a positive note, I was pleasantly surprised by the inclusion of selections from Korean and Middle Eastern literature. Overall, the material is fairly inclusive of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"The editors of the compact anthologies have done a great job compiling these open-source texts. While there are noticeable gaps, I have and will continue to use these as the primary texts in my World Literature surveys. While I hope that my and the comments of others can lead to meaningful edits and revisions to the anthologies, I am certain that what the anthologies lack can easily be accounted for with supplementation from an instructor. I am sincerely grateful for the work done with these.","created_at":"2024-06-07T11:59:37.000-05:00","updated_at":"2024-06-07T11:59:37.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/compact-anthology-of-world-literature","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:10:33.000-06:00"},{"id":340,"title":"First Amendment: Cases, Controversies, and Contexts","edition_statement":"Second Edition","volume":null,"copyright_year":2016,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":"","accessibility_features":[],"description":"This Casebook (Second Edition, December 2019) is intended to be used in an upper-division course covering the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. Its 14 chapters are substantially the same length, with the exception of Chapter One, the introduction, and Chapters Eleven and Twelve which in combination are the usual length. It is intended for 13 or 14 week semester that meets once or twice per week. Each Chapter contains a “Chapter Outline” at the beginning for ease of reference. The Casebook is organized with the Speech Clauses as Part One and the Religion Clauses as Part Two. Unlike many other courses, there is no accepted organizational scheme within these broad areas. As the Introduction notes, First Amendment doctrine, especially within freedom of speech, presents a varied and haphazard landscape. The Casebook follows a scheme that has proven effective in Professor Robson’s years of teaching the course to hundreds of students. The selection of cases tends toward the most recent and these tend to be less heavily edited. These recent cases often contain extended discussions of earlier cases that are not included in the Casebook.","contributors":[{"id":3618,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Ruthann","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Robson","location":"City University of New York Law School","background_text":"Ruthann Robson, is Professor of Law \u0026 University Distinguished Professor. She is the author of Dressing Constitutionally: Hierarchy, Sexuality, and Democracy (2013), as well as the books Sappho Goes to Law School (1998); Gay Men, Lesbians, and the Law (1996); and Lesbian (Out)Law: Survival Under the Rule of Law (1992), and the editor of the three volume set, International Library of Essays in Sexuality \u0026 Law (2011). She is a frequent commentator on constitutional and sexuality issues and the co-editor of the Constitutional Law Professors Blog. She is one of the 26 professors selected for inclusion in What the Best Law Teachers Do (Harvard University Press, 2013)."}],"subjects":[{"id":67,"name":"Administrative Law","parent_subject_id":11,"call_number":"K3400","visible_textbooks_count":14,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/administrative-law"},{"id":68,"name":"Constitutional Law","parent_subject_id":11,"call_number":"K3154","visible_textbooks_count":19,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/constitutional-law"},{"id":11,"name":"Law","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"KF385.A4","visible_textbooks_count":99,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/law"},{"id":51,"name":"Religion","parent_subject_id":6,"call_number":"BL1","visible_textbooks_count":19,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/religion"},{"id":45,"name":"Political Science","parent_subject_id":9,"call_number":"JA71","visible_textbooks_count":41,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/political-science"}],"publishers":[{"id":251,"url":"https://www.cali.org/books/first-amendment-cases-controversies-and-contexts","year":2019,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:38.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-10-21T19:36:30.000-05:00","name":"CALI's eLangdell® Press"}],"formats":[{"id":407,"type":"PDF","url":"https://www.cali.org/sites/default/files/Robson_FirstAmendment_2dEd_2020-cover-Aug182023-ISBN.pdf","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":408,"type":"eBook","url":"https://www.cali.org/sites/default/files/FirstAmendmentRobson2nd-EPUB2-2019Dec16.epub","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1829,"type":"MS Word","url":"https://www.cali.org/sites/default/files/Robson_FirstAmendment_2dEd_2020-Aug142023.docx","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4.5","textbook_reviews_count":4,"reviews":[{"id":1008,"first_name":"Lana","last_name":"Whited","position":"Professor of English and director of the Boone Honors Program","institution_name":"Ferrum College (Virginia)","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"In reviewing Robson's text, I am comparing primarily to the traditional media law text which I have used in recent semesters, Don R. Pember and Clay Calvert's Media Law. Now in its 19th or 20th edition, Media Law is the most widely used text for undergraduate media law courses and has been for a long time.  The Robsonn text is very different from Media Law in two ways: first, Robsonn's text is broader in its scope than a media law textbook, as Robsonn is concerned with First Amendment law and media law falls within only two clauses of that Amendment:  speech (or expression) and media. (The Robsonn text has additional sections concerning the religion clause, which obviously would not be included in a media law text.)  A reasonable comparison, then, would seem to involve the typical issues covered in a media law course, as they are treated in both books:  libel, prior restraint, hate speech, copyright, obscenity, the distinction in First Amendment rights at public and private institutions or employers, etc.  There are a few important areas of media law which are NOT addressed in Robson's text:  protection of news sources, controversies deriving from the Freedom of Information Act, and issues relating to the Free Press - Fair Trial dichotomy are the most obviousl\n\nA second distinction between Robsonn's book and a tradition media law text is in the manner of presentation to students.  Robsonn organizes excerpts from court opinions into subject areas such as legal issues having to do with the \"Government as Employer and Educator.\"  Students are reading excerpts of actual case law, and there is very little writing by Robsonn by way of summary or synthesis (occasionally, there are a few sentences of preface).  This approach has its advantages: it presents students with more examples of primary texts (the opinions) than they would normally encounter in a media law course, where they might read little actual law.  It also allows them familiarity with these cases without the filter of a textbook author who would summarize and analyze these cases (as those such as Pember and Calvert do).  But there is a significant disadvantage for undergraduate students, who may find reading original case law difficult and who may need the summarizing and synthesizing role of a more traditional textbook editor.  For this reason, Robsonn's text may be more appropriate for first-semester or first-year law students than for undergraduates. \n\nThe approach of a tradition textbook is to organize discussion around specific topics in media law.  Libel, for example, gets three chapters in Pember and Calvert's text. In Robsonn's text, libel is the subject of cases listed in a section called \"Freedom of the Press and Tort Actions.\"  Thus, students who are new to the discussion of media law would probably appreciate the more streamlined table of contents of a text such as Pember and Calvert, wherein chapter headings comprise a handy list of media law issues.  In other words, the focus of Robsonn's approach is different and perhaps less transparent to undergraduates.\n\nTraditional media law texts also include an introductory chapter or chapters on the American legal system, with which students often are not sufficiently familiar.  With the Robsonn text, this background must be supplemented by the faculty member. \n'\nFinally , the Robsonn text does not include an index, which undergraduates (and faculty) find very useful.  ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"In general, I have not discovered errors in accuracy, with the exception of the phrasing of the First Amendment in chapter one, where the last clause of the amendment is written as \"and to petition the government from redress of grievances.