Go to the local library (you may need to hold your nose!) and check out "The Battle Cry of Freedom" by James McPherson. While this book will give you the impression that slavery was the root cause of the war, it makes up for that in going into the social/economical aspects of the war. Make no mistake about it, the author has a DEFINITE bias against the South. If you take the economic/social issues part of it and factor out the author's obvious bias AGAINST the South, then you will have a better understanding of the other factors for the war.
I read this not knowing about the author's biases, but since I was somewhat of a Civil War buff, I was able to look past that and found his analysis of the economic factors and political issues to be pretty good.
Let me reitterate: DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK as it would give money to an atni-Southern college professor. Check it out form the library and ignore the anti-South bias.
I consider McPherson and Catton in the same category.
Idiots.