In this sociology textbook/mystery novel, students can join Sherlock Holmes and Watson as they discover a new area ripe for acrimony and intrigue: social theory. In 1910, the most prominent social theorists in the world gather in London for a conference on the new science of sociology. Things rapidly fall apart, though, as a fight breaks out, a jewel is stolen, and famous sociologist Emile Durkheim disappears. As Sherlock Holmes and Watson investigate, it appears that social theory may not only explain actions-in this case, it may be the cause of them. So Holmes and Watson investigate social theory itself, learning directly from those creating it: W.E.B. Du Bois, Sigmund Freud, Vladimir Lenin, Beatrice Webb, Georg Simmel, Emile Durkheim, and Max Weber. The theories, lives, and passions of each sociologist are revealed as Holmes and Watson learn first-hand just how influential social theory can be.

阿瑟·伯格（1933－ ），旧金山大学广播与电子传播艺术教授，一个机智而风趣的老头儿。他涉猎广泛，文学和哲学是他学生时代的主修专业，媒体传播学又是他执教的学科。身在学院，他身上却没有被丝毫学院气，他主张以轻松的方式引导学生进入一个学科领域，激发他们的兴趣，他更主张学术的自律和尊严，所以，在他的作品中，总是充满了对学术界的荒谬、腐败的辛辣揭露和嘲讽。或许，我们会发现这些现象也发生在中国。“谋杀”，是他的作品的主题。而谋杀可能是一个喜剧，谋杀之后的解剖更是令人痛快淋漓。学术，也许正在经历这样一次谋杀……

他的作品，已有德语、瑞典语、意大利语、韩语、印度尼西亚语译本，中文译本正在陆续出版。