Men and Things

Atkinson, Henry A., 1877-1960Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.9

Word count: 366K words
Chapters: 37

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Men and Things by Henry A. AtkinsonAuthor: Atkinson, Henry A., 1877-1960,Language: English, Class: HN: Social sciences: Social history and conditions, Social problems, Release Date: Sep 9, 2016

Editor's review

Men and Things belongs to the social history and social problems category within the social sciences. Its author, Henry A. Atkinson, was active in the first half of the twentieth century, and his writing clearly reflects the social concerns of his time. The book revolves around the relationship between people and institutions and between people and social phenomena, and reads more like a collection of social commentary and observations for general readers than a strict work of sociological theory. Its value lies in showing how the English-speaking world thought about everyday social issues in that period; the style leans toward argumentative essays and sketches, is quite readable, and works well as supplementary material for understanding the climate of social thought in the early twentieth century. Readers should note that the social conditions discussed differ greatly from those of today, and some judgments carry the mainstream prejudices of the time and should not be applied directly to the present. It suits readers interested in the history of social thought or commentary on public issues for casual reading, and is also useful for English learners as a corpus of argumentative and commentary language.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in the history of social thought and early twentieth-century public commentary
English learners who want to practice reading and argumentative expression through English commentary texts
General readers who need a collection of essays to supplement their general reading in sociology
Readers who enjoy short essays and fragmented reading

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking a systematic framework of sociological theory and the latest research data
Readers sensitive to the period prejudices in early texts who need neutral, objective argument
Readers expecting a coherent narrative or a plot-driven reading experience

Reading tips

Pick chapters by topic rather than reading from start to finish; begin with those in the table of contents closest to current issues.
Mark judgments that carry period prejudice as you read, and write down your own rebuttals or additions afterward.
Treat each piece as a model English argumentative essay and excerpt useful sentence patterns for language积累.
Read alongside contemporary general sociology books to sense how issues and modes of argument have changed.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book a systematic work of sociological theory?

According to the materials, the book is classified under social history and social problems, and the author's writing leans toward social commentary and observation rather than a systematic theory textbook. It is better suited as supplementary reading in the history of social thought than as an introductory sociology textbook.

Are the views in the book still applicable today?

The book discusses the social conditions of the early twentieth century, and some judgments carry the limitations and mainstream prejudices of that time. It should be read as a historical text, with an understanding of its historical context, rather than applied directly to present-day society.

How difficult is the English, and what level of learner is it suitable for?

The book consists of English commentary essays, with argumentative sentence patterns and vocabulary related to social issues; the overall difficulty is above average. It is more suitable for learners with some foundation in English reading who want to build up argumentative expression; beginners may use annotations or read it alongside a translation.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Atkinson, Henry A., 1877-1960 Author · American · 1877–1960

Henry A. Atkinson (1877–1960) was an American Congregational minister and peace activist who served as secretary of the Church Peace Union. Public information on his life and education is limited, but it is clear that he was long active between the religious world and the peace movement, seeking to apply Christian ethics to international relations and social affairs. His representative work, Men and Things, discusses people and the affairs of the world in an essayistic style, written plainly for general readers and reflecting the concerns of a minister and public activist with the realities of his time. Only one of his works is currently held in the collection, and translation and study of him in the Chinese-speaking world remain limited.