\"  I remembered the wording of that clause differently, and in most versions of the amendment I consulted, the wording of that last phrase is \"and to petition the government FOR A redress of grievances.\" While it seems a fairly egregious error to misquote the First Amendment, there may be some factor here with which I'm unfamiliar.  \n\nGenerally, accuracy is not a problem, as the text of the book is primarily comprised of excerpts from actual opinions. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Again, as the text is primarily comprised of actual case law (excerpts), these could be easily replaced or extended.  Cases included are as recent as 2013, 2014.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The excerpts from court cases are surprisingly easy to read, for legalese, but it is difficult to comment on clarity as that terms generally applies, when it is mostly NOT the author's writing that would be the subject of this evaluation. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Because it follows the clauses in the First Amendment, this is strong.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The chapter divisions are sensible, although some chapters are too long for treatment in one class meeting.  However, modules within chapters are also sensible.  ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"In overall framework, the book follows the order of clauses in the First Amendment, focusing on speech, media, and religion.  Cases concerning the assembly and petition clauses and the so-called \"missing\" clause, association, are interspersed in the sections on speech and media, as multiple clauses or doctrines often emerge in any individual case. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"It is very easy to navigate this book, and I have tested that in iBooks, Kindle, and .pdf.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Any  errors in a text such as Robsonn's would have to be typos, as her method is to excerpt relevant court opinions.  In other words, very little of the text is her original writing:  there is little place for error.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Again, there is little original writing from Robsonn, and her selections cover a wide range of ethnicities and issues, as she is attempting to reflect varying tests to the First Amendment clauses.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"It is important to note that I am using Robsonn's text this semester for the first time, and the class has only studied four chapters to date.  My assessment of the remainder and totality of the book is based largely on skimming and selective reading.  ","created_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1284,"first_name":"Joe","last_name":"Mirando","position":"Professor of Communication","institution_name":"Southeastern Louisiana University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"In regard strictly to the First Amendment, the book is a very thorough treatment of the First Amendment's five clauses -- freedom of speech, press, religion, assembly and petition. The author simply could not have been more effective in covering the subject for a class limited to lessons directly related to the First Amendment, and the discussions of what the First Amendment prohibits (censorship, prior restraint, licensing, taxation and compelled speech) are strong as well. However, for a typical mass communication law class, the book treats areas that are indirectly affected by the First Amendment with much less depth, such as the student press, libel, privacy, copyright and access to information. It would be difficult to justify using this book as the primary textbook for a class covering these indirect areas, and it may be even more difficult to justify as a secondary material because of its length.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not dictate any factual errors in both the specific content areas and the background areas. For example, the discussion of how the First Amendment became the First Amendment instead of the Third Amendment is thorough and mindful of history. It should also be pointed out that no clear advocacy of a debatable position is emphasized in any part of the book.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"If this book will continue to be updated every year, relevance/longevity will be one of its strongest aspects. The 2016 edition of this book featured treatment of First Amendment cases heard by the U.S.Supreme Court during the 2015-16 term, making it as up to date as possible. This aspect is especially important because it's possible that any one decision could radically change the direction of the law.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The length of the book is clearly a concern, but the author more than makes up for it with a writing style that is appropriate. Nearly all of the most important cases do not end with guilty/not guilty verdicts, so it's important that the style is kept simple.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Some familiarity with Black's Law Dictionary is needed, but upper-level college students who are not especially strong with legal terminology and courtroom procedure should be able to handle the discussion.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The same approach of introduction and breakdown with background is consistently followed throughout.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"It's important that teachers have the ability to assign readings without having to stick with a strict chronological approach to the book. The chapters are ordered in such a way that any teacher who has designed a schedule of readings inconsisternt with the book will still be able to provide a coherent approach.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Other than headings and subheadings, the book does not contain display features. It is very gray throughout, which is what should be expected of a textbook so dependent on content.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No significant problems were seen in parts the author wrote. It is possible a person could take issue with the grammar of parts quoted from law books, but historical accuracy is a more important value.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"I feel that the quantity of material devoted to freedom of religion appears to be much more than is necessary. It's not necessary for all of the five freedoms to be treated evenly, but it does appear that the author provides too much to religion. However, it should be pointed out that this is a minor flaw, and in some semesters when a case like Snyder v. Phelps occurs, this can actually be an advantage.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Overall, I feel I will have to decline to adopt this book as the required textbook for my class in media law. It is far too long and too limited to strict First Amendment issues to be appropriate for my course. However, it is still an excellent book on the topic.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1646,"first_name":"Kerry","last_name":"Tripp","position":"Senior Lecturer","institution_name":"University of Maryland, College Park","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"I reviewed this book in contemplation of whether it could supplement a law course I teach to both undergraduate and (non-law school) graduate students but a review based on that perspective would be unfair.  As the author notes in the introduction, this book is designed for an upper level law class.  For my purposes, its deficits (e.g., failing to provide a primer on how the legal system works) would not create a similar problem for an upper level law student as it would for my students.  Yet, one major deficit may still apply to both audiences: the book contains Spartan analysis.  The substantial majority of the book is reprints of excerpted cases.  \nTo give credit, the book hits all of the expected cases on the subject and organizes them in a way that allows the reader to ferret out an analysis that progresses on an issue. But the author relies on the reader to make that analysis.  Most of the time, the author’s own contributions is limited to three or four questions asked after a series of lengthy case (excerpt) reprints.  When the author does provide some analysis it is easy to see why she is a student favorite.  Occasional nuggets like the author’s discussion of the case of a student who claims a religious exemption to her school’s dress code for her body piercing because she is a member of the Church of Body Modification or the influence the “Catholic vote” had on Justice Douglas’ when he was thinking of running for president, help to bring the law alive for students.   \n A second comment is that this book is s limited in its focus on constitutional law, to just the issues of free speech and freedom of religion.  As to the latter issue, however, I am especially grateful.  