Social Sciences Books

The context of epidemics is important. What happens to the poor people who have drug resistant tuberculosis? Market mechanisms do not serve the interest of global health equity. The cost-efectiveness argument is weak. Poverty limits freedom of choice. AIDS education falls short. Arguments about limited resources should not prevail. There is a global web of unequal relationships. Structural violence and cultural difference have been conflated in AIDS studies.

Anthropology and medicine have blind spots. Virchow understood medicine had biologic and social underpinnings. There is not enough high-tech medicine to go around. Inequality itself is a pathogenic force. The author's interpretation of modern plagues has been shaped by work in Haiti and Peru. As scientific and medical communities tried to make sense of AIDS, the author was drawn into the discipline of the sociology of knowledge. World systems theory, one of the newer anthropological theories, could posit that Paul Farmer of Harvard and Haiti is a conduit for resources.

In many instances of disease emergence, social topography is more important than geographic topography. The differential political economy of risk is described. The major risk factor for AIDS is poverty. Personal agency has been exaggerated. From typhoid to tuberculosis to AIDS, blaming the victim is a theme in the literature. Being sick results from structural violence, not from bad personal choices. The author lived in a village in rural Haiti when both AIDS and political violence arrived. Haitian cases of AIDS defied the risk-grouping descriptions prevalent in the 1980's. The Haitian epidemic of AIDS originated in the United States.

Recent circumstances in Haiti include deepening poverty, gender inequality, instability. The author and other physicians and health workers have learned that a belief in sorcery among Haitians does not preclude adherence to a biomedical regimen. Furthermore, high cure rates for tuberculosis, (often a twin affliction of AIDS), are possible in settings of extreme poverty. Juxtaposing treatment with prevention are false debates.

The author has traced the march of inequality as it affects health care in a myriad of ways. Endnotes and an extensive bibliography follow the text of this excellent work. Everyone should buy it, everyone should read it.

An enlightening and insightful book that passionately sets a higher standard for those involved in medicine or any type of humanitarian work. He is passionate about what he says, but careful not to make assumptions that have not been well documented and researched. The book challenged my thinking when it comes to health care, poverty, and our social duty to take action against injustices in the world.

By claiming "social reform," Farmer contradicts his stance as an American citizen: Haiti has no money to support its own citizens, that's why the US and others are doing Haiti's job. But, the US has to care for its own citizens as well therefore has to first work on its own AIDS patients within its boundary. If the US does that as its social reform, Haiti instantly dries up.

Irritating mistakes somehow got through inspection: PAligre Dam? PEligre? (P. 174) PuertO Plata? PueltA? (P. 119)

Farmer, a physician-anthropologist and activist, examines both the way that poverty and inequality result in the spread of HIV and TB today and the flawed justifications for inequitable access to treatment. His ethnographic analysis provides a powerful complement to standard epidemiological work, and this treatise on the danger as well as the immorality of inequity in medical care is largely convincing.

Farmer illustrates several broad themes effectively with case studies from Haiti and Peru. One is the idea that most studies overemphasize individual agency, failing to recognize serious "structural" factors, such as the pressure that extreme poverty exerts on people to engage in unhealthy behaviors and the problems introduced by economic inequality. (One example of the latter is that in unequal countries like Peru, second-line TB drugs are available because of demand by the rich, so doctors also prescribe them to the poor who can only afford them intermittently, which generates drug-resistant strains of the disease.) Another theme is that people in rich nations tend to place heavy weight on "strange" cultural beliefs and customs in explaining high disease prevalence, whereas actual epidemiological research tends to show that these factors carry little weight relative to poverty-related factors. While he uses AIDS in Haiti to illustrate this tendency, it applies perfectly to popular Western conceptions of AIDS in Africa: the popular media tend to emphasize cultural practices such as wife inheritance and a strong sex drive, whereas epidemiological research fails to support a major role for these.

