The original condensed encyclopedia has been expanded from fifteen subjects to twenty-one subjects by adding six new subjects. In addition, the original text has been expanded with much new information. This is the author Stanton O. Berg's (former forensic scientist) way of providing and creating a handy form of a quick reference source or sources that Stan has found to be interesting, and these are subjects that Stan thinks would be items or subjects frequently encountered in the daily news media of our present-day world. Stan has selected twenty-one subjects that are not only interesting but are also the subjects that are most likely to be in current-day news items. (Items of foul language, bad taste, or anti-Christian nature have been avoided; Stan himself is a dedicated Lutheran Christian that talks daily with God and gives thanks for God's gifts to him.) Stan has tried to stay close to the facts on the selected twenty-one subjects but may on occasion inject his own opinion. Stan hopes that all readers will find the second edition of his Condensed Encyclopedia about the Basics of the World We Live in and Our Lives in This World will prove to be helpful, informative, and interesting to and for all.

Our Social World: Introduction to Sociology, Brief Edition introduces the discipline of sociology to the contemporary student and provides an integrated, comprehensible framework from which to view the world in a concise format. In each chapter, authors Jeanne H. Ballantine and Keith A. Roberts provide an organizing theme that is not exclusively tied to one theoretical paradigm to help students see relationships between topics. Our Social World presents the perspective of students living in the larger global world. Features of this brief edition: - Offers a strong global focus: A global perspective is integrated into each chapter to encourage students to think of global society as a logical extension of their own micro world. - Deep Learning Approach: Encourages Students to think critically about the social World - Presents The Social World Model in each chapter: This organizing framework helps students understand the interrelatedness of core concepts.