The new edition of this bestselling text continues to emphasize intuition and common sense, while demonstrating the link between the practice of statistics and important social issues. Recognizing that today's students live in a world characterized by a growing diversity and richness of social differences, the authors help students learn key sociological concepts through real research examples related to the dynamic interplay of race, class, gender, and other social variables. In addition, guides for reading and interpreting the research literature help students understand key concepts, while SPSS demonstrations and a rich variety of exercises help them hone their problem-solving skills.