The Best Social Science Books 2026

1. The Book of Tea Classic Edition, (Hardcover)

Now available in a gorgeous hardcover slipcase edition, this "object d'art" will be sure to add grace and elegance to tea shelves, coffee tables and bookshelves. A keepsake enjoyed by tea lovers for over a hundred years, The Book of Tea Classic Edition will enhance your enjoyment and understanding of the seemingly simple act of making and drinking tea. In 1906 in turn-of-the-century Boston, a small, esoteric book about tea was written with the intention of being read aloud in the famous salon of Isabella Gardner, Boston's most notorious socialite. It was authored by Okakura Kakuzo, a Japanese philosopher, art expert, and curator. Little known at the time, Kakuzo would emerge as one of the great thinkers of the early 20th century, a genius who was insightful, witty--and greatly responsible for bridging Western and Eastern cultures. Okakura had been taught at a young age to speak English and was more than capable of expressing to Westerners the nuances of tea and the Japanese Tea Ceremony. In The Book of Tea Classic Edition, he discusses such topics as Zen and Taoism, but also the secular aspects of tea and Japanese life. The book emphasizes how Teaism taught the Japanese many things; most importantly, simplicity. Kakuzo argues that tea-induced simplicity affected the culture, art and architecture of Japan. Nearly a century later, Kakuzo's The Book of Tea Classic Edition is still beloved the world over, making it an essential part of any tea enthusiast's collection. Interwoven with a rich history of Japanese tea and its place in Japanese society is a poignant commentary on Asian culture and our ongoing fascination with it, as well as illuminating essays on art, spirituality, poetry, and more. The Book of Tea Classic Edition is a delightful cup of enlightenment from a man far ahead of his time.

The Book of Tea Classic Edition, (Hardcover) Author: Tuttle Publishing ISBN: 9780804800693 Format: Hardcover Publication Date: 1989-12-15 Page Count: 160

2. Vergina: The Royal Tombs (Hardcover) by Manolis Andronicus

9789602131282. New condition. Hard cover. Language: English. Pages: 244. Sewn binding. 244 p. Contains: Illustrations. Excerpt from the prologue written by the author Manolis Andronicos - ...It has been necessary to try to produce a text which will serve the needs of the specialist without ignoring those of the general reader. Such attempts are far from easy in execution and not infrequently succeed only in sacrificing academic integrity without providing adequate information for the non-specialist. It is not for me to say if I have achieved what I set out to do. Nevertheless, in addition to the text, there are the illustrations to the book which I believe contribute to the success of its purpose as I have defined it. A picture is always the best means - after the objects themselves - for every reader, specialist or not, to gain a closer idea of archaeological finds. Once I had decided to write the book, I considered it essential not to limit myself to the recent impressive finds from the royal tombs, but to set before the reader a synoptic but solid account of all the archaeological finds in the area. In this way, its considerable interest becomes comprehensible - an area which has yielded graves containing hand-made prehistoric pottery and bronze jewellery, a magnificent architectural complex dating to the last years of the fourth century, the theatre of a city, a small temple and a series of monumental Macedonian tombs with unique painted compositions of the classical period, masterpieces of jewellery made by Greek goldsmiths, of miniature sculpture and the most magnificent products of Greek metalworking. The brilliance of the latter sheds new light on the older finds so that these acquire their proper perspective. In addition to all this, the finds from Vergina provide new information about Macedonian Hellenism, our knowledge of which so far is based almost exclusively on literary sources emanating from Athens. It is natural that that city, the only serious political rival to Macedonia, should frequently distort its enemy's true face and denigrate its historical contribution to the development of Hellenism, at least before the meteoric rise of Alexander the Great.

ISBN: 9789602131282 Condition: New Hard cover Language: English Pages: 244 Sewn binding. 244 p. Contains: Illustrations. Excerpt from the prologue written by the author Manolis Andronicos - ...It has been necessary to try to produce a text which will serve the needs of the specialist without ignoring those of the general reader. Such attempts are far from easy in execution and not infrequently succeed only in sacrificing academic integrity without providing adequate information for the non-specialist. It is not for me to say if I have achieved what I set out to do. Nevertheless, in addition to the text, there are the illustrations to the book which I believe contribute to the success of its purpose as I have defined it. A picture is always the best means - after the objects themselves - for every reader, specialist or not, to gain a closer idea of archaeological finds. Once I had decided to write the book, I considered it essential not to limit myself to the recent impressive finds from the royal tombs, but to set before the reader a synoptic but solid account of all the archaeological finds in the area. In this way, its considerable interest becomes comprehensible - an area which has yielded graves containing hand-made prehistoric pottery and bronze jewellery, a magnificent architectural complex dating to the last years of the fourth century, the theatre of a city, a small temple and a series of monumental Macedonian tombs with unique painted compositions of the classical period, masterpieces of jewellery made by Greek goldsmiths, of miniature sculpture and the most magnificent products of Greek metalworking. The brilliance of the latter sheds new light on the older finds so that these acquire their proper perspective. In addition to all this, the finds from Vergina provide new information about Macedonian Hellenism, our knowledge of which so far is based almost exclusively on literary sources emanating from Athens. It is natural that that city, the only serious political rival to Macedonia, should frequently distort its enemy's true face and denigrate its historical contribution to the development of Hellenism, at least before the meteoric rise of Alexander the Great.

