“In this wonderful book, Francesca Polletta helps put definitively to rest the notion that narratives are little more than ‘just so’ stories. Their causal power, particularly in the production of social change, comes through bright and clear. Polletta goes a long way toward developing just the kind of disciplined sociology of discursive forms that is needed at the present juncture. It was Like a Fever will be of lasting importance to cultural analysts of various ilk in the social sciences and the humanities."
— Michèle Lamont, Harvard University
"For anyone interested in cultural sociology, social movements, political sociology, and the sociology of the media, this study of the political potential and constraints of storytelling is a must read."
— Victoria Johnson, Mobilization
"Through a better understanding of the epistemology of storytelling, Polletta moves beyond functional and textual analysis to understand the belief systems that shape use and interpretation. An interesting and very accessible book."
— Lisa Rathje, Journal of Folklore Research
"Polletta breaks newer ground in showing how the ambviguity of some stories and their rhetorical treatment can generate interpretive possibilities that can suit a variety of agendas."
— Wendy Griswold, Political Science Quarterly