Long the leading text in urban sociology, The Urban World continues to provide a comprehensive, balanced, up-to-date, cross-cultural look at cities and suburbs around the world. Offering a 21st century view of the changing urban scene, the text covers evolving urban patterns and the changing nature of urban life. Combining expert scholarship with a readable style that students appreciate, J. John Palen is one of America€s leading urban sociologists, who travels the world and adds new insights gleaned firsthand to each succeeding edition of his text.