“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, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, 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