"This is a well-written, well-referenced, accessible account of what science is and what it is not. All the important nuts and bolts' are considered, including how science is done, how ideas are transmitted through time and among individual investigators, and how the enterprise is affected by nonscientific influences....That I enjoyed this book as much as I did is evidence that Grinnell has succeeded in his aim to make his views clear to anyone interested in science. I highly recommend this book to all who would like a working understanding of scientific practice. I also endorse its use by those interested in the study of complex human systems."

--The Journal of Medical Humanities

"The Scientific Attitude presents a clear picture of what scientists actually do. The book offers a succinct statement of the issues and is pitched at the right level for the beginning graduate student."

--Tumuo Hoshiko, Case Western Reserve University

"For Frederick Grinnell, science is not a spectator sport. He is an active research scientist who has taken the time to stand back and look at how scientific investigations, including his own, are actually conducted. The result is The Scientific Attitude, a book that every student thinking of becoming a scientist should read....I wish that Grinnell's book had been available to me when I was contemplating a career in science."

--David L. Hull, Northwestern University

Guilford Press Web Site, February 2000

The Scientific Attitude presents a systematic account of the cognitive and social features of science. Written by an experimental biologist actively engaged in research, the work is unique in its attempt to understand science in terms of day-to-day practice. The book goes beyond the traditional description of science that focuses on method and logic to characterize the scientific attitude as a way of looking at the world.

1. Introduction
2. Making Observations
3. Experimental Design and Interpretation
4. Scientific Collectives: Transmission of the Thought Style
5. Scientific Collectives: Maintaining the Thought Style
6. Scientific Misconduct: Science at Risk
7. Science and the World
8. Concluding Comments