Cardinal Choices: Presidential Science Advising from the Atomic Bomb to SDI. Revised and Expanded Edition (Stanford Nuclear Age Series) - Softcover

Herken, Gregg

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0804737703 ISBN 13: 9780804737708

Publisher: Stanford University Press, 2000

Synopsis

This book is a history of the complex relations between scientific advisors, primarily physicists, and U.S. presidents in their role as decision makers about nuclear weapons and military strategy. The story, unsurprisingly, is one of considerable tension between the "experts" and the politicians, as scientists seek to influence policy and presidents alternate between accepting their advice and resisting or even ignoring it. First published in 1992, the book has been brought up to date to include the experiences of science advisors to President Clinton. In addition, the texts of eleven crucial documents, from the Einstein-Szilard letter to President Roosevelt (1939) to the announcement of the Strategic Defense Initiative by President Reagan (1983), have been added as appendixes.

About this title

About the Author

Gregg Herken is Historian and Curator at the Space History Department of the National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

From the Back Cover

"This is an important book. . . . One strength of the work is its thoroughness in tracing the steps at which science advice has influenced momentous decisions. Another is how it delineates the gradual erosion in the impact of science advice. . . . There are many other lessons to learn from reading the book carefully, and I strongly recommend it." --Wolfgang K. H. Panofsky, Physics Today

Edition details

• Publisher: Stanford University Press
• Publication date: 2000
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0804737703
• ISBN 13: 9780804737708
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 376