3. Mimesis and Alterity: A Particular History of the Senses, (Paperback)

In his most ambitious and accomplished work to date, Michael Taussig undertakes a history of mimesis, the practice of imitation, and its relation to alterity, the opposition of Self and Other. Drawing upon such diverse sources as theories of Benjamin, Adorno and Horckheimer, research on the Cuna Indians, and theories of colonialism and postcolonialism, Taussig shows that the history of mimesis is deeply tied to colonialism, and more specifically, to the colonial trade's construction of "savages." With analysis that is vigorous, unorthodox, and often breathtaking, Taussig's cross-cultural discussion of mimesis deepens our understanding of the relationship between ethnography, racism and society.

Mimesis and Alterity: A Particular History of the Senses, (Paperback) Author: Routledge ISBN: 9780415906876 Format: Paperback Publication Date: 1992-12-21 Page Count: 320

4. Marked : Race, Crime, and Finding Work in an Era of Mass Incarceration (Paperback)

Nearly every job application asks it: have you ever been convicted of a crime? For the hundreds of thousands of young men leaving American prisons each year, their answer to that question may determine whether they can find work and begin rebuilding their lives. The product of an innovative field experiment, Marked gives us our first real glimpse into the tremendous difficulties facing ex-offenders in the job market. Devah Pager matched up pairs of young men, randomly assigned them criminal records, then sent them on hundreds of real job searches throughout the city of Milwaukee. Her applicants were attractive, articulate, and capable-yet ex-offenders received less than half the callbacks of the equally qualified applicants without criminal backgrounds. Young black men, meanwhile, paid a particularly high price: those with clean records fared no better in their job searches than white men just out of prison. Such shocking barriers to legitimate work, Pager contends, are an important reason that many ex-prisoners soon find themselves back in the realm of poverty, underground employment, and crime that led them to prison in the first place. "Using scholarly research, field research in Milwaukee, and graphics, [Pager] shows that ex-offenders, white or black, stand a very poor chance of getting a legitimate job. . . . Both informative and convincing."-Library Journal "Marked is that rare book: a penetrating text that rings with moral concern couched in vivid prose-and one of the most useful sociological studies in years."-Michael Eric Dyson

Nearly every job application asks it: have you ever been convicted of a crime? For the hundreds of thousands of young men leaving American prisons each year, their answer to that question may determine whether they can find work and begin rebuilding their lives. The product of an innovative field experiment, Marked gives us our first real glimpse into the tremendous difficulties facing ex-offenders in the job market. Devah Pager matched up pairs of young men, randomly assigned them criminal records, then sent them on hundreds of real job searches throughout the city of Milwaukee. Her applicants were attractive, articulate, and capable—yet ex-offenders received less than half the callbacks of the equally qualified applicants without criminal backgrounds. Young black men, meanwhile, paid a particularly high price: those with clean records fared no better in their job searches than white men just out of prison. Such shocking barriers to legitimate work, Pager contends, are an important reason that many ex-prisoners soon find themselves back in the realm of poverty, underground employment, and crime that led them to prison in the first place. “Using scholarly research, field research in Milwaukee, and graphics, [Pager] shows that ex-offenders, white or black, stand a very poor chance of getting a legitimate job. . . . Both informative and convincing.”—Library Journal “Marked is that rare book: a penetrating text that rings with moral concern couched in vivid prose—and one of the most useful sociological studies in years.”—Michael Eric Dyson

5. Same Sex, Different Cultures: Exploring Gay And Lesbian Lives, (Paperback)

"Because homoerotic relations can be found in so many cultures, Gilbert Herdt argues that we should think of these relations as part of the human condition. This new cross-cultural study of gays, lesbi"

Same Sex, Different Cultures: Exploring Gay And Lesbian Lives, (Paperback) Author: Routledge ISBN: 9780813331645 Format: Paperback Publication Date: 1998-04-24 Page Count: 228

6. Technology and Law Enforcement: From Gumshoe to Gamma Rays, (Hardcover)

Although for much of the mid-20th century police departments across the U.S. had been reluctant to embrace new technology, depending instead on traditional police techniques, detectives in Los Angeles finally departed from this practice when they found themselves stymied in their attempts to solve the infamous Night Stalker serial murder case. This murderer and rapist had gone on a deadly rampage during the spring and summer of 1985, and though the police used every traditional police technique, they could not solve the crime. Finally, in desperation, they decided to do something different: use what was then the latest, cutting edge-technology. This new technology, the laser print finder, worked perfectly and the police arrested the Night Stalker the next day. Following this astonishing success, police departments across the nation suddenly began clamoring to obtain all kinds of new technology to assist them in solving crimes. This rush to embrace the latest technology hasn't slowed in the intervening 21 years. This book takes readers through every major branch of law enforcement and shows how technology has radically changed police department operations during the last two decades. It also shows how these changes continue today as technology advances and refines techniques already in practice. Beginning with the Night Stalker case, the author illustrates how the use and reliance on new technologies in solving crimes has made policing and detective work more accurate and efficient in capturing and convicting criminals (and courts more recently in releasing innocents convicted of crimes). Capitalizing on the interest in all things forensic, this book illuminates the behind the scenes technologies that go into solving crimes and keeping dangerous criminals off the street. Snow covers DNA and fingerprint technologies, vehicle technologies, undercover work, bomb detection, and other methods. Using many real life examples and first hand anecdotes, he shows how technology has become part and parcel of criminal justice efforts to solve crimes.

Technology and Law Enforcement: From Gumshoe to Gamma Rays, (Hardcover) Author: Praeger ISBN: 9780275993344 Format: Hardcover Publication Date: 2007-08-01 Page Count: 208