Real Social Science: Applied Phronesis
"Built on Flyvbjerg's commitment to social science that "matters", Flyvbjerg, Landman, and Schram's volume enriches the field with theoretical and methodological arguments and case studies extending and contending with each other in diverse locales and levels of social intervention. Anyone interested in socially-transformative social science will gain from it."  Davydd J. Greenwood, Cornell University"A splendid collection that demonstrates the possibilities of a social science praxis that is contextual, reflexive, normatively engaged and yet also well-theorized and powerfully illuminating. A bracing step toward social understanding that is not straight-jacketed by the nomothetic cannons of laboratory science."  James C. Scott, Yale University"This book and this mission are of utmost importance and urgency. Phronesis, only phronesis, can save social science. We have no other hope."  Nassim N Taleb, NYU-Poly, author of The Black Swan"What an important book! Bent Flyvbjerg and his collaborators have taken a decisive step forward in developing social scientific enquiries informed by an Aristotelian concept of phronesis .Their case studies disclose how much has remained invisible to other modes of enquiry."  Alasdair MacIntyre, University of Notre Dame, Indiana"A landmark book in phronetic social science, expanding creatively on Flyvbjerg's innovative ideas through further theoretical elaboration and, most important, exemplary and insightful empirical applications. Eight case studies concretize phronetic practice and open new paths for moving beyond static social scientism."  Edward Soja, UCLA"Real Social Science: Applied Phronesis is the much-needed practical counterpart to the theoretical and methodological arguments advanced in Bent Flyvbjerg's (2001) Making Social Science Matter ... The power of the book is in the case studies. The collection successfully conveys a profound collective wisdom across the various cases, substantiating the book's argument that in-depth, case-based research leads to a deep and actionable practical wisdom ... With this volume, the contributors show that phronetic research is not a marginal, 'soft' or niche paradigm. These authors are big hitters, tackling socially significant questions with high stakes, and making major academic and social impact. I felt ... wiser after reading the book. I think that anyone interested in understanding how complex projects really work, or how to do research that makes a social contribution, would do so too."    - LSE Review of Books, September 6, 2012"This is an important book that addresses casespecific  critical research theory, research methodology  and ethical research practice." -Michael Gunder, Planning Theory & PracticeWith this volume, the contributors show that phronetic research is not a marginal, 'soft' or niche paradigm. These authors are big hitters, tackling socially significant questions with high stakes, and making major academic and social impact. I felt a little bit wiser after reading the book. I think that anyone interested in understanding how complex projects really work, or how to do research that makes a social contribution, would do so too." -Flora Cornish, LSE Review of Books"Real Social Science: Applied Phronesis, edited by Flyvbjerg, Landman, and Schram, offers a useful reminder that the  theory and methodology articulated by Aristotle-that phronesis exists as a "practical wisdom"-has a certain pragmatic utility within current social and political science research." - Lydia Pyne, Drexel University, Current Anthropology"Real Social Science: Applied Phronesis presents itself as a cure for social scientists suffering from physics envy. Edited by Bent Flyvbjerg, Todd Landman and Sanford Schram, the book assembles a rich collection of essays, which all purport to articulate a conception of social science as 'phronesis' ... it does not only provide a theoretical discussion of the phronetic approach but also shows phronesis in action."Arthur Dyevre, European Political Science