I too find the issue of what is religion fascinating and worthy of much intellectual discussion. The book’s narrow focus allows this. Perhaps it is my own bias, but I think the author saved the best for last, and if teaching the course I would reverse the subjects to hook in my class early in the semester.  When looking only at those two issues, the book ranks high, covering a large scope.\nLast, given the small amount of original contribution from the author, would the Open Textbook’s goal of making textbooks affordable be better fulfilled if the many cases were merely cited in lists and not reprinted? To her credit, the author calls this a casebook and that it is.  The book is almost 1200 pages with the substantial majority of the text case reprints. But, the cases are the usual workhorses on the issue and, as such, are freely available on the internet.  If the author would contribute more insight and the case reprints were removed (and just listed), this textbook might better satisfy the Open Textbook’s goals.\nIn conclusion, if your course is for upper-level law students who have already taken a traditional Con law class and are looking to delve into the issues of speech and especially religion, this book fits that niche.\n","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Disturbingly, the author misquotes the First Amendment. It is not a typo as it occurs at the beginning of the book and is later repeated. This makes the reader unfairly question the author’s competence in the materials.  A full reading of the book and its clear presentation of the expected cases eliminates that.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The textbook contains the expected first amendment cases on speech and religion, including relatively recent ones that could impact prior precedent like the Hobby Lobby case or Citizen’s United . As the U.S. Supreme Court looks further at these issues this year, the book’s digital format should easily allow for future editions to include new cases illustrating the impacts of these decisions.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"With the author’s original text often limited to three questions following several case excerpts, it is unclear how to rate the textbook for clarity.  Focusing on the questions and the occasional more detailed analysis, the author has a nice writing style.  Her questions got to the heart of the cases and help to build on the reader’s analysis. But without the author’s analysis, the reader must await classroom discussion.   ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is consistent and the cases that are covered are as expected for a class on the First Amendment.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"With fourteen chapters, the book is designed to cover a topic per class (and for the most part the materials could be covered in a single day).  In each of the two major sections, press and religion, the book covers topics in a logical progression that builds on the next with an eventual proficiency. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Overall, the book flowed well.  The cases selected built nicely upon each other to encourage analysis of the issue selected.  As discussed above, I would reverse the two major topics just because I think the religious cases allow for more intellectual exploration.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"This book bridge nicely as a PDF.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"With little original contribution, grammatical errors are not a problem.  Typos, however, are and should be cleaned up for the next edition.  These, plus the author’s misquoting of the First Amendment, discussed above, could easily be avoided by a more detailed edit.  ","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Satisfying a culturally relevant pedagogy given the format of this book, with its extensive case reprints, is difficult.  The book does include the expected cases on the topics, including those on the ability to limit the right to free speech in a school setting.  Given the timely and culturally relevant issue of free speech in the university setting, a future edition would benefit by including a discussion on this lively topic and would empower students emotionally and intellectually.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I look forward to the author’s next edition and hope she includes more of her insights into these two intellectually interesting areas of our constitution and our country. \n \n","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":34916,"first_name":"Jakob","last_name":"Miller","position":"Assoc. Prof. of Pol. Science","institution_name":"Taylor University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book focuses heavily on the speech and religion clauses of the first amendment. Press receives a short chapter of its own, and the rights of assembly and petition receive almost no attention save a mention at the beginning of the book. Of course, this reflects to some degree the amount of attention the Court has paid each part of the first amendment, but a class using this book will be focused on the speech and religion clauses by necessity.\r\n\r\nAs for comprehensive coverage within those subjects, it is hard to see any major aspect of speech or religion left untouched, or any major cases one would expect to find which are missing. Students using this casebook will grapple with all the major cases, concepts, precedents and tests one would expect. It is admirably comprehensive.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"This is a difficult category to rate in a legal casebook. The cases are presented exactly as the Court issued them (with light editing) and the author’s main direct voice in the book consist of the pre-chapter notes, the first chapter and other introductory notes, and the notes that follow each set of cases. Most of the notes following sets of cases are composed of questions for students, or simply pointing out interesting connections between presented Supreme Court cases and other cases not directly discussed in the book, leaving little room for inaccuracy. Indirectly, of course, the author’s voice is present in the selection, arrangement, and editing of cases, which I’ve covered in the comprehensiveness section above. \r\nIn regards to the accuracy of the author’s direct notes, I’ve found no significant errors or any causes for concern. I would only echo another reviewer’s concern that the text of the first is seemingly presented with a textual error (“from” in place of “for”).","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"The book was last updated in 2020, which means that are some major cases that the book will not include. Cases such as Shurtleff, Kennedy v Bremerton School District, or Americans for Prosperity Foundation v. Bonta. All casebooks have this issue, since the Court constantly makes more work for casebook writers, but it should be noted that using this book will mean having to supplement the section on the Lemon test, for example, with its latest death in a case from outside the book.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I won’t be grading the opinions by the Justices here, save that to say that the author has edited them lightly but in a way that should improve their readability and remove some unnecessary distractions to students. \r\n\r\nThe author’s own writing is clear and lucid. The examples given are especially compelling – the section on the Heckler’s Veto particularly stood out to me as an example that should be vivid for students while being a clear demonstration of discussed principles. \r\n\r\nI should note here in the interest of clarity for my own review that I am only reviewing the casebook itself. The website mentions that there is supplementary information available for instructors, but I was not able to access it. From the presented work, I have no doubt that the author would perform to same admirable standard.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent both with itself and established legal terminology. Students should have no issue on that account.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The book is broken neatly into two parts – speech and religion – and 14 chapters, which fits neatly into a 13 or 14 week semester (two chapters are shorter than others, and the layout of the book is clearly explained up front). Each chapter is also divided into several subchapters. While cases naturally interconnect, there is nothing preventing an instructor from remixing the chapter order or dropping a given chapter or subchapter, and the clear divisions make this a fairly simple task.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"While there is no set organizational scheme within each of the two large sections, it follows a plan based on the teaching experience of the author. It looks to my eye as someone who has taught a great deal on the first amendment like a plan that would lead students naturally through the major topics in an intuitive way. Should an instructor wish, however, it seems simple enough to remix the chapter order or add or remove some chapters if needed.