... thing to write a book about Cornerville depended entirely on people's opinions of me personally. If I was alright, then my project was alright; if I was no good, then no amount of explanation could convince them that the book was a good idea. Of course people did not satisfy their curiosity about me simply by questions that they expressed to me directly. They turned to Doc, for example, and asked him about me. Doc then answered the questions and provided any reassurance that was needed. While I worked more closely with Doc than with any other individual, I always sought out the leader in whatever group I was studying. I wanted not only sponsorship but also more active collaboration with the study. Since these leaders had the sort of position in the community that enabled them to observe much better than the followers what was going on, and since they were, ...

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