This volume of fourteen essays contains twelve journal articles and conference papers written by Burch in the period from the early 1990s through the late 2000s, plus two pieces appearing for the first time in this volume. So that each piece is complete and stands on its own, the author has deliberately not edited out repetition among the fourteen essays. All the essays tackle the problem of the relationship between theory and empirical analysis in demography. The author's stance is that demographic research ought to be guided by models, defined as abstract representations of a limited portion of social reality that can be articulated verbally, algebraically, or graphically. Models are worthwhile to the extent they clarify in simplified form the processes that generate observed attitudes and behavior. Models are not to be evaluated as true or untrue, rather as more or less useful in specific empirical applications. By contrast, the pursuit of universal laws of human behavior is regarded as unhelpful and ultimately futile. In taking this stance, Burch acknowledges the influence of certain streams in the philosophy of science, most especially Giere (Science Without Laws), and among demographers the influence of Keyfitz (e.g., PDR 1, no. 2). With his emphasis on models, Burch perceives far more constructive theory in demography than ordinarily recognized by demographers and non-demographers alike. The models featured in this volume include the cohort-component projection method and the life table. Throughout the volume, there is an emphasis on understanding dynamic processes rather than cross-sectional distributions and associations, with dynamic processes typically represented via a set of differential equations and more often than not incorporating feedbacks and non-linear relationships. This leads Burch to accord pride-of-place to complex systems analysis, as well as advocacy of simulation approaches, ever more feasible because of advances in computing capacity and software. Agent-based modeling of marriage market processes is among the mentioned exemplars of the application of computer simulation to demographic phenomena. Burch argues that simulation ought to be in most demographers’ toolkit and certainly should be in the core of contemporary training in demography. He concludes with a call for a systematic effort to collect and codify demographic models. Index