Fall quarter of 1968 at the University of Oregon, I was trying to choose a topic for my doctoral dissertation in Sociology.... My despair over ever settling on a suitable topic led me at one point to a half-hour's pacing the perimeter of my backyard in a cold rain, which I quit doing when I noticed that Zorba, Nancy, Vivian and Angus (my dog and three cats) were trailing along dutifully behind me. The research reported here began with what I thought would turn out to be another false start.  —  Chapter 1