Book Reviews : The Track of the Wolf. By JAMES H. McRANDLE. (Evanston: Northwestern Uni versity Press, 1965. Pp. 261. $4.95.)

• Author: Haig A. Bosmajian
• Published date: 01 March 1966
• Date: 01 March 1966
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/106591296601900141
• Subject Matter: Articles

183
Throughout the book the discussion of methodology in the broadest sense is
impressive. The chapters on the logic of explanation, generalization, theory-con-
struction, and models are particularly good. There is a cogent discussion of theories
and &dquo;approaches&dquo; and the unfortunate tendency of some who ought to know better
to confuse the latter with the former. The last chapter, which discusses certain path-
ological tendencies in our zeal for science (for example, the idea that scientific poli-
tical writing must be dreary and clinical) is superb. The chapter on methods and
techniques is probably the weakest in the book. Meehan is obviously much more at
home with the logic of inquiry than with specific working techniques, and in light
of this it might have been wiser to omit this chapter altogether. Certainly, one should
not get the idea that this book will teach anyone how to select a sample, design a
survey project, etc. There is little discussion of such matters, despite their importance
in contemporary political science. Where Meehan does discuss techniques, as in the
case of statistics, he does so in a very broad way that will offer no help to one who
seeks a &dquo;how-to-do-it&dquo; account. This is of little importance as long as one realizes
the author did not set out to write a primer on research techniques. Apart from some
exceptions to Meehan’s opinions about the use of statistics in political science (he
insists, wrongly, I think, that &dquo;additive measurements&dquo; are necessary before statistics
can
be used, for example) my only serious quarrel with the book hinges on his failure
to include at all levels of his discussion frequent enough references to the professional
literature of political science. There is a time at which discussion of methodology in
the abstract needs to be linked to what political scientists are doing. There is too little
such linkage in this book, and thus its usefulness is somewhat reduced.
Finally, it should be...