Bernard Manin’s book The Principles of Representative Government attracted the attention of scholars studying sortition, and it was also widely read by activists. Both kinds of readers viewed it as one of the first arguments in favor of this method of appointing officials, thereby misinterpreting the purpose and meaning of the book. In this discussion, Antoine Chollet attempts to identify the origins of this misunderstanding, and Bernard Manin responds to some of these interpretations of his work, while giving the reasons that led him to pay special attention to political sortition.