Abstract
Reading Editor Alan Sica’s introduction in CS, Vol. 41, No. 2, the issue in which my review of Bernard Phillips’ Armageddon or Evolution? appeared, I was delighted to learn that, in agreeing to frankly review books for CS, I was striking a valiant blow against the “‘rational choice model’ of action” (p. 137). As I thought further about this, however, I realized that this conclusion was a bit too easy, to say nothing of self-congratulatory. Surely, there is something in it for me? Reading Phillips’ response to my review, I think I have it figured out. I am very serious about our discipline and like to think that I do very serious work. I appreciate that Phillips, too, is very serious—and trust that appreciation is conveyed in my review—but I did not find the book to be very serious. In other words, if a reviewer has a strong social preference and a concern for the welfare of the discipline, it can be rational to review books for CS.