On Suicide

The landmark investigation into suicide and society-now in a new translation Émile Durkheim, one of the fathers of modern sociology, was the first to suggest that suicide might be as much a response to society as an act of individual despair. When he looked at social, religious, or racial groups that had high incidences of suicide, he discovered that abnormally high or low levels of social integration increase the likelihood of suicide. More than a century after its initial publication, Durkheim's groundbreaking work continues to fascinate and challenge those seeking to understand one of the least understandable of human acts.

+ëmile Durkheim (1858-û1917) founded the French school of sociology. His most famous works include The Division of Labor in Society and The Elementary Forms of Religious Life.
Robin Buss-'s most recent translations for Penguin include Dumas-'s The Black Tulip.
Richard Sennett is the Bemis Professor of Social Sciences at MIT and a professor of sociology at the London School of Economics.