Delaney (State U. of New York at Oswego) uses events and excerpts of a dialogue from the comedy cartoon show The Simpsons to discuss the many issues of social relevance that the satirical show has touched upon over the course of its time on air. He mixes sociological, psychological, and philosophical approaches in discussing the relevance of The Simpsons to American culture, friendship and community, love and marriage, family dynamics, gender roles and expectations, race relations, religion, the environment, politics, sports, education, physical and mental health, and other issues. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)