'A monumental study of social exclusion. It is not a dry academic tome, but includes photographs and first-hand accounts ... it captures the complexity of social exclusion and how it becomes fixed.' Geoff Mulgan, The New Statesman and Society "I was immediately taken with the richness and depth of this analysis of the social suffering of ... Read morethe lives or ordinary men and women, and I felt this introduced me to a Bourdieu that I had not come across before ... This collection of ethnographic writing masterfully captures the realities of our social world, and provides what feels like a refreshingly realistic representation of people's lived experiences ... The Weight of the World is essential reading for anyone, sociologically inclined or otherwise, who is interested in reading others' accounts of their lives and who is also ready to reflect on these and on the politics of life more generally." Network, Researcher's Choice for Desert Island Discourse 'It cannot fail to be provocative.' Derek Robbins, University of East London, The Times Higher Education Supplement 'This book on the masses certainly has the potential to be a book for the masses ... The Weight of the World shows that a critical sociology of suffering does not have to indulge in miserabilism to be effective.' European Journal of Social Theory 'The Weight of the World is a bracing tonic if you've drunk too much New Labour champagne. Our masters insist that all will be well if only people get jobs, take risks, and behave well as husbands and wives. Pierre Bourdieu and his colleagues show how hard it is to do so ... it teaches an important lesson in humanity.' The Independent Show Less