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The article reviews two essays on sociological theory, "Social Mechanisms: An Analytical Approach to Social Theory," edited by Peter Hedstrom and Richard Swedberg and "Fuzzy-Set Social Science" by Charles C. Ragin. Correlation analysis is the basis for much explanation in contemporary sociology. Mainstream sociologists often infer causation through the use of quantitative techniques that depend, in a way or another, on the existence of bivariate correlations. Even sophisticated multivariate statistical methods that allow for the parceling of variables and the estimation of average net causal effects ultimately rely on such correlations. Correlation analysis so is central to explanation that many sociologists simply take it for granted, assuming that the existence of a correlation is a basic component of causality. Correlation analysis is by itself an inadequate mode of causal assessment. Problems identified are not simply familiar themes such as a correlation fails to represent causation because it might be spurious or because the time order of correlated variables may not be clear.

The article presents book reviews of three books of sociobiology. The books are: "Human Nature and History: A Response to Sociobiology," by Kenneth Bock; "Readings in Sociobiology," edited by T. H. Clutton-Brock and Paul H. Harvey; "Human Sociobiology: A Holistic Approach," by Daniel G. Freedman. "Readings in Sociobiology" mainly provides a collection of "historical" readings in the discipline; Human Sociobiology directs the discipline's theoretical approach specifically toward understanding human behavior; and "Human Nature and History" is a critique of the discipline by a sociologist. Daniel Freedman's Human Sociobiology is fairly unique because of its human focus. Its relative simplicity and generally good organization would make it appropriate for teaching an undergraduate course in sociobiology. Freedman notes that humans share with all other mammals the fact that males potentially can far out-reproduce females, primarily because females must gestate and then breast feed each offspring.