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The work of sociologist Heinich (Centre National de la Recherché Scientifique, Paris) has already been lauded as "an excellent contribution to the sociology of culture" and a "model of creative research." Indeed, Heinich admits to abandoning the strictures of art historical, sociological, and anthropological research methodologies in order to understand how and why society transforms certain tragic personae into cultural icons. The author has chosen Van Gogh as her model of one such tragic hero who felt his work was unappreciated, who suffered physically and emotionally for his art, and who ultimately took his own life. But Heinich could have applied her approach to any number of cultural icons. Ultimately, her analysis is thought-provoking, well organized, and carefully documented with expansive research notes. Unfortunately, the vocabulary and dense prose put this book well beyond the comprehension of the average reader. Recommended for scholarly collections.?P. Steven Thomas, Illinois State Univ., Normal (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.