"Contemporary Ireland ... presents the critical analysis of 26 academics in a single, comprehensive volume ... an undergraduate textbook ... [and] for the general reader it would serve as a reference book on Irish society and the remarkable changes of the past ten years." Verbal Magazine Oct 2007 "a powerful and dynamic collection of essays by some ... Read moreof Ireland's pre-eminent sociologists from universities in both the Republic and Northern Ireland ... traverses disciplines and indeed academia. It will be of considerable interest to the general reader who wants to understand the facts of an often very biased approach taken by politicians, business and other interest groups and the media when it comes to reporting change immensely readable without forfeiting the rigours of sociological analysis." Irish Book Review Vol 3 No 1 Winter 2007/8 'Ireland had undergone a remarkable transformation in recent years, especially because of the phenomenal economic growth rates popularly described by the term 'Celtic Tiger' in the Republic over the years 1995-2005, and the end of the 'Troubles' in Northern Ireland formalised by the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. Historians and social scientists have begun the process of evaluating the long-term impact of these and other developments on the structure of Irish society. O'Sullivan has edited a book of essays by sociologists who take a critical stance on a wide range of topics, including population, immigration, family, education, social class, crime, sports, gender, work, language, and the perennial question of Irish identity. While the emphasis is on the South, there are chapters devoted to the post-peace process North, and Ireland overall is viewed through an international lens. The essays are based on analysis of much useful statistical data culled from government reports and social science surveys as well as classical and contemporary theory. They suggest that in both a more affluent South and a more peaceful North, inequality remains a prominent feature of Irish society. This valuable collection achieves its goal of mapping 'the contours of a changing Ireland'. A. M. Plunkett, Piedmont Virginia Community College CHOICE March 2009 Show Less