Émile Durkheim's 1897 work On Suicide was ground-breaking in the sociological field. Previously, suicide was thought to be a matter of purely individual despair, but Durkheim recognized social dimension. He believed that if anything can explain how individuals relate to society, then it is suicide: Why does it happen? What goes wrong? Why do certain groups have higher incidences of suicide than others? As Durkheim explored these questions, he became convinced that abnormally high or low levels of social integration lead to an increased likelihood of suicide. His revelations have fascinated, challenged and informed readers for over a century.