“Improvising Theory represents the stupendous outcome of what should be an ordinary procedure—the interaction between a faculty member and her advisee in the field. What makes this book so remarkable is that both sides to this correspondence maintain a tone that is richly literary. Moreover, the exchange is a model for the kind of pedagogical relationship we should all aim to have with our students.”

Michael Herzfeld, Harvard University

“This courageous book opens our eyes in startlingly new ways to how cultural anthropologists do ethnography. Cerwonka and Malkki reveal the improvisational and deeply dialogical processes involved in producing knowledge about cultural practices, knowledge that emerges out of affective experiences and ethical dilemmas alike. Improvising Theory breaks important new ground that will greatly benefit all practitioners of the craft of ethnography.”

Emily Martin, New York University

"This work is a great conversation that leads to significant and continued learning. . . . Anyone with an interest in the practice of ethnography will derive great benefit from this book. Highly recommended."

Choice

"This reviewer certainly found plenty of excellent advice on fieldwork techniques, useful for a novice fieldworker, but also a great reminder for anthropologists who have been through the rite of passage that is fieldwork, yet who may still have doubts whether they are carrying it out correctly. . . .

Liza Debevec | Anthropological Notebooks

"The book provides a fascinating insight into the interdisciplinary research process and demonstrates how ethnographic understanding takes time to develop. . . . Improvising Theory will be intereesting reading for all anthropologists cencerned with the process of theory development, and invaluable for first-time ethnographic researchers as it breaks down the mystique surrounding fieldwork."

Stephanie Jones | Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute

"An invigorating and energizing read, perhaps most especially for graduate students and those who guide them. . . . Improvising Theory captures as well as anything--and better than most--the truly social and interactive nature of knowledge production. . . . [Cerwonka] and Malkki have aptly demonstrated that method and theory are always deeply intertwined, and that it is the frustrations as well as the joys of fieldwork that ultimately lead us to achieve our most valuable insights."

Susan Brin Hyatt | Collaborative Anthropologies