Hi Chris,

I’m most of the way through reading your new book – I should say, reading your new book for the first time because I can tell I’m going to want to revisit it as I move further through my PhD. I’ve found it approachable and very thought-provoking so far.

The space for note-taking is great – a simple concept which seems like an obvious thing to do with an academic/educational/informative book, yet I’ve never seen this before, outside of some of those textbooks that have a bit of space at the ends of chapters. Having the space on each page really encourages engagement with the ideas. Good call.

When I put the book down earlier, I instinctively went to look for The Sociological Imagination from my bookshelf, I think in part because of how your book reinvigorated the process of doing social science and being a social scientist in a way that reminded me of how I felt when I first read Wright Mills as an undergraduate.

I’ll call you out on one thing for now though. On Page 188 you slipped momentarily into that old routine that most of the classic works appeared to (and you yourself criticise) - use of a male pronoun! I suspect there’s a few sneaky additions to the book that you might’ve thrown in to check if we were really paying attention – not sure if this was one of them!

Already looking forward to Volume Two.

— Matt Nesbitt, PhD candidate

Hi Chris,

I just wanted to drop you a message as I've just finished your recent book. It's awesome! It's really helped me flush out my thoughts on various topics and the depiction of theoretical determinism and 'pet theories' really resonated with me. Many of the discussions you present have made me revisit various parts of my thesis to rewrite making it a much stronger piece of work, so thank you!

As a student coming to the end of their PhD and unsure on career direction, it was great to read the epilogue. I've come across so much negativity around academia that makes me question my desire to enter it as a career. Having you deliver a more balanced commentary was awesome to read. I love seeing people make academia cool and interesting, as it should be.

I look forward to volume 2!

— Jack Hardwicke, PhD candidate

“Had I had this book earlier my own journey would've been faster. Immersing myself in my chosen field – the global techno music scene – took the better part of 10 years. In parallel, I documented my journey through a composition and musicology PhD. Working alone, the dual role was very difficult to wrap my head around, especially in the early years. This book is invaluable to understand immersive research. First, by calling the practice by its name, second by identifying its potential and finally by acknowledging its limits. The writing style feels like you're having a pint with the author. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anybody, academic or otherwise, who aspires to methodically participate in and explain a field of human activity. Dr Matthews explains, in plain language, how to approach embodied learning.”

— Dr. Nicolas Bougaïeff, Researcher & Musician

“I've worked with Chris since 2018. As he states in the intro chapter to the book, we've discussed many of these ideas during that time. I vividly remember him saying social science was messy and seeing how he challenged his own thoughts about this as he sought to provide the supervision I needed. Seeing these ideas and stories, which have directed my studies, written down has been really useful, I'll go as far as to say the book is dear to me. It’s my supervision process in a book. So while many won't experience the book as I do, I hope that some can learn from it, and him, in the way I have. It is not your classic how-to guide to understanding social inquiry. Rather, it reads like a friendly and honest conversation structured around identifying what is wrong/problematic and how we can go on about making it better. It does so by providing detailed discussions of 'the classics' which are distilled into guiding principles. I've applied these principles in various ways and found them extremely useful for framing my own thoughts and ideas. They have helped me strive to do good social science, stay on track, and most importantly not get overwhelmed by the whole process. If you tell me you didn’t have at least a minor epiphany about how to make your research better after reading this book, you’re lying!”

— Reem AlHashmi, PhD candidate

This is a brave and bold book which encourages you to be the same and to have confidence in doing research. I know Christopher and his work well and in this book I feel that I can really hear his voice. He has lots of experience of both doing immersive research and of guiding students through the process, sympathetically. He knows what the issues are. He provides a realistic practical guide. It’s not didactic but he really knows what he’s talking about. He uses his own experience and mixes examples such as his own work on boxing bodies with a range of well integrated theoretical perspectives. Whether you are a supervisor looking for new ideas or a student who’s under confident and inexperienced, this is a great book, full of fresh ideas.

— Prof Kath Woodward, Emeritus Professor, Sociology

A clear and concise introduction into immersive research, Chris’ first volume reads like a friendly and supportive discussion about key ideas on theory and methods. In so doing – and this won’t surprise you if you know him – he’s ripped up the proverbial rule book and written a text most academics would never dream of doing. This gives the readers an honest, insightful and informed starting point for thinking about and doing immersive, connected, qualitative research about the social world in which they live. You’ll learn a lot about that, and a little about Chris too, in this educational and enjoyable read.

— Dr. Ali Bowes, Senior Lecturer, Sociology of Sport