Modern Social Work Theory is a worldwide best-seller renowned for its masterly overview and measured critique which come together to offer a complete and authoritative introduction to theories of social work practice. It draws on literature from across the world to trace the origins of social work ideas and how they develop, as well assessing their role and value based on scholarly debate and research.

Compact and clearly structured, the book breaks down key issues in a way that is easy for students to grasp. As with the previous edition, the book is composed of two parts: Part I presents a general discussion about the place of social work theory in practice, while Part II reviews groups of related theories, from psychodynamic perspectives to ideas about humanism, existentialism and spirituality. Within Part II, each chapter has been significantly developed to follow a common structure which supports navigability and reflects the likely manner in which students will approach the text.