Books

Books : reviews

Roger A. Pielke, Jr..
The Honest Broker: making sense of science on policy and politics.
CUP. 2007

Scientists seeking to play a positive role in policy and politics and contribute to the sustainability of the scientific enterprise have choices in what role they play. This book is about understanding these choices, what considerations are important to think about when deciding, and the consequences of such choices for the individual scientist and the broader scientific enterprise. Rather than prescribing what course of action each scientist ought to take, the book aims to identify a range of options for individual scientists to consider in making their own judgments about how they would like to position themselves in relation to policy and politics. Using examples from a range of scientific controversies and thought-provoking analogies from other walks of life The Honest Broker challenges us all – scientists, politicians, and citizens – to think carefully about how best science can contribute to policy-making and a healthy democracy.