A third theme, which Farmer often trumpets but not as convincingly, is that many of the trade-offs voiced by policymakers are ultimately false. One example is the question of whether to treat tuberculosis with drugs or prevent it (e.g., by investing in economic development). He then uses the success of his clinic in Haiti as an example of both treating and preventing TB. The ultimate argument is that the wealthy have no right to withhold their wealth from the poor. However, he gives us no clear sense of how the resources to generalize this to the world at large should be marshaled. While the trade-off may be philosophically false, the practical application is unclear.

But even without a plan of action, Farmer illuminates key problems in the analysis of infectious disease spread and makes a convincing plea to share the wealth (and the technology).

Too long . Written with sientific dicipline & detail and burdened by too much specialized medical terminology for the popular reader . The idealism is admerable and the conclusion are justified but it speaks to the medical profession more than to the general public . A slow diffucult book to read . Sombody else should write the same book for the popular reader and for leaders in public policy .

I read The Uglies and could not put it down. It is a great book.

The Pretties annoyed me with the whole doing things to be "bubbly." They used this term all the time. That, and things are "happy making" and "pretty making" and "funny making." They were supposed to be like mindless robots, but this use of language got on my nerves.

I loved the Uglies and the description of the sights and sounds Tally experienced in "The Smoke." It was so exciting to watch Tally learn how to do simple things outside of her ultra modern city.

At the end of the Uglies when she turned herself in in order to help Shay become cured, I was so excited to see what would happen, when David would come rescue her.

It was so annoying how long it took for her to become reunited with David. Her friendshipe with Shay completely fell apart, and Shay ended up being hte completely mindless one, when in the first book, Shay was the adventurous one with a mind of her own who was all for staying ugly and running away.

I was just extremely disappointed in what I thought was going to be an extremely promising book.

Tally has become pretty and it looks like everything is working out for her at last. She pretty, she's popular, has a fantastic wardrobe and boyfriend, but looks can be deceiving and in this case they are. Tally has received a letter from her past self and remembers why she became pretty in the first place and why it needs to be fixed. This knowledge is dangerous and the authorities don't want her to live to talk about it.

Pretties is the second volume of Scott Westerfeld's Uglies Trilogy. It picks up almost exactly where Uglies left off and the story is fairly involved so I strongly recommend reading Uglies first. If, however, you decide to ignore me, here's a brief explanation of what's going on which will necessarily include spoilers (and yes I am quoting my own review):

"Uglies is set in the distant future after a mysterious global catastrophe precipitated changes to the foundations of what readers would call modern society. Fearful of war and violence cities now operate as independent states (think Renaissance Italy as opposed to contemporary Italy). Isolated and self-sufficient, the cities have agreed to certain standards for the greater good.

"New technology ensures that citizens never want for food or luxury items, weapons of any kind are largely illegal, and at the age of sixteen everyone undergoes a series of extreme surgeries to better conform to societal standards of beauty. The logic being that, since humans are preconditioned to respond to certain visual cues in each other already (big eyes are non-threatening, a clear complexion and good teeth indicate that a person is healthy), applying these beauty standards will reduce conflict and create a more harmonious society.

"But in a world where everyone is movie-star-gorgeous (oldies like Rudolph Valentino and Greta Garbo are considered "natural pretties"), normal people are so not pretty. In short, they're ugly."

At the end of the first book, our heroine Tally Youngblood also learns that normal people are smarter than the Pretties. As part of the government's plan to keep the population in line, Pretties' brains are surgically altered with lesions to make Pretties more complacent. The government's logic can be summed up in four dangerous words: for the greater good.

At the end of Uglies, knowing now that the operation has to be stopped, Tally makes the ultimate sacrifice--she allows herself to undergo the Operation in order to become an undercover operative of sorts. The only problem is that, because of the Operation, she forgets everything she learned about the Operation, the government, and perhaps most importantly about Special Circumstances (Westerfeld's interpretation of secret service/black ops types).

In other words, Tally starts Pretties with a basically clean slate. She and best friend Shay know that they lived with the resistance group known as The Smoke, but little else. Looking for something "bubbly" to do as Pretties, the girls decide to join the Crims--a clique known for pulling dramatic stunts in order to stay bubbly and consequently think a little more clearly than Pretties usually do. As Tally becomes more involved with the Crims and their leader, Zane, pieces of Tally's past begin to fall into place. But, the more Tally learns about her past, the more confusing things become as she has to decide between her past and her present.

