As qualitative research methods are increasingly being refined and reconsidered for use in an ever wider variety of fields, the need for accessible, easily understood, and thorough work on the topic becomes more important. Robert Weiss's Learning from Strangers: The Art and Method of Qualitative Interview Studies is a useful and informative beginner-level book for anyone interested in the basics of how to conduct qualitative research. Weiss draws primarily from his personal experience and knowledge of qualitative research in an honest, brief, and thorough manner: he gives examples of his mistakes, he organizes his book into short chapters, and he offers step-by-step analysis of transcribed interviews. Weiss also draws from other authors' works (as in his chapter "Analysis of Data"), encourages the integration of qualitative and qualitative methodologies by emphasizing their complementarity, and offers a wealth of examples to reinforce his many clearly stated points. Anyone needing to refresh, reorient, or even initiate their knowledge about qualitative interview studies will find this book a quick and compact read.

N.H.