Book review : Jeremy Boissevain. Friends of friends

Abstract

Sometimes a book is already famous before its printing has started. Friends of Friends is such a book. Many social scientists in En- gland, Holland, Malta and elsewhere were looking forward to its appearance; it had already been called 'The Bible of Network-Analysis', drafts of chapters had been presented to students and many of the concepts and ideas discussed were diffused before their 'official' presentation in the printed book. The final product may not quite live up to its rumoured reputation as a 'Bible', and the author will probably happily agree that he did not attempt to produce final words, but rather to stimulate critical thinking in new directions. Although the book is mainly a collection of separate essays, the main aim is always clear: to find new and different ways of sociological inquiry, instead of the static, but still dominant 'structural-functionalist' approach.