8 books in this category
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by Michael J. Sandel
Cited by 0 other books and connected to 2 more in sociology. If you read one book in this category first, the citation network says make it this one.
Ranked by how often they are cited by other books in the collection. These are the titles later authors keep returning to — read one and you will recognise its fingerprints across the rest of the category.
by Isabel Wilkerson
Wilkerson chronicles the Great Migration of six million Black Americans from the Jim Crow South to northern and western cities between 1915 and 1970 through the lives of three protagonists. She argues that this leaderless, individual-by-individual exodus remade American cities, culture, and politics, and should be read as one of the great migrations of modern history.
by Michael J. Sandel
Sandel argues that meritocratic hubris among the successful and humiliation among those left behind have corroded democratic life and fueled populist resentment. Tracing how the rhetoric of 'you deserve your success' poisoned both liberal and conservative politics, he calls for a renewed ethic of humility and a politics that honors the dignity of work.
by Alain de Botton
De Botton examines the universal anxiety about one's standing in society, tracing its roots from Rousseau and Marx to modern meritocratic ideals. Drawing on philosophy, art, and literature, he identifies five causes of status anxiety and five consolations, offering a humane guide to living with the relentless pressure of social comparison.
by Robert D. Putnam
A landmark study of the decline of social capital in America, documenting how civic engagement, community organisations, and social trust have eroded since the 1960s. Putnam marshals decades of survey data to show that Americans are increasingly disconnected from family, friends, neighbors, and democratic structures, with profound consequences for collective well-being.
by Sherry Turkle
Drawing on fifteen years of research at MIT, Turkle examines how social robots and digital communication technologies are reshaping human intimacy and social bonds. She argues that as we expect more from technology, we increasingly accept simulations of connection while demanding less authentic engagement from each other.
