Venkatesh, Sudhir

At times Venkatesh is overly reflective on his status as a "rogue sociologist" who challenges the academy rather than focusing on the questions he is probing. Nonetheless, this is an exciting and compelling work for general readers. It relies heavily on narrative techniques and is light on theory and figures. Readers interested in the daily workings of the illicit economy will be fascinated by the complexities and contradictions of the underground economy that Venkatesh details. [See Prepub Alert, 3/18/13.]