'Emile Durkheim's manifesto for a science of society is the founding treatise of modern sociology: an articulation of its mission, a bracing invitation to intellectual rigor, and an indispensable guide for the practice of research. This new and improved translation, enriched by a stimulative introduction by Steven Lukes and augmented by Durkheim's dispersed disquisitions on methods, belongs to the personal bookshelf of every bona fide social scientist.' Loic Wacquant, University of California, Berkeley, USA, and Centre de sociologie europeenne, Paris, France 'With this improved and expanded edition, The Rules of Sociological Method has finally been given the scholarly treatment it deserves. And the Editor's 'Introduction' - written with Steven Lukes' usual flair and erudition - provides an essential guide to the book's original historical context as well as to its lasting sociological importance.' David Garland, New York University, USA 'This book may have had more influence than any other on the formation of sociology as an academic discipline. Durkheim advances his seminal discussion of what makes a social fact then elaborates how to identify and analyse such facts in ways that still generate controversy and inform new research and theory today. Steven Lukes complements the classic book with well-chosen but less well-known shorter texts in which Durkheim grapples further with the nature of sociological explanation. Lukes' introduction is superb: clear for a student and informative for a professor.' Craig Calhoun, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK