The Honest Broker

Roger Pielke Jr runs the Prometheus science policy blog and is releasing an interesting sounding new book called The Honest Broker: Making Sense of Science in Policy and Politics.

“For scientists seeking to play a positive role in policy and politics and contribute to the sustainability of the scientific enterprise, scientists have choices in what role they play. This book is about understanding this choice. Rather than prescribing what course of action each scientist ought to take, the book aims to identify a range of options. Using examples from a range of scientific controversies, 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.”

Regardless of where you might sit in the climate change debate, I think it is worthwhile taking the time to think carefully about the role that scientists should play in the formation of public policy.

This will definitely be going on my wishlist at Amazon!