Examine the sociological meaning in Hurricane Katrina, same-sex marriage, the abuses at Abu Ghraib prison and scores of modern, compelling issues such as these in Andersen and Taylor's updated new edition of this easy-to-understand text. The book uses research and data to illustrate how class, race-ethnicity, gender, age, geographic residence, and sexual orientation relate to key sociological topics.. Andersen and Taylor inspire you to think for yourself about sociology with the book's "Debunking Society's Myths" features and critical thinking exercises. End-of-chapter summaries in a question-and-answer format provide a built-in review to help you prepare for exams, while an extensive map and illustration program makes concepts easier to understand. View the world through a sociological lens with this best-selling textbook . . . a perpetual favorite with students. This modern book and its fascinating coverage will make you want to read more as you learn to question, challenge, and look at the world like sociologists do.