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"It’s a text-heavy PDF, with few illustrations or tables. It should display cleanly on any device that can read PDFs – I encountered no issues while reading the book.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Aside from the bit pointed out about the text of the petition clause (see also page 6 of the book), the book seemed to have no notable errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Some of the cases do involve material that may offend students, but that cannot be avoided when dealing with the first amendment. (After all, the first amendment is hardly needed to protect popular speech.) The cases chosen well reflect the broad range of religious groups and political beliefs that have been before the court over the nation’s history.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I heartily recommend this casebook to those interested in a First Amendment law course, provided you can access the teacher’s materials and add in coverage of cases such as Kennedy v Bremerton on your own.","created_at":"2024-03-04T11:20:50.000-06:00","updated_at":"2024-03-04T11:20:50.000-06:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/first-amendment-cases-controversies-and-contexts","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:02:07.000-06:00"},{"id":592,"title":"Intermediate Biblical Greek Reader: Galatians and Related Texts","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2018,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":["unknown"],"description":"After completing basic biblical Greek, students are often eager to continue to learn and strengthen their skills of translation and interpretation. This intermediate graded reader is designed to meet those needs. The reader is “intermediate” in the sense that it presumes the user will have already learned the basics of Greek grammar and syntax and has memorized Greek vocabulary words that appear frequently in the New Testament. The reader is “graded” in the sense that it moves from simpler translation work (Galatians) towards more advanced readings from the book of James, the Septuagint, and from one of the Church Fathers. In each reading lesson, the Greek text is given, followed by supplemental notes that offer help with vocabulary, challenging word forms, and syntax. Discussion questions are also included to foster group conversation and engagement. There are many good Greek readers in existence, but this reader differs from most others in a few important ways. Most readers offer text selections from different parts of the Bible, but in this reader the user works through one entire book (Galatians). All subsequent lessons, then, build off of this interaction with Galatians through short readings that are in some way related to Galatians. The Septuagint passages in the reader offer some broader context for texts that Paul quotes explicitly from the Septuagint. The Patristic reading from John Chrysystom comes from one of his homilies on Galatians. This approach to a Greek reader allows for both variety and coherence in the learning process. This reader is a collaborative project that developed out of an advanced Greek course at Portland Seminary (2017-2018). The following students contributed equally to the content of the textbook. Alexander Finkelson (MATS, Portland Seminary, 2018) Bryn Pliska Girard (MATS, Portland Seminary, 2018) Charles E. R. Jesch (MDIV, Portland Seminary, current student) Paul C. Moldovan (MDIV, Portland Seminary, current student) Jenny E. Siefken (MATS, Portland Seminary, current student) Julianna Kaye Smith (MATS, Portland Seminary, 2018) Jana Whitworth (MDIV, Portland Seminary, current student) Kyle J. Williams (MATS, Portland Seminary, 2018)","contributors":[{"id":4655,"contribution":"Editor","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":"PhD","first_name":"Nijay","middle_name":"K.","last_name":"Gupta","location":"Portland Seminary","background_text":"Nijay K. Gupta serves as associate professor of New Testament at Portland Seminary of George Fox University. He has written several academic books, including three biblical commentaries. In 2018, he received the Faculty Achievement Award for Graduate Research and Scholarship at George Fox University. He is currently writing the Galatians volume for the Story of God Bible Commentary series (Zondervan)."},{"id":4656,"contribution":"Editor","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Jonah","middle_name":"M.","last_name":"Sandford","location":null,"background_text":"Jonah M. Sandford graduated from Portland Seminary in 2018 with a Master of Arts in Theological Studies (MATS) with a specialization in biblical studies/biblical languages. His primary research interest is New Testament Greek, but he has also worked with biblical Hebrew, German, and Sahidic Coptic."}],"subjects":[{"id":31,"name":"Languages","parent_subject_id":6,"call_number":"P51","visible_textbooks_count":123,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/languages"},{"id":6,"name":"Humanities","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":null,"visible_textbooks_count":418,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/humanities"},{"id":51,"name":"Religion","parent_subject_id":6,"call_number":"BL1","visible_textbooks_count":19,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/religion"}],"publishers":[{"id":571,"url":"http://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/pennington_epress/2/","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:41.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:41.000-05:00","name":"George Fox University Library"}],"formats":[{"id":990,"type":"Online","url":"https://intermediatebiblicalgreekreader.pressbooks.com/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":991,"type":"PDF","url":"https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/pennington_epress/2/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":992,"type":"eBook","url":"https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/pennington_epress/2/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":993,"type":"Hardcopy","url":"http://www.lulu.com/shop/nijay-gupta-and-jonah-sandford/intermediate-biblical-greek-reader-galatians-and-related-texts/paperback/product-23754132.html","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4.5","textbook_reviews_count":3,"reviews":[{"id":2539,"first_name":"Douglas","last_name":"Low","position":"Professor of New Testament","institution_name":"Oakland City University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book suggests that it might work as a graded Greek reader for NT students, using Galatians as the \"simpler\" text and concluding with short passages of more difficult Greek (LXX, NT Book of James, the writings of Chrysostom, and recorded comments of Marcion.  The non-Galatians texts have relevance back to Galatians (which is good).  The book would not seem to work as a graded reader since the chapters of Galatians (which are treated in order) do not progress in difficulty.  The non-Galatians text probably are \"harder\" Greek for the intermediate reader.  There is a short glossary of grammatical terms but it does not compare to the 40 pages of grammar provided by W. Mounce in his A Graded Reader of Biblical Greek (1996) which is based on D. Wallace's grammar.  Mounce's work does proceed from simple Greek passages to more complex passages taken from throughout the NT.   Gupta and Sandford note that their book stays with a single text for the main body of the course.  But a student who is beginning to use his or her skills may find the Galatians text difficult from the start.  There is also very limited vocabulary help which seems to be basic element for any reader if the student is not to get discouraged.  The student will need to know vocabulary (the book is termed \"Intermediate\" and clearly expects students to know it) and look up the words unlearned from Greek 1 and 2 courses.  Galatians does repeat its vocabulary somewhat, a benefit for staying with one main text).  Notes on grammar or syntax are provided for each verse.  Initials AAPMSG, for example, allow a student who knows the abbreviations to quickly recognize the word's tense, voice, mood, gender, number, and case (not all words are identified). The grammatical notes are provided for each verse, but the information is limited compared to the more thorough help provided by David deSilva's Galatians:  A Handbook on the Greek Text (2014) which is part of the Baylor Press Handbook series.  (There is a now Kindle version of deSilva.)   The text under review is not attempting to be a Handbook, but the student may have more questions and uncertainties about how to translate the passages from Galatians.  But where deSilva's notes might overwhelm, Gupta and Sandford may be right on target.  