Robert Van Krieken’s book provides a concise, comprehensive guide which locates Elias’ work clearly within the development of sociology and also against the background of current debates. Between the 1930s and the 1980s he developed a unique approach to social theory which is now beginning to take root in contemporary social research and theory. Since the translation of his work into English began to accelerate in the 1980s, a growing number of books and articles on topics including health, sexuality, crime, national and ethnic identity, femininity and globalization, in a variety of disciplines, refer to Elias as an authority on the history of emotions, identity, violence, the body, and state formation.