Narrative Policy Analysis: Theory and Practice. By Roe Emery. Durham: Duke University Press, 1994. 199p. $39.95 cloth, $15.95 paper.

Abstract: into his book. The two introductory chapters on the Chicano Movement cite only a handful of works published after the mid-1970s. Likewise, an examination of the endnotes for the substantive chapters reveals that little additional research was added to the original study. The dated literature, lack of theoretical structure, and close attention paid to obscure partisan conflicts mark this as a book that did not reach its full potential. This lack of scholarly rigor is all the more frustrating because Navarro's data are often richly suggestive. For example, it is clear that his case study of MAYO could have informed the debate over the relative salience of race, class, and culture in American politics. MAYO was promoting a quintessential Chicano Movement agenda, one that contained elements of socialism, cultural nationalism, and racial separatism. The group also received support from a large number of poor Mexican-Americans, secured concessions from school boards and local governments, and eventually formed an independent third party that overthrew Anglo-dominated political regimes in several south Texas counties. Navarro attributes these accomplishments to the power of racial and cultural solidarity but offers no systematic analysis to support this contention. His own research documents significant opposition to MAYO from Mexican-American elected officials and community leaders, a clash over political and economic values that other studies suggest can compromise ethnic group unity.