LIBRARY AND WORKSHOP New World as a future source of food and for the importance of conserving the land resources of this area. In Chapter VIII, Some Conclusions and Speculations, the author presents an excellent summary of the main points in the book with particular emphasis on the number of people the world can support, Perhaps the most interesting observation is that countries of northem Europe, such as Denmark, the Netherlands, and England, conform with his rules of efficiency and that their systems of farming should be widely followed. According to Dr. Stamp, it is in these countrie and in this area, that the people enjoy a hi standard of living, have an unparalleled high level of agricultural output per unit area, with steadily improving soil and complete absence of soil erosion, ‘This suggests that balanced mized farming, with rotation of crops and carefully managed permanent. pasture, with relatively small teasere fields but a high degree of mechaniration, is the best answer for the world as a whole, that itis the solution to the problem of preserving the new lands of middle latitudes, and, {in due course and suitably modified through research tnd experimentation, of lands yet to be tamed in the topes, Dr. Stamp does not suggest that all countries should immediately adopt this system, He doos ‘emphasize that it is this type of farming that will ultimately support the most people at a high level of living. This scheme will not find too much ‘support in the United States, nor docs Dr. Stamp think too much of the efficiency of American agriculture, when measured in terms of his yard- sticks, S. H, Hosts, Jr. University of North Corolina Sorat Drwauics: ParNcrPies AND CASES 18 INTRO auotoRy Socioiocy. By Joseph B. Gittler. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Tne., 1982. 346 pp. $4.00. Sociowwox: AN ANALYSIS oF Lire i Mopexx So- cmzry. By Arnold W, Green. New York: MeGraw- Hill Book Company, Inc., 1952, 579. pp. $500. Conon, aun Socusry: AN IxrmoouctioN 10 Socior- oy. By Francis E. Merrill and H. Wentworth Eldredge. New York: PrentieHalll, Inc., 1952. 611 pp. $5.0. Inrnopverony Soctotooy. 4th ef. By Robert L. Sutherland, Jolian L, Woodward, and Milton A. J.B. Lippincott Company, ‘Copyright (¢) 2003 ProQuest Information and Learming Company. Copyright (6) University of North Carstina Press 315 ‘The search for s satisfactory introductory sociology text continues, as these recent texts illustrate. Teken individually each of them re- flects its author's conception of what should be included in the introductory course. They are in general agreement as to the areas of human be- hhavior that should be included in the, frst course although they choose different viewpoints and ‘organize the material diferently. For example, Caste and Class is discussed under Collective ‘Behavior by Sutherland, Woodward, and Maxwell; under The Community by Gittler; along with Population end Race by Merrill and Eldredge; ‘and along with Population, Community, Division of Labor, The Politico-economie Realm, and ‘Minority Groups by Green. All of them fallow the current trend toward including more and more ‘material from the fields of Cultural Anthropology and Social Psychology, yet only Gittler devotes appreciable space to receat developments in the Sociology of Small Groups. Sutherland, Wood- ward, and Maxwell devote one chapter to the group as euch but practically all of the footnote references are from data over twenty years old, although the list of readings at the end of the chapter includes more recent material. Analysis of the small group, in these texts, remains sub- stantially where Cooley and Simmel left it. ‘Another common characteristic of these texts ix the failure to utilize any kind of systematic theory in introducing sociology to the beginner. All of them use a purely descriptive level of analysis. Green is pethaps the most consistent in relating phenomena in one area to that of other areas. This is in large part due to his choosing one point of reference—the sociology of the individusl—and sticking to it rather than his use of systematic theory as a framework. That systematic soci- ological theory on a more abstract level can be used as a structural framework in analyzing ‘moder society has been admirably demonstrated bby at least one other recent text, Robin M. Williaras? American Society. Gittler’s Social Dynamics is a casebook designed for the instructor who uses case studies a8 a means of getting students to work through the dynamics of true-toife situations with him, The emphasis is on understanding rather than on concepts, principles, or theoretical systems, The material is ‘organized into eeven parts oe follows: (1) The Nature of the Social and the Meaning of Soci- ology, (2) Sociology of Personality, (3) The Social Group and Collective Behavior, (4) The