PRE-ORDER YOUR FREE EXAM COPY TODAY! AVAILABLE JULY 2011. Long the leading text in urban sociology, The Urban Worldcontinues to provide a comprehensive, balanced, up-to-date, cross-cultural look at cities and suburbs around the world. Offering a 21st century view of the changing urban scene, the text covers evolving urban patterns and the changing nature of urban life. Combining expert scholarship with a readable style that students appreciate, J. John Palen is one of America'¬"s leading urban sociologists, who travels the world and adds new insights gleaned firsthand to each succeeding edition of his text. New to the 9th Edition: '¬¢ 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data. '¬¢ The political effect of U.S. reapportionment and redistricting based on the 2010 census. '¬¢ The impact of the Great Recession and the virtual collapse of the housing market. '¬¢ The hidden growth of suburban poverty. '¬¢ The continued growth of Latinos as the largest U.S. minority. '¬¢ Latest census findings from the United States and Canada, with a focus on changing metro areas. '¬¢ Rebirth of central cities and its causes and consequences. '¬¢ The post-recession future of North American cities. '¬¢ The dramatic changes taking place in the cities of the world'¬"s two largest nations, India and China. '¬¢ The future of urban developments such as smart growth, new urbanism, and the '¬Sgreening'¬ of cities. '¬¢ International urban changes including Dubai'¬"s tallest building and Abu Dhabi'¬"s city of the future. '¬¢ New photos and illustrations, including the U.S. foreclosure crisis and the BP oil disaster '¬¢ Published in paperback at a '¬SBe Kind to Your Students'¬ lower price. The text seeks to continue its clear writing style with strong student appeal. What also hasn'¬"t changed are enduring features such as strong academic content and instructor friendly organization. It is also accompanied by a comprehensive test item file for qualified instructors. The Urban Worldis in its ninth edition because it successfully works as a text.