This essay examines some of the core concerns of House’s approach to evaluation, with specific reference to his latest book Evaluating: Values, Biases and Practical Wisdom. This is a difficult book to characterise in a few pithy statements. Part memoir, part evaluation novella and part scholarly textbook. Arguably, this is one of the most unique discourses on evaluation in the past decade. Anyone who has conducted evaluations knows there are always myriad choices. Determining what actions to take and who gets to decide is never easy. House provides a rich repository of wise counsel. After reading this book evaluators will find themselves pausing longer to think and reflect on everyday decisions. I conclude by offering some suggestions about areas where House’s work could benefit from further development.
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