Of the trilogy, this one is my least favorite. The characters, being Pretties, seemed the most unreal. Although Westerfeld evoked a very realistic world in Uglies it all rings a little less true here. I love how much slang these novels use and how easy it is to follow, but that too got to be a bit much.

The novel ends on a dramatic note, Tally once again rallying against those who would maintain the status quo. But at the same time, like in Uglies, she is once again a victim of circumstances. So, although the ending is great, it's also a bit too familiar. Since Pretties is part of a trilogy, it is a must-read to see what happens to Tally. But, in this reviewer's opinion, the second installment in the trilogy doesn't quite live up to the hype created by the first.

I'm more of a person interested in good stories. I love Star Wars, Harry Potter, Narnia, etc...This book and the others that are in the Trilogy fit right into that genra for me. Good read! And, great purchase!

Before I started reading this book, I thought I'd be disappointed, because a friend had said she didn't like the other ones as much as the first book, Uglies. It started out OK because Tally changed completely as a pretty because of the leisures. Then things changed again and it got very exciting. She went through new adventures, some quite scary, and made new companions such as the very important, Zane. The action in these books are great! There were, however, some boring moments for me when she was having trouble with something, but that's just because I liked reading about when she was with her friends.

I won't say much more because I actually can't stand hearing people's thoughts on a book before, or while I'm reading it. Maybe not even after. And I don't want to spoil the suspense-filled story for anyone.

I suggest any type of person to buy these series. I am not a big fan of scientific theories and such, but these books are just eye-catching; you just can't let go of the book once you get into the story! They have a lot to do with just, life itself. I enjoyed this book very much and look forward to reading the other two, Specials and Extras, but until then, I need a break from reading!^-^

The book was delivered on time and the quality of the book is great.

This was by far the most useful resource that I found for my dissertation proposal. Maxwell's writing is clear, smart, and informative. The sample proposal in the back of the book was extremely useful as well.

This is the best book I have found that describes, in simple easy to read language, how to design qualitative research. I enjoyed reading it. The exercises included throughout the book facilitated my learning. I highly recommend it!

Having acquired a veritable library of qualitative methods books and journal articles, I still felt like I was floundering. This book gave me not only a new and more valuable way of thinking about what I was doing, but a step-by-step action guide, practical, practicable, and with a depth (both explicated and in specific references) that makes me much more confident about eventual orals. Short and extremely sweet!

This brief, thorough, and engaging introduction to qualitative research design has no equal. Maxwell avoids the superficial and confused paradigm discussions that so many qualitative authors engage in. He takes a pragmatic and rigorous approach that builds on the potential strengths of qualitative research while promoting well-accepted principles of scientific validity and integrity.

The chapter on validity is especially noteworthy, recognizing that "Validity is a goal not a product; it is never something that can be proven or taken for granted" and that "Validity is also relative: It has to be assessed in relationship to the purposes and circumstances of the research, rather than being a context-independent property of methods or conclusions. Finally validity threats are made implausible by evidence not methods; methods are only a way of getting evidence that can help you rule out these threats." Amen.

The teacher told us to buy This Book... Reading and all that jazz. Every body from the class got it at the school store for $ 70 dollars... I did not want to spend all that money soo I started looking around, and I found it here in Amazon and some other web site almost at the same price. When I made the order they told me that the book would take 5 -9 business day but it came in 2 days... WoW Soooo I actually saved money getting it from Amazon. I really had to get the book...

I'll make it clean cut here; the buyer gave me what I wanted and the item is in great shape. What else could I ask for? Very happy and the delivery was of average speed.

Robert Hirsch's survey of the origins and evolution of photography, "Seizing the Light," is a welcome addition to the expanding study of the medium. In clear, insightful, and engaging prose, Hirsch unfolds photography's hit-or-miss birth which was rapidly followed by coherent technological developments almost at the speed of light. Hirsch makes us believe that photography was inevitable; the darling and necessary child of destiny wed to information theory. And Hirsch's treatment of early 20th century Modernist photography and the philosophy behind Pictorialism is excellent.