The professor of the course will be there to fill in or provide new information  The section on Textual Criticism seems too brief to be helpful for a student at this stage of study (and discusses only two examples).  Most NT introductions will have done this amount or more.  DeSilva's text provides text critical information as the student encounters the verses (the two examples were not noted at the time of translation as having variants).  If the text under review is more intended as a textbook on Galatians rather than a graded reader, then one might wish to have an introduction to the study of Galatians (compare again deSilva, and noting that graded readers do not do this).  ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The information in the notes is correct (Greek scholars may debate this or that).  The Greek of the Galatians text is the SBL text.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Relevance is difficult to measure in Greek readers.  I will argue that it needs to be supplemented to accomplish its  ultimate goal of encouraging readers to progress in their skills without discouragement, but its notes will be of help to a student practicing translation.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The notes are clear and the information basic.  Students who have successfully completed a year of Greek should be able to understand the information about grammar and syntax.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book follows the same pattern (text, grammatical notes, and discussion questions for each individual section of a few verses.  There is an occasional word study.  The word studies are good.  The information on the Greek word for \"faith\" is particularly clear.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The sections of Greek text are already small (only a few verses) and usually the divisions are traditional.  Combining them into larger sections would be easy to do.  This issue doesn't seem to apply.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Galatians is treated section by section, and each section is treated with the same organization.  The occasional word study provides a good break and these word studies are few but well done.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I saw no problems.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The English grammar is correct in the sections that I checked.  If there are grammatical errors in the English, I missed them.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text presents no problems, and Galatians itself proclaims inclusiveness.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I would not recommend the book for the purpose of a graded reader.  If one does use the book, then for additional help with vocabulary, one might turn to the The Greek New Testament: A Reader's Edition (2014, German Bible Society) which provides a dictionary in the back for words used more than 30 times in the NT (thus, basic Greek vocabulary) and has a running dictionary on the page for words used less in the NT with parsing of verbs and identifying nouns (for gaining speed and limited distraction).  Some NT Greek 1 and 2 courses are using such a text already as the copy of the Greek NT for their students.  Other reader editions of the Greek NT exist.  I think a beginning reader will need vocabulary help to keep going and build speed in reading.  The text under review does have discussion questions after each section (deSilva's Handbook does not, given its intended audience).   But there are usually only 1 to 3 such questions per section.  They are usually geared to the information provided in the notes for translation, making sure the student has understood what was written.  Finally, the grammar information is good and perhaps sufficient for the purposes of seeing some examples of basic NT syntactical relationships at work throughout a single text, but one might remember the older Max Zerwick's A Grammatical Analysis of the Greek NT (4th ed., 1993) which was always handy for grammar and vocabulary for the beginning and intermediate student.  But the text under review will be free to the students unlike any others that were referenced here.  Yet I think I would use Mounce or deSilva, depending on the objectives of the course itself (increased skills in reading Greek or a study of the Greek text of Galatians) in spite of costs. ","created_at":"2019-01-18T15:21:06.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-01-18T15:21:06.000-06:00"},{"id":4633,"first_name":"Amy","last_name":"Phillips","position":"Librarian","institution_name":"Howard University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The selection of readings is unique (usually readers focus on one of the Four Gospels or simply on the Septuagint) which means the student of Greek will have more exposure to different parts of the Bible, including the Septuagint, and a Church Father. The notes below the text cover syntax, grammar, morphology, vocabulary, and text critical notes, all of which are invaluable for students of Greek and the Bible. The historical background explanatory material along with discussion question make independent study possible. The inclusion of a chapter on text criticism also advances the student to consider how the text was formed beyond grammar and syntax.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The Greek text used comes from the best scholarly editions, which include the Society of Biblical Literature's Greek New Testament, Rahlfs's Septuaginta. The choice of Migne's Patrologiae Graecae for the text of John Chrysostom is understandable since it is straightforward, though not the most accurate version of the text.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Students of Koine Greek should be acquainted with the range of biblical texts outside of the Gospels and shifting the focus to one of Paul's first epistles and  John Chrysostom's commentary on it, brings the two traditions in conversation with one another. This opportunity rarely happens from a traditional intermediate textbook.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The grammatical aids and historical notes elucidate the texts and focus the student's attention on linguistic phenomena that would otherwise go unnoticed.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The chapters are organized consistently, so the student begins to cultivate important ways to evaluate texts grammatically and linguistically.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is presented in small digestible portions and the questions help move the study away from the grammar and keep the content in focus.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book is very well organized with consistent features of texts, notes, and questions for each section.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The book is available online and via PDF. The online enables the student to dynamically move from the glossary to the texts, allowing the option to keep the different parts in separate tabs. There is also the option to purchase a hard copy for those students more comfortable with print. The printed text is very affordable.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The English text of the author is well written and without error.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The presentation of the ancient world and the Sitz im Leben of Paul and post biblical authors are thorough and engaging.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2021-02-21T16:24:25.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-02-21T16:24:25.000-06:00"},{"id":4867,"first_name":"Owen","last_name":"Ewald","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Seattle Pacific University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"A vocabulary list would have been helpful, but the glossary of grammatical terms and list of morphological abbreviations both hit the mark.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The Chrysostom passage lacks accents and breathing marks, but the rest of the passages look good. I saw no factual errors in the commentary information or word studies.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Some of the word studies could use more recent bibliography from a wider variety of traditions besides evangelicals from the 80's and 90's. The commentary format allows for updating by students or instructors, and the MYON = Make Your Own Note feature is empowering.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"When you get used to the morphological abbreviations, the writing is straightforward.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The texts follow the same text-commentary format throughout, while the more topical chapters, 16 and 21, are clearly flagged.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The organization of Galatians by pericope works well for my purposes of assigning each student a passage for exegesis.