This beautifully written book examines the social causes of death through analyses of hip hop culture, the motivations of Palestinian suicide bombers, and the plight of victims of hurricanes in the Caribbean region and the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. The five linked essays bring sociology alive by taking you into worlds that figure prominently in today’s popular culture and headline news stories. Ending with a synopsis of the promise of the sociological imagination, this thought-provoking book will inspire your hope for a better world for future generations.