Social workers need to recognize the critical role that theory plays both in the way they make sense of what is going on and in the way they order their work. Such recognition clarifies practice for both the worker and the client. David Howe’s classic text provides a framework to help social workers develop an understanding of the theories which inescapably underpin their thoughts and actions. This edition contains a new preface by the author, written in 2008, in which he examines the continuing value of his framework, concluding that it remains an effective tool for making sense of the profession’s most current ideas. The book covers a range of theoretical approaches, demonstrating through examples that different theories necessarily lead to very different practices. It offers a stimulating guide to social work theory which is proven to help social workers both to understand their practices and to practise in a disciplined and imaginative way.