Title: The empirical basis of this book is severely lacking
Product review: This book purports to be "provocative" and "important." It is neither. The empirical basis for the book is in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of "political actors." They apparently reveal what public opinion is. The big question is: Who cares what these political actors think? I might as well go ask my grandmother what public opinion is. It would be just as provactive and interesting. In this book, Prof. Herbst attempts to understand what public opinion is by asking others. In her previous book "Numbered Voices" she attempted to do this by looking at historical references. Here is a newsflash for Prof. Herbst: There is no such thing as public opinion -- stop wasting your time and ours.
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