Understanding Human Behavior and the Social Environment (Available Titles CengageNOW)

I am recent Master of Social Work (MSW) graduate and this text was required reading for two of my classes. It was without a doubt, one of the best academic texts I've had to read. The content and writing is clear, concise, mostly current, and very relevant.Below is a list of some of my pros & cons:PROS:+ Colorful layout & graphics: I love the fact that this "academic textbook" effectively uses a variety of colors, engaging images, and text layout to create an enjoyable reading experience. This is definitely not the norm for graduate textbooks.+ Psychology content: This text does a brilliant job presenting a variety of psychological concepts within a social work context. The text nicely highlighted significant contributions of the Psychoanalytic, Behavioral, and Humanistic perspectives throughout the text. Since my undergrad background is psychology, I enjoyed reading and reviewing this info.+ Social Work Values: Last, but certainty not least, this text does a superb job of spotlighting key social work concepts and terms as well as emphasizing the importance of embracing diversity and social work values. I appreciated the "Spotlight on Diversity" sections throughout the text. It increased my awareness of cultural differences and the multiple problems that "populations at risk" face.CONS:- Internet, video games, and pornography: The text highlights concerns related to television use, but where is info about cyberspace, video games, and pornography? I realize research is growing in these areas; however, based on my recollection, I didn't see one mention of these topics in the text. It's rather shocking when you consider how these forms of media play a significant "sociological" and "psychological" role in influencing the functioning of family units, emotional intimacy, interpersonal communication, violent/aggressive behavior, and sexual addiction for millions of Americans. As a a social worker, I believe it is very likely I will be assisting clients who will experience significant relationship, academic, and work-related problems related to the addictions noted above. I've heard of marriages that have fallen apart as a result of spouses who have become immersed in the "World of Warcraft" online universe or have become addicted to pornography. It also important to note that these issues will increase in prominence as more and more people spend countless hours online, playing video games, and viewing pornography.- Disorganized content: One of my major criticisms of this text is the random placement of subjects throughout the book. For instance, Emotional Intelligence, Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, and poverty appear in the chapter pertaining to Young and Middle Adulthood. I couldn't quite understand why. These concepts are applicable to individuals throughout the lifespan and not just the aforementioned one. It is my belief that the authors should have created an additional chapter to highlight these broader and all-encompassing topics.Overall, this is a superb academic textbook that provides lots of detailed information on human development within a social work context. Highly recommended for social work students!

Excellent quality, arrived early and was packaged strong. Will order again.

thank you so much for my book. I am currently in school online and the books we use are the digital ones and I just can't get the hang of using them. I still have to have the feel of the paper and to be able to turn the pages mean the world to me. I definitely will be ordering all me future school books from here.

The physical appearance of this book for it's price met my expectations. It got me though my class better than I would have if I only had the ebook. I was able to go back and forth using the back glossary to find what I needed.

It good for my eye sight and that is why I ordered it. My onlu complaint is there was way too much highlighting and writing throughout the book. I take it that whoever had it may have used the marking as their way of studing. Thanks for being concerned.

what I love most about this book is that it gives me so much information that in other cases I would have to use other nooks to find. It is like a one stop shop, you get everything. The condition is great too for a 2nd hand book.

It's been years since I bought this but I still have it. It touches on so many different subjects that you can save the book and com back to it. Now that I am doing my internship I can come back to the book and find useful information

The book is a little worn, as stated in the description before I purchased it. It is still perfect for what I need it for. It arrived in a timely fashion. I am over all satisfied with my purchase!