Consisting of sixteen readings in sociology, this “essential” reader is an ideal companion to introductory sociology texts, particularly Henslin's Essentials of Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach, 2/e, and Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach, 3/e. This inexpensive anthology allows instructors who want to expose their students to original sociological writings, the opportunity to do so at a minimal cost. An editorial introduction to each reading provides a context for the selection, and a connection with the text. Discussion questions appear at the end of each article.