Coser does this better than any other author I know. In my own courses on theory, I emphasize the importance of understanding the biographical, cultural, and social contexts within which thinkers developed their ideas. вЂњCoser was a master theorist himself, and his ability to clearly lay out the core and meaning of theories is unrivaled. No other text combines depth of understanding with conceptual clarity and accessibility in the same manner as Coser.вЂќ - Martin E. вЂњCoserвЂ™s book still sets the standard for all sociology theory texts. I am delighted that Waveland has reprinted it.вЂќ - Robert Graber, Truman State University вЂњThe best single text for teaching the history of sociological thought. вЂњCoserвЂ™s masterpiece is an absolute must read for all undergraduate and graduate sociology students!вЂќ - Stan Weeber, McNeese State University It is a text that helped inspire me to become a sociologist.вЂќ - Pete Taylor, Colorado State University вЂњA useful overview of some of the most important sociological thinkers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It is, and always has been, one of the finest statements on classical theory ever.вЂќ - Glenn A. We all recommend it to our students and now, in a paper edition and a more reasonable price, I will encourage them to purchase it.

It is a mainstay for most social theorists I know. вЂњI congratulate you on putting this out in paperback. A diamond of the first order.вЂќ - Alexandra Maryanski, University of California, Riverside

Nobody does theory so well, especially for undergraduates.

вЂњCoserвЂ™s Masters is a theory book that is the very best of its kind. The concluding section addresses sociological questions such as: What were the social origins of the theorist? Did crucial events (e.g., war, depression, revolution) help fashion his orientations in ways similar to those of others in his generation? The final chapter presents a less-detailed discussion of major American theorists whose theories emerged between the 1940s and 1960s. The third section locates him and his work in the texture of a particular moment in intellectual history. Next is a short sketch of his life-his struggles and successes the influences of his family, peers, and superiors and his involvement in community affairs. The first section is a capsule summary of the scholarвЂ™s work-his main orientations, ideas, and contributions. Each of the first fourteen chapters follows a parallel organization. In this impressive and enduring text, Coser elucidates his examination of the ideas of fifteen influential sociological thinkers with a discussion of the social and intellectual circumstances that surrounded them. For todayвЂ™s students to understand the history of sociological theories, more is required than a knowledge of formal propositions and theoretical structures.

Coser masters of sociological thought