C. Wright Mills is one of the towering figures in contemporary sociology and his writings continue to be of great relevance to the social science community. Generations of sociology students have enjoyed learning about the discipline from reading his best known book The Sociological Imagination. Over the years the title has become a term in itself with a variety of interpretations, many far removed from the original. The chapters in Part One of this book begins with general issues around the nature and significance of the sociological imagination, continue through discussions of modes of theorising and historical explanation, the relationship between history and biography, and the intellectual and political relationship of Mills to Marxism. They conclude with considerations on issues of class, power, and warfare. Part Two of the book includes a series of reflections from scholars who were invited to give personal thoughts on the impact of Mills's writings in their sociological work, with particular attention to their own 'biography and history'.With renowned international contributors and expert contributions from a range of specialisms, this book will appeal to academics, students and researchers of sociology.

Contributors: D. Bertaux, J. Brannen, J.D. Brewer, O. Brox, K. Kumar, K. Mills, L. Mjøset, M. Newman, A. Nilsen, O.J. Olsen, J. Platt, M. Savage, J. Scott, A.J. Treviño