N. Smelser's book "Sociology" presents a course of lectures on general sociology for students of higher educational institutions. The advantage of the book is that it is written in the most accessible language and fully corresponds to the content of the “Sociology” course, as reflected in the state standard, and therefore this textbook can be a basic one for this course. Smelser's book is also intended for a wide range of readers and, first of all, for entrepreneurs and managers.