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"It would be more useful for me to have chapter 16, Textual Criticism, first, followed by the Galatians readings, but the chapter is clearly marked and could easily be assigned ‘out of order.’","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface works fine, perhaps because there are few tables and no maps. The layout is clear and prepares students to read the New Testament with some assistance.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I could not find any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Another reviewer points out that Galatians itself advocates inclusion (3:28), and the word study of paidagōgos rightly uses the word “slave” instead of the euphemizing and misleading “servant.” But there are missed opportunities, such as not adducing a parallel text about Sarah or Hagar to go along with the two passages about Abraham.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I am likely to use this book at the end of my first-year Greek course where I assign students a passage of Galatians on which to do exegesis, since the grammar help is really useful throughout.","created_at":"2021-04-30T16:03:23.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-04-30T16:03:23.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/intermediate-biblical-greek-reader-galatians-and-related-texts","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:12:48.000-06:00"},{"id":409,"title":"World Literature I: Beginnings to 1650","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2015,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution-ShareAlike","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":["unknown"],"description":"This peer-reviewedWorld Literature Ianthology includes introductory text and images before each series of readings. Sections of the text are divided bytimeperiod in three parts: the Ancient World, Middle Ages, and Renaissance, and then divided into chapters by location.","contributors":[{"id":4010,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Laura","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Getty","location":"North Georgia College \u0026 State University","background_text":"Laura Getty is an English professor at North Georgia College \u0026 State University in Dahlonega, GA."},{"id":4011,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Kyounghye","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Kwon","location":"University of North Georgia","background_text":"Kyounghye Kwon is an assistant professor in the English department at the University of North Georgia. She received her doctoral degree in English and her certificate in Theatre and Performance from The Ohio State University. Her teaching and research areas include world literature, postcolonial studies, Asian/Asian American studies, gender studies, and performance studies. Her current research focuses on how Korean traditional puppet theatre preserves, alters, and adapts Korea's pre-colonial/indigenous memory in its performance repertoires for contemporary audiences, with particular attention to indigenous memory, gender, and the changing nature of the audience. She is co-editor of Compact Anthology of World Literature (UNGP, 2015), an open access textbook funded by a Complete College Georgia Grant. Her articles and reviews have appeared in Asian Theatre Journal, Journal of Dramatic Theory and Criticism, Theatre Survey, Theatre Journal, Pinter Et Cetera, and Text \u0026 Presentation."}],"subjects":[{"id":6,"name":"Humanities","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":null,"visible_textbooks_count":418,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/humanities"},{"id":33,"name":"Literature, Rhetoric, and Poetry","parent_subject_id":6,"call_number":"PE1408","visible_textbooks_count":124,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/literature-rhetoric-and-poetry"},{"id":51,"name":"Religion","parent_subject_id":6,"call_number":"BL1","visible_textbooks_count":19,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/religion"}],"publishers":[{"id":448,"url":"https://ung.edu/university-press/books/world-literature-i-beginnings-to-1650.php","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:39.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:39.000-05:00","name":"University of North Georgia Press"}],"formats":[{"id":769,"type":"PDF","url":"https://ung.edu/university-press/books/world-literature-i-beginnings-to-1650.php","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4","textbook_reviews_count":6,"reviews":[{"id":882,"first_name":"Albrecht","last_name":"Classen","position":"Univ. Distinguished Prof.","institution_name":"University of Arizona","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The scope of this textbook is huge, trying to cover the early history of literature in Europe, the Middle East, India, Japan, and China, extending from the ancient period to the end of the fifteenth century. The authors have made a selection that presents, indeed, some of the most important texts composed in those areas and periods. So we find the Old Testament, the epic of Gilgamesh, The Tale of Genji, and others. No one can be an expert and we constantly face huge challenges when we cross cultural borders. This textbook takes students to many different worlds, and at the end of the course they will probably be well informed about the truly major texts produced then and there. I wonder, however, whether those huge reading sections are the best in conveying to students the complexity and richness of the material. While scrolling through the book, I got rather irritated about the vastness of the material, considering that so many cultures and periods need to be considered. Does it make sense to ask students to read such long sections? I am afraid that they will not do that anyway, esp. not with an online textbook. We can applaud the authors to be so ambitious, but it would have been much more useful if there had been small pieces along with a thorough group of guiding questions. There are brief introductions, but they often do not say very much. Wherever I felt more like an expert, I was rather disappointed about the low quality of those remarks. But altogether, the selection is pretty comprehensive in what the editors intend. But many other texts could have been utilized, especially those written by women, which are not presented here. A discussion about this would have been helpful.  ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Since the intros. are fairly short and general, there is not much to be worried about. The students get basic facts, but mostly they are left wondering what the texts might be about and why they are supposed to read them. There are virtually no efforts to didacticize them. ","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"The entire concept of world literature is a good one, but it comes with a lot of problems because the essential idea is to compare those texts with each other. But the cultural and historical background is so vastly different. I am afraid that students will get bored very quickly, esp. because they will not be able to recognize the significance of the texts. They are all certainly relevant, but how would the beginner know this? Basically, it might be much cheaper and easier to ask students to purchase individual textbooks or to read the texts online in other databases. ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Overall, well done, very clear structure, clear introductions. However, it is very difficult to scroll through this book, there are no hyperlinks, one cannot jump from one text to the other, apart from doing a global search. Using this book on my laptop was very difficult and uncomfortable; easier on the PC. The authors write in a very clear, accessible English. ","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"This is the kind of textbook that were produced over the last decades, and the intros. and other accompanying texts are clear and understandable. There is no particular jargon, so this is good for freshmen students.","modularity_rating":2,"modularity_review":"Not at all; there are huge junks of text, and one cannot easily work through the sections to move on. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The structure is well done, geographical and chronological order are good. ","interface_rating":1,"interface_review":"The interface is practically not existent. Why is this even an online book? Nothing of the powers of the hyperlink system is utilized. The images and maps are nice, but I feel frustrated that the image on the cover, the Ebstorf World Map, is not even identified. This goes back to the same issues; this is a textbook with no pedagogical strategies and hardly any didacticizing efforts, apart from a few very general questions. