Passion, Craft, and Method in Comparative Politics

by Gerardo L. Munck (Editor), Richard Snyder (Editor)

In the first collection of interviews with the most prominent scholars in comparative politics since World War II, Gerardo L. Munck and Richard Snyder trace key developments in the field during the twentieth century. Organized around a broad set of themes—intellectual formation and training; major works and ideas; the craft and tools of research; colleagues, collaborators, and students; and the past and future of comparative politics—these in-depth interviews offer unique and candid reflections that bring the research process to life and shed light on the human dimension of scholarship. Giving voice to scholars who practice their craft in different ways yet share a passion for knowledge about global politics, Passion, Craft, and Method in Comparative Politics offers a wealth of insights into contemporary debates about the state of knowledge in comparative politics and the future of the field.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Political Science

788 pages, Paperback

First published May 30, 2007

Reviews

[Benemint · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful idea for a book. I really enjoyed James Scott's chapter in particular -- a crusader for interdisciplinary studies (reminds me of Professor G in history). His interview is brutally honest, straightforward and funny. Other interviews are also great materials for historicizing the field of political science. Knowing the personal and social background of each scholar helps us enjoy and appreciate their works. All comparative majors and anyone who is interested in American postwar intellectuals will love this book. The mutual perceptions between teachers and students are fascinating (e.g. Almond thought the special terms he invented were so widely accepted that they did not require any footnotes or further explanations but when James Scott took Almond's class Scott counted a (big) number of terms he could not understand!). Two things I learned from this book: 1. Not many of them wrote a good dissertation (or published it). 2. We Should Ask Important Questions (rather than bogged down in methodological innovations)

[Marc Sabatier · Rating 5 out of 5]

on its way

[Arliska Fatma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am going through the first 100 pages for the abundance of questions in my own passion and specific interest. It feels good to get feeling of talking to James Scott nor Huntington through the papers.
I have not found a way to what I want but I could tell things that I don't. Hopefully, it is a good start!

Well, when in doubt, Iqra!