Bat, Ball, and Bible chronicles the collision of moral and social forces in the argument over playing baseball on Sunday or upholding New York's blue laws, meant to restrict social activities and maintain Sunday's traditional standing as a day of religious observation. Baseball was at the center of this conflict, which led to social and moral upheaval at a time when New York was already undergoing rapid changes. Bat, Ball, and Bible is not solely about baseball; rather it illuminates one of the earliest instances of a "culture war" whose effects are still being felt today.

Consciousness and the Study of Society: Towards a New Perspective on Sociology introduces students to the fundamentals of sociology while also emphasizing the idea that perceptions based on one's level of consciousness shape the world in which we live. The text is organized into five distinct sections. The chapters in Unit 1 discuss the theoretical, analytical, and methodological groundwork for the study of sociology, including a brief consideration of the human constitution. Unit 2 examines the basic ideas that underscore sociology including culture, society, socialization, and how we make sense of everyday life. In Unit 3, students learn about issues of social identity that can perpetuate social differentiations and, at times, conflict between groups. These chapters cover social stratification and class, race, ethnicity, gender, deviance and social control, and sexuality. Unit 4 investigates the six primary social structures that provide the foundation of any society: family, politics, economics, religion, education, and health and medicine. The final unit looks to the future, proposing that upheavals in our current society will lead to an evolution of our society and a new cycle of human experience. Compelling, comprehensive, and designed to help students better understand themselves and the world around them, Consciousness and the Study of Society is an excellent textbook for foundational courses in sociology.

James T. Farrell and Baseball is a social history of baseball on Chicago's South Side, drawing on the writings of novelist James T. Farrell along with historical sources. Charles DeMotte shows how baseball in the early decades of the twentieth century developed on all levels and in all areas of Chicago, America's second largest city at the time, and how that growth intertwined with Farrell's development as a fan and a writer who used baseball as one of the major themes of his work. DeMotte goes beyond Farrell's literary focus to tell a larger story about baseball on Chicago's South Side during this time-when Charles Comiskey's White Sox won two World Series and were part of a rich baseball culture that was widely played at the amateur, semipro, and black ball levels. DeMotte highlights the 1919-20 Black Sox fix and scandal, which traumatized not only Farrell and Chicago but also baseball and the broader culture. By tying Farrell's fictional and nonfictional works to Chicago's vibrant baseball history, this book fills an important gap in the history of baseball during the Deadball Era.

Fresh and innovative, American History and Baseball: Liberty, Freedom, and the National Pastime is a unique approach that uses a thematic view of American history as a lens through which to understand baseball. The text of each chapter is initially devoted to historical background, composed of various themes surveying key trends and events. Additionally, there is a corresponding focus on major developments in the evolution of baseball. The book sets out to differentiate myth from history and to see American society as a nation of contradictions. Specific topics include liberty and freedom, myths and origins, excess and celebrity in the 1920s, imperialism and World War I, and the challenges and prosperity of post-war America. The second edition features a new opening chapter that explores the concepts of liberty and freedom. Additional references that highlight definitions of key terms, a heightened focus on critical thinking, and new chapter summaries and study questions are included. American History and Baseball can be used in courses on history, sports media, and issues in American sport.