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not observe any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":2,"cultural_review":"The issue of cultural relevance is hardly mentioned, and the readers will not easily understand why this text selection has been made. The instructor will have to work very hard on his/her own to utilize those texts in the classroom and to build connections between the Western and the Eastern sections. ","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1237,"first_name":"Aimee","last_name":"Barrios","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Southeastern Louisiana University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text covers an impressive range of materials, but the omission of Middle Eastern and African literature, especially The Arabian Nights, is glaring.  The index is effective, but the commentary and annotation are weak.  More textual support (guided discussion questions, etc.) would be helpful.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"No errors in content were noted, and the text seems unbiased.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content is very relevant.  The author did a good job of choosing texts that are seminal and clearly influential.  The thematic overview is also helpful.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The writing level is actually quite accessible which is helpful for non-majors who might be required to take a World Lit course.  More context would be useful.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text seems consistent in terminology, framework and formatting","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The divisions in the text work well, but the excerpts are too long. For example, including two versions of the bible without annotation is not very useful.  Breaking up long sections of text with comprehension questions would be helpful to reluctant readers.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The ordering was a little confusing at parts.  For example, the Hebrew text is presented before Gilgamesh which is confusing since Gilgamesh predates it by so many years.  Annotation between selections to transition and draw comparisons would be useful.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The text was easy to navigate; the visuals were helpful and easy to enlarge on a screen.  I found it frustrating to navigate within long selections, however.  A sidebar with hyperlinks would help a lot.  Also, is it possible to embed video ciips in the text to break up the reading and reenforce comprehension?","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There were no obvious grammatical errors in this text.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"There were no selections by women writers and no African texts.  A pre-colonial text, like the Epic of Son Sara, would provide a good perspective.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2099,"first_name":"Rachael","last_name":"Hammond","position":"Lecturer","institution_name":"Shenandoah University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Creating a text such as this one could be daunting.  The text is already separated into three pdf’s, so including more texts could become unwieldy at some point.  \n\nIncluding more introductory notes on form might be helpful.  Those already provided are strongly composed and quite helpful.  For instance, the introduction to Homer provides great background information on the consistent appreciation for Homer’s writing talents.  However, the note, if longer, could address the beauty of the original poems, especially since the translations of The Iliad and The Odyssey are in a prose-like form.  At the same time, thought, the poetic translation of The Aeneid, which is included, does provide counterpoint lessons not only on approaches to epic storytelling but also on approaches to translation work itself.  \n\nAlso, perhaps including more Dante and even just a few samples of Boethius and Petrarch could enliven the European portion of the second book, particularly inasmuch as they could further exemplify the shift from medieval European to the Renaissance European cultural mindsets.  The pictures accompanying the Canterbury Tales are great; including some introductory notes on illuminated manuscripts and the craft of writing could enliven that portion of the text while also positioning a great comparison with how that craft developed and evolved in other key cultures featured in the text.  \n\nThe third book ably crosses the Atlantic, with the inclusion of various Native American pieces.  They deliver wonderful examples for demonstrating both a contrast of cultural perspectives as well as a commentary on the universal human experience.  Including some Francis Bacon in the third book could prove a meaningful addition, as well, especially given the rise of the essay.\n\nOtherwise, including samples of South America and Africa could further strengthen the text’s comprehensives while also offering professors opportunities for still more comparisons of mythologies.  –But again, as the books are already lengthy, decisions about what to include must certainly be difficult.\n","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Translations comprise the bulk of the textbook.  The translators include both recent quality translations as well as those long-revered (such as Samuel Butler).  Editorial acumen seems exhaustive and precise.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Both the texts themselves and the introductory sections are relevant, particularly for a world literature or an ancient literature course.   The editors’ notes are clear and gently illuminate the timeless relevance of the text’s contents.  The works included in this book are timeless classics that comment on universal literary themes.  In addition, the works provide great grounding for students who need to develop their ability to recognize Classical allusions in other literary works.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The translations and unit introductions are clear.  The text also includes some helpful tools to help students in better understanding the works of literature and the cultures of the authors and original readers/listeners.  For instance, the introduction to The Aeneid includes a helpful chart that helps students to understand the comparisons of the Greek versus the Roman forms of the ancient gods. ","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The three books demonstrate an effort to balance both the cultures and the genres represented in the given time period.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is clearly delineated in the table of contents, allowing professors to use the text either in a cultural approach, an historical approach, a thematic approach, and/or a form or genre approach.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The introduction itself read, “A word to the instructor: The texts have been chosen with the idea that they can be compared and contrasted, using common themes.”  The text does follow through on this claim, and it complements my plan for an ancient literature course that I am designing. The flow is logical, and the text is organized in a manner that allows professors to assign readings in any way that seems more appropriate for the given course.\n\n","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The interface is user friendly.  The unit introductions generally include engaging images and photographs.  They enliven the screen, which is especially helpful as this book is quite sizeable.  (Some free online sources do not seem to include many or any images, so the inclusion here is a visual treat for the professor and could help to improve the readability for students who might other wise experience some screen fatigue.)  Using the command-F or the control-F short cut, depending on your computer type, is a helpful tool for navigating large texts such as these.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"The grammar use, overall, is both strong and graceful.  The text’s tone is sometimes conversational; however, since some students might consider these works daunting, the conversational tone, combined with the occasional vivid images, might put such students at greater ease. ","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The text seems to navigate aspects of cultural difference with much ease.  –Given the nature of this book’s content, that is important.  In fact, some of the introductory notes provide suggestions for assignments and activities that will help students to consider cultural and historical differences, in an objective manner, while studying these texts.  However, placing the two versions of the Bible before Gilgamesh could appear as a hierarchical decision to some readers who might date Gilgamesh earlier and thus place it earlier in the anthology.  ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"The appendices include very helpful links to the original texts.  