Leisure Books

New and Published Books

1. Gambling, the State and Society in Thailand, c.1800-1945

   By James A. Warren

   Series: Routledge Studies in the Modern History of Asia

   During the nineteenth century there was a huge increase in the level and types of gambling in Thailand. Taxes on gambling became a major source of state revenue, with the government establishing state-run lotteries and casinos in the first half of the twentieth century. Nevertheless, over the same...

   Published April 3rd 2013 by Routledge
2. Sport in Capitalist Society

   A Short History

   By Tony Collins

   Why are the Olympic Games the driving force behind a clampdown on civil liberties? What makes sport an unwavering ally of nationalism and militarism? Is sport the new opiate of the masses? These and many other questions are answered in this new radical history of sport by leading historian of...

   Published April 3rd 2013 by Routledge
3. Understanding Society through Popular Music

   2nd Edition

   By Joe Kotarba, Bryce Merrill, J Patrick Williams, Phillip Vannini

   Written for Introductory Sociology and Sociology of Popular Music courses, the second edition of Understanding Society through Popular Music uses popular music to illustrate fundamental social institutions, theories, sociological concepts, and processes. The authors use music, a social phenomenon...

   Published January 10th 2013 by Routledge
4. Gambling, Freedom and Democracy

   By Peter J. Adams

   Series: Routledge Studies in Social and Political Thought

   As a consequence of the rapid proliferation of commercial gambling in Western-style democracies, governments and communities are encountering a complex array of economic, social and cultural harms associated with this expansion. This book focuses specifically on harms to democratic systems. It...

   Published November 27th 2012 by Routledge
5. The Good Life in a Technological Age

   Edited by Philip Brey, Adam Briggle, Edward Spence

   Series: Routledge Studies in Science, Technology and Society

   Modern technology has changed the way we live, work, play, communicate, fight, love, and die. Yet few works have systematically explored these changes in light of their implications for individual and social welfare. How can we conceptualize and evaluate the influence of technology on human...

   Published March 20th 2012 by Routledge
6. The Problem of Pleasure

   Leisure, Tourism and Crime

   Edited by Carol Jones, Elaine Barclay, Rob Mawby

   The tourism and leisure industries are big business. Opportunities for leisure and tourism have escalated as disposable income, technology, travel and education have become increasingly available in recent times. However, this trend has been juxtaposed with an increase in crime,...

   Published November 20th 2011 by Routledge
7. Ethical Consumption

   A Critical Introduction

   Edited by Tania Lewis, Emily Potter

   A not-so-quiet revolution seems to be occurring in wealthy capitalist societies - supermarkets selling ‘guilt free’ Fairtrade products; lifestyle TV gurus exhorting us to eat less, buy local and go green; neighbourhood action groups bent on ‘swopping not shopping’. And this is happening not at the...

   Published September 29th 2010 by Routledge
8. Leisure

   By Tony Blackshaw

   Series: Key Ideas

   No single introductory book has until now captured the range of thought appropriate for scrutinizing the idea of leisure. Beginning with a discussion of expressions in classical thought, etymological definitions and key leisure studies concepts, Blackshaw suggests that the idea abounds with...

   Published February 11th 2010 by Routledge
9. Youth, Drugs, and Nightlife

   By Geoffrey Hunt, Molly Moloney, Kristin Evans

   Youth, Drugs, and Night Life examines the relationships between the electronic dance scene and drug use for young ravers and clubbers today. Based on over 300 interviews with ravers, DJ’s and promoters, Hunt, Moloney, and Evans examine the different social groupings that make up the scene. The...

   Published January 13th 2010 by Routledge
10. Surfing and Social Theory

    Experience, Embodiment and Narrative of the Dream Glide

    By Nicholas J Ford, David Brown

    Surfing has emerged from ancient roots to become a twenty-first century phenomenon – an ‘alternative’ sport, lifestyle and art form with a global profile and ever-increasing numbers of participants. Drawing on popular surf culture, academic literature and the analytical tools of social theory, this...

    Published October 16th 2005 by Routledge