The most popularly read, adapted, anthologized, and incorporated primer on sociology ever written for modern readersAcclaimed scholar and sociologist Peter L. Berger lays the groundwork for a clear understanding of sociology in his straightforward introduction to the field, much loved by students, professors, and general readers. Berger aligns sociology in the humanist traditionrevealing its relationship to the humanities and philosophyand establishes its importance in thinking critically about the modern world.Throughout, Berger presents the contributions of some of the most important sociologists of the time, including Max Weber, mile Durkheim, Vilfredo Pareto, and Thorstein Veblen.