"Why?" is a book about the explanations we give and how we give them - a fascinating look at the way the reasons we offer every day are dictated by, and help constitute, social relationships. Written in an easy-to-read style by distinguished social historian Charles Tilly, the book explores the manner in which people claim, establish, negotiate, repair, rework, or terminate relations with others through the reasons they give. Tilly examines a number of different types of reason giving. For example, he shows how an air traffic controller would explain the near miss of two aircraft in several different ways, depending upon the intended audience: for an acquaintance at a cocktail party, he might shrug it off by saying "This happens all the time," or offer a chatty, colloquial rendition of what transpired; for a colleague at work, he would venture a longer, more technical explanation, and for a formal report for his division head he would provide an exhaustive, detailed account.Tilly demonstrates that reasons fall into four different categories: Convention: "I'm sorry I spilled my coffee; I'm such a klutz." Narratives: "My friend betrayed me because she was jealous of my sister." Technical cause-effect accounts: "A short circuit in the ignition system caused the engine rotors to fail." Codes or workplace jargon: "We can't turn over the records. We're bound by statute 369." Tilly illustrates his topic by showing how a variety of people gave reasons for the 9/11 attacks. He also demonstrates how those who work with one sort of reason frequently convert it into another sort. For example, a doctor might understand an illness using the technical language of biochemistry, but explain it to his patient, who knows nothing of biochemistry, by using conventions and stories. Replete with sparkling anecdotes about everyday social experiences (including the author's own), "Why?" makes the case for stories as one of the great human inventions.

作者：查爾斯•蒂利（Charles Tilly）（1929-2008）是20世紀下半葉和21世紀初世界最傑齣的社會科學傢之一，被譽為“21世紀社會學之父”、“美國最多産、最有趣的社會學傢”。蒂利於1950年本科畢業於哈佛大學，1958年獲哈佛大學社會學博士學位，並曾求學 於英國牛津大學和法國西部天主教大學。先後任教於特拉華大學、哈佛大學、多倫多大學、密歇根大學、社會研究新學院和哥倫比亞大學，生前為哥倫比亞大學約瑟夫•L. 伯滕威澤社會科學講席教授，在社會學、政治學與曆史學三係同時任教。是美國國傢科學院、美國人文與科學院、美國哲學院院士，美國科學促進會、社會學研究學會、比較研究學會特約會員，密歇根大學、多倫多大學、巴黎政治學院、鹿特丹大學、日內瓦大學、斯特拉斯堡大學、魁北剋大學、剋裏特大學等校榮譽博士，並獲法國棕櫚葉教育騎士勛章、社會科學研究委員會阿爾伯特•O. 赫希曼奬、美國社會學會終身成就奬、國際政治學會卡爾•多伊奇奬以及美國社會學會、社會問題學會和美國政治學會民主化專業委員會的年度最佳著作奬等榮譽。蒂利的研究集中於宏觀社會變遷與抗爭政治（尤其是1500年以降的歐洲），一生齣版瞭五十多部學術著作，發錶瞭六百多篇學術論文和評論。他的《從動員到革命》被美國社會學會選為1970–1995年最具影響的十七部著作之一，《從動員到革命》和《鬥爭的動力》均躋身社會學史上引用率最高的著作。蒂利被廣泛視為曆史社會學和抗爭政治研究的奠基人。

譯者：李鈞鵬，哥倫比亞大學社會學係博士候選人。曾任《社會力》（Social Forces）副主編，現任《民族與民族主義研究》（Studies in Ethnicity and Nationalism）編委會委員。主要研究領域為抗爭政治、知識分子和曆史社會科學。曾獲國際社會學會世界青年社會學傢奬，中英文文章刊於《社會學研究》、《讀書》、Politics and Religion等刊物。