Cities and society : revised reader in urban sociology

The enormous significance of the city in determin ing patterns of life throughout modern society is evident. The very term "modern society" con notes a way of life characterized by a rationalized industrial structure, complex markets, rapid trans portation and efficient communication. More than this, "modern society" connotes a way of life so related to the requirements of the city that it is almost the equivalent of "urban society."

The importance of the city has by no means been overlooked by the social sciences. An abundant and penetrating literature testifies to this. Characteris tically, however, this literature is widely scattered both with reference to the disciplines which have produced it and with reference to the publications in which it appears. Cities and Society collects sixty-two of the most important contributions made in this field of study.

The chapters in this comprehensive work are written by sociologists, economists, psychologists, anthropologists and other researchers. The kinds of topics and problems they discuss are many and varied, as a glance at the table of contents will prove. We will mention here a very few of the subjects of interest: the growth of suburban areas; neighborhoods and child conduct; crime in the city; fertility of people in the city; churches in the city; Negroes in the city. No other book gives so comprehensive a portrait of the American city.