Woods (U. of Tampa and U. of South Florida) introduces students to the roles of sport and physical activity in society, especially in the US. He focuses on their controversies and status in a sociological rather than theoretical construct, as he discusses sport science and research; sociological methods and social theories for its study; participants and spectators; growth trends in various sports; participation and recreational vs. high-performance sports; business aspects; sport as an institution and how it functions within other institutions like colleges and the Olympics; cultural aspects like sporting behavior, race, ethnicity, gender, social class, religion, and politics; disabled and aging populations; and the role of coaches. This edition has a new chapter on how sport can be used to promote peace, socialization, and moral development as well as expanded discussions of deviance and relevant social media phenomena, updated sidebars, added opening vignettes, and current research. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)