This reader was developed as an accompaniment to Andersen/Taylor's SOCIOLOGY: THE ESSENTIALS. This reader can also be used with any Wadsworth text or any competitor's text as well as a sole text for the course. The emphasis of the collection is on articles that students will both understand and find intriguing. The collection is less rigid than the other readers now on the market and includes articles with a variety of styles and perspectives-a global perspective is apparent throughout. Like the text, the reader has a strong focus on diversity. The book also features more current research than the competitors. And, the book presents a balance of classic and contemporary readings that professors teaching the course find important.Five themes have been developed: 1. Classical sociological theory, 2. Contemporary research, 3. Diversity, 4. Globalization, 5. The application of the sociological perspective.