"In this beautifully written book John Law describes a laboratory in political and economic turmoil. His notion of the a mode of orderinga draws on post--structuralist theory to create a striking and critical vision of modernity. His book is also an impassioned reply to those on left or right who believe that it is possible to design the perfect society. Who said nothing good came of Thatcherism?" Michel Callon, Centre de Sociologie de la Innovation, Ecole Nationale Superieure des Mines, Paris "Professor Lawa s analysis offers challenges at many levels -- to what we understand by laboratory management, to the nature of connections between science studies and wider social theory in throwing light on it, and on the relationship of author to subject. His most sustained challenge is to the role of the reader, who is never allowed to relax into passivity in tackling this open and honest book." Peter Healey, The Science Policy Support Group "This is a book that reanimates the old idea of the a sociological ima...