I found the text helpful and plan include it in an undergraduate ancient literature course that I will be teaching in a few months.  Overall, the text provides a comprehensive and thought-provoking anthology of many of the world's greatest texts.","created_at":"2018-05-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-05-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2260,"first_name":"Jessica","last_name":"Tvordi","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Southern Utah University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"For a compact anthology, this title is comprehensive in in coverage of world literature—from Ancient Greece and Rome, to Asia and India, to medieval and Renaissance Europe, to Native American texts of the New World. Unfortunately, it does not include any women writers, which is beyond unfortunate given that they work acknowledges in its introduction the importance of some of these works in examining the roles of women. If I used any one of the texts three sections, I would need to supplement, especially for Part 3.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate, error-free, and unbiased to the best of my knowledge (given the anthology's historical scope).","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The authors successfully situate the literary works within the broader culture, history, and geopolitics of the ancient world through the Renaissance in a way that is informative and unbiased. Thus, subsequent research on these areas would not render the work obsolete, and any changes to the framework for the anthology of texts would be minimal. The lack of women writers, however, may make this text seem outdated to some potential adopters.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The introductory sections are written clearly, and will be easily accessible to undergraduate students. The text is low in jargon, and the tone seems geared toward sophomore or less experienced students—maybe even non-majors.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is internally consistent in terms of terminology and framework across the three parts.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I think the text is successful in this regard, keeping in my that this is not a textbook conveying information but rather an anthology of literary works. For that reason, there are large blocks of text without subheadings, but there's really no way to avoid that.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization makes sense and is consistence across the the parts or volumes of the text.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text has no interface issues—it is easy to navigate and created no confusion for the reader.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text contains no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"The text is culturally relevant with regards to nation and ethnicity, but excludes women writers, which will make this book less competitive than the conventionally published anthologies which have been addressing this issue for decades.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I found the student engagement questions included in each part very helpful and relevant. The writers are very attuned to the needs/limitations of undergraduate readers of classic literature, and this is something I would like to see in more anthologies. I also appreciate that the text is set up to be used thematically and comparatively—again, the writers have offered something that the instructor usually has to work out herself.","created_at":"2018-08-02T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-08-02T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":3013,"first_name":"Rebecca","last_name":"Sailor","position":"Professor, Humanities","institution_name":"Aims Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book comprehensively covers ancient literature to 1600 with key works.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"This book draws from high quality translations. The authors combine translations and make improvements when needed.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This book will maintain longevity for some time; these works will not fade in terms of importance.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"This text combines the best free texts available to date. There are more accessible, fresh versions of many of these stories, but they are unlikely to be able to provided for free.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is consistent with a reliable structure: effective introductions and reading questions are present at each new section.","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"This book is effective in terms of modularity; there are clear sections provided in the table of contents, but it would be easy to create a class according to different modules such as geography, heroes/epics, etc. However, because the texts are provided in their entirety, they are quite long.  This could make it  difficult to create shorter thematic sections around topics.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"This text is clearly organized around geographical locations, and there are excellent introductions to each chapter. Textual notes on the part of the authors help to provide context.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The interface is not significantly flawed, but there is some room for improvement. For example, adding document links that hop from the table of contents (TOC) to the page where the selection begins (and links that hop from the end of a selection back to the TOC) would help the reader navigate more quickly when searching for something, since this .pdf quite lengthy. Additionally, adding subsections to the TOC would help the reader navigate more quickly. For example, if there are multiple books or translations in each work, having the TOC list those subsections/page numbers would be helpful.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"This work is excellently edited.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"This edition reflects ample diversity. However, there is an opportunity to add even more sources; for example, poetry of Sappho and the Book of the Dead might be nice additions.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I'm grateful that this book has been created and provided for students' and instructors' use. It is extremely convenient to have these sources combined for use in literature, humanities, and history courses. Thank you!","created_at":"2019-06-24T20:18:49.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-06-24T20:18:49.000-05:00"},{"id":3346,"first_name":"Suzanne","last_name":"Bessenger","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Randolph College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text provides a selection of texts appropriate to a survey of Asian religions course.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Translations are accurate.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"The text's translations are antiquated, but not so much so that they would be unusable in an undergraduate classroom.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Again, the translations are antiquated, which makes them not as accessible as more recent translations.  They remain usable, however.  The introductions to each region from which the texts are drawn are short, but clear.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The formatting and quality of the book is consistent throughout.","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"Unfortunately, this book is only available as three PDFs.  The reader thus needs to scroll down through each PDF to find the appropriate page.  Hypertext links would improve the navigability of the text.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The text is clearly organized by geographical region, with each book section beginning with short descriptions of historical eras and regions. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface is a PDF document.  Although this format makes for slow navigability, it has the virtue of being free of interface problems.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"In my perusal of the text, I encountered no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is a survey of world literature, and thus is inclusive of a variety of races, ethnicities, and cultures.  In my perusal of the text, I encountered nothing insensitive.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2019-12-03T15:52:58.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-12-03T15:52:58.000-06:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/world-literature-i-beginnings-to-1650","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:10:32.000-06:00"}],"links":{"self":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/religion.json?page=1","total_pages":3,"total_count":21,"next":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/religion.json?page=2"}}