The (Expanded)Social Scientist’s Bestiary addresses a number of important theoretical and philosophical issues in the social sciences from the perspective of contemporary philosophy of science. The book discusses and critiques the various arguments that purport to establish that it is a mistake to believe that a naturalistic social science- i.e. social science that in some way resembles the natural sciences- can be produced. It is intended to guide social scientists… More >>
The Expanded Social Scientist’s Bestiary
I rarely loathed any book in my graduate experience as much as I still loathe this book. That said, the content of the book is quite useful. Re-reading its purpose points out such important ideas that are included in this book and how it is supposed set the tone for any political scientist’s jaunt into the discipline. However…the writing is perhaps the worst I have ever encountered. I was able to get through half of the book, and subsequently gave up on the second half in favor of speed reading to minimize the damage to my senses. If another reviewer believes that the author becomes proficient in writing in the latter half, buy the book and believe them, as I was not able to get through it in entirety. Or, I suppose, if you are a sadistic professor teaching a graduate class in political science, then this is also worth making your students suffer–I mean–read.
Rating: 2 / 5