ON THE FIRELINE

Living and Dying with Wildland Firefighters

University of Chicago Press, 2007, 386 pages


"Theoretical insight after theoretical insight, . . . a suburb ethnography and a significant contribution."

Diane Vaughan, Contemporary Sociology


"Because of its captivating prose . . . and its masterful crafting

of a French tradition in sociology . . . the book may become an instant hit in mainstream sociology. It may even be fast-tracked

to 'classic' status."

Eugene Rosa, Science


"Gripping . . . a masterful account of how young men are able to face down wildfire, and why they volunteer for such an

enterprise in the first place."

David Grazian, Sociological Forum


"An important book. . . . Desmond deploys [a] complex argument with persuasive grounding and enviable control. We are in a stronger position to think about risk because of his efforts."

Karl Weick, Administrative Science Quarterly


"In this beautifully written work of participant observation, Matthew Desmond takes us into the world of wildland firefighters to help us better understand the dynamics of dangerous organizations and the workers who hold the line. At the same time, he moves ethnography forward."

Mitchell Duneier, author of Sidewalk and Slim's Table

  1. -Winner of the Max Weber Award

  2. -Winner of the Herfurth Award

  3. -C. Wright Mills Award Finalist


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Purchase

RACIAL DOMINATION,

RACIAL PROGRESS

The Sociology of Race in America

McGraw-Hill, 2009, 512 pages


"Exceptionally well-written and deeply researched, Racial Domination, Racial Progress: The Sociology of Race in America clearly stands out among the great number of texts in the field of racial and ethnic studies. . . . [This] book makes a great contribution both to higher education and to racial justice."

Howard Winant, University of California, Santa Barbara


"This is the book I have been waiting for. . . . [It] is phenomenal [and] provides new theoretical interventions that no one else has produced. . . . I absolutely love this book, and I think it is the best text I have ever seen for teaching."

Wendy Leo Moore, Texas A&M University


"Exceptional . . . truly unique . . . I do not know of any book that approaches Racial Domination, Racial Progress in its depth of material or [in its] structure."

Melissa F. Weiner, Quinnipiac University