Social Science Quotations has been prepared to meet an evident, unmet need in the literature of the social sciences. Writings on the lives and theories of individual social scientists abound, but there has been no fully documented collection of memorable quotations from the social sciences as a whole. The frequent use of quotations in scientific as well as literary writings that are mere summaries or paraphrases typically fail to capture the full force of formulations that have made quotations memorable. This book of quotations invites the further reading or rereading of the original texts, beyond the quotations themselves. Sills and Merton draw extensively upon the writings that constitute the historical core of the social sciences and social thought; those works with staying power often described as the "classical texts." Many quotations have been drawn from these classical texts because the quotations contain memorable ideas memorably expressed. Both consequential and memorable, these words have been quoted over the generations, entering into the collective memory of social scientists everywhere and at times diffusing into popular thought and into the vernacular as well. This book is useful to social scientists, anthropologists, economists, historians, political scientists, psychiatrists, psychologists, sociologists and statisticians and for all who want to learn or verify memorable formulations and phrases concerning social thought and social theories. It is particularly useful for graduate students taking courses that examine the history of their discipline.

Social Science Quotations has been prepared to meet an evident, unmet need in the literature of the social sciences. Writings on the lives and theories of individual social scientists abound, but there has been no fully documented collection of memorable quotations from the social sciences as a whole. The frequent use of quotations in scientific as well as literary writings that are mere summaries or paraphrases typically fail to capture the full force of formulations that have made quotations memorable.

The book is subtitled Who Said What, When, and Where in order to highlight a unique and valuable feature: the date of first publication and source of each quotation are given in the text and the full reference is provided in the extensive bibliography. Exact references can also prove useful for swiftly locating the more familiar quotations. By leading readers back to the sources, such detailed references can help them place even extended quotations in their larger contexts. In this way, this book of quotations invites the further reading or rereading of the original texts, beyond the quotations themselves.

Social Science Quotations draws extensively upon the writings that constitute the historical core of the social sciences and social thought, those works with staying power often described as the "classical texts". Most of their authors wrote well; most of them wrote voluminously; and their ideas have had a formative impact upon much subsequent thinking. Many quotations have been drawn from these classical texts because the quotations contain memorable ideas memorably expressed. Both consequential and memorable, these words have been quoted over the generations, entering into thecollective memory of social scientists everywhere and at times diffusing into popular thought and into the vernacular as well.

Social Science Quotations is useful for social scientists, anthropologists, economists, historians, political scientists, psychiatrists, psychologists, sociologists and statisticians -- and for all who want to learn or verify memorable formulations and phrases concerning social thought and social theories. It is particularly useful for graduate students taking courses that examine the history of their discipline.