As a primer for the invention of photography and its chemical underpinnings, "Seizing the Light" is as good as it can be. It falls a little short, however, in its treatment of contemporary photography. The book would have been better served by including a few in-depth surveys of important contemporary photographic projects in order to emphasize the centrality of this discipline in contemporary art history and postmodern theory which is heavily dependent on the nature of images and processes of image-making.

For everyone with an interest in photography, either as an artist of the medium, a beginner looking for direction, or a collector who wants informed background to enhance appreciation of fine photographs both from the past and from the present obsession, SEIZING THE LIGHT: A History of Photography is essential reading.

Robert Hirsch knows his subject and in one hefty book manages to share the beginnings of photography some 200 years ago with the evolution of the camera and the discipline of photographing. Well illustrated with both photographs and drawings, Hirsch chronicles the famous and not so famous practitioners of the art in succinct but richly colorful biographical abstracts to accompany examples of each artist. The phases through which this art form has passed makes for fascinating reading even beyond the scope of the title: the use of the camera in documenting the history of our globe at celebration, at war, at discovery, and at the side of the people of the day is a journey well lead by a writer well skilled.

Though this book is now six years old it remains one of the more important textbooks for the art school classroom. But more important it is so richly written that it remains a fascinating survey of life since the camera. From the beginnings of the pinhole box to the present day digital images on the cell phone etc, the invention of the camera has inextricably changed our perception of the world. Learn the how and why of it! Highly recommended. Grady Harp, December 05

Seizing the Light: A History of Photography. is a wonderfully broad, contemporary, eclectic and entertaining book. Robert Hirsch has produced the most useful, readable, and practical successor to Beaumont Newhall's classic, The History of Photography, first published in 1937. Seizing the Light is written in a friendly, accessible way -- dense with information, but more hip and lively than other offerings, especially those aimed at college students. Hirsch includes the "canon" of standard western photographic history (represented by Stieglitz, Weston, Adams, White, et. al.) first set forth by Newhall and other researchers, but updates the information with special emphasis on the last five decades of photographic practice, including digital imaging.

Many teachers and interested readers will greatly appreciate Hirsch's conscious effort throughout the book, to include numerous women and photographers from other cultures. (Chapter Two opens with an image of an American Indian, and includes a portrait of an African-American, affording students the realization that marginalized groups actually did appear as subjects before the camera in addition to working behind them.)

Students will also appreciate Hirsch's habit of opening new chapters with a description of cultural and political events occurring during the period under discussion: Chapter Twelve starts with a harrowing description of life for immigrants in New York City in the late Nineteenth Century during the time of Jacob Riis, and Chapter Seventeen has a helpful summary of the ending of the Vietnam War, connecting it smoothly to such diverse influences as Richard Nixon and the BeeGees! There are also wonderful endnotes following each chapter that are absolutely addictive, giving curious readers further information and surprising tidbits of information.

Hirsch's knowledge gained as a Director of CEPA Gallery in Buffalo (a contemporary non-profit Artist's space) provides him with exceptional insight into contemporary photography. This is especially evident in his last Chapter, Eighteen, "Thinking About Photography," which abounds with infrequently seen and challenging images by Arnulf Rainer, Nam June Paik, John Baldessari, Anselm Keifer, Gilbert and George, William Wegman and the Bechers. There is a clear and helpful section on Postmodernism, including the usual suspects: Cindy Sherman, Richard Prince, Barbara Kruger, Sherrie Levine, and Victor Burgin. There are sections on "Gender Issues" with Judith Golden, as well as one on "Fabrications" with Sandy Skoglund, Olivia Parker, Joel Peter Witkin and others. "Altering Time and Space" includes David Hockney, the Starn Twins, and the delicious hand-colored work of Holly Roberts. Other sections include "Investigating the Body" (Andres Serrrano, Robert Mapplethorpe, Nan Goldin, Sally Mann) and "Multiculturalism" (Clarissa Sligh, Carrie Mae Weems, Lorna Simpson, and the Guerilla Girls). Hirsch closes this bulging chapter with a discussion of digital imaging, including images by Pedro Meyer, Nancy Burson and several rising young artists in new media. He concludes with an extensive bibliography of related books and resources, a helpful list of monographs by the major artists presented throughout the text, and a section on sources for artists' books.

