For both newcomers and long-time enthusiasts of MO, this book provides insight into the original, ambitious intentions of the founders, useful commentaries on their achievement and its value across disciplines, as well as fascinating interviews with three people whose careers and lives have been closely entwined with the project.

Jill Kirby, Senior Lecturer, University of Sussex, UK

The original Mass-Observation pamphlet from 1937 sets out the philosophy and methods for a pioneering approach to 'the anthropology of ourselves' that has had a profound influence on historians, social scientists and cultural studies scholars. Its reissue here, skilfully edited and authoritatively contextualized by Jennifer Purcell and her collaborators, is both welcome and timely.

Brian Lewis, Professor of History, McGill University, Montreal, Canada