Robert Hirsch has produced a most impressive and useful book that readers will find engaging and relevant. The currency and eclectic nature of Hirsch's thought is fascinating and his book serves as a much-needed supplement to existing texts in the history of photography.

(Submitted by Brian Taylor, Professor of Art and Design at San Jose State University, where he has taught the History of Photography for 25 years. Prior to that, he studied with Beaumont Newhall for three years during graduate school at the University of New Mexico.)

Overall a great book on the history of photography. VERY comprehensive overview of the evolution of photography. It ties movements in art and social events into photography trends and developments. It also provides insight into how photographers and artists used the medium to express themselves and how experimentation lead to improvements over the years. My only negative comment would be that some of the earlly forms of cameras were not pictured. There were diagrams of early cameras, but after the first hundred years, there is little to no documentation on how they evolved cosmetically/ functionally. It'd be nice to see an example of the various "groundbreaking" cameras as they were discussed. Otherwise, a great book.

I agree with Scott - this is the worst math book I've ever had to purchase. I actually had to go to the library and check out other books to get an idea of the topics that were discussed in THIS book. If you need this book for a class I suggest you do like I did and go to the library too so that you can pass because this book certainly won't help you in that aspect.

This is one of the worst math books I have ever had the pleasure of using.
I usually always make A's in mathematics, and am also in Honors, but this book is a fight to understand.

The answers in the back are wrong very often, about 1-3 times per exercise. There are about 4-7 exercises per chapter @ 10 chapters. This is extremely frustrating when learning new facets of mathematics. This book is being used at University I am attending, and is not worth this level of education. The instruction in the book is very confusing, by jumping from idea to idea with no flow. First the errors have to be filtered out before any learning can be done. The course I am taking is an online course, so without a live instructor to give the correct information, one leaves completely confused. I have emailed my professor at least once per chapter to confirm my correct answer against the wrong answer in the book. Or the answer key may have extra answers i.e. problem 11 may have questions a, b, and c, and the key will have answers for a, b, c, d, and e.

TO ANY EDUCATOR LOOKING TO USE THIS BOOK FOR THE CLASSROOM, PLEASE CONSIDER ANOTHER RESOURCE, THIS BOOK IS OF VERY POOR QUALITY. Pearson should be ashamed to allow such bad editing to make it to consumers. This is the 9th (Ninth) edition printed in 2007. Math does not change enough to have such bad errors. Nor should any book be so jumbled.

The product came to me with the text in upside down and backwards. It is readable, but it is like the covers are on wrong. So if I want to read it I must flip it over and turn it upside down and the text reads correctly that way.

I had to use this textbook for a criminal justice research class. I found it to be poorly written and extremely dry. Granted, research methods aren't exactly the most interesting topic in the world, but in my opinion this book not only fails to adequately discuss the topics it presents, it poorly presents them. Complex concepts are not fleshed out enough and multiple topics are fired at you like the book is a machine gun. The problem is, they're all similar and tend to run together due to the lack of definitive discussion on each. Unfortunately, this may be the worst textbook that I have ever had to use.

Just what was needed for school, provided all the information needed to get the grades.

I ordered my book during the end of the week and had my book for class on Monday. The book was in exellent condition! Thanks!

This book came to me in the condition listed, but what I didn't realize was that the book was much more wordy then I had hoped. I will pass it onto my daughter who teaches 2nd grade because for my PreK students it won't work.

One of the good things about this book is that it contains many useful charts and diagrams. For example, the procedure of making guttman scales is explained in an easily understandable manner with example charts. Suggestions for further readings also contain many useful and recent materials. As a practical guide for social research, I recommend this book, because it is reader-friendly and does not require a lot of reading; everything needed is found at a glance.